Vice President Hu Jintao Thursday called for an all-out effort to study the current international situation and opportunities as well as challenges now that China has joined the World Trade Organization (WTO).
This should be done under the guidelines of Deng Xiaoping Theory and Jiang Zemin's thinking of the "Three Represents," said Hu, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau.
Hu made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a training course for a group of principal provincial- and ministerial-level officials held at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, where he serves as president.
Hu urged leading Party and governmental officials at different levels to gain a comprehensive and correct understanding of the major decisions and strategies of the CPC Central Committee, to meet the opportunities and challenges following the country's WTO entry.
In the 21st century, he said, peace and development is still the main theme in the world. Therefore it is imperative to actively cope with the new situation and focus our efforts on modernization and international peace.
Hu stressed that entering the WTO conforms to China's basic interests and long-term benefit. It will be helpful for promoting further and wider international economic cooperation and competition.
Meanwhile, it will promote China's economic restructuring, upgrade the technological level and improve the competitive power of the nation's economy. It is necessary to understand, grasp and make full use of the opportunities to resolve urgent issues some less competitive enterprises and industries are faced with.
Hu said that though officials at all levels have achieved progress in improving their ability to lead the modernization drive after years of study and practice, they still need to re-study to meet the new situation, especially new issues the country faces as a member of the WTO.
He urged the officials, especially high-ranking cadres, to take a leading role in studying the new situation, and make new achievements in reform, opening-up and the modernization drive.
Zeng Qinghong, an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the opening ceremony.
He called on the officials to follow the requirements laid out in Hu's speech and spare no efforts to obtain more knowledge and improve their theoretical level during the training program.
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2002)
