Chen Jinlong and Wu Zhinan: Major Institutional Achievements of Comprehensively Deepening Reform in the New Era
In governing a country, institutions serve a fundamental, holistic, and long-term role. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out:
"Compared to the past, reform and opening up in the New Era possesses many new connotations and characteristics. One very important point is that institutional building now carries greater weight. Reform increasingly faces deep-seated structural and mechanistic problems, placing higher demands on the top-level design of reform, as well as its systemic, holistic, and synergistic nature. Correspondingly, the tasks of establishing rules, enacting regulations, and constructing systems have become heavier."
In planning the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era, we must take the persistence and improvement of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the promotion of the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity as the main axis. We must profoundly grasp China's developmental requirements and the trends of the times, placing institutional building and governance capacity building in a more prominent position. We must continue to deepen reforms of structures and mechanisms in all fields and aspects, pushing the institutions in various sectors to become more mature and finalized, and advancing the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity. We must fully recognize, profoundly understand, and scientifically grasp the institutional achievements made in the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era. We must accurately grasp the evolutionary direction and laws of our national system and state governance system, persist in taking institutional building as the main thread, and continuously and deeply advance institutional construction to better transform institutional advantages into governance efficacy.
I. The Institutional System is Becoming Increasingly Perfected
The increasing perfection of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a major institutional achievement of the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a scientific institutional system formed by the Party and the people through long-term practical exploration, consisting of fundamental, basic, and important institutions. The perfection of this system is primarily reflected at these three levels.
Consolidating the fundamental institutions of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the process of comprehensively deepening reform, we have continuously improved the systems for resolutely upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, the system of the Party’s comprehensive leadership, and the system of the Party’s absolute leadership over the people’s army, thereby making the fundamental leadership system of the Party and the state more mature. We have consistently supported and ensured that the people exercise state power in a unified manner through the People’s Congresses, ensuring that People’s Congresses at all levels are produced through democratic elections, are responsible to the people, and are supervised by the people. We support and ensure that the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee exercise their powers of legislation, supervision, decision-making, and appointment/removal according to law. We have improved the system of supervision by the People’s Congress over administrative, steady (supervisory), judicial, and procuratorial organs. We have perfected the organizational systems, electoral systems, and rules of procedure for People's Congresses, making our fundamental political system [1] more mature. We have improved the responsibility system for ideological work, deeply advanced the Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory, and improved the leadership and management systems for the internet. By firmly holding the main battlefield of the ideological struggle online, we have made the fundamental cultural institution of the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere more mature. By upholding and improving the social governance system of "consultative construction, collaborative governance, and shared benefits" [2], we have achieved scientific governance concepts, rationalized structures, refined methods, and democratized processes, or the maturation of our fundamental social governance system.
Perfecting the basic institutions of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Throughout the process of comprehensively deepening reform, we have persisted in and improved the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, strengthening the institutional building of the People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). We have persisted in and improved the system of regional ethnic autonomy, taking the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main thread of the Party’s ethnic work. We have persisted in and improved the system of primary-level self-governance, perfecting the systems of villager and resident self-governance, thereby making the basic political system of socialism with Chinese characteristics more complete. We have persisted in the dominance of public ownership while allowing multiple forms of ownership to develop together, unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector while unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector. We have persisted in the dominance of "distribution according to work" while allowing multiple modes of distribution to coexist, perfecting the mechanisms for distribution based on factors of production and redistribution adjustment mechanisms. We have persisted in and improved the socialist market economy system, steadily advancing a high-standard socialist market economy, and continuously improving basic systems such as property rights protection and fair competition to build a unified national market, making the basic economic system of socialism with Chinese characteristics more complete.
Innovating the important institutions of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Important institutions are the substantive systems derived from fundamental and basic institutions concerning the rule of law, administrative management, cultural construction, livelihood protection, social governance, national security, ecological civilization, "One Country, Two Systems," foreign affairs, and Party and state supervision. In the process of comprehensively deepening reform, the Party has actively improved the system of the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, perfected the national administrative system, and optimized the functions of government agencies. We have cultivated and practiced Socialist Core Values, perfected cultural management systems and cultural production mechanisms, and strengthened institutional mechanisms in income distribution, employment, education, social security, medical and health care, and housing security. We have advanced the modernization of the national security system and capacity, established systems for ecological environmental protection, accountability, and compensation, maintained and improved the "One Country, Two Systems" institutional framework, and refined various mechanisms for foreign affairs. We have constructed and improved the Party and state supervision system, among others, making the important institutions of socialism with Chinese characteristics more finalized.
