Adhere to Institution Building as the Main Line

When institutions are stable, the country is stable; when institutions are strong, the country is strong. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Style Modernization," deliberated and adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, sets forth the principles for further deepening reform comprehensively, including "adhere to institution building as the main line, strengthen top-level design and overall planning, break and establish simultaneously while establishing before breaking, consolidate fundamental institutions, improve basic institutions, and innovate important institutions." This is also a valuable experience from reform and opening up, especially from the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era. Facing new circumstances and tasks, we must further deepen reform comprehensively, continue to improve institutions and mechanisms in all areas, consolidate foundations, leverage strengths, shore up weaknesses, and strengthen weak links, constantly better transforming China's institutional advantages into effective national governance, providing a solid institutional guarantee for advancing Chinese-style modernization.

制度稳则国家稳，制度强则国家强。党的二十届三中全会审议通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》提出了进一步全面深化改革的原则，其中包括“坚持以制度建设为主线，加强顶层设计、总体谋划，破立并举、先立后破，筑牢根本制度，完善基本制度，创新重要制度”。这也是改革开放以来特别是新时代全面深化改革的一个宝贵经验。面对新的形势和任务，必须进一步全面深化改革，继续完善各方面制度机制，固根基、扬优势、补短板、强弱项，不断把我国制度优势更好转化为国家治理效能，为推进中国式现代化提供坚实制度保障。

Advancing "China's Governance" with "China's Institutions"

以“中国之制”推进“中国之治”

"Whenever a state is to be established, institutions must not be neglected." [1]1 A classical allusion from the ancient Chinese text *Guanzi* (Book of Master Guan), emphasizing the importance of institutions in establishing a state. Both history and reality, at home and abroad, show that competition among institutions is the most fundamental competition between states, and institutional advantage is the greatest advantage of a country.

“凡将立国，制度不可不察也。”古今中外的历史和现实都表明，制度竞争是国家间最根本的竞争，制度优势是一个国家的最大优势。

The establishment of the basic socialist system successfully realized the most profound and greatest social transformation in Chinese history, laying the fundamental political prerequisite and institutional foundation for all development and progress in contemporary China. With the advancement of reform and opening up, our Party's understanding of institution building has deepened. It established the reform goal of a socialist market economy system, actively promoted the reform of the Party and state leadership system, and continuously improved the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and the national governance system, imbuing contemporary China with unprecedented vitality.

社会主义基本制度的确立，成功实现了中国历史上最深刻最伟大的社会变革，为当代中国一切发展进步奠定了根本政治前提和制度基础。随着改革开放的推进，我们党对制度建设的认识越来越深入，确立了社会主义市场经济体制的改革目标，积极推进党和国家领导制度改革，不断完善中国特色社会主义制度和国家治理体系，使当代中国焕发出前所未有的生机活力。

Since the New Era, our Party has placed institution building in a more prominent position. The increased weight of institution building is a new feature of reform and opening up in the New Era. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee established improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the national governance system and governance capacity as the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform, and explicitly put forward the major proposition of "modernizing the national governance system and governance capacity." [2]2 The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC, held in 2013, marked a major milestone in comprehensively deepening reform. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Upholding and Improving the Socialist System with Chinese Characteristics and Modernizing the National Governance System and Governance Capacity," deliberated and adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee, comprehensively answered the major political question of "what to uphold and consolidate, what to improve and develop" regarding China's national system and national governance system, and profoundly expounded on the fundamental institutions, basic institutions, and important institutions that must be upheld in all aspects of upholding and improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. [3]3 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, held in 2019, focused specifically on upholding and improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the basic institutional framework in various fields has been established, many fields have achieved historic transformations, systemic restructuring, and overall reconstruction, the socialist system with Chinese characteristics has become more mature and more well-defined, and the level of modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity has been significantly improved. For example, it was explicitly stated that the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics; various institutions for firmly upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership were continuously improved; the Party's overall leadership system was improved; and the Party was built to be stronger and more powerful. The "basic role" of the market in resource allocation was revised to "decisive role"; the system of public ownership as the mainstay with diverse forms of ownership developing side by side, the system of distribution according to work as the mainstay with multiple forms of distribution coexisting, and the socialist market economy system were established as the basic socialist economic system and continuously improved to promote high-quality economic development. The fundamental system of Marxism's guiding position in the ideological domain was established and upheld, leading to a comprehensive and fundamental transformation of the situation in the ideological domain. The national basic public service system was continuously improved, making the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security more substantial, more guaranteed, and more sustainable, and achieving new results in common prosperity. The ecological civilization system was continuously improved, leading to historic, transformative, and comprehensive changes in ecological and environmental protection. And so on.

