Upholding a People-Centered Approach to Advancing Comprehensive and Deepening Reform

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 CPC, held in July 2024, focused on further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. emphasized that, in the New Era, upholding a people-centered approach to comprehensively deepening reform is the fundamental driving force for advancing Chinese-path modernization to comprehensively build a strong country and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out, “Reform is meaningful only when it is for the people; reform has momentum only when it relies on the people.” [2]2 Quotation from Xi Jinping’s speech at a symposium on economic and social affairs experts, August 2020. “Every breakthrough and deepening in the understanding and practice of reform and opening up, the emergence and development of every new thing in reform and opening up, and the creation and accumulation of experience in every field and link of reform and opening up all come from the wisdom and practice of hundreds of millions of people.” The people are the creators of history; the people-centered modernization development regulates the problem orientation, strategic layout, and value standards of reform and opening up.

党的二十届三中全会强调，新时代坚持以人民为中心全面深化改革，是中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的根本动力。习近平总书记深刻指出，“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”，“改革开放在认识和实践上的每一次突破和深化，改革开放中每一个新生事物的产生和发展，改革开放每一个领域和环节经验的创造和积累，无不来自亿万人民的智慧和实践”。人民群众是历史的创造者，“以人民为中心”的现代化发展规约着改革开放的问题导向、战略布局和价值标准。

From having adequate food and clothing, to moderate prosperity in all respects, to Chinese-path modernization, the periodic changes in the themes of the times have always been accompanied by corresponding changes in reform methods. Reform ideas conceived from the perspective of the people’s interests always take realizing, safeguarding, and developing the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people as the starting point and落脚点 [3]3 落脚点 (luòjiǎodiǎn) literally “foothold” or “point of landing,” here meaning the ultimate goal or end point of reform efforts. of advancing reform. Standing at the new historical juncture of further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization, meeting the people’s needs for a better life has become the fundamental basis for resolving the principal contradiction and problems of society in the New Era. The people’s new expectations for a better life and new demands for high-quality development not only require that the great practice of further comprehensively deepening reform reach a new height, but also demand that comprehensively deepening reform open up new realms.

从温饱不足、全面小康到中国式现代化，时代主题的阶段性改变无不伴随着改革方式的相应改变。从人民利益出发谋划的改革思路，始终把实现好、维护好、发展好最广大人民的根本利益作为推进改革的出发点和落脚点。站在进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的新历史方位，满足人民美好生活需要成为解决新时代社会主要矛盾和问题的根本所在，人民对美好生活的新期待、对高质量发展的新要求，不仅要求进一步全面深化改革的伟大实践达到新高度，更要求全面深化改革开辟新境界。

Focusing on Unleashing and Developing New Quality Productive Forces

聚焦解放和发展新质生产力

Upholding a people-centered approach to comprehensively deepening reform and firmly taking the people’s stand is the fundamental reason why a Marxist political party “prospers in its governance.” [4]4 An allusion to the phrase “政之所兴在顺民心” from the ancient Chinese text *Guanzi*, meaning that a government prospers when it follows the people’s will. As the fundamental driving force for advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the central task and mission of the times for reform and opening up are all closely centered on what the people need, urgently desire, and hope for. In the New Era, standing at the strategic overall situation that coordinates the changes unseen in a century and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization is a directional choice solemnly made by the Party and the people based on the development of the cause. According to the worldview and methodology of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, reform and opening up has broken the systems and mechanisms that were unsuitable for the development of productive forces. The great practice of unleashing and developing productive forces continuously proves that reform and opening up is for enriching the people and is an important magic weapon for enabling the cause of the Party and the people to keep pace with the times.

