Chinese President Hu Jintao stressed stability at a grand gathering marking the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), saying that upholding stability is critically important. [More about Hu's speech]

"Without stability, nothing could be done, and even the achievements already made could be lost," Hu said when delivering a speech at the rally in Beijing..

"To strike a balance among reform, development, and stability and achieve unity of the three is an important guideline for achieving overall success in China's socialist modernization," said Hu, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

He noted that China is going through social changes unparalleled in scope.

"While releasing tremendous dynamism for China's development and progress, these changes have inevitably given rise to conflicts and problems," Hu said, adding that the movement of social conflicts is the basic force driving social development.

To cope with the problems, the President pointed out that the Party should face problems squarely, reduce and defuse these conflicts by building the material basis, enhancing moral strength, improving policies and measures, providing a stronger institutional guarantee.

He said that the Party should also strengthen social administration in an innovative way.

"We should build a socialist social administration system with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the Party, with responsibility assigned to the government, with the assistance of society and with the participation of the general public," he said.

"We should also make social administration more scientific and ensure peace and happiness for the people as well as social stability and harmony," said Hu Jintao.