The Value Orientation of Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively

Value orientation determines the direction of action. Adhering to a people-centered approach is the value stance of the Communist Party of China and also the value orientation of comprehensively deepening reform. 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"), reviewed and approved at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, when explaining the importance and necessity of further deepening reform comprehensively, emphasizes that further deepening reform comprehensively is an "inevitable requirement for adhering to a people-centered approach and ensuring that the achievements of modernization benefit all people more and more fairly." When explaining the principles of further deepening reform comprehensively, it emphasizes "adhering to a people-centered approach." When deploying various major reform measures, the principle of adhering to a people-centered approach runs through them. Adhering to a people-centered approach is the fundamental guideline for the policy formulation, measure planning, and practical implementation of further deepening reform comprehensively, and it has an overarching significance for further deepening reform comprehensively.

价值取向决定行动方向，坚持以人民为中心是中国共产党的价值立场，也是全面深化改革的价值取向。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》），在阐释进一步全面深化改革的重要性和必要性时，强调进一步全面深化改革是“坚持以人民为中心、让现代化建设成果更多更公平惠及全体人民的必然要求”；在阐释进一步全面深化改革的原则时，强调“坚持以人民为中心”；在部署各项重大改革举措时，贯穿了坚持以人民为中心的原则。坚持以人民为中心，是进一步全面深化改革政策制定、举措谋划、实践展开的根本遵循，对于进一步全面深化改革具有统摄意义。

1. Respecting the People's Principal Position and Their Pioneering Spirit

1、尊重人民主体地位和首创精神

The foundation, strength, and lifeblood of the Communist Party of China lie in the people. The fundamental reason for the success of China's revolution, construction, and reform lies in winning the people's trust and support. Only by respecting the people's principal position and their pioneering spirit can further deepening reform comprehensively gain the people's endorsement and support.

中国共产党的根基在人民、力量在人民、血脉在人民，中国革命、建设、改革之所以成功，根本在于赢得了人民的信任和支持。进一步全面深化改革只有尊重人民主体地位和首创精神，才能获得人民的拥护和支持。

The people are the main force in further deepening reform comprehensively. The people are the creators of history, the drivers of social change, and also the main force in further deepening reform comprehensively. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized respecting the people's principal position, giving play to the people's pioneering spirit, and relying closely on the people to promote reform. He pointed out, "Without the people's support and participation, no reform can succeed. No matter what difficulties and challenges we encounter, as long as we have the people's support and participation, there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome, and no hurdle that cannot be crossed." This is a scientific summary of the people's principal position in the process of comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era. Further deepening reform comprehensively also requires giving play to the people's principal role. In fact, further deepening reform comprehensively involves deep-seated contradictions and problems. The difficulty of breaking free from the shackles of ideas, breaking through solidified interest patterns, and coordinating various interest relationships has increased, making the people's understanding, participation, and support even more necessary.

人民是进一步全面深化改革的主体力量。人民是历史的创造者、社会变革的推动者，也是进一步全面深化改革的主体力量。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记一再强调尊重人民主体地位，发挥群众首创精神，紧紧依靠人民推动改革。他指出，“没有人民支持和参与，任何改革都不可能取得成功。无论遇到任何困难和挑战，只要有人民支持和参与，就没有克服不了的困难，就没有越不过的坎”。这是对人民在新时代全面深化改革过程中主体地位的科学总结，进一步全面深化改革同样需要发挥人民主体作用。事实上，进一步全面深化改革涉及的都是深层次矛盾和问题，冲破思想观念束缚、突破利益固化藩篱、协调各种利益关系的难度加大，更需要人民的理解、参与和支持。

The people's new expectations are issues that further deepening reform comprehensively needs to face and solve. Reforms in different eras have different backgrounds and face different problems and tasks. Reform is forced by problems and deepened in the continuous process of solving problems. Discovering and accurately identifying problems is the starting point for further deepening reform comprehensively, and adhering to a problem-oriented approach is one of the basic methods of reform. The "Decision" points out, "Facing the complex and ever-changing international and domestic situation, facing the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and facing the people's new expectations, we must continue to push reform forward." The "three faces" are the background for further deepening reform comprehensively, containing the problems that need to be solved. Including "the people's new expectations" as one of them indicates that further deepening reform comprehensively respects and responds to the people's wishes and demands, highlighting the people's principal position in the process of further deepening reform comprehensively.

