道路坚定，前途光明

尊敬的四十八家集团俱乐部主席佩里先生，

尊敬的高盛集团全球资产管理总裁奥尼尔先生，

女士们、先生们：

很高兴应四十八家集团俱乐部邀请出席英国工商界的报告会。

四十八家集团60年前率先开启西方与新中国的经贸往来。多年来，四十八家集团关注中国发展历程，致力于推动中英各领域合作，是中国人民的老朋友、好朋友。

过去几个月中，英国朋友们问我最多的问题就是中国共产党的十八大的问题。英国媒体也高度关注，有评论说，十八大是2012年全世界召开的最重要的政治会议。我本人有幸列席了这次历史性的会议，愿同大家分享一些与会的感受和认识。我认为，十八大很好地说明和解答了四个问题。

第一个问题：中国共产党建党已有91年，为什么始终充满活力、焕发青春？

中国共产党坚持党内民主，不断探索党内民主的实现形式，激发全党的活力和创造力。一些英国媒体将十八大与美国大选相提并论，认为这是2012年世界上最重要的两次选举，他们也比较关心中国共产党新领导人的选举方式，总感到有一层神秘面纱。其实，十八大选举神圣但不神秘，是严格依照党章和有关规定来进行的，制度和程序是规范的、清楚的，充分体现了中国共产党党内民主的推进。比如，党的中央委员会和纪律检查委员会，本届一共是506人，他们先后经过民主推荐、组织考察、中央政治局研究提名、十八大代表讨论酝酿、差额选举等方式，才最终产生。新一届的中央政治局和中央政治局常委则由新产生的中央委员会第一次全体会议选举产生。

十八大的报告，也就是中国共产党的政治宣言和行动纲领，其整个起草过程始终充分发扬民主，广泛听取意见，集中党内外各方智慧。从2012年初成立十八大文件起草组到大会开幕近一年时间里，中共中央组织了几十家单位就十余项重大问题进行调研，包括听取党外人士意见。报告几上几下，在全党范围内充分讨论。在十八大会议期间，又根据代表意见，对报告做了进一步修改。可以说，十八大报告是充分发扬民主的成果，是党内外集体智慧的结晶。

过去10年，中共一直在代表选举、干部选拔、党务公开、党内决策和监督等各方面进行积极探索，党内民主不断走向正规化和规范化。十八大提出实行“党代会代表提案制”，这是中国共产党首次正式做出该项涉及党内民主机制的重要决定。今后党代会代表对党的大政方针等都可以以制度化的方式提出意见、建议。十八大报告还明确提出，要提高工人、农民代表比例，表明来自基层的声音将更多地得到反映。

中国共产党一直强调以党内民主带动人民民主，党内民主的推进可谓“牵一发而动全身”。10年间，选举民主、协商民主、基层民主在实践中稳步向前，干部选拔任用走向公开透明，人大代表实现城乡同比例选举，听证制度不断推进，政务信息逐步公开。如今，民众可以通过网络、微博行使知情权、参与权和监督权，政府部门也在网上晒账本、晾信息、回应民众关切。这样的进步，事实上每天都在中国发生。

十八大明确，中国未来将继续积极稳妥推进政治体制改革，发展更加广泛、更加充分、更加健全的人民民主。未来，“中国式民主”必定会更好地根植于现实国情和文化土壤。

第二个问题：中国共产党为什么能始终得到人民的拥护和支持？

“全心全意为人民服务”，这是中国共产党的宗旨。“人民性”也是十八大的突出特点。胡锦涛总书记在十八大报告中强调，只有植根人民、造福人民，党才能始终立于不败之地。习近平总书记在新一届政治局常委与媒体见面时的讲话只有短短几分钟，“人民”一词先后出现了19次。他说：“人民对美好生活的向往，就是我们的奋斗目标。”语言质朴平实，但传递出执政党视人民的利益高于一切的执政理念，体现出执政党对自身宗旨和使命的清醒认识。

