Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, delivers an important speech when meeting with the media on Sunday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with the other six newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee. FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY

Nation will be steadfast in deepening reform and opening-up, pursuing high-quality development

The Communist Party of China should always act for the people and rely on the people on the new journey of national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, Xi Jinping said on Sunday after he was elected general secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC.

The Party will not be daunted by high winds, choppy waters or even dangerous storms, as the people will always offer their firmest support and give it confidence, Xi said, as he presented the CPC's new top leadership when meeting with representatives of Chinese and international media on Sunday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"Taking their priorities as ours and acting on their wishes, we will continue the hard work to turn their aspiration for a better life into a reality," Xi said.

He introduced the other six newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee: Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi.

"We'll be steadfast in deepening reform and opening-up across the board, and in pursuing high-quality development," Xi added. "A prosperous China will create many more opportunities for the world."

Just as China cannot develop in isolation from the world, the world needs China for its development, he said.

Noting that the Chinese economy has great resilience and potential, Xi said that its strong fundamentals will not change, and it will remain on the positive trajectory over the long run.

Xi Jinping (center), general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with the media on Sunday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with the other six newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee: Li Qiang (third right), Zhao Leji (third left), Wang Huning (second right), Cai Qi (second left), Ding Xuexiang (right) and Li Xi (left). FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY

He said that through over 40 years of relentless reform and opening-up, China has created the twin miracles of fast economic growth and long-term social stability.

He added that the Party should always press forward with self-reform on the journey ahead, saying that a political party can only become invincible if it remains committed to self-reform, even though it has had a glorious past.

The revolutionary travails and tempering of the past century, and especially of the first decade of the new era, have made the CPC stronger and more dynamic, Xi said.

"We must make sure that our century-old Party, the biggest in the world, will become ever more vigorous through self-reform and continue to be the strong backbone that the Chinese people can lean on at all times," Xi added.

He also expressed China's commitment to further promoting the building of a human community with a shared future.

"We will work with peoples of all other countries to champion humanity's shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom to safeguard global peace and promote global development, and keep promoting the building of a human community with a shared future," Xi said.

Stressing that the world is grappling with unprecedented challenges, Xi said the CPC has consistently called on the people of the world to grasp and shape the future and destiny of humanity.

"When all countries pursue the cause of common good, we can live in harmony, engage in cooperation for mutual benefit and join hands to create a brighter future for the world," he added.

Xi's remarks came shortly after the first plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which was elected on Saturday at the end of the weeklong 20th CPC National Congress.

At the plenary session, which was attended by 203 members and 168 alternate members of the CPC Central Committee, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the Party's top leadership, were elected.

During the meeting, Xi was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and was also named chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission.

Also elected at the meeting was the 24-member Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which endorsed the members of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat nominated by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The session named the members of the Central Military Commission. It approved the secretary, deputy secretaries and members of the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection elected at the first plenary session of the 20th CCDI.