Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms
Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms
Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms
November 12, 2013
With a view to implementing the strategic deployment about comprehensively deepening reforms that is proposed at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (hereinafter referred to as the "CPC" or the "Party"), the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee has studied several major issues concerning comprehensively deepening reforms and made the following decisions.
Article 1 Significance and Guiding Ideology of Comprehensively Deepening Reforms
1. Reform and opening-up, as a new great revolution made by Chinese people of all ethnic groups and led by the Party under the heading of "new era", are of the most distinctive features of contemporary China. Over the 35 years since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, our Party, with great political courage and determination, has been promoting the reforms of systems on economy, politics, culture, society, ecological civilization and the Party's construction and continuously expanding the scope of opening up. Its great determination, deep reforms and wide influence are unprecedented, and the achievements have attracted worldwide attention.
The main achievement of the reform and opening up is the creation and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which provides strong incentive and powerful guarantee for the socialist modernization construction. It is proven that the reform and opening up is the crucial choice that shapes up the destiny of contemporary China and is the important magic weapon for the Party and the people to keep up with the times.
There is no end to the practice of development, to the emancipation of minds and to the reform and opening up. Facing the new situation and new task, in order to build a well-off society in an all-round way so as to form a prosperous, democratic, civilized and harmonious modern socialist country and realize the Chinese dream about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must comprehensively deepen reforms from this new historical starting point, keep strengthening self-confidence in the road, the theory and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
2. For the purpose of comprehensively deepening reforms, we must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and follow the guidance of Marxism and Leninism, Maoism, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "Three Represents" and the Scientific Outlook on Development; firm the confidence, build consensus, plan as a whole, push forward cooperatively and adhere to the direction of socialist market economy reform; take the promotion of social fairness and justice and the improvement of the people's well-being as both our starting point and ultimate goal to further emancipate the mind, emancipate and develop the social productivity, and emancipate and enhance the social vitality; resolutely remove disadvantages in all aspects of systems and mechanisms, and strive to develop a broader prospect for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The overall goal of comprehensively deepening reforms is to improve and develop the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and promote the modernization of national governance system and governance ability. We must focus more on whether the reforms are systematic, holistic and collaborative, speed up the development of the socialist market economy, democratic politics, advanced culture, harmonious society and ecological civilization, release all the gushing vitality of the labor, knowledge, technology, management and capital, give full play to all sources of social wealth, and make more development benefit shared by all the people in a fairer way.
We shall deepen the reform of economic system by closely sticking to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, to uphold and improve the fundamental economic system, accelerate to improve the modern market system, the macroeconomic regulation and control system and the open economy system, accelerate the transformation of the pattern of economic development, and speed up the construction of an innovation-oriented country, so as to promote the economy to develop in a more efficient, fairer and more sustainable way.
We shall deepen the reform of political system by closely sticking to the organic unity of ensuring the leadership of the Party, the people as the masters of the country and ruling by law, to accelerate socialist democracy's institutionalization, standardization and sequencing and build a socialist country under the rule of law, so as to develop a more extensive, more comprehensive and healthier people's democracy.
We shall deepen the reform of cultural system by closely sticking to the establishment of the socialist core value system and socialist country with great culture, to speed up to perfect the culture management system and the cultural production and management mechanism, and establish and perfect the modern system of public cultural service and the modern cultural market system, so as to promote the vigorous development and prosperity of the socialist culture.
We shall deepen the reform of social system by closely sticking to the better safeguard and improvement of people's livelihood and promotion of social fairness and justice, to reform the income distribution system, promote the common prosperity, advance system innovation in the social domain, drive the equalization of basic public services, and speed up the formation of scientific and effective social governance system, so that the society is full of vitality and develops in a harmonious and orderly way.
We shall deepen the reform of ecological civilization system by closely sticking to the construction of beautiful China, to accelerate the establishment of ecological civilization system, and improve the institutions and mechanisms of national spatial development, economical utilization of resources and ecological environment protection, so as to promote the formation of a new pattern of modernization construction characterized by the harmonious development of man and nature.
We shall deepen the reform of the Party's construction system by closely sticking to the improvement of the level of scientific, democratic and law-based governance, to strengthen the construction of democratic centralism, improve the Party's leadership system and governing style and maintain the Party's advanced nature and purity, so as to provide strong political guarantee for the reform and opening up and the socialist modernization construction.
3. Comprehensively deepening reforms must be carried out, based on the biggest reality that our country will remain in the primary stage of socialism for a long time, by insisting on the major strategic judgment that development is still the key to solve all problems of our country and taking economic construction as the center, in order to give play to the tractive role of the economic system reform, promote the correlation between production relations and productive forces and between superstructure and economic base, and promote the sustainable and healthy development of the economy and the society.
