(5) We must link pressing ahead with changes in the economic base with promoting reform of the superstructure, continuously pushing forward political restructuring and provide institutional and legal guarantees for reform, opening up and socialist modernization.

In the past 30 years, we have paid equal attention to both economic and political restructuring and expanded socialist political democracy. In the process of building a socialist country under the rule of law, we have ensured the position of the people as masters of the country and consistently enabled the socialist superstructure to fit in with the economic base, with the result that socialist democracy has demonstrated greater vitality in the country.

China is a socialist country under the people's democratic dictatorship, led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants. People's democracy is the lifeblood of socialism. The position of the people as masters of the country is the essence and core of socialist political democracy. Without democracy, there would be no socialism or socialist modernization. Adapting to economic and social development and the growing enthusiasm of the people for participation in political affairs, we have consistently developed socialist political civilization, with the aim of ensuring the position of the people as masters of the country, enhancing the vitality of the Party and the state and arousing the initiative of the people. We have carried out democratic elections, policy-making, administration and oversight in accordance with the law, in order to guarantee the people's rights to be informed, to participate, to be heard and to oversee. We have persisted in scientific, democratic and law-based governance, ensured scientific and democratic decision-making, and mobilized and organized the people as extensively as possible to manage state and social affairs as well as economic and cultural programs in accordance with the law. We have persisted in scientific and democratic legislation to improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, built up awareness of the socialist rule of law, ensured that all citizens are equal before the law, and respected and safeguarded human rights. We have carried out government administration in accordance with the law, deepened the reform of the judiciary system, ensured that all work of the state is based on the law, and safeguarded social equity and justice and the consistency, sanctity and authority of the socialist legal system.

China's political reform is characterized by self-improvement and development of the socialist political system. We must adhere to the path of political development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, integrate the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country and the rule of law, maintain the features and advantages of the socialist political system, and proceed from national conditions. We must borrow from the useful achievements in politics from different civilizations of mankind but will never slavishly imitate any Western models. We must unwaveringly develop socialist political civilization, deepen political reform, and uphold and improve the system of people's congresses, the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, the system of regional ethnic autonomy and the system of grass-root self-governance. We must expand the Patriotic United Front, optimize institutions, standards and procedures for socialist political democracy, better ensure the position of the people as masters of the country, and consolidate and develop the political situation characterized by democracy, solidarity, liveliness, stability and harmony.