The more than 2,000 delegates to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) yesterday solemnly approved the introduction of the Scientific Outlook on Development into the newly-amended CPC Constitution.

The inclusion of such an important strategic thought into the Party Constitution testifies to its determination to carry on the rich political and theoretical legacy of the CPC while advancing itself so as to facilitate the era of changes and push for further social and economic growth in the country.

It is not a mere political catch phrase, but a comprehensive guideline that "takes development as its essence, putting people first as its core, comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development as its basic requirement, and overall consideration as its fundamental approach," as General Secretary Hu Jintao specified in the report he delivered to the congress.

While maintaining development as the Party's top task, it highlights the necessities to give full play to the people's creativity, protect all the rights of the people, encourage people's all-round development and, above all, enable all people to share the fruits of progress.

It especially tries to steer China's huge economic locomotive onto the road toward resource-saving, energy efficiency and protection of the ecology and environment.

The Scientific Outlook on Development did not come about on impulse but has evolved by recognizing the actuality of China's development and summarizing the achievement and lessons accumulated not only in China but also the world over.

However much the Chinese economy has grown and however high China now ranks in terms of total GDP in the world, the country today must face off a series of challenges from low productivity, weak independent creativity to income and growth disparity between the rich and the poor, the urban and rural areas and the east and the west.

The growth momentum now runs into such obstacles as environmental degradation and wastefulness and excessive consumption of natural resources.

The viewpoint on development will serve as a guideline as well as a yardstick for the country to examine its current and future growth formula and readjust its strategies to make sure that China's further development will not only contribute to the building of a harmonious society in the country but also benefit the world.

(China Daily October 22, 2007)