Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions, Advancing the Modernization of National Governance System and Governance Capacity

Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions

Promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity

Xi Jinping

Deepening the reform of party and state institutions is an important measure to implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and a concentrated deployment to promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Continuing to promote the reform of the Party and state institutions aims to promote the Party's leadership in socialist modernization construction to be more scientific in institutional settings, more optimized in job function allocation, more perfect in institutional mechanisms, and more efficient in operational management. The reform of party and state institutions is a complex and systematic project that cannot be achieved overnight, nor can it be achieved once and for all. It requires continuous adjustment and optimization of the functional system of party and state institutions according to new missions, strategic arrangements, and work needs, so as to better adapt to the development needs of the party and state industry.

This institutional reform is being promoted on the basis of the systematic and holistic restructuring of the functions of the Party and state institutions since the Third Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. It is also being studied and planned in the context of the strategic deployment of the Party and state undertakings for the next five years and even longer at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. We must adhere to the overall tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability, adapt to the requirements of coordinating the "Five in One" overall layout and the "Four Comprehensives" strategic layout, adapt to the needs of building a new development pattern and promoting high-quality development, adhere to problem orientation, coordinate the Party Central Committee institutions, National People's Congress institutions, State Council institutions, and National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference institutions, coordinate the central and local governments, fully utilize favorable conditions in all aspects, fully consider various risks and challenges, and firmly promote the adjustment of institutional responsibilities in some key areas.

The second plenary meeting of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC will be held in Beijing from February 26 to 28, 2023.Reporter Ju Peng from Xinhua News Agency/Photo taken

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, an important purpose of deepening the reform of the Party and state institutions has been to adhere to and strengthen the comprehensive leadership of the Party, and to implement the strengthening of the Party's comprehensive leadership in various fields, aspects, and links from the perspective of institutional responsibilities. This institutional reform aims to establish a new decision-making and coordinating body of the Party Central Committee, establish new functional departments and administrative agencies of the Party Central Committee, and establish new dispatched agencies of the Party Central Committee in important areas, in order to leverage advantages, address weaknesses, and strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over major work. The functional departments, administrative agencies, and dispatched agencies of the Party Central Committee should take the lead in adhering to the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, taking the lead in implementing the Party's line, principles, and policies, based on their responsibilities, strengthening coordination and cooperation, and better playing their roles.

At the same time, we have made reasonable designs and arrangements for institutional settings and responsibilities in financial management system, technology management system, social management system, data management system, intellectual property management system, Hong Kong and Macao work system, "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work system, and elderly work system. These adjustments are proposed solutions based on the analysis of the deep-seated contradictions and problems we face. The next step is to benchmark against the responsibilities and tasks assigned by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, effectively transform job functions, methods, and style, and efficiently fulfill responsibilities.

The second plenary meeting of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC will be held in Beijing from February 26 to 28, 2023.Xinhua News Agency reporter Xie Huanchi/Photo

Each region and department should consciously think and act within the overall situation to ensure that the institutional reform plan is implemented without any discount, deformation, or deviation. In particular, it is necessary to strictly formulate and implement departmental "three fixed" regulations in accordance with the institutional reform plan. The "Three Determinations" regulations serve as the basic basis for party regulations and departmental performance, with the authority of the Party Central Committee. After the approval of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, departments must strictly fulfill their responsibilities and carry out work in accordance with the "Three Determinations" regulations, and use high-level performance and high-quality work achievements as important standards to test the effectiveness of institutional reform.

It is crucial to do a good job in organizing and implementing institutional reform. We must continue to make good use of valuable experiences such as adhering to the comprehensive leadership of the Party over institutional reform, adhering to the principle of not breaking down before breaking down, promoting the optimization, coordination, and efficiency of institutional functions, adhering to the unity of central and local governments, adhering to the unity of reform and the rule of law, and adhering to the integration of ideological and political work throughout the entire reform process. We must grasp the key points and focus on deepening and refining our work, and promote the implementation of institutional reform in an organized, step-by-step, and disciplined manner.

We need to increase the strength of unification. Under the leadership of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, the Central Committee for Comprehensive Deepening of Reform takes the lead in grasping the overall situation, strengthening overall coordination, and establishing a coordination mechanism. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the National People's Congress, the State Council, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are responsible for the implementation of institutional reforms in their respective systems, while local institutional reforms are under the unified leadership of provincial-level party committees. The leaders in charge of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council are the first responsible persons for the institutional reform work in their respective fields. They should take the lead in implementing the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, jointly study and refine the implementation plan with the leadership team of the reform related departments in charge, and focus on key links such as mobilization and deployment, heart to heart talks, transfer and establishment, and functional adjustment. The General Office of the Central Committee, the Organization Department of the Central Committee, the Compilation Office of the Central Committee, the General Office of the State Council and other departments should also coordinate and do related work according to their respective responsibilities.

Secondly, we must adhere to a stable tone. This institutional reform involves multiple departments and involves deeper issues, which require planning before action. The leadership team of the newly established department should be equipped as soon as possible, familiarize themselves with the department's responsibilities and task requirements, and follow the order of first transferring to another department and then making the "three fixed" regulations. Efforts should be made to establish institutions, allocate personnel, and concentrate office work to ensure a smooth transition, orderly transfer, and seamless handover. For reform tasks that involve a wide range of areas and complex situations, it is necessary to carefully study and formulate special reform plans based on the top-level design made by the Party Central Committee, refine relevant policy measures, and organize implementation after approval according to procedures. The reform of central and local institutions should be organically linked and orderly promoted in terms of work deployment and organizational implementation. The reform tasks at the central level aim to be completed by the end of 2023, while the reform tasks at the local level aim to be completed by the end of 2024.

We must do the work of being a good person. We must guide Party members and cadres to speak politically, consider the overall situation, abide by rules, correctly handle the adjustment of interest patterns and personal advancement and retreat, actively support reform, consciously obey organizational arrangements, and achieve ideological stability, continuous work, team cohesion, and undiminished enthusiasm.

Strictly enforce discipline. Departments involved in institutional changes and responsibility adjustments should consciously obey the overall situation, ensure that institutions, responsibilities, personnel, etc. are adjusted in a timely manner according to requirements, and are not allowed to slack off, delay, or make flexible choices. It is strictly prohibited for higher-level supervisory departments to interfere with the establishment and staffing of lower level institutions, and it is strictly prohibited to promote cadres by surprise. Financial and economic discipline must be strictly enforced, and the loss of state-owned assets must be resolutely prevented. We need to strengthen supervision and disciplinary accountability, seriously investigate and punish disciplinary violations in institutional reform work, and hold relevant personnel accountable.

Five must be based on the law. If it is necessary to promote institutional reform on the track of the rule of law and formulate, modify or abolish laws, the responsible unit should actively connect with the legislative body. The legislative body should coordinate and do a good job in the relevant legislative reform, abolishment, and release work.

In addition to the "Plan for the Reform of Party and State Institutions" reviewed at this plenary session, the Party Central Committee has also studied and deployed the optimization and adjustment of relevant deliberation and coordination institutions of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, which should be implemented and integrated.

This is ※ part of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech at the second plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee on February 28, 2023.