Grand Gathering Marks 80th Founding Anniversary of CPC A grand gathering was held at the Great Hall of the People Sunday, marking the 80th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Present were top leaders including Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing, and Li Lanqing. General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Jiang Zemin made an important speech at the meeting. In his speech, Jiang reviewed the achievements and basic experience of the CPC in the 80-year struggle, expounded on "Three Represent's," and urged the whole Party to struggle for the fulfillment of its historic tasks and goals in the new century. "The 80 years of the Communist Party of China are 80 years of constant pursuit for truth and pioneering and creation by integrating Marxism-Leninism with China's practice; they are 80 years of ceaseless and unremitting hard struggle for the liberation of the nation, the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people; and they are 80 years of withstanding endless tests and growing steadily in strength in the course of accomplishing the historical missions," Jiang said. "Facts have fully proved that the Communist Party of China is worthy of a great, glorious and correct Marxist political party and that it deserves to be the force at the core that leads the Chinese people in the incessant efforts to break new ground," he stressed. At 9:00 am, Li Peng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, announced the opening of the meeting, followed by a 6,000-people choir of China's national anthem. Hu Jintao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, announced a CPC Central Committee decision to commend 500 outstanding grassroots units of the CPC, 50 CPC members and 200 people engaged in Party work. Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing presented the awards to the people commended. In his speech, Jiang said that the CPC, in the past 80 years, has fulfilled the task of new democratic revolution and realized national independence and the liberation of the people, and has established a socialist system and realized the most extensive and most profound social transformation in the Chinese history. The CPC has also created the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and started a correct road to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and has established a state power of people's democratic dictatorship, with the Chinese people being the masters of their own destiny, he added. "We have built an independent and relatively complete national economic system, with our economic power and comprehensive national strength enhanced markedly. We have consistently promoted the development of socialist culture and the cultural life of the people all over the country is getting richer and more varied. "We have thoroughly put an end to the loose-sand state of the old China and realized a high degree of unification of the country and unparalleled unity of all ethnic groups. "We have forged a people's army under the absolute leadership of the Party and built a strong national defense. We have adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace, making important contributions to the lofty cause of world peace and development," Jiang continued. The general secretary stressed that the practice of the eighty years has proved that it is imperative to always persist in integrating the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism with the specific situation in China, and to persist in taking scientific theories as the guide and unswervingly follow China's own road. "The practice of the eighty years tells us that it is essential to always rely firmly on the masses of the people, sincerely work for the interests of the people and draw inexhaustible strength from the masses of the people on the road of advance," Jiang said. "The practice of the eighty years also teaches us that we must always consciously strengthen and improve Party building, continuously enhance the creativity, rallying power and combat capability of the Party, and always maintain the vigor and vitality of the Party," he added. Jiang noted that the great historical tasks for the Party in the new century are "to continue the modernization drive, accomplish the great cause of the reunification of our motherland, safeguard world peace and promote common development." "Facing the profound changes in the domestic and international situations, our Party should follow closely the progressive trends of the world and unite and lead people of all ethnic groups throughout the country in seizing the opportunities and taking up challenges to accomplish the three major historical tasks successfully," he said. The Party must unswervingly fulfill the requirements of the " Three Represent's," which are the foundation underlying all efforts to build the Party, the cornerstone for exercising political power and a source of strength of the Party, Jiang said. "Three Represent's" are also the fundamental requirements to push Party building in an all-round way in the new century, constantly bring forth new ideas in theories, institutions and science and technology, and win fresh victories in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, he added. In order to remain a representative of the requirements of the development of China's advanced productive forces, it is necessary to bring the Party's theory, line, program, principles, policies and all work into line with the law governing the development of productive forces, Jiang said. It is also necessary to make them reflect what is required in promoting the release and development of social productive forces, especially in the development of advanced productive forces so that the living standards of the people improve steadily through the development of productive forces, he said. "To make our Party forever represent the orientation of the development of China's advanced culture is to make the Party's theory, line, program, principles, policies and all its work reflect the requirements of the national, scientific and popular socialist culture that develops toward modernization, the world and the future, enable them to upgrade the ideological and ethical qualities and scientific and cultural qualities of the whole nation and to provide the motive power and support culturally and intellectually. "To always represent the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people, our Party must, in all kinds of work including Party's theory, line, program, principle and policy, persevere in taking the fundamental interests of the people as the starting point and purpose, bring into full play people's enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, and enable the people to constantly obtain tangible economic, political and cultural benefits through continuous social development and progress," Jiang said. The general secretary stressed that representing the requirements of the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, representing the orientation of China's advanced culture and representing the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people are interrelated and interact and constitute an integral whole. He urged all Party members to unswervingly implement the requirements of the "Three Represent's" in all aspects of the Party building and in the entire process of the Party leading the people in the reform, opening-up and modernization drive. On strengthening and improving Party building in accordance with the requirements of the "Three Represent's," Jiang said that the CPC must uphold the Party's ideological line of emancipating minds and seeking truth from facts, carry forward and promote the spirit of practicality, truth-seeking and courage in innovation, and go about all the work of the Party and the state creatively and keep enriching and developing Marxism in practice. "To meet the requirements of the 'Three Represent's,' we must uphold the Party's nature of being the vanguard of the working class and make sure it remains advanced," Jiang noted. "At the same time, in light of economic development and social progress, we must constantly consolidate the class foundation of the Party, expand its popular support and increase its social influence." "To meet the requirements of the 'Three Represent's,' we must adhere to democratic centralism, establish and improve the scientific leadership system and working mechanism, give full scope to inner-Party democracy, resolutely safeguard the centralism and unity of the Party, and maintain and continue to enhance its vitality. "To meet the requirements of the 'Three Represent's,' we should implement, in an all-round manner, the principle of fostering a contingent of more revolutionary, younger, better educated and professionally more competent cadres and that of giving equal importance to both professional competence and political integrity, " Jiang stressed. He urged to deepen the reform of personnel system so as to produce a contingent of high-caliber officials who are capable of assuming important responsibilities and withstanding the test of trials and tribulations. He also urged to adhere to the principle that the Party must handle Party affairs and the policy of being strict in Party discipline. "Party organizations at all levels must be strict with the Party members in respect of requirement, education, administration and supervision and be firm in rooting out the negative phenomena and corruption existing within the Party," Jiang said. The general secretary asked the whole Party to continue to struggle for the fundamental line and historic tasks of the Party. "Every struggle that the Chinese people fought during the one hundred years from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century was for the sake of achieving independence of our country and liberation of our nation and putting an end to the history of national humiliation once and for all," Jiang said, adding that "this great historic cause" has already been accomplished. "All endeavors by the Chinese people for the one hundred years from the mid-20th to the mid-21st century are for the purpose of making our motherland strong, the people prosperous and the nation immensely rejuvenated. "Our Party has led the entire Chinese people in carrying forward this historic cause for fifty years and made tremendous progress, and it will successfully attain the objective through hard work in the coming fifty years," he said. All that the Chinese people have achieved has gone down in the annals of history, Jiang said, adding that "there is still a long way to go." "The realization of truth is a process of continued progress, so is the changing of the world. We shall work unremittingly in pursuit of truth and fight for truth. Under no circumstances should comrades of the Party stand still and refuse to move forward, nor should they fear hardship and difficulties," he said. Jiang called upon all comrades to closely unite with the people of all ethnic groups in China and strive to build the great motherland into a strong, prosperous, democratic and culturally advanced modern socialist country so as to make new and even greater contributions to humanity. At the conclusion of the gathering, Li Peng called for earnestly studying the speech made by Jiang. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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