In pursuing a CPC-led socialist modernization, Xi said, "we must neither retrace our steps to the rigidity and isolation of the past, nor take the wrong turn by changing our nature and abandoning our system."

"We must stress reliance on our own efforts to drive the nation's development, and make sure the future of China's development and progress remains firmly in our own hands," he said.

By 2035, China will have basically achieved modernization. This will mark the first time in human history that an entire population of over 1 billion people achieve modernization as a whole. The great achievements China has made in the process of world modernization represent the greatest contribution made by the CPC to the cause of human progress.

By then, China's per capita GDP will reach the level of moderately developed countries and the size of the middle-income group will be significantly expanded. China will be a global leader in innovation, and its carbon dioxide emissions will steadily decline after reaching the peak. China's high-speed railway system, already the world's largest, will almost be doubled in total length.

China's path to modernization is not only a source of pride for the Chinese people, but also offers a new option for nations who want to accelerate development while preserving their independence.

Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam of Tanzania, said China's development story has shown that poverty and backwardness can be overcome, and with the right path, African countries can also achieve prosperity and development.

The success story of China, a success achieved by adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and its fine traditional culture, is also a story of the revival of socialism. More than 500 years after its birth, socialism has survived and thrived despite setbacks and the noise of naysayers, revitalized by the Chinese Communists in the new era.

A new journey has begun. Xi will lead China to pursue national rejuvenation by following the uniquely Chinese path to modernization, and to continue striving for a shared future for humanity.

When meeting the press on Sunday, Xi said that Chinese modernization is a great yet enormous undertaking. The enormity of the task is what makes it great and infinitely glorious.

"The journey ahead is long and arduous, but with determined steps, we will reach our destination," Xi said.

XINHUA