Strengthening the development of a clean government is an important task in implementing the requirements of full and rigorous Party self-governance and a crucial safeguard for advancing economic and social development. The main objectives of this meeting are to thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the fifth plenary session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, follow the arrangements and requirements outlined at that session and in the Government Work Report, review the progress made in building a clean and honest government and combating corruption within the government system over the past year, and set out key tasks for this year. Just now, leading officials from relevant departments and local governments shared their views. Now, I will make a few remarks.
1. Continuing to strengthen efforts to build a clean and honest government and combat corruption within the government system to provide strong support for coordinating COVID-19 response with economic and social development
The past year was truly momentous. Confronted with the severe shocks of Covid-19 and a deep global economic recession, we the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, worked hard and made solid progress in our response to Covid-19. We achieved major strategic results in our fight against the virus, and China was the world’s only major economy to achieve growth. The government upheld and strengthened Party leadership, acted in strict compliance with the Party Central Committee’s major policy decisions, and ensured their full implementation. We adopted new ways of working, improved Party conduct and government conduct, and took tough action to punish misconduct. These efforts gave a strong boost to Covid-19 containment and economic and social development.
First, we exercised law-based, science-based, and targeted epidemic control measures and assigned responsibilities to all parties concerned, thereby ensuring an effective response. We strengthened unified coordination and oversight and ensured that territorial, departmental, work unit, and individual responsibilities were fully fulfilled. We released information in an open and transparent manner based on facts, curbed outbreaks in key areas, improved regular epidemic control mechanisms, and effectively dealt with clustered outbreaks in several localities—all of which helped to protect people’s lives and health to the greatest extent possible. We adjusted and refined containment measures in a timely way, and managed to resume work and other daily activities relatively quickly.
Second, we introduced new macro policies and ways of implementing them and took responsibility for keeping the economy stable. To counter the impact of the epidemic, we focused on maintaining security in the six areas, particularly job security, basic living needs, and the operations of market entities. We adopted large-scale relief policies, which reduced the burden on market entities by more than 2.6 trillion yuan over the course of the year. We encouraged the financial sector to make reasonable profit concessions to the real economy to the tune of 1.5 trillion yuan, and expanded the coverage of unemployment insurance and social assistance programs. We introduced an entirely new mechanism for the direct allocation of newly added fiscal funds to prefecture and county level governments and ensured that provincial-level governments allocated funds promptly and in full—with no attempts to shift responsibilities—to supplement the funds available to prefecture and county governments for supporting businesses and people’s wellbeing. This method of ensuring that funds go straight to where they are needed not only significantly improved the efficiency of fund utilization but also prevented the misuse of funds during the allocation process. It also represented a major reform in fiscal and tax policy.
Third, we continued transforming government functions to boost the vitality of market entities and public creativity and to reduce the scope for rent-seeking behavior. We implemented the Regulations on Improving the Business Environment. To deepen reforms to streamline administration, delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services, we canceled the requirement for government review or delegated the power of review for another 53 items requiring administrative approval, and further shortened the negative lists for market access and foreign investment. Government departments and local authorities adopted new ways of providing government services, and in light of epidemic containment requirements, introduced contact-free administrative review and services. We strengthened in-process and post-process regulation, and took a tough stance against monopolies and unfair competition. By taking steps to ease the difficulties of businesses while also energizing the market, we promoted a relatively fast rebound in economic growth.
Fourth, we practiced strict economy and improved conduct to further ease the burden on those working on the ground. We thoroughly implemented both the central Party leadership’s eight-point decision on conduct and its rules for implementation, and made persistent efforts to rectify pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance. The central government took the lead by tightening its belt and slashed its spending on non-urgent and non-obligatory items by over 50 percent. The number of documents issued by departments under the State Council was cut by 12 percent, the number of meetings they held was reduced by 60 percent, and the number of inspections they conducted was lowered by 48 percent. Governments at all local levels also made major strides in cutting the number of documents and meetings they issued and held, and addressed problems such as excessive paperwork and the need to keep records of inspections.
