BEIJING (Realist English). China will not engage in expansionism and is committed to its policy of openness to the outside world. This was stated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party.
Xi also promised to complete the reunification of China — to return Taiwan under Beijing’s control, which caused the longest applause: “We will not give up the use of force and will take all necessary measures to stop all separatist movements … The solution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese themselves, and it should be decided by the Chinese people.”
According to him, the Communist Party will always “respect, care and work for the benefit of compatriots in Taiwan” through economic and cultural exchanges.
“One country, two systems” turned out to be the best institutional mechanism for Hong Kong and Macau, and it must be adhered to in the long term, the head of state is sure.
Xi directly links security issues with the development of the social sphere and the economy: “National security is the basis of national revival, and social stability is a prerequisite for national strength.”
Xi sees corruption as the main challenge for the Communist Party: “Corruption is the biggest tumor that undermines the viability and fighting power of the party. The fight against corruption is the most thorough way of self—revolution.”
We are talking about the most significant political event in China, which began on October 16 in the Beijing Great Hall of the People. Xi presented a report summarizing the achievements over the past five years and outlined the trajectory of the development of the party and the country for the next five years.
According to the South China Morning Post calculations, the Chinese leader’s speech lasted one hour and 45 minutes, which is much shorter than his record 3.5-hour speech five years ago. The report contained more than 14,400 words, that is, it was about half the size of the 2017 report, which had more than 32 thousand words.
