Always Highlight the Main Line of Institutional Development

The improvement of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a dynamic process, inevitably developing continuously with the evolution of practice. "Adhering to the main line of institutional development" is an important principle for further comprehensively deepening reform proposed by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC. [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in July 2024. The "Decision" it adopted is a major policy document outlining reform priorities for the next phase. In his "Explanation on the 'Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization'", General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have highlighted the main line of institutional development, improved systems in all aspects through comprehensively deepening reform, promoted the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics to become more mature and more established, and significantly raised the level of modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity" and that "facing new situations and tasks, we must further comprehensively deepen reform and continue to improve systems and mechanisms in all aspects." In the process of advancing reform, our Party has always insisted on highlighting the main line of institutional development. This can be deeply understood and recognized from three dimensions: goal orientation, historical process, and problem awareness.

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。“坚持以制度建设为主线”，是党的二十届三中全会提出的进一步全面深化改革的一个重要原则。习近平总书记在《关于〈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〉的说明》中强调，“党的十八大以来，我们突出制度建设这条主线，通过全面深化改革完善各方面制度，推动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”“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”。在推进改革的进程中，我们党始终坚持突出制度建设这条主线，这可以从目标导向、历史进程、问题意识三个维度来深入理解和认识。

Grasping the Direction of Institutional Development in Goal Orientation

在目标导向中把握制度建设方向

For a country to develop, clarifying its goals and path is of utmost importance. Goals are the direction; goals are the guide; goals are the driving force. What goals reform is to achieve determines what measures are taken in a targeted manner. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC pointed out that the overall goal of further comprehensively deepening reform is to continue to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. By 2035, a high-level socialist market economy system will be fully established, the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics will be more perfected, the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity will be basically realized, and socialist modernization will be basically achieved, laying a solid foundation for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of this century. Whatever is "reformed" and "how it is reformed" in further comprehensively deepening reform must be aimed at this overall goal.

一个国家要发展，明确目标和路径至关重要。目标就是方向，目标就是引领，目标就是动力。改革要实现什么样的目标，就要有的放矢地采取什么样的举措。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。到2035年，全面建成高水平社会主义市场经济体制，中国特色社会主义制度更加完善，基本实现国家治理体系和治理能力现代化，基本实现社会主义现代化，为到本世纪中叶全面建成社会主义现代化强国奠定坚实基础。进一步全面深化改革“改什么”“怎么改”，都必须瞄准这个总目标。

The understanding of the overall goal has been continuously clarified and deepened in the course of reform and opening up. Comrade Deng Xiaoping, in his talks during his southern tour, proposed that "it will probably take another thirty years for us to form a more mature and more established set of systems in all aspects." [2]2 The "seven focal points" are a set of reform priorities announced at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, covering economic, political, cultural, social, ecological, national security, and Party governance domains. Entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Comprehensively deepening reform, 'comprehensive' means promoting reforms in all fields in a coordinated manner, which requires an overarching goal, and also answers the question of what the ultimate purpose of promoting reforms in all fields is and what overall result is to be achieved." The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC clearly proposed that the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform is to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. [3]3 The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC was held in November 2013, where the landmark "Decision on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms" was adopted. Compared with this, the overall goal of further comprehensively deepening reform proposed by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC adds the word "continue," reflecting the unity of continuity and stages, and reflecting our Party's determination to carry on the struggle without changing the path or wavering in its commitment.

关于总目标的认识是在改革开放中不断明晰、不断深化的。邓小平同志在南方谈话中提出，“恐怕再有三十年的时间，我们才会在各方面形成一整套更加成熟、更加定型的制度”。进入新时代，习近平总书记指出：“全面深化改革，全面者，就是要统筹推进各领域改革，就需要有管总的目标，也要回答推进各领域改革最终是为了什么、要取得什么样的整体结果这个问题。”党的十八届三中全会明确提出全面深化改革的总目标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。与之相比，党的二十届三中全会提出的进一步全面深化改革的总目标增加了“继续”两字，体现了连续性和阶段性的统一，体现了我们党在改革上道不变、志不改的接续奋斗的决心。

Further comprehensively deepening reform, by more consciously highlighting institutional development, will inevitably provide strong impetus and institutional guarantees for Chinese-path modernization. When institutions are stable, the country is stable; when institutions are strong, the country is strong. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the national governance system are systems and governance systems guided by Marxism, rooted in the soil of China, possessing a profound foundation in Chinese culture, and deeply supported by the people; they are systems and governance systems with strong vitality and great superiority. To further comprehensively deepen reform, we must highlight the adherence to and improvement of the fundamental systems, basic systems, and important systems that support the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, focus on consolidating the foundation, leveraging strengths, making up for shortcomings, and strengthening weak areas, build a system of institutions that is systematic, complete, scientific, standardized, and effective in operation, and better transform China's institutional advantages into governance effectiveness.

