BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday held a meeting to discuss the current economic situation, poverty alleviation work in 2018, and a regulation on CPC publicity work.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

China's economy maintained stable operation in the first quarter, with better-than-expected growth rate setting a good start for the year, according to a statement released after the meeting.

However, the economy is faced with many issues and difficulties, as tensions in the external environment tend to rise while downward pressure on the domestic economy remains, the statement said.

The issues are partly due to cyclical factors, but to a larger degree they have deeper structural and institutional roots, and must be tackled with unwavering efforts and sustained patience, the statement said.

The meeting stressed the need to consolidate general economic and social stability through new progress in reform and opening-up as well as structural adjustment.

The supply-side structural reform should be pushed to stabilize demand, while efforts on structural deleveraging should be maintained, so that major risks are prevented and tackled in the process of pursuing high-quality development, the statement said, adding that efforts should be made to win the "three tough battles" against major risks, poverty and pollution.

Macro policies should be based on the promotion of high-quality development, and pay more attention to improving the quality of growth and stimulating the vitality of the market, it said.

Bolder and more effective measures must be taken to implement the proactive fiscal policy, while prudent monetary policy should be kept "neither too tight nor too loose," the statement said.

Efforts should be made to push high-quality development in the manufacturing sector to shore up growth, while measures should be taken to support the development of the private companies as well as the small and medium-sized enterprises and ease their financing strain, it said.

The country should stick to the principle that "housing is for living in, not speculation," and implement the long-term mechanism on housing regulation.

China must promote the healthy development of the capital market through key institutional innovations, and implement the registration-based IPO system on the new science and technology innovation board, the statement said.

The country should push high-level opening-up to promote deeper reforms, expand market access for foreign investors and make sure they receive national treatment.

Efforts should be made to keep employment stable for key groups while vocational training should be enhanced.

Attention should be given to production safety, the meeting said, calling for effective prevention measures.

The meeting noted that the three-year battle against poverty made a good start in 2018.

Winning the battle against poverty is the landmark indicator for building a "moderately prosperous society in all respects", the statement said.

China still faces a daunting task of fighting poverty over the next two years, as those left are the poorest of the poor. Strict assessment should be continued, and the results should be put to good use.

The country will fight "formalism and bureaucracy" to ensure that poverty alleviation is pragmatic and results true.

As for the counties that have just shaken off poverty, local governments should lift the remaining impoverished population out of poverty, and work hard to prevent people from falling into poverty again.

The meeting also reviewed a regulation on publicity work of the CPC.

In face of new situations, tasks and requirements, the Party needs better legal and institutional arrangements for publicity work, the statement said, explaining the purpose of drafting the regulation on publicity work.

The primary political task of the publicity and ideological work in the new era is to study, promote and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the statement said.

Party committees of all levels were told to pay more attention to publicity work and enhance the leadership over the enforcement of the regulation. Publicity departments were asked to thoroughly carry out the regulation.