Fifth, we strengthened oversight to encourage initiative and boost performance. We tightened regulation in key areas such as state capital, state-owned enterprises, public resource transactions, and public works projects. We leveraged the oversight role of auditing to help increase revenue, reduce expenditures, and recover over 300 billion yuan in financial losses. The Regulations on Government Oversight and Inspection were introduced. We continued to conduct State Council accountability inspections, combining efforts to ensure implementation of policies with assistance in solving problems, thus encouraging all sides to pursue progress and break new ground.
While fully acknowledging our achievements, we must also be clear-eyed about the existing problems and inadequacies. A small number of localities and departments have not fully implemented the requirements of exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, and gaps remain in implementing the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council and in ensuring the effective implementation of reform and development measures. Problems of pointless formalities and bureaucratism exist to varying degrees—in some cases, policies are implemented in a rigid and simplistic way, and a few localities have seen pointless formalities on government service apps. A small number of officials are reluctant, incapable, or ineffective in fulfilling their duties. There are still far too many unnecessary items requiring government review, and some of these processes are not transparent. More must be done to ensure impartial and fair regulation. In some sectors, corruption and misconduct are still common. The fight to improve Party conduct, build integrity, and combat corruption in government remains a serious and protracted one, and we must never slacken our efforts in the slightest.
This year is of particular importance to China’s efforts to achieve modernization. It is therefore crucial that we maintain sustained and healthy economic and social development. At present, the pandemic still adds uncertainties to the global outlook, and the international political and economic environment is becoming more complex. China’s economy has, on the whole, sustained a stable recovery. In the first quarter of this year, major economic indicators all registered rapid year-on-year growth, showing that the economy is becoming more stable and performing well. However, these increases are also largely due to the low base figures recorded in the same period last year. We must take a comprehensive, objective, calm, and dialectical view of the current economic situation, considering not only year-on-year growth but also quarter-on-quarter growth, and weighing both macroeconomic statistics and the real-life experience of market entities. We are confident we can sustain sound economic development, but we must also face up to difficulties and challenges. The foundation for the current economic recovery is not yet solid, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and individually-owned businesses are still facing many difficulties, corporate costs are rising fast, and employment remains a major pressure point. To achieve this year’s development goals, we must, on the one hand, carry out all economic and social tasks to a high standard and, on the other hand, make sustained efforts to improve Party conduct, build integrity, and combat corruption in government. We need to foster a clean environment where integrity is upheld, rely on the people, fully motivate all sides to pursue entrepreneurship and innovation, and build up powerful synergy to overcome difficulties and forge ahead.
2. Leveraging the guiding and ensuring role of exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance to see that key tasks in economic and social development are accomplished
In improving Party conduct, building integrity, and combating corruption in government, we must follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and fully implement the guiding principles from the 19th National Party Congress and the second through fifth plenary sessions of the 19th Party Central Committee. We must enhance our consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership, stay confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and uphold Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We must ensure stability while pursuing progress in our work, base our efforts on the new development stage, apply the new development philosophy, create a new pattern of development, and pursue high-quality development. We must fully implement the requirements of exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, step up efforts to build a clean government, and see that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to be corrupt. We will tighten checks on and oversight over the exercise of power, improve conduct, and encourage officials to act with a stronger sense of responsibility. We will continue to carry out regular epidemic prevention and control, do solid work to ensure stability on six key fronts, and maintain security in six key areas. We will ensure that major economic indicators stay within an appropriate range, maintain social harmony and stability, and get off to a good start in implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan.