II. Institutional Advantages are Fully Manifested
Institutional advantage is the greatest advantage of a political party or a country. The institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics are diverse, manifested prominently in three aspects: Party leadership, putting the people first, and centralized unity.
The institutional advantage of Party leadership is fully manifested. Leadership by the Communist Party of China is the most defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the system. Comprehensively deepening reform is a complex systemic project; relying on one or a few departments is often insufficient, necessitating the establishment of higher-level leadership mechanisms. In November 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee decided to establish the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform to be responsible for the overall design, coordination, promotion, and supervision of reform. After the Third Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, this group was upgraded to the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform. Over the past decade, from the Leading Group to the Commission, a series of important deployments and explorations have been made regarding the overall layout, major issues, and key areas of reform. This has pushed forward historical changes, systemic reshaping, and holistic restructuring in many fields, creating a new situation for reform and opening up and fully demonstrating the institutional advantage of Party leadership.
The institutional advantage of putting the people first is fully manifested. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics possesses the advantage of putting the people first, reflected in the people's participation in institutional building, the people's enjoyment of institutional services, and the people's evaluation of institutional outcomes. In the process of comprehensively deepening reform, the Party has actively developed whole-process people's democracy, effectively safeguarding the people's rights to information, participation, expression, and supervision throughout the processes of election, consultation, decision-making, management, and oversight. This has fully mobilized the enthusiasm and initiative of the people to participate in institutional reform and innovation. By insisting on promoting social fairness and justice and improving people's well-being as the starting point and goal of reform, the Party has focused on institutional reforms in the livelihood sector, ensuring that specific systems and mechanisms remain close to and serve the daily lives of the people. By insisting that whether the people are satisfied, happy, or in agreement is the fundamental criterion for measuring all work, the practical effects of institutional reform are evaluated by the people, fully manifesting the advantage of putting the people first.
The institutional advantage of centralized unity is fully manifested. The system possesses the advantage of centralized unity, reflected in the ability to forge consensus, unify thinking, and concentrate resources to accomplish great tasks. Advancing comprehensively deepening reform requires both the unification of ideological understanding and the concentration of resources and forces. Through strengthening the Party’s centralized and unified leadership over publicity, ideological, and cultural work, the Party has focused on theoretical publicity and explanation, making the advancement of reform a consensus for the entire Party and nation. This has cleared away "ideological mists" and eliminated obstacles further deepening reform. By strengthening centralized leadership over economic work, the Party has formed an interlaced institutional design from the central to local levels and from single to multiple fields. This ensures the effective integration of resources and forces from all sides, gathering a powerful synergy for further deepening reform and fully demonstrating the advantage of centralized unity.
III. Institutional Authority is Continuously Heightened
In the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era, the authority of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics has been continuously heightened, primarily reflected in three aspects: institutional consciousness, institutional execution, and institutional efficacy.
Enhancing institutional authority by firmly establishing institutional consciousness. For institutions to function throughout society, it first requires Party members and cadres to establish an awareness of reverence and respect for the system, maintaining its sanctity and authority. Firmly establishing institutional consciousness requires focusing on both the whole Party and the "key minority" [3]. In the process of comprehensively deepening reform, our Party has conducted regular and concentrated thematic education—such as the Mass Line Education and Practice Activity, the "Three Stricts and Three Steadies" [4] education, the "Two Studies, One Action" [5] study program, the theme of "staying true to our original aspiration and founding mission," Party history study, the thematic education on studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and Party discipline study. These efforts aim to foster an atmosphere of consciously respecting, believing in, fearing, obeying, and defending the system, guiding members and cadres to firmly establish institutional consciousness. By targeting the "key minority" of leading cadres, the Party issued the Opinions on Establishing a System for Leading Cadres to Master the List of Internal Party Regulations and State Laws, requiring them to set an example in execution and heighten institutional authority across society.
Enhancing institutional authority by strengthening supervision of institutional execution. The vitality of an institution lies in its execution. If rules are not followed and systems are not executed, even the most perfect regulations become mere "ornaments" with no authority. Execution must be accompanied by supervision to ensure it does not "change shape" or become discounted. Our Party has committed to building a centralized, unified, comprehensive, and efficient supervision system. We have continued to deepen the reform of the discipline inspection and supervision system, enriching means such as disciplinary, supervisory, dispatched, and inspection-based oversight. Crucially, we have promoted the enactment and revision of internal Party regulations and state laws, such as the Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Internal Supervision and the Regulations on Communist Party of China Disciplinary Action, using systems to supervise the execution of systems.
