Deeply Understand and Grasp the Theme of Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively

The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization" (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision"), deliberated and adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, points out that it is necessary to "closely focus on advancing Chinese-path modernization to further deepen reform comprehensively." This is a successful experience and strategic choice of our Party in leading reform and opening up, and it has its profound historical logic, theoretical logic, practical logic, developmental logic, and reform logic.

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》（以下简称《决定》）指出，要“紧紧围绕推进中国式现代化进一步全面深化改革”。这是我们党领导改革开放的成功经验和战略选择，有其深刻的历史逻辑、理论逻辑、实践逻辑、发展逻辑和改革逻辑。

First, modernization is a broad and profound transformation of economic and social development, as well as a profound transformation of systems and mechanisms.

第一，现代化是经济社会发展的广泛、深刻变革，也是体制机制的深刻转型。

Modernization refers to the historical process in which, since the Industrial Revolution, the great development of productive forces has triggered profound changes in the mode of social production and the mode of human life, leading to the rapid increase of social material wealth and promoting the profound transformation from traditional society to modern society. Its main indicators include highly developed productive forces, leading scientific and technological innovation capabilities, effective national governance, an urban-rural integrated social structure, high-level public services, a safe and beautiful ecological environment, and good civic literacy.

现代化，是指工业革命以来生产力大发展引发社会生产方式和人类生活方式深刻变革，是社会物质财富迅速增加、推动传统社会向现代社会深刻转型的历史进程。其主要标志是具有高度发展的生产力、领先的科技创新能力、有效的国家治理、城乡融合的社会结构、高水平的公共服务、安全优美的生态环境、良好的公民素养等。

To date, three relatively major waves of modernization have appeared in human history. The first wave was the "Steam Revolution" from the 1760s to the mid-19th century, driven by the invention and widespread application of the spinning machine and the steam engine, which initiated the modernization process of human society, realized the transition from traditional agricultural society to industrial society, and promoted the process of urbanization. The second wave was the "Electrical Revolution" from the second half of the 19th century to the early 20th century, driven by the invention and widespread application of electricity, the electric light, the telephone, the internal combustion engine, the automobile, the steamship, etc., which pushed industrialization and urbanization to higher levels and broader fields. The third wave was the "Information Technology Revolution" from the end of the 20th century to the 21st century, driven by the invention and widespread application of the electronic computer, the internet, etc., which promoted the profound transformation of economic and social development towards informatization and digitalization. In these waves, capitalist countries such as those in Western Europe, North America, and Japan seized the opportunities and successively realized their modernization transformation, becoming developed countries. The most crucial reason for this is that these countries established relations of production that were adapted to the development of productive forces at the time, including vigorously developing science, technology, and education, attaching great importance to the development of the manufacturing industry, and promoting financial innovation. Some countries, on the other hand, due to lagging institutional innovation, saw their economic development stagnate for a long time or fall into the "middle-income trap." [1]1 “Using culture to transform people” (文以化人) is a classical Chinese expression meaning that culture serves to educate, refine, and morally uplift people. Some other developing countries simply copied the modernization model of Western countries but did not achieve success in modernization development, and even achieved the opposite.

迄今为止，人类历史上已出现了三次比较大的现代化浪潮。第一次浪潮是18世纪60年代到19世纪中叶的“蒸汽革命”，以纺织机、蒸汽机的发明和广泛应用为动力，开启了人类社会现代化历程，实现了从传统农业社会向工业社会的转变，推动了城镇化进程。第二次浪潮是19世纪下半叶到20世纪初的“电气革命”，以电力、电灯、电话、内燃机、汽车、轮船等的发明和广泛应用为动力，推动工业化、城市化向更高层次、更广领域拓展。第三次浪潮是20世纪末到21世纪的“信息技术革命”，以电子计算机、互联网等的发明和广泛应用为动力，推动了经济社会发展向信息化、数字化的深刻转型。在这几次浪潮中，西欧、北美诸国、日本等资本主义国家抓住机遇，相继实现现代化转型，成为发达国家。究其原因，最为关键的是这些国家建立了适应当时生产力发展的生产关系，包括大力发展科学技术和教育，高度重视制造业发展，推动金融创新等。而一些国家则由于制度创新滞后，其经济发展长期陷于停滞或步入“中等收入陷阱”。还有一些发展中国家简单复制西方国家现代化模式，并没有取得现代化发展的成功，甚至适得其反。

