4. We should strengthen primary Party organizations and encourage Party members to play an exemplary, vanguard role.

The primary Party organizations are the locus of all the Party's work and the base of its fighting capacity. Party committees at all levels should try to turn those organizations into a powerful force that can unite with the masses and lead them in reform and socialist construction. In rural areas, we should make a greater success of building village-level organizations with Party branches as the nuclei. In state-owned enterprises Party organizations should likewise be the political nuclei. They should continue to improve the system under which the factory director assumes full responsibility and to rely wholeheartedly on the working class. Other economic organizations should proceed from their own conditions and lose no time in establishing Party organizations and drawing up rules to govern their work. In addition, the primary Party organizations in government departments, schools, research institutes and urban neighbourhoods should strengthen themselves as necessary. We should make a particular effort to draw into the Party excellent workers, farmers and intellectuals who are working in the forefront of production. Some primary Party organizations are weak at present, so Party committees at the next higher level should send cadres there to help consolidate them.

The new historical period places new demands on Party members to set an example. It is therefore essential to educate and supervise them more effectively, increase their ability and cultivate their Party spirit. Our goal is that, as advanced elements, they should faithfully carry out the Party's basic line, devote themselves to the reform, the opening up and the modernization drive, work heart and soul for the interests of the people and, together with them, contribute to economic development and social progress. All Party members should be urged to emancipate their minds, emphasize reform and innovation, respect science and do practical work. They should take into consideration the situation as a whole, unite and coordinate their efforts, be modest and prudent, learn from the advanced and work hard to make contributions and attain goals without considering their own interests. In this way, Party members can fully play a vanguard role in promoting both material progress and ideological and cultural progress.

5. We should uphold and improve the system of democratic centralism and safeguard Party solidarity and unity.

Modernization, reform and opening to the outside world are Herculean undertakings. Only by combining centralism based on democracy with democracy under centralized guidance can we enable all Party organizations and all Party members to take the initiative and demonstrate their creativity. Only by so doing can we pool the wisdom of the entire membership, guarantee that the Party's policy decisions will be correct and carried out effectively and make sure that it will tighten its discipline, increase its fighting capacity and advance our cause.

We should enhance inner-Party democracy and institute more systems as necessary to protect the democratic rights of all Party organizations and members. Channels for inner-Party democracy must be cleared and widened, so that Party organizations will be promptly informed of the opinions, suggestions and criticisms of the members. In inner-Party activities we should carry on the fine tradition of speaking the truth and matching our deeds to our words. We should also encourage Party members to express their views, and we should protect their right to do so, as set forth in the Party Constitution. We must identify and deal with anyone who infringes upon the democratic rights of Party members, suppresses criticism, retaliates against those who dare to criticize or tries to frame others.

Party committees at all levels must maintain and strengthen the Party's collective leadership. If a Party member has differing views, he may preserve them, but he must abide by the decisions made by the collective. We must see to it that the organizational principle of the Party is adhered to - the principle that individual Party members are subordinate to the organization, that the minority is subordinate to the majority, that the lower Party organizations are subordinate to the higher ones and that all the constituent organizations and members of the Party are subordinate to the National Congress and the Central Committee. We must not tolerate liberalism or any defiance of organization and discipline, such as going one's own way in disregard of orders and prohibitions. We must tighten Party discipline and keep a constant watch on the way it is maintained. All Party members are equal before Party discipline; anyone who violates it must be subject to disciplinary measures. Our objective is, as always, to create a political situation in which there is both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and a relaxed and lively atmosphere.

The Party's unity is its life. At this critical time when we need to speed up the reform, the opening to the outside and the modernization drive, it is particularly important for the comrades of the entire Party to close ranks on the basis of the Party's basic line. Every Party member, especially every leading cadre, should conscientiously work to safeguard Party unity and the authority of the Central Committee. They should all be in agreement with the Central Committee on ideological and political matters. We must never permit anyone to attempt to undermine and split the Party. Both central and local Party committees should hold democratic meetings regularly. Members of leading groups should trust, support and understand each other and engage in criticism and self-criticism. They should co-operate with each other to make their work a success. Leading cadres at all levels should set a good example by adhering to principle, observing strict discipline, protecting the interests of the Party as a whole and strengthening unity. So long as the Party remains vigorous and united in struggle, our cause will surely triumph.

