Chen Jinlong: A Historical Investigation from Implementing Reform to Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform
From the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee to the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, our country has experienced an evolutionary process from the initiation of reform to further comprehensively deepening reform. This process contains both an evolution in the conceptual connotation of "reform" and a shift in the practical focus of reform efforts. Examining the historical evolution from the implementation of reform to further comprehensively deepening reform is conducive to deepening our understanding of the history of reform and gaining insight into the internal logic of its development.
I. Reform Focused on the Economic System and Comprehensive Reform
After the conclusion of the "Cultural Revolution," the tasks of concentrating forces to develop productive forces and changing the backward face of the country as quickly as possible were gradually placed on the Party’s organizational agenda. The implementation of reform became the chosen path for promoting the development of productive forces and improving the people's standard of living.
In April 1978, while offering revisions to the article "Implementing the Socialist Principle of Distribution According to Work," Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "The eight-grade wage system [1] needs some reform. Regarding the wage grades of administrative personnel, there is also a question of reform." At that time, an eight-grade system was generally implemented for workers' wages. In Deng Xiaoping’s view, workers' wages did not necessarily have to be fixed at eight grades; the possibility of adding more grades could be considered. This marked the beginning of advocating for the reform of the distribution system. In September, during an inspection tour of Liaoning, Deng Xiaoping noted: "We must encourage and educate all cadres to think independently; they should be allowed to boldly reform unreasonable things, and they must be given the authority to do so." Here, he both proposed the idea of reform and acted as its mobilizer. In October, in his opening speech at the Ninth National Congress of Chinese Trade Unions, Deng Xiaoping pointed out that to achieve the Four Modernizations [2], "every economic front needs not only major technical reforms, but also major institutional and organizational reforms. Carrying out these reforms is in the long-term interest of the people of the whole country." Here, the task of economic structural reform was explicitly proposed, emphasizing a reform orientation centered on the interests of the people. Consequently, before the convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping had already begun using the concept of reform and contemplating reform methods. After that session, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as their chief representative, explained the necessity of reform from dimensions such as achieving the Four Modernizations, demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system, and opening up to the outside world. The concept of reform spread widely, continually gained the recognition of the whole Party and society, and the practice of reform followed suit.
Modernization is a process and stage through which any country must pass in its development; promoting national modernization is the responsibility and mission of a governing party. In September 1954, in the Government Work Report delivered at the First Session of the First National People's Congress (NPC), Zhou Enlai proposed industry, agriculture, transport and communications, and national defense as the focal points of modernization; this was the embryonic form of the Four Modernizations concept. In December 1964, in his Government Work Report at the First Session of the Third NPC, Zhou Enlai defined the Four Modernizations as the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology, fixing the connotation of the concept. The "Cultural Revolution" interrupted the historical process of achieving the Four Modernizations and widened the development gap between China and Western developed countries. After the "Cultural Revolution" ended, achieving the Four Modernizations became the primary task, and reform was proposed in response to this need. The communique of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee pointed out: "The realization of the Four Modernizations requires a massive increase in productive forces, and thus inevitably requires changes in many aspects of the relations of production and the superstructure that do not correspond to the development of the productive forces, as well as changes in all unsuitable methods of management, activity, and thought. It is therefore an extensive and profound revolution." It was precisely because of the need to achieve the Four Modernizations that the historical process of reform and opening up was launched. The pursuit of the Four Modernizations and the demand for development gave birth to the great practice of reform and opening up. The Party's Third Historical Resolution [3] pointed out: "The Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee was epoch-making; it launched the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization." Thereafter, when explaining the necessity of reform, people continued to treat reform as the path for China's modernization. In April 1979, in a speech at a central work conference, Li Xiannian pointed out that proceeding from the actual conditions of our own country and "blazing a Chinese-path to modernization under the socialist system" required "actively and steadily reforming the systems of industrial and economic management." This explained the necessity of reform from the dimension of exploring a Chinese-path to modernization. In October 1984, the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Reform of the Economic Structure" adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee clearly stated: "In order to achieve socialist modernization, we must reform the economic system." Linking the realization of China's modernization directly with reform provided more sufficient justification and necessity for the latter.
