Reform high on agenda of new CPC leadership: Expert

Beijing, Nov 10 (IANS) Reform will be “high on the agenda of the new leadership”, said an expert as the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) entered its third day Saturday.

The CPC has become more confident and practical in leading the world’s largest developing country into the future, Xinhua quoted analysts as saying.

President Hu Jintao Thursday told the National Congress that party takes the Scientific Outlook on Development, a people-oriented philosophy, as one of its guiding theories to follow in the years to come.

“The ruling Party’s interpretation of the Scientific Outlook on Development is accurate and hits the nail on the head,” said Xu Yaotong, professor of politics with the Chinese Academy of Governance.

With new concepts and thoughts, the report does not shy away the realities of China, Xu told Xinhua.

“The pledges will be conducive to solving problems on the road of China’s development. With problems unsolved, we will never march forward,” Xu added.

Hu had also underlined more efforts to combat corruption, one of the major complaints of the public.

Corruption remains a challenge for the party. High-ranking officials such as former head of Chongqing municipality Bo Xilai and former minister of railways Liu Zhijun were expelled from the party and brought to justice over corruption.

Liu Qinglong, professor with the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University, said the emphasis on purity shows the party is clear-headed about the corruption situation.

Liu said the current anti-corruption mechanisms should be reviewed carefully and the flaws mended to draw lessons from the graft cases of senior officials.

The report conveys a clear message that the party is fully aware of its tasks and confident of the future. It will push forward political and economic reforms and unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

Hu had also said the country rejects both the old and rigid closed-door policy and any attempt to abandon socialism and take an erroneous path. The country will never copy a Western political system.

The message shows the CPC has confidence in following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics after more than six decades of development.

“Reform will be high on the agenda of the new CPC leadership who has a sense of responsibility and urgency,” said Wang Feng, director of the Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy at Tsinghua University.

After 30 years of planned economy and another 30 years of reform and opening up, some people in China have become weary of further reforms, Wang told Xinhua.

IANS 2012-11-10 13:42:16