Hu Jintao on Thursday outlined the "overall approach" for China's modernization drive, which emphasizes development in five aspects -- economy, politics, culture, society, and ecology.

"Our overall approach (in building socialism with Chinese characteristics) is to promote economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress," Hu told more than 2,200 delegates gathered in the Great Hall of the People for the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

This is the first time that ecological progress has been incorporated into the country's overall development plan by the CPC.

China started to advocate ecological progress in 2007, when the concept was written into Hu's report to the Party's 17th National Congress, against the backdrop of fast growing economy and deteriorating environment.

In his report to the Party's 18th National Congress, Hu gave ecological progress a more prominent position by placing it into the country's overall development approach together with economic, political, cultural and social progress.

Promoting ecological progress is a long-term task of vital importance to the people's wellbeing and China's future, Hu said.

"We must give high priority to making ecological progress and incorporate it into all aspects and the whole process of advancing economic, political, cultural, and social progress, work hard to build a beautiful country, and achieve lasting and sustainable development of the Chinese nation," he said.

Over the past ten years, China's economy has risen from the sixth to the second place in the world. Its productive forces and economic, scientific and technological strength have increased considerably. Its overall national strength and international competitiveness and influence have also been enhanced substantially.

However, China also faces increasing resource constraints, severe environmental pollution and a deteriorating ecosystem.

"We should remain committed to the basic state policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment as well as the principle of giving high priority to conserving resources, protecting the environment and promoting its natural restoration, and strive for green, circular and low-carbon development," Hu said.

SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT

Reviewing China's development over the past ten years, Hu said the theory of Scientific Outlook on Development is one of the most important achievements of the CPC during the period and it has become a theoretical guidance for the Party.

"Together with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development is the theoretical guidance the Party must adhere to for a long time," Hu said.

The Scientific Outlook on Development was proposed by the 16th CPC Central Committee in 2003. The concept has championed people's interests and advocated comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development. At the Party's 17th National Congress, the concept was written into the CPC Constitution.

The theory was formed by following the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and by making courageous theoretical innovations on the basis of practices and developing closely interconnected new ideas and viewpoints on upholding and building socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

"This theory provides new scientific answers to the major questions of what kind of development China should achieve in a new environment and how the country should achieve it," Hu said.

As China advances toward the future, thoroughly applying the Scientific Outlook on Development is of major immediate significance and far-reaching historical significance for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, Hu said.

"We must apply it throughout the course of modernization and to every aspect of Party building," he said.

NEW TARGET

Looking back at China's eventful modern history and looking to the future of the Chinese nation, Hu said a definite conclusion has been drawn: China must unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"An examination of both the current international and domestic environments shows that China remains in an important period of strategic opportunities for its development, a period in which much can be achieved," Hu said in the report.

Hu said China needs to have a correct understanding of the changing nature and conditions of this period, seize all opportunities, respond with cool-headedness to challenges, and gain initiative and advantages to win the future and attain the goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020.

By 2020, the country's 2010 GDP and per capita income for both urban and rural residents should be doubled, Hu said.

This is the first time that per capita income has been included in the economic growth target set for 2020. Previous targets set at the 16th and 17th CPC National Congress merely called for the growth of GDP, not of per capita income.

To complete the building of a moderately prosperous society, China must lose no time in deepening reform in key sectors and resolutely discard all notions and systems that hinder efforts to pursue development in a scientific way, Hu said.

In the process of strategic adjustment of the economic structure, China must firmly maintain the strategic focus of boosting domestic demand, speed up the establishment of a long-term mechanism for increasing consumer demand, unleash the potential of individual consumption, increase investment at a proper pace, and expand the domestic market, he said.