The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a symposium on December 2 to solicit opinions and suggestions from the central committees of other political parties, heads of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and representatives of personages without party affiliation on this year's economic situation and next year's economic work.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the symposium and delivered an important speech, stressing that next year is the first year to fully implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress. Stability must be maintained as the top priority for economic work, pursuing growth while ensuring stability. The new development philosophy must be fully implemented, with epidemic response better coordinated with economic and social development, and development better balanced with security.

Proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy will continue to be implemented, various policies will be better coordinated to boost market confidence, integrate the strategy of expanding domestic demand with deepening supply-side structural reform, promote overall economic improvement, and have a head start in building a modern socialist country in all respects, he added.

The symposium was attended by Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Han Zheng, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang. Entrusted by the CPC Central Committee, Li Keqiang briefed the meeting on the economic work this year and introduced relevant considerations for the economic work next year.

Those made speeches at the symposium include Wan E'xiang, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, Ding Zhongli, chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Democratic League, Hao Mingjin, chairperson of the Central Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association, Cai Dafeng, chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, Chen Zhu, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, Wan Gang, chairperson of the Central Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party, Wu Weihua, chairperson of the Central Committee of Jiusan Society, Su Hui, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, Gao Yunlong, chairperson of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and Zhu Tong, a representative of personages without party affiliation. They fully agreed with the CPC Central Committee's analyses of the current economic situation and considerations for the economic work next year. They put forward suggestions and opinions related to issues such as the vertically-coordinated development of the Yellow and Yangtze river basins, how to improve the research and development capacity for underlying technologies, how to introduce more scientific and technological personnel, how to promote green and low-carbon development and how to protect and motivate private sector's enthusiasm for investment. Their suggestions and opinions are also about how to improve the governance of tax collection from platform economy, how to boost residents' willingness for consumption, how to form a synergy for high-quality employment, how to optimize responses to COVID-19 and make them targeted, and how to advance integrated development across the Taiwan Strait.

Xi delivered an important speech after listening carefully to their speeches. Xi said that, in their speeches, they fully affirmed this year's achievements in economic work. They also put forward many constructive opinions and suggestions on implementing the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, on correctly evaluating the current economic situation and doing a good job in next year's economic work. We will carefully study and actively absorb them.

Xi pointed out that since the beginning of this year, in the face of the stormy international environment and arduous tasks of strengthening domestic reform, development and stability, the CPC Central Committee has united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups to grasp the nettle.

The CPC Central Committee has fully implemented the requirements for keeping the epidemic at bay, stabilizing the economy and ensuring safe development. It has given full consideration to both domestic and international imperatives, coordinated the COVID-19 response with economic and social development, placed equal emphasis on development and security, and intensified macro-control, ensuring overall economic and social stability, Xi said.

Xi pointed out that the past five years was extremely unusual. We withstood multiple tests such as ever-growing changes of the world, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the domestic economic downturn, maintained basic stability in industrial and supply chains, and stabilized the overall economy. In particular, we effectively responded to the challenges of some countries' attempts to "decouple" in economy and technology. We put people and their lives first, and effectively protected people's security and wellbeing. China's annual economic growth was over 5 percent on average, which was better than the global level.

Xi pointed out that the decade of the new era is the time when China has made historic achievements, witnessed historic changes and shift to high-quality economic and social development. In the past decade, China's economic aggregate has reached a new level, and made the largest global share of contribution to world economic growth. Strategic emerging industries have grown stronger. China's growth has become increasingly balanced, coordinated and inclusive. The ecological environment has improved significantly as a developing trend. The Belt and Road Initiative cooperation has become increasingly substantial, and major progress has been made in building an innovative country. In particular, it has historically eradicated absolute poverty, achieved the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled, and embarked on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects.

Since the beginning of this year, central committees of the non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation conducted fact-finding missions on major issues such as fostering a new development pattern, advancing common prosperity, and coordinating efforts to achieve carbon emission peaking and carbon neutrality. They have also carried out special democratic oversight work on ecological and environmental protection of the Yangtze River, put forward 53 opinions and suggestions directly to the CPC Central Committee, providing an important basis for the CPC Central Committee to make scientific decisions.

Xi, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, expressed sincere appreciation to all of the participants.

Xi also put forward three hopes for the non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation.

First, to study and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress in an in-depth manner, always maintain a high degree of consistency with the CPC Central Committee, do not forget the initial intention of cooperation, and inherit fine traditions.

Second, to align thoughts and actions with the CPC Central Committee decisions and plans for economic work in the next year, and conduct in-depth fact-finding missions and put forward weighty opinions and suggestions on major issues such as how to prevent and control the epidemic in a scientific and targeted manner, how to effectively expand domestic demand, how to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and how to energize micro-businesses.

Third, to conduct thorough political handover at this time of transition for new leadership by conscientiously organizing the elections to realize smooth replacement of personnel, so as to further solidify the common ideological and political foundation and organizational foundation of multi-party cooperation, and to ensure that the cause of multi-party cooperation can be further consolidated and lasts forever.

Also present at the symposium were Shi Taifeng, Liu He, Sun Chunlan, He Lifeng, Wang Yong, Xiao Jie, and leading officials of relevant departments under the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Other non-CPC personages present at the symposium were Chen Xiaoguang, Zheng Jianbang, Gu Shengzu, Liu Xincheng, He Wei, Shao Hong, Jiang Zuojun, Li Yuefeng, Huang Rong, Dou Xiaoyu.