The Central Economic Work Conference held last year, the Report on the Work of the Government approved at this year’s National People’s Congress, and the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan have all laid down plans for economic and social development. All localities and government departments must fully shoulder their responsibilities, set their sights on the targets, implement the requirements for full and strict Party self-governance in their efforts to fulfill their duties, and deliver on the government’s promises to the people. %% First, we need to invigorate market entities and help them regain vitality by ensuring all policies are implemented and take effect as early as possible. There are now 140 million market entities in China, with an activity rate of around 70 percent. At least 100 million of them are in operation—they are the foundation of economic development. Last year, despite enormous shocks, we did everything possible to protect market entities, which in turn helped us keep employment stable, secure the fundamentals of the economy, and ensure people’s basic living needs. This year, to consolidate the steady performance of the economy and keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range, we have continued to target market entities in implementing macro policies. We have maintained the continuity, stability, and sustainability of our policies and avoided any sharp policy turns. While adjusting some provisional emergency policies rolled out last year, we have adopted new countermeasures to maintain the necessary level of support for market entities and provide them with stable expectations. Local governments should also focus their policy formulation and implementation on market entities, as they are the linchpin of our work. Development holds the key to solving all problems China faces, and development depends on all market entities. Our policies must serve this overarching goal. All parties should take on their responsibilities, step up oversight, and ensure solid progress in policy implementation—ensuring that policy support arrives like timely rain and is fully delivered.
First, efforts must be made to help market entities recover and grow, and to ensure that all policies are implemented and produce results as quickly as possible. There are now 140 million market entities in China, with an activity rate of around 70 percent. At least 100 million of them are currently in operation, and these market entities are the foundation of economic development. Last year, in the face of severe shocks, we did everything possible to keep market entities afloat, which in turn helped us maintain employment, keep the economy stable, and ensure people's basic living needs. This year, to consolidate the momentum of economic recovery and keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range, we have continued to implement macro policies with a focus on market entities. We have maintained the continuity, stability, and sustainability of our policies, avoiding any "sharp turns." While adjusting some provisional emergency policies introduced last year, we have adopted new countermeasures to ensure necessary support for market entities and stabilize market expectations. Local governments should also formulate and implement policies with market entities in mind. This is a matter of overarching importance, because development holds the key to solving all our country's problems, and development depends on market entities. Our policies must serve this overarching goal. All parties must fulfill their responsibilities, strengthen oversight, and work diligently to implement policies, ensuring that these policies, like "timely rain," thoroughly benefit those in need.
We must ensure proper management and use of fiscal funds. To continue supporting local governments in maintaining employment, people’s wellbeing, and market entities, this year we have further cut central government expenditures and increased transfer payments to local governments accordingly. At the same time, we have established a regular mechanism for direct allocation of fiscal funds and expanded its coverage. We need to strengthen performance-based management of fiscal funds and ensure that our precious funds are used where they are needed most and where they will have the most impact, in accordance with relevant policies. Last year, we established a mechanism for the direct allocation of 1.7 trillion yuan of newly added fiscal funds. This year, the 2.8 trillion yuan of funds under this mechanism are existing funds. In making this move, relevant departments of the State Council have given up some of their own interests, which represents an important reform involving the adjustment of interests. Thanks to the strong sense of the broader picture and the proactive steps taken by all involved, fiscal funds have been directly transferred to local governments, cutting out the middleman and improving efficiency. Just now, our local counterparts spoke highly of the direct allocation of funds. At present, the vast majority of central government funds under the direct allocation mechanism have been disbursed. Provincial-level governments should also expand the coverage of direct allocation of local fiscal funds as appropriate based on local conditions and increase the transfer of fiscal resources to lower levels. Fiscal authorities need to improve the monitoring system for directly allocated funds and strengthen oversight over every step and aspect of the process. Local governments, particularly those at the primary level, need to keep proper records with verifiable names, ensuring clarity on the flow of funds and consistency between the books and actual funds. We need to step up auditing and oversight of the use of funds and follow up to evaluate their performance. Every cent must be put to good use, and we must take strong action against any interception, misappropriation, fraudulent claims, or other illicit use of funds. The direct allocation of fiscal funds is a major step toward maintaining the continuity, stability, and sustainability of macro policies and a reform to streamline administration, delegate power, and improve government services in the fiscal and tax systems. If the mechanism proves to be a success this year, we will intensify policy implementation and expand the scale of directly allocated funds next year.
