The Requirements for Institutional Construction in Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively

The fifth volume of *Xi Jinping: The Governance of China* includes several works, such as “Deepening Reform of Party and State Institutions and Modernizing the National Governance System and Governance Capacity” and “Several Major Theoretical and Practical Issues in Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively,” which provide a scientific guide for further deepening reform comprehensively. “Minor wisdom handles affairs, moderate wisdom handles people, and great wisdom handles institutions.” [1]1 A classical Chinese saying from the *Wenzi* (《文子》), emphasizing that the highest form of wisdom lies in establishing and perfecting institutions. For a country and a nation, the creation, establishment, development, and improvement of institutions are fundamental issues that concern the root, affect the long term, and influence the overall situation, carrying extremely important theoretical value and practical significance. In the New Era, China’s institutional construction has revolved around the central tasks of the Party and the state, placing the promotion of institutional maturity and the release of institutional advantages in a more prominent position in governance. In 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC proposed that the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform is to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to modernize the national governance system and governance capacity. In 2019, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC first proposed the identifying concepts of fundamental institutions, basic institutions, and important institutions. In 2024, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed “adhering to the main line of institutional construction, strengthening top-level design and overall planning, establishing and abolishing simultaneously, establishing before abolishing, consolidating fundamental institutions, improving basic institutions, and innovating important institutions.” On the new journey, further deepening reform comprehensively requires that institutional construction be advanced in depth. It must take upholding the Party’s leadership as the fundamental guarantee, proceed from the fundamental, overall, and long-term interests of the people, and take strengthening institutional confidence, deepening institutional improvement, accelerating institutional innovation, and safeguarding institutional security as focal points, working tirelessly and persistently to fully demonstrate the superiority, people-centered nature, and effectiveness of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.

《习近平谈治国理政》第五卷收入的《深化党和国家机构改革，推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化》《进一步全面深化改革中的几个重大理论和实践问题》等多篇著作，为进一步全面深化改革提供了科学指南。小智治事，中智治人，大智治制。对于一个国家和民族而言，制度创制确立与发展完善是事关根本、关乎长远、影响全局的重大问题，具有十分重要的理论价值和实践意义。新时代，中国制度建设围绕党和国家的中心任务展开，将推动制度成熟定型和释放制度优势效能摆在了治国理政更加突出的位置。2013年，党的十八届三中全会提出了全面深化改革的总目标是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。2019年，党的十九届四中全会首次提出根本制度、基本制度、重要制度这些标识性概念。2024年，党的二十届三中全会提出“坚持以制度建设为主线，加强顶层设计、总体谋划，破立并举、先立后破，筑牢根本制度，完善基本制度，创新重要制度”。新征程上，进一步全面深化改革要求制度建设向纵深推进，必须以坚持党的领导为根本保证，从人民群众的根本利益、整体利益和长远利益出发，以坚定制度自信、深化制度完善、加快制度创新、维护制度安全为着力点，驰而不息、久久为功，充分彰显出中国特色社会主义制度的优越性、人民性和实效性。

Strengthening Institutional Confidence Gathers Strength for Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively

坚定制度自信为进一步全面深化改革凝聚力量

Institutional confidence is not only a state of mind but also a real force, outlining the value core and practical power of the modernization of national governance. “Our comprehensive deepening of reform is meant to make the socialist system with Chinese characteristics better.” In summarizing long-term practical experience and revealing historical laws in institutional construction, the issues of nature, positioning, and direction are “meta-issues” that cannot be ignored, reflecting a multi-dimensional thorough analysis of the essential attributes of institutions, the developmental forms of institutions, and the driving forces of institutional development. Strengthening confidence in the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and the national governance system is an affirmation of the essential attributes of institutions, a confirmation of the developmental forms of institutions, and a reinforcement of the driving forces of institutional development. “Without firm institutional confidence, there can be no courage to comprehensively deepen reform.” Adhering to proceeding from China’s national conditions and current realities, systematically summarizing the historical heritage, development path, political experience, and political principles of China’s institutions, deeply comparing the essential differences between Chinese and Western institutions, actively constructing an institutional discourse system with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner, telling the story of China’s institutions well, and vividly interpreting the advantages of China’s institutions, further strengthening institutional confidence provides an inexhaustible spiritual force and subjective impetus for further deepening reform comprehensively.

