Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively Must Follow the Major Principle of the "Six Upholds"

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC pointed out that we must summarize and apply the valuable experience of reform and opening up, especially the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era, and implement the following principles: upholding the Party's comprehensive leadership, upholding a people-centered approach, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, taking institutional building as the main thread, upholding law-based governance in all respects, and upholding the systems concept. These major principles of the "Six Upholds" are not only a scientific summary of the valuable experience of reform and opening up, especially the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era, but also a major achievement of our Party in continuously deepening its understanding of the laws governing reform. They are of great guiding significance for enhancing the scientific nature, foresight, initiative, and creativity of further comprehensively deepening reform, and for promoting the steady and long-term progress of reform.

党的二十届三中全会指出，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，贯彻以下原则：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。这“六个坚持”重大原则既是对改革开放以来特别是新时代全面深化改革宝贵经验的科学总结，也是我们党不断深化对改革的规律性认识的重大成果，对于增强进一步全面深化改革的科学性、预见性、主动性、创造性，推动改革行稳致远，具有重大指导意义。

Upholding the Party's Comprehensive Leadership

坚持党的全面领导

In contemporary China, the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the greatest strength of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The Communist Party of China is the highest political leadership force, and upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is the highest political principle. The Party must exercise leadership over everything in all sectors—Party, government, military, civilian, academic, east, west, south, north, and center. The Party's leadership is comprehensive, systematic, and holistic; consistently embedding the Party's leadership throughout the entire process and in all aspects of reform is the fundamental guarantee for the smooth progress and historic achievements of comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era. The Party's leadership directly determines the fundamental direction, future, and ultimate success or failure of Chinese-path modernization. Therefore, to advance Chinese-path modernization, we must unwaveringly uphold the Party's comprehensive leadership. To further comprehensively deepen reform, we must uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over the comprehensive deepening of reform, deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments,"[1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee (November 2013) focused on comprehensively deepening reform; the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee (October 2014) focused on comprehensively advancing law-based governance. The "companion pieces" metaphor highlights their complementary and sequential relationship. enhance the "Four Consciousnesses,"[2]2 Xi Jinping, "Explanatory Notes on the 'CPC Central Committee Decision on Comprehensively Advancing Law-Based Governance'" (2014). strengthen the "Four Confidences,"[3]3 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Second Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection" (2013). and achieve the "Two Upholds,"[4]4 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Celebration of the 65th Anniversary of the National People's Congress" (2014). thereby providing the fundamental political guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and continuously writing a new chapter in further comprehensively deepening reform on the new journey of the New Era.

在当代中国，中国特色社会主义最本质的特征是中国共产党领导，中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势是中国共产党领导。中国共产党是最高政治领导力量，坚持党中央集中统一领导是最高政治原则。党政军民学、东西南北中，党是领导一切的。党的领导是全面的、系统的、整体的，始终把党的领导贯穿改革各方面全过程是新时代全面深化改革顺利进行并取得历史性成就的根本保证。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。因此，推进中国式现代化必须毫不动摇地坚持党的全面领导，进一步全面深化改革，必须坚持党中央对全面深化改革的集中统一领导，深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”，坚定“四个自信”，做到“两个维护”，为进一步全面深化改革提供根本政治保障，不断谱写新时代新征程进一步全面深化改革新篇章。

Upholding a People-Centered Approach

坚持以人民为中心

"The country is the people, and the people are the country." Since reform and opening up, especially in the New Era, the Party has taken seeking happiness for the people as the yardstick for testing the effectiveness of reform and opening up. Behind the magnificent reform process of the New Era, "the people" are both the logical starting point and the value destination. Grasping reform and promoting development ultimately aim to enable the people to live a better life. To further comprehensively deepen reform, we must adhere to the value concept of putting the people first and highlight the people-centered nature of the direction of Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated that reform should focus on and advance whatever the people care about and look forward to. Reform carried out for the people is meaningful; reform relying on the people has momentum. Further comprehensively deepening reform must take promoting social fairness and justice and enhancing the well-being of the people as the starting point and ultimate goal, embed the fundamental stance and value pursuit of a people-centered approach throughout the entire reform process, plan and advance reform from the perspective of the people's overall interests, fundamental interests, and long-term interests, and continuously achieve more marked substantive progress in promoting the well-rounded development of people and common prosperity for all. Only then can reform win the support and endorsement of the masses, and can Chinese-path modernization obtain a powerful source of momentum.