在中国经济总量已经跃居世界第二的今天，中国共产党不但关注推动经济持续发展，而且更注重发展为了人民、发展依靠人民和发展成果由人民共享。十八大顺应人民群众对美好生活的新要求和新期待，对保障和改善民生方面的问题做出了全面具体的部署，强调要努力办好人民满意的教育，推动实现更高质量的就业，千方百计增加居民收入，统筹推进城乡社会保障体系建设以及努力发展医疗事业，提高人民健康水平。特别值得一提的是，到2020年，不仅中国国内生产总值要实现比2010年翻番，城乡居民人均收入也要翻番，这是党的发展规划中首次对居民收入增长制定明确目标。十八大报告明确提出要建立以权利公平、机会公平、规则公平为主要内容的社会公平保障体系，营造公平的社会环境，保证人民平等参与、平等发展的权利。值得一提的是，十八大报告中提出的发展和改善民生的目标并非理想化的“空中楼阁”，更不是给选民开的“空头支票”，都是切切实实的，都是看得见、够得着的，都是在不远的将来有望实现的。

一个以人为本、执政为民的服务型政党，自然得到人民的信任和支持，人民必然授予它执政权、领导权。

第三个问题：中国共产党为什么能始终紧跟时代？

一个政党，先进不先进，落伍不落伍，关键在指导思想。中国共产党的指导思想始终与时俱进。十八大确立了“科学发展观”的新指导思想。这是中国共产党在过去10年坚持勇于推进实践基础上的理论创新。这一理论成果，是马克思主义同当代中国实际和时代特征相结合的产物，对新形势下中国实现什么样的发展、怎样发展等重大问题做出了新的回答。科学发展观为中国现代化建设作了全面布局，就是经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设和生态文明建设的“五位一体”，即经济持续发展，人民民主不断扩大，文化软实力显著增强，人民生活水平全面提高，资源节约型、环境友好型社会建设取得重大进展。

“五位一体”中的“生态文明建设”是十八大新加入的内容，说明中国把环境保护、可持续发展放在了更加重要的地位。中国不仅要成为“富强中国”“民主中国”，也要成为“美丽中国”。说起“美丽中国”这个概念，可能与英国还有关系。几年前，BBC（英国广播公司）和中国中央电视台联合摄制了一部纪录片 Wild China ，中文名字就叫《美丽中国》，拍摄了中国壮美的自然风光及其珍稀动植物。这部片子播出后，反响很大。当然，我们今天建设“美丽中国”，不仅是要保持名山大川的秀美，更重要的是，要让生活空间宜居适度，生态空间山清水秀，给自然留下更多修复空间，给农业留下更多良田，给子孙后代留下天蓝、地绿、水清的美好家园。

一个解放思想、实事求是、与时俱进、求真务实的政党，一个认识上不断创新、理论上不断创新、实践上不断创新的政党，一个把握时代发展要求、顺应人民共同愿望的政党，必定是一个先进的政党、走在时代前列的政党。

第四个问题：中国共产党坚持中国特色社会主义道路的底气和信心何在？

不同国家有不同的历史、文化和国情，不同国家所走的道路都是其人民长期探索的结果，我们应当尊重各个民族的自主选择，尊重差异性带来的丰富性，而不是试图划定标准，追求千篇一律。中国古人说：“橘生淮南则为橘，橘生淮北则为枳。”今天，如果我们机械照搬照抄别国经验，难免也会有这样的“水土不服”。中国作为最大的发展中国家，土地辽阔，人口众多，民族多样，经济底子薄弱，城乡和地区发展不平衡，面对这些具有中国特色的挑战，就必须给出“中国式解决方案”。

中国共产党从成立那天起，就把建立社会主义作为自己的纲领。在改革开放30多年的实践中，中国共产党人既不走封闭僵化的老路，也不走改旗易帜的邪路，而是走出了中国特色社会主义道路，就是在中国共产党领导下，立足基本国情，以经济建设为中心，坚持改革开放，贯彻科学发展观，促进人的全面发展，逐步实现全体人民共同富裕，建设富强民主文明和谐的社会主义现代化国家。

