The following is the full text of CPC Central Committee General Secretary Xi Jinping's remarks when the newly elected top leadership met the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday:

Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends,

Good morning!

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was concluded yesterday.

The Party Congress has received extensive and detailed reporting by our friends from the press, with many of you coming from afar. You have worked very hard and your media coverage has captured the attention of the world.

I want to say a big thank you to you all.

Since the opening of the Party Congress, 452 major political parties in 165 countries have sent 855 messages of congratulation. Of these, 814 came from heads of state or government or the leaders of political parties or important organizations.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, I wish to convey our sincere appreciation to them all.

We have just held the first plenary session of the 19th Central Committee and elected a new central leadership. I was re-elected General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. I see this as not just approval of my work, but also encouragement that will spur me on.

Now I wish to present to you the other six members who have also been elected to the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau:

Comrade Li Keqiang, Comrade Li Zhanshu, Comrade Wang Yang, Comrade Wang Huning, Comrade Zhao Leji and Comrade Han Zheng.

Comrade Li Keqiang served on the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the 18th CPC Central Committee while all the others were members of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee. You can learn more about them from the media.

Here on behalf of the newly-elected central leadership, I wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all other members of the Party for the trust they have placed in us. We will work diligently to meet our duty, fulfill our mission and be worthy of their trust.

Over the past five years, we have set out a broad agenda. Some tasks have been completed, while others need more work. This Party Congress has set new goals and new tasks. We must make coordinated efforts to see them through.

With decades of hard work, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. In this new context, we must get a new look and more importantly make new accomplishments. The coming five years between the 19th and 20th Party Congresses is a period in which the time frames of the two centenary goals will converge. Not only must we deliver the first centenary goal, we must also embark on the journey towards the second centenary goal. As I look ahead to the next five years, I see several important junctures and signposts.

In 2018, we will mark the 40th anniversary of the launch of reform and opening-up. Reform and opening-up is a crucial move that is shaping China’s future. Forty years of reform and opening-up have made it possible for our people to lead decent and even comfortable lives. We will review our experience and build on the good momentum to continue modernizing China’s system and capacity for governance and make determined efforts to comprehensively deepen reform and open China still wider to the world. We will see that reform and opening-up complement and reinforce each other. It is my conviction that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will become a reality in the course of reform and opening-up.

In 2019, we will mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. We will act on a new vision for development and strive for sustained and healthy economic growth that benefits people in China and around the world. We will continue our efforts to accomplish all the tasks laid down in the 13th Five-Year Plan, develop new blueprints for China’s future and see the flourishing of all our endeavors. These efforts will contribute towards a more prosperous and stronger People’s Republic.

In 2020, we will establish a moderately prosperous society across all metrics. This is the society to be enjoyed by each and every one of us. On the march towards common prosperity, no one must be left behind. We will mobilize the whole Party and the whole country in a resolute push to deliver on our pledge and eradicate poverty in China. The aspirations of the people to live a better life must always be the focus of our efforts. We must remain committed to a people-centered philosophy of development, strive to ensure and improve living standards, and make steady progress towards enhancing our people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security, and towards realizing common prosperity for everyone. I have no doubt in my mind that our people’s lives will see further improvement year after year.

In 2021, we will mark the centenary of the Communist Party of China. For the Party which fights for the eternal well-being of the Chinese nation, the centenary only ushers in the prime of life. As the world’s largest political party, the CPC must behave in a way commensurate with this status. Its history makes it abundantly clear that the CPC is capable of not only spearheading a great social revolution, but also imposing a great reform on itself. We as its members must always have a youthful spirit and forever be the servants of the people, the vanguard of the times and the backbone of our nation. Exercising full and rigorous governance over the Party is a journey to which there is no end. We should never entertain the idea of taking a breather or halting our steps. Instead we must continue to rid ourselves of any virus that erodes the Party’s fabric, make great efforts to foster a healthy political environment of integrity and generate waves of positive energy throughout our Party, which can then build into a mighty nationwide force driving China’s development and progress.

The Communist Party of China and the Chinese people have gone through trials and tribulations. These experiences have taught us that peace is precious and development must be valued. With confidence and pride, the Chinese people will be steadfast in upholding our country’s sovereignty, security and development interests. We will also work with other nations to build a global community with a shared future and make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of peace and development for all humanity.

The people are the creators of history. It is to them that we owe all our achievements. As long as we firmly align ourselves with the people and rely on them, we can and will have boundless energy to forge ahead, come rain or shine.

As the saying goes, “It is better to see once, than to hear a hundred times.” We encourage members of the press to visit and see more of China. We hope that after the Party Congress you will continue to follow China’s development and progress, and learn about and report on more dimensions of China.

We do not need lavish praise from others. However, we do welcome objective reporting and constructive suggestions. For this is our motto: “not angling for compliments, I’d be content that my integrity fills the universe.”

Thank you!