The reform of the economic system is the focus of comprehensively deepening reforms. The core is to correctly handle the relationship between government and market so as to help the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources and help the government better play its role. The market determining the allocation of resources is the general law of market economy. Therefore, to perfect the system of socialist market economy, we must follow this law and put forth efforts to solve the imperfection of the market system and the excessive intervention and the lack of regulation by the government.
We must actively and prudently advance market-oriented reform in breadth and depth, greatly reduce the government's direct allocation of resources, and promote the allocation of resources on the basis of market rules, market prices, market competition to achieve maximum benefit and efficiency optimization. The government's role and responsibilities mainly include maintaining the stability of macro-economy, strengthening and optimizing the public services, safeguarding fair competition, reinforcing market regulation, maintaining the market order, promoting sustainable development, advancing the common prosperity and making up for market failure.
4. The success practice of the reforms and opening up provides important experience for the comprehensively deepening reform and must be insisted upon in the long run. Most importantly, we shall adhere to the leadership of the Party, carry out the Party's basic line, reject both the old and rigid closed-door policy and any attempt to abandon socialism and take an erroneous path, unswervingly follow the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and always ensure the correct direction of reforms. We shall insist on emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, keeping pace with the times, being practical and advancing everything from its current status, summarize the successful practices in China, draw lessons from foreign experience, and be brave to promote the innovation in theory and practice. We shall adhere to the concept of putting people first, respect the principal position of the people, develop the public's pioneering spirit, rely firmly on the people to advance reforms and promote the all-round development of people. We shall insist on the good handling of the relationship among reform, development and stability, be brave and take steady steps, strengthen the combination of top-down planning and wading across the river by feeling the stones, advance the reform comprehensively with breakthroughs made in key areas, make the reform decisions more scientific and broadly build consensus, to form combined force of reform.
At present, as our country enters a new stage of development, the reform has reached the crucial stage and waded into the deep water zone. We must start with a strong historical sense of mission, centralize the wisdom of the Party and the whole society to the greatest extent, try the best to mobilize all positive factors, dare to "take a bigger bite" and wade through a dangerous shoal, break through the bondage of ideas and the barriers of interest solidification with the greater determination, and promote self-improvement and development of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.
Till 2020, decisive results will be achieved through reforms in important fields and crucial links, the reform tasks put forward herein will be accomplished, and a systematic, complete, scientific and standardized system in effective operation will be established, which all make every aspect of the system become more mature and more stable.
Article 2 Adhere to and Improve the Fundamental Economic System
The fundamental economic system with public ownership playing a dominant role and diverse forms of ownership developing side by side is the important pillar of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and also the foundation of the socialist market economy system. Both the public economy and the non-public economy are important parts of socialist market economy, and also the important foundation of China's economic and social development. It is necessary to unswervingly consolidate and develop the public economy, adhere to the principal position of public ownership, play the leading role of state-owned economy, and constantly enhance the vitality, controlling force and influence of state-owned economy. It is necessary to unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of non-public economy and stimulate the vitality and creativity of non-public economy.
5. Improve the protection system of property right. Property right is the core of the system of ownership. It is necessary to improve a modern property right system with clearly established ownership, well-defined power and responsibility, strict protection and smooth operation. The property right of public economy is inviolable, so is that of the non-public economy.
China protects property rights and legitimate interests of all kinds of ownership economy, through ensuring that all kinds of ownership economy have equal access to production factors, open and fair and equal market competition and the same legal protection and supervision in accordance with the law.
6. Actively develop the mixed ownership economy. Mixed ownership economy with cross-shareholdings by state-owned capital, collective capital, private capital and other capital, is an important realization form of the fundamental economic system, is advantageous to the state-owned capital's amplification of function, maintenance and appreciation of values and improvement of competitiveness, and is conducive to all kinds of ownership capital to complement and promote each other and achieve common development. Allow more state-owned economy and other ownership economy to become the mixed ownership economy. State-owned capital investment projects allow non-state capital shares. Allow the mixed ownership economy to implement the shareholding by enterprise employees, to establish a community formed by the capital owners and the workers.
Perfect the management system for state-owned assets. Strengthen the supervision of state-owned assets by focusing on capital management, reform state-owned capital authorization and operation system, establish several state-owned capital operation companies, support the transformation of qualified state-owned enterprises into state-owned capital investment companies. State-owned capital investment and operation shall serve for achieving the national strategic goals, focus more on important industries and key areas that are crucial to national security and national economy artery, and emphasize the provision of public service, the development of important, forward-looking and strategic industries, the protection of ecological environment, the support to science and technology progress, and the safeguard of national security.
Transfer some state-owned capital to enrich the social security fund. Perfect the state-owned capital operation budget system, and increase the proportion of state-owned capital gains paid to public finance (increase to 30% till 2020), most of which will be used to safeguard and improve people's livelihood.