十八大明确将坚定不移地坚持中国特色社会主义道路、中国特色社会主义理论体系和中国特色社会主义制度。未来的中国将“咬定青山不放松”，毫不动摇地沿着这条道路走下去。中国的发展方向比以往任何时候都更加明朗，中国的前途也将更加光明，我们有这样的道路自信、理论自信和制度自信。

女士们、先生们，

我想，在座各位关注中国共产党的十八大，不仅是对中国未来发展感兴趣，也特别关心这次会议对于中英关系的影响。我认为，十八大给两国关系带来了新的发展契机。会议传递出了明确的信号，中国将坚持在和平共处五项原则基础上全面发展同各国的友好合作，将改善和发展同发达国家的关系，拓宽合作领域，妥善处理分歧，推动建立长期稳定健康发展的新型大国关系。这当然适用于中英关系。

中国将始终不渝地奉行互利共赢的开放战略，欢迎英国参与中国现代化建设。特别是中国加快转变经济发展方式，实施创新驱动发展战略，推进文化建设、生态文明建设，发展教育、医疗等社会事业，与英国的优势强项多有契合，双方合作蕴藏着巨大的潜力。中国也愿同英国一道担负好大国责任，进一步加强沟通协调，携手应对粮食安全、能源资源安全、网络安全等全球性挑战。当然，根深才能叶茂，源远才能流长，深化合作离不开良好的政治互信，离不开两国人民加深相互理解。我们期待中英双方在相互尊重、平等相待的基础上，“不动摇、不懈怠、不折腾”，携手走入富有成果的下一个十年。

谢谢。

下面我愿回答你们的提问。

A Solid Path, A Bright Future

Chairman Perry,

Chairman O’Neill,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great delight to accept this invitation from the 48 Group Club.

Your members embody a spirit of friendship and business exchange with China that reaches back almost 60 years. You should be proud that your Club is famous amongst Chinese people. It is greatly respected as the oldest foreign business association of any in the world with New China.

Throughout this long relationship, the 48 Group Club has been a close observer of the major milestones of the evolution of the People’s Republic of China. So, you,above all, will appreciate the great significance of the recent meeting of the 18th CPC National Congress in Beijing.

In past decades the British media paid very little attention to the National Congress of the Communist Party of China. But for the 18th Congress, the British media have closely followed this meeting. This reflects the growing understanding that China has a crucial role in the future of the whole world. So, it was not surprising that some observers said it was the world’s most important political conference this year.

I had the honour of attending this meeting. So, it is my pleasure to share my observations with such distinguished and long-time friends of China.

In my view, the 18th CPC National Congress answered four questions.

The first question is how the CPC has maintained its vigor and vitality—even though it is now 91 years old.

The CPC adheres to and has continuously explored ways to practice democracy within the Party in order to bring out the dynamism and creativity of the whole Party.Some British media compared the 18th CPC National Congress to the presidential election in the USA, suggesting these are the two most important elections this year.In their reporting and comment the UK media showed intense curiosity about how the CPC leaders are elected. The reason was that for UK media they believe that the CPC is opaque and mysterious.

In fact, the elections at the 18th CPC National Congress were solemn but not at all mysterious. The election took place in strict accordance with the institution and procedure stipulated in the CPC Constitution and other related rules. The whole process was clear and predictable. It fully reflected the progress of democracy in the CPC.

For example, the new CPC Central Committee and Disciplinary Committee have a total of 506 members. They are elected through a lengthy procedure. This includes:

In turn, the new Political Bureau and its Standing Committee were elected at the first plenary session of the new Central Committee.

Another vital aspect of the 18th National Congress is the Report that is delivered by General Secretary Hu Jintao. The Report matters as it is the political manifesto and action guideline of the CPC.

The drafting process to create this Report embraced full democracy. It extensively solicited opinions from various sectors and crystallised the wisdom of people inside and outside the Party.

