Explanation of the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reforms and Promoting Chinese-Style Modernization"

Xi Jinping

Comrades:

Entrusted by the Central Political Bureau, I will explain to the plenary session the relevant circumstances of the drafting of the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reforms and Promoting Chinese-Style Modernization."

I. Considerations Regarding the Determination of the Plenary Session's Agenda

Planning and deploying reforms around the Party's central tasks is a successful experience of the Party's leadership in reform and opening up. Based on practical experience and realistic needs, the Central Political Bureau decided that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC National Congress will study the issue of further comprehensively deepening reforms and promoting Chinese-style modernization. The main considerations are as follows:

First, this is an urgent need to unite people's hearts and minds, gather strength, and achieve the Party's central tasks in the new era and on the new journey. Practice has fully proved that China's rapid catching up with the times during the period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization construction relied on reform and opening up. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of the Party and the state have also relied on reform and opening up. On the new journey of the new era, to create a new situation in the construction of Chinese-style modernization, we still need to rely on reform and opening up. The 20th National Congress of the CPC established the central task of building a modern socialist country in all respects, achieving the second centenary goal, and comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization, expounding the Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles of Chinese-style modernization, and making strategic deployments for promoting Chinese-style modernization. To put these strategic deployments into practice and turn the blueprint of Chinese-style modernization into reality, the fundamental lies in further comprehensively deepening reforms, continuously improving various systems and mechanisms, and providing institutional guarantees for promoting Chinese-style modernization.

Second, this is an urgent need to improve and develop the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and to promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have highlighted institutional construction as the main line, improved various aspects of the system through comprehensively deepening reforms, promoted the socialist system with Chinese characteristics to become more mature and more established, and significantly improved the level of modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, providing strong institutional guarantees for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. At the same time, we must clearly see that improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is a dynamic process, and it will inevitably continue to develop with the development of practice. Existing systems need to be continuously improved, and new fields and new practices need to promote institutional innovation and fill institutional gaps. Faced with new situations and tasks, we must further comprehensively deepen reforms, continue to improve various systems and mechanisms, consolidate the foundation, enhance advantages, make up for shortcomings, strengthen weaknesses, and continuously better transform our institutional advantages into the effectiveness of national governance.

Third, this is an urgent need to promote high-quality development and better adapt to the changes in the main contradictions of our society. Currently, the prominent problems facing the promotion of high-quality development are still unbalanced and inadequate development. For example, the market system is still imperfect, market development is not yet sufficient, the relationship between government and market has not been fully straightened out, innovation capacity does not meet the requirements of high-quality development, the overall industrial system is large but not strong, comprehensive but not refined, the situation of key core technologies being subject to others has not fundamentally changed, the agricultural foundation is still not stable, the gap in urban-rural regional development and income distribution is still large, there are still shortcomings in livelihood security and ecological environmental protection, and so on. In short, these problems are all reflections of the changes in the main social contradictions, and they are problems in development. We must further comprehensively deepen reforms to solve them from the perspective of systems and mechanisms.

Fourth, this is an urgent need to respond to major risks and challenges and promote the steady and long-term development of the Party and state's cause. Promoting Chinese-style modernization is a completely new undertaking, and various contradictions and risks and challenges will inevitably be encountered on the road ahead. In particular, the great changes unseen in a century in the world are accelerating, local conflicts and turmoil are frequent, global problems are intensifying, external suppression and containment are constantly escalating, and China's development has entered a period where strategic opportunities and risks and challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. Various "black swan" and "grey rhino" events may occur at any time. Effectively responding to these risks and challenges and winning strategic initiative in increasingly fierce international competition requires us to further comprehensively deepen reforms, use improved systems to prevent and resolve risks, effectively respond to challenges, cultivate new opportunities in crises, and open up new situations in changing situations.

II. Regarding the Drafting Process of the Decision

In November 2023, the Central Political Bureau decided to establish a drafting group for the documents of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC National Congress, with me as the group leader and Wang Huning, Cai Qi, and Ding Xuexiang as deputy group leaders, to undertake the drafting work under the leadership of the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau. On December 8, the drafting group held its first plenary meeting, and the document drafting work officially started. In more than 7 months, the drafting group conducted in-depth investigations and research, widely solicited opinions, conducted thematic argumentation, and repeatedly discussed and revised the document.