To strengthen Party building and improve Party leadership, the 13th Central Committee presents for the examination and deliberation of this National Congress the draft of a revised Constitution of the Communist Party of China. This draft includes in the Constitution the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Party's basic line. This is of great importance to ensure that there is unity of understanding and action throughout the Party and that we continue to advance along the path to socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Since it was founded ten years ago, the Central Advisory Commission has done much fruitful work. It has helped the Central Committee to preserve Party unity and social stability and to promote the reform, the opening up and the modernization drive, thus making historic contributions to the Party, the state and the people. The Central Advisory Commission now presents to this National Congress a proposal that the commission be abolished as of this congress.

Comrades,

To accomplish the reunification of the motherland is in the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation, and it is the common aspiration of the entire Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao and those residing overseas. We shall work steadfastly for the great cause, adhering to the principles of peaceful reunification and "one country, two systems". The Chinese government will continue to co-operate with the British and Portuguese governments to ensure that the transfer of power in Hong Kong and Macao proceeds smoothly and that the two regions enjoy long-term stability and prosperity. Taiwan is an integral part of the sacred territory of China. We resolutely oppose in any form the notion "two Chinas," "one China, one Taiwan," "one country, two governments" and any acts aimed at bringing about the independence of Taiwan. We shall continue to work for direct links for postal, air, and shipping services and trade between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and to promote people-to-people exchanges and co-operation in various fields. In particular, we shall work for greatly expanded economic co-operation between the two sides in an effort to revitalize the economy of the whole nation.

We reiterate that the Chinese Communist Party is ready to establish contact with the Chinese Kuomintang at the earliest possible date to create conditions for talks on officially ending the state of hostility between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and gradually realizing peaceful reunification. Representatives from other parties, mass organizations and all circles on both sides of the Taiwan Straits could be invited to join in such talks. On the premise that there is only one China, we are prepared to talk with the Taiwan authorities about any matter, including the form that official negotiations should take, a form that would be acceptable to both sides. We hope that the Taiwan authorities will comply with the wishes of the people and help remove the artificial obstacles to the reunification of the motherland, so as to make it possible for relations between the two sides to enter a new stage of development.

Comrades,

Socialism is a completely new social system in the history of mankind. It is bound to replace capitalism - that is the general trend of social and historical development. Any new social system, as it is born, consolidated and developed, inevitably follows a zigzag course involving a succession of struggles and sacrifices, of victories and defeats. Communists and the people in general will surely be tempered in this process and draw lessons from it, pushing socialism in the right direction. Thanks to the united efforts of all the Party comrades and the people of all our nationalities, socialism is flourishing in China. China is a huge country with 1.1 billion people, and the Chinese Communist Party is a great party with 50 million members. There is no doubt that the vigorous development of socialism with Chinese characteristics will make an important contribution to socialism and to human progress worldwide.

The period between now and the middle of the next century will be a most important and precious time for making our country prosperous and for advancing socialism. We have difficult tasks to accomplish, and we bear grave responsibilities. In the 1990s we must establish a preliminary new economic structure and attain the objective of the second stage of development: a relatively comfortable level of life for all our people. In another 20 years, when we mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party, a whole set of more mature and complete management systems will have taken shape in every field of work. Thus, in the middle of the next century, when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, we shall have attained the objective of the third stage: the basic realization of socialist modernization. The comrades of the whole Party and the people of all our nationalities must unite more closely under the leadership of the Central Committee. Sharing weal and woe, and with all hearts beating as one, we must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and forge ahead courageously toward the magnificent goal!

(NO. 43 OCTOBER 26, 1992)