III. Several Matters That Require Attention in Discussion

The task of this plenary session is to discuss the guiding thoughts and plans for deepening reform comprehensively as proposed in the Decision. For the discussion, please bear the following in mind:

First, we must be more confident and courageous in pushing forward reform. The reform and opening up is a new great revolution of the Chinese people led by our Party in the new era. It is the most outstanding characteristic of contemporary China, and the distinctive banner of our Party. What has helped our Party inspire the people, unify them and pull their strength together over the past 35 years? What have we been relying on to stimulate the creativity and vitality of our people, realize the rapid development of our economy and society and win a competitive advantage over capitalism? The answer has always been reform and opening up.

Looking at the future, there is no alternative to deepening reform and opening up, if we are to solve all sorts of difficult problems hindering our development, defuse risks and meet challenges from all aspects, give better play to the advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and promote the steady and healthy development of the economy and society.

At the current stage, close attention to our reform and opening-up drive comes from inside and outside the Party and in and outside the country as well. The entire Party and all social sectors have high expectations for us. Our reform has come to a critical juncture. We must not waver to the slightest degree in carrying out reform and opening up, and we must continue to hold high its banner and firmly adhere to the correct path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The whole Party must reaffirm our conviction to push forward reform with greater political courage and wisdom, and stronger measures and methods.

Second, we must continue to emancipate our mind and seek truth from facts. To keep our banner of reform and opening up flying high, we must also take pragmatic measures once we have a strong conviction. Actions speak louder than words. It is a strategic choice of the CPC Central Committee to make overall plans for deepening reform comprehensively at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. We must take this opportunity to make new breakthroughs in our reform. For this to happen, we need to further emancipate our mind.

To break down the barriers of old notions and the confinement of interest groups, emancipating the mind is the first and most important step. Often, the roadblocks in our minds that hinder reform do not come from outside the system, but from ourselves. If the mind is not emancipated we can hardly see the crux of our problems with the interest groups, or pinpoint the direction of our effort to break down the barriers. We will also find it difficult to come up with innovative reform measures. Therefore, we must have the courage and breadth of vision to seek self-improvement. We need to shuffle off the trammels of outdated ideas and overcome the constraints put up by different departments for their own interests, and proactively conduct research and propose reform measures.

Before putting forth a reform measure, we must research and discuss it carefully, but this does not mean being overcautious or hesitant to try anything. It is not possible to carry out reforms while keeping our current work pattern and the operation system intact, nor is it possible to do it in a rock-steady or risk-free manner. As long as we have done thorough research and appraisal, and know what we are going to do agrees with the actual conditions and needs to be done, we will go ahead without looking back.

Third, we must put the interests of the state first when making deliberations. Deepening reform comprehensively is a major strategic plan concerning the overall development of the Party and state, rather than a single program to reform any certain aspect of a sector. "One who fails to take into account the whole country when making plans is not good enough to plan for a small area." You come from different departments and units, and you need to see things from a greater perspective. For major decisions, first we should judge whether a proposed reform measure meets the needs of the country, and whether it is conducive to the long-term development of the cause of the Party and state. We must strive to look forward into the future, think beyond the times, and proactively draw up plans. Only in this way can we put through reform measures that will genuinely promote the cause of the Party and the people.

To deepen reform comprehensively, we should strengthen planning at the top level and adopt a holistic approach in doing so. We should study more intensively the connectedness, consistency and feasibility of our reform measures. As we say "we must push reform forward boldly and steadily." Here "steadily" means adopting a holistic approach in planning, doing overall research and making decisions scientifically. Reforms in economy, politics, culture, society and ecology are closely connected to and integrated in the reform of the Party building. Reform in one sector will always affect other sectors, and requires other sectors to reform accordingly. If the reforms in different areas do not support each other, and the measures taken in some sectors turn out to check the progress of other sectors, we will find it difficult to deepen reform comprehensively, and will get into a muddle with the reform if we disregard these factors.