Xi chairs symposium, urging further reform centering on Chinese modernization

Xi Jinping, Chinese president, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presided over a symposium attended by representatives from businesses and academia in Jinan, Shandong province on May 23. Xi delivered an important speech. Xi emphasized that at its 20th National Congress, the CPC made a grand blueprint for building a modern socialist country in all respects, and made arrangements for fulfilling the task of promoting the building of a strong country through a Chinese path to modernization on all fronts, and realizing national rejuvenation. He urged the need for deepening reform across the board with efforts centering on advancing Chinese modernization. In doing this, prominence must be given to the most important aspect of reform, orientation for values must be upheld, and particular attention be paid to the way reform is carried out so that impetus will be given to the fulfilling of core tasks and the achieving of strategic goals.

Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium. Both are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

At the forum, nine representatives of entrepreneurs and experts made speeches one after another. They include Liu Mingsheng, chairman and Party secretary of State Power Investment Corporation Limited, Zuo Ding, chairman and Party secretary of Shenzhen Capital Group Co Ltd, Ding Shizhong, board chairman of ANTA Sports Products Limited, Xu Guanju, chairman of Zhejiang Transfar Group Co Ltd, Xu Daquan, president of Bosch (China) Investment Ltd, Victor K. Fung, chairman of Hong Kong Fung Group, Zhou Qiren, professor of the National School of Development of Peking University, Huang Hanquan, head of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, and Zhang Bin, deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. They put forward opinions and suggestions on deepening the reform of the power system, developing venture capital investment, transforming and upgrading traditional industries with technology, establishing and improving the governance system of private enterprises, optimizing the business environment for foreign-funded enterprises, promoting Hong Kong's better integration into the new development paradigm, enhancing people's sense of gain in reform, promoting integrated urban and rural development, and improving the macroeconomic governance system. While they were delivering speeches, Xi had in-depth discussions with those present at intervals, and the atmosphere was lively and vibrant.

After listening to their speeches, Xi delivered an important address. He said that the CPC Central Committee would conduct fact-finding missions and widely solicit opinions from all sectors before making major decisions and drafting important documents. This has always been the practice and fine tradition of the Party. The relevant parties should carefully study whether the opinions and suggestions put forward at this symposium for further deepening reform across the board should be adopted.

Reform is the driving force for development, Xi said. He noted that to deepen reform further across the board, efforts should be focused on the overarching goals of improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and modernizing China's governance system and capacity. He also stressed the need to advance Chinese modernization, combine goal-oriented and problem-oriented approaches, and address issues directly for targeted improvements. Work must be done to resolutely overcome the ideological and institutional ills that hinder the smooth progress of Chinese modernization, remove deep-rooted barriers in institutions and mechanisms, and address structural problems, so as to continuously provide strong impetus and institutional safeguards for advancing Chinese modernization.

Xi stressed that efforts must be focused on major problems and important aspects of these problems in deepening reform across the board. It is imperative to adhere to and improve our country's basic economic system, build a high-level system for socialist market economy, and optimize the regulatory system for macro economy as well as the systems and mechanisms for high quality development. It is important to optimize the systems and mechanisms for innovation in all domains and integrated urban-rural development, further emancipate and develop the productive forces, enhance social dynamics and make it possible for the productive forces and the relations of production to better adapt to each other, and so do the economic basis and the superstructure to each other. Promoting economic reform should focus on practical needs and start from addressing the most pressing issues. Theoretical innovation should be deepened and institutional innovation advanced in the process of solving practical issues. Planning reform in other areas should also focus on holistic and strategic issues, so that the details are easy to arrange when the general plan is laid out.

Xi noted that the people's aspiration for a better life is what we have been striving for, and promoting reform and boosting development boils down to that ultimate goal as well. It is imperative to plan and advance reform with a focus on the people's overall, fundamental and long-term interests, and do a good job in implementing the Party's mass line in the new era. As such, by addressing people's immediate concerns such as employment, increasing incomes, education, health care services, housing, services for people's daily affairs, child care, elderly care and the safety of people's lives and property, we may identify where reform should be intensified and breakthroughs can be made. Reform measures addressing the most pressing concerns of the people and responding to their will should be taken as many as possible, and concrete approaches that deliver real benefits to the people, win their approval and respect their will should be adopted as many as possible, so that the reform can ensure that the people have a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

Xi stressed that reform should do away with outdated rules and establish new ones. With proper ways, we may achieve twice as much for half the effort. Otherwise, we might achieve half as much for twice the effort or even negative result. It is a must to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground. No matter how the reform is carried out, it is imperative to resolutely adhere to fundamental principles such as upholding the Party's overall leadership, upholding Marxism, following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and upholding the people's democratic dictatorship. At the same time, it is also important to innovate boldly, reform what can and should be reformed, and follow through the reform once the target is set. It is imperative to strengthen the integration of systems, promote reform with systems thinking and consideration for the bigger picture. It is also imperative to strengthen the coordination and mutual complementation of reform measures and make reform measures in different fields and sectors work in the same direction and form synergy for better overall efficacy. The phenomenon of policies going their own ways and constraining each other must be prevented and overcome. Reform hinges not only on planning but also on implementation of measures. It is essential to hammer away at how reform measures can be implemented to the letter. On the one hand, proactive approaches must be adopted, and on the other hand, reform must be carried out in a steady manner. Priorities must be clarified, and the timing and intensity of measures must be ensured for good effect. We must do our best within our capability, and should never be divorced from reality.

Li Ganjie and He Lifeng attended the symposium. Also present were leading officials from relevant central authorities and government departments, leading officials of Shandong province, representatives from state-owned enterprises, private enterprises, foreign-funded enterprises, Hong Kong-funded enterprises, Macao-funded enterprises, Taiwan-funded enterprises, "little giant" enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies, self-employed businesses, experts and scholars.