We must ensure full implementation of tax and fee cuts. Since the replacement of business tax with value-added tax (VAT) was introduced and particularly given the massive tax and fee cuts in recent years, the burden on market entities has been effectively eased and their vitality boosted. These measures have also helped cultivate new sources of tax revenue and reinforce the momentum of development, much like releasing water to nurture fish. This year, we have rolled out new tax cuts, with more tax support provided to micro and small businesses, manufacturing businesses, and businesses in scientific and technological innovation. The total tax cuts for the year are projected to exceed 550 billion yuan, of which the largest cut comes from the policy to raise the proportion of extra deductions for manufacturing businesses’ R&D expenses. We must ensure that all tax cuts are delivered as promised and that their implementation is open and transparent—there must be no discounting or attempts to create unnecessary hassles. Otherwise, businesses will find it difficult to benefit from the policies, and corruption could arise. In the course of implementing tax cuts, some procedures require application and confirmation. We need to safeguard tax security while keeping procedures from becoming too complicated. The implementation of tax cuts requires a people-centered work ethic. We need to do more to publicize policies, and take the initiative to ensure micro and small businesses that are unaware of or do not understand the policies can benefit from them. Meanwhile, we need to streamline the review process to ensure that everyone entitled to the cuts gets them, and to make sure that this good policy yields good results.
We must resolutely rectify and regulate all types of irregular charges. Currently, issues such as arbitrary fees, fines, and levies still persist, which not only increase the burden on market entities and undermine the effects of tax and fee reduction policies but also lead to corruption. Some systems collect large sums in fines annually, and whether these fines are justified must be thoroughly investigated by the relevant authorities. We must intensify the special campaign to address irregular charges imposed on enterprises, tackle challenges head-on, eliminate harmful practices, and make determined efforts to rectify this chronic problem. Each violation discovered must be severely punished to ensure tangible results. All regions and relevant departments must prioritize the broader interests of benefiting enterprises and the people, and under no circumstances should they be allowed to harass the public for profit or sacrifice the overall situation for minor gains.
We must implement financial policies benefiting enterprises with precision and effectiveness. This year, we have continued the inclusive financial policies, such as deferring principal and interest repayments on loans to micro and small businesses and supporting credit loans, to enhance assistance to these businesses. The financial system must ensure these policies are effectively implemented, continue to explore the use of monetary policy tools for direct effect, optimize internal assessments within financial institutions, and further improve the transmission mechanism of monetary policy to ensure easier access to financing for micro and small businesses and a steady decline in overall financing costs. At the same time, we must strengthen financial oversight, effectively mitigate financial risks, and ensure local governments and financial institutions fulfill their respective responsibilities. Corruption behind financial risks must be thoroughly investigated and severely punished, with criminal cases referred to judicial authorities. We must promote better governance and standardized operations among financial institutions and severely penalize collusion and illegal profit-seeking activities.
These key macro policy measures this year are crucial for further consolidating the foundation of stable economic recovery and keeping economic performance within a reasonable range. They must be safeguarded by efforts to improve Party conduct, build a clean government, and combat corruption to ensure these policies are implemented faithfully.
Second, we must strengthen oversight of investment in social and livelihood areas to ensure funds are used safely and efficiently. In recent years, despite slower growth in fiscal revenue, governments at all levels have continued to increase spending on people’s livelihoods. This year, we have accelerated the direct allocation of funds for employment, education, healthcare, and government-subsidized housing projects. Generally speaking, given the large scale of investment in these areas, we must further improve the performance of fund utilization and strictly guard against the embezzlement of public welfare funds.