人民新期待是进一步全面深化改革需要面对和解决的问题。不同时代的改革有不同背景，面临不同的问题和任务。改革是由问题倒逼出来的，又在不断解决问题中得以深化，发现问题、找准问题是进一步全面深化改革的起点，坚持问题导向是改革的基本方法之一。《决定》指出，“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，必须继续把改革推向前进”。“三个面对”是进一步全面深化改革的背景，蕴含进一步全面深化改革需要解决的问题，将“人民群众新期待”作为其中之一，表明了进一步全面深化改革对人民愿望、人民诉求的尊重和回应，彰显了人民在进一步全面深化改革过程中的主体地位。

The people's practical creations are the source of wisdom for further deepening reform comprehensively. China's reform has no ready-made model to copy; it needs to solve various contradictions and problems through practical exploration. The people are on the front line of reform and possess rich practical experience and wisdom. What specific problems does reform face? What are the paths and methods to solve specific problems? What are the people's new expectations and demands? The people know best and have the most say. Looking at the historical process of reform and opening up, many reform measures were the creations and inventions of the people. The Party Central Committee summarized the people's practical creations and experiences, elevated them to reform measures, and promoted and implemented them nationwide. Respecting the people's pioneering spirit, seeking advice from the people, and pooling the people's wisdom can yield the optimal solutions to problems and find the best path for reform. At the same time, the implementation of the various major reform measures deployed by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee also depends on the people's practical creations. Only by solving problems through creative practice and making various reform measures take root can the reform achieve results.

人民的实践创造是进一步全面深化改革的智慧源泉。我国改革没有现成的模式可以照搬，需要通过实践探索解决面临的各种矛盾和问题。人民群众身处改革的第一线，具有丰富的实践经验和实践智慧。改革面临的具体问题是什么，解决具体问题的路径、方法是什么，人民的新期待、新诉求是什么，人民群众最清楚、最有发言权。从改革开放的历史进程来看，不少改革举措就是人民群众的创造和发明，党中央总结人民群众的实践创造、实践经验，将其上升为改革举措，在全国推广和实施。尊重人民首创精神，问计于民，集中人民的智慧，能获得解决问题的最优方案、找到改革的最佳路径。同时，党的二十届三中全会部署的各项重大改革举措的落实，也有赖于人民群众的实践创造，通过创造性实践解决问题，使各项改革举措落地，才能收到改革效果。

The people are the main force in advancing Chinese-path modernization. Further deepening reform comprehensively is a means and a path, not an end in itself; the end is to advance Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that meets the people's needs for a better life and promotes common prosperity for all people. It benefits all people and requires the participation and support of all people. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization with a huge population. The entire 1.4 billion-plus people entering a modernized society, a scale exceeding the total population of existing developed countries, presents unprecedented arduousness and complexity, requiring even more the dedication of all people to the practice of modernization and their contribution to the forces advancing it. Further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-path modernization, promoting more obvious substantive progress in the well-rounded development of people and common prosperity for all, embodies respect for the people's principal position at a higher level.

人民是推进中国式现代化的主体力量。进一步全面深化改革是手段、途径而非目的，目的在于推进中国式现代化。中国式现代化是满足人民美好生活需要、促进全体人民共同富裕的现代化，既惠及全体人民，又需要全体人民参与和支持。中国式现代化是人口规模巨大的现代化，十四亿多人口整体迈进现代化社会，规模超过现有发达国家的人口总和，艰巨性和复杂性前所未有，更需要全体人民投身现代化的实践、贡献推进现代化的力量。进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化，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，从更高层次体现了对人民主体地位的尊重。

2. Planning and Promoting Reform from the Perspective of the People's Interests

2、从人民利益出发谋划和推进改革

The Communist Party of China is a political party that seeks interests for the people and has no special interests of its own. The ultimate purpose of further deepening reform comprehensively is to meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and to give the people a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security. When explaining the "Decision," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Adhere to putting the people first, and plan and promote reform from the perspective of the people's overall interests, fundamental interests, and long-term interests." The systematic deployment of further deepening reform comprehensively by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee fully reflects attention to and respect for the people's interests.