The practice of world modernization has fully proven that the scientific and technological revolution and industrial revolution are the fundamental driving forces of modernization. For a country or region to realize modernization, it must firmly grasp the opportunities of the scientific and technological revolution and vigorously develop advanced productive forces. At the same time, institutional and cultural innovation is the guarantee for modernization development. The modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity is not only an important component of comprehensive and complete modernization but also a key factor and necessary condition for a country to successfully realize modernization.

世界现代化的实践充分证明，科技和产业革命是推动现代化的根本动能，一个国家和地区要实现现代化，必须紧紧抓住科技革命的机遇，大力发展先进生产力。同时，制度和文化革新是现代化发展的保障。国家治理体系和治理能力现代化既是全面完整的现代化的重要组成部分，也是一国顺利实现现代化的关键因素和必要条件。

Second, Chinese-path modernization has been continuously advanced through reform and opening up, and it will surely open up broad prospects through reform and opening up.

第二，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。

Reform and opening up is an important magic weapon for the Party and the people to catch up with the times in great strides. Over the past 40-plus years, reform and opening up has become the most distinctive label, the broadest consensus, and the most magnificent scene in contemporary China.

改革开放是党和人民大踏步赶上时代的重要法宝。40多年来，改革开放成为当代中国最鲜明的标识、最广泛的共识、最壮阔的气象。

Taking the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China [2]2 The principal contradiction in Chinese society is officially defined as the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life, as stated at the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017. as a turning point, our country opened a new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization. During this period, the Party united and led the people of all ethnic groups across the country, emancipated the mind, forged ahead with determination, seized the historical opportunities of the new wave of scientific and technological revolution and the wave of economic globalization, realized the historic transformation from a highly centralized planned economy to a vibrant socialist market economy, from a closed and semi-closed state to all-round opening up, achieved the historic breakthrough from a state of relatively backward productive forces to becoming the world's second largest economy, realized the historic leap in people's lives from inadequate food and clothing to an overall moderate prosperity and then towards a comprehensive moderate prosperity, [3]3 “Two great miracles” refers to China’s rapid economic development and long-term social stability, often cited as achievements of the reform and opening-up era. and promoted the great leap of the Chinese nation from standing up to becoming prosperous. [4]4 “Priceless stabilizing pillar” (定海神针) is a Chinese idiom originally referring to a magical iron pillar in the classical novel Journey to the West that calms the sea; it is used metaphorically to mean a stabilizing force or anchor. China caught up with the times in great strides.

以党的十一届三中全会为转折点，我国开启了改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的新时期。在这个时期，党团结带领全国各族人民，解放思想、锐意进取，抓住新科技革命浪潮和经济全球化浪潮的历史机遇，实现了从高度集中的计划经济体制到充满活力的社会主义市场经济体制、从封闭半封闭到全方位开放的历史性转变，实现了从生产力相对落后的状况到经济总量跃居世界第二的历史性突破，实现了人民生活从温饱不足到总体小康、奔向全面小康的历史性跨越，推进了中华民族从站起来到富起来的伟大飞跃，中国大踏步赶上了时代。