“江山就是人民，人民就是江山。”改革开放特别是新时代以来，党把为人民谋幸福作为检验改革开放成效的标尺。新时代波澜壮阔的改革进程背后，“人民”是逻辑起点，也是价值旨归。抓改革、促发展，归根到底就是为了让人民过上更好的日子。进一步全面深化改革，就要坚持人民至上的价值理念，突出中国式现代化方向的人民性。习近平总书记多次提出，老百姓关心什么、期盼什么，改革就要抓住什么、推进什么。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。进一步全面深化改革要以促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉为出发点和落脚点，把以人民为中心的根本立场和价值追求贯穿改革始终，从人民整体利益、根本利益、长远利益出发谋划和推进改革，在推动人的全面发展、全体人民共同富裕上不断取得更为明显的实质性进展，改革才能得到人民群众的拥护和支持，中国式现代化才能获得强大动力源泉。

Upholding Fundamental Principles and Breaking New Ground

坚持守正创新

Upholding fundamental principles means adhering to the correct path that conforms to the laws of historical development, fearing no risks and being disturbed by no distractions. Breaking new ground means using fearless courage and boldness to change reality, clear away obstacles, advance along the logic of historical progress, and follow the trend of the times. Only by upholding fundamental principles can we avoid losing our direction and making subversive mistakes; only by breaking new ground can we grasp the times and lead the times. Chinese-path modernization is a broad path to building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation, successfully opened up by our Party uniting and leading the people through long-term exploration. No matter how reform proceeds, fundamental things such as upholding the Party's comprehensive leadership, upholding Marxism, upholding the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and upholding the people's democratic dictatorship must never be shaken. At the same time, we must dare to innovate, properly reform what should and can be reformed, and unswervingly grasp it once we are sure. In November 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the first meeting of the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform of the 19th Central Committee, using three "must not change" to define the direction of reform: "No matter what is reformed or how far the reform goes, the Party's centralized and unified leadership over reform must not change; the overall goal of improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity must not change; and the people-centered value orientation of reform must not change."

守正就是要坚守符合历史发展规律的正确道路，不为任何风险所惧，不为任何干扰所惑。创新就是要以一往无前的胆魄和勇气变革现实、扫除障碍，沿着历史前进的逻辑前进、顺应时代发展的潮流发展。守正才能不迷失方向、不犯颠覆性错误，创新才能把握时代、引领时代。中国式现代化是我们党团结带领人民经过长期探索成功开辟的强国建设、民族复兴的康庄大道。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，同时要敢于创新，把该改的、能改的改好、改到位，看准了就坚定不移抓。2017年11月，习近平总书记主持召开十九届中央全面深化改革领导小组第一次会议，以三个“不能变”标定改革方向：“无论改什么、改到哪一步，坚持党对改革的集中统一领导不能变，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总目标不能变，坚持以人民为中心的改革价值取向不能变。”

Taking Institutional Building as the Main Thread

坚持以制度建设为主线

Institutional advantage is a country's greatest advantage; institutional competition is the most fundamental competition between countries. When institutions are stable, the country is stable; when institutions are strong, the country is strong. The socialist system with Chinese characteristics embodies the major achievements and historical experience gained by the Party leading the people, carries the Party's political ideals, political goals, political program, strategies, and tactics, reflects the essential characteristics of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and is an advanced system with Chinese characteristics, obvious institutional advantages, and strong self-improvement capabilities. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has highlighted institutional building as the main thread of comprehensively deepening reform. To further comprehensively deepen reform, we must focus on this main thread of institutional building, strengthen top-level design and overall planning, promote both abolition and establishment while prioritizing establishment, consolidate foundations, enhance strengths, shore up weaknesses, and reinforce weak links. We must consolidate fundamental institutions, improve basic institutions, and innovate important institutions, promote the organic connection, systematic integration, coordination, and efficiency of various institutions, continuously improve the institutional framework, and build a system of institutions that is complete, scientifically standardized, and effectively operational. We must adapt to new trends in the development of the times, new requirements of practical development, and new expectations of the people. With firm determination to carry reform through to the end, we must not take detours or avoid difficulties, take real action and dare to tackle tough issues, further emancipate the mind, liberate and develop social productive forces, and liberate and enhance social vitality. We must resolutely break down ideological concepts and institutional and mechanistic drawbacks that hinder the advancement of Chinese-path modernization, strive to solve deep-seated institutional and mechanistic obstacles and structural contradictions, promote better alignment between relations of production and productive forces, between the superstructure and the economic base, and between national governance and social development, and organically combine deepening reform with institutional building. We must strive to form a dynamic situation of precise, coordinated, and sustained efforts to solidly advance Chinese-path modernization, use the new advantages of the "Chinese system" to propel "Chinese governance" to a new level, and continuously inject strong momentum into and provide a solid institutional guarantee for Chinese-path modernization.