进一步全面深化改革更加自觉地突出制度建设，必将为中国式现代化提供强大动力和制度保障。制度稳则国家稳，制度强则国家强。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，要突出坚持和完善支撑中国特色社会主义制度的根本制度、基本制度、重要制度，着力固根基、扬优势、补短板、强弱项，构建系统完备、科学规范、运行有效的制度体系，把我国制度优势更好转化为国家治理效能。

Grasping the Laws of Institutional Development in the Historical Process

在历史进程中把握制度建设规律

Institutional development has been explored and advanced in the historical process of reform and opening up. The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC was a great turning point of far-reaching significance in the history of the Party since the founding of New China, opening a new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization. [4]4 The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC was held in December 1978, marking the beginning of the reform and opening-up era under Deng Xiaoping's leadership. Since reform and opening up, continuously improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics has provided a strong guarantee for liberating and developing the social productive forces, liberating and enhancing social vitality, and forever maintaining the vitality of the Party and the state.

制度建设在改革开放的历史进程中不断探索推进。党的十一届三中全会，是新中国成立以来党的历史上具有深远意义的伟大转折，开启了改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期。改革开放以来，不断完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，为解放和发展社会生产力、解放和增强社会活力、永葆党和国家生机活力提供了有力保证。

Institutional development in the New Era has achieved historic accomplishments. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "compared with the past, reform and opening up in the New Era has many new connotations and characteristics, among which a very important point is that the weight of institutional development is greater." The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC made the top-level design for comprehensively deepening reform, comprehensively promoting reforms in the economic system, political system, cultural system, social system, ecological civilization system, and the Party building system. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC systematically integrated the theoretical achievements, institutional achievements, and practical achievements of comprehensively deepening reform since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC, focused on fundamental systems, basic systems, and important systems, and clarified the basic requirements for systems in all aspects. [5]5 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC was held in October 2019, focusing on upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Institutional development has driven historic, transformative, and overall changes in related fields, realizing a transformation from partial exploration and breaking through ice to systematic integration and comprehensive deepening, achieving historic changes, systematic reshaping, and overall reconstruction in many fields, and basically establishing the basic institutional framework in various fields.

新时代制度建设取得了历史性成就。习近平总书记指出，“相比过去，新时代改革开放具有许多新的内涵和特点，其中很重要的一点就是制度建设分量更重”。党的十八届三中全会作出全面深化改革的顶层设计，全面推进经济体制改革、政治体制改革、文化体制改革、社会体制改革、生态文明体制改革、党的建设制度改革等。党的十九届四中全会系统集成了党的十八届三中全会以来全面深化改革的理论成果、制度成果、实践成果，聚焦根本制度、基本制度、重要制度，明确了各方面制度的基本要求。制度建设推动相关领域发生历史性、转折性、全局性变化，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，许多领域实现历史性变革、系统性重塑、整体性重构，各领域基础性制度框架基本建立。

From the perspective of forming a more mature and more established system, China has established a socialist basic system and carried out reforms on this basis. By improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, it provides a more complete, more stable, and more effective set of institutional systems for the development of the Party and the state's undertakings, for the well-being and happiness of the people, for social harmony and stability, and for the long-term peace and order of the country. This project is extremely grand; it must be a comprehensive and systematic reform and improvement, a linkage and integration of reforms and improvements in various fields. From the perspective of the historical process, further comprehensively deepening reform faces more deep-seated institutional and mechanistic problems, requiring higher demands on top-level design, stronger requirements for the systematic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform, and correspondingly heavier tasks of establishing rules and regulations and building systems. It is necessary to continuously improve the institutional framework, consolidate fundamental systems, improve basic systems, and innovate important systems.