坚持以人民为中心全面深化改革，站稳人民立场是马克思主义政党“政之所兴”的根本所在。改革开放作为推进中国特色社会主义事业的根本动力，其中心任务和时代使命都是紧紧围绕人民所需所急所盼而展开。新时代，站在统筹世界百年未有之大变局和中华民族伟大复兴的战略全局，以进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化，是党和人民立足于事业发展郑重作出的方向性抉择。依据马克思主义中国化时代化的世界观和方法论，改革开放打破了不适应生产力发展的体制机制，解放和发展生产力的伟大实践，不断证明着改革开放是为人民谋富裕，是让党和人民事业大踏步赶上时代的重要法宝。

Productive forces are the prerequisite for social material life and the most active and revolutionary factor driving social progress. The fundamental criterion for measuring the level of social development is the state of development of productive forces. The fundamental task of socialism is to unleash and develop productive forces. The superiority of socialism over capitalism lies in its ability to better and more effectively promote the development of productive forces. As the dynamic mechanism for unleashing and developing productive forces, reform and opening up, at different stages of the development of productive forces, correspondingly changes the ideological concepts and institutional mechanisms it needs to address.

生产力是社会物质生活的前提，是推动社会进步最活跃、最革命的因素，衡量社会发展水平的根本标准是生产力的发展状况。社会主义的根本任务是解放和发展生产力，社会主义相对于资本主义的优越性在于能够更好、更有效地推动生产力的发展。改革开放作为解放和发展生产力的动力机制，在生产力发展的不同阶段，改革开放所要解决的思想观念和体制机制问题也相应发生变化。

Over more than forty years of reform and opening up, China has continuously faced the impacts and challenges brought by global technological revolutions and industrial transformations. From establishing a market economy system, to deepening market mechanisms, to innovation-driven development, each time it meets the new challenges of technological revolutions and industrial transformations, it promotes the upgrading, acceleration, and development of China’s productive forces, constituting a powerful driving force and the theme of the times for reform and opening up.

改革开放四十多年来，我国不断面临着全球科技革命和产业变革带来的冲击与挑战，从建立市场经济体制到深化市场机制再到创新驱动发展，每一次迎接科技革命和产业变革的新挑战，都推动着我国生产力的提档升级和加速发展，构成了改革开放的强大动力和时代主题。

The degree of people’s free and comprehensive development is constrained not only by the level of productive forces but also by social relations. The comprehensiveness of human development depends on the comprehensiveness of social relations. The people-centered Chinese-path modernization builds a strong, prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful socialist country. Its principal contradiction and main problems differ from those of the past. The breadth of the blocking points and difficult areas it touches upon, and the strength of their interconnections, are such that only comprehensively deepening reform can help. The Plenary Session pointed out that Chinese-path modernization is continuously advanced in the course of reform and opening up, and will surely open up broad prospects in reform and opening up. Further comprehensively deepening reform to continue to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, focus on solving the stuck points and blocking points that constrain the development of new quality productive forces, form a new development pattern with institutional and mechanism innovations, and boost the rapid development of new quality productive forces—these are the key points and breakthroughs for Chinese-path modernization in the New Era to focus on improving the quality of life of the people.

人自由全面发展的程度不仅受生产力水平制约，而且也受社会关系的制约。人发展的全面性取决于社会关系的全面性。以人民为中心的中国式现代化，建设的是富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义强国，其主要矛盾和主要问题不同于以往，所触及的阻点和难点领域之广、关联之强，非全面深化改革无以助力。全会指出，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。以进一步全面深化改革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，着力解决束缚新质生产力发展的卡点堵点问题，用体制机制创新形成新发展格局，助推新质生产力快速发展，是新时代中国式现代化聚焦提高人民生活品质的关键点和突破口。

Giving Full Play to the People’s Principal Role and Pioneering Spirit

充分发挥人民的主体作用和首创精神

Upholding a people-centered approach to comprehensively deepening reform must fully respect the people’s principal position and give play to the people’s pioneering spirit. The people are the creators of history; the advancement of all reforms is inseparable from the power of the people. The great practice of reform and opening up blazed the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, enabling the Chinese people to become prosperous and then strong, and opening a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. The successful experience of reform and opening up shows that comprehensively deepening reform is rooted in the creative practice of the masses. Only by relying on the people and giving full play to their principal role can comprehensively deepening reform obtain a steady stream of wisdom and strength. “Where does the correct path come from? It comes from the masses.” [5]5 A paraphrase of a well-known saying by Mao Zedong, emphasizing that correct policies come from the masses.