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, [5]5 “The boat reaches mid-stream, the waves are more turbulent” (船到中流浪更急) is a Chinese saying meaning that challenges intensify as one progresses toward a goal, often used to describe the current stage of China’s development. the cause of the Party and the state has achieved historic accomplishments and undergone historic transformations, also relying on reform and opening up. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the entire Party, the military, and the people of all ethnic groups across the country, with great historical initiative, immense political courage, and a strong sense of responsibility, breaking through ideological constraints, breaking through solidified interest barriers, taking supply-side structural reform as the main line to promote high-quality development, unswervingly expanding high-standard opening up, resolutely breaking down institutional and mechanistic barriers in various aspects, realizing the transformation of reform from local exploration and breaking the ice to systematic integration and comprehensive deepening, basically establishing the basic institutional framework in various fields, achieving historic transformations, systematic reshaping, and overall reconstruction in many fields, further raising the level of modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, providing a strong institutional guarantee for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and realizing the Party's first centenary goal, [6]6 The Party's first centenary goal, achieved in 2021, was to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the centenary of the founding of the CPC in 1921. promoting our country's economy onto the path of high-quality development, continuously enhancing the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security, and our country has embarked on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

党的十八大以来，党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，靠的也是改革开放。以习近平同志为核心的党中央团结带领全党全军全国各族人民，以伟大的历史主动精神、巨大的政治勇气、强烈的责任担当，冲破思想观念束缚，突破利益固化藩篱，以供给侧结构性改革为主线推进经济高质量发展，坚定不移扩大高水平对外开放，坚决破除各方面体制机制弊端，实现改革由局部探索、破冰突围到系统集成、全面深化的转变，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，国家治理体系和治理能力现代化水平进一步提升，为全面建成小康社会、实现党的第一个百年奋斗目标提供了有力制度保障，推动我国经济迈上高质量发展之路，人民群众获得感、幸福感、安全感持续增强，我国已迈上全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程。

On the new journey, to create a new situation in Chinese-path modernization construction, we still need to rely on reform and opening up. Currently, our country is in a critical period of comprehensively advancing the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-path modernization is an urgent need to unite people's hearts, gather strength, and realize the Party's central tasks for the New Era and the new journey; it is an urgent need to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity; it is an urgent need to promote high-quality development and better adapt to the changes in the principal contradiction in our society; it is an urgent need to address major risks and challenges and ensure the stable and long-term progress of the Party and state affairs. We must proceed from China's national conditions, follow the general laws of modernization, strive to explore an institutional system suitable for Chinese-path modernization development, continuously promote better adaptation between relations of production and productive forces, between the superstructure and the economic base, and between national governance and social development, so as to stimulate vitality and add impetus to Chinese-path modernization.

新征程上，要开创中国式现代化建设新局面，仍然要靠改革开放。当前，我国正处在以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴的关键时期。习近平总书记指出，进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化是凝聚人心、汇聚力量，实现新时代新征程党的中心任务的迫切需要，是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的迫切需要，是推动高质量发展、更好适应我国社会主要矛盾变化的迫切需要，是应对重大风险挑战、推动党和国家事业行稳致远的迫切需要。必须从中国国情出发，遵循现代化一般规律，努力探索适合中国式现代化发展的制度体系，不断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，为中国式现代化激发活力、增添动力。

Third, to further deepen reform comprehensively, we must closely focus on the theme of advancing Chinese-path modernization.

第三，进一步全面深化改革，必须紧紧围绕推进中国式现代化这个主题来展开。

For the current period and some time to come, we must closely focus on the overall goal of "continuing to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity" to further promote comprehensive deepening of reform.

当前和今后一个时期，要紧紧围绕“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”这个总目标，进一步推进全面深化改革。

First, focus on building a high-level socialist market economy system. A high-level socialist market economy system is an important guarantee for Chinese-path modernization. Since reform and opening up, a key factor in the great success of our country's economic development has been the establishment of the socialist market economy system. On the new journey, to advance Chinese-path modernization construction, we must place the construction of a high-level socialist market economy system in a prominent position, and further stimulate the endogenous driving force and innovation vitality of the whole society. Only by adhering to and implementing the "Two Unswervinglys," [7]7 The "Two Unswervinglys" refers to the policy of unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector of the economy, and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector of the economy. building a unified national market, and improving basic market economy systems such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, and social credit, can we better leverage the role of the market mechanism, achieve optimization and maximization of resource allocation efficiency, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development.

