Carrying Reform Through to the End

The article by Mu Hong, Vice Chairman of the 14th CPPCC National Committee and Deputy Director in charge of routine work of the Office of the Central Commission for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, was published in the 2nd issue of Qiushi Journal in 2025. In the article, Mu advocates that we should bolster confidence, uphold fundamental principles while breaking new ground, and apply scientific methods in our efforts to carry reform through to the end.

The article holds that it is crucial to have a good understanding of the historic achievements made in furthering reform in the new era and continue to uphold reform and opening up. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has, with great historical initiative, tremendous political courage, and a strong sense of mission, advanced reform on all fronts. Remarkable achievements have been made through efforts to break the shackles of stale thinking, remove institutional obstacles wherever they exist, and facilitate profound changes in development philosophy and growth models. Thanks to these efforts, China’s overall national strength has been enhanced, its institutional advantages have been demonstrated, and a solid foundation for future progress has been consolidated. All this has helped inspire the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to march forward with vigor into the future. 

On the new journey in the new era, we must continue with reform and opening up, centering on advancing Chinese modernization, and prioritizing institution building as our main task. We will work to better adapt the relations of production to the productive forces, the superstructure to the economic base, and national governance to social development, so as to provide strong impetus and institutional support for Chinese modernization.

It is imperative to stay committed to fundamental principles while breaking new ground so as to ensure steady and enduring progress in comprehensively furthering reform. Upholding fundamental principles while breaking new ground bears directly on the fundamental orientation, trajectory, and ultimate success of reform. We must adhere to the right path in our efforts to further reform on all fronts with firm political and strategic resolve. When formulating and implementing reform plans and evaluating reform outcomes, it is essential to keep firmly in mind the overall objective of furthering reform comprehensively, namely, to uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and modernize China’s system and capacity for governance. We must adhere to the correct direction and major principles of reform and avoid making catastrophic mistakes. 

Going forward, we will free our minds, seek truth from facts, move with the times, and take a realistic and pragmatic approach, as we work to adapt to the new requirements for development and the new expectations of the people. By unleashing momentum and vitality of social development and encouraging pioneering efforts and innovations, we are sure to respond effectively to various risks and challenges and advance both in-depth reform and high-standard opening up while maintaining the dialectical unity of adhering to fundamental principles and breaking new ground.

The article also calls for the application of scientific methods to guiding and advancing reform as well as the implementation of reforms with relentless perseverance. As we advance into uncharted and difficult areas of reform, we are confronted with formidable challenges given the wide range of sectors, deep-rooted interests involved and high degree of interconnectedness and synergy between different sectors. In light of these challenges, we must firmly uphold the CPC Central Committee’s centralized, unified leadership and ensure that the Party fulfills its core role of exercising overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all sides. 

Moreover, we ought to seek unity between reform and the rule of law, between establishing new systems and abolishing old ones, and between reform and opening up. We should properly handle the relationship between planning and implementation, coordinating the seamless transition from initial planning to ultimate implementation and enforcement. By establishing closed-loop working mechanisms with clear responsibilities, complete chains, and interconnected links, we will effectively enhance the effectiveness of the reform and the people’s sense of fulfillment. We will also appropriately guide public opinion by stabilizing public expectations and boosting their confidence, so as to generate synergy and mobilize positive factors for fostering a favorable environment for our efforts to further reform on all fronts.

Editor: Yi Xiaowei