BEIJING, October 18 (INP): China will take up Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a top of its next five-year’s agenda, said President Xi Jinping here on Wednesday. Xi made the remarks at the opening session of the 19th CPC National Congress while delivering a work report titled “Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.” He announced that China will improve the balance in opening different regions, and open the western region wider, more powers will be granted to pilot free trade zones to conduct reform and explore the opening of free trade ports. China will not close its door to the world and will only become more and more open, Xi stressed, adding that with these efforts China hopes to make new ground in opening further through links running eastward and westward, across land and over sea. “We should pursue the Belt and Road Initiative as a priority, give equal emphasis to ‘bringing in’ and ‘going global’, follow the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, and increase openness and cooperation in building innovation capacity, Xi added. China will expand foreign trade, develop new models and new forms of trade, and turn the nation into a quality-driven trader, Xi emphasized. “We will improve financial regulatory system to forestall systemic financial risks,” Xi also noted. China will continue to uphold the goal of its foreign policy to preserve world peace and promote common development, he went on saying. He called on the people of all countries to make joint efforts to build a "community with a shared future for mankind" and an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys "lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity." Xi also said that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) will become a "world-class force" by the mid-21st century. In addition to the three goals, the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics will also be applied to the army, as Xi announced the Party's will to achieve "transformation of military management". Another highlight of Xi's words on defense was military-civilian integration, which he sees as a national strategy. To lead the people to a better life is the Party’s abiding goal, the people’s interests should be put above all else, and the gains of reform and development should benefit all the people in a fair way, said Xi while presenting a report. INP/J/AH