Wang Yunsong: Reform Requires Establishing the Mindset of "the Whole Country as a Single Chessboard" (Theoretical Dimensions) [1]
Reform is a systematic project. In his important speech at the second plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "All regions and departments must establish the mindset of the whole country as a chessboard [1], consciously act under the overall situation, and go all out to implement the principles defined, the measures clarified, and the requirements put forward by the Party Central Committee without compromise." To promote the implementation and grounding of measures for further comprehensively deepening reform, one cannot limit one's vision to one's own "one-third of an acre of land" [2]; one must establish the mindset of the whole country as a chessboard and plan work within the entire macro-context of the Party and the state.
"Those who do not plan for the whole situation are insufficient to plan for a single domain" [3]. Establishing the mindset of the whole country as a chessboard represents a profound grasp of the Marxist dialectical relationship between the whole and its parts. The whole is the overall situation of a thing and the entire process of its development; it occupies the dominant position and commands the parts. The parts are the local aspects of a thing and the various stages of its development; they obey and serve the whole.
In 1936, Comrade Mao Zedong, in Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War, placed particular emphasis on the need to grasp the relationship between the whole and the parts, noting: "An understanding of the whole facilitates the handle of the part, because the part is subordinate to the whole." Further comprehensively deepening reform is characterized by its significant intensity and scale, broad scope, and the depth of the interests it touches; it is a case where "pulling a single hair moves the whole body" [4]. Only by starting from the overall situation, firmly grasping the integrity and globality of reform, and avoiding "advancing with a single soldier" [5] or even "each going their own way," can we exert force in the same direction, form a synergy, and maximize the overall effectiveness of reform.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has persisted in treating the whole country as a chessboard. It has strengthened the coordination of reform policies, progress, and effects, further promoting the systemic integration, implementation, and efficacy of reforms. For example, accelerating the construction of a national unified large market is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core from an overall and strategic height. From smoothing the economic circulation between urban and rural areas to breaking down regional administrative barriers and strengthening the alignment of rules and mechanisms, a series of reform measures have effectively eliminated deep-seated bottlenecks such as local protectionism and market fragmentation. This has promoted the smooth flow of commodities and factor resources, injecting surging vitality into economic development. Practice has fully proven that only by establishing the mindset of the whole country as a chessboard and planning reform from the overall situation of the development of the Party and the state can we continuously promote the high-quality development of various economic and social undertakings.
"Good chess players plot the momentum; good governors plot the overall situation." Establishing the mindset of the whole country as a chessboard is an important ideological and working method. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "When leading cadres [6] consider problems and make decisions, they must have a clear understanding of the 'top priorities of the nation' [7], use the 'large abacus' and 'calculate big accounts' [8] more, and use the 'small abacus' and 'calculate small accounts' less. They must be adept at integrating the work of their regions and departments into the 'grand chessboard' of the cause of the Party and the state, striving to both bring glory to their specific domain and add luster to the overall situation."
This requires us, when planning and promoting the reform and development of our respective regions and departments, to accurately recognize and deeply grasp the decision-making deployments of the Party Central Committee. We must correctly understand and treat the adjustment of interests in reform from the overall perspective, and be skilled at calculating the big account, the total account, and the long-term account. As long as it is beneficial to the development of the cause of the Party and the state and to the overall reform, we must promote the reform into depth/substance without hesitation. We must resolutely refrain from "small cleverness" such as bending the rules, taking shortcuts, or acting with perfunctory negligence. Further comprehensively deepening reform is itself a systematic project; only by strengthening cross-departmental and cross-regional communication and coordination can we ensure that various reform measures are seamlessly connected and promoted in a coordinated manner. For example, reforms in fields such as education, medical care, elderly care, and housing concern the "security and warmth" [9] of the common people. None of these can be handled well by a single department alone; they require the coordinated cooperation of governments at all levels, relevant departments, and all sectors of society. If one holds the passive mentality of "each person only sweeping the snow from their own doorstep" [10], the effectiveness of reform will ultimately be greatly compromised.
Establishing the mindset of the whole country as a chessboard in reform does not mean ignoring local realities, but rather finding the right positioning within the national strategy to better leverage characteristic advantages. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must proceed from reality: where there is water, utilize water; where there are mountains, utilize mountains; where there is grain, utilize grain; where there is agriculture, utilize agriculture; where there is industry, utilize industry; and where there is commerce, utilize commerce. We must actively explore new paths for high-quality development with rich regional characteristics."
From the Great Desert of the Northwest where "the long river sees the setting sun go round," to the Jiangnan water towns of "small bridges over flowing water and houses," from the northern borders where "lofty snow mountains reflect the rays of dawn," to the shores of the South China Sea where "the coconut breeze blows slowly and intoxicates the coast"... our country's territory is vast, and the resource endowments and development levels of various regions vary thousands-fold. We need both the strengthening of overall advancement and the combination of "points and planes" [11]; we need both overall strategic planning at the national level and, more importantly, the specific, flexible, and pragmatic creative work of various regions, departments, and fields. Only by firmly grasping our strategic positioning within the overall national development, actively dovetailing with macro-policies, cultivating more "unique skills" [12], and highlighting "comparative advantages" can we better integrate into the overall situation of national development and promote the steady and long-term progress of further comprehensively deepening reform.
Source: People's Daily (January 6, 2025, Page 09) Web Editor: Huihui