Persisting in Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Comprehensively Opening Up

Section 2: Persist in comprehensively deepening reform

China’s reform and opening up began with the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, adhered to the principle of prioritizing the easy before the difficult, and gradually progressively to the convening of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s reform entered the period of tackling tough problems and deep waters, “It can be said that the easy and happy reforms have been completed, the delicious meat has been eaten, and the rest are hard bones.“1 It can be said that the complexity, sensitivity and arduousness of further promoting reform are no less than more than 30 years ago, when reform and opening up reached a new and important juncture. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee deliberated and adopted the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform, which put forward the guiding ideology, goals, tasks and major principles for comprehensively deepening reform, rationally laid out the strategic priorities, priorities, main directions of attack, working mechanisms, promotion methods, timetables, and road maps for comprehensively deepening reform, and opened a new era of comprehensively deepening reform and promoting reform through the overall design of the system.

1. Comprehensively deepen the basic observance of reform

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Comrade Xi Jinping has repeatedly pointed out that the success of China’s reform is because we have adhered to the correct direction and position and maintained political firmness. To promote comprehensive deepening of reform in the new era, we must also adhere to the correct direction, adhere to the people-centered reform position, and resolutely implement the general requirements for reform put forward by the Party Central Committee. This is the experience of reform, and it is also the follow-up of reform. Reform and opening up is a profound revolution, and we must adhere to the correct direction and advance along the correct road. In the early days of reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping stressed: “Adhering to the socialist orientation in reform is a very important issue. “1 If reform and opening up are not carried out, “reform and opening up” that negates the socialist direction is also a dead end. Comrade Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: “Of course, we must hold high the banner of reform, but our reform is a reform that continues to advance on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and we will neither follow the old road of closure and rigidity, nor take the evil road of changing the banner.”2 “The purpose of promoting reform is to continuously promote the self- improvement and development of China’s socialist system and give socialism new vitality.”3 These loud declarations show that the direction of China’s reform is to continuously promote the self- improvement and development of the socialist system, rather than to change the course of the socialist system. Over the past 40 years, China’s reform process has also experienced twists and turns, but because of the correct direction and proper control, problems can be corrected in time, so it can always move forward along the right path. At present, reform is facing a very complex domestic and international environment, and various ideologies and interests are stirring each other. In order to grasp the pulse of reform from the appearance of complicated things and prescribe reform remedies amid the divergence of opinions, we must keep a sober mind and have sufficient strategic concentration. We are highly vigilant against the danger of the country being invaded, subverted and split, the danger of undermining the overall situation of reform, development and stability, and the danger of interrupting the development process of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

As Comrade Xi Jinping emphasized: “We will resolutely change what should be changed and can be changed, and resolutely do not change what should not and cannot be changed.” 1 To ensure that the correct direction of reform is always adhered to, we must always adhere to the party’s basic line as the lifeline of the party and the country, and always adhere to the four basic principles of economic construction as the center. The two basic points of reform and opening up are unified in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics; we must continue to adhere to the four basic principles, which are the foundation of the country, not only ensure the correct direction of reform and opening up with the four basic principles, but also give the four basic principles a new connotation of the times through reform and opening up, eliminate all kinds of interference, and unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. China’s reform has a standpoint, and this is the people’s stand that the Chinese Communists have always adhered to. Comrade Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: “The fundamental purpose of our reform is to make the country richer and stronger, make the society more fair and just, and make the people’s life better.” 2 Comprehensively deepen reform, no matter what is changed or what step it takes, adhere to the people-centered reform value orientation cannot change. To implement this reform value orientation, we must embody the people-centered development thinking in the whole process of reform, so that what the people care about and expect, what the reform should grasp and promote, and bring more sense of gain to the people through reform. It is necessary to take the promotion of social fairness and justice and the improvement of people’s well-being as the starting point and foothold of comprehensively deepening reform, focus on creating a fairer and more just social environment, constantly overcome various phenomena that violate fairness and justice, and make the results of reform and development more and more equitable to benefit all the people. We must adhere to the original intention of reform and opening up, regard seeking happiness for the people as the criterion for testing the results of reform, and ensure that everything that is beneficial to the cause of the party and the people will be resolutely done, refueled, and worked without stopping; and everything that is detrimental to the cause of the party and the people should be resolutely reformed, thoroughly reformed, and changed without delay. It is necessary to introduce a number of hard tricks and practical measures that can be loud, stand up, and be recognized by the masses, properly handle the relationship between the “first kilometer” and the “last kilometer” of reform, break through the “middle obstruction,” and prevent inaction. The heavier the tasks of reform, development and stability, the more it is necessary to maintain the flesh-and-blood ties between the party and the masses, be good at improving policies and propositions from the people’s practice, creation, and development requirements, and constantly consolidate the mass foundation for comprehensively deepening reform. Further emancipating the mind, further emancipating and developing the social productive forces, and further emancipating and enhancing social vitality are both the purpose and the conditions for reform. 1 Xi Jinping, “On Persisting in Comprehensively Deepening Reform,” Central Literature Press, 2018, p. 5161 517. 2 President Xi Jinping’s New Year’s Message (2014-2018), People’s Publishing House, 2018, p. 19. China Aerospace Studies Institute 176 Translation published Fall 2023Basic Issues of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Among them, emancipating the mind is the premise, the general switch for liberating and developing social productive forces, and emancipating and enhancing social vitality. Without the liberation of Tian Xiang, it would be impossible to make the historic policy decision of reform and opening up, and it would be impossible to promote theoretical innovation on the basis of practice. Without the great emancipation of the mind, there will be no great breakthrough in reform. Emancipating and developing the social productive forces and emancipating and enhancing social vitality is the inevitable result of emancipating the mind and is also an important foundation for emancipating the mind. Development is the last word, and only by further liberating and developing the social productive forces can the grand goal of national rejuvenation be achieved. Emancipating the mind and emancipating and enhancing social vitality is for the purpose of better emancipating and developing the social productive forces. Through deepening reform, we should let the vitality of all labor, knowledge, technology, management, capital and other elements burst out in a competitive manner, and let all the sources of creating social wealth fully flow.