Editor's note: The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China concluded with a blueprint that mapped out China's future development in the next five years and beyond. CGTN is publishing "How China Works – Charting the Future," a special series delving deep into a key report adopted at the congress to see how the country can fulfill the goals and tasks on the new journey of the new era.

The 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee determined at its Fifth Plenary Session in 2020 that having realized the First Centenary Goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, China would build on this achievement and embark on a new journey towards the Second Centenary Goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects, thus signifying the beginning of a new stage of development.

Shortly after the founding of the PRC, our Party put forward the goal of building a modern socialist country. Over the course of 13 five-year plans, we have laid solid foundations for achieving this goal. The next 30 years make up the development stage in which we will finally complete this great ambition. We have worked out the roadmap and timetable for our development. By 2035, or within three five-year plan periods, we will achieve basic socialist modernization. Then, by the middle of this century, after completing another three five-year plans, China will become a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.

Our task is to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects. Of course, this modernization is tailored to China's realities and carries distinctive Chinese features. At the Fifth Plenary Session, I highlighted five points in particular: China's modernization must cover a massive population, lead to common prosperity, deliver material, cultural and ethical progress, promote harmony between humanity and nature, and proceed along a path of peaceful development. This is the approach China must take. It must be embodied in our principles, policies, strategies, measures and work plans to enable the Party and the Chinese people to work together towards this end.

(Source: Extract from Xi Jinping's speech at a seminar for provincial and ministerial level officials on studying and implementing the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, January 11, 2021.)

This episode is presented by Luo Laiming.