BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Continued efforts should be made to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics to harness and enhance the advantages of China's system, said President Xi Jinping on Tuesday.

Xi made the remarks while addressing a gathering commemorating the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up.

As the reform and opening-up in the past four decades has shown, the system is of fundamental and overarching significance for the long-term stability and development of all endeavors of the Party and the country, said Xi.

Xi also stressed that China should step up the building of a set of institutions that are well conceived, procedure-based and efficiently functioning to secure a more mature and established system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.