坚持以人民为中心全面深化改革，必须充分尊重人民的主体地位，发挥人民的首创精神。人民是历史的创造者，一切改革的推进都离不开人民的力量。改革开放的伟大实践开创了中国特色社会主义道路，让中国人民从富起来到强起来，开启了全面建设社会主义现代化国家的新征程。改革开放的成功经验表明，全面深化改革植根于人民群众的创造性实践中，只有依靠人民，充分发挥人民的主体作用，全面深化改革才能获得源源不断的智慧和力量。“正确的道路从哪里来？从群众中来。”

All along, our Party has combined strengthening top-level design with crossing the river by feeling the stones, [6]6 “Crossing the river by feeling the stones” (摸着石头过河) is a classic metaphor in Chinese reform discourse, attributed to Deng Xiaoping, for pragmatic, incremental experimentation in policy. using reform methods rich in Chinese characteristics and in line with China’s national conditions to advance the practical process of Chinese-path modernization. Only by adhering to the people’s principal position, promoting the people’s pioneering spirit, promptly summarizing the new experiences created by the masses, and continuously grasping the essential laws of reform and opening up can we lead reform to deeper levels, and promote and propel comprehensively deepening reform to cut through thorns and forge ahead courageously.

一直以来，我们党将加强顶层设计和摸着石头过河相结合，以富有中国特色、符合中国国情的改革方法来推进中国式现代化的实践进程。坚持人民主体地位，发扬人民首创精神，及时总结人民群众创造的新经验，不断把握改革开放的本质规律，才能把改革引向深处，推动和促进全面深化改革披荆斩棘、奋勇向前。

Standing at the commanding heights of the cause of comprehensively building a strong country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, the construction of Chinese-path modernization is intertwined with socialist reform. The essential requirements and major principles by which Chinese-path modernization transcends Western-style modernization and solves many difficult problems in the development of human society are the themes that further comprehensively deepening reform must closely revolve around, deeply contemplate, and focus on resolving. Facing the complex and ever-changing international and domestic situations, the risks, challenges, and difficulties of comprehensively deepening reform are unprecedented.

立足于以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的事业制高点，中国式现代化建设是同社会主义改革交织在一起的。中国式现代化超越西方式现代化，破解人类社会发展诸多难题的本质要求和重大原则，是进一步全面深化改革紧紧围绕之、深刻思考之、着力解决之的主题。面对纷繁复杂的国际国内形势，全面深化改革风险前所未有、挑战前所未有、难度前所未有。

As a great transformation in advancing the construction of Chinese-path modernization in the New Era, comprehensively deepening reform is essentially a readjustment of existing interest relations, a reconstruction of the existing interest pattern, and a re-transformation of the current systems and mechanisms, in order to resolve long-accumulated deep-seated contradictions and problems and push development to a new level. Therefore, only by fully respecting the people’s principal position and pioneering spirit can a more complete institutional environment be created to ensure responsibility and initiative and stimulate innovation vitality. Only by summarizing new experiences from the people’s creative practice, making new generalizations, and forming new understandings can breakthroughs at individual “points” that remove obstacles and dismantle barriers be elevated to promotion at the “surface,” thereby unleashing the people’s creative power in reforms characterized by comprehensive planning, overall layout, and sustained advancement.