制度自信是一种精神状态，更是一种现实力量，勾勒出国家治理现代化的价值内核和实践伟力。“我们全面深化改革，是要使中国特色社会主义制度更好”。在制度建设长期实践经验的总结和历史规律的揭示中，定性、定位和定向问题是不可忽视的“元问题”，反映出对制度本质属性、制度发展形态和制度发展动力的多维透彻解剖，而坚定中国特色社会主义制度和国家治理体系的自信，是对制度本质属性的肯定、对制度发展形态的确认、对制度发展动力的强化。“没有坚定的制度自信就不可能有全面深化改革的勇气”，坚持从我国国情出发、从当前实际出发，系统总结中国制度的历史传承、发展道路、政治经验和政治原则等，深入比较中国制度与西方制度的本质差异，积极构建具有中国特色、中国风格、中国气派的制度话语体系，讲好中国制度故事，生动诠释出中国制度优势，更加坚定制度自信为进一步全面深化改革提供了源源不断的精神力量和主体动力。

Deep recognition of the intrinsic value, basic stance, and principled requirements of institutions is the primary prerequisite for strengthening institutional confidence. The socialist system with Chinese characteristics is a valuable achievement of adapting Marxist state theory to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. China’s institutions are generated in the practice of the people and repeatedly tested, achieving an organic unity of institutional effectiveness and the people’s interests, thereby winning broad recognition from the people. This recognition is not only manifested as the normative requirements of political principles but has been sublimated into a conscious cognition and affirmation internalized by the people. At the same time, in the great practice of the Party’s self-revolution leading social revolution, China’s institutions never follow old ways or stagnate. Instead, they take the scientific methodology of Marxism as their soul and traditional Chinese political wisdom as their root, gradually constructing new forms of institutional development through upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, thereby forming a dynamically balanced institutional adjustment mechanism. This has become an important source of institutional confidence in the New Era and an inherent principle for the continuous development of institutions. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, “Strengthening institutional confidence does not mean resting on our laurels, but rather continuously eliminating institutional and mechanistic drawbacks to make our institutions mature and enduring.” Any institution must undergo corresponding adjustments as economic and social conditions change, and China’s institutions are no exception. The stability of essential attributes and the adaptability of form evolution work in concert to promote the continuous optimization and development of institutions, ultimately transforming into a deeper and more enduring institutional confidence.

对制度的内在价值、基本立场及原则要求的深刻认同是坚定制度自信的首要前提。中国特色社会主义制度是马克思主义国家学说中国化时代化的宝贵成果，中国制度在人民群众实践中生成又得以反复检验，实现了制度效能与人民利益的有机统一，从而赢得了人民的广泛认同，这种认同不只表现为政治原则的规范要求，而是已经升华为人民群众内化于心的自觉认知与认定。同时，在党的自我革命引领社会革命的伟大实践中，中国制度从不因循守旧、迟滞不前，而是以马克思主义科学方法论为魂、以中华传统政治智慧为根，在守正创新中逐渐建构起新的制度发展形态，从而形成了动态平衡的制度调适机制，这成为新时代制度自信生成的重要源泉，也是制度接续发展的内在原则。习近平总书记指出，“坚定制度自信，不是要固步自封，而是要不断革除体制机制弊端，让我们的制度成熟而持久”，任何制度都要随着经济社会条件变化而进行相应的调整，中国制度亦是如此。本质属性的稳定性与形态演进的调适性协同发力推动制度持续优化发展，最终转化为更加深沉持久的制度自信。

Accelerating Institutional Innovation Expands Space for Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively

加快制度创新为进一步全面深化改革拓展空间

Institutions, as an inevitable product of the deep evolution of human social progress and political civilization development, maintain social order through a complete set of rule systems. Social practice constitutes the legitimacy foundation for the formation of institutions. Institutions arise from the needs of human social practice and “must inevitably develop continuously as practice develops. Existing institutions need to be constantly improved, and new fields and new practices require promoting institutional innovation and filling institutional gaps.” China’s institutions possess a strong capacity for self-adjustment, self-improvement, and self-development, which ensures that they can innovate to meet the people’s new needs for a better life, achieving a dialectical unity of institutional innovation and practical development.

