Highlights of Xi's speech at a conference celebrating 40 years of reform, opening-up

Xi stresses upholding Marxism, advancing theories

The practices over the past 40 years have shown that innovation is the lifeline of reform and opening-up, Xi said.

Xi called for efforts to base the Party's theory on reality and "answer the questions of our times and of the people" in a timely manner.

"We must update and popularize Marxism in the context of a modern day China, and make new breakthroughs in developing Marxism," Xi said.

Xi urges enhancing China's composite strength

Xi on Tuesday called for continued efforts to take development as the top priority and enhance China's composite national strength.

Xi demands improving system of socialism with Chinese characteristics

Continued efforts should be made to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics to harness and enhance the advantages of China's system, Xi said.

As the reform and opening-up in the past four decades has shown, the system is of fundamental and overarching significance for the long-term stability and development of all endeavors of the Party and the country, said Xi.

Xi also stressed that China should step up the building of a set of institutions that are well conceived, procedure-based and efficiently functioning to secure a more mature and established system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

China vows to open up wider to world

Xi underlined China's commitment to opening up wider to the world and promoting joint efforts to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

The practice of reform and opening-up over the past 40 years has shown that openness brings progress, while seclusion leads to backwardness, Xi said.

"China cannot develop itself in isolation from the world, and the world needs China for global prosperity," Xi said.

"Bearing in mind China's internal and international imperatives, we have stayed committed to the fundamental national policy of opening-up, followed a proactive approach to opening up, and entered a new stage of comprehensive, multi-level and wide-ranging opening-up, thus creating a sound international environment and broader development space for China," he said.