新时代以来，我们党把制度建设摆到更加突出的位置。制度建设分量更重，是新时代改革开放的一个新特点。党的十八届三中全会把完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化确立为全面深化改革的总目标，明确提出了“推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化”的重大命题。党的十九届四中全会审议通过的《中共中央关于坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化若干重大问题的决定》，全面回答了在我国国家制度和国家治理体系上应该“坚持和巩固什么、完善和发展什么”这个重大政治问题，深刻阐述了坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度在各方面必须坚持的根本制度、基本制度、重要制度。在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，各领域基础性制度框架基本建立，许多领域实现历史性变革、系统性重塑、整体性重构，中国特色社会主义制度更加成熟更加定型，国家治理体系和治理能力现代化水平明显提高。如，明确提出中国共产党领导是中国特色社会主义最本质的特征，是中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势，不断完善坚定维护党中央权威和集中统一领导的各项制度，健全党的全面领导制度，把党建设得更加坚强有力；把市场在资源配置中的“基础性作用”修改为“决定性作用”，把公有制为主体、多种所有制经济共同发展，按劳分配为主体、多种分配方式并存，社会主义市场经济体制等作为社会主义基本经济制度，并不断加以完善，推动经济高质量发展；确立和坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度，意识形态领域形势发生全局性、根本性转变；不断健全国家基本公共服务制度体系，人民群众获得感、幸福感、安全感更加充实、更有保障、更可持续，共同富裕取得新成效；不断健全生态文明制度体系，生态环境保护发生历史性、转折性、全局性变化；等等。

Practice has fully proven that over the more than 70 years since the founding of New China, the fundamental reason why the Chinese nation has been able to achieve the great leap from standing up and growing rich to becoming strong is that the Party has led the people to establish and improve the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, forming and developing the Party's leadership and various institutions in the economic, political, cultural, social, ecological civilization, military, and foreign affairs fields, and continuously strengthening and improving national governance. Advancing "China's Governance" with "China's Institutions" injects inexhaustible momentum into Chinese-style modernization. [4]4 "Standing up, growing rich, and becoming strong" refers to the three historical leaps of the Chinese nation under the leadership of the CPC: the founding of New China (1949), the reform and opening up (1978 onward), and the New Era (2012 onward).

实践充分证明，新中国成立70多年来，中华民族之所以能迎来从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，最根本的是因为党领导人民建立和完善了中国特色社会主义制度，形成和发展了党的领导和经济、政治、文化、社会、生态文明、军事、外事等各方面制度，不断加强和完善国家治理。以“中国之制”推进“中国之治”，为中国式现代化注入不竭动力。

The Inherent Requirement for Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively

进一步全面深化改革的内在要求

Adhering to institution building as the main line is inherent in the overall goal of further deepening reform comprehensively. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC pointed out that the overall goal of further deepening reform comprehensively is to continue improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and modernize the national governance system and governance capacity. This is a whole composed of two sentences, which need to be fully understood and grasped. The former sentence specifies the fundamental direction, requiring that we always adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics without wavering, neither taking the old closed and rigid path nor the wrong path of changing the banner and altering the system. [5]5 "The old closed and rigid path" refers to the pre-reform planned economy model; "the wrong path of changing the banner and altering the system" refers to abandoning socialism for capitalism. The latter sentence specifies the clear direction for improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics under the guidance of the fundamental direction. Furthermore, in governing the country, institutions play a fundamental, overall, and long-term role. The national system is the fundamental basis for national governance, and the national governance system and governance capacity are the concentrated embodiment of a country's institutions and their implementation capacity. Only by adhering to institution building as the main line and continuously improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics can institutional advantages be constantly demonstrated and better transformed into effective national governance.