一是聚焦构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制。高水平社会主义市场经济体制是中国式现代化的重要保障。改革开放以来，我国经济发展获得巨大成功的一个关键因素，就是确立了社会主义市场经济体制。新征程上，推进中国式现代化建设，必须把构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制放在突出位置，进一步激发全社会内生动力和创新活力。只有坚持和落实“两个毫不动摇”，构建全国统一大市场，完善产权保护、市场准入、公平竞争、社会信用等市场经济基础制度，才能更好发挥市场机制作用，实现资源配置效率最优化和效益最大化，加快构建新发展格局，推动高质量发展。

Second, focus on developing whole-process people's democracy. Developing whole-process people's democracy is an essential requirement of Chinese-path modernization. Practice has fully proven that the whole-process people's democracy system can effectively promote the liberation and development of social productive forces, and promote the continuous improvement of people's quality of life and standards. On the new journey, we must uphold and improve our country's fundamental political system, basic political systems, and important political systems, adhere to the organic unity of Party leadership, the people being the masters of the country, and law-based governance, better transform institutional advantages into governance effectiveness, and comprehensively advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity.

二是聚焦发展全过程人民民主。发展全过程人民民主是中国式现代化的本质要求。实践充分证明，全过程人民民主制度体系能够有效促进社会生产力解放和发展，促进人民生活质量和水平不断提高。新征程上，必须坚持和完善我国根本政治制度、基本政治制度、重要政治制度，坚持党的领导、人民当家作主、依法治国有机统一，更好把制度优势转化为治理效能，全面推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化。

Third, focus on building a socialist cultural power. Culture is the soul of a country and a nation, and it is an important source of strength. Practice has proven that when culture thrives, the nation’s fortunes thrive; when culture is strong, the country is strong. It is necessary to vigorously promote reform of the cultural system, vigorously develop advanced socialist culture, cultivate and create a large number of cultural masters and great artists, produce a large number of cultural masterpieces and fine works, realize “using culture to transform people” [1]1 “Using culture to transform people” (文以化人) is a classical Chinese expression meaning that culture serves to educate, refine, and morally uplift people., enhance the cohesion, creativity, and appeal of the entire society, elevate the country’s cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture, and inject strong spiritual strength into Chinese-path modernization.

三是聚焦建设社会主义文化强国。文化是一个国家、一个民族的灵魂，是重要的力量源泉。实践证明，文化兴则国运兴，文化强则国家强。必须大力推进文化体制改革，大力发展社会主义先进文化，培养造就一大批文化名家、大师，创造一大批文化精品力作，实现“文以化人”，增强全社会凝聚力、创造力、感召力，提升国家文化软实力和中华文化影响力，为中国式现代化注入强大的精神力量。

Fourth, focus on improving the quality of people’s lives. A higher quality of people’s lives includes more stable employment, more satisfactory income, more reliable social security, better basic public services, and other aspects. It is the starting point and ultimate goal of economic development, and it is also a key link in the high-quality cycle of the economy. To advance Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to coordinate reforms in the economic and people’s livelihood fields, improve the income distribution system, perfect the social security system, enhance the balance and accessibility of basic public services, and promote well-rounded human development and common prosperity for all the people to achieve more obvious substantive progress.

四是聚焦提高人民生活品质。较高的人民生活品质包括更稳定的就业、更满意的收入、更可靠的社会保障、更好的基本公共服务等方面，它是经济发展的出发点和落脚点，也是经济高质量循环的关键环节。推进中国式现代化，必须统筹经济和民生领域的改革，完善收入分配制度，健全社会保障体系，增强基本公共服务均衡性和可及性，推动人的全面发展、全体人民共同富裕取得更为明显的实质性进展。

