China's international status as the largest developing country in the world has not changed and development is still the key to solving all the problems in the country, Chinese President Hu Jintao said Friday. [More about Hu's speech]

The country's basic condition has not changed as well, said Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a grand gathering marking the 90th anniversary of the CPC.

China is still in the primary stage of socialism and will remain so for a long time to come, and the principal issue in society remains how to meet the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people while upgrading backward social production, he said.

The CPC has brought the country with a civilization of over 5,000 years back to the center of the international arena. In the meantime, nevertheless, the country is facing challenges.

For instance, the per capita GDP is still around the world's 100th, despite its economy as a whole ranks the second in the world.

Hu said that pursuing economic development as the central task is essential for reinvigorating China and achieving prosperity and enduring political stability of the Party and the country.

"In the time to come, we must continue to follow the strategic thinking that only development counts and firmly carry out the central task of economic development, and we should not waver in the slightest in this pursuit," he added.

Hu called for the pursuit of scientific development and giving priority to accelerating the shift of model of economic development in this pursuit.