中国共产党是为人民谋利益的政党，没有自己的特殊利益。进一步全面深化改革的目的，归根到底就是为了满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要，让人民群众有更多获得感、幸福感、安全感。习近平总书记在对《决定》进行说明时指出：“坚持人民至上，从人民整体利益、根本利益、长远利益出发谋划和推进改革。”党的二十届三中全会对进一步全面深化改革的系统部署，充分体现了对人民利益的关注和尊重。

Planning reform from the perspective of the people's interests. The people's interests are the action coordinates of the Communist Party of China and also the starting point for the CPC to plan reform. Divorced from the people's interests, the theory and practice of the Communist Party of China will deviate. When explaining comprehensively deepening reform, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "To advance any major reform, we must grasp and handle major issues related to the reform from the standpoint of the people, and must plan reform ideas and formulate reform measures from the perspective of the people's interests." The "Decision" uses "seven focal points" [1]1 The "Decision" (决定): refers to the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Path Modernization," adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in July 2024. to deploy the priorities of further deepening reform comprehensively, one of which is "focusing on improving the quality of life of the people." When deploying major measures for further deepening reform comprehensively, it emphasizes that "ensuring and improving people's livelihood in the course of development is a major task of Chinese-path modernization," and lists "improving the institutional system for ensuring and improving people's livelihood" as one of the major reform measures. These reform measures reflect a high degree of attention and importance attached to livelihood issues and the people's interests. Developing and safeguarding the people's interests is the starting point for further deepening reform comprehensively.

从人民利益出发谋划改革。人民利益是中国共产党的行动坐标，也是中国共产党谋划改革的出发点，脱离人民利益，中国共产党的理论和实践就会出现偏差。习近平总书记在阐释全面深化改革时强调：“推进任何一项重大改革，都要站在人民立场上把握和处理好涉及改革的重大问题，都要从人民利益出发谋划改革思路、制定改革举措。”《决定》用“七个聚焦”来部署进一步全面深化改革的重点，其中之一就是“聚焦提高人民生活品质”；在部署进一步全面深化改革的重大举措时，强调“在发展中保障和改善民生是中国式现代化的重大任务”，将“健全保障和改善民生制度体系”作为重大改革举措之一。这些改革举措体现了对民生问题、人民利益的高度关注和重视，发展和保障人民利益是进一步全面深化改革的出发点。

Identifying the focus and breakthrough points for reform from the perspective of the people's interests. The people's interests are not vague or abstract, but concrete and realistic. When specifically planning reform measures, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee focused on selecting the focus and breakthrough points for reform from the people's urgent, difficult, and anxious problems, such as distribution, employment, and social security. The "Decision" proposes to improve the basic public service system, strengthen inclusive, basic, and bottom-line livelihood construction, solve the most direct and realistic interest issues that the people care about most, and continuously meet the people's aspirations for a better life. Specific measures include improving the income distribution system, improving the employment-first policy, perfecting the social security system, deepening the reform of the medical and health system, and improving the support and service system for population development. In addition, when deploying the improvement of the systems and mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development, it emphasizes "adhering to the principle that people's cities are built by the people and for the people." When deploying the deepening of the reform of the science and technology system, it takes "oriented towards the people's life and health" as one of the guiding principles for the reform of the science and technology system. When deploying the deepening of the reform of the cultural system and mechanism, it emphasizes "adhering to a people-centered creative orientation." These stipulations and requirements are concrete implementations of the principle of "adhering to a people-centered approach."

