Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 21st - On the afternoon of April 21st, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Director of the Central Committee for Deepening Reforms Comprehensively, presided over the first meeting of the 20th Central Committee for Deepening Reforms Comprehensively and delivered an important speech. He emphasized that this year marks the beginning of fully implementing the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, the 45th anniversary of reform and opening-up, and the 10th anniversary of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. To achieve the goals and tasks of the new era and new journey, comprehensive deepening of reforms must be taken as the fundamental driving force for advancing Chinese-style modernization, as an important tool for stabilizing the overall situation, responding to changing circumstances, and opening up new prospects. We must maintain the correct direction, uphold integrity while innovating, and work diligently to write a new chapter of reform and opening-up on the new journey.
Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Deputy Directors of the Central Committee for Deepening Reforms Comprehensively, Li Qiang, Wang Huning, and Cai Qi, attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed and approved the "Opinions on Strengthening the Leading Role of Enterprises in Technological Innovation," the "Opinions on Strengthening and Improving the Management of the State-Owned Economy to Strongly Support Chinese-Style Modernization," the "Opinions on Promoting the Development and Growth of the Private Economy," as well as the "Working Rules of the Central Committee for Deepening Reforms Comprehensively," the "Working Rules of the Specialized Groups of the Central Committee for Deepening Reforms Comprehensively," the "Working Guidelines of the Office of the Central Committee for Deepening Reforms Comprehensively," and the "Key Tasks of the Central Committee for Deepening Reforms Comprehensively for 2023."
The meeting pointed out that strengthening the leading role of enterprises in technological innovation is a key measure for deepening the reform of the scientific and technological system and achieving high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology. It is necessary to adhere to a systematic approach, focusing on "for whom to innovate, who should innovate, what to innovate, and how to innovate." Starting from institutional construction, overall arrangements should be made for the entire chain of technological innovation decision-making, R&D investment, scientific research organization, and achievement transformation. Systematically layout key innovation resources such as policies, funds, projects, platforms, and talents, and advance technological innovation, industrial innovation, and institutional innovation in an integrated manner, promoting the formation of an innovation system where enterprises play the leading role and industry, academia, and research efficiently collaborate and deeply integrate. Efforts should be concentrated on major national strategic and industrial development needs, increasing support for enterprise innovation, actively encouraging and effectively guiding private enterprises to participate in major national innovations, and enabling enterprises to play a role in key core technological innovations and breakthroughs in major original technologies.
The meeting stressed that strengthening and improving the management of the state-owned sector should be based on the missions, tasks, and functional positioning of the state-owned economy in the new era and journey. It is essential to enhance the safety responsibilities, quality structure, and asset and enterprise management of the state-owned economy from a strategic perspective of serving the new development paradigm, promoting high-quality development, advancing common prosperity, and safeguarding national security. Efforts should be made to deepen the reform of state-owned enterprises, address weaknesses, mitigate shortcomings, reinforce foundations, and leverage strengths, so as to establish a state-owned economic management system that features top-level coordination, clearly defined rights and responsibilities, efficient operation, and robust oversight.
The meeting emphasized that supporting the development of the private economy has always been a consistent policy of the CPC Central Committee. To promote the growth and expansion of the private economy, efforts should be made to optimize its development environment, remove institutional barriers that hinder fair competition for private enterprises, guide them to find their proper positioning in high-quality development, and continuously improve development quality through corporate reforms, compliance operations, and transformation and upgrading. The characteristics of the private economy must be fully considered to refine policy implementation methods, enhance policy coordination, ensure the precise delivery of various preferential policies, and effectively address the practical difficulties faced by enterprises. Building a cordial and clean relationship between government and business should be put into practice to guide and promote the healthy growth of individuals in the private economy.
The meeting stressed that since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have comprehensively deepened reforms with tremendous political courage, adhering to goal-oriented approaches, addressing pressing issues, daring to venture into deep waters, tackle tough challenges, navigate treacherous waters, and confront new contradictions and challenges, resolutely eliminating institutional and systemic drawbacks across the board. This has opened up new prospects with unprecedented intensity. Over the past decade of the new era, the reforms we have promoted have been comprehensive, profound, and fundamental, achieving historic, revolutionary, and groundbreaking successes. Looking around the world, no other country or political party possesses such political resolve and historical responsibility to boldly and resolutely undertake self-reform, nor has any other country or political party driven such extensive, large-scale, and forceful reforms in such a short time. This is a distinctive feature and significant advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.
On the new journey to continue advancing comprehensive deepening reforms, we must uphold and strengthen the Party's leadership, accurately grasp the direction of reform, define goals and tasks, and ensure all work is carried out effectively with scientific planning and innovative courage. We must tackle major reform tasks with determination, coordinate overall efforts, focus on key areas, and push forward reforms addressing significant issues in building a modern socialist country in all respects. We should leverage the favorable conditions created by institutional reforms to overcome various systemic and institutional drawbacks and adjust deep-seated interest patterns. Strengthening research and investigation into reforms is essential by visiting areas and departments where contradictions and problems are concentrated, going deep into grassroots communities, understanding the real situation, and dissecting specific cases. It is important to not only study specific issues in depth but also synthesize various aspects, putting more thought and effort into overall strategies and global work. Efforts must be intensified to implement reforms, improve mechanisms for coordinated, targeted, and efficient execution, enhance oversight of reform progress, and ensure reform measures are effectively implemented. We must mobilize enthusiasm for reforms across all sectors, improve incentive mechanisms for innovation, promote the exchange and dissemination of exemplary reform experiences, strengthen public opinion guidance, and promptly respond to concerns from all sides.
Members of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms attended the meeting, and responsible officials from relevant departments of the central and state organs were also present.