Officials elaborate on the guiding principles of the 19th CPC Central Committee's fifth plenary session at a press conference in Beijing, Oct 30, 2020. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held its first press conference on Friday to introduce and elaborate on the guiding principles of the 19th CPC Central Committee's fifth plenary session, marking the establishment of the CPC Central Committee's news release mechanism.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, personally led the formulation of the proposals for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), said Han Wenxiu, an official with the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs

At the plenary, Central Committee spoke highly of the decisive achievements made in securing a victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The work of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee since the 19th CPC Central Committee's fourth plenary session has been fully recognized by the fifth session, said Wang Xiaohui, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.  

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"Practice has proved once again that with Comrade Xi Jinping, the core of the CPC Central Committee and of the whole Party, at the helm, and with the unity and tenacious struggle of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country, we will surely be able to overcome various difficulties and obstacles on the way forward and advance socialism with Chinese characteristics more vigorously in the new era," Wang told the press conference.  

Xi personally led the formulation of the CPC Central Committee's proposals for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, said Han Wenxiu, an official with the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs.

Xi acted as head of the proposal drafting group, Han said at the press conference. 

Drawing-up of the proposals for the formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) has balanced the relationship between past achievements and innovation and managed to secure a smooth connection of the two centenary goals, said Han.

The drafting has also balanced the relationship between government and market, opening-up and self-reliance, development and security, as well as strategy and tactics, according to Han.

New development pattern

He added that deeper involvement in the international circulation is an integral part of China's efforts to establish a new development pattern.

Fostering the new development pattern will by no means affect China's commitment to opening-up, said Han Wenxiu, an official with the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs

The new development pattern takes the domestic market as the mainstay while letting domestic and foreign markets boost each other.

Fostering the new development pattern will by no means affect China's commitment to opening-up, Han said, adding that the scale of China's foreign trade, foreign capital use and outbound investment will continue to expand.

China will promote higher-level opening-up, widen market access for foreign enterprises, and make better use of both domestic and foreign markets, he said.

Calling market "a scarce global resource," Han said China will turn itself into a "gravitational field" that attracts the world's high-quality factors and resources and a fertile ground of foreign investment by building a market-oriented, rule-based, and international business environment.

Complete 'decoupling' 'unrealistic'

On China-US ties, Han said complete "decoupling" between the two countries is utterly unrealistic and would do no good to the two countries or the world.

The economic ties between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies, have been determined by the complementarity of their economic structures and the openness of the global economy, Han said, rebutting the viability of complete "decoupling" of the two economies.

In fact, only a few favor decoupling while many more want cooperation.

 Han Wenxiu, official with the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs

"In fact, only a few favor decoupling while many more want cooperation," Han said.

Despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have seen their trade volume surge by 16 percent year on year in the third quarter of this year, he noted.

A proper external environment is needed for China to achieve its long-range objectives for 2035, he said.

The international environment is getting increasingly complex and seeing more uncertainties and challenges. However, China still thinks that peace and development remain the overriding theme of the times, Han said.

"Economic globalization will continue to develop amidst twists and turns in the future in spite of headwinds it encounters," he said. "China will continue to resolutely safeguard multilateralism, stand on the right side of history and make active efforts to foster a favorable international environment." 

Sci-tech innovation solutions

Meanwhile, the minister of science and technology Wang Zhigang said China needs sci-tech innovation solutions more than ever in implementing the new development philosophy, promoting quality development and building a new development pattern.

"Only by relying on sci-tech innovation can we create opportunities during the crisis, expand new space for development and shape new development advantages," Wang said, adding that China will continue to keep its door open in pursuing innovation. 

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The newly-released communique of the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee stressed that China will uphold the central role of innovation in its modernization drive and implement an innovation-driven strategy.

China will make self-reliance in science and technology a strategic underpinning for national development, the communique said.

This is written into the Party's proposals for a five-year plan for the first time in history, ahead of other planned tasks, Wang said. 

Also at the press conference, a senior official said, the establishment of the news release mechanism is an important institutional arrangement and innovation for strengthening Party leadership and improving the Party's governance capability.

Xu Lin, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and director of the State Council Information Office, said the mechanism was established to meet the demands of the day as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.