In the drafting process of the decision, we focused on grasping the following points: First, summarize and apply the valuable experience of reform and opening up, especially the comprehensively deepened reforms in the new era, determine the principles to follow, and adhere to the correct political direction. Second, closely focus on promoting Chinese-style modernization and implementing the strategic deployment of the 20th National Congress of the CPC to plan for further comprehensively deepening reforms, adhering to a problem-oriented approach. Third, grasp the key points, highlight institutional and mechanism reforms, highlight strategic and overall major reforms, highlight the leading role of economic system reforms, and highlight the leading role of reforms. Fourth, adhere to putting the people first, and plan and promote reforms from the overall, fundamental, and long-term interests of the people. Fifth, strengthen systematic integration, strengthen the overall planning and systematic layout of reforms, and make reforms in various aspects cooperate and be efficient.

The drafting of this plenary session's document integrated the practice of democracy and gathering collective wisdom throughout the entire process. On November 27, 2023, the Party Central Committee issued a notice to solicit opinions from various regions, departments, and sectors, as well as from some cadres and the masses, on the topics of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC National Congress. Everyone unanimously agreed that the Party Central Committee's decision to focus on further comprehensively deepening reforms and promoting Chinese-style modernization at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC National Congress demonstrates the firm determination and strong sense of mission to carry out reforms to the end, and is a reaffirmation of what flag to raise and what path to take on the new journey of the new era, and has a significant and far-reaching significance for comprehensively promoting national construction and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. Various regions, departments, and sectors put forward many valuable suggestions on the theme, framework, and important measures of the document, providing important references for the drafting of the decision.

On May 7, 2024, the draft decision was distributed within the Party for soliciting opinions, soliciting opinions from veteran comrades within the Party, specifically listening to the opinions of leaders of the central committees of various democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and representatives of non-Party individuals, and listening to the opinions of relevant enterprises and experts and scholars. From the feedback, everyone unanimously agreed that the draft decision closely revolves around the theme of promoting Chinese-style modernization to outline strategic measures for further comprehensively deepening reforms, adheres to the correct political direction, focuses on planning reforms around major institutional and mechanism problems that need to be solved in promoting Chinese-style modernization, has a clear theme, highlights key points, and has practical and feasible measures. It is a general mobilization and general deployment for promoting comprehensively deepened reforms to advance in breadth and depth on the new journey of the new era, fully embodies the historical initiative of improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, and will surely provide strong impetus and institutional guarantees for Chinese-style modernization. At the same time, various aspects put forward 1911 amendments and suggestions. The drafting group carefully studied these opinions and suggestions, absorbed as many as possible, and made 221 revisions.

During the drafting process, the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau held 3 meetings, and the Central Political Bureau held 2 meetings for deliberation and revision, forming the draft decision submitted to this plenary session for deliberation.

III. Regarding the Basic Framework and Main Content of the Draft Decision

Excluding the introduction and conclusion, the final draft consists of 15 sections divided into three major parts. The first part, the first section, is a general discussion, mainly expounding on the significance and overall requirements of further comprehensively deepening reforms and advancing Chinese-style modernization. Sections two through fourteen constitute the second part, a detailed discussion, mainly deploying reforms in areas such as economy, politics, culture, society, ecological civilization, national security, national defense, and the military. The fifteenth section forms the third part, mainly focusing on strengthening the Party's leadership over reform, deepening the reform of the Party's institutional construction, Party conduct and integrity, and the fight against corruption. The content items are listed in order throughout, totaling 60 items.

The final draft sets the goal of basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035 and focuses on deploying major reform measures for the next five years. Its content arrangement has the following characteristics.

First, it emphasizes the leading role of economic system reform. Deepening economic system reform remains a priority in further comprehensively deepening reforms. The main tasks are to improve the systems and mechanisms conducive to promoting high-quality development, shaping new driving forces and advantages for development, upholding and implementing the "two unwavering" principles, building a unified national market, and improving the basic institutions of the market economy.

