The overall approach to building socialism with Chinese characteristics

The overall approach to building socialism with Chinese characteristics is to promote economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress. It is a holistic approach centered on economic development, with coordinated development in political, cultural, social, ecological and other areas pursued on the basis of continued economic growth.

The overarching goals of socialism with Chinese characteristics

The overarching goals of socialism with Chinese characteristics are to bring about socialist modernization and the great renewal of the Chinese nation. Since its founding, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has made striving for national renewal its historic mission. The objectives of revolutionary struggles, and economic development and reform efforts by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC have been none other than to secure a better life for the people, bring prosperity to the country, and bring about national renewal. Along the same lines, China's modernization strategy calls for building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious.

Completing the process of building a moderately well-off society in all aspects

The vision for a moderately well-off society was proposed by Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the roadmap for China's economic and social development was being crafted. The concept has since been further enriched and developed in an evolving process of social-economic development with Chinese characteristics.

Considering the fact that the goal for a markedly improved life for the people had basically become a reality by the end of the 20th century, the CPC Central Committee called for a continued push to build a moderately well-off society in all aspects in its report to the 16th National Congress. New and more ambitious elements were subsequently added to this already expanded concept at the Party's 17th National Congress (held in 2007). In view of China's current status of, and further needs for, social-economic development, the CPC Central Committee announced in its report to the 18th National Congress the goal of completing the process of building a moderately well-off society in all aspects by the year 2020, on the basis of what had been achieved since the Party's previous two major gatherings.

Specifically, the goal calls for: (1) making major progress in transforming China's growth model; (2) doubling China's 2010 GDP and per-capita income for both urban and rural residents; (3) promoting innovation and pursuing innovation-driven development; (4) basically completing the process of industrialization, markedly expanding access to information technology, better managing urbanization, and making notable progress in agricultural modernization and rural development; (5) establishing a mechanism for development coordination across all regions; and (6) opening up further and notably improving China's international competitiveness.

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