7. Promote state-owned enterprises to improve the modern enterprise system. State-owned enterprises, owned by all the people, are the important force to promote the modernization of the country and safeguard the common interests of the people. State-owned enterprises, which have been combined with market economy in general, must adapt to the new situation of marketization and internationalization to further deepen the reform of state-owned enterprises by focusing on regulating operating decisions, maintenance and appreciation of assets value, fair competition, improving efficiency of enterprises, enhancing the vitality of enterprises and bearing social responsibility.
Correctly define the functions of different state-owned enterprises. The state-owned capital's investment in public welfare enterprises is enlarged, which makes greater contributions in terms of providing public services. The natural monopoly industries with continuous shareholding and operation by state-owned capital, shall carry out reforms mainly on separation of enterprise from administration, separation of capital from administration, franchising and government regulation; and shall implement the separation of infrastructure management from transport operation according to the characteristics of different industries, deregulate competitive business, and promote the marketization of public resource allocation. Further dispel various forms of administrative monopoly.
Improve the corporate governance structure with smooth coordination and effective counterbalance. Build the system of professional managers to better play the role of entrepreneurs. Deepen the system reform to ensure capable internal management personnel, employees royalty and adjustable salary system for an enterprise. Establish a long-term incentive constraint mechanism to strengthen the responsibility investigation on state-owned enterprise's operation and investment. Explore and promote the disclosure of significant information, including financial budget of state-owned enterprise.
The state-owned enterprises shall reasonably increase the proportion of market-oriented recruitment, and reasonably determine and strictly regulate the state-owned enterprise's management personnel's salary, position-related treatment, position-related consumption and business-related consumption.
8. Support the healthy development of the non-public ownership economy, which is of great significance in many aspects such as supporting growth, promoting innovation, expanding employment and increasing tax revenue. Adhere to equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules, abolish unreasonable provisions for the various forms of non-public ownership economy, eliminate various hidden barriers, and formulate specific measures for the access of non-public enterprises into the field of franchising.
Encourage non-public enterprises to participate in the reform of state-owned enterprises, encourage the development of mixed ownership enterprises controlled by non-public capital, and encourage the qualified private enterprises to establish a modern enterprise system.
Article 3 Accelerate to Improve the Modern Market System
Build a unified, open, competitive and orderly market system, which is the foundation that makes the market play a decisive role in resource allocation. It is necessary to accelerate the formation of a modern market system of enterprise independent operation, fair competition, free choice by consumers, autonomous consumption, free movement of goods and factors and equal exchange, make efforts to eliminate the market barriers and improve the efficiency and fairness of resource allocation.
9. Establish fair, open and transparent market rules. Implement an integrated system of market access, and on the basis of making a negative list, ensure all kinds of market players can have equal access to the fields not specified in the list according to the law. Explore a management mode of pre-establishment national treatment combined with the negative list for foreign investments. Facilitate industrial and commercial registration system to be more convenient, cut down qualification accreditation items, change from "administrative license first and business license follows" to "business license first to administrative license follows", and turn registered capital paid-in registration system into the subscription registration system gradually. Promote the reform of domestic trade circulation system to construct a business environment under rule of law.
Reform the market supervision system, implement an integrated market regulation, clean up and abolish various rules and practices obstructing the national unified market and fair competition, forbid and punish all kinds of illegal behavior of introducing preferential policies, and oppose local protection, monopoly and unfair competition. Establish a sound social credit system, praise good credit and punish breach of promise. Perfect the market exit mechanism of survival of the fittest, and improve the enterprise bankruptcy system.
10. Perfect the mechanism where prices are mainly determined by the market. Any price that can be formed by the market shall be left to the market, and the government shall not make improper intervention. Push ahead with price reforms in the fields such as water, oil, natural gas, electricity, transportation and telecommunications, and relax the market pricing in competitive segments. Main scope of government pricing is limited to natural monopoly links including crucial public utilities, public welfare services and network. Transparency shall be enhanced in government pricing, which shall accept social supervision. Perfect price formation mechanism of agricultural products, and pay attention to giving play to the role of the market in pricing.
11. Establish a unified urban and rural construction land market. Subject to the planning and use control, allow the transfer, lease and demutualization of rural collective construction lands for commercial purposes, which shall enjoy equal terms with the state-owned lands in terms of market trading, rights and prices. Narrow the scope of land requisition, standardize the procedures of land requisition, and perfect the reasonable, standard and diversified safeguard mechanism for landless peasants. Expand the scope of compensated use of state-owned land, and reduce the land allocation for non-public welfare purpose. Establish a distribution mechanism of land increment income which considers the benefit of the state, the collective and the individual at the same time, to improve the individual's income. Perfect the secondary market of land lease, transfer and mortgage.
12. Perfect the financial market system. The financial industry shall be more open to domestic and overseas market, and the eligible private capital shall be allowed to establish and set up small and medium-sized banks or other financial institutions subject to a reinforced regulation.
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