China has set goals, tasks and policies for the cause of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the country for the next five years and beyond, as the CPC opened its 20th National Congress on Sunday.

The CPC has secured historic achievements and seen historic changes in the cause of the Party and the country over the past decade, said Xi Jinping, who delivered a report to the congress on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee. 

"The next five years will be crucial for getting the efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start," he said.

'Historic feats' in the past decade

Looking back at the last 10 years, Xi said the country has achieved many "historic feats."

"We embraced the centenary of the Communist Party of China; we ushered in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and we eradicated absolute poverty and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus completing the First Centenary Goal," he said, adding that they were "historic feats" that will be forever recorded in the Chinese nation's history and profoundly influence the world. 

Toward 'Chinese modernization'

Expounding on the CPC's central task in the new journey ahead, Xi said the CPC will lead the Chinese people to realize the Second Centenary Goal and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through "a Chinese path to modernization." 

The essential requirements of Chinese modernization are upholding the leadership of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics, pursuing high-quality development, developing whole-process people's democracy, enriching the people's cultural lives, achieving common prosperity for all, promoting harmony between humanity and nature, building a human community with a shared future and creating a new form of human advancement, according to Xi. 

"It contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context," he said. 

To build a modern socialist country in all respects, he further stressed several major aspects, such as creating a new development pattern and pursuing high-quality development, invigorating China through science and education and improving the people's well-being. 

"Our future is bright, but we still have a long way to go," Xi said, urging the Party to meet obstacles and difficulties head-on, ensure both development and security, and dig deep to surmount the difficulties and challenges on the road ahead.