The fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee was held in Beijing from October 28 to 31, 2019. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made an important speech at the session, which was presided over by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The session reviewed and adopted the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Major Issues Concerning Upholding and Improving Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Modernizing the State Governance System and Capacity." Reflecting a systematic thinking on the state governance system and capacity, the decision is a guiding document for upholding and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing state governance system and capacity in the new era. Chinese socialism is a sound system developed by the CPC and the Chinese people through prolonged practices and explorations; it forms the basis for state governance in every field, and is fully represented in the state governance system and capacity.

The overall objectives of upholding and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the state governance system and capacity are as follows: Accomplishing notable achievements in making the systems in all fields more mature and better-defined by CPC's centenary mark (2021); further refining the systems in all fields and basically achieving the goal of modernizing the state governance system and capacity by 2035; and fully realizing the goal of modernizing the state governance system and capacity, hence further consolidating Chinese socialism with its strength in full play by the centenary of the People's Republic of China (2049).

Since its establishment, the CPC has united and led the Chinese people to combine the basic principles of Marxism with China's practical realities to achieve victory in the Chinese revolution. It has also thoroughly reflected on the successes and failures from home and abroad, kept exploring new practices, embarked on reform and innovation, and established and improved the socialist system. By forming and developing the systems for Party leadership, the economy, political affairs, culture, social development, ecological progress, national defense, and foreign affairs, the CPC has strengthened and improved its state governance and made historic achievements. This fully demonstrates the strengths of China's state systems and governance that are manifested in many ways, as listed below:

· Upholding the CPC's centralized and unified leadership, maintaining the CPC's scientific theories, guaranteeing political stability, and ensuring that the country follows the socialist path; 

· Respecting the people's status as masters of the country, promoting people's democracy, maintaining close ties with the people, and relying on the people to drive national development; 

· Pursuing law-based governance in all respects in a socialist country that follows the rule of law, ensures social fairness and justice, and guarantees the rights of the people; 

· Motivating all sectors, pooling all resources, and coordinating all our efforts to complete key national undertakings; 

· Upholding equality between all ethnic groups, fostering a strong sense of national identity, and working together for common prosperity; 

· Maintaining the dominant role of public ownership while developing other forms of ownership, and implementing multiple modes of distribution with "to each according to their work" as the principal form; this structure represents an effective combination of the socialist system and the market economy and helps create and unlock additional productive forces; 

· Upholding common ideals, values and morals, promoting the best of Chinese traditions, socialist culture and revolutionary heritage, and uniting the nation in shared beliefs and convictions; 

· Pursuing a people-centered approach to development that improves quality of life and achieves prosperity for all; 

· Implementing further reform and innovation, keeping pace with the times, and pursuing constant self-development, leading to a more vibrant and dynamic society; 

· Selecting the best minds across the land based on their integrity and expertise, and preparing talent for the country's future needs; 

· Maintaining CPC leadership over the people's armed forces, and ensuring their absolute loyalty to the Party and the people and their ability to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and national interests; 

· Upholding the principle of "one country, two systems" to maintain lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao and promote the peaceful reunification of China; and

· Maintaining independence and self-reliance while opening to the outside world, with more active participation in global governance and a greater contribution to the building of a global community of shared future.

The fourth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee summed up the strengths of Chinese socialism and the governance system as "13 upholds," which are the basis for fostering stronger confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of Chinese socialism. They are also strong guarantees for strengthening the implementation of China's state and governance systems, turning China's institutional advantages into efficient state governance, and thereby achieving the Two Centennial Goals and realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. The strong vitality and great superiority of Chinese socialism and the state governance system are shown through five basic characteristics as listed below.

I. Unwavering strategic direction. Achieving modernization and the high ideal of communism is the ultimate goal of the Chinese communists, generation after generation. In order to reach this target, China has been persistently upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC, followed the CPC's scientific theories, maintained political stability, and ensured that the country keeps advancing along the socialist path while developing and improving Chinese socialist system. The defining feature of Chinese socialism is the leadership of the CPC, and the greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is also the leadership of the CPC. The modern state governance with Chinese characteristics is a complex system, composed of economic, political, societal, and other sub-systems, with the CPC as its axis. As Chinese socialism enters a new era, we must count on the leadership of the CPC for advancing and completing our great cause. The founding of the PRC has made it clear that the CPC is capable of winning in the battle field, and its successful reform and opening up has proved that the Chinese communists are capable of carrying out economic construction and social development. Now, facing increasingly complicated international and domestic environments, the next generations of Chinese communists must show whether they are capable of upholding the Party's leadership, adhering to and improving socialism with Chinese characteristics.

II. Extensive and Systematic Coverage. As a scientific system, Chinese socialism covers many fields, including the economy, politics, culture, social and ecological progress, military affairs, and foreign affairs, with clear-defined priorities and distinctive features for each. 

On the economic front, it maintains the dominant role of public ownership while developing other forms of ownership, and implements multiple modes of distribution with "to each according to their work" as the principal form. This structure represents an effective combination of the socialist system and the market economy, and helps create and unlock additional productive forces. 

In the political sphere, it respects the people's status as masters of the country, promotes people's democracy, maintains close ties with the people, and relies on the people to drive national development; it pursues law-based governance in all respects to build a socialist country under the rule of law, ensures social fairness and justice, and guarantees the rights of the people; it upholds equality between all ethnic groups, and fosters a strong sense of national identity among them so that they will work jointly for common prosperity and development; it upholds the principle of "one country, two systems" to maintain lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, and promotes the peaceful reunification of China. 

In terms of culture, it advocates common ideals, values, and morals, promotes the best of Chinese traditions, socialist culture and revolutionary heritage, and unites the nation in shared beliefs and convictions. 

On the social front, it pursues a people-centered approach to development that improves quality of life and achieves prosperity for all. 

In foreign and military affairs, it maintains independence and self-reliance while opening to the outside world, with more active participation in global governance and a greater contribution to the building of a global community of shared future; it ensures the absolute loyalty of the armed forces to the Party and the people and their ability to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and national interests. 

Facing the complex and fast-changing new situation of governing the country, Chinese socialism has been expanded to include a system for eco-environmental conservation and restoration and an accountability system for eco-environmental protection by implementing the most stringent eco-environmental protection mechanism and enabling efficient utilization of resources in an all-round way.

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