The Decision is adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on November 12, 2013.

Adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on November 12, 2013

In order to implement the strategic planning adopted at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China discussed some major issues concerning deepening the reform comprehensively, and made the following decisions.

I. The Significance of and Guiding Thoughts on Deepening the Reform Comprehensively

1. Reform and opening up is a new, great revolution, in which the Communist Party of China (CPC) leads people of all ethnic groups to carry out in the new era. It is the most distinctive characteristic of contemporary China. Since 1978, when the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee was convened, the CPC, with great political courage, has firmly promoted reforms in the country's economic, political, cultural, social and ecological systems, as well as in the system of Party building. China's opening up has also been continuously promoted. The strength of the determination, the depth of the changes and the width of the influence are all unprecedented, and the achievements have drawn the attention of the world.

The most important achievement of reform and opening up is the establishment and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which has provided a powerful impetus and guarantee for socialist modernization. Facts have proved that reform and opening up is a critical choice that has determined the destiny of contemporary China, and also an important instrument for the undertakings of the CPC and the Chinese people to catch up with the times in great strides. There will never be an end to practice, to emancipation of the mind, and to reform and opening up. Faced with a new environment and new tasks, we must deepen the reform comprehensively at this new historical turning point, and continuously strengthen every confidence in taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, in our theories and in our system so as to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, eventually making China a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious, and realizing the Chinese dream of the nation's great revival.

2. To deepen the reform comprehensively, we must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development. We must have firm confidence, forge consensus, make holistic planning, and promote development in a coordinated way. We will uphold the direction of reform towards the socialist market economy, put the promotion of social fairness, justice and improvement of people's lives as the starting point and ultimate goal, further emancipate the mind, continue to release and develop the productive forces, release and strengthen vigor of the society, get rid of defects in various systems and mechanisms, and strive to open up broader prospects for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The overall goal of deepening the reform comprehensively is to improve and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to promote the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. We must pay more attention to implementing systematic, integrated and coordinated reforms, promoting the development of socialist market economy, democratic politics, advanced culture, a harmonious society and ecological progress. We must make sure that the vigor of labor, knowledge, technology, managerial expertise and capital keeps bursting forth, all the wealth-creating sources fully flow, and that the fruits of development benefit all people still more and equally.

We must deepen economic system reform by centering on the decisive role of the market in allocating resources, adhere to and improve the basic economic system, accelerate the improvement of the modern market system, macro-control system and open economic system. We must accelerate the transformation of the growth model, and make China an innovative country. We must promote more efficient, equal and sustainable economic development.

We must deepen political system reform that features the organic unity of upholding the leadership of the Party, the people being the masters of the country, and governing the country according to the rule of law. We should work harder to accelerate socialist democracy in a systematic way by adopting due standards and procedures. We should build a socialist country with the rule of law, and develop people's democracy with wider, more adequate and sound participation.

We must deepen cultural system reform by centering on building the core socialist value system and developing a strong socialist culture in China. We should accelerate improvement of the system for managing the cultural sector and the mechanism for cultural production and operation, establish and improve a modern public cultural service system, establish the basic framework of a modern cultural market system, and bring about great development and enrichment of socialist culture.

We must deepen social structural reform by centering on safeguarding and improving the people's wellbeing and promoting social fairness and justice. We should reform the income distribution system and promote common prosperity. We should promote system innovation in the social sector, promote equal access to basic public services, and step up efforts to form a scientific and effective social management system so that our society is full of vigor, but also harmonious and orderly.

We must deepen ecological environment management reform by centering on building a beautiful China. We should accelerate system building to promote ecological progress, improve institutions and mechanisms for developing geographical space, conserving resources and protecting the ecological environment and promoting modernization featuring harmonious development between Man and Nature.

We must deepen the reform of the Party building system by centering on enhancing the Party's capacity to govern in a scientific and democratic way and in accordance with the law. We should strengthen the building of democratic centralism, and improve the leadership system and governing style of the Party. We should maintain the Party's advanced nature and purity, thus providing strong political support for reform and opening up and socialist modernization.

3. To deepen the reform comprehensively, we must bear in mind the fact that China is still in the primary stage of socialism and will remain so for a long time to come. We should adhere to the major strategic judgment that development is still the key to solving all problems in China, take economic construction as our central task, give full play to the leading role of economic system reform, balance the relations of production with the productive forces as well as the superstructure with the economic base, and promote sound, sustainable economic and social development.

Economic system reform is the focus of deepening the reform comprehensively. The underlying issue is how to strike a balance between the role of the government and that of the market, and let the market play the decisive role in allocating resources and let the government play its functions better. It is a general rule of the market economy that the market decides the allocation of resources. We have to follow this rule when we improve the socialist market economy. We should work hard to address the problems of market imperfection, too much government interference and poor oversight.

We must actively and in an orderly manner promote market-oriented reform in width and in depth, greatly reducing the government's role in the direct allocation of resources, and promote resources allocation according to market rules, market prices and market competition, so as to maximize the benefits and optimize the efficiency. The main responsibility and role of the government is to maintain the stability of the macro-economy, strengthen and improve public services, safeguard fair competition, strengthen oversight of the market, maintain market order, promote sustainable development and common prosperity, and intervene in situations where market failure occurs.

4. The success of reform and opening up has provided us with important experience for deepening the reform comprehensively. We have to adhere to it in the long term. What is the most important is to uphold the leadership of the Party, adhere to 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, firmly take the socialist road and ensure that our reform is in the right direction. We should emancipate the mind, seek truth from facts, keep up with the times, be realistic and pragmatic, base ourselves on reality in everything we do, summarize successful domestic experience, learn useful experience from other countries, and boldly promote innovation both in theory and practice. We should put people first, respect the people's central position in the country, give full rein to their creativity, promote reform with the close support of the people, and promote well-rounded development of the person. We should strike a balance between reform, development and stability, implement reform boldly and steadily, combine the top-level design with cautious advance, promote both comprehensive advance and breakthroughs at key points, improve scientific decision-making, rally consensus from all sides and form joint force for reform. At present, our country's development has entered a new phase, and its reform has entered a period of overcoming major difficulties and a deep-water zone. With a strong sense of our historical mission, we must pool the wisdom of the entire Party and the entire society to the broadest extent, mobilize all positive elements, dare to face tough choices, ford dangerous rapids, shatter fetters of outdated ideological concepts with greater determination, overcome the barriers of solidified interests, and promote the self-improvement and development of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

By 2020, decisive results will have been achieved in the reform of important areas and crucial segments. The reform tasks put forward in this Decision are to be completed within this period, and institutions and systems that are structurally complete, scientifically standardized and effective in operation are to be formed, to ensure that institutions in all areas become more mature and complete.