President Xi Jinping:

China is facing a bright future but also “severe” challenges related to its economy, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday in a speech to mark day one of the 19th Communist Party Congress in Beijing.

In his wide-ranging keynote address, Xi also called for the Communist Party’s cohesiveness and greater control over all aspects of Chinese society.

The Chinese leader acknowledged the challenges China’s economy was facing, including “unbalanced and inadequate development,” while addressing international concerns that the world’s second-largest economy was being threatened by rising debt and unsustainable growth.

During his first five-year term, Xi had been criticized for being slow to enact necessary reforms, bolstering underperforming state-owned enterprises and restricting the private sector.

Xi said: “the real economy awaits improvement, and we have a long way to go in protecting the environment.

“We must devote great energy to addressing development imbalances and inadequacies and push hard to improve the quality and effect of development.”

China is scheduled to release its third-quarter GDP data on Thursday.

Analysts expect a 6.8-per cent growth, slightly below the 6.9-per-cent economic growth in the first quarter.

In his three-and-a-half-hour speech, Xi outlined his dream of turning China into a global superpower while trying to energise his audience to rally behind his vision.

“Achieving national rejuvenation will be no walk in the park, and it will take more than drum-beating and gong-clanging to get there,” Xi said, calling on party members to “be prepared to work even harder toward this goal.”

“The prospects are bright, but the challenges are severe,” Xi told the 2,338 delegates gathered at the GreatHall of the People.

“All comrades must aim high and be alert to dangers.”

Xi called for greater party oversight of all aspects of Chinese society, including education, art and people’s moral standards.

He talked about implementing a system of responsibility for ideological work and ensuring a “clean cyberspace.”

Since becoming party leader in 2012, Xi has tightened the state’s grip on the media and the courts and further restricted the free flow of information.

During the rest of the week-long congress, in which China’s political elite will choose the country’s future leadership, Xi is expected to elevate his status by enshrining his political philosophy – “Xi Jinping thought”, into the party constitution.

Most of the party’s top leadership is expected to be reshuffled, including the powerful seven-man Politburo Standing Committee.

Xi, who has led an anti-corruption campaign that has so far punished 1.3 million officials, called for fighting against whatever “undermines” the Communist Party.

Critics say he has used the anti-graft campaign to purge political opponents and dismantle rival factions within the party.

Meanwhile, the head of the anti-corruption watchdog, Xi-ally Wang Qishan, is due to retire from the country’s top governing body.

Xi called for the party to continue to improve its ability to “purify” itself.

“We have to remove whatever undermines the party’s purity … and rid ourselves of any virus that erodes the party’s health,” Xi said.

Discussing foreign relations, Xi said China will “not close its doors to the world” and instead “become more and more open.”

Xi’s plan to create a transcontinental trade and infrastructure network is a way to connect China to the world, he said.

Delegates interviewed by dpa expressed support for Xi and his policies.

“I think party-building should be stricter in the future,” said delegate Shao Zhongguo.

“We should strengthen the party’s leader.”(dpa/NAN)