The final draft centers on the core issue of handling the relationship between the government and the market, placing the construction of a high-standard socialist market economic system in a prominent position, and deploying key areas and links of economic system reform. Focusing on enhancing the core functions and core competitiveness of state-owned enterprises, it proposes strengthening strategic coordination among relevant management departments, promoting the optimization and structural adjustment of the layout of the state-owned economy, and promoting the growth and development of state-owned capital and enterprises; focusing on promoting the development of the non-public sector, it proposes formulating a Private Economy Promotion Law, strengthening law enforcement and judicial protection of property rights, and preventing and correcting the use of administrative and criminal means to interfere in economic disputes. It proposes strengthening the rigid constraints of fair competition review, clearing and abolishing various regulations and practices that hinder the unified national market and fair competition, improving the system and rules of factor markets, and so on. These measures will better stimulate the endogenous dynamism and innovation vitality of the whole society.

The final draft deploys the improvement of the system and mechanism for promoting high-quality economic development and promoting the development of new productive forces. Focusing on developing productive forces characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality, it proposes strengthening institutional supply in new fields and new tracks, establishing a future industry investment growth mechanism, using national standards to lead the optimization and upgrading of traditional industries, and promoting the aggregation of various advanced production factors to the development of new productive forces.

The final draft deploys the improvement of the macroeconomic governance system. It proposes improving the national strategic planning system and policy coordination mechanism; comprehensively promoting fiscal and tax system reform, increasing local fiscal autonomy, expanding local tax sources, reasonably expanding the scope of support for local government special bonds, and appropriately strengthening central responsibilities and increasing the proportion of central government expenditure; improving the positioning and governance of financial institutions, improving the functions of the capital market that coordinates investment and financing, and improving the financial regulatory system.

The final draft deploys the improvement of the system and mechanism for integrated urban-rural development. It proposes improving the system and mechanism for promoting new-type urbanization; consolidating and improving the basic rural operating system; improving the support system for strengthening agriculture, benefiting farmers, and enriching farmers; and deepening land system reform.

The final draft deploys the improvement of the system and mechanism for high-level opening up. It proposes steadily expanding institutional opening up; deepening foreign trade system reform; deepening the reform of the management system for foreign investment and outbound investment; optimizing the regional opening-up layout; and improving the mechanism for promoting high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative.

Second, it emphasizes the construction of a supporting system and mechanism for comprehensive innovation. The final draft comprehensively promotes the integrated reform of the education, science and technology, and talent systems and mechanisms, emphasizing the deepening of comprehensive education reform, deepening of science and technology system reform, and deepening of talent development system and mechanism reform to enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system.

In terms of education system reform, it proposes classifying and promoting university reforms, establishing a discipline setting adjustment mechanism and talent training model driven by scientific and technological development and national strategic needs, and exceptionally deploying urgently needed disciplines and majors; improving university science and technology innovation mechanisms and improving the effectiveness of results transformation.

In terms of science and technology system reform, it proposes strengthening the construction of national strategic scientific and technological forces, optimizing the positioning and layout of national scientific research institutions, high-level research universities, and leading science and technology enterprises, improving science and technology planning management, and strengthening forward-looking and leading layouts in basic research, cross-cutting frontier fields, and key areas; strengthening the leading role of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, establishing a mechanism for cultivating and developing leading science and technology enterprises; allowing scientific research institutions to implement management systems that are more flexible than general institutions, and exploring enterprise management; and deepening the reform of granting rights to scientific and technological achievements.

In terms of reform of the talent development system and mechanism, it proposes accelerating the construction of national strategic talent forces and improving the quality of all types of talent; improving the mechanism for discovering, selecting, and cultivating young innovative talents, and better guaranteeing the treatment of young scientific and technological personnel; strengthening talent incentive mechanisms, adhering to authorizing the employing entities and unburdening talents; and improving the support and guarantee mechanism for introducing overseas talents.

Third, it emphasizes comprehensive reform. The final draft plans further comprehensively deepening reforms within the framework of comprehensively promoting the "five-in-one" overall layout and coordinating the advancement of the "four comprehensives" strategic layout, and comprehensively deploys economic system reform and reforms in other fields.

