Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 16 -- A symposium was held this morning at the Great Hall of the People by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Qiao Shi. General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, emphasizing that the entire Party, the entire country, and people of all ethnic groups are now full of confidence in comprehensively building a socialist modern country and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The beautiful ideals for which generations of Chinese Communists have striven are being gradually realized. We must uphold the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, keep in mind the Party's original aspiration and mission, work together with one heart and one mind, strive for progress, and continuously create new achievements worthy of history, the times, and the people.

Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Zhao Leji presided over the symposium. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Cai Qi and Li Xi attended the symposium.

Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech that in the great process of China's revolution, construction, and reform, generations of outstanding Chinese Communists have emerged, and Comrade Qiao Shi is one of the outstanding representatives. His life was one of revolution, struggle, and glory; a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth, progress, and the cause of communism. His contributions to the Party and the people are worthy of our remembrance, and his revolutionary spirit and noble demeanor are worthy of our study.

Xi Jinping stressed that commemorating Comrade Qiao Shi is to learn his noble character of upholding his beliefs and dedicating himself to his ideals. We must treat firming up our ideals and beliefs as a lifelong task, constantly cultivating, understanding, and improving ourselves, always upholding the lofty ideals of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and withstanding the test of time.

Xi Jinping pointed out that commemorating Comrade Qiao Shi is to learn his strong Party spirit of rectifying Party conduct and upholding Party discipline. We must always uphold the Party's overall leadership and the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, unswervingly strengthen Party discipline in all aspects, and deeply advance Party conduct and integrity construction and the fight against corruption, forever maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity.

Xi Jinping stressed that commemorating Comrade Qiao Shi is to learn his valuable qualities of remembering his original aspiration and diligently serving the people. We must always adhere to the fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people, adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, effectively safeguard the fundamental interests of the people, strive to benefit the people, and ensure that the fruits of modernization are more equitably shared by all people.

Xi Jinping pointed out that commemorating Comrade Qiao Shi is to learn his political responsibility of being bold in reform and daring to act. We must unswervingly uphold the banner of reform and opening up, adhere to both upholding the right principles and making innovations, and further comprehensively deepen reforms and promote high-level opening up, centering around Chinese-style modernization, to strive to write a new chapter in reform and opening up.

Xi Jinping stressed that commemorating Comrade Qiao Shi is to learn his persistent pursuit of respecting and enforcing the rule of law. We must always adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively promote scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial justice, and universal law-abidingness, and comprehensively build a socialist modern country on the track of the rule of law.

Xi Jinping pointed out that commemorating Comrade Qiao Shi is to learn his work style of seeking truth from facts and being pragmatic. We must always adhere to the principle of integrating theory with practice, resolutely oppose formalism and bureaucratism, unite our hearts and minds to promote development, and solidly advance the construction of Chinese-style modernization.

Zhao Leji, presiding over the symposium, said that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech highly praised Comrade Qiao Shi's outstanding contributions to the cause of the Party and the state, and put forward clear requirements for learning Comrade Qiao Shi's revolutionary spirit and noble demeanor. The speech has important guiding significance for us to inherit and develop the cause pioneered by generations of Chinese Communists and to achieve the goals of the Party and the people in the new era and on the new journey. We must earnestly study and understand, and deeply implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, closely unite around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and strive to comprehensively advance the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

At the symposium, Qu Qing shan, director of the Central Party History and Literature Research Institute; Sun Xinyang, deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection; Liu Qi, secretary-general of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress; and Gong Zheng, mayor of Shanghai, delivered speeches.

Li Ganjie, Li Shulei, Li Hongzhong, Chen Wenqing, Wang Xiaohong, Hao Mingjin, and Su Hui attended the symposium.

Relevant departments of the central and state organs, responsible comrades from Shanghai and Zhejiang Province, relatives and friends of Comrade Qiao Shi, former staff members, and representatives from his hometown attended the symposium.