We need to implement the employment-first policy with a rigorous and thorough approach. This year, the number of college graduates has reached a new high of 9.09 million, and there are also many graduates from previous years and overseas returnees. The number of migrant workers has also increased compared to last year, while some enterprises are facing considerable pressure to maintain stable employment. Achieving this year’s employment targets will not be easy. We need to effectively implement the employment-first policy, take solid steps, and make meticulous efforts to explore market-based employment channels by all means. For employment subsidy funds, vocational training funds, and unemployment insurance funds, we must enhance the precision of their use, resolutely investigate and deal with violations such as fake training, fraudulent claims, and favoritism, and uphold fairness and order in the job market.
We need to improve the efficiency of education spending. Fiscal funds should focus on supporting the balanced and high-quality development of compulsory education and accelerating the improvement of rural school conditions. We need to refine relevant mechanisms and systems, adjust the spending structure, and provide more support for the development of the teaching workforce. We must ensure that the average salary of compulsory education teachers is no lower than that of local civil servants and strengthen on-the-job training for teachers in rural and remote areas.
We need to strengthen oversight of the use of medical insurance funds. In recent years, there have been frequent cases of fraudulently obtaining medical insurance funds, such as admitting healthy individuals as inpatients, overprescribing medicines for illegal resale, or using medical insurance cards to purchase daily necessities. Last year, relevant authorities recovered over 22 billion yuan of misused medical insurance funds. We must continue to strengthen oversight and crack down hard on these egregious acts of defrauding the "lifesaving money." This year, we have already initiated measures to promote mutual assistance for outpatient services and enable cross-province direct settlement of outpatient expenses. These reforms will benefit more people and also impose higher requirements on the management of medical insurance funds. We must carry out these measures with precision, further standardize medical institutions’ diagnosis, treatment, and billing practices, and strictly penalize any illegal or non-compliant use of medical insurance funds. We need to institutionalize and regularize the centralized bulk procurement of medicines and high-value medical consumables to reduce patients’ medical costs, ensure drug quality, and improve the efficiency of medical insurance fund usage. We must resolutely rectify illegal activities such as kickbacks in drug distribution and backdoor deals for getting drugs into hospitals.
We need to ensure the full and timely payment of pensions. Overall, pension payments are secure, but some regions face significant funding gaps. This year, we have increased central government transfers and raised basic pension levels for retirees. Pensions concern every family; only when the elderly have a happy later life can the young look forward to a promising future. There must be no negligence in ensuring pension payments. All localities must fulfill their responsibilities, promptly cover any gaps, and allocate transfers where necessary to guarantee full and timely payments—no delays will be tolerated. We must also accelerate efforts to address shortcomings in elderly and childcare services. The government must fulfill its duty to provide basic services and a safety net while strengthening policy support to guide social forces in increasing service supply, particularly in community-based elderly and childcare services. This involves multiple departments, and government officials must work with a deep sense of public service to promote these efforts.
We must also ensure basic housing. In recent years, we have made significant improvements through shantytown renovation and the construction of subsidized housing, and we need to continue these efforts. This year’s central government direct fiscal transfers include arrangements for this purpose, and local governments must also increase investment to address shortcomings where needed.
Third, we must continue to have the government tighten its belt and truly practice fiscal frugality for the benefit of the people. With the steady economic recovery and growth this year and a relatively high increase in fiscal revenue in the first quarter, we still must not let up on tightening the government’s belt just because fiscal revenue has rebounded quickly. Only when the government tightens its belt can we better implement policies such as tax and fee cuts. These tax and fee cuts are, in essence, a way of fostering growth in tax sources. Last year, we cut taxes and fees by more than 2.6 trillion yuan, while newly registered market players during the 13th Five-Year Plan period paid nearly 2.6 trillion yuan in taxes last year. An increase in the number of market entities and a rise in their level of activity will create more tax sources and generate more tax revenue. This year, the government has not issued any special treasury bonds for COVID-19 control, and the deficit-to-GDP ratio has also been lowered. Governments at all levels should strictly enforce budget management, prohibit any spending in excess of budget or without budgetary allocation, and ensure the implementation of measures such as cutting non-essential and non-obligatory expenditures and improving the composition of expenditures. We will increase support for ensuring employment, basic living needs, and the normal functioning of market entities, and ensure funding for priority areas like salaries and operating costs at the primary level. Some local governments are still in arrears on salary payments to teachers and payments to construction projects, leading to wage arrears for rural migrant workers. This is absolutely unacceptable. We will also put idle funds to good use, intensify efforts to build a conservation-minded government, and take a firm stand against wasteful conduct.