Fifth, focus on building a beautiful China. The construction of an ecological civilization concerns the well-being of the people and relates to the future of the nation. At present, as the principal contradiction in Chinese society has changed [2]2 The principal contradiction in Chinese society is officially defined as the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life, as stated at the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017., it is necessary to pay more attention to responding to the people’s growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment, and place the construction of an ecological civilization in a more prominent strategic position. At the same time, this is also the need to actively and steadily promote the peaking of carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, lead global environmental and climate governance, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. It is necessary to further deepen the reform of the ecological civilization system, accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, improve the ecological environment governance system, and promote harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

五是聚焦建设美丽中国。生态文明建设关系人民福祉，关乎民族未来。当前，随着我国社会主要矛盾发生变化，必须更加重视回应人民群众日益增长的优美生态环境需要，把生态文明建设放在更加突出的战略位置。同时，这也是积极稳妥推进碳达峰碳中和，引领全球环境与气候治理，构建人类命运共同体的需要。必须进一步深化生态文明体制改革，加快经济社会发展全面绿色转型，健全生态环境治理体系，促进人与自然和谐共生。

Sixth, focus on building a higher-level Peaceful China. Advancing the modernization of the national security system and capacity is an inherent requirement for actively responding to various risks and challenges, serving and ensuring the great cause of building a strong country and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is an inevitable measure to continue writing a new chapter in the “two great miracles” [3]3 “Two great miracles” refers to China’s rapid economic development and long-term social stability, often cited as achievements of the reform and opening-up era. of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and to effectively meet the people’s growing needs for a better life. It is also an objective need to actively adapt to changes in the world, changes in the times, and changes in history, and to improve global security governance. It is necessary to perfect the national security system, strengthen the integrated national strategic system, enhance national security capabilities, innovate social governance systems, mechanisms, and means, effectively construct a new security pattern, and provide a solid guarantee for the stable and long-term progress of Chinese-path modernization.

六是聚焦建设更高水平平安中国。推进国家安全体系和能力现代化，是积极应对各类风险挑战，服务保障强国建设、民族复兴伟业的内在要求，是续写经济快速发展和社会长期稳定“两大奇迹”新篇章、有效满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要的必然举措，也是主动适应世界之变、时代之变、历史之变，完善全球安全治理的客观需要。必须健全国家安全体系，强化一体化国家战略体系，增强国家安全能力，创新社会治理体制机制和手段，有效构建新安全格局，为中国式现代化行稳致远提供坚实保障。

Seventh, focus on the Party’s leadership level and long-term governance capability. The Party’s leadership directly concerns the fundamental direction, future destiny, and ultimate success or failure of Chinese-path modernization. If Chinese-path modernization is compared to a ship sailing forward braving wind and waves, then reform and opening up and innovation are its engine, the rule of law and social security are its stabilizer, and the Party’s leadership is the “priceless stabilizing pillar” [4]4 “Priceless stabilizing pillar” (定海神针) is a Chinese idiom originally referring to a magical iron pillar in the classical novel Journey to the West that calms the sea; it is used metaphorically to mean a stabilizing force or anchor.. As China’s modernization construction enters the stage of “the boat reaches mid-stream, the waves are more turbulent” [5]5 “The boat reaches mid-stream, the waves are more turbulent” (船到中流浪更急) is a Chinese saying meaning that challenges intensify as one progresses toward a goal, often used to describe the current stage of China’s development., it is necessary to adapt to the needs of the new situation, innovate and improve the leadership style and governance method, deepen the reform of the Party building system, perfect the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and continuously improve the Party’s leadership level and long-term governance capability.

七是聚焦党的领导水平和长期执政能力。党的领导直接关系中国式现代化的根本方向、前途命运、最终成败。如果把中国式现代化比作一艘正在乘风破浪、奋力前行的航船，那么，改革开放和创新就是发动机，法治和社会保障就是稳定器，党的领导就是“定海神针”。在我国现代化建设进入“船到中流浪更急”的阶段，必须适应新的形势需要，创新和改进领导方式和执政方式，深化党的建设制度改革，健全全面从严治党体系，不断提高党的领导水平和长期执政能力。

Online Editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