坚持以制度建设为主线，是进一步全面深化改革的总目标的题中之义。党的二十届三中全会指出，进一步全面深化改革的总目标是继续完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化。这是两句话组成的一个整体，需要完整理解和把握。前一句规定了根本方向，要求始终坚持中国特色社会主义道路不动摇，既不走封闭僵化的老路，也不走改旗易帜的邪路；后一句规定了在根本方向指引下完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度的鲜明指向。进一步说，治理国家，制度是起根本性、全局性、长远性作用的。国家制度是国家治理的根本依据，国家治理体系和治理能力是一个国家的制度和制度执行能力的集中体现。只有坚持以制度建设为主线，不断完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，才能使制度优势不断彰显，并更好转化为国家治理效能。

Adhering to institution building as the main line is determined by the arduous tasks of reform as it enters a critical period and a deep-water zone. On the one hand, after long-term exploration, China's reform and opening up has gone through a magnificent course and accumulated valuable experience. It is necessary to summarize and refine these good explorations and experiences and fix them in the form of institutions. On the other hand, as practice develops, some deep-seated institutional and mechanism problems and barriers of entrenched interests are increasingly emerging. Facing the arduous tasks of reform as it enters a critical period and a deep-water zone, strengthening institution building is conducive to gnawing at hard bones and crossing dangerous rapids. As institutions in all aspects become more scientific and more complete, fully leveraging the important role of institutions in guiding direction, regulating behavior, improving efficiency, maintaining stability, and preventing and defusing risks can further effectively eliminate institutional and mechanism drawbacks in all aspects and continuously advance Chinese-style modernization in the course of reform and opening up.

坚持以制度建设为主线，是改革进入攻坚期和深水区的艰巨任务所决定的。一方面，经过长期探索，我国改革开放走过波澜壮阔的历程，积累了宝贵经验，有必要把这些好的探索、经验加以总结提炼，并用制度的形式固定下来。另一方面，随着实践发展，一些深层次体制机制问题和利益固化的藩篱日益显现，面对改革进入攻坚期和深水区的艰巨任务，强化制度建设，有利于啃下难啃的硬骨头，渡过激流险滩。随着各方面制度更加科学、更加完善，充分发挥制度指引方向、规范行为、提高效率、维护稳定、防范化解风险的重要作用，能够进一步有效破除各方面体制机制弊端，在改革开放中不断推进中国式现代化。

Adhering to institution building as the main line requires both firm institutional confidence and active institutional innovation. What kind of national system and national governance system a country chooses is determined by its history, culture, social nature, and level of economic development. The socialist system with Chinese characteristics and the national governance system are a system and governance system guided by Marxism, rooted in China's soil, with a profound foundation in Chinese culture, and deeply supported by the people. They are a system and governance system with strong vitality and great superiority. To further deepen reform comprehensively, we must strengthen institutional confidence. General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly pointed out: "The purpose of advancing reform is to continuously promote the self-improvement and development of our socialist system and to endow socialism with new vitality. The core of this is to uphold and improve the Party's leadership and uphold and improve the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. If we deviate from this, we will be heading in the opposite direction." [6]6 "Heading in the opposite direction" translates the Chinese idiom "南辕北辙" (south chariot, north tracks), meaning to act in a way that contradicts one's goal. At the same time, strengthening institutional confidence does not mean resting on our laurels. Improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is a dynamic process that will inevitably develop continuously as practice develops. Existing institutions need to be constantly improved, and new fields and new practices require institutional innovation to fill institutional gaps. Further deepening reform comprehensively means continuously eliminating institutional and mechanism drawbacks, making our system more mature and its superiority more apparent. We have never rejected any foreign national governance experience that is conducive to China's development and progress. Instead, we adhere to the principle of taking ourselves as the mainstay and using others for our benefit, discarding the dross and selecting the essence.