Fourth, we will intensify reforms to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services to boost the vitality of market entities and the creativity of society and regulate the exercise of administrative power at the source.
We will continue to cut excessive restrictions and power and reduce the number of government approval items. The best policy is the simplest. Power must not be exercised arbitrarily, and simple policies are easier to implement, understand, and oversee and are more transparent. This year, we will work to reduce the procedures, materials, time, and cost required for government approval in relation to business operations and ensure that more items can be processed online or in a single visit. We will set uniform standards and ensure open and transparent processes, and use institutional and technological means to ensure businesses can get things done without having to pull strings and to prevent officials from seeking bribes or other benefits.
A market economy must have fair and impartial regulation; otherwise, the market will be unable to fully play its role, and misconduct will easily take root. We will take effective regulation as a necessary guarantee for streamlining administration and delegating power. We will promptly introduce regulatory measures for canceled or delegated approval items. We will exercise full oversight over key areas, including food and drugs, workplace safety, and finance, and deal severely with offenses like the production and sale of counterfeit or substandard goods and IPR infringement. Fair and impartial regulation is directly reflected in administrative law enforcement. Regulatory enforcement must be strict, standardized, impartial, and civilized. There must be no arbitrary law enforcement, no interference with the normal production and operation of market entities, and certainly no dereliction of duty or abuse of power for personal gain. Otherwise, not only will the image of the Party and government be tarnished, but the Party’s governance will also be undermined. This is something that regulatory enforcement personnel must bear in mind and act upon.
Third, we will strengthen accountability to ensure that new progress is made in improving Party conduct and upholding integrity in government.
In response to new tasks and challenges, all regions and government departments must fully enforce strict Party self-governance in every aspect of their work and their own development. We must ensure all responsibilities are fulfilled and all tasks are carried out, and we must continue to improve Party conduct and build a clean government as well as the fight against corruption.
We must strengthen the Party’s political leadership. All regions and government departments must consciously align their thinking, political orientation, and actions with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We should constantly enhance our capacity for political judgment, thinking, and implementation. Strengthening political leadership and assuming political responsibility is concrete, not abstract. We must ensure that all our thinking, decision-making, and actions are in line with and serve the overall interests of the Party and the country. We must remain true to the founding mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. We must bear in mind that development is the foundation for and key to solving all our country’s problems. A major responsibility of government bodies is to ensure sustained and healthy economic and social development. If we fail in this, we cannot say that we have fulfilled our political duties. In the face of severe and complex circumstances as well as risks and challenges, we remained undaunted last year, and this year we must stay vigilant in times of peace. Although the economy is now steadily recovering and growing, market entities have not fully regained their strength, and uncertainties in economic development are increasing. Problems in inflation, debt burdens, the real estate sector, and food and energy security may affect overall stability, and we must not take these problems lightly. We must take a holistic view, fully perform our duties, ensure unimpeded implementation of government decrees, keep major economic indicators within an appropriate range, and promote sustained and healthy economic and social development.
