Beijing, July 11 (Xinhua) -- On the afternoon of July 11, 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 Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, presided over the second meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms. The meeting reviewed and approved several important documents, including "Opinions on Building a New System for a Higher-Level Open Economy to Promote the Construction of a New Development Pattern," "Implementation Plan for Deepening Rural Reforms," "Opinions on Gradually Shifting from Dual Control of Energy Consumption to Dual Control of Carbon Emissions," "Opinions on Pilot Reforms of the Compensation System in Higher Education Institutions and Research Institutes," "Implementation Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of the Oil and Gas Market System to Enhance National Energy Security," and "Guidelines on Deepening the Reform of the Power System to Accelerate the Construction of a New Power System."

Xi Jinping stressed at the meeting that building a new system for a more open economy is a strategic move we have taken on our own initiative to deepen reform and promote development through opening up. We should focus on serving the new development paradigm, prioritize institutional opening up, deepen institutional reform in key areas of external exchanges and cooperation such as investment, trade, finance, and innovation, improve supporting policies and measures, and proactively elevate China's opening up to a new level. We should anchor the strategic goals of achieving agricultural and rural modernization and building a strong agricultural nation, with the main focus on properly handling the relationship between farmers and land, accelerate efforts to address weaknesses in agricultural and rural development, and lay a solid foundation for building a modern socialist country in all respects. Given that China's ecological conservation efforts have entered a critical period with carbon reduction as the key strategic direction, we should improve the regulation of total energy consumption and intensity, and gradually shift to a dual-control system for both the total amount and intensity of carbon emissions. Promoting the reform of the salary distribution system for university teachers and researchers should be taken as an important measure to advance the coordinated development of education, science and technology, and human resources. We should gradually establish a salary system that stimulates innovation, values knowledge, ensures standardized and effective management, and balances incentives with safeguards, so as to further unleash the creativity of higher education institutions and research institutes. To enhance the country's capacity to ensure oil and gas security, we should actively and steadily advance institutional reform in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry to address prominent problems in the sector and ensure stable and reliable supply. We should deepen the reform of the power system, accelerate the building of a new power system that is clean and low-carbon, safe and sufficient, economically efficient, supply-demand coordinated, and flexible and smart, so as to better advance the revolution in energy production and consumption and safeguard national energy security.

Li Qiang, Wang Huning, and Cai Qi, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy directors of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, attended the meeting.

The meeting noted that China's development is currently facing a complex and severe international environment. It is necessary to improve the top-level design of the new open economy system, deepen institutional reforms in trade and investment, expand market access, comprehensively optimize the business environment, enhance service guarantee systems, fully leverage China's comprehensive advantages, attract global resource elements through the domestic economic cycle, and elevate the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation. It is essential to adhere to bottom-line and extreme thinking, promptly strengthen national security mechanisms, and focus on enhancing open regulatory capabilities and standards. The construction of a higher-level open economy system should be closely integrated with national strategies such as the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, actively participating in the reform and development of the global governance system.

The meeting emphasized that to implement the decisions of the 20th CPC National Congress on deepening rural reforms, efforts should focus on consolidating and improving the basic rural operation system, refining the food security system, enhancing mechanisms for comprehensive rural revitalization, improving policy systems for integrated urban-rural development, accelerating breakthroughs in key reform areas, and ensuring tangible benefits for farmers. Top-level design should be organically combined with grassroots exploration, allowing and encouraging different regions to explore localized solutions. It is important to identify and summarize grassroots innovations, providing timely support where difficulties arise.

The meeting pointed out that since the 18th CPC National Congress, green, low-carbon development, and energy conservation have been prioritized, with the establishment and implementation of a dual-control system for total energy consumption and intensity. This has significantly improved China's energy efficiency and consistently reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Transitioning from dual energy control to dual carbon control requires establishing new systems before phasing out old ones, optimizing the dual-control mechanism, strengthening foundational capabilities, and improving supporting systems to create conditions for implementing the dual-carbon control system. The principle of prioritizing conservation must be upheld, achieving higher standards and quality in energy-saving efforts with minimal cost for maximum benefit. Work pace should be steady, balancing development and emission reduction realistically and pragmatically, with scientifically adjusted policies.

The meeting stressed that pilot reforms in the salary systems of higher education institutions and research institutes should optimize and standardize distribution mechanisms based on actual needs, establish correct incentive orientations, prioritize talent and innovation, and link compensation closely with performance. Preferential treatment should be given to those engaged in frontline teaching and research, tackling critical and challenging tasks, and making outstanding contributions, as well as those involved in basic disciplines, frontier research, and key national technological breakthroughs. Salary management supervision must be strengthened to ensure national funds are allocated where they are most needed for talent motivation and career development.

The meeting emphasized the need to further reform the oil and gas market system and strengthen the construction of production, supply, storage, and sales networks. It called for enhanced market supervision, with strengthened oversight in specific sectors and coordinated cross-sector regulation, to standardize market order and promote fair competition. Additionally, the meeting highlighted the importance of deepening reforms in oil and gas reserve systems to better leverage their emergency response and regulatory capabilities.

The meeting emphasized the need to scientifically and rationally design the pathway for building a new power system, gradually reducing the proportion of traditional energy sources in a planned and step-by-step manner based on the safe and reliable substitution of new energy. It is essential to improve the institutional mechanisms that are compatible with the new power system, promoting advancements in power technology innovation, market mechanism innovation, and business model innovation. Efforts should be made to better integrate an effective market with a proactive government, continuously refining the policy system and ensuring the provision of essential public services in the power sector.

Members of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms attended the meeting, while responsible comrades from relevant departments of central and state organs were present as non-voting participants.