Army: Properly Balancing the "Can't Wait" and "Mustn't Rush" Relationship
Comprehensively deepening reform is a complex systematic project where "pulling one hair moves the whole body" [1]. We must adhere to a scientific methodology, seizing and making good use of the conditions and opportunities for reform, while mastering the speed and rhythm of its implementation. Since the 18th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the methodology of "cannot afford to wait" yet "must not act in haste" on multiple occasions, covering various aspects such as environmental governance, "dual carbon" goals, common prosperity, and ethnic work. Accurately understanding and grasping the profound logic contained therein is of great guiding significance for advancing the comprehensive deepening of reform.
"Cannot afford to wait" and "must not act in haste" are a pair of complementary methodological concepts imbued with the spirit of dialectics. On one hand, they emphasize that the situation is urgent and opportunities are rare; we must not remain passive or let golden opportunities slip away. We must fully exert historical initiative and the enthusiasm, proactivity, and creativity of the masses—doing what needs to be done immediately without waiting or relying on others. On the other hand, they emphasize the complexity and arduousness of the tasks themselves, as well as the staged nature and objective laws of development. It is inappropriate to be over-eager for success or to act simplistically. We must consider the whole situation, engage in systematic planning, make careful deployments, advance steadily and cautiously, and be adept at seeing things through to completion. This is both a correct mindset and a scientific working method.
"Cannot afford to wait" requires us to carry forward the spirit of historical initiative, strengthen our judgment of the situation, and enhance our awareness of crisis and strategic thinking. We must profoundly recognize the importance and urgency of comprehensively deepening reform and increase our consciousness and proactivity in resolutely implementing the decision-making deployments of the Party Central Committee. Reform and opening up is the "critical move" [2] that determines the fate of contemporary China, as well as the success or failure of Chinese-path modernization and the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation; it is the "important magic weapon" [3] for the cause of the Party and the people to catch up with the times in giant strides. Faced with complex international and domestic situations, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and the new expectations of the masses, we must conform to the historical trend, respond actively to changes, and proactively seek change. Only by continuing to push reform forward can we maintain strategic initiative at all times.
We must have the courage to break through the shackles of outdated ideas, break the barriers of entrenched interests, and resolutely dismantle deep-seated institutional obstacles and structural contradictions. We must dare to charge into "deep-water zones," "gnaw at hard bones," and "navigate dangerous shoals" [4]. We need a sense of urgency that "time and tide wait for no man" and "seize the hour, seize the day" [5], alongside the execution power to act immediately once a goal is identified. Aligning with the Central Committee’s deployments and measures for comprehensively deepening reform, we must strengthen our "problem consciousness," highlight a "problem-oriented approach," and systematically list the issues and reform items of our respective regions and departments. We must clarify the responsible subjects, time limits, working ideas, specific measures, and progress schedules, transforming the grand blueprint of reform into a specific and operable construction roadmap—working backward from the deadline and "fighting according to the map" [6]—to ensure all reform tasks are implemented with the "spirit of driving a nail" [7] at the micro, small, and practical levels.
Active exploration and bold innovation are essential; reform means innovation, and innovation stems from exploration, experimentation, and practice. For reforms that have been determined as necessary breakthroughs but currently lack practical experience, all regions and departments should adopt the method of pilot programs—trialing, testing, and reforming first. We must not be indecisive, cautious to a fault, or paralyzed by hesitation. It is better to be a bit bolder; reform cannot succeed without a sense of "daring to venture." Regarding new problems encountered in new fields and practices, we must fully respect the "pioneering spirit of the grassroots and the masses," encouraging trailblazing and innovation to continuously create and accumulate "fresh experiences" that can be replicated and promoted.
