The congress held that reform and opening up, the path to a stronger China, are the salient feature of the new period in China. It is by carrying out reform and opening up that China has achieved rapid development in the past 30-plus years, and it is reform and opening up that will ensure its future development. Only reform and opening up can enable China, socialism and Marxism to develop themselves. The inclusion of this statement in the Party Constitution will help the whole Party acquire a deeper understanding of the importance of continuing to carry out reform and opening up and thus pursue this endeavor even more consciously and with greater determination.

The congress pointed out that with progress made in Party building since the Seventeenth Congress, our Party has gained an increasingly deeper understanding of the laws of building a Marxist governing party, faced up to the tests and risks confronting it, and focused on strengthening its governance capacity, advanced nature and purity. And it has made all-around efforts to strengthen itself ideologically and organizationally, improve its conduct, become better able to fight corruption, uphold integrity and improve its rules and regulations, and thus made Party building more scientific in all respects. In light of new developments, the Party's Eighteenth Congress set out the new requirement to build the Party into a learning, service-oriented and innovative Marxist governing party. To adapt itself to new conditions, the whole Party must achieve unity in thought and action under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development and the basic line of the Party, be realistic and pragmatic, uphold the principal position of Party members, and strengthen oversight of principal leading cadres. The congress agreed to include these new achievements, new understanding and new requirements in the overall requirements of Party building in the Party Constitution so as to better define the underlying theme as well as the overall plan and objectives of Party building and advance the great new undertaking of Party building in all respects.

The congress held that in view of the successful practices in Party building in recent years and in keeping with the revisions to the General Program, it is necessary to make appropriate revisions to some of the articles of the Party Constitution. Conscientiously studying Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development is a duty of Party members. Excelling in their work and organizing Party members to conscientiously study Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development are the basic tasks of primary Party organizations. The Party should select its cadres on the basis of both moral integrity and professional competence, with priority given to the former, and appoint cadres on their merits without regard to their origins. The Party should attach greater importance to conducting oversight of cadres. Party cadres at all levels should uphold principles, observe the Party spirit and ethical standards, and play an exemplary role. The inclusion of these statements in the Party Constitution will encourage all members of the Party to adhere to its guiding ideology and study and apply the Scientific Outlook on Development more consciously and with greater determination. Such inclusion is conducive to upholding impartiality and honesty in personnel management, fostering the right atmosphere for such management, improving public trust in the selection and appointment of Party cadres and enhancing their integrity and competence. It is also conducive to encouraging Party cadres, especially principal ones, to enhance competence in all respects and better play their exemplary role.

The congress called on Party organizations at all levels and all Party members to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, and earnestly study, observe, apply and uphold the Party Constitution. The congress called on them to ensure that the Party supervises its own conduct and runs itself with strict discipline, to continue to strengthen the Party's governance capacity, advanced nature and purity, to comprehensively carry out the great new undertaking of Party building in the spirit of reform and innovation, and to make Party building more scientific in all respects. Finally, the congress called on the whole Party to firmly march on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and strive to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.