坚持以制度建设为主线，既要坚定制度自信，又要积极推进制度创新。一个国家选择什么样的国家制度和国家治理体系，是由这个国家的历史文化、社会性质、经济发展水平决定的。中国特色社会主义制度和国家治理体系是以马克思主义为指导、植根中国大地、具有深厚中华文化根基、深得人民拥护的制度和治理体系，是具有强大生命力和巨大优越性的制度和治理体系。进一步全面深化改革，必须坚定制度自信。习近平总书记明确指出：“推进改革的目的是要不断推进我国社会主义制度自我完善和发展，赋予社会主义新的生机活力。这里面最核心的是坚持和改善党的领导、坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度，偏离了这一条，那就南辕北辙了。”同时，坚定制度自信并不是要固步自封。完善中国特色社会主义制度是一个动态过程，必然随着实践发展而不断发展，已有制度需要不断健全，新领域新实践需要推进制度创新、填补制度空白。进一步全面深化改革，就是要不断革除体制机制弊端，让我们的制度越来越成熟、优越性进一步显现。我们从来不排斥任何有利于中国发展进步的他国国家治理经验，而是坚持以我为主、为我所用，去其糟粕、取其精华。

Providing Institutional Guarantee for Chinese-Style Modernization

为中国式现代化提供制度保障

The 20th National Congress of the CPC made strategic arrangements for advancing Chinese-style modernization. The fundamental way to turn the blueprint of Chinese-style modernization into reality is to further deepen reform comprehensively, continuously improve institutions and mechanisms in all aspects, strive to solve deep-seated institutional and mechanism obstacles, build a system of institutions that is complete, scientific, standardized, and effective, constantly demonstrate the superiority of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and provide strong momentum and institutional guarantee for Chinese-style modernization.

党的二十大对推进中国式现代化作出了战略部署。把中国式现代化蓝图变为现实，根本在于进一步全面深化改革，不断完善各方面体制机制，着力破解深层次体制机制障碍，构建系统完备、科学规范、运行有效的制度体系，不断彰显中国特色社会主义制度优势，为中国式现代化提供强大动力和制度保障。

As reform enters a critical period and a deep-water zone, the problems involved are more numerous, the fields broader, and the contradictions deeper than ever before. To solve many deep-seated institutional and mechanism problems, we must strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and improve the systemic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform. This requires strengthening the study of the interrelationships among various reforms, striving to match the overall with the partial, combine addressing both symptoms and root causes, and promote gradual progress and breakthroughs in tandem. At the same time, we must strengthen the coordination and matching of various reform measures, promote the concerted efforts of reform measures in all fields and aspects, form synergy, enhance overall effectiveness, and prevent and overcome the phenomenon of each going its own way and conflicting with each other. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, in the framework of coordinating the advancement of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, planned further deepening of reform comprehensively, coordinated the deployment of economic system reform and reforms in other fields, and strengthened the overall planning and systematic layout of reform, ensuring that reforms in all aspects complement each other and are coordinated and efficient. [7]7 The Five-Sphere Integrated Plan covers economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization construction; the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy covers comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, governing the country according to law, and strictly governing the Party.