从人民利益出发找准改革的着力点和突破口。人民利益不是空泛、抽象的，而是具体、现实的。党的二十届三中全会在具体谋划改革举措时，注重从分配、就业、社会保障等老百姓急难愁盼问题中选择改革的着力点和突破口。《决定》提出，完善基本公共服务制度体系，加强普惠性、基础性、兜底性民生建设，解决好人民最关心最直接最现实的利益问题，不断满足人民对美好生活的向往。具体举措包括完善收入分配制度、完善就业优先政策、健全社会保障体系、深化医药卫生体制改革、健全人口发展支持和服务体系等。此外，在部署完善城乡融合发展体制机制时，强调“坚持人民城市人民建、人民城市为人民”；在部署深化科技体制改革时，将“面向人民生命健康”作为科技体制改革的导向之一；在部署深化文化体制机制改革时，强调“坚持以人民为中心的创作导向”。这些规定和要求是“坚持以人民为中心”原则的具体贯彻。

Chinese-path modernization is the greatest interest of the entire people. The interests and demands of the people are multifaceted; the resolution of livelihood issues and the satisfaction of the people's ever-growing needs for a better life ultimately depend on the elevation of the level of modernization. Modernization is an all-round social transformation and an overall social progress. Only on the basis of modernization, especially the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, can the people's new expectations for a better life become a reality and can the all-round development of the individual become possible. The basic realization of socialist modernization by 2035 and the comprehensive building of a great modern socialist country by the middle of this century constitute the greatest interest of the entire people. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, closely focusing on the theme of Chinese-path modernization to deploy the further deepening of reform comprehensively, is a long-term plan formulated from the starting point of the people's ever-growing needs for a better life, and embodies the safeguarding of the people's interests at a higher level.

中国式现代化是全体人民的最大利益。人民利益、人民诉求是多方面的，民生问题的解决、人民日益增长的美好生活需要的满足，最终有赖于现代化水平的提升。现代化是全方位的社会变革、整体性的社会进步，基于现代化特别是国家治理体系和治理能力现代化，人民的美好生活新期待才能成为现实，人的全面发展才有可能。到2035年基本实现社会主义现代化，到本世纪中叶全面建成社会主义现代化强国，这是全体人民的最大利益。党的二十届三中全会紧扣中国式现代化这一主题部署进一步全面深化改革，是从人民日益增长的美好生活需要出发作出的长远谋划，从更高层次上体现了对人民利益的维护。

3. The People's Evaluation Is the Final Evaluation of Reform Effectiveness

3、人民评价是改革成效的最终评价

Timely evaluation of the effectiveness of reform is conducive to guiding and advancing reform practice. When the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC expounded the guiding ideology for further deepening reform comprehensively, it emphasized "taking the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people's well-being as the starting point and ultimate goal" and "paying greater attention to the actual effect of reform." The effectiveness of further deepening reform comprehensively must still be evaluated by the people; through evaluation, judgments and analyses are made. The criteria, the subject, and the function of the evaluation of reform effectiveness manifest the value orientation of adhering to a people-centered approach.

适时评价改革成效，有利于引导和推进改革实践。党的二十届三中全会在阐释进一步全面深化改革的指导思想时，强调“以促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉为出发点和落脚点”，“更加注重改革实效”。进一步全面深化改革的成效如何，还得由人民来评价，通过评价作出判断和分析。改革成效评价的标准、主体及作用，彰显了坚持以人民为中心的价值取向。

The degree to which the people's interests are satisfied is the criterion for evaluating reform effectiveness. The scientificity and rationality of the evaluation criteria determine the validity of the evaluation results. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, "Take whether it promotes economic and social development and whether it brings a tangible sense of gain to the people as the criteria for evaluating reform effectiveness." This criterion is an embodiment of putting the people's interests first. The effectiveness of further deepening reform comprehensively must be evaluated using the degree to which the people's interests are satisfied as the criterion. The "Decision" emphasizes "implementing reforms with the spirit of driving a nail" and "testing reforms by actual results and effectiveness and the people's satisfaction," which precisely implies the criterion of the people's interests.

人民利益的满足程度是评价改革成效的标准。评价标准的科学性、合理性，决定评价结果的有效性。习近平总书记指出，“把是否促进经济社会发展、是否给人民群众带来实实在在的获得感，作为改革成效的评价标准”。这一标准是人民利益至上的体现。进一步全面深化改革的成效如何，必须以人民利益的满足程度作为评价标准。《决定》强调“以钉钉子精神抓好改革落实”，“以实绩实效和人民群众满意度检验改革”，蕴含的正是人民利益标准。

The people are the subject of the evaluation of reform effectiveness. Who the evaluating subject is, and who does the evaluating, directly affects the evaluation results. Regarding the effectiveness of further deepening reform comprehensively—whether the reform has brought tangible benefits to the people, whether the issues the people are concerned about have been resolved, whether the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security have been enhanced, and whether the people's ever-growing needs for a better life can be met—the people's feelings are the most genuine and direct. When evaluating reform effectiveness, the people have the greatest say. It should be said that the subjects of reform effectiveness evaluation are diverse, among which the most crucial is the evaluation from the people. The authenticity and objectivity of the people's evaluation determine its reliability and authority; the people's evaluation is the final evaluation of the effectiveness of further deepening reform comprehensively.

