On July 26, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of a study session for high-level provincial and ministerial-level officials, a speech that sets the stage, quite literally, for the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, to be held later this year. CPC National Congresses are the most important events on China's political calendar; they are held every five years to establish the Party's political agenda and the country's national strategy.

What new ideas or directions, what political innovations, might the 20th CPC National Congress unveil?  We can begin to assess by reviewing historical precedents and by analyzing Xi's speech.

The 19th CPC National Congress in 2017 offered several novel, major concepts, including: the overarching political philosophy of "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," which was incorporated into the Party's Constitution; a new "principal contradiction" in Chinese society between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life; and a new target date of 2035 to basically realize socialist modernization. Might the 20th CPC National Congress have similar categories and themes?

President Xi's speech, similar to his analogous speech prior to the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, sends the clearest signals to date.

In his speech, President Xi stated that "The 20th CPC National Congress will offer a panoramic prospect of the two-stage strategic plan for China's drive to build a great modern socialist country in all respects." He began with the foundations: adherence to socialism with Chinese characteristics; adapting Marxism to the Chinese context; the new journey to build a modern socialist countryin all respects; driving toward the historical process of national rejuvenation; and the primary political guidelines, the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan (coordinated progress in economics, politics, culture, society, and the eco-environment) and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy.

Xi praised progress over the past five years, especially "in developing whole-process people's democracy and proactively fostering an advanced socialist culture," and in "full and strict governance over the Party," with "coordinated action to see that officials do not have the opportunity, desire, or audacity to commit corruption."

Xi was sober in his realistic assessment. Against the backdrop of accelerating global changes unseen in a century, and more complex risks, challenges, contradictions and problems, Xi said that the fundamental task is to run our own affairs well, and he stressed the need to "make sure the future of China's development and progress remains firmly in our own hands." He reiterated the "focus on tackling unbalanced and inadequate development."

What stood out, to me, were signals of high-level priorities for the coming Party Congress, such as the phrases, the "new journey" and the "next five years and beyond." Xi had strong words about "effectively coping with the grave and complex international situation and a stream of severe risks and challenges," and about "safeguarding our national dignity and core interests." Moreover, in light of certain questions about China's "dynamic zero-COVID policy," Xi asserted that China "achieved the best results in the world in coordinating economic development with the COVID-19 response." He certainly voiced confident words about "securing" Hong Kong's overall situation.

One of my favorite lines was Xi saying, "The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will be no easy task. It will not be achieved by simply beating drums and gongs." That may sound humorous or frivolous, but, believe me, this is Xi Jinping's perennial Deep Message.

Script: Robert Lawrence Kuhn

Editors: Yang Yutong, Hao Xinxin

Designer: Qi Haiming

Producer: Wang Ying

Supervisors: Ge Jing, Adam Zhu

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