从形成更加成熟更加定型的制度看，我国建立了社会主义基本制度，并在这个基础上进行改革。通过完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，为党和国家事业发展、为人民幸福安康、为社会和谐稳定、为国家长治久安提供一整套更完备、更稳定、更管用的制度体系。这项工程极为宏大，必须是全面系统的改革和改进，是各领域改革和改进的联动和集成。从历史进程看，进一步全面深化改革更多面对的是深层次体制机制问题，对顶层设计的要求更高，对改革的系统性、整体性、协同性要求更强，相应地建章立制、构建体系的任务更重，要不断健全制度框架，筑牢根本制度、完善基本制度、创新重要制度。

Grasping the Focus of Institutional Development in Problem Awareness

在问题意识中把握制度建设重点

Reform is forced by problems and deepened in the continuous process of solving problems. Regarding institutional development, it is necessary not only to continuously improve existing institutions but also to focus on institutional innovation. Facing the complex contradictions and problems on the path of reform, we have already gnawed many hard bones, but there are still many hard bones to gnaw; we have already overcome many difficulties, but there are still many difficulties to overcome. In the process of further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization, existing institutions must be continuously improved and perfected. At the same time, it must also be recognized that, facing the complex and ever-changing international and domestic situations, facing the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and facing the new expectations of the people, we must keep pace with the times, conform to the development of practice, continuously promote institutional innovation and fill institutional gaps, in order to overcome various risks and challenges and resolve various prominent contradictions.

改革是由问题倒逼而产生，又在不断解决问题中得以深化。就制度建设而言，既需要不断健全已有制度，也需要着力进行制度创新。面对改革道路上的复杂矛盾和问题，我们已经啃下了不少硬骨头但还有许多硬骨头要啃，我们已经攻克了不少难关但还有许多难关要攻克。在进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的进程中，已有的制度要不断健全和完善。同时还要看到，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，要紧跟时代步伐，顺应实践发展，不断推进制度创新、填补制度空白，以战胜各种风险挑战、解决各种突出矛盾。

Planning and deploying reform around the Party's central tasks is a successful experience of the Party in leading reform and opening up. 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 adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in July 2024. The "Decision" it adopted is a major policy document outlining reform priorities for the next phase. seizes the major institutional and mechanistic issues that need to be resolved in advancing Chinese-path modernization to plan reform, emphasizes the leading role of economic system reform, and puts forward the "seven focal points" for further deepening reform comprehensively. [2]2 The "seven focal points" are a set of reform priorities announced at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, covering economic, political, cultural, social, ecological, national security, and Party governance domains. Focusing on building a high-level socialist market economy, it upholds and improves the basic socialist economic system; focusing on developing whole-process people's democracy, it promotes a more complete system for the people to be the masters of the country, the extensive, multi-tiered, and institutionalized development of consultative democracy, and a more complete system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics; focusing on building a socialist cultural power, it upholds the fundamental system of Marxism's guiding position in the ideological domain, and improves the institutional mechanisms for the development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries; focusing on improving the quality of life of the people, it perfects the income distribution and employment systems, and improves the social security system; focusing on building a beautiful China, it improves the ecological environment governance system; focusing on building a higher-level peaceful China, it improves the national security system and strengthens the integrated national strategic system; focusing on improving the Party's leadership level and long-term governance capacity, it deepens the reform of the Party building system and improves the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. From this it can be seen that institutional building runs through it all.

围绕党的中心任务谋划和部署改革，是党领导改革开放的成功经验。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》），抓住推进中国式现代化需要破解的重大体制机制问题谋划改革，注重发挥经济体制改革牵引作用，提出进一步全面深化改革的“七个聚焦”。聚焦构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制，坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度；聚焦发展全过程人民民主，推动人民当家作主制度更加健全、协商民主广泛多层制度化发展、中国特色社会主义法治体系更加完善；聚焦建设社会主义文化强国，坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度，健全文化事业、文化产业发展体制机制；聚焦提高人民生活品质，完善收入分配和就业制度，健全社会保障体系；聚焦建设美丽中国，健全生态环境治理体系；聚焦建设更高水平平安中国，健全国家安全体系，强化一体化国家战略体系；聚焦提高党的领导水平和长期执政能力，深化党的建设制度改革，健全全面从严治党体系。从中可见，制度建设始终贯穿其中。

The "Decision" puts forward more than 300 important reform measures, involving multiple contents at the levels of institutions, mechanisms, and systems. These comprehensive and precise reform measures aim to resolve the blocking and sticking points that constrain the construction of a new development pattern and the promotion of high-quality development, the pain points and difficult points in the development environment and people's livelihood fields, and the focal and hot issues that contradict social fairness and justice, continuously enhancing the targetedness, scientificity, and effectiveness of reform.

《决定》提出了300多项重要改革举措，涉及体制、机制、制度层面的多项内容。这些全面而精准的改革举措，旨在解决制约构建新发展格局和推动高质量发展的卡点堵点问题、发展环境和民生领域的痛点难点问题、有悖社会公平正义的焦点热点问题，不断增强改革的针对性、科学性、实效性。

Online Editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