人民是评价改革成效的主体。评价主体是谁，由谁来评价，直接影响评价结果。进一步全面深化改革成效如何，改革是否给人民带来了实惠，人民关注的问题是否得到解决，人民的获得感、幸福感、安全感是否得到提升，能否满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要，人民的感受最真实、最直接，评价改革成效，人民最有发言权。应当说，改革成效评价的主体是多元的，其中最关键的是来自人民的评价，人民评价的真实性、客观性，决定了人民评价的可靠性、权威性，人民评价是进一步全面深化改革成效的最终评价。

The people's evaluation further drives reform deeper. Reform is the unity of long-term nature and stage-specific nature. On the one hand, reform has no end; once old contradictions and problems are resolved, new ones will emerge, and once new systems are established, they will become unsuitable with the passage of time and need continuous improvement and perfection. In this sense, reform is long-term. On the other hand, reforms in different periods target different problems, face different tasks, and adopt different methods of problem-solving, exhibiting distinct stage-specific characteristics. The unity of the long-term and stage-specific nature of the reform process makes the evaluation of reform both necessary and possible. After a period of reform, allowing the people to examine what problems have been solved, what results have been achieved, what problems remain unresolved, and how to solve them is conducive to clarifying the direction of reform, selecting the priorities of reform, and promoting the in-depth development of reform. The people's evaluation of reform is both a summary of the effectiveness of the previous stage of reform and a new starting point for reform to set out again, making further deepening reform comprehensively more responsive to the people's aspirations and demands.

人民评价进一步推动改革走向深入。改革是长期性和阶段性的统一。一方面，改革无止境，旧的矛盾和问题解决了，又会滋生新的矛盾和问题，新的制度建立起来之后，随着时代发展又会变得不合时宜，需要不断健全和完善，从这个意义上来说，改革具有长期性；另一方面，不同时期的改革，针对的问题不同，面临的任务不同，解决问题的方式也不一样，具有明显的阶段性特点。改革过程长期性和阶段性的统一，使改革评价成为必要和可能。经过一段时期的改革之后，让人民审视解决了哪些问题、取得了哪些成效，还有哪些问题尚未解决、如何解决，有利于认清改革方向、选择改革重点，推动改革向纵深发展。人民评价改革既是对前一阶段改革成效的总结，又是改革再出发的新起点，使进一步全面深化改革更加适应人民的愿望和诉求。

In summary, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC adhered to the people-centered value stance and systematically deployed the further deepening of reform comprehensively. This not only indicates the value orientation of further deepening reform comprehensively but also interprets the value orientation of Chinese-path modernization. Adhering to the people-centered value orientation plays an important role in ensuring the direction of reform, implementing reform mobilization, enhancing reform identification, reaching reform consensus, and consolidating reform forces, and is conducive to advancing Chinese-path modernization. The key to establishing and implementing the people-centered value orientation lies in upholding the Party's overall leadership. Party leadership must be carried through all aspects and the entire process of further deepening reform comprehensively, ensuring that the Party always remains the strong leading core for further deepening reform comprehensively.

总之，党的二十届三中全会坚持以人民为中心的价值立场，对进一步全面深化改革进行了系统部署，既表明了进一步全面深化改革的价值取向，也诠释了中国式现代化的价值取向。坚持以人民为中心的价值取向，对于确保改革方向、实行改革动员、增进改革认同、达成改革共识、凝聚改革力量具有重要作用，有利于推进中国式现代化。确立和贯彻坚持以人民为中心的价值取向，关键在于坚持党的全面领导，要将党的领导贯穿进一步全面深化改革各方面全过程，确保党始终成为进一步全面深化改革的坚强领导核心。

Online Editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