Despite the complexity of the process China should not swerve
off the path of reform which started 28 years ago, said a signed
article to be published in Monday's People's Daily, the
country's most influential newspaper.
The article says China must continue to go in the right
direction on the road to reform. The socialist market economy
should be closely linked to the fundamental system of socialism
giving improved focus to the merits of the market economy and the
superiority of the socialist system.
The article comes as complaints about high medical bills,
difficulties in ensuring quality schooling for all children, high
housing prices and employment opportunities get louder.
"Reform and opening up has invigorated China," states the
article signed by Zhong Xuanli. "It's an important choice which
determines China's destiny today."?
The article says reform has removed obstacles that hindered
economic growth and helped China establish an initial system of
socialist market economy.
It says the transformation from a planned economy to a socialist
market economic system in China has resulted in historic
breakthroughs in its reform and opening-up drive. It had ushered in
a new period of comprehensive economic, political, cultural and
social development.
"Through reform and opening up, the comprehensive national
strength of China has increased greatly; the Chinese people have
made a historic shift in living standards from subsistence to
moderate prosperity in general; the Chinese society has maintained
stability for a long time," says the article. It adds that China
now enjoyed a good government and a united people and China's
international influence and cohesiveness of the nation had been
greatly enhanced.
The glorious achievements in the past 28 years had demonstrated
that reform is the only road for China to achieve prosperity, it
says. "Without pushing forward reform, China could not make further
progress, nor could it keep past achievements," it observes.
?
The article attributed China's successes in overcoming the SARS
outbreak and Asian financial crisis in recent years to its reform
which had greatly enhanced the country's material and spiritual
strength.
However, China still had a long way to go before establishing a
perfect socialist market economy. The fundamental approach to
solving contradictions and problems on the road ahead lay in
deepening reform, the article says.
It states as China's reform has now entered a crucial period,
the urgency and complexity of reform calls for increased
determination and confidence to advance it. ?
It says China should seek to make new breakthroughs in reforms
of some key areas and links in the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010).
China should give wider scope to market forces in distribution
of resources, improve the administrative system, push forward
reform of state-owned enterprises, improve the financial, taxation
and banking systems, step up construction of a modern market system
and raise the level of opening up, it adds. ?
"To succeed in reform, it is important to forever keep to the
right direction," says the article.
It states the socialist market economy was combined with the
fundamental system of socialism. The two systems should be linked
closely to give improved exposure to the merits of the market
economy and the superiority of the socialist system.
The article quoted former President Jiang Zemin as saying that
"socialism" was indispensable in the socialist market economy as it
indicated the character of China's market economy.
The basic economic system, with public ownership in domination
and diverse forms of ownership developing side by side, should be
upheld and improved, the article says.
The income distribution system, which mainly follows the
principle of "to each according to his work" while allowing
coexistence of multiple distribution methods, should be upheld and
improved.
"On the basis of economic development, more attention should be
given to social equity," says the article. Macro-regulation of the
economy should continue and be improved to realize balanced
economic growth and optimization of the economic structure, it
continues. ?
It says China should improve its decision making in the reform
process to make it more scientific. It adds that "people's
fundamental interests" should be the starting point of reform and
basis for decisions. The reform should take care of the interests
of and concerns of various sides to win support of the general
public.
It calls for better coordination of reform measures in various
fields and notes that this is a comprehensive reform that concerns
the economy as well as political, cultural and social systems.
It seeks properly balancing reform, development and stability,
which had been an important experience for smoothly pushing forward
China's reform, opening up and socialist modernization.
"Reform should be the driving force, development the goal while
stability the prerequisite," it says.
It says the intensity of reform and speed of development should
be coordinated with the support of the society.
(Xinhua News Agency June 5, 2006)