President Xi’s thoughts and deepening reforms

The communique issued at the end of 3rd session of 20th Central Committee is a comprehensive document encompassing all work areas. It indicates the leadership deliberated on all areas and chalked out a plan to achieve the goals. It highlights significance of Five-Sector Integrated Plan (economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environment development) and Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy (welfare of society, reforms, governance and party). It was decided China would remain committed to its elders, Marxism-Leninism and Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.

A deep dive into the communique shows President Xi’s Thoughts will serve as a guiding principle and steer the country. He has constructed Thoughts to contribute to building a fair, rule-based, corruption-free, free of insecurities, eco-friendly and prosperous society through equal opportunities, balanced economy, high-quality development and people-centric governance. Thoughts also recognised that achieving these goals is impossible without sharing prosperity and dividends of peace at the global level.

Therefore, the distinguishing characteristic of President Xi’s thoughts is that it furthers the idea of cosmopolitanism.

President Xi presented the idea and supported it by providing policy guidance and an implementation framework to achieve the ultimate goals of rejuvenation, beautiful China and modernisation. President Xi believes to achieve these goals, China needs to reform. Reforms are also required to face future challenges, capitalise on opportunities and create opportunities for the world based on a win-win cooperation formula. He applied this philosophy while guiding the discussion and decision-making process at the 3rd plenary of 20th Central Committee.

The analysis of the communique shows moderniation by deepening reforms will be the prime goal to be achieved by 2035. It is necessary to create a modern socialist economy and society. However, China will chart its own path of modernisation by learning from all civilisations and available models and sticking to Chinese civilisational wisdom. President Xi has often deliberated on the Chinese path and philosophy of modernisation.

Delivering a report at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi deliberated on the path to modernisation, required actions and capabilities of China. He highlighted China has “self-confidence in the path, self-confidence in theory, self-confidence in institutions and cultural self-confidence to construct modern socialism with Chinese characteristics”.

Speaking at the 20th National Congress, President Xi reiterated the same message. He said Chinese modernisation had adopted some unique features in accordance with the ground realities, guiding the philosophy of society with Chinese characteristics and China’s commitment to global development and peace

China will strive to serve a huge population (1.4 billion), more than the developed world. No other country has experienced the modernising of such a huge population. Chinese modernisation will revolve around the objective of “common prosperity”. It will focus on bringing positive change in the lives of common people and building a prosperous society. It is the cornerstone of Socialism with Chinese characteristics. China will be pursuing a balanced model of modernisation. In President Xi’s world, “Modernisation balances material and cultural-ethical progress”.

China will go for harmonious modernisation. It will stick to the philosophy of harmony between humans and nature and among the humans. President XI said, “When we modernise our country, we strive to synergise material and eco-environmental progress and follow a path of sound development that ensures growth, better lives and a good environment; otherwise, pressure on resources and environment will become unbearable”. Chinese modernisation will follow a path of peaceful and cooperative development.

The goal of modernisation is not a standing goal; rather, it will contribute on multiple fronts. It will help achieve certain objectives, including a high-standard socialist economy, Whole-Process Democracy, a strong socialist culture, raising people’s quality of life, the peaceful rise of China, creating opportunities for the world, shared prosperity and cooperative coexistence.

President Xi believes modernisation cannot be achieved without deepening reforms in all the fields of economy and society. The 3rd plenary of 20th Central Committee reinforced this assumption and showed a firm commitment to launching comprehensive reforms by following President Xi’s guidance.

First, China goes for reforming governance system by launching a comprehensive modernisation programme. President Xi believes China will have to modernise its governance system and capacity by adhering to principles of people-centric governance. It is required to enhance the capability of the State and people to manage and allocate resources better. Therefore, the modernisation should strive to achieve certain objectives.

China will have to ensure governance is pluralistic, democratic and cooperative. For that purpose, China should make all efforts to strengthen and advance the Whole Process Democracy. The WPD will ensure inclusiveness, continuity of interaction between the party, State, government and people, and rule-based governance. It will contribute to modernising a people-centric governance system through a pluralistic, democratic, and cooperative governance system.

Second, China will have to ensure the system follows socialist values of prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity and friendship.

Lastly, to make the system more efficient and responsive to the people’s and the country’s needs, it should be problem-oriented, goal-oriented, result-oriented, dynamic, inclusive, coherent, technologically advanced and scientific decision-making-oriented.

China will reform its economic system by adhering to President Xi’s statement, “We will never again seek economic growth at the cost of environment”. China will pursue a new philosophy of development to achieve the objective of high-quality development. Self-reliance in technology, industry and markets would be required to smooth the transit economy to achieve this goal. China will invest in new types of energy, EVs, efficient production mechanisms, eco-friendly supply chains, recycling, efficient water and energy use, etc. Moreover, China will also improve macro regulation system, pursue coordinated reforms in the fiscal, tax, financial and other major sectors, and work to enhance consistency of macro policy orientation. The reforms will further strengthen the role of private sector.

Reforms will be introduced to build high-quality science, technology and education system, which will help create quality human capital. This will contribute to steering modernisation, giving an impetus to innovation, introducing high-quality production and consumption systems, etc.

The party will have to play a leading and formidable role to accomplish the reform agenda and modernise the country. The party is responsible for guiding the country and society towards modernisation and creating a modern and sophisticated socialist economy, society, culture and country. Therefore, all efforts will be made to strengthen the party and enhance its capacity with strict adherence to socialist values.

From the above discussion, it can be inferred President Xi’s leadership and Thought will play a crucial role in implementing the reform agenda and achieving modernisation. Therefore, the CPC leadership reiterated its commitment and firm support to President Xi’s central role in steering the CPC and nation.