制度作为人类社会进步和政治文明发展深度演绎的必然产物，通过一整套规则体系维持着社会秩序。社会实践构成制度形成的合法性基础。制度基于人类社会实践的需要而产生，“必然随着实践发展而不断发展，已有制度需要不断健全，新领域新实践需要推进制度创新、填补制度空白”。中国制度具有强大的自我调适、自我完善和自我发展能力，这就保证了能够为满足人民美好生活新需要而推陈出新，实现了制度创新与实践发展的辩证统一。

As an important form of the socialist system, the establishment of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics originated from the practical foundation of the completion of the socialist transformation and national construction. [2]2 The socialist transformation (社会主义改造) refers to the transition from a New Democratic society to a socialist society in China from 1953 to 1956, involving the collectivization of agriculture, handicrafts, and the nationalization of capitalist industry and commerce. Entering the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, in the practice of exploring the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, this institutional system has been continuously improved and developed. In the New Era, a mature institutional framework composed of fundamental institutions, basic institutions, and important institutions has been formed. Fundamentally, the formation and evolution of China’s institutions advance in tandem with theoretical breakthroughs, economic development, and practical deepening, and they are also inseparable from the mature experiential practices generated by the people in practice. “On the premise of adhering to and consolidating the fundamental institutions, basic institutions, and important institutions that have been established and tested through practice, we must continue to strengthen institutional innovation based on China’s national conditions.” Comprehensive deepening of reform is always ongoing, never completed, and institutional innovation is likewise endless. As reform advances, institutional innovation must enhance its ability to adapt to the requirements of the times, the needs of reality, and the challenges of risks through its own development, transformation, and adjustment. Only in this way can it maintain its own responsiveness and ensure that institutions remain in an open state. It should be noted that this openness is achieved under the premise of firming up the political direction, grasping the requirements of methodology, and adhering to the value orientation. In terms of political direction, the leadership of the Party and the socialist path must be unswervingly upheld; in terms of methodology, attention must be paid to the positive interaction between top-level design and grassroots exploration; in terms of value orientation, the people-centered development thought must always be adhered to. Only in this way can institutional innovation be better promoted, serving the internal improvement and external guarantee of further deepening reform comprehensively.

作为社会主义制度的重要形态，中国特色社会主义制度的确立源于社会主义改造完成和国家建设的实践基础。进入改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，在探索中国特色社会主义道路的实践中，这一制度体系得到不断完善与发展。新时代，已形成由根本制度、基本制度、重要制度构成的成熟制度框架。从根本上来说，中国制度的形成演进与理论突破、经济发展和实践深化同步推进，也离不开人民群众在实践中产生的成熟的经验做法，“我们要在坚持好、巩固好已经建立起来并经过实践检验的根本制度、基本制度、重要制度的前提下，坚持从我国国情出发，继续加强制度创新”。全面深化改革只有进行时没有完成时，制度创新亦永无止境。随着改革推进，制度创新要在自身发展、变革、调整中增强适应时代要求、现实需要、风险挑战的能力，如此，才能始终保持自身的回应能力，确保制度始终处于一种开放状态。需要指出的是，这种开放性是在坚定政治方向、把握方法论要求和秉承价值取向的前提下实现的，在政治方向上，必须毫不动摇坚持党的领导和社会主义道路；在方法论上，注重顶层设计和基层探索的良性互动；在价值取向上，始终坚持以人民为中心的发展思想。唯此，才能更好推进制度创新，服务于进一步全面深化改革的内在完善和外在保障。

Safeguarding Institutional Security Escorts Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively

维护制度安全为进一步全面深化改革保驾护航

When institutions are stable, the country is stable; when institutions are secure, the country is secure. The development and operation of institutions directly affect national security. National security is an important cornerstone of governing the country and ensuring its safety, and political security is the foundation of national security. “The maintenance of national political security, especially the security of political power and institutions, must be placed first.” [3]3 A quotation from Xi Jinping, emphasizing the primacy of political and institutional security within the broader framework of national security. The intertwining of world multipolarization, economic globalization, social informatization, and cultural diversification, along with the intensifying competition between the “two systems” [4]4 “Two systems” (两制) refers to the socialist system (led by China) and the capitalist system (led by Western countries), highlighting the ideological and systemic competition in the contemporary world. on a global scale, means that China’s transition from reform to comprehensive deepening of reform and then to further deepening reform comprehensively is itself fraught with variables based on a series of adjustments to interest patterns and emerging conflicts and contradictions. Various uncertainties and instabilities increase, and the security of China’s institutions is inevitably impacted and affected. Therefore, in the practice of promoting further deepening reform comprehensively, safeguarding institutional security and building a barrier and dike for national political security are urgent.