During the one year from the setting up of the drafting team to the opening of the Congress, the CPC Central Committee tasked dozens of institutions to carry out surveys and research on over ten major subjects. This included listening to the views of non-CPC members.

The draft Report then went through several rounds of thorough discussions in the entire CPC. During the 18th Congress, the draft was further revised upon the suggestions and comments of the delegates.

So, we may well say that the Report is the work of full democracy and the brainchild of both the CPC and non-CPC members.

In the past decade, the CPC has introduced numerous new democratic steps. For example:

These efforts have greatly advanced the democracy within the CPC. The 18th National Congress established a system that gives Party Congress delegates the mandate to make written proposals. This is a significant decision on promoting democracy within the Party. It offers an institutional guarantee for every Party Congress delegate to make comments and proposals on the CPC’s policies. The report also stressed the need to raise the ratio of ordinary workers and farmers in the Party Congress delegates. This means voices from grassroots level will be better heard.

The CPC has all along insisted on using its democratic process to catalyse democracy across China. So, the progress of the CPC’s democracy will have a rippling efect. In the past 10 years, democracy in election, consultation and at community level has steadily advanced.

Selection of party officials has become more transparent. The ratio of People’s Congress deputies to local population in rural areas was increased to the same as in cities. The selection system was further improved. Information disclosure of governments at all levels was gradually advanced. Now the general public may exercise their right to information, participation and supervision through the Internet and“Weibo.”Many of you will know this as the Chinese version of“Twitter.”

Government agencies also make public their budget and expenditure and respond to public concerns through the Internet. Such progress is increasingly widespread across China.

The 18th CPC National Congress made it clear that China would continue to move forward political reform actively and properly. There is a commitment to broaden and promote people’s democracy to its full. In the future Chinese style democracy will better adapt to the realities in China.

The second question is why the CPC has enjoyed the continuous support of the Chinese people.

The motto of the CPC is repeated in many signs and posters across China. This is: To serve the people heart and soul .

To serve the people is a prominent feature of the Report delivered at the 18th Congress. General Secretary Hu Jintao stressed in the Report that the CPC can only prosper by staying in close contact with the people and serving the people.

When the members of the new Standing Committee of the Political Bureau met the press, General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke for only a short time. But in his brief talk the word“people”was mentioned 19 times.

He said,“People’s aspiration for a beautiful life is the goal of our endeavor.”

These were plain words, but they showed that the CPC, as the ruling party, put the people’s interests above anything else. They are powerful examples of CPC’s clear understanding of its own purpose and mission.

China is now the second largest economy in the world. High on the CPC’s agenda is not only continued economic growth, but also achieving a development of the people,for the people and by the people. Going along with the people’s expectation for a better life, the Report of the 18th Congress set out comprehensive plans for ensuring and improving people’s life.

The targets set in the Report include:

In particular, the Report set the target of doubling, not only GDP, but also incomes by 2020 on the basis of the 2010 level. This is the first time that the CPC has set a clear target for the growth of people’s income.

The Report at the 18th Congress also talked about building China into a fair society,a society guaranteed by fair rights, opportunities and rules. People will have equal rights to participation and development.

It must be noted that the goals of improving people’s life set out in the Report are not a mirage, nor simply paying lip-service. All of the goals are tangible and attainable.All of these aims are reachable in the near future.

Naturally, a party that puts people first and is committed to serving the people has won the trust and support of the people. In turn, the people will continue to give it the power to govern and the power to lead.

The third question is why the CPC has been able to keep abreast with the time.

Whether a political party is advanced or backward is determined by its guiding thought.

The CPC’s guiding thought has been constantly updated. The recent 18th Congress established the“scientific outlook on development”as its new guiding thought. This is an innovation in theory. It is based on the CPC’s many explorations in the past decade.This latest theory is Marxism adapted to Chinese realities and matching overriding global trends. This guiding thought sheds new light on some major questions. Such as what kind of development China wants and how China can achieve such development.

