国内英语新闻:Commentary: Xi issues call to action in building modern socialist country

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping's speech, delivered at a high-level workshop in late July, issued a call to action to achieve the country's two centennial goals and build a modern socialist country.

The speech contains new requirements and new arrangements on realizing the country's first centennial goal -- building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020 to celebrate the CPC's centenary.

In the speech, Xi also offered ideas for realizing the country's second centennial goal -- building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the middle of the 21st century in time for the centenary of the People's Republic of China.

Since ancient times, building a moderately prosperous society, or Xiaokang, has been an ideal for the Chinese people.

In the beginning of the reform and opening up in the late 1970s, late leader Deng Xiaoping first used the term moderate prosperity to describe a modern society with Chinese characteristics.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core has adopted an overall approach for economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress, and pushed the "Four Comprehensives," a four-pronged strategy to create a moderately prosperous society in all respects, deepen reform, advance rule of law and strengthen Party governance.

The CPC has firmly implemented the development concept and pushed the country to proceed in a fairer and more sustainable way with better quality and more efficiency.

In the past five years, the CPC has deepened reforms, enhanced rule of law, advanced the building of an environmentally friendly society and modernized national defense.

The Party has also strengthened discipline, and the fight against corruption has gained crushing momentum.

With the Party's efforts in fighting poverty and improving people's living standards, the national cause has been boosted and Chinese people are more confident of achieving a moderately prosperous society.

However, the task is difficult and risks and challenges still exist.

To realize its goal, China must make all-out efforts, especially in preventing and defusing major risks, relieving poverty, as well as preventing and controlling pollution.

China will keep deepening supply-side structural reform to push forward sustained and healthy economic and social development, and the success in building a moderately prosperous society should be recognized by the people and stand the test of history.

After completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, China will usher in the second phase of its two centennial goals, setting out on the journey of building a modern socialist country.

At this critical moment, when China is about to realize the first centennial goal and march towards the second centennial goal, the Chinese people will never forget Xi's remark, "People's desire for a better life will always be our goal."