BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The newly amended Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) has made key revisions on economic, democratic and social development, according to a spokesman with the secretariat of the 17th CPC National Congress on Thursday.

    Such revisions have been made "to further spur the development of the private sector" and "expand democracy" and "improve the livelihood" for the 1.3 billion people in China, said the spokesman in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

    The amended version, which highlights the promotion of a "sound and rapid development of the national economy," has devoted a whole new paragraph defining "socialist market economy" in its general program, said the spokesman.

    The CPC must "unwaveringly consolidate and develop the public sector of the economy and unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the private sector. It should give play to the basic role of market forces in allocating resources and works to set up a sound system of macroeconomic regulation," the amended Party constitution says.

    "Balancing urban and rural development," "building a new socialist countryside," "innovative country and resource-conserving, environment-friendly society" have also become key phrases.

    "The Party works to balance urban and rural development, development among regions, economic and social development, relations between man and nature, and domestic development and opening to the outside world, adjust the economic structure, and transform the pattern of economic development. It is dedicated to building a new socialist countryside, taking a new path of industrialization with Chinese characteristics, and making China an innovative country and a resource-conserving, environmentally-friendly society," the amendment goes on to say.

    The revision will "help the country to adhere to the orientation of the reform on its socialist market economy," and is expected to better implement the Party's policies of socialist economic construction, the spokesman said.

    The spokesman pointed out that the part concerning "socialist democracy" was also revised.

    "It respects and safeguards human rights. It encourages the free airing of views and works to establish sound systems and procedures of democratic election, decision-making, administration and oversight," and the Party upholds "the system of self-governance at the primary level of society" are written into the amended Party constitution.

    It stresses, "It integrates its leadership, the position of the people as masters of the country, and the rule of law, takes the path of political development under socialism with Chinese characteristics."

    Social development is also highlighted in the revised version, as the objective of building a "harmonious society" is incorporated into "the overall arrangements of the socialism cause with Chinese characteristics."

    "The Party focuses its efforts on improving people's lives by solving the most specific problems of the utmost and immediate concern to the people and strives to create a situation in which all people do their best, find their proper places in society and live together in harmony," the amended version says in a newly-added paragraph.

    The previous "overall arrangements" for three-in-one economic, political, cultural development have been extended to the four-in-one arrangements with "social development" being newly incorporated.

    The change was made because "the CPC central committee has been advancing major strategic tasks including applying scientific outlook on development and building a harmonious society since the16th national congress held in 2002," the spokesman explained.

    According to the spokesman, this is the first time the overall arrangements for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics have been written into the Party constitution.

    "The revision is conducive to fully reflecting the inner requirements for building a modern socialist country, making the overall arrangements, objectives and tasks for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics more explicit, and mobilizing the people of all ethnic groups in turning China into a socialist country," the spokesman said.

    The Party Constitution consists of a general program, outlining the characters, objectives, guidelines and principles of the Party, and eleven chapters, which stipulate the rights and duties of Party members, cadres, organizations, Party emblem and flag.

    Source: Xinhua