BEIJING -?China has witnessed deep and fundamental changes over the past five years, while its achievements are comprehensive and groundbreaking, according to a communique released Saturday.

The communique was issued after the Seventh Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was held in Beijing from Oct.11 to 14.

These historic changes and achievements indicate that China's development stands at a new historical starting point, which is of great and far-reaching significance for the cause of the Party and the country, according to the communique.

The plenary session summarized the work of the past five years since the 18th CPC National Congress and held that the five years was an "extraordinary" period.

China has made historic achievements in reform and opening up, as well as socialist modernization, it said.

Over the past five years, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core raised a series of new ideas, thoughts and strategies, formulated a string of important guidelines and policies and rolled out many significant measures, it said.

Many deep-rooted problems and issues that were too difficult to be resolved before have been addressed during that period, which promoted the historic changes for the cause of the Party and the country, according to the document.

"The country also saw major achievements in economic development and major breakthroughs in comprehensively deepening reform. Democratic and legal system construction has taken great steps. Ideological and cultural construction has made important progress. People's living standards have constantly improved," it said.

"The ecological environment has been remarkably improved. The building of a strong army has made new headway. New progress was made in work related to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan," it said.

China's all-round diplomacy has been in full swing and eminent achievement was registered in strict Party governance, it added.