Commentary: Clear Understanding of Situation, Reinforcing Confidence

This is the first article by Our Commentator on the guidelines for the work of the Party and State this year. Following is the full text published on the front page of People's Daily on January 3.

This year is the first year marking the entry into the new century, as well as the first year in which the whole Party and the people of the whole country are stepping on the new journey of the modernization drive in accordance with the blueprint mapped out by the Fifth Plenary Session of the 15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The guiding principle set down by the central authorities for the work of the whole Party and the whole country this year is: to have a clear understanding of the situation, reinforce confidence, take hold of the overall situation, grasp the key points, vigorously put the guideline into practice and march forward by taking advantage of the favorable situation. A profound grasp and conscientious implementation of this principle is of important significance to doing various items of this year's work well, smoothly carrying out the 10th Five-year Plan and further creating a new situation for the reform, opening and modernization drive.

Getting a clear understanding of the situation and strengthening confidence means the need to comprehensively examine the general trends of today's world political, economic, scientific and technological development, to have a profound grasp of the phased change of China's economic development and the new tasks it is faced with, to realistically analyze favorable conditions and unfavorable factors, seize opportunities and cope with challenges, and to unswervingly realize the various goals we have set.

The current domestic and international situation is favorable to us. Internationally, as we enter the new century, we find the trend of multi-polarization is developing in a zigzag way, the force in defense of peace is experiencing constant growth, peace and development remain the theme of the times. The achievements gained in China's diplomatic work have enhanced China's position and role in international affairs. It is possible for us to win a fairly long-term peaceful international environment. The further deepening of economic globalization is an inevitable trend of the further development of the world economy, and science and technology.

In this process, the developed countries have held an advantageous position by relying on their economic, scientific and technological strengths; while the developing countries are faced with increasingly severe challenges, some nations may seize the opportunity to develop by leaps and bounds; some other countries may possibly widen their gap with the developed nations. China has the experiences gained the reform and opening up and has a vast domestic market, so long as we have a proper grasp of these, develop our comparative advantages, pursue the good and avoid the harm, it is possible for us to gain a favorable position for development in the process of economic globalization.

Internally, we have possessed the favorable conditions for speeding up development. After over 20 years of reform and opening up and rapid development, China has pushed its level of productive forces to a new stage.

A socialist market economic structure has basically been established, a relatively solid material and technological foundation has been formed and a favorable system environment created.

Along with the pickup of investment, consumption and export and the continuous enhancement of the quality and efficiency of economic growth, the national economy is developing in the direction toward a virtuous cycle. In the process of successfully controlling inflation and effectively curbing the trend of deflation, we have accumulated rich macro-control experiences.

More importantly, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 15th CPC Central Committee, pooling the wisdom of the whole Party, adopted the Proposal of the CPC Central Committee on the Formulation of the 10th Five-year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, set forth the guiding thought, the goal of struggle and major measures for the national economic and social development in the next five to 10 year, unified the will of the whole Party and clearly charted the way of advance.

In our way forward, we are also faced with some new situations and new problems. There still exist some factors of uncertainty that require our high attention in the development of the world situation. Some deep-seated contradictions in our domestic economic and social life have kept bursting into view, there also exist new problems in our spiritual and cultural life. Conscientiously studying and solving these problems is of vital importance to keeping a sober head, comprehensively building a better-off society and accelerating the advancement of socialist modernization.

In the face of such a situation, we should fully understand the unprecedented excellent opportunity confronting China's economic construction and the favorable conditions for accelerating development.

In practical work, we should unswervingly take Deng Xiaoping Theory as the guide, act in compliance with the requirements of the "three representatives" (representing the advanced productive forces, representing the advanced culture and representing the fundamental interests of the people) and carry out the essence of the 15th National Congress of the Party and of the Fifth Plenum of the 15th CPC Central Committee in a deep-going way, seize opportunities and accelerate development.

We should persistently implement the principle of expanding domestic demands, continue to carry out the proactive fiscal policy and the steady and sound monetary policy, vigorously promote the strategic readjustment of the economic structure and bring about a steady growth of the national economy. We should earnestly strengthen and improve Party building, and enhance the Party's cohesion and combat effectiveness. We should actively push forward the construction of democracy and the legal system, and maintain the political situation of stability and unity. We should further ensure cultural and ethical progress and being about comprehensive social progress.

The favorable situation has reinforced our confidence in sure victory which, in turn, will open up a more favorable situation. Let's rally more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core, unify thinking, pool our strengths, make exploration and progress, work in a down-to-earth manner, and try hard to bring about a good beginning for the 10th Five-year Plan, thereby laying a sound foundation for China's better and faster development in the new century.






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