Enhancing institutional authority by optimizing governance efficacy. Institutional authority must be realized through governance efficacy. If a system is ineffective or fails, it erodes the people's conviction and identity with it. Optimizing efficacy involves transforming institutional advantages into governance results and directly solving problems in social governance. During the New Era, the Party has successfully leveraged these advantages in targeted poverty alleviation, responding to major public health crises, and resolving systemic financial risks. By adhering to a problem-oriented approach, breaking through the "barriers of entrenched interests" [6], and pushing through structural obstacles, the Party has made the institutional framework more capable of modernization in governance.
IV. Continuous Enrichment of Experience in Institutional Building
The practice of institutional building in the New Era has accumulated valuable experience, providing methodological inspiration for further deepening reform on the new journey.
Persisting in taking institutional building as the main thread. Institutional issues are more fundamental, holistic, stable, and long-term. This persistence is a profound summary of the experience of reform and opening up. Since the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, based on China's new historical coordinates, has placed institutional building in a more prominent position. It put the formation of a more mature and finalized set of systems on the agenda as a priority. Consequently, the basic institutional frameworks in various fields have been established, and socialism with Chinese characteristics has become more mature and finalized. To further comprehensively deepen reform, we must continue to make institutional building the main thread, consolidating fundamental institutions and perfecting... [End of Part 1]
...fundamental systems, innovate important systems, and continuously promote the self-perfection and development of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Uphold the unity of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. Upholding the fundamentals [7] means that no matter how the system is constructed or reformed, we must adhere to the Party's overall leadership, adhere to Marxism, adhere to socialism with Chinese characteristics, and adhere to the people's democratic dictatorship. We must take the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of people's well-being as the starting point and ultimate goal. These are matters of fundamental principle, direction, and long-term significance; they embody the nature and purpose of the Party, align with our national conditions, and serve the fundamental interests of the people. They must not be shaken in the slightest at any time or under any circumstances. Breaking new ground means viewing institutional construction and reform through the lens of innovative development—that is, continuously pushing forward, reforming what should and can be reformed thoroughly and effectively, and resolutely implementing decided reforms without being stuck in old ways or standing still [8]. In further comprehensively deepening reform to advance institutional construction, we must maintain the unity of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. We must resolutely avoid making fundamental or "subversive" errors while maintaining the courage for self-revolution and innovative development.
Uphold the unity of top-level design and grassroots exploration. Institutional construction requires both strengthened top-level design and a high regard for grassroots exploration. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Chinese people have continuously explored and created new forms of grassroots democracy in their daily practices, such as village (resident) consultative committees, village (resident) forums, democratic consultation meetings, and democratic hearings. When grassroots exploration is reflected in top-level design, it becomes part of that design, achieving an organic unity between the two. In further comprehensively deepening reform to advance institutional construction, we must maintain the unity of top-level design and grassroots exploration. We must conduct systematic and holistic institutional planning within top-level design while encouraging grassroots exploration and innovation, timely absorbing mature results from these efforts.
Uphold the dialectical unity of "breaking" and "establishing." Institutional construction requires "breaking" (pò)—the elimination of systems, structures, and mechanisms that do not adapt to the developmental requirements of the productive forces or the requirements for modernizing the state governance system and governance capacity. Even more so, it requires "establishing" (lì)—the construction of a systemic, complete, scientific, standardized, and effective institutional framework. The dialectical unity of the two is profoundly expressed in the simultaneous advancement of breaking and establishing, and the principle of "establishing before breaking." Advancing both simultaneously requires a dynamic balance in institutional construction to ensure a virtuous cycle between institutional supply and demand. "Establishing before breaking" [9] (xiān lì hòu pò) is a principle derived from the perspective of the overall stability of the institutional system and national security; it emphasizes that in terms of sequence, establishing comes first and breaking follows, ensuring an effective link between the two. In further comprehensively deepening reform, we must uphold the dialectical unity of breaking and establishing, persist in their simultaneous advancement with priority on establishing, and clearly identify what should be established and what should not, and what should be broken and what should not. We must proactively establish what needs to be established and timely break what needs to be broken on the basis of those new establishments. By mastering the timing and rhythm of breaking and establishing, we can ensure that reform moves forward at a steady pace [10] within this unity, achieving the reform goals determined by the Party Central Committee.
Source: Hongqi Wengao (Red Flag Manuscript) [11] Issue 1, 2025 Online Editor: Paul