Xi Jinping vows no stop in reform and opening up

Photo released on Dec. 11, 2012 shows Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), visit a local family of Zhang Shunyao in Huanglong village . (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

"No stop in reform, and no stop in opening up," vowed Xi Jinping, the new helmsman of China's ruling party during his trip to south China's Guangdong Province from Dec. 7 to 11.

This was the first inspection tour of Xi since his election to the post of general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee last month. The choice of the destination was significant as Xi followed in the footsteps of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's 1992 southern tour to the boomtown of Shenzhen and the cities of Zhuhai, Foshan and Guangzhou, the provincial capital.

Xi's reiteration of reform and opening up on his tour sent a clear signal that the new CPC leadership will resolutely follow these tenets. It comes as a rallying call to the entire Party and the country to gather strength to tackle challenges.

The 18th CPC National Congress depicted a blueprint in which the Party completes the building of a moderately prosperous society by 2020, accelerates the socialist modernization drive and achieves new victories in building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The congress issued "a new declaration" and "a new mobilization order" for deepening reform and opening up.