Reform involves reforming specific systems within the relations of production and the superstructure that are inconsistent with the development of productive forces, while adhering to the fundamental and basic socialist systems; it is the "self-perfection and development of the socialist system." The purpose of reform is to sweep away institutional obstacles to the development of productive forces and meet the interest demands of the people, rather than to negate the socialist system. The Third Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee proposed: "Whether a reform is conducive to the development of social productive forces should be the primary criterion for testing its success or failure." Evaluating reform by focusing on the development of productive forces is conducive to satisfying the people's interests and demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system. In September 1985, the "Proposal on the Formulation of the Seventh Five-Year Plan" adopted by the National Conference of the CPC pointed out: "All the policies of reform, opening up, and invigorating the economy we have adopted are for the purpose of building socialism with Chinese characteristics." Linking reform to the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics fully demonstrated its necessity.
Shortly after the end of the "Cultural Revolution," Deng Xiaoping advocated for opening up to the outside world and introducing advanced foreign technology. In May 1977, when meeting with Fang Yi, Li Chang, and others to discuss scientific and educational work, Deng pointed out that compared to foreign technological levels, we have fallen behind in many areas, and catching up would take great effort. We must strive to catch up; if you do not, the gap will only grow. In Deng’s view, "Advanced things in scientific research are the fruits of human labor—why not accept them? What is shameful about accepting these things? We should pay a high price to get our hands on the world's latest data." Here, he had already proposed the introduction of advanced foreign technology to narrow the development gap. In August, while chairing a forum on scientific and educational work, Deng emphasized again: "Combine our own research with the introduction of technology. Why not use human achievements?" The introduction of advanced foreign technology actually imposed requirements for reform on the economic and management systems. The Third Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee pointed out that the new technological revolution emerging worldwide presented both a new opportunity and a challenge for our country's economic development, requiring our economic system to have "a stronger capacity to absorb the latest contemporary scientific and technological achievements, promote technological progress, and create new productive forces. Therefore, the need for reform is even more urgent." Opening up gave rise to reform; without reform, it would be difficult to adapt to the requirements of opening up. In Deng Xiaoping’s view, "Opening up to the outside world is also a content of reform; generally speaking, it is all called reform." Therefore, opening up was an important factor in facilitating reform.
Economics is the base; the reform launched after the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee was primarily a reform of the economic system. The Third Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee explicitly stated: "The conditions for a comprehensive reform of the economic system are ripe," and "reform is for the purpose of establishing a socialist economic system full of vitality." While focusing on promoting economic structural reform, our Party was also gradually advancing reforms in the systems of science, technology, and education, as well as in other areas. In August 1977, while chairing the forum on scientific and educational work, Deng Xiaoping asked: "To achieve the Four Modernizations and catch up with or surpass world advanced levels, where should we start? It seems we must start with scientific research and education." By taking science, technology, and education as the breakthrough points for achieving the Four Modernizations, he seized upon the foundational and strategic supports for China's modernization. The Third Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee pointed out: "With the reform of the economic system, the reform of the science and technology system and the education system increasingly becomes an urgent strategic task that must be solved." Subsequently, in March and May 1985, the CPC Central Committee successively issued decisions on the reform of the science and technology system and the education system. In January 1987 and May 1988, the State Council successively issued several regulations on further promoting the reform of the science and technology system and a decision on several issues regarding the deepening of the reform of the science and technology system. The intensive issuance of such decisions and regulations indicates the high importance the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attached to these reforms.
