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

Xi orders full, rigorous Party governance

Continued efforts should be made to exercise full and rigorous governance over the Communist Party of China to strengthen its capacity to innovate, power to unite, and energy to fight, said Xi.

Xi stresses adhering to path of socialism with Chinese characteristics

All the theories and practice of the Communist Party of China in the past 40 years of reform and opening-up are based on the theme of upholding and advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

There is no textbook of golden rules to follow for reform and development in China, a country with over 5,000 years of civilization and more than 1.3 billion people, Xi said.

"No one is in a position to dictate to the Chinese people what should or should not be done," he said.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics provides a broad pathway for China to advance with the times and steer the course of development today, Xi said.

"We will resolutely reform what should and can be reformed, and make no change where there should not and can not be any reform," he said.

Xi stresses striking balance between reform, development, stability

Xi on Tuesday stressed striking a balance between reform, development and stability by maintaining the worldview and methodology of dialectical and historical materialism.

Reform and opening-up remains norm throughout China's history: Xi

A review of the past several thousand years shows that reform and opening-up remains the norm throughout China's history, Xi said.

Since ancient times, China has seen numerous movements aimed at strengthening the nation through reform, and the Chinese nation has engaged in interactions and cultural exchanges with foreign nations in a confident and broad-minded manner, Xi said.

Such profound historical and cultural heritage has dictated that the Chinese nation will continue to embrace the future through reform and opening-up, according to Xi.