构建社会主义和谐社会
社会和谐是中国特色社会主义的本质属性，是国家富强、民族振兴、人民幸福的重要保证。2002年11月，中共十六大报告第一次将“社会更加和谐”作为重要目标提出。2004年9月，中共十六届四中全会首次提出构建社会主义和谐社会的历史任务，并将其作为加强党的执政能力的一个重要内容。2005年10月，中共十六届五中全会把构建社会主义和谐社会确定为贯彻落实科学发展观必须抓好的一项重大任务，并提出了工作要求和政策措施。
2006年10月，中共十六届六中全会作出《中共中央关于构建社会主义和谐社会若干重大问题的决定》，提出到2020年构建社会主义和谐社会的指导思想、目标任务、工作原则和重大部署。《决定》提出构建社会主义和谐社会的总要求，即民主法治、公平正义、诚信友爱、充满活力、安定有序、人与自然和谐相处。《决定》指出，到2020年，构建社会主义和谐社会的目标和主要任务是：社会主义民主法制更加完善，依法治国基本方略得到全面落实，人民的权益得到切实尊重和保障；城乡、区域发展差距扩大的趋势逐步扭转，合理有序的收入分配格局基本形成，家庭财产普遍增加，人民过上更加富足的生活；社会就业比较充分，覆盖城乡居民的社会保障体系基本建立；基本公共服务体系更加完备，政府管理和服务水平有较大提高；全民族的思想道德素质、科学文化素质和健康素质明显提高，良好道德风尚、和谐人际关系进一步形成；全社会创造活力显著增强，创新型国家基本建成；社会管理体系更加完善，社会秩序良好；资源利用效率显著提高，生态环境明显好转；实现全面建设惠及十几亿人口的更高水平的小康社会的目标，努力形成全体人民各尽其能、各得其所而又和谐相处的局面。
构建社会主义和谐社会，是中国共产党从中国特色社会主义事业总体布局和全面建设小康社会全局出发提出的重大战略任务，适应了中国改革发展进入关键时期的客观要求，体现了广大人民群众的根本利益和共同愿望。构建社会主义和谐社会战略任务的提出，使中国特色社会主义事业总体布局，由社会主义经济建设、政治建设、文化建设“三位一体”发展为社会主义经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设“四位一体”，从而使中国特色社会主义的发展模式更加清晰。
Building a Harmonious Socialist Society
Social harmony is an essential feature of Chinese socialism. It is a symbol of strength, prosperity and national wellbeing.
Enhancing social harmony was set as a goal in the report delivered to the Party's 16th National Congress in November 2002. At its fourth plenary session in September 2004, the 16th CPC Central Committee envisioned "building a harmonious socialist society" a historic task and part of the Party's effort to enhance its governance capacity. At its fifth plenary session in October 2005, the 16th CPC Central Committee specified requirements and policies for fulfilling this task, describing it as a major task for implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development.
In October 2006, the 16th CPC Central Committee concluded its sixth plenary session with a decision on major issues in building a harmonious socialist society, which rolled out the guidelines, objectives, principles, and main plans for completing the task by the year 2020. The document described a harmonious society as having democracy and rule of law, fairness and justice, integrity and friendship, vitality and order, and harmony between man and nature.
The objectives and main tasks include the following:
•There is greater socialist democracy and rule of law, law-based governance is fully exercised, and the people's rights and interests are respected and protected;
•The urban-rural and inter-regional development gaps have been narrowed, there is rational and orderly income distribution, and the people lead a better-off life with increasing family assets;
•There is full employment, and a social security system covering urban and rural residents is in place;
•Basic public services and government administration have been improved;
•The morality, political integrity, education and health conditions of the whole nation have been improved, with good social ethos and harmonious relations among the people;
•Society-wide creativity in an innovative country is taking shape;
•There is a better system of social management, with law and order;
•Resources are utilized efficiently, and the eco-environment is much improved; and
•The Chinese society has become better-off, with the population of more than 1.3 billion living in harmony, each fully displaying their abilities and enjoying their share.
Building a harmonious socialist society is a strategic task the CPC has set for itself based on the overall plan for developing Chinese socialism and building a society of moderate prosperity. It is also a requirement of China's reform and development at a critical stage, and embodies the fundamental interests and shared aspirations of the Chinese people. With the addition of this strategic task, the three-sphere integrated plan encompassing economic, political and cultural development was expanded to also cover social progress, becoming a four-sphere integrated plan, thus expanding the reach of Chinese socialism.