In addition to being closely related to science, technology, and education, economic structural reform is also closely linked to political structural reform. In the early stages of reform and opening up, the CPC Central Committee had already begun advocating for political structural reform. In his speech at the meeting celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Ye Jianying pointed out: "While reforming and improving the socialist economic system, we must reform and improve the socialist political system." This was one of the earlier proposals for the task of political structural reform. In January 1983, in his speech at the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work for Workers and Staff, Hu Yaobang proposed the task of "comprehensive and systematic reform," arguing that "besides reforms in government organs and the economy, in politics and law, foreign affairs, labor, personnel, propaganda, science and technology, education, culture, news, publishing, health, sports, and various people's organizations—in short, every department has the task of implementing reform on the basis of adhering to the Four Cardinal Principles." In terms of the fields involved, this already presented the characteristics of comprehensive and systematic reform. In April 1985, when meeting with Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "Reform is a comprehensive reform, including not only economy and politics, but also science, technology, education, and all other industries." Here, the concept and requirement of comprehensive reform were proposed. In January 1987, the communique of the Enlarged Meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee proposed "continuing to implement comprehensive reform," reaffirming the policy of comprehensive reform. The report of the 13th CPC National Congress, proceeding from the reality of the primary stage of socialism, established "adhering to comprehensive reform" as a guiding policy of long-term significance, maintaining that socialism is a society that advances through reform and that reform is the driving force for all work. While our country's basic political system is good, specific leadership systems, organizational forms, and working methods contained certain defects: "The unfolding and deepening of economic structural reform has put forward increasingly urgent requirements for political structural reform."
In the 1980s, although the vision of comprehensive reform was proposed, the focus remained on economic structural reform. The promotion of the household contract responsibility system [4] in rural areas and the rise of township and village enterprises [5] solved the problem of food and clothing for farmers while strengthening the rural collective economy. In cities, reforms of varying degrees were carried out in planning, finance, taxation, banking, commerce, foreign trade, prices, and wages, which enhanced the vitality of enterprises and promoted urban economic development. To adapt to the requirements of economic structural reform, reforms were correspondingly carried out in science, technology, education, and the political system, accumulating experience for further reform.
II. Comprehensive and Deepened Reform Oriented Toward Constructing the Socialist Market Economy System and Achieving Scientific Development
What kind of goals to establish and what kind of system to choose for economic structural reform are major issues concerning the overall situation of reform and the path of national development. In 1992, the 14th CPC National Congress established the reform goal of building a socialist market economy system. This was a systematic reshaping and holistic reconstruction of our country's economic system, which not only put forward requirements for comprehensive reform of the economic system itself but also for reforms in other fields, becoming the driving force for promoting comprehensive and deepened reform.
In his speech at the gathering celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Jiang Zemin pointed out that reform is a complex and massive systematic undertaking, which "includes reforms in various fields such as the economic, political, educational, scientific and technological, and cultural systems, requiring mutual coordination and implementation as a complete package." The institutional systems of the economy, politics, and culture are interconnected; the requirements for coordination and supporting measures made comprehensive reform an inevitable choice. In 1993, the Third Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee adopted the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Issues Concerning the Establishment of a Socialist Market Economy System. While making systematic deployments for economic structural reform, it also planned for the further reform of the scientific, technological, and educational systems, as well as the strengthening of the legal system. The trends and characteristics of comprehensive reform became increasingly evident. The report to the 15th National Congress of the CPC further explicitly stated that "reform is a comprehensive reform," which was both a positioning of the characteristics of reform within the context of establishing a socialist market economy system and an inherent requirement of the reform itself. Comprehensive reform necessarily requires deepening reform; without deepening reform, it is difficult to move toward comprehensive reform, and the process of comprehensive reform is itself a process of deepening reform. In March 1993, Jiang Zemin pointed out in a speech at a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs: "Some prominent problems in economic life have deep-seated causes; to solve them fundamentally, we must still rely on deepening reform." This established the role of deepening reform. The "deepening reform" mentioned here was not limited to the economic system, as prominent problems in economic life are often related to the political system, the scientific and technological system, or the educational system. When the Fifth Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee proposed suggestions for the Ninth Five-Year Plan and the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2010, Jiang Zemin emphasized: "To achieve the goals of the next fifteen years, the key still lies in deepening reform." While planning the drafting of the report to the 16th National Congress of the CPC, Jiang Zemin explicitly noted: "The sections on economic construction and economic structural reform, as well as relevant content in other sections, must clearly implement the idea of deepening reform." Therefore, the Chinese Communists with Comrade Jiang Zemin as their chief representative elevated deepening reform to a position of importance while advocating for comprehensive reform. The emphasis on comprehensive reform and deepening reform was driven primarily by the internal requirements of establishing a socialist market economy system, the accumulation of reform achievements and experience, the objective requirements of the laws of social development, and the need to advance Chinese modernization.
