THE Communist Party of China (CPC) wrapped up its 19th National Congress at the Great Hall of the People yesterday, accepting President Xi Jinping’s ‘Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’, amendments to its Constitution, and granting approval of various commissions — including the crucial anti-corruption body.

According to information posted on the website for the more than 1,800 foreigners accredited for the 19th National Congress, an amendment to the constitution of the CPC was approved yesterday, making Xi’s ‘Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’ a new component of the party’s guide for action, following a resolution of the 19th CPC National Congress.

Qiao Liang, writing in yesterday’s State-owned China Daily newspaper, said: “Xi Jinping’s ‘Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’ in the party constitution shows the political wisdom and strategic insight of the central leadership, with General Secretary Xi Jinping as the core.

Qiao, a research fellow at the National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China, said that by writing it into the CPC Constitution, the party has made the thought the new guideline to realise China’s modernisation and the great rejuvenation of the nation, saying that it also showed the core role of Xi in the party’s leadership has been further strengthened.

He said: “Xi’s thought embodies the new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies of the governance philosophy of the CPC Central Committee in the new era of development. As a significant innovation, both for theory and practice, the ‘New Era’ will facilitate the realisation of China’s two centennial goals — building a moderately prosperous society by 2020, and establishing its position as a great modern socialist country by 2050. More important, the achievement of the two goals will further help realise China’s national rejuvenation.

“The principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved to be the one between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life — which is an important outcome of socialism with Chinese characteristics stepping into a new era, and the improvement in the production process.

“It’s natural that after people’s basic needs are met, they will demand better education, higher income, improved social security, housing and health care, a greener environment, a just society and rich cultural products. The evolution of the principal contradiction shows the way a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way should be built — a two-step approach should be taken to realise socialist modernisation in the first stage from 2020 to 2035, before developing China into a ‘great modern socialist country’ that is ‘prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful’ in the next 15 years.”

At the same time, the CPC has included Xi’s military thinking and the party’s “absolute” leadership over the armed forces into its constitution, according to a resolution.

According to the resolution, the CPC shall uphold its absolute leadership over the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and other people’s armed forces, and implement Xi thinking on strengthening the military as part of the amendments to the CPC’s fundamental document for its more than 89 million members.

The development of the PLA, it said, shall be strengthened by enhancing its political loyalty — strengthening it through reform and technology, and running it in accordance with the law, the resolution said.

“The CPC shall build people’s forces that obey the party’s command, can fight and win, and maintain excellent conduct to ensure that the PLA accomplishes its missions and tasks in the new era.

“The inclusion of these statements into the party constitution will “help ensure the party’s absolute leadership over the people’s armed forces, [and] modernise national defence and the military,” it said.

In addition, the amendment to the CPC Constitution also clarified that chairperson of the Central Military Commission (CMC) assumes overall responsibility over the work of the commission and that the CMC is responsible for party work and political work in the armed forces.

This complies with the realistic requirement to ensure the CMC fulfils its responsibility for party self-supervision and self-governance after the military reform, the resolution said.

The CPC has also incorporated pushing for Xi’s Belt and Road development into its constitution, according to a resolution approved by the 19th CPC.

The congress, said the website, also agreed to write the Belt and Road Initiative into the constitution “following the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration”.

Proposed by Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Meanwhile, the CPC said in its revised constitution that the party must “make comprehensive efforts” to ensure that “the fight against corruption keeps going”, according to a resolution approved by the 19th CPC National Congress.

“Since its 18th National Congress, the party has made steady progress in exercising full and rigorous governance, taken all-around measures to explore the strengthening of party building, and gained abundant successful experience and achieved major outcomes, which must be included in the party constitution in a timely manner and therefore become the common will and rule of the whole party.”

The party must firmly exercise self-supervision and practise strict self-governance in every respect, the revised constitution said.

Opening the congress on October 18, Xi called corruption “the greatest threat” the party faced.

The party said it will work for the adoption of national anti-corruption legislation and create a corruption reporting platform that covers both disciplinary inspection commissions and supervision agencies, he said.

Disciplinary authorities have investigated 440 officials at or above provincial or corps level for corruption over the past five years, who included 43 members and alternate members of the CPC Central Committee, as well as nine members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), said Yang Xiaodu, deputy secretary of the CCDI, at a press conference on the sidelines of the 19th CPC National Congress.

The CPC said it will also work towards fundamental improvement in the political ecosystem of the party, a resolution on a report on the work of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The 19th National Congress of the CPC reviewed and approved the report, and fully endorsed the commission’s work, according to the resolution passed at the closing session of the congress.

And, as China continues its push to become an advanced technological nation, on Monday it tested the world’s first railless train in Zhuzhou, Central China’s Hunan province.

The 30-metre train has three carriages and is developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co Ltd. The train can move at a speed of 70 km/h and can carry up to 500 passengers. Powered by electricity, the train can travel 25 kilometres with a 10-minute charge. With sensors equipped on board, it is able to plan its own routes and operate without a driver.