Past decade witnesses broader, deeper reform across the board

BEIJING -- Reform and opening up was a crucial move in making China what it is today.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the central Party leadership has consistently promoted broader and deeper reform across the board.

Steady progress has been made in reform in all areas, including economic structural reform, reform of the political system, structural reform of the cultural sector, social structural reform, reform of the system for developing an ecological civilization, institutional reforms related to Party building, reform of the discipline inspection system, and reform of national defense and the armed forces.

CRACKING HARD NUTS

As reform enters uncharted waters fraught with tough challenges, the CPC remains determined to face problems and risks squarely.

The first certificates that separate the ownership rights, contract rights and management rights for rural contracted land were awarded in Deqing County, east China's Zhejiang Province in June 2018. Farmers, homestay operators, and ownership representatives of collective land from four local villages signed a trilateral contract on land-use rights transfers.

Including Deqing, 33 regions are running a trial program for rural land system reform in China.

Rural land reform of the present era focuses on idle land resources and potential stimulation, and explores a series of institutional changes in terms of land requisition, market-based transfer of use rights to collective land designated for business-related construction, the use of land designated for housing, and, of course, the separation of the ownership rights, contract rights, and management rights for contracted land, as has happened in Deqing. These measures have galvanized immense endogenous strength for the revitalization of China's rural areas.

For the CPC, bottlenecks always point to the direction of reform.

China introduced judge quota system reforms at courts across the country in 2017. This has enhanced judicial accountability and ensured those who hear cases pass judgment and accept accountability for the cases they have adjudicated.

Similar explorations also took place in ecological conservation, scientific and technological innovation, and the reform of Party and government institutions.

The CPC is committed to opening up just as much as it is committed to reform.

Over the past decade, China has enforced a foreign investment law and canceled the case-by-case approval system for inbound investments. It has worked to build more trade events such as the China International Import Expo and the China International Fair for Trade in Services.

With deepened opening up, China is injecting impetus into the global economy via its own growth.

BENEFITING THE PEOPLE

The ultimate purpose of deepening reform on all fronts is to enhance social fairness and justice and make the results of development benefit all the people in a fairer way.

A social assistance system has been put in place, providing access to basic living support to nearly 50 million people in need every year.

The housing system has been reformed and improved, with more than 80 million units of affordable housing built and housing compensation provided to families after the rebuilding of rundown urban areas.

Local governments across the country abrogated 21,000 types of administrative certifications amid efforts to deliver convenient government services to the people.

These moves have bound people together as they have solved the most pressing difficulties and problems that were of great concern to the people, observers noted.

Priorities of reform vary according to changes in reality. Currently high on the agenda of reform are policy support for building globally leading businesses, high-quality development of inclusive financial services, and the building of digital government, among others.

China is not slowing down its pace of reform and is dedicated to drawing strength from reform to boost development and create a better life for the people. 

The views don't necessarily reflect those of Qiushi Journal.