"Must not act in haste" requires us to keep a clear head, maintain "historical patience" and political resolve, and enhance the continuity of our work. First, we must distinguish between what can be changed and what cannot. We must never "turn to any doctor in a crisis" [8] or act out of panic, as making "subversive errors" [9] would shake our foundations and "destroy our own Great Wall." Our reform has a standpoint, a direction, and principles. Further comprehensively deepening reform must facilitate the realization of the general goal rather than deviate from it. We must strengthen "systematic concepts" and "systematic thinking," paying more attention to top-level design, overall planning, and systematic integration—all of which require resolve and patience. Mao Zedong emphasized: "Solving problems systematically is called science; solving them piecemeal rather than systematically is not science, even if the parts are correct."
Reform and opening up is a systematic project that must persist in comprehensive reform, advancing through the coordination of various reform measures. Comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era is no longer at the historical stage of "crossing the river by feeling the stones" [10] as it was in the early period of reform and opening up; it possesses many new connotations and characteristics. Reform now faces more deep-seated institutional issues, requiring higher standards for top-level design and stronger systematic, holistic, and collaborative qualities. Correspondingly, the tasks of establishing rules, systems, and frameworks are heavier. We must strengthen prospective thinking, global planning, strategic layout, and holistic advancement, scientifically conducting top-level design and establishing the general framework.
Comprehensively deepening reform involves the overall work of the Party and the state, every field of economic and social development, and many major theoretical and practical issues. We must coordinately plan all aspects, levels, and elements of deepening reform, focusing on grasping the "principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction" [11], as well as key areas and vital links. We must strive to ensure that the whole and the parts are coordinated, that "treating the root cause and the symptoms" [12] are combined, and that gradual progress and breakthroughs are linked, achieving the unity of overall advancement and key breakthroughs. "For all things, success depends on preparation; without preparation, there is failure" [13]. He who does not plan for the whole cannot plan for a single region. Comprehensively deepening reform cannot be done "piecemeal" [14], nor can it be a matter of "treating the head when the head aches and the foot when the foot aches." We cannot act in isolation or advance as a single soldier; we cannot each go our own way or constrain one another.
When matters are of immense weight and faced with myriad dangers, they must not be treated lightly or pursued in haste. We absolutely cannot engage in "first destroying and then building" [15]; we must "plan before acting" and "establish the new before breaking the old." Only by proceeding with caution and "seeking progress through stability" can we "gallop at a steady pace and achieve long-term stability" [16]. We must accurately grasp the strategic priorities of reform and reasonably arrange the sequence, rhythm, and timing of reform measures—advancing step by step based on urgency and priority, neither overreaching nor lagging behind. For those issues where feedback is most concentrated and urgent and which require a "battle of annihilation," we must reform quickly; for those requiring "persistence over the long term" or a "protracted war," we must plan slowly and deliberately.
We must be proactive but, more importantly, solid and steady; we cannot be "impatient for success" [17] or act with "rash impetuosity." The tasks of reform are arduous and heavy; it is by no means the work of a single day or night, and it is impossible to "achieve success in one battle" or once and for all. We must establish the mindset and psychological preparation for a "long-term war." "New officials must attend to old debts" [18]; one term after another, one generation after another, we must "paint the blueprint to the end," never lightly changing course, starting a new kitchen, or tearing everything down to start over. Reform must avoid "eagerness for quick success and instant benefits," "superficial styles of work," or "starting like a tiger and ending like a mouse." With the perseverance of "leaving a mark in the iron and a footprint in the stone" [19], and a fine style of "keeping one’s feet on the ground and doing solid work," we must implement reform tasks through continuous struggle and persisting over the long term. We cannot become wavering, hesitant, or lose heart at the slightest obstruction or setback, which would lead to the reform failing at the final hurdle.
Fundamentally, "cannot afford to wait" and "must not act in haste" resolve the issue of working methods—that is, the issue of ensuring the subjective conforms to the objective. They represent the dialectical unity of historical initiative and historical patience. This is an important methodology and working principle, underpinned by strategic thinking, systematic thinking, process thinking, and awareness of laws, timing, and risks. It aligns with the general tone of "seeking progress through stability" and the spiritual requirement of "cautious and steady advancement." We must study and comprehend its spiritual essence well, using it to arm our minds, guide our practice, and promote our work.
Source: Study Times (Xuexi Shibao) Online Editor: Huihui