Second, we must fulfill the principal responsibility for improving Party conduct, building integrity, and combating corruption. Party groups and Party committees in government bodies must assume the principal responsibility for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance and for promoting Party conduct, integrity, and anti-corruption efforts. They must ensure that efforts to improve Party conduct, build integrity, and combat corruption are planned and advanced alongside socioeconomic development endeavors and assessed together with them. We must keep up our efforts to implement the central Party leadership’s eight-point decision on conduct and its implementation rules, and we must work tirelessly to rectify pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance. When we act with integrity, we have nothing to fear. We must always prioritize the interests of the people. Leading officials at all levels in government bodies must set an example by upholding integrity and self-discipline, strictly complying with regulations on the business activities of leading officials’ spouses and children and their spouses, improving family values and family education, and imposing strict requirements on those working closely with them. No privilege or exception will be tolerated.
Third, we must carry out activities to study the Party’s history intensively and enhance our ability to serve the people. All Party members should integrate the study of Party history with efforts to advance socioeconomic development and solve the practical problems facing the people, and they should turn what they learn into motivation for work and tangible results. We must bear in mind the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, go down to the grassroots to conduct thorough research, and listen closely to the views of the people. We should put ourselves in the shoes of our people, take solid steps to resolve their problems, and work tirelessly to improve their wellbeing.
Fourth, we must strengthen long-term mechanisms for preventing corruption and promoting integrity. To enhance Party conduct, build integrity, and combat corruption in government bodies, we must adopt both temporary and permanent solutions and build a strong institutional fence. In particular, we should improve and fully implement the system of separating the exercising of oversight from the handling of affairs in government procurement, land transfers, and public bidding for projects—all areas pertaining to the trading of public resources. We need to strengthen regulation over trading platforms, promote the full digitalization of trading processes, and ensure that all trading is conducted in the sunlight so as to prevent the abuse of power for personal gain. We should increase transparency in government operations, refine departmental oversight and management systems, and intensify efforts to address the problems of greatest concern to the people. Any misconduct or corrupt activities must be severely punished.
Fifth, we must uphold the truth and work for solid outcomes. For those in government, what matters is to get things done, and success comes through action. Governments at all levels and their employees must make hard work their priority and see that all work is performed creatively in light of actual conditions and objective laws and with a pioneering and innovative spirit. We must crack down on pointless formalities and bureaucratism. In a sense, these are also forms of corruption. Disregarding realities and failing to serve the people is also a form of inaction, and both stem from self-interest. They run counter to our Party’s principle of seeking truth from facts and contravene the fundamental purpose of our Party, which is to serve the people wholeheartedly. We must guard against a mechanistic, simplistic, or one-size-fits-all approach in policy implementation, and continue to relieve burdens on those working on the ground. We will explore the establishment of a government performance evaluation system and continue to make good use of the effective tool of government supervision. At the same time, we will reduce unnecessary steps in the process to avoid disrupting routine work at the primary level. Government supervision should focus on key areas and combine oversight with assistance. We will continue to offer incentives to those who achieve notable results through solid work, admonish those who fail to deliver, and promptly study and help resolve difficulties reported to us. All local authorities and government departments should improve mechanisms for both incentives and constraints, support our primary-level officials where necessary, and help them solve problems that need to be solved, so as to foster an enabling environment where people are willing and able to get things done. The government has a lot on its plate and must attend to all matters. This requires government employees to constantly expand their knowledge and develop strong professional competence. During the Covid-19 response, many doctors said that what satisfied them most was not the benefits they received, but saving patients from the brink of death—that’s what defines the medical profession. An ancient Chinese saying goes, “An official should bring good to the people where he serves.” We Communist Party members and Party officials should hold the people dearer than anything else, work to resolve their difficulties, and help them live a better life.
Strengthening Party conduct, upholding integrity, and combating misconduct in government are major and arduous tasks. We must rally more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and act on the decisions and plans made by the Party Central Committee and the State Council. It is imperative that we work hard with vigor and dedication to fulfill this year’s economic and social development goals and tasks, and celebrate the centenary of the Communist Party of China with outstanding achievements.