After the completion of the socialist transformation [6], China’s planned economy system and other related systems were established to meet the requirements of the development of the productive forces at that time. These systems played a positive role in establishing the economic foundation of the New China and a relatively complete national economic system. In a context of an economy of scarcity, allocating resources through planning was effective and ensured basic social equity. However, as practice developed, the flaws of the planned economy system became increasingly apparent. Without comprehensive and deepening reform, it would have been difficult to adapt to the needs of the developing productive forces. Establishing a socialist market economy system is a grand systematic undertaking that requires the support and protection of mechanisms across many fields; the reform target of a socialist market economy system placed new demands on comprehensive and deepening reform.
China's reform has been explored and advanced step-by-step through practice; "crossing the river by feeling the stones" [7] has been the strategic approach to action. Since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, reform has involved both the construction of systems and mechanisms and the accumulation of practical experience. Jiang Zemin pointed out in his speech at the Third Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee: "With the breakthroughs achieved and experience accumulated in various aspects of reform over the past decade or more, we now possess the conditions to realize an overall advancement of reform. This requires overall design, as well as an emphasis on the standardization of systems and policies." Comprehensive and deepening reform is the inherent requirement and logical result of the development of reform; local reforms accumulate experience and create conditions for comprehensive and deepening reform.
Society is composed of multiple elements; social progress can only be achieved through the coordinated development of all aspects. If one aspect lags behind, it creates a "short-board effect" [8], affecting the actual process of social development and the overall level of social progress. By the year 2000, China had completed the Ninth Five-Year Plan and achieved the second-step strategic goal of modernization, with the people's lives generally reaching a moderately prosperous level. This both demonstrated the significant results of reform and opening up and raised urgent requirements for comprehensive reform and development. Jiang Zemin pointed out that "socialist society is a society of all-around development and all-around progress." All-around development and progress inevitably require comprehensive and deepening reform. At the same time, the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects required "continuing to advance reform, opening up, and modernization in an all-around way." Only through comprehensive and deepening reform can we adapt to the requirements of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieve coordinated economic and social development.
Modernization is a holistic social transformation involving all fields and aspects, constantly placing new demands on comprehensive and deepening reform. Since the 14th National Congress of the CPC, our understanding of the relationship between reform and opening up and Chinese modernization has gradually deepened. In Jiang Zemin's view, "reform is the only way for China to realize socialist modernization." Advancing Chinese modernization through reform inevitably requires reform to move toward comprehensive and deepening stages, eliminating institutional and mechanical constraints that hinder Chinese modernization and consolidating the forces to advance it.
The construction of the socialist market economy system promoted the movement of reform toward a comprehensive and profound stage. Since the 1990s, the reform of state-owned enterprises entered a phase of mechanism transformation and institutional innovation. Reforms of the fiscal, financial, and social security systems continued to advance, and the reform of the administrative management system and the establishment of the national civil service system pushed political structural reform to a deeper level. The comprehensive and deepening reform of this phase had foundational significance for the construction of the socialist market economy system.
