The people will be the "supreme arbiter" and "final judge" to assess the Party's work, he said.
The country will rely on its own strength for state and national development, maintain national pride and national self-confidence, and unswervingly walk a path of its own, he said.
The Chinese people will make the decision and handle affairs of the country. China will unswervingly step along the path of a socialism with Chinese characteristics and firmly follow the path of peaceful development and adhere to the independent foreign policy of peace, Xi said.
Since modern times, the Chinese nation has always been dreaming of realizing "great rejuvenation." Our predecessors made great efforts for making the dream come true. Today, based on their achievements, China's reform and opening-up drive and modernization have scored significant marks.
"China has never been so close to realizing the goal of the nation's great renewal," Xi said.
"To realize the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation, we must unswervingly advance reform and opening-up," he said, stressing that the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee launched wide-ranging reforms.
The CPC plays a key role in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi said, adding that the Party should administrate the Party, enhance its ruling capacity and strengthen the Party's capabilities, such as self-purification and self-improvement.
Xi vowed to "seriously treat 'illnesses' which harm the nature and purity of the Party and rip out any 'malignant tumors' on the healthy bodies of the CPC."
Persistent effort will enable the CPC to always be at the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi stressed.
Thursday's symposium at the Great Hall of the People was presided over by Liu Yunshan and attended by other leaders including Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli.
Before the symposium, the seven top leaders visited Mao's mausoleum in Tian'anmen Square, making three bows toward Mao's seated statue and paying their respects to the remains of Mao.
Mao was born on Dec. 26, 1893 and died on Sept. 9, 1976.
Across China, people held various activities on Thursday to mark the anniversary of Mao's birth.
At Mao's birthplace in Shaoshan Village in central Hunan Province, locals were joined by visitors for commemorative events. They ate noodles, sang "red songs" and presented flower baskets to Mao's bronze statue.
Symposiums were held on Wednesday in old revolutionary bases including Xibaipo in north China's Hebei Province, Yan'an City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Nanchang City in east China's Jiangxi Province.
Other events that marked Mao's birth anniversary include evening galas, art exhibits, and the release of books depicting the life and career of Mao.