制度稳则国家稳，制度安则国家安。制度发展运行直接影响着国家安全，国家安全是治国安邦的重要基石，政治安全是国家安全的根本，“要把维护国家政治安全特别是政权安全、制度安全放在第一位”。世界多极化、经济全球化、社会信息化、文化多样化纵横交织，全球范围内“两制”竞争愈演愈烈，我国从改革到全面深化改革再到进一步全面深化改革，这一过程本身就基于一系列利益格局调整、矛盾冲突渐现而充满着变数，各种不确定性和不稳定性因素增加，中国制度安全不可避免地受到冲击和影响。因此，在推动进一步全面深化改革的实践中，维护制度安全，筑起国家政治安全的屏障与堤坝迫在眉睫。

Institutions play an important role in a country’s reform, development, and stability. Institutional security is even a key factor determining political order and governance order. Safeguarding institutional security must achieve the synergistic coupling of stable institutional operation, institutional reform and development, and the manifestation of institutional advantages. First, in the Party’s long-term reform practice, the Chinese institutional system has gradually constructed a complete, scientific, standardized, and effective institutional form, achieving a development from institutional construction to institutional maturity and finalization. Institutional stability requires guarding against the risk of institutional degeneration through closed-door rigidity, resisting the tendency of institutional alienation through changing the banner [5]5 “Changing the banner” (改旗易帜) is a Chinese political idiom referring to abandoning the socialist path and adopting a capitalist system, often used in the phrase “changing the banner and altering the system” (改旗易帜)., and avoiding the trap of institutional stagnation through conservatism and regression, thereby ensuring the historical continuity and epochal progressiveness of institutional development. Second, safeguarding institutional security is both a supporting condition for institutional reform and development and an important destination of institutional reform and development. The fundamental institutions, which play a top-level decisive, full-coverage, and overall normative role; the basic institutions, which play an overall stable and long-term guiding role; and the important institutions, which are the general term for a series of institutional mechanisms created by the fundamental and basic institutions in specific fields, together form the basic framework of the Chinese institutional system. The reform and development of institutions within the socialist category is a process of self-improvement and self-innovation. With the improvement and development of important institutions, the fundamental and basic institutions always maintain relative stability, institutional security is guaranteed, and the institutional cornerstone for deepening reform comprehensively is further consolidated. Third, institutions are the concentrated essence of civilization and play an increasingly important role in the current changes in the balance of international principal forces and the transformation of the global governance system. Institutional competition is the most fundamental competition between countries. The core of safeguarding institutional security lies in transforming institutional advantages into governance effectiveness, so that it can both release institutional dividends in deepening reform comprehensively and highlight comparative advantages in international institutional competition.

制度在国家的改革发展稳定中发挥着重要作用，制度安全更是决定政治秩序、治理秩序的关键因素，维护制度安全必须实现制度稳定运行、制度改革发展、制度优势彰显的协同耦合。其一，在党的长期改革实践中，中国制度体系逐渐建构起系统完备、科学规范、运行有效的制度形态，实现了从制度建构到制度成熟定型的发展。制度稳定要求防范封闭僵化的制度退化风险，抵制改旗易帜的制度异化倾向，规避保守退步的制度停滞陷阱，从而确保制度发展的历史延续性与时代进步性。其二，维护制度安全是制度改革发展的支撑条件，也是制度改革发展的重要归宿。具有顶层决定性、全域覆盖性、全局规范性作用的根本制度，具有整体稳定性、长期指导性作用的基本制度以及根本制度、基本制度在具体领域创设的一系列体制机制总称的重要制度，共同搭建了中国制度体系的基本框架。社会主义范畴的制度改革发展是自我完善和自我革新的过程，随着重要制度的完善发展，根本制度与基本制度始终保持着相对稳定性，制度安全得到保障，全面深化改革的制度基石更加牢固。其三，制度是文明浓缩的精华，在当今国际主体力量对比和全球治理体系变革中扮演着越来越重要的角色，制度竞争是国家间最根本的竞争。维护制度安全的核心在于推动制度优势转化为治理效能，使其既能够在全面深化改革中释放制度红利，又在国际制度竞争中突出比较优势。

(The author is an associate professor at the School of Marxism, Beijing University of Chemical Technology)

（作者为北京化工大学马克思主义学院副教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