The leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is vital to China's economic and social development and only high-quality Party building will lead to high-quality development, Jiang Jinquan, director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, said during a press conference on Friday of the CPC Central Committee's fifth plenary session.

Jiang said the way the COVID-19 pandemic was brought under control in China and the country's economic performance showcased the strong leadership of the CPC.

The senior official said it is of extreme importance to uphold CPC's overall leadership during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and beyond as China's development is expected to face more challenges.