Further Deepening Reforms Comprehensively Must Always Uphold the People's Principal Position

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC systematically summarized the valuable experience of comprehensively deepening reforms in the New Era and put forward the major principle of the "six adherence requirements" [1]1 Shikumen refers to the stone-gate house in Shanghai where the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in 1921, symbolizing the founding of the Party. that must be implemented in further deepening reforms comprehensively, one of which is "upholding a people-centered approach." This important principle provides scientific guidance and value orientation for further deepening reforms comprehensively, advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization, and creating a high-quality happy life.

党的二十届三中全会系统总结了新时代以来全面深化改革的宝贵经验，并提出了进一步全面深化改革必须贯彻的“六个坚持”重大原则，其中一条是“坚持以人民为中心”。这一重要原则为进一步全面深化改革，推进和拓展中国式现代化，创造高品质幸福生活提供了科学指导和价值遵循。

The people's character is the most distinctive attribute of Marxism. The people's stand is the fundamental political stand of the CPC. "Historical action is the cause of the masses," and what determines historical development is "the acting masses." The nature and purpose of the Party determine that putting the people first is our Party's fundamental political stand. Over more than 40 years of reform and opening up, we have completed in a few decades the modernization process that took Western developed countries several centuries, transforming New China from the state of "poverty and blankness" [2]2 Xingye Road is the road in Shanghai where the First National Congress was held; Fuxing Road is a symbolic reference to the path of national rejuvenation (复兴), echoing the transition from the Party's founding to the realization of the Chinese Dream. at its founding into the world's major economy and the largest country in terms of manufacturing, trade in goods, and foreign exchange reserves, creating the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, [3]3 “Two overall situations” (两个大局) refers to the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world. and making the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation an irreversible historical process. Practice has proved that the people are the creators of history and the fundamental force that determines the future and destiny of the Party and the country.

人民性是马克思主义最鲜明的品格。人民立场是中国共产党的根本政治立场。“历史活动是群众的事业”，决定历史发展的是“行动者的群众”。党的性质和宗旨决定了人民至上是我们党的根本政治立场。改革开放40多年来，我们用几十年的时间走过了西方发达国家几百年走过的现代化历程，将新中国从成立之初的“一穷二白”建设成为世界上主要经济体以及制造业、货物贸易、外汇储备第一大国，创造了经济快速发展和社会长期稳定两大奇迹，中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程。实践证明，人民是历史的创造者，是决定党和国家前途命运的根本力量。

In their long-term social practice, the masses have not only created a vast amount of social material wealth but have also, through reflection on the development of nature, society, and human thinking, formed an understanding of changes in the real world and grasped the laws governing the evolution of the real world, creating a vast amount of social spiritual wealth. The formation and development of the Party's innovative theory is the most powerful manifestation of this. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The achievements in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times are all the fruits of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people. Whether it is Mao Zedong Thought, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, or the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, they all originate from the wisdom of the people, the exploration of the people, and the creation of the people."

人民群众在长期的社会实践中，不仅创造了大量的社会物质财富，更通过对自然、社会以及人的思维发展的反思，形成了对现实世界变化的认识和对现实世界演变规律的把握，创造了大量的社会精神财富，党的创新理论的形成和发展就是最有力的体现。习近平总书记指出：“马克思主义中国化时代化成果，都是党和人民实践经验和集体智慧的结晶。无论是毛泽东思想、中国特色社会主义理论体系，还是新时代中国特色社会主义思想，无不源自于人民的智慧、人民的探索、人民的创造。”

From a practical perspective, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has grasped strategic opportunities while

从实践上看，以习近平同志为核心的党中央在统筹“两个大局”中把握战略机遇，强调新时代是全国各族人民团结奋斗、不断创造美好生活、逐步实现全体人民共同富裕的时代，是全体中华儿女勠力同心、奋力实现中华民族伟大复兴中国梦的时代，带领全国人民解决了许多长期想解决而没有解决的难题，办成了许多过去想办而没有办成的大事，推动党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革。这些成就的取得是党的集中统一领导与人民群众主体力量相结合的结果。

Let the people live better lives. To carry out reform and promote development, in the final analysis, is to enable the people to live better lives. Over the past century since its founding, our Party has tried every means to ensure that the common people live good lives, continuously turning the people’s aspiration for a better life into reality.

