[Original] Lu Han: Theoretical Reflections on the Fundamental Issues of Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was a meeting of great historical significance convened at a critical historical juncture, sounding the clarion call for advancing Chinese-path modernization through further comprehensively deepening reform. At present, the term "reform" has rapidly become a high-frequency keyword of heated discussion in theoretical circles, and the discussion of reform issues has become a topical focus. Emphasizing the further comprehensive deepening of reform and its advancement has become a broad consensus in the theoretical community. In the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we need to engage in deep theoretical reflection on the fundamental issues of comprehensively deepening reform to ensure that the spirit and the decision-making deployments of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee are better implemented.
I. The Great Significance of Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform
The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization (hereinafter referred to as the Decision) elaborates deeply on the great significance of further advancing the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics through "six inevitable requirements." The Decision maintains that this is: an inevitable requirement for upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity; an inevitable requirement for implementing the new development philosophy and better adapting to the changes in the principal contradiction [1] in Chinese society; an inevitable requirement for adhering to a people-centered approach and ensuring that the fruits of modernization benefit all people more extensively and equitably; an inevitable requirement for responding to major risks and challenges and promoting the steady and sustained progress of the cause of the Party and the country; an inevitable requirement for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and winning the strategic initiative amidst the accelerating evolution of profound changes unseen in a century [2]; and an inevitable requirement for deeply advancing the new great project of Party building in the New Era and building a stronger and more vigorous Marxist party.
The "six inevitable requirements" analyze the historical necessity and epochal urgency of comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era from four dimensions: state governance, social development, party building, and international relations. This requires us to raise our political standing and profoundly recognize the significance of further comprehensively deepening reform. We must understand and promote the further comprehensive deepening of reform with a sense of historical responsibility and epochal mission—one characterized by "constant state of concern" [3]—ensuring that the major decision-making deployments of the Party Central Committee regarding further comprehensive deepening of reform take root and yield results.
II. The Goals of Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform
The Decision makes systematic arrangements for the goals of further comprehensively deepening reform. These include both general goals and phased goals, representing a dialectical unity of phased targets and long-term visions. The Decision posits that the general goal of further comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era is to continue upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to advance the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity. By further comprehensively deepening reform, the aim is to promote a better alignment between the relations of production and the productive forces, between the superstructure and the economic base, and between state governance and social development, thereby providing a powerful impetus and institutional guarantee for Chinese-path modernization.
The Decision also proposes phased goals for further comprehensively deepening reform. The "seven focuses" deploy the key tasks of further comprehensive deepening of reform across seven areas: the economy, politics, culture, society, ecology, national security, and Party building. It emphasizes the continuous improvement of systems and mechanisms in these seven fields. By 2029, the 80th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the reform tasks proposed in the Decision are to be completed. This will lay a solid foundation for the full establishment of a high-level socialist market economy by 2035, at which point the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics will be further improved, the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity will be basically realized, and socialist modernization will be basically achieved, ultimately leading to the comprehensive buildup of a great modern socialist country by the middle of this century.
III. Judging the Effectiveness of Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform
The Decision provides a detailed explanation for judging the effectiveness of further comprehensively deepening reform. The Decision points out that we must further liberate and develop social productive forces and stimulate and enhance social vitality, taking the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people’s well-being as the starting point and ultimate goal. Whether the further comprehensive deepening of reform is effective depends on whether it promotes the development of productive forces, whether it enhances social vitality, and whether it effectively improves the lives of the people; these are, in fact, the touchstones for testing the results of reform.
The development of productive forces is the basis for sustained social progress and the foundation for enhancing social vitality and improving the lives of the masses. Therefore, the primary task of further comprehensively deepening reform is to break down the institutional and mechanistic obstacles that hinder the development of productive forces, and to continuously liberate and develop social productive forces. The stimulation and enhancement of social vitality is a sign of social prosperity and development, and a major manifestation of the development of productive forces and the improvement of the people's lives. Thus, in further comprehensively deepening reform, our Party must strive to create a relatively relaxed social atmosphere, encouraging the masses to actively explore and dare to innovate, opening up new business forms, new models, and new arenas to continuously enhance social vitality. Social fairness, justice, and the improvement of the people's lives are the value objectives of social development and the intrinsic meaning of promoting the development of productive forces and enhancing social vitality. Therefore, the fundamental goal of further comprehensively deepening reform is to adhere to a people-centered approach, continuously improve the living standards of the masses, and achieve common prosperity and the free and comprehensive development of individuals. In short, the judgment of the effectiveness of further comprehensively deepening reform must take the development of social productive forces, the enhancement of social vitality, and the improvement of the people’s lives as the basic standards.