The establishment and improvement of the socialist market economy system is a process, and the realization of scientific development [9] places new demands on reform. From the 16th National Congress to before the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Central Committee proposed major strategic thoughts such as the Scientific Outlook on Development, as well as new understandings of the "period of important strategic opportunities." On this basis, it continued to emphasize comprehensive and deepening reform, formulating and implementing a series of reform measures.
The Proposal for the Twelfth Five-Year Plan adopted by the Fifth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee pointed out: "Reform is a powerful driving force for accelerating the transformation of the economic development mode; we must promote reform in all fields comprehensively with greater determination and courage," and "vigorously promote economic structural reform, actively and steadily promote political structural reform, and accelerate the reform of the cultural and social systems." This stated the principles and priorities of comprehensive reform, particularly the proposal for social system reform, making the systematic and coordinated nature of reform more evident. Since the 16th National Congress of the CPC, the Central Committee, while emphasizing comprehensive reform, explicitly put forward the requirement to deepen reform. In April 2003, during an inspection tour of Guangdong, Hu Jintao pointed out: "We must focus on deepening reform and continuously create new advantages through institutional innovation." Reaffirming the policy of deepening reform here aimed to stimulate social vitality and gain new developmental advantages through institutional reform and innovation. In his speech at the second plenary meeting of the 16th CPC Central Committee's Fifth Plenary Session, Hu Jintao again emphasized "persisting in deepening reform to enhance developmental vitality," interpreting the importance of deepening reform in conjunction with development. In short, since the 16th National Congress, the Central Committee has deeply explained the necessity of comprehensive and deepening reform based on its understanding of the historical status and role of reform and opening up and the objective requirements of implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development.
Since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, the Central Committee has defined and positioned reform and opening up from different dimensions, providing important theoretical support for advocating reform, comprehensive reform, and deepening reform. As time passed and the achievements of reform and opening up became manifest, the report to the 17th National Congress of the CPC provided a holistic positioning of the purposes of reform and opening up from three dimensions: liberating and developing the productive forces, promoting the self-improvement and development of the socialist system, and social and strengthening and improving Party building. In particular, linking reform and opening up with Party building was something rarely mentioned previously. At the same time, reform and opening up was labeled the most striking characteristic of the new period, and persisting in reform and opening up was treated as the essence of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, emphasizing that "reform and opening up is the crucial choice that determines the fate of contemporary China; it is the only way to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; only socialism can save China, and only reform and opening up can develop China, develop socialism, and develop Marxism." This was not only a high appraisal of the historical status and role of reform and opening up but also an interpretation of the deep-seated reasons for comprehensive and deepening reform.
The Scientific Outlook on Development is a people-centered, comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development concept. It is both a transformation of development concepts and a transformation of development modes and paths. Implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development requires institutional arrangements and safeguards. The report to the 17th National Congress of the CPC pointed out: "Thoroughly implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development requires us to continue deepening reform and opening up," and to "improve the scientific nature of reform decision-making and enhance the coordination of reform measures." Implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development requires comprehensive and deepening reform to build the institutional support needed for scientific development. The Shenzhen Special Economic Zone is a successful model of reform and opening up; in his speech at the 30th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, Hu Jintao pointed out: "Continue to deepen reform and opening up, and strive to provide institutional guarantees and sources of momentum for promoting scientific development. We must unswervingly deepen reform, improve the scientific nature of reform decision-making, enhance the coordination of reform measures, and comprehensively advance the reform of the economic, political, cultural, and social systems, striving to achieve breakthroughs in reforms of important areas and key links." This interpreted the practical direction of comprehensive and deepening reform and put forward specific requirements and practical paths for it.
The comprehensive and deepening reform from the 16th National Congress to before the 18th National Congress achieved marked results. The socialist market economy system was continuously improved, reforms of the economic and administrative management systems were constantly deepened, pilot reforms of the cultural system were gradually carried out, the social security system was gradually established and improved, and the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics was initially established, creating favorable conditions for comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era.