让人民过上更好的日子。抓改革、促发展，归根到底就是为了让人民过上更好的日子。建党百余年来，我们党千方百计让老百姓过上好日子，不断把人民对美好生活的向往变为现实。

From the Shikumen [1]1 Shikumen refers to the stone-gate house in Shanghai where the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in 1921, symbolizing the founding of the Party. to Tiananmen, from Xingye Road [2]2 Xingye Road is the road in Shanghai where the First National Congress was held; Fuxing Road is a symbolic reference to the path of national rejuvenation (复兴), echoing the transition from the Party's founding to the realization of the Chinese Dream. to Fuxing Road, our Party has united and led the people in creating the great achievements of the New Democratic Revolution, of the Socialist Revolution and Construction, of Reform and Opening Up and Socialist Modernization, and of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, all for the sake of making the people happier. In particular, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the entire nation in building the world’s largest education system, social security system, and medical and health care system. The level of education popularization has achieved a historic leap, absolute poverty has been historically resolved, and common prosperity is being promoted amid high-quality development. Practical measures to improve people’s livelihoods underpin the people’s solid sense of happiness.

从石库门到天安门，从兴业路到复兴路，我们党团结带领人民先后创造了新民主主义革命的伟大成就、社会主义革命和建设的伟大成就、改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的伟大成就、新时代中国特色社会主义的伟大成就，为的就是让人民更加幸福。特别是以习近平同志为核心的党中央带领全国人民建成了世界上规模最大的教育体系、社会保障体系、医疗卫生体系，教育普及水平实现历史性跨越，历史性地解决了绝对贫困问题，坚持在高质量发展中促进共同富裕，民生实事托起老百姓稳稳的幸福。

Since modern times, the country has endured humiliation, the people have suffered, and the civilization has been tarnished. Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has become the greatest dream of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. Over the past century and more, all the efforts, struggles, and sacrifices of our Party have been for the happiness of the people and the rejuvenation of the nation. Since reform and opening up, our Party has led the people in liberating and developing the productive forces, blazed the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, formed the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, established the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and successfully promoted and expanded Chinese-path modernization. The happiness of the people has become the warmest background color of the great cause of national rejuvenation.

近代以来，国家蒙辱、人民蒙难、文明蒙尘，实现中华民族伟大复兴成为中国人民和中华民族最伟大的梦想。一百多年来，我们党所付出的一切努力、进行的一切斗争、作出的一切牺牲，都是为了人民幸福和民族复兴。改革开放以来，我们党领导人民解放和发展生产力，开辟了中国特色社会主义道路，形成了中国特色社会主义理论体系，确立了中国特色社会主义制度，成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化，人民幸福成为民族复兴伟业最温暖的底色。

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The Communist Party of China is a party that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, and it is also a party that seeks progress for humanity and harmony for the world.” Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has comprehensively grasped the “two overall situations” [3]3 “Two overall situations” (两个大局) refers to the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world., adopted the grand perspective of “maintaining a global vision”, promoted the common values of all mankind, actively promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, promoted the building of a new type of international relations, comprehensively promoted the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, continuously enriched and developed new forms of human civilization, and provided Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for solving the common problems facing mankind.

习近平总书记指出：“中国共产党是为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴的党，也是为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同的党。”新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央统筹把握“两个大局”，以“坚持胸怀天下”的宏大视角，弘扬全人类共同价值，积极推动构建人类命运共同体，推动构建新型国际关系，全面推动共建“一带一路”高质量发展，不断丰富和发展人类文明新形态，为解决人类共同面临的问题提供了中国智慧、中国方案。

Rely on the masses of the people to stride towards the future. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Reform is meaningful only when it is for the people; reform has momentum only when it relies on the people.” To further deepen reform comprehensively, we must further adhere to the principal position of the people and gather the broadest, strongest, and most powerful force for building a great modern socialist country.