全面深化改革作为新时代推进中国式现代化建设的伟大变革，本质上是对现有利益关系的再调整，对现有利益格局的再建构，对现行体制机制的再变革，以解决长期积累的深层次矛盾和问题，推动发展跃上新台阶。因此，只有充分尊重人民的主体地位和首创精神，才能为保障担当作为、激发创新活力创造更为完善的制度环境。从人民的创造性实践中总结新经验，作出新概括，形成新认识，才能在一个个破障碍、拆藩篱“点”的突破中提升为“面”的推广，进而在全面性谋划、整体性布局、持续性推进的改革中焕发出人民群众的创造伟力。

Gathering the Reform Wisdom and Strength of the Broadest Majority of the People

凝聚最广大人民的改革智慧和力量

Upholding a people-centered approach to comprehensively deepening reform and opening up new realms of Chinese-path modernization in the continuously advancing practice of reform and opening up is a systematic strategic project. Since the New Era, as comprehensively deepening reform has deepened further, the fields, levels, and interconnections of the problems it touches upon have become more numerous, deeper, and stronger. Reforms relying solely on a single field or a single level are difficult to achieve results.

坚持以人民为中心全面深化改革，在持续推进的改革开放实践中开辟中国式现代化新境界，是一项系统性的战略工程。新时代以来，随着全面深化改革的愈益深入，所触及问题的领域更多、层次更深、关联性更强，仅仅依靠单一领域、单个层次的改革难以奏效。

The Plenary Session emphasized that while comprehensively deepening reform focuses on advancing economic system reform, it must also coordinate and plan reforms in other fields. Reform is forced by real contradictions and problems, and deepens in the continuous resolution of contradictions and problems. Nowadays, advancing the construction of Chinese-path modernization through comprehensively deepening reform has entered a new stage of “gnawing on hard bones” [7]7 “Gnawing on hard bones” (啃硬骨头) is a common Chinese political metaphor for tackling the most difficult and entrenched problems in reform. and “overall design.” To achieve the transformation of reform from local exploration and breaking through ice to system integration and comprehensive deepening, it is necessary to gather the broadest consensus of the entire people, continuously promote theoretical innovation on the basis of practice, analyze and solve problems with innovative thinking, emancipate the mind in deepening the understanding of the laws of reform, form the richest, most comprehensive, and most systematic reform methods, and break through the barriers of ideological concepts and the fences of solidified interests.

全会强调，全面深化改革在重点推进经济体制改革的同时，要统筹谋划好其他各个领域改革。改革由现实矛盾和问题倒逼而产生，又在不断解决矛盾和问题中得以深化。现如今，以全面深化改革推进中国式现代化建设进入了“啃硬骨头”和“整体设计”的新阶段，要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，需要凝聚全体人民最广泛的共识，不断推进实践基础上的理论创新，以创新思维分析问题、解决问题，在对改革规律的深化认识中解放思想，形成最丰富、最全面、最系统的改革方法，冲破思想观念的障碍和利益固化的藩篱。

The new development practice of Chinese-path modernization in the New Era has endowed comprehensive and deepening reform with a new specific connotation. Comprehensive and deepening reform is not limited to the single domain of the economy; rather, it is a comprehensive and deepening reform involving the systems and mechanisms of the economic, political, social, cultural, and ecological fields. This reform touches on productive forces, relations of production, the economic base, the superstructure, and all spheres of social life. Consequently, comprehensive and deepening reform requires concentrating effort on systemic integration and breakthroughs at key points.

新时代中国式现代化新的发展实践，已经赋予全面深化改革以新的特定内涵。全面深化改革并不是局限于经济这一单一领域的改革，而是涉及经济、政治、社会、文化和生态领域体制机制的全面深化改革。这一改革涉及生产力、生产关系、经济基础、上层建筑以及社会生活的各个领域。因而，全面深化改革需要在系统集成、重点突破上凝心聚力。

For reform to achieve new breakthroughs, it must propose innovative solutions to China’s problems. The process of integrating the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture is precisely the process of continuously emancipating the mind.

改革要有新突破，就必须针对中国问题提出创新性的解决思路。马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合的过程，就是不断解放思想的过程。

To advance comprehensive and deepening reform and better align relations of production with productive forces, the superstructure with the economic base, and national governance with social development, it is necessary to fully apply the Marxist worldview and methodology, draw on the valuable resources of the best of traditional Chinese culture, and explore theoretical and institutional innovations oriented toward the future. All of this requires generating new ideas and new breakthroughs from the people’s practice that faces reality and the times.