III. Comprehensively Deepening Reform with the Goal of Improving and Developing the System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Promoting the Modernization of the State Governance System and Governance Capacity
In 2012, after the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a New Era, and China's reform entered the stage of comprehensively deepening reform. Comprehensively deepening reform is a reform focused on the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity. In terms of institutional construction, it features systematic integration; in terms of institutional execution, it features collaborative efficiency.
In December 2012, while presiding over the second group study session of the 18th CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must strengthen macro-level thinking and top-level design, pay more attention to the systematic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform, while also continuing to encourage bold experimentation and breakthroughs, constantly leading reform and opening up to greater depths." The purpose of comprehensively deepening reform lies in enhancing the systematic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform, which is the reform methodology of the New Era. At the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee held in November 2013, while explaining the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform, Xi Jinping pointed out: "Facing new situations and tasks, we must, through comprehensively deepening reform, focus on solving a series of prominent contradictions and problems facing China's development, and continuously promote the self-improvement and development of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics." This was the mobilization for comprehensively deepening reform, interpreting its motivations and goals. The Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core interpreted the reasons for comprehensively deepening reform from dimensions such as promoting the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity, manifesting the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics, solving prominent contradictions and problems in economic and social development, and the laws of the movement of the basic contradictions of society.
The state governance system is the institutional composition and system of national governance, requiring command and holism; state governance capacity is the ability to use systems to manage national affairs, requiring collaborative advancement and the formation of governance synergy. State governance involves all fields and aspects, requiring top-level design and macro-layout. The reason the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee focused on the issue of comprehensively deepening reform was "not to advance reform in one field, nor to advance reform in several fields, but to advance reform in all fields, considered precisely from the overall perspective of the state governance system and governance capacity." The inherent need for the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity is the driving force behind comprehensively deepening reform. Positioning the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform from the dimension of the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity placed reform at a new starting point, with a clearer positioning and higher aspirations.
Competition in today's international community encompasses both competition between nation-states and the competition and maneuvering between the socialist and capitalist systems. Within this international context of co-existence and contention between the two systems, through comprehensively deepening reform, we must "ensure that Chinese-character socialism is more efficient than the capitalist system in liberating and developing the productive forces, liberating and strengthening social vitality, and promoting the well-rounded development of the individual; that it can better stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of all the people; that it can better provide favorable conditions for social development; and that it can better gain a comparative advantage in the competition." The historic achievements secured and the historic transformations that have occurred since the 18th CPC National Congress have provided a more solid material foundation for manifesting the institutional advantages of Chinese-style socialism. In October 2019, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee systematically summarized these advantages and made systematic arrangements for upholding and improving systems in all areas, providing the basis and reference for telling the story of these institutional advantages. Comprehensively deepening reform is the inherent requirement for manifesting the institutional superiority of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Adhering to a problem-oriented approach is an important methodology in the governance of the country by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Reform is the means of solving problems and resolving contradictions [10]; once original problems and contradictions are resolved, new ones will emerge alongside the development of the times and practice. For example, although the socialist market economy system has been preliminarily established in our country, the market system remains imperfect, market development is still insufficient, the relationship between the government and the market is not yet fully rationalized, and a large number of phenomena violating fairness and justice still exist in society. Xi Jinping pointed out: "We proposed the plan for comprehensively deepening reform because, to solve the prominent contradictions and problems we face, it is difficult to achieve results by relying solely on reforms in a single field or at a single level. We must strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and enhance the interconnectedness, systematicity, and synergy of various reforms." Only by comprehensively deepening reform can we synergistically resolve various contradictions and problems, treat both the symptoms and the root causes, and exercise comprehensive governance so that problems are truly solved.
The contradictions between the productive forces and the relations of production, and between the economic base and the superstructure, constitute the basic contradictions of society. The movement of these basic contradictions is the driving force behind social development. Comprehensively deepening reform is precisely about advancing social development to adapt to the changes in the movement of our country’s social basic contradictions. Xi Jinping noted: "Social basic contradictions are always developing, so the adjustment of the relations of production and the improvement of the superstructure must proceed accordingly and continuously." The adaptation of the productive forces to the relations of production, and of the economic base to the superstructure, is dynamic and is realized through the continuous process of reform. Only by comprehensively deepening reform can social development obtain inexhaustible power.
