Beijing (AsiaNews) – A “sober” life for party members, "scientific development" and a "harmonious society” will allow China to beat poverty by 2020. These are some of the strategic ideas Chinese President Hu Jintao raised in a speech he delivered in preparation of next fall’s Communist Party congress.
On Monday 25th June, Hu, who is also Communist Party secretary, outlined his ideas before an audience that included the full membership of the Communist Party's Central Committee, leaders of the military and security services, representatives of all cities, provinces and regions and the heads of top government organisations—an important show of unity for Mr Hu's political agenda.
Demanding great unity from party members to ensure the success of the 17th party congress, Mr Hu urged his audience to strengthen their ideological motivations, fight corruption and the extravagance that is covering many top party officials in scandals.
"Scientific development,” Mr Hu's catchphrase for sustainable, energy-efficient economic development in lieu of the current environmentally- harmful breakneck growth, and "building a harmonious society,” his pet project since 2002, which essentially means reducing income disparities to ease social tensions and quell the unrest that is boiling over on a daily basis across the country, are the goals he set out.
Mr Hu further stressed the need for a more open-minded attitude if China was to achieve "a relatively well-off society" by 2020.
Similarly, at a political level “democratic socialism” under the leadership of the Communist Party is the ideal to be reached.
These policy directions will likely guide the country’s development from 2007 to 2012; they certainly are clearer and more focused than those of his predecessor Jiang Zemin, said a political scientist from Renmin University.