Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively Manifests Historical Initiative

Reform and opening up is an important magic weapon for contemporary China to catch up with the times in big strides, and is the key move determining the success or failure of Chinese-path modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the cause of the Party and the state has achieved historic accomplishments and undergone historic transformations, precisely by relying on reform and opening up. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th National Congress of the CPC [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 18th National Congress of the CPC, held in November 2013, adopted the "Decision on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms," which launched a new round of comprehensive reforms across the political, economic, cultural, social, and ecological domains. opened a new journey of comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era and advancing reform through systematic and holistic design, inaugurating an entirely new phase of China's reform and opening up. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core united and led the entire Party, the military, and people of all ethnic groups across the country, with great historical initiative, immense political courage, and a strong sense of responsibility, resolutely breaking down institutional and mechanistic barriers in all areas, realizing a transformation from partial exploration and ice-breaking breakthroughs to systemic integration and comprehensive deepening. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization" [2]2 The "Decision" adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC in July 2024 outlines the strategic framework for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese-path modernization., deliberated and adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, closely revolves around the theme of advancing Chinese-path modernization to map out strategic measures for further deepening reform comprehensively, and focuses on major institutional and mechanistic problems that need to be solved in advancing Chinese-path modernization to plan reforms, fully embodying the historical initiative of perfecting and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Specifically, this can be understood in depth from the following aspects.

改革开放是当代中国大踏步赶上时代的重要法宝，是决定中国式现代化成败的关键一招。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，靠的就是改革开放。党的十八届三中全会开启了新时代全面深化改革、系统整体设计推进改革新征程，开创了我国改革开放全新局面。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、巨大的政治勇气、强烈的责任担当，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。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》，紧紧围绕推进中国式现代化这个主题擘画进一步全面深化改革战略举措，着力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，充分体现了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历史主动。具体而言，可从以下几方面来深入理解。

Strengthening historical resolve. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, "No matter how reform is carried out, fundamental things such as upholding the Party's overall leadership, upholding Marxism, upholding the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and upholding the people's democratic dictatorship must absolutely not be shaken." The Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC emphasizes that further deepening reform comprehensively must summarize and apply the valuable experience of reform and opening up, especially the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era, and implement principles such as upholding the Party's overall leadership, adhering to a people-centered approach, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, taking institutional building as the main thread, adhering to law-based governance in all respects, and adhering to a systems perspective. Facing the complex and changing domestic and international situation, only by continuously strengthening historical resolve can we eliminate the interference of various erroneous ideological trends and better gather the wisdom and strength of the broadest masses of the people. On the new journey of the New Era, our Party always maintains a clear head, grasps the correct direction, advances reform and opening up on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, plans reform and opening up from China's national conditions, and firmly holds the historical initiative.

增强历史定力。习近平总书记指出，“改革无论怎么改，坚持党的全面领导、坚持马克思主义、坚持中国特色社会主义道路、坚持人民民主专政等根本的东西绝对不能动摇”。党的二十届三中全会强调，进一步全面深化改革要总结和运用改革开放以来特别是新时代全面深化改革的宝贵经验，贯彻坚持党的全面领导、坚持以人民为中心、坚持守正创新、坚持以制度建设为主线、坚持全面依法治国、坚持系统观念等原则。面对复杂多变的国内外形势，只有不断增强历史定力，才能排除各种错误思潮的干扰，更好凝聚起最广大人民的智慧和力量。新时代新征程，我们党始终保持清醒头脑，把握正确方向，在中国特色社会主义道路上推进改革开放，从中国的国情出发谋划改革开放，牢牢掌握历史主动权。

Clearly recognizing the historical orientation. The problems that arise after development are no fewer than those before development. As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters the New Era, it is necessary to correctly understand and properly handle the new situations and new problems that constantly emerge, achieving development that is of higher quality, more efficient, fairer, more sustainable, and safer. On the one hand, efforts are focused on promoting high-quality development. China's economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development, and it is necessary to focus on solving problems of unbalanced, uncoordinated, and unsustainable development, including weak scientific and technological innovation capacity, irrational industrial structure, and large gaps in urban-rural regional development and residents' income distribution. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC emphasizes building a high-level socialist market economy system, improving the institutional mechanisms for promoting high-quality economic development, building institutional mechanisms to support comprehensive innovation, improving the macroeconomic governance system, and perfecting the institutional mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development, which can play an important role in shaping new drivers and advantages for development and promoting high-quality development. On the other hand, institutional building is placed in a more prominent position. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, "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 building is greater." The Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC put forward a series of important reform measures to solve deep-seated institutional and mechanistic problems, and carried out systematic deployment, reflecting the idea of combining deepening reform offensives with promoting institutional integration, and also fully demonstrating that further deepening reform comprehensively must strengthen systemic integration and release institutional effectiveness.

