Xi stresses adherence to China's political path

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping on Friday said China must promote socialist democracy through the improvement of the system of people's congresses, as the National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, celebrates its 60th anniversary.

While hailing the system of people's congresses as China's fundamental political system, Xi said "In new situations, we should hold high the banner of people's democracy, while adhering to and improving the system of people's congresses as required by the times."

"We should keep to the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics and continue to promote socialist democracy," he added.

China's socialist political system has proved itself feasible, efficient and has vitality because it was developed in the country's social soil, Xi said, adding that any system should be designed and developed according to a country's actual conditions and situations.

"China needs to draw lessons from the achievements of foreign politics, but the foundations of our system should absolutely not be given up," Xi said.

Copying another country's political system is not feasible and will even ruin the future and fate of China, he said.

The development of socialist democracy is a must for modernizing the country's "governance system" and "governance capability," he said.

"The key to developing socialist democracy is expanding rather than weakening our advantages and characteristics."

He stressed China must stick to the CPC's core role that exercises overall leadership and coordinates all efforts to ensure effective governance of the country and prevent engendering "a host of dragons without a head" or "a heap of loose sand," Chinese sayings which mean a country is leaderless or not united.

All power of the country must belong to the people, ensuring their power of voting as well as democratic decision-making, management and supervision in accordance to law, he said.

Politicians making boundless promises during elections with no response to people's demands after the elections should be avoided, he added.

"We must stick to and improve the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC so as to prevent parties being at strife and jostling each other (for positions)," he said.

Regional autonomy of ethnic minorities should also be followed and improved to consolidate socialist ethnic relations that feature equality, solidarity, mutual help and harmony rather than estrangement and conflicts.

China must strengthen self-governance at the grass-roots level to prevent phenomenon that the people seem to have power but are actually powerless, he said.

He also noted the system of "democratic centralism" which helps forge united forces to administer and govern the country and avoids impeding of each other and internal conflicts.