By : CGTN’s Guan Xin
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded on July 18th in Beijing, setting the stage for comprehensive reform and advancing Chinese modernization. As the world stands at a critical crossroads and China approaches pivotal junctures on its path to modernization, the direction of China’s reforms garners global attention.
The communiqué released on the 18th outlines the overarching goal of deepening reform: to continue improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernize China’s system and capacity for governance.By 2035, China aims to fully establisha high-standard socialist market economy in all respects, generally modernize our system and capacity for governance, and basically realize socialist modernization.
The plenary session put forth seven critical focus areas for reform:building a high-standard socialist market economy, advancing whole-process people’s democracy, developing a strong socialist culture in China, raising the people’s quality of life, building a Beautiful China, advancing the Peaceful China Initiative to a higher level, and improving the Party’s capacity for leadership and long-term governance.
These focus areas are designed to drive forward the comprehensive reform process, addressing deeper and more complex challenges that require systemic approaches and collective reform efforts.
The communiqué also sets a timeline, aiming to complete the proposed reforms by the 80th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in 2029. The clarity of this path and the specificity of the tasks underscore the commitment to advancing reforms as China navigates into deeper waters.
The word “reform” appears more than 50 times in the communiqué, with particular stress on deepening institutional reforms. Key areas identified for reform include financial reform, fiscal and tax system reform, land system reform, foreign trade structural reform, inward and outward investment management system reform, healthcare reform, education reform, legislation reform, etc. The broad scope of these areas demonstrates the determination and intensity of the reform efforts.
The direction for China’s future is now anchored. The ambitious blueprint for comprehensive reform and modernization, with a clear timeline and detailed tasks, reflects China’s commitment to forging ahead on its path of Chinese modernization. Ultimately, the journey of reform and modernization in China is a testament to its resilience and vision. By staying committed to its goals and addressing challenges with determination, China is poised to secure a future that is not only prosperous and modern but also just, sustainable, and harmonious, contributing positively to global progress and stability.