In terms of reform in the fields of democracy and the rule of law, it deploys the improvement of the whole-process people's democracy system and the improvement of the socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics. It proposes strengthening the institutional construction of the people being masters of their own affairs; improving the mechanism of consultative democracy; improving the grassroots democracy system; and improving the overall pattern of the great united front. It proposes strengthening legislation in key areas, emerging areas, and foreign-related areas; improving the system and mechanism in which the supervisory organs, public security organs, procuratorial organs, judicial organs, and judicial administrative organs each perform their duties, and the supervisory power, investigative power, procuratorial power, judicial power, and enforcement power cooperate with and check and balance each other; and improving the mechanism for promoting the construction of a society under the rule of law.

In terms of cultural system reform, focusing on promoting modernization that coordinates material civilization and spiritual civilization, it proposes promoting the normalization and institutionalization of education in ideals and beliefs, improving and innovating the mechanisms for cultivating civilization, practicing civilization, and creating civilization; optimizing the mechanism for providing cultural services and cultural products, establishing a mechanism for high-quality cultural resources to reach the grassroots level; improving the comprehensive governance system for the internet; and promoting the restructuring of the international communication pattern and building a more effective international communication system.

In terms of improving the system for guaranteeing and improving people's livelihood, it proposes improving the income distribution system and regulating the order of income distribution; optimizing the policy environment for promoting entrepreneurship and employment, supporting and regulating the development of new employment forms; improving the social security system for flexible employment personnel, rural migrant workers, and personnel in new employment forms, and completely abolishing the restrictions on household registration for participation in social insurance at the place of employment; proposing to accelerate the construction of a new model for real estate development and fully empowering city governments with the autonomy to regulate the real estate market; proposing to deepen medical and health system reform and implement a health-first development strategy; proposing to improve the support and service system for population development, improve the system of policies and incentive mechanisms for supporting childbirth, and improve the policy mechanism for developing the elderly care industry and elderly care industry, and steadily and orderly promoting a gradual delay in the statutory retirement age on a voluntary and flexible basis.

In terms of ecological civilization system reform, it proposes improving the basic system of ecological civilization, improving the ecological environment governance system, and improving the green and low-carbon development mechanism; proposing to implement a regional, differentiated, and precise control ecological environment management system, improve the horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanism, implement fiscal, financial, investment, pricing policies and standard systems that support green and low-carbon development, and accelerate the planning and construction of a new energy system.

Fourth, prioritize coordinated development and security. National security is an important foundation for the steady and long-term progress of Chinese-style modernization. The draft decision places greater emphasis on safeguarding national security, proposing the construction of an interconnected and efficient national security protection system, promoting national security technological empowerment; improving the system for handling major emergencies; establishing a regulatory system for artificial intelligence security; exploring the establishment of a nationwide unified population management system; and improving the overall social security prevention and control system, severely punishing illegal and criminal activities that the public strongly opposes, in accordance with the law. It proposes establishing and improving a coordination mechanism for peripheral security; improving mechanisms against sanctions, interference, and "long-arm jurisdiction"; improving trade risk prevention and control mechanisms; improving relevant foreign-related laws and regulations and their implementation system; and deepening international cooperation in law enforcement and justice. Regarding the continued deepening of national defense and military reforms, it proposes improving the leadership and management systems of the People's Liberation Army, deepening the reform of the joint operations system, and deepening cross-military and civilian reforms.

Fifth, strengthen the Party's leadership in reform. The Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reforms and advancing Chinese-style modernization. The draft decision proposes improving the implementation mechanism for major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee; deepening reforms of the cadre personnel system, establishing a correct orientation for selecting and appointing personnel, vigorously selecting cadres who are politically strong, dare to take responsibility, are determined to reform, have outstanding achievements, and are honest and clean; and focusing on resolving the problems of cadres' inaction, non-action, lack of courage to act, and lack of ability to act; establishing and practicing the correct concept of performance; implementing the "three distinctions"; encouraging cadres to be pioneering and enterprising and to work hard; enhancing the political and organizational functions of Party organizations; improving the system for preventing and treating formalism and bureaucratism; improving the mechanism for investigating and dealing with unhealthy trends and corruption; and enriching effective methods for preventing and treating new types of corruption and hidden corruption.

I hope that comrades will deeply understand the spirit of the Party Central Committee, focus on the theme of the plenary session, put forward constructive amendments and suggestions, and work together to make this plenary session a success and improve the draft decision.