The“scientific outlook on development”is an umbrella term that embraces a summary of China’s modernisation. It puts equal emphasis on economic, political,cultural, social and ecological development. To be specific, these are the aims:

Amongst these five aspects, preserving the environment is newly added at the 18th Congress. It shows that environmental protection and sustainable development assumes greater prominence in China’s development. We not only want a rich, strong and democratic China. We also want a beautiful and environmentally sustainable China.

The concept of“Beautiful China”has strong links with Britain. Several years ago,the BBC and China Central Television jointly made a documentary about China.Its English name is Wild China . But its Chinese name is Mei Li Zhong Guo which translates as“Beautiful China.”This highly popular documentary recorded China’s spectacular natural landscapes, animals and exceptional biodiversity in flowering and fruiting plants.

When we say we aim at a“Beautiful China,”we want those rivers and mountains to be enjoyed by future generations. Moreover, we want to ensure a balance between a clean and pleasant environment and increasing fertile land for farming. We want future generations to enjoy blue sky, green landscapes and pure water. This is precious legacy which future generations are entitled to.

All in all, the CPC is a party with a free and open mind. It is down to earth. It seeks truth from facts and keeps up with the times. It always looks to something new and is fresh in ideals, in theory and in practice. It always echoes the call of the times and follows the wish of the people. A political party with these qualities must be an advanced party.

The fourth question: where does the CPC’s confidence come from in its chosen socialist path with Chinese characteristics?

Diferent countries have diferent histories, cultures and national conditions. Each country’s development path is the choice of its own people after long explorations.

So, it is essential that we should respect the choice of diferent nations and respect the richness brought by diversity. The alternative is an unacceptable path that is myopic and seeks to impose fixed criteria and seek uniformity.

There is an ancient Chinese saying that goes:

Oranges grown on the south of River Huai taste sweet, while on the north sour.

It means the same fruit may have completely different tastes in different environments. In today’s world, if we copy other countries’model, I am afraid it would be a case of oranges grown on the north of River Huai.

China is the largest developing country. It has a vast area, huge population and multiple ethnic groups. Its economic foundation is weak and its development is unbalanced in rural and urban areas. To address these uniquely Chinese challenges,there must be Chinese solutions.

Since its founding, the CPC has taken the realisation of socialism as its mission. In the more than three decades of reform and opening-up, the CPC has neither been rigid and conservative nor radical and subversive. Instead, it has opened a socialist path with Chinese characteristics.

This path means that going forward China will:

The 18th CPC National Congress reiterated:

In the future, China will firmly follow these three principles. We have confidence in our path, in our theory and in our system.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I believe you are interested in the 18th Party Congress. This is not only because you are interested in China’s future development, but also because you want to know what it means for China-UK relations.

In my view the 18th Party Congress has brought new opportunities for our relations. This Congress sent out a clear message. These key points are:

This message of course applies to China-UK relations.

China remains firmly committed to a win-win strategy of opening-up. We welcome Britain to play a part in China’s modernisation. Many of China’s priorities are the strengths of the UK such as:

All these strengths hold out great potential for our cooperation.

China and Britain are two of the great leading nations in the world. So, China also stands ready to work with the UK in fulfilling the responsibilities of big leading countries through closer communication and coordination.

We are ready to join efforts with Britain in addressing such challenges as food security, energy security and cyber security.

Of course, deepening cooperation would be impossible without political mutual trust between our two countries. Hand in hand with this is better understanding between our two peoples.

As we have differing cultures and histories, there are bound to be issues that pose challenges from time to time. But if we strive to deepen a genuine and sincere understanding, then this should be the way to achieve true harmony in our relations.

The year 2013 will be a major milestone for China with a new leadership taking up their responsibilities. As these leaders take ofice, we hope China and the UK will neither waver nor invite troubles. We hope the leaders of China and the UK, and all the people of our two countries, will work together for another fruitful decade based on mutual respect and equality.

Thank you. I will be glad to take your questions. rh6hcHs5ue4fF1v+LqBHpXcPJu56/1yVaUiiPw1H9+UYJnc6VoFw1TQyqrn6q0Qv