Page 4 - CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA

Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The Thought is a
continuation and development of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng
Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on
Development. It is the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, a
crystallization of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people,
an important component of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics,
and a guide to action for the entire Party and all the Chinese people to strive for the great
rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and must be upheld long term and constantly
developed. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese
Characteristics for a New Era, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people of
all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to carry out a great struggle, develop a great project,
advance a great cause, and realize a great dream, ushering in a new era of socialism with
Chinese characteristics.

Ultimately, the fundamental reason for all of China’s achievements and progress since
reform and opening up began is that the Party has forged a path, formed a theoretical
system, established a system, and developed a culture for socialism with Chinese
characteristics. All Party members must cherish deeply, uphold long term, and continue to
develop this path, this theoretical system, this socialist system, and this culture, which the
Party has developed through great hardship. All Party members must hold high the great
banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, have firm confidence in its path, theory,
system, and culture, implement the Party’s basic theory, basic line, and basic policy, and
strive to fulfill the three historic tasks of advancing modernization, achieving China’s
reunification, and safeguarding world peace and promoting common development, achieve
the two centenary goals, and realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

China is currently in the primary stage of socialism and will remain so for a long time
to come. This is a stage of history that cannot be bypassed as China, which used to be
economically and culturally lagging, makes progress in socialist modernization; it will take
over a century. China’s development of socialism must begin from China’s own
circumstances and must follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. At the
present stage, the principal contradiction in Chinese society is that between the
ever-growing needs of the people for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate
development. Owing to both domestic factors and international influences, a certain
amount of class struggle will continue to exist for a long time to come, and under certain
circumstances may even grow more pronounced, however, it is no longer the principal
contradiction. In building socialism in China, the basic tasks are to further release and
develop the productive forces and gradually achieve socialist modernization and, to this
end, reform those elements and areas within the relations of production and the
superstructure that are unsuited to the development of the productive forces.

The Party must uphold and improve the basic economic system whereby public
ownership plays a dominant role and economic entities under diverse forms of ownership
develop side by side. It must maintain and improve the distribution system whereby
distribution according to labor is dominant and a variety of other modes of distribution
exist alongside it. It must encourage some areas and some people to become well-off first,
gradually eliminate poverty, achieve common prosperity, and on the basis of developing
production and social wealth, keep meeting the people’s ever-growing needs for a better

3 / 28