全面深化改革，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，需要充分运用马克思主义的世界观和方法论，汲取中华优秀传统文化的宝贵资源，探索面向未来的理论和制度创新。而这都需要从人民群众面向现实、面向时代的实践中来生成新思路、新突破。

Taking the enhancement of the people’s well-being as the highest criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of reform

把增进人民福祉作为评价改革成效的最高标准

To advance comprehensive and deepening reform with a people-centered approach, the people’s satisfaction must be taken as the criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of reform. The people are the drivers of reform, the beneficiaries of reform, and, above all, the evaluators of reform. The fundamental purpose of advancing Chinese-path modernization through comprehensive and deepening reform is to satisfy the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security at a higher level, to a greater degree, and in a broader scope. The people’s aspiration for a better life is our goal in struggle; grasping reform and promoting development ultimately aim to enable the people to live better lives. Since the New Era, comprehensive and deepening reform has both addressed urgent and difficult problems in the present and promoted social fairness and justice over the long term; it has both worked to improve material living standards and focused on elevating the realm of spiritual life. Innovations in the development model have continuously enabled the fruits of reform to benefit all the people more and more fairly.

坚持以人民为中心全面深化改革，必须把人民满不满意作为改革成效的评价标准。人民是改革的推动者，是改革的受益者，更是改革的评价者。以全面深化改革推进中国式现代化进程，其根本宗旨在于从更高层次更大程度更广方面满足人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感。人民对美好生活的向往就是我们的奋斗目标，抓改革、促发展，归根到底是为了让人民过上更好的日子。新时代以来，全面深化改革既立足于当前解决急难愁盼问题，又着眼于长远促进社会公平正义，既致力于物质生活水平的改善，又着力于精神生活境界的提升，发展模式的创新不断让改革成果更多更公平惠及全体人民。

Where the people call, reform responds. Enhancing the people’s well-being is the value orientation and fundamental criterion for all our Party’s work, and it is also the inevitable choice for ensuring that comprehensive and deepening reform conforms to reality, is implemented effectively, and achieves tangible results. Ensuring and improving people’s livelihoods through development is a major task of Chinese-path modernization. The main factor currently constraining the people’s need for a better life is unbalanced and inadequate development. Comprehensive and deepening reform, which takes enhancing the people’s well-being as its starting point and ultimate goal, differs from the early reform strategy of “letting some people and some regions get rich first, with the rich driving the poor.” It firmly chooses to advance the whole people toward common prosperity through Chinese-path modernization.

人民有所呼，改革有所应。增进人民福祉是我们党做好一切工作的价值取向和根本标准，也是全面深化改革符合实际、落到实处、取得实效的必然选择。在发展中保障和改善民生是中国式现代化的重大任务。当前制约人民美好生活需要的主要因素是发展的不平衡、不充分，以增进人民福祉为出发点和落脚点的全面深化改革，不同于初期“让一部分人、一部分地区先富起来，先富带动后富”的改革策略，坚定地选择以中国式现代化推进全体人民走向共同富裕。

Chinese-path modernization must, in the process of the people’s continuous enrichment, advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. It must adopt new development ideas, strategies, and models, and, focusing on prominent issues of concern to the masses such as income distribution, education, employment, social security, elderly care and childcare, medical and health care, housing security, and environmental governance, solidly and effectively introduce a batch of reform measures. In the New Era, amid comprehensive, deep-seated, and fundamental comprehensive and deepening reform, we must continuously strengthen the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security.

中国式现代化要在人民不断富裕的进程中，推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化。要以新的发展思路、发展战略、发展模式，围绕收入分配、教育、就业、社会保障、养老托育、医疗卫生、住房保障、环境治理等群众关心的突出问题，扎实有效地推出一批改革举措。新时代，要在全方位、深层次、根本性的全面深化改革中，不断增强人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