Premier Wen on political reform

Premier Wen Jiabao meets both Chinese and foreign reporters after the closing ceremony of the annual session of the National People's Congress in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 14, 2012.

Q: In recent years, you have addressed political reform on many occasions, why have you mentioned it for so many times and what difficulties confront the reform of China's political system?

A: Yes, I have addressed the topic on many occasions; it's out of a strong sense of responsibility. After the crackdown of the Gang of Four, our party made many resolutions on historic problems and started the reform and opening up. But the mistake of "cultural revolution" (1966-76) and the impact of feudalism have not been fully eliminated. As the economy develops, new problems arise, including income disparity, lack of credibility and corruption. To resolve these problems requires economic reform as well as political reform, especially reform of the leadership system of our party and country.

Now the reform is in a critical stage. Without the success of political reform, economic reform cannot be fully achieved, the gains we have attained may be lost, new social problems cannot be resolved fundamentally, and the tragedy of "cultural revolution" may happen again. Every party member and leader should fully recognize this urgent task.

Of course, I'm fully aware of the difficulties for political reform. Any reform must involve people's awakening, support and creativity. In a country with a population of 1.3 billion, we should bear in mind the national circumstances, and gradually promote a socialist democracy. Though not easy, the reform must go forward, it cannot stand still or go backward.

I know that people will not only listen to what I say, pay attention to what I believe in, but also care what efforts I make to reach the goal. As long as I have a single breath, I will dedicate myself to the cause of reform.