Firmly Grasp the Starting Point and Foothold of Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed that further deepening reform comprehensively should “take promoting social fairness and justice and enhancing the well-being of the people as its starting point and foothold.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Seminar on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China” (February 7, 2023). This both clarifies the logical starting point of further deepening reform comprehensively and elucidates its fundamental purpose. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Reform has meaning only when it is for the

党的二十届三中全会提出，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”。这既明确了进一步全面深化改革的逻辑起点，又阐明了进一步全面深化改革的根本目的。习近平总书记指出：“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。”深入学习贯彻党的二十届三中全会精神，进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化，就要牢牢把握进一步全面深化改革的出发点和落脚点，使改革的初衷、过程和结果更加符合人民的期望和需求，不断促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉。

Deeply Understand the Great Significance of Promoting Social Fairness and Justice and Enhancing the Wellbeing of the People

深刻认识促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉的重大意义

The people are the creators of history and the fundamental force determining the future and destiny of the Party and the state. The fundamental purpose of our Party uniting and leading the people in revolution, construction, and reform is to ensure the people live a good life. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken social development as an important component of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, closely centering on deepening reform to promote social fairness and justice and enhance the wellbeing of the people. It has continuously exerted efforts in ensuring access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, elderly care, housing, and social assistance, and has introduced a series of major reform measures in areas such as income distribution, employment, education, social security, medical and health care, and housing security, thereby making the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security more substantial, more guaranteed, and more sustainable. Taking the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people's wellbeing as the starting point and focal point of further deepening reform comprehensively is an inevitable requirement for adhering to the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, an inherent requirement for advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization, and it highlights the value orientation of further deepening reform comprehensively.

人民是历史的创造者，是决定党和国家前途命运的根本力量。我们党团结带领人民进行革命、建设、改革，根本目的就是为了让人民过上好日子。新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央将社会建设作为统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局的重要内容，紧紧围绕促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉深化改革，在幼有所育、学有所教、劳有所得、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居、弱有所扶上持续用力，在收入分配、就业、教育、社会保障、医疗卫生、住房保障等方面推出一系列重大改革举措，推动人民获得感、幸福感、安全感更加充实、更有保障、更可持续。把促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉作为进一步全面深化改革的出发点和落脚点，是坚持全心全意为人民服务根本宗旨的必然要求，是推进和拓展中国式现代化的内在要求，彰显了进一步全面深化改革的价值取向。

An inevitable requirement for adhering to the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: "The

坚持全心全意为人民服务根本宗旨的必然要求。习近平总书记指出：“为什么人的问题，是检验一个政党、一个政权性质的试金石。”全心全意为人民服务，是我们党区别于其他一切政党的根本标志。我们党之所以能够得到人民拥护，中国特色社会主义之所以能够得到人民支持，正是因为造福了人民。我们党之所以能够发展壮大，中国特色社会主义之所以能够不断前进，正是因为依靠了人民。为中国人民谋幸福，为中华民族谋复兴，是中国共产党人的初心和使命，也是改革开放的初心和使命。进一步全面深化改革，要把为人民谋幸福作为检验改革成效的标准，让改革发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民。

The inherent requirement for advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Chinese-path modernization is the cause of all the Chinese people; it must rely closely on the people and gather the infinite wisdom and strength that reside among the people.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Seminar on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China” (February 7, 2023). Whether a path of modernization can ultimately be traversed and maintained steadily hinges on whether it adheres to a people-centered approach. Only by responding to the people’s aspiration for a better life, striving to achieve material prosperity, political clarity, spiritual abundance, social stability, and ecological livability, and ensuring that the fruits of Chinese-path modernization benefit all the people more and more equitably, can we gather the mighty force to build a modern socialist country in all respects. To further deepen reform comprehensively and advance Chinese-path modernization inevitably requires gathering the infinite wisdom and strength that reside among the people. It must start from solving the issues of the most direct and practical concern to the masses, focus on creating a more just and equitable social environment, use more reform achievements to enhance the people’s well-being, and thereby endow Chinese-path modernization with the most reliable, deepest, and most enduring source of strength.