制度优势是一个国家的最大优势，制度竞争是国家间最根本的竞争，制度稳则国家稳，制度强则国家强。中国特色社会主义制度凝结着党领导人民取得的重大成就和历史经验，承载着党的政治理想、政治目标、政治纲领、战略战术，体现着中国特色社会主义的本质特征，是具有中国特色、明显制度优势、强大自我完善能力的先进制度。党的十八大以来，我们党将制度建设作为全面深化改革的主线突出出来。进一步全面深化改革要围绕制度建设这条主线，加强顶层设计、总体谋划，破立并举、先立后破，固根基、扬优势、补短板、强弱项，筑牢根本制度，完善基本制度，创新重要制度，推动各方面制度有机衔接、系统集成、协同高效，不断健全制度框架，构建系统完备、科学规范、运行有效的制度体系。要顺应时代发展新趋势、实践发展新要求、人民群众新期待，以改革到底的坚强决心，不绕道、不回避，动真格、敢碰硬，进一步解放思想、解放和发展社会生产力、解放和增强社会活力，坚决破除妨碍推进中国式现代化的思想观念和体制机制弊端，着力破解深层次体制机制障碍和结构性矛盾，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，将深化改革与制度建设有机结合起来，努力形成精准发力、协同发力、持续发力、扎实推进中国式现代化的生动局面，以“中国之制”的新优势推动“中国之治”迈向新境界，不断为中国式现代化注入强劲动力、提供有力制度保障。

Upholding Law-Based Governance in All Respects

坚持全面依法治国

The relationship between reform and the rule of law is a concentrated expression of the dialectical relationship between comprehensively deepening reform and comprehensively governing the country by law. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, starting from the overall situation of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, has made a series of important expositions on correctly handling the relationship between reform and the rule of law, pointing out the direction and providing fundamental guidance for deepening reform and opening up and advancing law-based governance in all respects. Law-based governance is an essential requirement and important guarantee for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and an inevitable requirement for realizing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Comprehensively governing the country by law is a profound revolution in national governance, concerning the Party's governance and rejuvenation of the country, the happiness and well-being of the people, and the long-term stability and security of the Party and the state. We must better leverage the role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term, and comprehensively build a modern socialist country on the track of the rule of law.

改革和法治的关系是全面深化改革和全面依法治国辩证关系的集中体现。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央从坚持和发展中国特色社会主义全局出发，就正确处理改革和法治的关系作出一系列重要论述，为深化改革开放、推进全面依法治国指明了前进方向，提供了根本遵循。依法治国，是坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的本质要求和重要保障，是实现国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的必然要求。全面依法治国是国家治理的一场深刻革命，事关我们党执政兴国，事关人民幸福安康，事关党和国家长治久安。必须更好发挥法治固根本、稳预期、利长远的保障作用，在法治轨道上全面建设社会主义现代化国家。

Comprehensively deepening reform requires the safeguard of the rule of law, and comprehensively advancing law-based governance also requires deepening reform. We must persist in the unity and mutual promotion of reform and the rule of law, both giving play to the role of the rule of law in regulating and safeguarding reform, advancing reform under the rule of law, and strengthening the work of the rule of law through reform, achieving the improvement and reinforcement of the rule of law in the course of reform. The decisions of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC and the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC are companion pieces, embodying the dialectical unity of "breaking" and "establishing." [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee (November 2013) focused on comprehensively deepening reform; the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee (October 2014) focused on comprehensively advancing law-based governance. The "companion pieces" metaphor highlights their complementary and sequential relationship. Persist in advancing reform under the rule of law. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: "Persist in the unity and connection of reform decisions and legislative decisions, with legislation actively adapting to the needs of reform, actively playing the role of guiding, promoting, regulating, and safeguarding reform, ensuring that major reforms have legal basis, that reform and the rule of law advance in tandem, and enhancing the penetrating power of reform." [2]2 Xi Jinping, "Explanatory Notes on the 'CPC Central Committee Decision on Comprehensively Advancing Law-Based Governance'" (2014). "Throughout the entire reform process, we must attach great importance to using the thinking and methods of the rule of law, giving play to the leading and promoting role of the rule of law." [3]3 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Second Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection" (2013). Persist in perfecting the rule of law through reform. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: "The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is distinctive and efficient, but it is not yet perfect, mature, or finalized. The cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics continues to develop, and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics also needs continuous improvement." [4]4 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Celebration of the 65th Anniversary of the National People's Congress" (2014). Comprehensively advancing law-based governance is a long-term and major historical task, and also a profound social transformation. Practices proven effective through experience should be promptly elevated into law, confirming reform experiences and achievements in legislative form. Practices for which conditions are not yet mature and which require piloting first should be authorized according to statutory procedures. Persisting in comprehensively advancing law-based governance requires us to deepen reform and advance Chinese-path modernization on the track of the rule of law, achieving the unity of reform and the rule of law, ensuring major reforms have legal basis, and promptly elevating reform achievements into the legal system.

