Gu Hailiang: Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform Must Adhere to a Systems Perspective
The "Resolution" of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed major principles for further comprehensively deepening reform, including "upholding a systems concept." Since the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the whole Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups in upholding a systems concept. They have focused on enhancing the systematic, holistic, and synergistic nature of reform, realizing a transformation from local exploration and "breaking the ice" [1] to systemic integration and comprehensive deepening, achieving great historical accomplishments. To summarize and apply the precious experience of reform and opening up—especially the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era—and to further comprehensively deepen reform, we must implement this major principle of "upholding a systems concept." We must strengthen systemic integration, reinforce the overall planning and systematic layout of reform, and ensure that reforms in all aspects cooperate with one another with high efficiency and synergy.
Upholding a systems concept is an important ideological and working method for reform
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "The systems concept is a fundamental ideological and working method." All things are interconnected and interdependent. Upholding a systems concept is an inherent requirement of Marxist dialectical materialism; it emphasizes observing things from the perspectives of universal connection, developmental change, and comprehensive consideration, while recognizing and grasping the laws governing the development of things. China is a large developing country still in the primary stage of socialism, undergoing extensive and profound social changes. Advancing reform and development or adjusting interest relations often "pulls one hair and moves the whole body" [2]. Only by upholding a systems concept can we grasp the relations between the whole and the part, the present and the long term, the macro and the micro, principal and secondary contradictions, and the particular and the general. Only thus can we see reality through history and grasp the essence through phenomena. Only then can we plan the coordination and alignment of various reform measures with a global perspective, promoting reforms in all fields and aspects to exert force in the same direction and form a collective synergy to enhance overall effectiveness. This approach allows for better focus on systemic integration, providing a scientific ideological and working method for forward-looking thinking, global planning, and the holistic advancement of all undertakings of the Party and the state.
In the New Era, the systems concept has been fully applied in the process of comprehensively deepening reform. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Comprehensively deepening reform involves the overall situation of the Party and state's work; it involves all fields of economic and social development and many major theoretical and practical problems; it is a complex systemic project." As reform continues to deepen, we attach great importance to the interconnectedness and interaction of reforms in various fields and links, emphasizing the comprehensive deepening of reform through the coordination and cooperation of all measures. For reforms with wide-ranging impact, we not only grasp the principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction—the "ox's nose" [3]—focusing on breakthroughs and overcoming difficulties, but also advance supporting reforms. This forms a synergy where related reforms advance in tandem, eliminating problems of mutual interference or friction between reform measures.
Upholding a systems concept runs through the entire process of our Party's promotion of the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era is a profound transformation of the national system and governance framework. Our Party has always persisted in highlighting institutional building as the main thread. By upholding a systems concept, the Party has combined the assault on difficult reform problems with the promotion of institutional integration. Focusing on fundamental reform measures with significant leverage, we have strengthened the linkage and alignment of institutional innovation, continuously improved the institutional framework, solidified fundamental systems, perfected basic systems, and innovated important systems, thereby elevating the comprehensive effectiveness of reform.
Upholding a systems concept is inseparable from the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over comprehensively deepening reform. As reform enters the "deep-water zone" [4], the number of issues, the breadth of fields, and the depth of contradictions are unprecedented. Only by adhering to the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee can we enhance the systematic, holistic, and synergistic nature of various reforms, ensuring clear directions and goals, explicit strategic deployments, and efficient methods and paths. After the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the Party Central Committee established the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform. After the Third Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, this was changed to the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, forming a top-down institutional mechanism for Party leadership over reform work. Precisely under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, we have planned and advanced various reform tasks in a coordinated manner, focusing on the interconnectedness of reforms in different fields and the coupling of reform measures. We have coordinated the relationship between reform, development, and stability, as well as every aspect, level, and element of reform, promoting mutual reinforcement, positive interaction, and synergistic cooperation.
Further comprehensively deepening reform must uphold a systems concept and properly handle major relationships
To further comprehensively deepen reform and advance Chinese-path modernization, the various contradictions faced are becoming increasingly intricate. This places higher demands on the top-level design of reform and its systematic, holistic, and synergistic nature. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Strengthen systemic integration, reinforce the overall planning and systematic layout of reform, and ensure that reforms in all aspects cooperate with one another with high efficiency and synergy." The "Resolution" of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed: "Properly handle major relationships such as those between the economy and society, government and the market, efficiency and fairness, vitality and order, and development and security." We must uphold a systems concept to handle these major relationships and continuously enhance the systematic, holistic, and synergistic nature of reform.
Properly handle the relationship between the economy and society. Economic development is the foundation of social development, while social stability and continuous progress are the premises of economic development. To handle the relationship between the economy and society, we must always focus on economic construction as the center and high-quality development as the primary task, taking the deepening of economic structural reform as the priority for further comprehensively deepening reform. Simultaneously, we must persist in ensuring and improving people's livelihoods during development, continuously meeting the people's aspirations for a better life, and realizing positive interaction and coordinated development between the two.