IV. The Methodology of Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform
The Decision specifically clarifies the methodological principles for further comprehensively deepening reform. The Decision points out that comprehensively deepening reform must pay greater attention to systematic integration, pay greater attention to highlighting key points, and pay greater attention to substantive results of reform. It is necessary to uphold the Party's overall leadership, persist in a people-centered approach, uphold the fundamentals and break new ground, persist in taking institutional construction as the main thread, persist in comprehensively governing the country according to law, and persist in a systems perspective.
The "three attentions" and "six persists" comprehensively explain the methodology of further comprehensively deepening reform. The Party's overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform; it is necessary to resolutely uphold the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, give full play to the Party's core leadership role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties, and integrate the Party’s leadership into all aspects and the entire process of reform to ensure it always advances in the right direction. A people-centered approach is the value orientation of further comprehensively deepening reform; it is necessary to respect the people's principal status and pioneering spirit, strengthen the emotional bond with the masses, and ensure that reform is for the people, relies on the people, and that its fruits are shared by the people. Upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground is the fundamental "magic weapon" [4] of further comprehensively deepening reform; it is necessary to adhere to the developmental direction of socialism with Chinese characteristics, keep pace with the times, adapt to the development of practice, maintain a problem-oriented approach, and advance theoretical, practical, institutional, cultural, and other innovations from a new starting point. Taking institutional construction as the main thread is the basic path of further comprehensively deepening reform; it is necessary to strengthen top-level design and overall planning, simultaneously establishing the new while breaking the old—ensuring the new is established before the old is broken—solidifying fundamental systems, improving basic systems, and innovating important systems. Comprehensively governing the country according to law is an important guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform; reform must be deepened and Chinese-path modernization advanced within the track of the rule of law, achieving unity between reform and the rule of law, ensuring major reforms have a legal basis, and timely elevating reform achievements into legal systems.
A systems perspective and highlighting key points represent the strategic significance of further comprehensively deepening reform. It is necessary to attend to the "two-point theory" [5]—coordinating the handling of major relationships such as economy and society, government and market, efficiency and fairness, vitality and order, and development and security—while also emphasizing the "point of priority theory," taking the lead in making breakthroughs in important fields and key links, conducting transformations in concepts, interests, and systems, and forming key catalysts to rapidly open up a new phase of reform. The substantive results of reform constitute the evaluation standard; further comprehensively deepening reform must take the development of social productive forces, the enhancement of social vitality, and the improvement of the people’s lives as its touchstones.
V. The Basic Path for Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform
The Decision provides a full demonstration of the basic path for further comprehensively deepening reform. The Decision points out the need to persist in a problem-oriented approach, take institutional construction as the main thread and economic system reform as the leading force, and continuously advance reforms in various fields. It is necessary to: build a high-level socialist market economy system; improve the systems and mechanisms for promoting high-quality development; construct systems and mechanisms to support comprehensive innovation; improve the macro-economic governance system; refine the systems and mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development; improve the systems and mechanisms for high-level opening up to the outside world; refine the institutional system of whole-process people's democracy; improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics; deepen reform of cultural systems and mechanisms; improve the institutional system for ensuring and improving people's livelihoods; deepen the reform of the ecological civilization system; advance the modernization of the national security system and capacity; continue to deepen national defense and military reform; and deepen the reform of the Party building system, while continuously improving the Party's level of leadership over further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. Only by persisting in a problem-oriented approach, continuously resolving specific problems and institutional obstacles in the fields of economy, politics, culture, society, ecology, national security, national defense, and Party building, and codifying effective experiences and practices in the form of institutions, can we provide a powerful institutional guarantee for the realization of Chinese-path modernization, thereby ensuring the timely realization of the goals of a great modern socialist country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
VI. The Fundamental Guarantee for Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform
The Decision clearly articulates the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform. The Decision points out that the Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is essential to advance comprehensively and strictly governing the Party with a strong spirit of self-revolution, resolving issues of purity in politics, ideology, organization, and conduct within the Party. We must deepen the reform of the Party building system, improve the institutional and normative system of the Party's self-revolution, and build a Marxist governing party that always stays at the forefront of the times, enjoys the heartfelt support of the people, has the courage to engage in self-revolution, can withstand all kinds of tests, and is full of vigor. This will provide a strong organizational guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform. In the process of comprehensively deepening reform, we must continuously uphold the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over further comprehensive deepening of reform, focusing on the Central Committee’s top-level design, overall coordination, and holistic advancement of the reform. Party committees (and Party leadership groups) at all levels must, while adhering to the decision-making deployments of the Central Committee, plan and advance reform practices in their respective regions and departments based on their own actual conditions, striving to create a favorable atmosphere for reform, thereby laying a solid foundation for ensuring that the further comprehensive deepening of reform proceeds with depth, substance, and good effect.