全面深化改革需要法治保障，全面推进依法治国也需要深化改革。必须坚持改革和法治相统一、相促进，既发挥法治规范和保障改革的作用，在法治下推进改革，又通过改革加强法治工作，做到在改革中完善和强化法治。党的十八届三中全会决定和党的十八届四中全会决定是姊妹篇，体现了“破”和“立”的辩证统一。坚持在法治下推进改革。习近平总书记指出：“坚持改革决策和立法决策相统一、相衔接，立法主动适应改革需要，积极发挥引导、推动、规范、保障改革的作用，做到重大改革于法有据，改革和法治同步推进，增强改革的穿透力。”“在整个改革过程中，都要高度重视运用法治思维和法治方式，发挥法治的引领和推动作用。”坚持在改革中完善法治。习近平总书记指出：“中国特色社会主义制度是特色鲜明、富有效率的，但还不是尽善尽美、成熟定型的。中国特色社会主义事业不断发展，中国特色社会主义制度也需要不断完善。”全面依法治国是一项长期而重大的历史任务，也是一场深刻的社会变革。实践证明行之有效的，要及时上升为法律，以立法形式确认改革经验和成果。实践条件还不成熟、需要先行先试的，要按照法定程序作出授权。坚持全面依法治国，要求我们在法治轨道上深化改革、推进中国式现代化，做到改革和法治相统一，重大改革于法有据、及时把改革成果上升为法律制度。

Upholding the principle of systemic thinking

坚持系统观念

Since the New Era, reform has entered a critical period and a deep-water zone, more often confronting deep-seated institutional and mechanistic issues. Advancing reform, development, and adjusting interest relations often affect the whole if one part is touched. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes that "piecemeal adjustments will not work, nor will fragmented repairs; what is needed is comprehensive, systemic reform and improvement, the linkage and integration of reforms and improvements across all fields." [5]5 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Second Plenary Session of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee" (2014). The deeper reform goes, the more it needs to be planned and advanced with an overall perspective and systemic thinking. To further comprehensively deepen reform, we must uphold the principle of systemic thinking; this is a requirement of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and also a requirement of the practice of comprehensively deepening reform. Upholding systemic thinking in advancing reform requires us to proceed from the overall situation of reform, seeing the overall problems of reform, while also paying attention to the specific issues of reform; to focus on the immediate problems of reform while also keeping an eye on the long-term issues of reform; to view reforms in various fields as an indivisible organic whole, while also finding the internal connections between different fields of reform. Further comprehensively deepening reform is a complex systemic project, requiring the strengthening of top-level design and overall planning, and the strengthening of research into the interconnectedness, systemic nature, and feasibility of various reforms. To further comprehensively deepen reform, we must uphold the principle of systemic thinking, correctly handle the five major relationships, namely, the relationships between economy and society, government and market, efficiency and fairness, vitality and order, and development and security. We must identify the main direction and focal points of reform from the contradictory movement of the unity of opposites, promoting these major relationships to become more balanced and coordinated, more complementary and mutually reinforcing, enhancing the systemic nature, wholeness, and synergy of reform.

新时代以来，改革进入攻坚期和深水区，更多面对的是深层次体制机制问题，推进改革发展、调整利益关系往往牵一发而动全身。习近平总书记强调“零敲碎打调整不行，碎片化修补也不行，必须是全面的系统的改革和改进，是各领域改革和改进的联动和集成”。改革越深入，越需要以全局观念和系统思维来谋划推进。进一步全面深化改革必须坚持系统观念，这是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论的要求，也是全面深化改革实践的要求。在推进改革中坚持系统观念，要求我们既要从改革的整体出发，看到改革的整体问题，又要注重改革的具体问题；既要关注改革的眼前问题，又要着眼改革的长远问题；既要把各个领域的改革看成不可分割的有机整体，又要找到改革不同领域的内在联系。进一步全面深化改革是一项复杂的系统工程，需要加强顶层设计和整体谋划，加强各项改革关联性、系统性、可行性研究。进一步全面深化改革必须坚持系统观念，要正确处理好五个方面的重大关系，即处理好经济和社会、政府和市场、效率和公平、活力和秩序、发展和安全等重大关系，要从对立统一的矛盾运动中找准改革的主攻方向和发力点，促进这些重大关系更加平衡协调，更加相辅相成、相得益彰，增强改革的系统性、整体性、协同性。

Online Editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