推进和拓展中国式现代化的内在要求。习近平总书记指出：“中国式现代化是全体中国人民的事业，必须紧紧依靠人民，汇聚蕴藏在人民中的无穷智慧和力量”。现代化道路最终能否走得通、行得稳，关键要看是否坚持以人民为中心。顺应人民对美好生活的向往，努力实现物质富裕、政治清明、精神富足、社会安定、生态宜人，让中国式现代化建设成果更多更公平地惠及全体人民，才能凝聚起全面建设社会主义现代化国家的磅礴伟力。进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化，必然要求汇聚蕴藏在人民中的无穷智慧和力量，必须从解决群众最关心最直接最现实的利益问题切入，着眼创造更加公平正义的社会环境，用更多的改革成果来增进人民福祉，使中国式现代化拥有最可靠、最深厚、最持久的力量源泉。

Manifesting the value orientation of further deepening reform comprehensively. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Pursuing reform and promoting development, in the final analysis, is for the people to live a better life.” [2]2 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Symposium on Deepening Reform and Opening Up” (April 21, 2023). “For whom” and “rely on whom” are major issues concerning the value orientation of further deepening reform comprehensively. The fundamental reason why reform and opening up has won the heartfelt support and active participation of the broad masses of the people is that, from the very beginning, we deeply rooted the cause of reform and opening up among the masses of the people. Practice has fully demonstrated that only by firmly grasping the value orientation of reform and ensuring that reform always adheres to being for the people and relying on the people can we lead the people in pushing reform forward. Only by taking the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people’s well-being as the starting point and focal point of further deepening reform comprehensively can we firmly grasp the value orientation, achieve that everything is for the people and everything relies on the people, that wherever the people call for reform, reform responds, and ensure that reform is for the people, reform relies on the people, and the fruits of reform are shared by the people.

彰显进一步全面深化改革的价值取向。习近平总书记指出：“抓改革、促发展，归根到底就是为了让人民过上更好的日子。”“为了谁”“依靠谁”是关系进一步全面深化改革价值取向的重大问题。改革开放之所以得到广大人民群众的衷心拥护和积极参与，最根本的原因在于我们一开始就使改革开放事业深深扎根于人民群众之中。实践充分表明，牢牢把握改革价值取向，确保改革始终坚持为了人民、依靠人民，才能带领人民把改革推向前进。只有把促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉作为进一步全面深化改革的出发点和落脚点，才能把牢价值取向，做到一切为了人民、一切依靠人民，人民有所呼、改革有所应，确保改革为了人民、改革依靠人民、改革成果由人民共享。

Promoting social fairness and justice and enhancing the people’s well-being requires handling several relationships well

促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉需要处理好几个关系

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must implement reform implementation with the spirit of driving a nail, being both proactive and solidly steady, clarifying priorities, grasping the timing, intensity, and effectiveness, doing our best within our capabilities, and not departing from reality.” [3]3 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Economic Work Conference” (December 11-12, 2023). Further deepening reform comprehensively is a complex systemic project. Promoting social fairness and justice and enhancing the people’s well-being requires advancing reforms in all aspects in an all-round, whole-process, broad-field, and multi-level manner. To promote social fairness and justice and enhance the people’s well-being in the course of further deepening reform comprehensively, the following relationships need to be handled well.

习近平总书记强调：“要以钉钉子精神抓改革落实，既要积极主动，更要扎实稳健，明确优先序，把握时度效，尽力而为、量力而行，不能脱离实际。”进一步全面深化改革是一项复杂的系统工程，促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉需要全方位、全过程、宽领域、多层次推进各方面改革。在进一步全面深化改革中促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉，需要处理好以下几个关系。

Handle the relationship between doing one’s best and acting within one’s capabilities. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Adhere to doing one’s best and acting within one’s capabilities, go deep among the masses and to the grassroots, adopt more measures that benefit people’s livelihoods and warm people’s hearts, and work hard to solve the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the people.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, “Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China” (October 16, 2022). Livelihood work directly meets the people and accounts to them; there is no room for falsehood. It requires both active effort and action within one’s capabilities; promises made must be fulfilled. To promote social fairness and justice and enhance the people’s well-being, we must adhere to the dialectical unity of doing one’s best and acting within one’s capabilities. For prominent issues that the masses strongly reflect upon, we must make great efforts to tackle the “hard bones,” resolutely reform and reform immediately, and use greater intensity and more concrete measures to give the people a greater sense of gain. At the same time, we must base ourselves on China’s basic national conditions, coordinate needs and possibilities, and build the enhancement of the people’s well-being on the basis of economic development and sustainable financial resources, without departing from reality or making promises that cannot be fulfilled.

处理好尽力而为和量力而行的关系。习近平总书记强调：“坚持尽力而为、量力而行，深入群众、深入基层，采取更多惠民生、暖民心举措，着力解决好人民群众急难愁盼问题”。民生工作直接同老百姓见面、对账，来不得半点虚假，既要积极而为，又要量力而行，承诺了的就要兑现。促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉，要坚持尽力而为和量力而行的辩证统一。对人民群众反映强烈的突出问题要下大力气啃“硬骨头”，坚决改、马上改，以更大的力度、更实的举措让人民群众有更多获得感。同时，又要立足我国基本国情，统筹需要和可能，把增进人民福祉建立在经济发展和财力可持续的基础之上，不能脱离实际，作兑现不了的承诺。

Handle the relationship between reform, development, and stability. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Correctly handle the relationship between reform, development, and stability.” [5]5 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Conference on Comprehensively Deepening Reform” (December 30, 2013). If the intensity of reform is too great or too small, or the speed is too fast or too slow, it will affect the pace of development and the degree of social affordability. To thoroughly implement the strategic deployment of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party, we must unify the intensity of reform, the speed of development, and the degree of social affordability, and take improving the people’s lives as an important joint point for correctly handling the relationship between reform, development, and stability. To promote social fairness and justice and enhance the people’s well-being, we must both forge ahead with determination, act immediately, and grasp and handle matters promptly, identify the people’s thoughts, hopes, worries, and urgent needs, and formulate and implement targeted reform measures; and we must also grasp the overall situation, assess the times, balance considerations, and implement scientifically, avoiding rashness and impetuosity, handling one matter after another, and working year after year.

处理好改革发展稳定的关系。习近平总书记强调：“正确处理改革发展稳定关系”。改革力度过大或者过小、速度过快或者过慢，都会影响发展速度和社会可承受程度。深入贯彻落实党的二十届三中全会的战略部署，要把改革的力度、发展的速度和社会可承受的程度统一起来，把改善人民生活作为正确处理改革发展稳定关系的重要结合点。促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉，既要锐意进取、立说立行、紧抓快办，找准群众所思所盼所忧所急，制定实施有针对性的改革举措；又要把握大局、审时度势、统筹兼顾、科学实施，避免急躁冒进，一件事情接着一件事情办，一年接着一年干。

Handle well the relationship between overall advancement and breakthroughs at key points. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that further deepening reform comprehensively “must both continue to work hard on the comprehensive aspect, so that reform measures comprehensively cover the prominent issues that need to be resolved in advancing Chinese-path modernization; and must persistently exert effort on the deepening aspect, highlighting the economic system as the key point, and striving to remove deep-seated institutional and structural contradictions.” [6]6 “Ox’s nose” (牛鼻子) is a Chinese idiom meaning the key or crucial point that, once grasped, leads to the resolution of a larger problem. In any work, we must both address the theory of two points and the theory of key points, both focus on overall planning and grasp the “ox’s nose.” [7]7 The “theory of two points” (两点论) and “theory of key points” (重点论) are dialectical-materialist principles: the former emphasizes seeing both aspects of a contradiction, the latter stresses identifying the principal aspect. Promoting social fairness and justice and enhancing the well-being of the people involves work in all aspects; we must adhere to the mutual promotion of overall advancement and breakthroughs at key points. We must adhere to a systemic perspective, coordinate all aspects, all levels, all elements, and all groups, plan reform ideas and formulate reform measures from the perspective of the people’s overall interests, fundamental interests, and long-term interests, be adept at calculating the big picture, the total picture, and the long-term picture, and enhance the systemic, holistic, and synergistic nature of reform. At the same time, we must grasp the key points, identify the focal points and breakthroughs for reform from the people’s urgent concerns and difficulties, start from the things the masses most look forward to, start reforming from the things the masses are most dissatisfied with, and properly resolve the issues of most direct and practical concern to the people.

处理好整体推进和重点突破的关系。习近平总书记强调，进一步全面深化改革“既要继续在全面上下功夫，使改革举措全面覆盖推进中国式现代化需要解决的突出问题；又要持续在深化上用实劲，突出经济体制这个重点，着力破除深层次体制机制障碍和结构性矛盾”。在任何工作中，我们既要讲两点论，又要讲重点论，既要注重总体谋划，又要注重牵住“牛鼻子”。促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉，涉及方方面面工作，要坚持整体推进和重点突破相促进。要坚持系统观念，统筹各个方面、各个层次、各个要素、各类群体，从人民的整体利益、根本利益、长远利益出发谋划改革思路、制定改革举措，善于算大账、总账、长远账，增强改革系统性、整体性、协同性。同时要抓住重点，从老百姓急难愁盼中找准改革的发力点和突破口，从群众最期盼的事情做起，从群众最不满意的地方改起，解决好人民群众最关心最直接最现实的利益问题。

Let the fruits of reform and development benefit all the people more and more fairly

让改革发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “In the process of comprehensively deepening reform, when encountering complex and difficult-to-weigh interest issues, we must seriously think about what the actual situation of the masses is? What exactly are the masses expecting? How are the interests of the masses to be safeguarded? Are the masses satisfied with our reform?” On the new journey, the arduousness and complexity of reform and development are unprecedented, the needs of the people present characteristics of diversity, multi-levels, and multiple aspects, and the situation facing the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people’s well-being is more complex and the tasks are heavier. We must deeply implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party, [8]8 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in July 2024, focused on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese-path modernization. adhere to the people-centered development thought, identify the focal points and breakthroughs for reform from the focus of the people’s attention and the difficulties of the people’s lives, transform the list of problems of the people’s urgent concerns into a list of reform responsibilities and tasks, introduce more reform measures that address urgent livelihood needs and popular aspirations, practically solve difficulties for the masses, and effectively enhance the precision, targeting, and effectiveness of reform.

习近平总书记指出：“在全面深化改革进程中，遇到关系复杂、难以权衡的利益问题，要认真想一想群众实际情况究竟怎样？群众到底在期待什么？群众利益如何保障？群众对我们的改革是否满意？”新征程上，改革发展的艰巨性和复杂性前所未有，人民群众的需求呈现多样化多层次多方面的特点，促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉面临的形势更加复杂、任务更加繁重。我们要深入贯彻落实党的二十届三中全会精神，坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，从人民群众关注的焦点、百姓生活的难点中找准改革的发力点和突破口，把人民群众急难愁盼的问题清单转化为改革的责任清单、任务清单，多推出一些民生所急、民心所向的改革举措，实打实为群众排忧解难，切实提升改革的精准性、针对性、实效性。

Adhere to reform for the people. Where the people call, reform responds. Taking the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people’s well-being as the starting point and foothold for further deepening reform comprehensively, we must follow the mass line of the Party in the New Era well, so that the ideas and measures of reform align with the wishes and demands of the people. We must adhere to coming from the masses and going to the masses, always maintain the flesh-and-blood connection between the Party and the masses, understand the people’s conditions, grasp the people’s will, take the “greatest common divisor” of public opinion as an important basis for further deepening reform comprehensively, implement reform measures recognized and supported by the people, ensure the scientificity, fairness, and feasibility of reform measures, allow reform to take root more deeply and broadly among the people, and always advance in the correct direction.

坚持改革为了人民。人民有所呼，改革有所应。以促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉为出发点和落脚点进一步全面深化改革，必须走好新时代党的群众路线，使改革的思路与举措契合人民群众的愿望与诉求。要坚持从群众中来，到群众中去，时刻保持党同人民群众的血肉联系，了解民情、掌握民意，把民意的“最大公约数”作为进一步全面深化改革的重要依据，实施人民所认同、所拥护的改革举措，确保改革措施的科学性、公平性和可行性，让改革更深入、更广泛地扎根在人民群众之中，始终朝着正确的方向前进。

Adhere to reform relying on the people. The people are the true heroes, the source of our strength, and the main body in advancing reform. Taking the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people’s well-being as the starting point and foothold for further deepening reform comprehensively, we must unswervingly rely on the people, respect the people’s principal position and pioneering spirit, fully mobilize the people’s enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity, stimulate the masses’ enthusiasm for participating in reform, smooth the channels for the masses to participate in reform, improve the mechanisms for the masses to participate in reform, promptly summarize the fresh experiences created by the masses, draw nutrients from the practice and wisdom of the people, build the broadest consensus on reform to the greatest extent, stimulate the greatest strength for reform to the greatest degree, and continuously inject strong momentum into further deepening reform comprehensively. We must adhere to taking whether the people support, approve, are happy, or agree as the basis for formulating reform policies, and let the people evaluate the effectiveness of reform.

坚持改革依靠人民。人民群众是真正的英雄，是我们力量的源泉，也是推进改革的主体。以促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉为出发点和落脚点进一步全面深化改革，就要坚定不移依靠人民群众，尊重人民主体地位和首创精神，充分调动人民群众的积极性、主动性和创造性，激发群众参与改革的热情、畅通群众参与改革的渠道、健全群众参与改革的机制，及时总结群众创造的新鲜经验，从人民群众的实践与智慧中汲取养分，最大范围凝聚改革共识，最大程度激发改革力量，为进一步全面深化改革持续注入强劲动力。要坚持把人民拥护不拥护、赞成不赞成、高兴不高兴、答应不答应作为制定改革政策的依据，让人民群众来评价改革的成效。

Adhere to the fruits of reform being shared by the people. The plan for people’s livelihood lies in stabilizing the people, enriching the people, and delighting the people. Taking the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people’s well-being as the starting point and foothold for further deepening reform comprehensively, we must follow the laws of the development of people’s livelihood undertakings, always keep the safety and warmth of the masses in mind, improve the basic public service system, strengthen inclusive, basic, and bottom-line livelihood construction, secure, secure accurately, and secure firmly the bottom line of basic livelihood, strive to narrow regional gaps, urban-rural gaps, and income gaps, and continuously promote the equalization of basic public services. We must improve the income distribution system, improve the employment-first policy, perfect the social security system, deepen the reform of the medical and health system, perfect the population development support and service system, continuously expand the scope of beneficiaries of reform, solidly advance common prosperity, enable the people to have a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security, and continuously meet the people’s aspirations for a better life.

坚持改革成果由人民共享。民生之计，在于安民、富民、乐民。以促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉为出发点和落脚点进一步全面深化改革，要遵循民生事业发展规律，时刻把群众安危冷暖放在心上，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，兜住、兜准、兜牢基本民生底线，着力缩小地区差距、城乡差距和收入差距，持续推进基本公共服务均等化。要完善收入分配制度，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，不断扩大改革受益面，扎实推进共同富裕，让人民群众有更多获得感、幸福感、安全感，不断满足人民对美好生活的向往。

[Author’s unit: Institute of Social Development, China Academy of Macroeconomic Research]

【作者单位：中国宏观经济研究院社会发展研究所】

Online editor: Ma Jingren

网络编辑：马京仁