Highlights of Xi's speech at a conference celebrating 40 years of reform, opening-up

China's development promotes world peace, development

China's development over the past 40 years has effectively served the cause of world peace and development, Xi said.

China's development has provided successful experience and offered a bright prospect for other developing countries as they strive for modernization, representing a great contribution of the Chinese nation to the progress of human civilization, Xi said.

Xi underscores Party leadership over all work

Xi stressed the Party's leadership over all work while calling for constantly enhancing and improving the Party's way of leadership.

The reform and opening-up in the past four decades has shown that leadership of the Party is the most essential attribute of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the greatest strength of this system, Xi said.

"It is by upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the Party that we have been able to achieve the historic transformation, usher in a new era of reform and opening-up, and embark on a new journey of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said.

On the question of ensuring leadership by the Party, a fundamental principle that bears on the future of the Party and the country, all Party members and all the people must maintain a high degree of self-consciousness in terms of thinking, political orientation, and actions, Xi said.

No success of reform and opening-up comes easily. In the years to come, risks and challenges of all sorts are inevitable, he said.

"The Party must guide the overall situation and coordinate the work of all sides, remain committed to practicing scientific, democratic, and law-based governance...and see that China's ship of reform and opening up will break waves and sail on the right course," Xi said.

Xi calls for continuous efforts to deliver on people's aspirations for better life

The people-oriented approach must be adhered to and efforts should be made to keep delivering on the people's aspirations for a better life, Xi said.

The practices over the past 40 years have shown that seeking happiness for the Chinese people and striving for rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the founding aspiration and mission of the Communist Party of China, and those of the reform and opening-up endeavor, Xi said.

"In considering and introducing a policy, we must first and foremost ensure the backing, approval and endorsement of the people," he said.

The wishes the people express, the best practices they create, the rights they are entitled to and the role they play must be respected, said Xi, who demanded efforts to fully stimulate and unlock the people's creativity.

What has been achieved in economic, political, cultural, social and ecological fields must be shared among all the people, Xi said, stressing it must be ensured that the people have a stronger sense of fulfillment and greater happiness, and feel safer and more secure in a more direct and tangible manner.