The Communist Party of China (CPC) will "unswervingly follow the basic state policy of opening up" and contribute to the world peace, Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said on Friday. [More about Hu's speech]

The CPC and the Chinese people have always been "a positive force for promoting world peace and development," said Hu, Chinese president, at a grand gathering marking the 90th anniversary of the CPC.

China's foreign policy aims to uphold world peace and promote common development, he said, adding the CPC will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and unswervingly follow "the path of peaceful development and the strategy of opening up."

He said the CPC will strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with countries around the world and continue to "contribute to the common development of all countries through China's own peaceful development."

"The CPC will, following the principle of independence, complete equality, mutual respect and noninterference in each other's internal affairs, conduct exchanges, cooperation and mutual learning of governance experience with political parties and organizations of other countries and regions to promote relations with other countries," Hu said.