改革进入攻坚期和深水区，涉及问题之多、领域之广、矛盾之深前所未有，要解决许多深层次的体制机制问题，必须加强顶层设计、总体谋划，提高改革的系统性、整体性、协同性。这就要求加强对各项改革关联性的研判，努力做到全局和局部相配套、治本和治标相结合、渐进和突破相促进。同时，还要加强各项改革举措的协调配套，推动各领域各方面改革举措同向发力、形成合力，增强整体效能，防止和克服各行其是、相互掣肘的现象。党的二十届三中全会在统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局、协调推进“四个全面”战略布局框架下谋划进一步全面深化改革，统筹部署经济体制改革和其他各领域改革，加强对改革的整体谋划、系统布局，能够确保各方面改革相互配合、协同高效。

Reform involves both breaking and establishing. If the method is correct, the effect is doubled; if the method is incorrect, the effect is halved or even negative. Breaking and establishing are an important pair of concepts in the development and transformation of things, complementing each other. In the cycle of breaking and establishing, things continuously move forward. Facing the turbulent international environment and the arduous tasks of domestic reform, development, and stability, to further deepen reform comprehensively in a large country like China, we must always maintain a clear mind to grasp the dialectics of breaking and establishing, break and establish simultaneously while establishing before breaking, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, and act only after careful deliberation to avoid the problem of institutional absence. [8]8 "Act only after careful deliberation" translates the Chinese idiom "谋定而后动" (plan before acting).

改革有破有立，得其法则事半功倍，不得法则事倍功半甚至产生负作用。破与立是事物发展变革中的一对重要概念，二者相辅相成。在破与立的循环往复中，事物不断向前发展。面对风高浪急的国际环境和艰巨繁重的国内改革发展稳定任务，在中国这样一个大国进一步全面深化改革，要始终以清醒头脑把握好破与立的辩证法，破立并举、先立后破，坚持稳中求进工作总基调，做到谋定而后动，避免出现制度缺位的问题。

The socialist system with Chinese characteristics is a complete set of interconnected and interrelated institutional systems. Among them, fundamental institutions are like the foundation and must be consolidated; basic institutions are those that have a major impact on the country's economic and social development, are long-term and stable, and must be continuously improved; important institutions are some specific institutions in various fields, aspects, and links of national governance. With new changes in the international and domestic situation and the continuous development of new fields and new practices, they need to be continuously innovated to fill institutional gaps and continuously add momentum and vitality to economic and social development.

中国特色社会主义制度是一整套相互衔接、相互联系的制度体系。其中，根本制度相当于根基，必须筑牢；基本制度是对国家经济社会发展发挥重大影响的制度，具有长期性和稳定性，必须不断完善；重要制度是国家治理各领域各方面各环节的一些具体制度，随着国际国内形势的新变化，以及新领域新实践的不断发展，需要持续创新，以填补制度空白，不断为经济社会发展增动力、添活力。

Chinese-style modernization is continuously advanced in the course of reform and opening up, and it will surely open up broad prospects in reform and opening up. The current and future period is a critical period for comprehensively building a strong country and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization. Facing the complex and ever-changing international and domestic situation, facing a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and facing the new expectations of the people, continuing to push reform forward is an inevitable requirement for upholding and improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the national governance system and governance capacity. Only by adhering to institution building as the main line, both strengthening institutional confidence and continuously solving deep-seated institutional and mechanism obstacles, can we use complete institutions to prevent and defuse risks, effectively respond to challenges, cultivate new opportunities amid crises, and open up new horizons amid changes. [9]9 "Cultivate new opportunities amid crises, and open up new horizons amid changes" is a common Chinese political expression emphasizing turning challenges into opportunities.

中国式现代化是在改革开放中不断推进的，也必将在改革开放中开辟广阔前景。当前和今后一个时期是以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期，面对纷繁复杂的国际国内形势，面对新一轮科技革命和产业变革，面对人民群众新期待，继续把改革推向前进，是坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的必然要求。只有坚持以制度建设为主线，既坚定制度自信，又不断破解深层次体制机制障碍，才能用完善的制度防范化解风险、有效应对挑战，在危机中育新机、于变局中开新局。

(The author is a specially-appointed researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Vice President of the Academy of Marxism.)

（作者系中国社会科学院习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、马克思主义研究院副院长）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心