During a talk with some leading members of the CPC Central Committee on May 31, 1980, Deng Xiaoping stated, "We must respect the way the Parties and peoples of different countries deal with their own affairs. They should be left to find their own paths by themselves and explore ways to solve their own problems. No Party should act like a patriarchal party and issue orders to others. We object to being ordered about and we, for our part, will never issue orders to others. This should be regarded as an important principle." In the political report delivered at the Twelfth National Congress of the CPC, held in September 1982, this principle was spelled out as follows: "Our Party develops its relations with other Communist or working-class parties in strict conformity with Marxism and with the principles of independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs."