Better Leveraging the Role of Economic System Reform in Driving High-Quality Development

Reform and opening up is the driving force behind China’s economic and social development. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally led, personally deployed, and personally promoted the work of comprehensively deepening reform, profoundly grasped the laws of reform, and applied the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to creatively put forward a series of new ideas, new viewpoints, and new judgments on comprehensively deepening reform, many of which are included in the first volume of *Selected Economic Works of Xi Jinping*. For example, the “Explanation of the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform” [1]1 A document from the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC (2013), outlining the framework for comprehensive reforms. points out: “Facing the new situation and new tasks, we must, through comprehensively deepening reform, focus on solving a series of prominent contradictions and problems facing China’s development, and continuously promote the self-improvement and development of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics”; “The General Principle of Making Progress While Maintaining Stability Is the Methodology for Doing Economic Work Well” [2]2 A speech by Xi Jinping on the methodology of economic work, emphasizing stability and progress. points out: “We must actively promote comprehensively deepening reform, adhere to a problem-oriented approach, have the courage to innovate and break through, and use reform to promote development, transform the growth model and adjust the structure, and improve people’s livelihoods”; “Several Major Theoretical and Practical Issues in Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform” [3]3 A theoretical article by Xi Jinping addressing key issues in further reform. points out: “Reform is a process of breaking the old and establishing the new; breaking is the means, and establishing is the goal”; and so on. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions provide the fundamental guidance for further comprehensively deepening reform on the new journey of the New Era.

改革开放是我国经济社会发展的动力。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记亲自领导、亲自部署、亲自推动全面深化改革工作，深刻把握改革规律，运用马克思主义的立场观点方法，创造性提出关于全面深化改革的一系列新思想新观点新论断，其中许多都收入到《习近平经济文选》第一卷中。比如，《关于〈中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定〉的说明》指出：“面对新形势新任务，我们必须通过全面深化改革，着力解决我国发展面临的一系列突出矛盾和问题，不断推进中国特色社会主义制度自我完善和发展”；《稳中求进工作总基调是做好经济工作的方法论》指出：“要积极推动全面深化改革，坚持问题导向，勇于突破创新，以改革促发展、促转方式调结构、促民生改善”；《进一步全面深化改革中的几个重大理论和实践问题》指出：“改革是一个破旧立新的过程，破是手段，立是目的”；等等。习近平总书记的重要论述，为新时代新征程进一步全面深化改革提供了根本遵循。

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [4]4 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in 2025, focused on planning for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. has made top-level design and strategic planning for economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period [5]5 The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), a national strategic plan for economic and social development.. The “Proposal” of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC puts forward important principles that must be followed for economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, including “adhering to comprehensively deepening reform,” requiring “focusing on the institutional and mechanistic obstacles that constrain high-quality development and advancing deep-seated reform”; it makes systematic arrangements for “accelerating the construction of a high-level socialist market economy system and enhancing the driving force for high-quality development,” proposing to “better leverage the leading role of economic system reform, improve the macroeconomic governance system, and ensure the steady and long-term progress of high-quality development.” At the second plenary meeting of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly demanded: “Further comprehensively deepen reform, strive to break down the institutional and mechanistic obstacles constraining high-quality development, and work hard to achieve new breakthroughs in key areas and key links.” To implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech and the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, it is necessary to deeply understand and accurately grasp the rich connotation and important significance of economic system reform, better leverage its leading role, and provide strong impetus and institutional guarantees for comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization with high-quality development.

党的二十届四中全会对“十五五”时期经济社会发展作出顶层设计和战略擘画。党的二十届四中全会《建议》提出了“十五五”时期经济社会发展必须遵循的重要原则，其中包括“坚持全面深化改革”，要求“聚焦制约高质量发展的体制机制障碍，推进深层次改革”；对“加快构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制，增强高质量发展动力”作出系统部署，提出“更好发挥经济体制改革牵引作用，完善宏观经济治理体系，确保高质量发展行稳致远”。习近平总书记在党的二十届四中全会第二次全体会议上明确要求：“进一步全面深化改革，着力破除制约高质量发展的体制机制障碍，努力在重点领域和关键环节取得新突破。”把习近平总书记重要讲话精神和党中央决策部署落到实处，要深刻理解、准确把握经济体制改革的丰富内涵和重要意义，更好发挥其牵引作用，为以高质量发展全面推进中国式现代化提供强大动力和制度保障。

Driving reform with economic system reform as the leading force can increase momentum and stimulate vitality for development.

以经济体制改革为牵引推动改革，能够为发展增动力、激活力

In “Deeply Studying and Understanding the Spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC” [6]6 A speech by Xi Jinping on studying the decisions of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC (2024)., General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “Planning and advancing reform around the Party’s central tasks is an important experience for the success of reform”; in the “Explanation of the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization” [7]7 A document explaining the rationale behind the reform decisions of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC., he points out: “Focus on leveraging the leading role of economic system reform.” These important expositions profoundly reveal the significant role and importance of reform for development, contain profound theoretical logic, historical logic, and practical logic, and provide scientific guidance for us to better leverage the leading role of economic system reform during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, focusing on solving the institutional and mechanistic obstacles constraining high-quality development to advance deep-seated reform.

习近平总书记在《深入学习领会党的二十届三中全会精神》中指出：“围绕党的中心任务谋划和推进改革，是改革取得成功的重要经验”；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》中指出：“注重发挥经济体制改革牵引作用。”这些重要论述，深刻揭示了改革对于发展的重大作用和重大意义，蕴含着深刻的理论逻辑、历史逻辑、实践逻辑，为我们在“十五五”时期更好发挥经济体制改革牵引作用，聚焦解决制约高质量发展的体制机制障碍推进深层次改革提供了科学指引。

From the perspective of theoretical logic, driving reform with economic system reform as the leading force reveals the deep relationship between reform and development using the Marxist worldview and methodology. Productive forces determine relations of production, and the economic base determines the superstructure; at the same time, relations of production react upon productive forces, and the superstructure reacts upon the economic base. This is a basic Marxist viewpoint and also reveals the internal connection and dialectical relationship between reform and development. Reform is to adjust and optimize relations of production and the superstructure according to the needs of the development of productive forces, thereby liberating and developing social productive forces, and stimulating and enhancing social vitality. Deeply grasping the internal connection and dialectical relationship between reform and development is an important experience of our Party in leading reform and development to achieve major achievements. Promoting economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period through further comprehensively deepening reform involves a wide range of fields; it cannot be done without priorities or distinctions, but should closely revolve around the principal contradiction and central tasks, prioritize solving the principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction, and thereby drive the resolution of other contradictions. Economic work is the central work of the Party and the state, and economic system reform has an important transmission effect on reforms in other areas. In further comprehensively deepening reform, reforms in many fields require the leading drive of economic system reform to proceed more smoothly, and the progress of reforms in many aspects depends on the progress of economic system reform. This pioneering and foundational role of economic system reform determines its important impact of “a slight move in one part may affect the whole situation” [8]8 A Chinese idiom meaning that a small change in one part can affect the whole system.. Only by firmly grasping this “ox nose” [9]9 A Chinese metaphor for grasping the key or crucial point of a matter. and linking the promotion of economic and social development with high-quality development as the theme with the leading role of economic system reform can we better leverage the important role of reform and drive the overall improvement of the level of economic and social development through breakthroughs in key areas.

从理论逻辑看，以经济体制改革为牵引推动改革，以马克思主义的世界观和方法论揭示了改革和发展之间的深层关系。生产力决定生产关系、经济基础决定上层建筑，同时生产关系反作用于生产力、上层建筑反作用于经济基础，这是马克思主义的基本观点，也揭示了改革和发展的内在联系和辩证关系。改革就是根据生产力发展的需要，调整和优化生产关系及上层建筑，从而解放和发展社会生产力、激发和增强社会活力。深刻把握改革与发展的内在联系和辩证关系，是我们党领导改革发展取得重大成就的一条重要经验。以进一步全面深化改革推动“十五五”时期经济社会发展，涉及的领域很广，不能没有主次、不加区别，而应紧紧围绕主要矛盾和中心任务，优先解决主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面，以此带动其他矛盾的解决。经济工作是党和国家的中心工作，经济体制改革对其他方面改革具有重要传导作用。在进一步全面深化改革中，许多领域的改革都需要经济体制改革的牵引带动才能更加顺利地推进，也有很多方面体制改革的进度取决于经济体制改革的进度。经济体制改革的这种先导性、基础性作用，决定了它具有“牵一发而动全身”的重要影响。牢牢把握这个“牛鼻子”，把以高质量发展为主题推动经济社会发展同以经济体制改革为牵引贯通起来，才能更好发挥改革的重要作用，以重点突破带动经济社会发展水平整体跃升。

From the perspective of historical experience, continuously forming and developing institutional mechanisms that conform to contemporary Chinese reality and are full of vitality, with economic system reform as the leading force, is a valuable experience from the success of China’s reform and opening up. From the 14th National Congress of the CPC [10]10 The 14th National Congress of the CPC (1992) formally established the goal of a socialist market economy. clearly proposing the reform goal of establishing a socialist market economy system, to the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC [11]11 The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC (2013) set the agenda for comprehensive deepening of reforms. clarifying that “economic system reform is the focus of comprehensively deepening reform, and the core issue is to properly handle the relationship between the government and the market,” to the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC [12]12 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC (2019) focused on improving the socialist system and governance. further clarifying “giving full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and better leveraging the role of the government,” and then to the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [13]13 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC (2024) outlined further comprehensive reforms for Chinese-path modernization. proposing “taking economic system reform as the leading force, taking promoting social fairness and justice and enhancing the well-being of the people as the starting point and foothold, paying more attention to system integration, paying more attention to highlighting key points, and paying more attention to reform effectiveness,” our Party has highlighted the focus of economic system reform, leading reforms in various fields to deepen continuously, providing a solid institutional guarantee for creating the “two miracles” [14]14 The “two miracles” refer to China’s rapid economic growth and long-term social stability., and propelling China onto a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Practice has proven that firmly grasping the liberation and development of social productive forces to promote reform can provide a strong lead for reforms in other aspects. To promote economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period through further comprehensively deepening reform, we must adhere to and apply this experience well, focus on using reform methods to solve development problems, take economic system reform as the leading force, improve the macroeconomic governance system, enhance the momentum and vitality of high-quality development, and provide strong support for advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization.

从历史经验看，以经济体制改革为牵引不断形成和发展符合当代中国实际、充满活力的体制机制，是我国改革开放取得成功的一条宝贵经验。从党的十四大明确提出建立社会主义市场经济体制的改革目标，到党的十八届三中全会明确“经济体制改革是全面深化改革的重点，核心问题是处理好政府和市场的关系”、党的十九届四中全会进一步明确“充分发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，更好发挥政府作用”，再到党的二十届三中全会提出“以经济体制改革为牵引，以促进社会公平正义、增进人民福祉为出发点和落脚点，更加注重系统集成，更加注重突出重点，更加注重改革实效”，我们党突出经济体制改革这个重点，牵引各领域改革持续深化，为创造“两大奇迹”提供了坚实制度保障，推动我国迈上全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程。实践证明，紧紧扭住解放和发展社会生产力推动改革，就能为其他各方面改革提供强大牵引。以进一步全面深化改革推动“十五五”时期经济社会发展，必须坚持好运用好这条经验，注重运用改革办法破解发展难题，以经济体制改革为牵引，完善宏观经济治理体系，增强高质量发展动力活力，为推进和拓展中国式现代化提供强大支撑。

From the perspective of practical requirements, leveraging the leading role of economic system reform to ensure the implementation of landmark reform measures is an objective necessity for promoting high-quality development and better adapting to changes in the principal contradiction in society on the new journey. Since entering the New Era, China’s principal social contradiction has transformed, and the stage of economic development has also undergone historic changes, with the contradictions and problems in development concentrated in the quality of development. This requires us to place greater emphasis on and strive to improve the quality and efficiency of development. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, our Party unswervingly used economic system reform as the lead to advance comprehensive deepening of reform, further dismantling deep-seated institutional and structural barriers, thereby providing new opportunities, expanding new space, and shaping new momentum for economic development. China’s economic aggregate has successively crossed new thresholds, with growth rates ranking among the highest in major economies, and the balance, coordination, and sustainability of development have been significantly enhanced. On the new journey, China’s reform has entered a deep-water zone and a critical period, while the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development remains prominent. Effectively solving these problems requires taking real action and daring to tackle tough issues. To promote economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period through further comprehensively deepening reform, it is necessary to better leverage the leading role of economic system reform, further consolidate and expand advantages, break through bottlenecks and constraints, strengthen weak links and shortcomings, and better coordinate the effective improvement of quality with the reasonable growth of quantity. Only in this way can we continuously strengthen China’s economic strength, technological strength, and comprehensive national power, and better respond to the uncertainties of the external environment with the certainty of our own high-quality development.

从实践要求看，发挥经济体制改革牵引作用，推动标志性改革举措落地见效，是新征程上推动高质量发展、更好适应社会主要矛盾变化的客观要求。进入新时代，我国社会主要矛盾已经转化，经济发展阶段也在发生历史性变化，发展中的矛盾和问题集中体现在发展质量上。这就要求我们更加重视并着力提升发展质量和效益。“十四五”时期，我们党坚定不移以经济体制改革为牵引推动全面深化改革，进一步破解深层次体制机制障碍和结构性矛盾，为经济发展提供新机遇、拓展新空间、塑造新动能。我国经济总量连续跨越新关口，增速在主要经济体中位居前列，发展的平衡性、协调性、可持续性显著增强。新征程上，我国改革进入深水区、攻坚期，同时发展不平衡不充分问题仍然突出。有效解决这些问题，必须动真格、敢碰硬。以进一步全面深化改革推动“十五五”时期经济社会发展，必须更好发挥经济体制改革的牵引作用，进一步巩固拓展优势、破除瓶颈制约、补强短板弱项，更好统筹质的有效提升和量的合理增长。这样才能不断壮大我国经济实力、科技实力、综合国力，以自身高质量发展的确定性更好应对外部环境变化的不确定性。

Seize the key points, better leverage the leading role of economic system reform, and provide institutional guarantees for achieving significant results in high-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

抓住重点，更好发挥经济体制改革牵引作用，为“十五五”时期实现高质量发展取得显著成效的目标提供制度保障

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the “Explanation of the ‘Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization’” that “deepening economic system reform remains the focus of further comprehensively deepening reform”; and in “Several Major Theoretical and Practical Issues in Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform” that “the connotation of Chinese-path modernization is very rich, and further comprehensively deepening reform must inevitably be comprehensive.” The “Proposal” of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [15]15 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC was held in October 2024, focusing on further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. continues to designate promoting high-quality development as the theme of economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, requiring adherence to economic construction as the central task, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implementing the new development concept, and achieving effective improvement in quality and reasonable growth in quantity.

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》中指出：“深化经济体制改革仍是进一步全面深化改革的重点”；在《进一步全面深化改革中的几个重大理论和实践问题》中指出：“中国式现代化的内涵十分丰富，进一步全面深化改革也必然是全方位的。”党的二十届四中全会《建议》继续把推动高质量发展确定为“十五五”时期经济社会发展的主题，要求坚持以经济建设为中心，完整准确全面贯彻新发展理念，实现质的有效提升和量的合理增长。

It should be recognized that in promoting high-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we have both advantages and face challenges. In terms of advantages, China’s economic foundation is stable, with numerous strengths, strong resilience, and great potential; the supporting conditions and basic trends for long-term improvement remain unchanged; and the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, the super-large-scale market, the complete industrial system, and the abundant talent and human resources are becoming more prominent. This provides a solid foundation for achieving significant results in high-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. In terms of challenges, the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development in China remains prominent, while downward pressure on the domestic economy is increasing. We also face prominent contradictions between strong supply and weak demand, blockages and bottlenecks in the domestic economic cycle, arduous tasks in transitioning between old and new growth drivers, new issues posed by demographic changes to economic development, and risks and hidden dangers in key areas. These are all reflections of changes in the principal social contradiction and are problems arising in the course of development and transformation, which must be resolved through reform from an institutional and mechanistic perspective. Only by adhering to a problem-oriented and goal-oriented approach, leveraging the leading role of economic system reform while comprehensively and coordinately advancing reforms in all aspects, can we gather the synergy to comprehensively advance Chinese-path modernization through high-quality development.

应当看到，“十五五”时期推动高质量发展，我们既具有优势也面临挑战。从优势来看，我国经济基础稳、优势多、韧性强、潜能大，长期向好的支撑条件和基本趋势没有变，中国特色社会主义制度优势、超大规模市场优势、完整产业体系优势、丰富人才资源优势更加彰显。这为“十五五”时期实现高质量发展取得显著成效的目标提供了坚实基础。从挑战来看，我国发展不平衡不充分问题仍然突出，同时国内经济下行压力加大，还面临供强需弱矛盾突出、国内大循环存在卡点堵点、新旧动能转换任务艰巨、人口结构变化给经济发展提出新课题、重点领域还有风险隐患等。这些都是社会主要矛盾变化的反映，是发展中、转型中的问题，必须通过改革从体制机制上推动解决。坚持问题导向和目标导向相结合，既发挥经济体制改革的牵引作用，又全面协调推进各方面改革，才能汇聚起以高质量发展全面推进中国式现代化的合力。

Focus on properly handling the relationship between the government and the market, and accelerate the formation of an economic order that is both “vibrant” and “well-managed.” The roles of the market and the government complement, promote, and supplement each other. In developing a socialist market economy, it is necessary to leverage both the role of the market and the role of the government. To build a high-level socialist market economic system, we must promote a better combination of an effective market and a competent government, and accelerate the formation of an economic order that is both “vibrant” and “well-managed.” It should be recognized that “vibrancy” aims to remove institutional barriers hindering the development of productive forces, while “management” requires building a socialist rule-of-law economy and a credit economy to regulate market order. To this end, it is necessary to correctly handle the relationship between the government and the market, adhere to and implement the “two unswervinglys” [16]16 “Two unswervinglys” refers to unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector of the economy, and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector of the economy., and promote complementary advantages and common development among various forms of ownership; at the same time, accelerate the construction of a rule-of-law economy and a credit economy, improve market rules, focus on correcting market failures, regulate competition order, and make the unified national market a stage for fair competition among all types of business entities.

围绕处理好政府和市场关系，加快形成既“放得活”又“管得好”的经济秩序。市场作用和政府作用是相辅相成、相互促进、互为补充的。发展社会主义市场经济，既要发挥市场作用，也要发挥政府作用。构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制，必须推动有效市场和有为政府更好结合，加快形成既“放得活”又“管得好”的经济秩序。应当认识到，“放”是为了破除影响生产力发展的体制机制障碍，“管”要求建设社会主义法治经济、信用经济，规范市场秩序。为此，要正确处理政府和市场的关系，坚持和落实“两个毫不动摇”，促进各种所有制经济优势互补、共同发展；同时，加快建设法治经济、信用经济，完善市场规则，着力矫正市场失灵，规范竞争秩序，使全国统一大市场成为各类经营主体公平竞争的大舞台。

Focus on building a strong domestic market, strive to improve the quality and efficiency of the national economic cycle, and help achieve connectivity and mutual promotion between domestic and international markets. A large-country economy has the unique advantage of being driven by domestic demand and capable of internal circulation. For the current and future period, placing the development foothold more on strengthening the domestic economic cycle and making domestic demand the main driver of economic development is conducive to offsetting the uncertainty of the international cycle with the stability of the domestic cycle. The “Proposal” of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed “accelerating the improvement of the market-based allocation system for production factors” and made arrangements accordingly. The Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year ranked “adhering to domestic demand-led development and building a strong domestic market” as the first key task for this year’s economic work. To implement this deployment, it is necessary to follow the basic requirements of “five unifications and one openness” [17]17 “Five unifications and one openness” refers to unified basic systems, unified market access, unified market supervision, unified market infrastructure, unified factor and resource markets, and openness to the outside world., deeply advance the construction of a unified national market, improve basic systems such as market access and fair competition, comprehensively rectify “involution-style” competition [18]18 “Involution-style competition” refers to excessive, zero-sum competition that leads to diminishing returns and waste of resources, often characterized by price wars and redundant construction., break down local protection and market segmentation, and smooth the domestic economic cycle; establish and improve a unified urban-rural construction land market, a fully functional capital market, a fluid labor market, and an efficient technology transformation market, promoting the efficient allocation of various resources and the full release of market potential.

围绕建设强大国内市场，努力提高国民经济循环质量和效率，助力实现内外联通、互促互进。大国经济具有内需为主导、内部可循环的独特优势。当前和今后一个时期，把发展立足点更多放在做强国内大循环上，让内需成为经济发展的主动力，有利于以国内循环的稳定性对冲国际循环的不确定性。党的二十届四中全会《建议》提出“加快完善要素市场化配置体制机制”等并作出部署，去年底召开的中央经济工作会议把“坚持内需主导，建设强大国内市场”列为今年经济工作要抓好的重点任务的首位。落实这一部署，要按照“五统一、一开放”的基本要求，纵深推进全国统一大市场建设，完善市场准入、公平竞争等基础制度，综合整治“内卷式”竞争，破除地方保护和市场分割，畅通国内经济循环；建立健全城乡统一的建设用地市场、功能完善的资本市场、流动顺畅的劳动力市场、转化高效的技术市场，推动各类资源高效配置、市场潜力充分释放。

Focus on enhancing the effectiveness of macroeconomic governance, and accelerate the alignment and synergy of macro policies. As China’s economic aggregate continues to expand and its structure optimizes, the complexity of macroeconomic governance has increased significantly. Only by adhering to systematic thinking, systematic methods, and systematic measures to optimize the allocation and combination of policy resources and tools can greater policy effectiveness be unleashed. Both the “Proposal” of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC and the Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed “enhancing the effectiveness of macroeconomic governance.” To this end, it is necessary to fully utilize and make good use of China’s economic development advantages, actively expand macro policy space, enhance efficient coordination of the flow of people, goods, capital, and information, revitalize existing stock, optimize incremental growth, and improve efficiency; innovate policy tools and methods, while deploying a “combined punch” of major strategies, major plans, major reforms, major policies, and major projects, also strengthen communication with micro-entities and the public, improve expectation management mechanisms, ensuring that the market responds to policy signals; leverage the integrated effect of existing and incremental policies, incorporate various economic and non-economic policies, as well as existing and incremental policies, into the consistency assessment of macro policy orientation, so that various policies are interconnected and organically unified. At the same time, accelerate the construction of a financial powerhouse, improve the central bank system, build a scientific and stable monetary policy system and a comprehensive macro-prudential management framework, and improve the functions of the capital market to coordinate investment and financing, jointly promoting sustained and healthy economic and social development.

围绕提升宏观经济治理效能，加快推动宏观政策同向发力、形成合力。随着我国经济体量不断扩大、结构不断优化，宏观经济治理的复杂性明显上升。坚持用系统思维、系统方法和系统措施优化政策资源和工具的配置组合，才能释放更大的政策效能。党的二十届四中全会《建议》和去年底召开的中央经济工作会议都提出“提升宏观经济治理效能”。为此，要用足用好我国经济的发展优势，积极拓展宏观政策空间，增强人流、物流、资金流、信息流等的高效协同，盘活存量，做优增量，提高效益；创新政策工具，创新方式方法，在打好重大战略、重大规划、重大改革、重大政策、重大项目“组合拳”的同时，做好与微观主体和社会公众的沟通交流，健全预期管理机制，做到市场有所呼、政策有所应；发挥存量政策和增量政策集成效应，将各类经济政策和非经济政策、存量政策和增量政策纳入宏观政策取向一致性评估，使各类政策相互衔接、有机统一。同时，加快建设金融强国，完善中央银行制度，构建科学稳健的货币政策体系和覆盖全面的宏观审慎管理体系，健全投资和融资相协调的资本市场功能，共同促进经济社会持续健康发展。

Centering on improving the institutions and mechanisms for developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions, we must accelerate the shaping of new drivers and advantages for development. Developing new quality productive forces is the intrinsic requirement and main focus of promoting high-quality development. Whether it is achieving the goal of raising per capita GDP to the level of moderately developed countries by 2035, or gaining strategic initiative amid the accelerating changes unseen in a century, it is necessary to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces and continuously shape new drivers and advantages for development. The Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed "adhering to innovation-driven development and stepping up efforts to cultivate and strengthen new growth drivers." [19]19 The Central Economic Work Conference is an annual high-level meeting convened by the CPC Central Committee to set the economic policy agenda for the following year. To this end, we must guide reform with the new development philosophy, resolutely remove institutional and mechanistic obstacles that affect and constrain high-quality development, improve the relations of production to better adapt to new quality productive forces, and promote the concentration of all types of advanced production factors toward the development of new quality productive forces; we must unblock the bottlenecks and obstacles affecting and constraining comprehensive innovation, and coordinate the integrated reform of education, science and technology, and talent institutions and mechanisms; we must adhere to the direction of intelligentization, greenification, and integration, strengthen the institutional supply for new fields and new tracks, promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, optimize and upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and strengthen emerging industries and future industries, improve the institutions and mechanisms for developing the service sector, and build a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone.

围绕健全因地制宜发展新质生产力体制机制，加快塑造发展新动能新优势。发展新质生产力是推动高质量发展的内在要求和主要着力点。无论是推动实现到2035年人均国内生产总值达到中等发达国家水平，还是在百年变局加速演进中赢得战略主动，都需要推动新质生产力加速发展，不断塑造发展新动能新优势。去年底召开的中央经济工作会议提出“坚持创新驱动，加紧培育壮大新动能”。为此，要以新发展理念引领改革，坚决破除影响和制约高质量发展的体制机制弊端，完善与新质生产力更相适应的生产关系，促进各类先进生产要素向发展新质生产力集聚；打通影响和制约全面创新的卡点堵点，统筹推进教育科技人才体制机制一体改革；坚持智能化、绿色化、融合化方向，加强新领域新赛道制度供给，推动科技创新和产业创新深度融合，优化提升传统产业，培育壮大新兴产业和未来产业，完善发展服务业体制机制，构建以先进制造业为骨干的现代化产业体系。

While highlighting the focus on economic system reform, we must also conform to the new trends of the times, the new requirements of practical development, and the new expectations of the people, and comprehensively and coordinately advance reforms in all aspects. For example, making high-quality and full employment a priority goal of economic and social development cannot be achieved without supporting industries and enterprises with strong employment absorption capacity, so that the process of high-quality development becomes a process of improving the quality and expanding the scale of employment. This requires that while deepening economic system reform, we strengthen the coordination between industry and employment, and promote the coordinated linkage and concerted efforts of fiscal, monetary, investment, consumption, industrial, and regional policies with employment policies. Overall, we must scientifically grasp the relationship between economic system reform and reforms in other areas, focus on key areas and crucial links to achieve breakthroughs in economic system reform first, and ensure that reforms in other areas follow up promptly and exert coordinated force. At the same time, we must face contradictions and problems directly, have the courage to eradicate deep-seated maladies, dare to break down interest barriers, and with the courage of "burning one's boats" [20]20 "Burning one's boats" (破釜沉舟) is a Chinese idiom originating from a historical anecdote about the Qin dynasty general Xiang Yu, who ordered his troops to destroy their cooking pots and sink their boats after crossing a river, leaving no option but to fight to victory or die. It signifies a resolve to commit fully to a course of action with no possibility of retreat. strive to open up new horizons, creating an atmosphere and conditions for the coordinated and efficient advancement of reform, ensuring that high-quality development proceeds steadily and far.

在突出经济体制改革这个重点的同时，也要顺应时代发展新趋势、实践发展新要求、人民群众新期待，全面协调推进各方面改革。比如，把高质量充分就业作为经济社会发展的优先目标，离不开支持发展吸纳就业能力强的产业和企业等，使高质量发展的过程成为就业提质扩容的过程。这就要求在深化经济体制改革的同时，加强产业和就业协同，推动财政、货币、投资、消费、产业、区域等政策与就业政策协调联动、同向发力。总的来看，我们要科学把握经济体制改革和其他各方面改革之间的关系，聚焦重点领域和关键环节推动经济体制改革率先取得突破，其他各方面改革及时跟进、协同发力。同时，要直面矛盾问题，勇于铲除顽瘴痼疾，敢于打破利益藩篱，以破釜沉舟的勇气奋力打开新天地，为协同高效推进改革营造氛围、创造条件，确保高质量发展行稳致远。

Issues and methods to be noted in better leveraging the driving role of economic system reform

更好发挥经济体制改革牵引作用需要注意的问题和掌握的方法

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in "Several Major Theoretical and Practical Issues in Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively": "Reform is a systematic project that requires handling relationships in all aspects and employing scientific methods." To better leverage the driving role of economic system reform, we must take Xi Jinping's economic thought as a guide, give full play to the Party's core leadership role in overall planning and coordinating all parties, integrate the Party's leadership throughout the entire process of reform, improve the Party's ability and level to lead economic and social development, and ensure that reform always advances in the correct political direction. On this basis, we must deeply understand and grasp the principles of further deepening reform comprehensively, focus on the institutional and mechanistic obstacles that constrain high-quality development to advance deep-level reforms, and inject a steady stream of momentum and vitality into high-quality development.

习近平总书记在《进一步全面深化改革中的几个重大理论和实践问题》中指出：“改革是一项系统工程，需要处理好方方面面的关系，需要讲求科学方法。”更好发挥经济体制改革牵引作用，必须以习近平经济思想为指引，充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用，把党的领导贯穿改革各方面全过程，提高党领导经济社会发展能力和水平，确保改革始终沿着正确政治方向前进。在此基础上，深刻领会和把握进一步全面深化改革的原则，聚焦制约高质量发展的体制机制障碍推进深层次改革，为高质量发展注入源源不断的动力和活力。

Respect objective laws. Economic development has its own laws, being the unity of stages and continuity. By respecting the laws of economic development, grasping the general trend of development, seizing the opportunity of historical change, going with the flow, and vigorously advancing reform, we can make better progress. Further deepening reform comprehensively is a gradual and orderly process; we must both dare to make breakthroughs and take steady steps forward, advancing stage by stage, thereby continuously accumulating small victories into big ones, and must not violate laws by rushing headlong into mass action. Taking economic system reform as the driving force, focusing on deep-level reforms to address institutional and mechanistic obstacles constraining high-quality development, we must properly handle the relationships between reform and development, reform and opening up, and the present and the long term, coordinate the advancement of deep-level reforms and high-level opening up, promote mutual promotion between reform and opening up, base ourselves on the present while keeping an eye on the long term, grasp the direction of reform, and unswervingly advance it.

尊重客观规律。经济发展有其规律，是阶段性和连续性的统一。尊重经济发展规律，把握发展大势，抓住历史变革时机，顺势而为，奋发有为推进改革，我们就能够更好前进。进一步全面深化改革是循序渐进的工作，既要敢于突破，又要一步一步坚定走，一个阶段一个阶段向前推进，从而不断积小胜为大胜，不能违背规律一哄而上。以经济体制改革为牵引，聚焦制约高质量发展的体制机制障碍推进深层次改革，要妥善处理改革和发展、改革和开放、当前和长远的关系，统筹推进深层次改革和高水平开放，推动改革与开放互促互进，既立足当下又着眼长远，把准改革指向，坚定不移予以推进。

Adhere to a problem-oriented approach. History always advances in the process of continuously solving problems; problems are the voice of the times. As long as we scientifically understand, accurately grasp, and correctly solve these problems, we can continuously push our society forward. Taking economic system reform as the driving force, focusing on deep-level reforms to address institutional and mechanistic obstacles constraining high-quality development, we must start from practical needs, start with the most urgent matters, and deepen theoretical innovation and advance institutional innovation in the process of solving practical problems. We must grasp the principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction, strengthen problem awareness, target problems and focus on solving them, promote the implementation of landmark reform measures, and remove the ideological concepts and institutional and mechanistic obstacles that constrain high-quality development.

坚持问题导向。历史总是在不断解决问题中前进的，问题是时代的声音。只要科学认识、准确把握、正确解决这些问题，就能够把我们的社会不断推向前进。以经济体制改革为牵引，聚焦制约高质量发展的体制机制障碍推进深层次改革，要从现实需要出发，从最紧迫的事情抓起，在解决实践问题中深化理论创新、推进制度创新。必须抓住主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面，强化问题意识，奔着问题去、盯着问题改，推动标志性改革举措落地见效，破除制约高质量发展的思想观念和体制机制障碍。

Emphasize systemic integration. Reform has entered the deep-water zone, where institutional and mechanistic obstacles and contradictions and problems are intertwined, and multiple causes for one effect and one cause for multiple effects coexist. Taking economic system reform as the driving force, focusing on deep-level reforms to address institutional and mechanistic obstacles constraining high-quality development, we must pay more attention to systemic integration, strengthen the coordination and matching of various reform measures, and promote the concerted and synergistic efforts of reform measures in all fields and aspects. When formulating economic development policies, we must simultaneously embed the requirements for improving people's livelihoods; when formulating livelihood policies, we must simultaneously consider the effects of promoting economic development. We must analyze things in detail, unravel them thread by thread, accurately identify bottlenecks, obstacles, and difficulties, adopt a systemic integration approach to establish long-term mechanisms for solving difficult problems, and prevent and overcome phenomena of each going its own way and mutual obstruction.

注重系统集成。改革进入深水区，体制机制障碍与矛盾问题相互交织，多因一果与一因多果并存。以经济体制改革为牵引，聚焦制约高质量发展的体制机制障碍推进深层次改革，要更加注重系统集成，加强各项改革举措的协调配套，推动各领域各方面改革举措同向发力、形成合力。制定经济发展政策同步嵌入改善民生的要求，制定民生政策同步考虑促进经济发展的效应。条分缕析、抽丝剥茧，找准卡点堵点难点，采用系统集成方式建立破解难题的长效机制，防止和克服各行其是、相互掣肘的现象。

Encourage exploration and innovation. Building a high-level socialist market economy system is an unprecedented pioneering undertaking, with a large number of new problems encountered in new fields and new practices. We must respect the pioneering spirit of the grassroots and the masses, encourage exploration and innovation based on actual conditions, and explore solutions tailored to local conditions. At the same time, we must promptly summarize and promote good experiences and good practices from grassroots exploration and innovation, promote a positive interaction between reform and innovation, and further stimulate the vitality of grassroots innovation and creation.

鼓励探索创新。构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制是一项前无古人的开创性事业，有大量在新领域新实践中遇到的新问题。要尊重基层和群众的首创精神，鼓励结合实际探索创新，因地制宜探索破解之道。同时，及时总结和推广基层探索创新的好经验好做法，推动改革和创新良性互动，进一步激发基层创新创造活力。

(The author is the director of the Xi Jinping Economic Thought Research Center)

（作者为习近平经济思想研究中心主任）