Properly handle the relationship between the government and the market. Developing a socialist market economy is a great creation of our Party; the key is handling the relationship between the government and the market. To do this, we must apply dialectics and the "two-point theory" [5], giving full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation to create a fairer and more dynamic market environment, optimizing resource allocation and maximizing benefits. At the same time, we must better play the role of the government—being both "flexible in letting go" and "capable of managing"—to better maintain market order, compensate for market failures, smooth the circulation of the national economy, and stimulate the endogenous drive and innovative vitality of the whole society.
Properly handle the relationship between efficiency and fairness. Efficiency and fairness are conditions for one another and promote each other; the improvement of efficiency takes fairness as a premise, and fairness must be built on the basis of efficiency. Chinese-path modernization must not only create higher efficiency than capitalism but also more effectively safeguard social fairness. Handling this relationship requires further liberating and developing the productive forces, allowing the vitality of labor, knowledge, technology, management, and capital to burst forth, and letting all sources of social wealth flow fully. Simultaneously, we must continuously enhance the balance, coordination, and inclusiveness of development to better achieve the balance, mutual promotion, and unification of efficiency and fairness.
Properly handle the relationship between vitality and order. A good social order is the premise and guarantee for the bursting forth of social vitality, which in turn further promotes the formation of a good social order. Chinese-path modernization should and can achieve a dynamic balance where society is lively but not chaotic, and active yet orderly. To handle this relationship, we must persist in systemic governance, law-based governance, comprehensive governance, and governance at the source to maintain social stability. At the same time, we must fully mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the people, letting the vitality of innovation and creation flow fully and burst forth, creating a social environment for further comprehensively deepening reform that is both stable and orderly yet full of vitality.
Properly handle the relationship between development and security. Development and security are like the two wings of a bird; security is the premise of development, and development is the guarantee of security. Only by advancing them in synchronization can we achieve long-term national stability and sustainable development. We must implement the Overall State Security Outlook, improve the national security system, and enhance the capability to maintain national security, resolutely safeguarding the security of national political power, the system, ideology, and key areas. We must coordinate development and security, attach equal importance to both, and promote a positive interaction between high-quality development and high-level security.
Uphold a systems concept and ensure the implementation of reform
Deeply studying and implementing the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee requires a profound understanding and grasp of the new requirements placed on upholding a systems concept by the further comprehensive deepening of reform and the promotion of Chinese-path modernization. We must work together to ensure the implementation of reform and form a powerful collective force to advance reform and opening up.
Plan and advance reform with a global perspective and systems thinking. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Reform must place more emphasis on systemic integration; we must persist in planning and advancing with a global perspective and systems thinking, strengthen the coordination and alignment of various reform measures, and promote reforms in all fields and aspects to exert force in the same direction and form a synergy to enhance overall effectiveness." Comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era is deployed holistically and advanced by field under the guidance of general goals. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee clarified that the general goal of comprehensively deepening reform is to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, proposing "six close focuses." The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee clarified that the general goal of further comprehensively deepening reform is to continue improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, proposing "seven focuses." This added the field of security and enriched and improved the goals and requirements for various fields in an "advancing with the times" manner. These goals and requirements are intrinsic to the further comprehensive deepening of reform. The "seven focuses" not only grasp the fundamentals and highlight priorities but also persist in a global perspective and systems thinking, regarding reform as an organic whole and conducting overall planning and systematic layout. We must comprehensively understand and grasp the general goal, accurately comprehending the clear direction and rich connotation of each "focus" while grasping their internal connections against the general goal. This ensures that reforms in various fields promote and coordinate with one another, preventing and overcoming phenomena where each goes its own way or creates mutual obstacles.
Apply a systems concept throughout the entire process of advancing Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Further comprehensively deepening reform must be closely linked to the theme of advancing Chinese-path modernization." The "Resolution" of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee paid attention to planning further comprehensive deepening of reform by closely centering on advancing Chinese-path modernization and implementing the strategic deployments of the 20th National Congress. Advancing Chinese-path modernization is a systemic project that requires comprehensive consideration, systematic planning, and holistic advancement. Therefore, to deeply study and implement the spirit of the Plenum and ensure reform implementation, we must persist in a global systems concept within the broad vision of advancing Chinese-path modernization, unifying the implementation of major reform measures within this systemic project. For example, focusing on education, technology, and talent as the fundamental and strategic support for Chinese-path modernization, the "Resolution" proposes building institutional mechanisms to support comprehensive innovation. Focusing on integrated urban-rural development as an inevitable requirement of Chinese-path modernization, it proposes improving institutional mechanisms for urban-rural integration. Focusing on opening up as a distinct hallmark of Chinese-path modernization, it proposes improving the institutional mechanisms for high-level opening up. Focusing on the development of whole-process people's democracy as an essential requirement, it proposes improving the system of whole-process people's democracy. Focusing on the rule of law as an important guarantee, it proposes improving the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics, and so on. To further comprehensively deepen reform by upholding a systems concept, we must profoundly grasp the internal relationship between major reform measures and Chinese-path modernization. By closely focusing on the theme of advancing Chinese-path modernization, strengthening top-level design and overall planning, and enhancing the systematic, holistic, and synergistic nature of reforms in all aspects, we will open up broad prospects for Chinese-path modernization through further comprehensive deepening of reform.
(The author is a specially invited researcher at the Ministry of Education's Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)