THE Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee made public its proposal on an amendment to China’s Constitution yesterday.

It proposed to remove the expression that the president and vice president of the People’s Republic of China “shall serve no more than two consecutive terms” from the Constitution, write Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the Scientific Outlook on Development into the Constitution, write “harmonious socialist relations among nationalities” into the Constitution, list the supervisory commission as a new State organ in the Constitution, add a sentence which stipulates that “the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” add core socialist values into the Constitution, add a clause which states that all State functionaries shall take a public oath of allegiance to the Constitution upon assuming office, and write building “a community with a shared future for humanity” into the Constitution.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed the important role of the Constitution while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Saturday.

“No organization or individual has the privilege to overstep the Constitution or the law. Any conduct that goes against the Constitution or the law must be punished,” Xi said.

The People’s Republic of China enacted its first Constitution in 1954. In 1982, the fifth National People’s Congress adopted the present Constitution, which underwent four amendments in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004.

The third plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee will be held from today to Wednesday in Beijing, according to a decision made at the Saturday meeting.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee met to discuss a structural reform plan of the Party and State institutions, the country’s economic and social development, as well as proposed candidates for State leadership positions and for the leadership of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee.

At the meeting, the Political Bureau discussed a list of proposed candidates for State leadership positions that will be recommended to the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) and a proposed candidate list for the leadership of the CPPCC National Committee, which will be recommended to the upcoming first session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee in March.

The lists will be further deliberated at the CPC Central Committee’s third plenary session.

The leaders said that China would continue to adopt a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy to fulfil its economic and social development goals for 2018.

The meeting also discussed a draft government work report to be submitted by the State Council for review at the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress.

(Xinhua)