依靠人民群众走向未来。习近平总书记指出：“为了人民而改革，改革才有意义；依靠人民而改革，改革才有动力。”进一步全面深化改革，要进一步坚持人民主体地位，汇聚起社会主义现代化强国建设最广泛、最强劲、最磅礴的力量。

The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. History and reality have shown that without the Communist Party of China, there would be no New China and no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must give full play to the Party’s core leadership role in exercising overall leadership and coordinating all parties, maintain a high degree of consciousness in using the Party’s self-revolution to lead social revolution, adhere to and improve the institutional system for the Party’s self-revolution, and continuously advance the Party’s self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation, and self-enhancement, so as to ensure that the Party always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

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。历史和现实证明，没有中国共产党，就没有新中国，就没有中华民族伟大复兴。必须充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用，保持以党的自我革命引领社会革命的高度自觉，坚持完善党的自我革命制度规范体系，不断推进党的自我净化、自我完善、自我革新、自我提高，确保党始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心。

Ideals and convictions are the “ballast stone” and the lighthouse for stable and far-reaching progress. No matter in the past, present, or future, firm belief in Marxism, solid faith in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strong confidence in realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are all powerful spiritual forces guiding and supporting the Chinese people in creating great undertakings. From both historical and practical dimensions, we must guide the broad masses to deeply understand that the red political power was hard-won, that New China was hard-won, and that socialism with Chinese characteristics was hard-won. We must persistently arm the mind and coalesce the soul with the Party’s innovative theory, further deeply understand the decisive significance of the “Two Establishments” [4]4 “Two Establishments” (两个确立) refers to the establishment of Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and the establishment of the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era., strengthen the “Four Consciousnesses” [5]5 “Four Consciousnesses” (四个意识) refers to consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in terms of the big picture, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership., firm up the “Four Confidences” [6]6 “Four Confidences” (四个自信) refers to confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics., and achieve the “Two Upholds” [7]7 “Two Upholds” (两个维护) refers to upholding Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee..

理想信念是“压舱石”，是行稳致远的灯塔。无论过去、现在还是将来，对马克思主义的坚定信仰，对中国特色社会主义的笃实信念，对实现中华民族伟大复兴中国梦的坚毅信心，都是指引和支撑中国人民开创伟业的强大精神力量。从历史和现实双重维度看，必须引导广大群众深刻认识红色政权来之不易，新中国来之不易，中国特色社会主义来之不易。坚持不懈用党的创新理论武装头脑、凝心铸魂，进一步深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”。

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed that to further deepen reform comprehensively, we must “test reform by actual performance and effectiveness and the satisfaction of the people.” That is to say, whether the people support, approve, are happy with, or agree to something is the criterion for measuring the success or failure of all our work. We must respect the principal position and the pioneering spirit of the people, ensuring that reform is carried out for the people, by the people, and that the fruits of reform are shared by the people. In particular, we must vigorously promote the practice of investigation and research, follow the mass line, adhere to the development of whole-process people’s democracy, and closely rely on the people to create a happy life.

党的二十届三中全会提出，进一步全面深化改革要“以实绩实效和人民群众满意度检验改革”。也就是说，人民拥护不拥护、赞成不赞成、高兴不高兴、答应不答应是衡量我们一切工作得失的标准。要尊重人民主体地位和首创精神，做到改革为了人民、改革依靠人民、改革成果由人民共享。特别是要大兴调查研究之风，走好群众路线，坚持发展全过程人民民主，紧紧依靠人民创造幸福生活。

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed that to further deepen reform comprehensively, we must “take promoting social fairness and justice and enhancing the well-being of the people as the starting point and ultimate goal.” We must anchor the overall goal of further comprehensively deepening reform, focus on the “seven focal points” [8]8 “Seven focal points” (七个聚焦) refers to the seven key areas of reform identified by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee: focusing on building a high-standard socialist market economy, whole-process people's democracy, a strong socialist culture, improving the quality of life of the people, building a beautiful China, a safer China at a higher level, and improving the Party's leadership level and long-term governance capacity. to coordinate advancement, remove ideological and institutional obstacles that hinder the advancement of Chinese-path modernization, promote better alignment between the relations of production and the productive forces, between the superstructure and the economic base, and between national governance and social development, and properly and solidly handle matters that benefit the people, so that the masses have a stronger sense of gain, happiness, and security.

党的二十届三中全会提出，进一步全面深化改革要“以促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉为出发点和落脚点”。要锚定进一步全面深化改革的总目标，着力“七个聚焦”协同推进，破除妨碍推进中国式现代化的思想观念和体制机制弊端，推动生产关系和生产力、上层建筑和经济基础、国家治理和社会发展更好相适应，把为人民造福的事情办好办实，让人民群众拥有更多获得感、幸福感、安全感。

(The author is an associate researcher at the Shandong Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.)

（作者系山东省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心副研究员）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