Furthering Reform to Create Broad Prospects for Chinese Modernization

The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was an important meeting. It took place at a critical period in the endeavor to build a great country and move toward national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. At the session, participants listened to and deliberated on a report on the work of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, presented by Xi Jinping on behalf of the Political Bureau. They fully affirmed the Political Bureau’s work since the second plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee convened in February 2023 and spoke highly of China’s successful practices and great achievements in comprehensively deepening reform since the start of the new era in 2012. Participants also deliberated on and adopted the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization (hereinafter “the Resolution”). In an explanation of the Resolution, General Secretary Xi Jinping shed light on the considerations for determining the plenary session’s theme, the drafting process for the Resolution, as well as its basic framework and main content. He addressed a series of major questions, such as the reason why China should further pursue reform, the direction the reform should take, and the way the reform should be carried out. In his keynote speech to the plenary session, Xi Jinping set forth the theme, principles, measures, and fundamental guarantees for furthering reform and laid down clear requirements for implementing the session’s guiding principles and achieving good results in all respects.

The Resolution passed at the session presents strategic measures for furthering reform with a focus on the theme of advancing Chinese modernization. As an overall plan and call to action, the Resolution will see us comprehensively advancing broader and deeper reform on the new journey in the new era; it serves as a programmatic document to guide reform endeavors. This document shows that the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core is taking the initiative to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernize China’s system and capacity for governance, and that it is firmly determined to create broad prospects for Chinese modernization through further reform. A clear message has been sent—reform and opening up in China will not slow down, much less come to a halt.  

The third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978 was a landmark event that ushered in a new period: one of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization. The third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in 2013 was also of epoch-making significance. It marked the start of a new journey of comprehensively deepening reform in the new era with systematic and holistic plans, thus paving the way for a completely new stage in China’s reform and opening up endeavors. The most recent third plenary session shows that the 20th CPC Central Committee feels a strong sense of determination and responsibility to carry reform through to the end. This meeting is undoubtedly set to exert a far-reaching influence on our efforts to build a great country and advance national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

Editor: Li Xiaoqiong