President Hu: China emphasizes political, economic reforms equally since 1978

Special report:

30 Years of Reform Opening Up

Highlights of President

Hu's speech at reform eulogy meeting

Backgrounder: Major events

in 30 years of China's reform, opening-up

BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Chinese media) -- President Hu Jintao on

Thursday said that China had in the past 30 years given equal emphasis to

political structural reform and economic restructuring.

In his keynote speech to mark the 30th anniversary of

China's launching of the reform and opening up policy, Hu said democratic

practice had become more dynamic after series of political reforms since 1978.

He pledged that the country would continue reforms in

the political system to provide institutional and legal support for the

modernization drive.

China holds a conference to mark the

30th anniversary of the convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th

Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, at the Great Hall of

the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 18, 2008.(Chinese media

Photo)
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Gallery

He said, "People's democracy is the lifeline of

socialism, and the people's democratic rights to be masters of their own affairs

are the essence and lie in the core of China's democratic politics."

"Without democracy, there would be no socialist

modernization," he said.

China held a ceremony on Thursday to mark the 30th

anniversary of its reform and opening-up drive, which turned the once

poverty-stricken country into one of the world largest economies. The

celebration drew top Chinese leaders to the Great Hall of the People in the

heart of Beijing.

The economic reforms started 30 years ago after the

10-year cultural revolution (1966-1976), which left the country on the verge of

an economic breakdown.

The conference to mark the 30th

anniversary of the convening of the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th

Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee is held at the Great Hall

of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 18, 2008. Hu Jintao (5th

L front), Jiang Zemin (5th R front), Wu Bangguo (4th L front), Wen Jiabao

(4th R front), Jia Qinglin (3rd L front), Li Changchun (3rd R front), Xi

Jinping (2nd L front), Li Keqiang (2nd R front), He Guoqiang (1st L

front), and Zhou Yongkang (1st R front) attended the conference. (Chinese media

Photo)
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Gallery

President Hu eulogizes three-decade

reform

BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Chinese media) -- Chinese President Hu

Jintao eulogized here Thursday the nationwide reform adopted by the Communist

Party of China (CPC) for the past three decades when China saw nearly ten

percent average annual growth rate.

Hu, also general secretary of the CPC Central

Committee, highly valued Deng Xiaoping, Chinese paramount leader at that time,

and his most senior associates for their bold decision on restructuring the

national economy and opening up to the outside world. Full story

China celebrates 30th anniversary of

landmark reform, opening-up

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China holds a conference to mark the

30th anniversary of the convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th

Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, at the Great Hall of

the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 18, 2008. (Chinese media

Photo)
Photo

Gallery

BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Chinese media) -- China held a meeting on

Thursday morning to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its reform and opening-up

drive, which turned the once poverty-stricken country into one of the world's

largest economies.

Top leaders, including President Hu Jintao, attended

the ceremony, which started at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing

at 10:00 a.m. Full story