认清历史方位。发展起来以后的问题不比不发展时少。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，需要正确认识和妥善处理不断出现的新情况新问题，实现更高质量、更有效率、更加公平、更可持续、更为安全的发展。一方面，着力推动高质量发展。我国经济已由高速增长阶段转向高质量发展阶段，要着重解决发展不平衡、不协调、不可持续问题，包括科技创新能力不强、产业结构不合理、城乡区域发展差距和居民收入分配差距较大的问题。党的二十届三中全会强调构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制、健全推动经济高质量发展体制机制、构建支持全面创新体制机制、健全宏观经济治理体系、完善城乡融合发展体制机制等，对于塑造发展新动能新优势、推动高质量发展，能够发挥重要作用。另一方面，把制度建设摆到更加突出的位置。习近平总书记强调，“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”。党的二十届三中全会提出一系列重要改革举措，解决深层次体制机制问题，并进行系统部署，体现了把深化改革攻坚同促进制度集成结合起来的思路，也充分说明进一步全面深化改革要加强系统集成、释放制度效能。

Demonstrating historical responsibility. Reform is the self-improvement and self-development of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has taken providing a more complete, stable, and effective institutional system for the long-term stability and security of the country as a major task, advancing innovation in systems and institutions in all areas. From the Third Plenary Session of the 18th National Congress of the CPC to the Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, there is a consistent historical logic, interlocking practical logic, and successive major deployments in comprehensively deepening reform, continuously promoting better adaptation between relations of production and productive forces, between the superstructure and the economic base, and between national governance and social development, and increasingly emphasizing the systemic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, "To further deepen reform comprehensively, we must closely focus on the theme of advancing Chinese-path modernization, highlight the key points of reform, firmly grasp the value orientation, pay attention to methods and approaches, and add impetus to completing the central task and achieving strategic goals." The Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC studying the issue of further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-path modernization fully demonstrates the historical responsibility of our Party in the New Era to carry reform and opening through to the end.

展现历史担当。改革是中国特色社会主义制度的自我完善和发展。党的十八大以来，我们党把为国家长治久安提供一整套更完备、更稳定、更管用的制度体系作为一项重大任务，推进各方面体制与制度的创新。从党的十八届三中全会到党的二十届三中全会，在全面深化改革上历史逻辑一脉相承、实践逻辑环环相扣、重大部署接续递进，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，并越来越注重改革的系统性、整体性和协同性。习近平总书记强调，“进一步全面深化改革，要紧扣推进中国式现代化这个主题，突出改革重点，把牢价值取向，讲求方式方法，为完成中心任务、实现战略目标增添动力”。党的二十届三中全会研究进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化问题，充分展现了新时代我们党将改革开放进行到底的历史担当。

Strengthening historical confidence. Comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization is the central task of the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups across the country on the new journey of the New Era. Turning the blueprint of Chinese-path modernization into reality fundamentally relies on further deepening reform comprehensively and continuously perfecting institutional and mechanistic systems in all areas. Our Party strengthens historical confidence, grasps the historical initiative, further deepens reform comprehensively, and continuously advances the grand cause of Chinese-path modernization. As for the external environment, although the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, the general direction of human development and progress will not change, the general logic of world history advancing tortuously will not change, and the general trend of the international community sharing a common destiny will not change. In the long run, economic globalization remains a historical trend, and the division of labor, cooperation, and mutual benefit among countries is a long-term trend. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th National Congress of the CPC clearly stated that openness is a distinctive hallmark of Chinese-path modernization. We must adhere to the basic state policy of opening up to the outside world, persist in promoting reform through opening up, rely on China's advantages of a super-large market, enhance the capacity for opening up while expanding international cooperation, and build a new system for a higher-level open economy. Faced with the resurgence of deglobalization and trade protectionism, we firmly stand on the right side of history, promote the building of an open world economy, and promote economic globalization towards a more open, inclusive, balanced, and win-win direction. China, which is further deepening reform comprehensively, will provide more opportunities for global economic development and contribute more wisdom and strength to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

坚定历史自信。以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，是全党全国各族人民在新时代新征程的中心任务。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。我们党坚定历史自信、把握历史主动，进一步全面深化改革，把中国式现代化宏伟事业不断推向前进。就外部环境而言，虽然世界进入新的动荡变革期，但人类发展进步的大方向不会改变，世界历史曲折前进的大逻辑不会改变，国际社会命运与共的大趋势不会改变。从长远看，经济全球化仍是历史潮流，各国分工合作、互利共赢是长期趋势。党的二十届三中全会明确提出，开放是中国式现代化的鲜明标识。必须坚持对外开放基本国策，坚持以开放促改革，依托我国超大规模市场优势，在扩大国际合作中提升开放能力，建设更高水平开放型经济新体制。面对逆全球化、贸易保护主义沉渣泛起，我们坚定站在历史正确的一边，推动建设开放型世界经济，推动经济全球化朝着更加开放、包容、普惠、均衡的方向发展。进一步全面深化改革的中国，将为全球经济发展提供更多机遇，为推动构建人类命运共同体贡献更多智慧和力量。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