The strategic deployments made for comprehensively deepening reform at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee opened up a new situation. Regarding the historic achievements made in this regard, the Party’s third historical resolution, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee have provided systematic summaries respectively. The Decision adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee pointed out: "The foundational institutional frameworks in various fields have been basically established, and historic transformations, systematic reshaping, and overall restructuring have been achieved in many fields." These historic achievements have laid an important foundation for further comprehensively deepening reform.
IV. Planning the Further Comprehensive Deepening of Reform with the Theme of Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization
Comprehensively deepening reform is a "deep-water zone" reform [11]; the reform tasks faced are extremely arduous and cannot be completed in the short term, requiring continuous effort and persisting over the long term. Through sustained struggle, Xi Jinping announced on July 1, 2021, at the ceremony marking the centenary of the founding of the CPC, that we have achieved the First Centenary Goal and have built a moderately prosperous society in all respects. On this basis, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress made strategic deployments for advancing Chinese-path modernization based on the development goal of comprehensively building a great modern socialist country. Xi Jinping pointed out: "On the new journey in the New Era, to create a new situation for the construction of Chinese-path modernization, we must still rely on reform and opening up." In December 2023, at the Central Economic Work Conference, Xi Jinping proposed: "We must plan major measures to further comprehensively deepen reform to continuously inject strong impetus into promoting high-quality development and accelerating the construction of Chinese-path modernization." This marked the beginning of proposing the task of further comprehensively deepening reform, positioning it as the source of impetus for advancing Chinese-path modernization. Shortly thereafter, in his speech at the symposium commemorating the 130th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong's birth, Xi Jinping emphasized again: "To advance Chinese-path modernization, we must further comprehensively deepen reform and opening up, and continuously liberate and develop the productive forces and liberate and enhance social vitality." Using further comprehensive deepening of reform as the path and means to advance Chinese-path modernization underscores its necessity. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has interpreted the logic of further comprehensively deepening reform from dimensions such as advancing Chinese-path modernization, improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, resolving the principal contradiction in society, and developing new quality productive forces.
By further comprehensively deepening reform, we can stimulate the vitality of innovation and creation throughout society, build social consensus, and provide strong impetus for Chinese-path modernization. Through these reforms, we can establish, soundly develop, and improve systems in all areas, providing institutional guarantees for Chinese-path modernization. By further comprehensively deepening reform, we can "gnaw on the hard bones" [12] and open up a path for Chinese-path modernization. "Chinese-path modernization has been continuously advanced through reform and opening up, and will surely open up broad prospects through reform and opening up." The process of reform and opening up is also the process of advancing Chinese-path modernization; the practical needs of the latter drive the former to go deeper, and Chinese-path modernization becomes the driver for further comprehensively deepening reform. There is a relationship of two-way interaction between the two.
The establishment and improvement of systems is a long-term, dynamic process. After a new system is established, it may become out of step with the times and practice as they develop, requiring timely adjustment and improvement. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a dynamic process that will inevitably develop as practice develops. Existing systems need to be continuously perfected, and new fields and practices require the advancement of institutional innovation to fill institutional gaps." The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee adhered to institutional building as the main thread. While strengthening fundamental systems and improving basic systems, it proposed many ideas for institutional innovation, such as exploring the establishment of a personal bankruptcy system, a high-tech talent immigration system, and a unified national population management system. It also called for accelerating the establishment of systems for the determination of data property rights, market transactions, distribution of rights and interests, and interest protection; a housing system of both renting and purchasing; and a long-term care insurance system. It proposed establishing an evaluation system for state-owned enterprises fulfilling strategic missions, a corporate R&D reserve fund system, a system for the separate management of assets derived from on-the-job scientific and technological achievements, a system for reporting on the implementation of the Constitution, an inspection system for cultural heritage protection, a birth subsidy system, and an AI safety supervision system, among others. These are all new institutional arrangements. The various expressions in the Plenary Session's Decision—such as "accelerate the establishment," "explore the establishment," and "establish"—illustrate the sequence and urgency of institutional innovation; while terms like "perfect," "improve," "optimize," and "consolidate" demonstrate the stability and evolutionary nature of institutional building. Only through institutional innovation can we improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The principal contradiction in society determines the Party's central task. In the New Era, the principal contradiction in our society has changed [13]. With economic and social development and progress, the people's needs for a better life are constantly changing and growing. The formation of unbalanced and inadequate development has historical, practical, institutional, and technical causes; resolving this principal contradiction is a long-term process. To resolve it, we must further comprehensively deepen reform and use innovation in systems and mechanisms to solve the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development to meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life. Developing new quality productive forces is an inevitable choice for achieving high-quality development and resolving the principal contradiction. New quality productive forces are formed based on revolutionary technological breakthroughs, innovative allocation of production factors, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading—all three of which rely on the transformation and innovation of systems and mechanisms. Xi Jinping pointed out: "To develop new quality productive forces, we must further comprehensively deepen reform and form new relations of production that are compatible with them." The process of forming new relations of production is the process of further comprehensively deepening reform. Constructing the systems and mechanisms that adapt to and promote the development of new quality productive forces and forming new relations of production is the task facing this further deepening of reform. The development of new quality productive forces places requirements on the further comprehensive deepening of reform, and the latter is a necessity for the former.
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee systematically planned the further comprehensive deepening of reform, using the "Seven Focuses" to stipulate its priorities and deploying 14 key reform tasks around advancing Chinese-path modernization, such as constructing a high-level socialist market economy system. Among these, a high-level socialist market economy system is an important guarantee for Chinese-path modernization; high-quality development is the primary task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country; education, science and technology, and talent are the foundational and strategic supports; urban-rural integration is an inevitable requirement; opening up is a distinct hallmark; developing whole-process people's democracy is the essential requirement; the rule of law is an important guarantee; ensuring and improving people’s livelihoods in the course of development is a major task; national security is the important foundation for steady and long-term progress; the modernization of national defense and the armed forces is an important component; and the Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization. These key reform tasks both interpret the internal relationship between further comprehensively deepening reform and Chinese-path modernization and demonstrate the bright prospects of both.
The trajectory from "implementing reform" to "further comprehensively deepening reform" outlines the historical process of our country's reform and interprets the practical logic of the continuous deepening of reform. From this, we can see that our country's reform adopts a gradualist strategy, with different stages of reform having different focuses and practical orientations. This gives the reform distinct periodic characteristics, in which economic structural reform has always been the priority, playing a leading role for the entire reform process.
The trajectory from "implementing reform" to "further comprehensively deepening reform" manifests the historical initiative of the Communist Party of China. The CPC is a mission-oriented party, capable of proceeding from the internal logic of reform to accurately position the priorities and goals of each stage. It relies closely on the people to advance reform and integrates the Party's leadership throughout the entire process and across all fields of reform, fully demonstrating the reform wisdom and strategic resolve of Chinese Communists.
From "implementing reform" (实行改革), "comprehensive reform" (全面改革), and "deepening reform" (深化改革), to "comprehensively deepening reform" (全面深化改革) and "further comprehensively deepening reform" (进一步全面深化改革), a complete conceptual system of reform has been constructed and a conceptual cluster of reform has been formed. Constructing an independent knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences involves both the construction of independent knowledge systems at the disciplinary level and at the problem level; it requires both macro-level overall design and micro-level specific construction. The formation of the conceptual cluster of reform has laid an important foundation for constructing an independent knowledge system regarding our country’s reform.