Wang Changlin: We should take the reform of the economic system as the traction to further deepen the reform in an all-round way

Source: Economic Daily

The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform and Promoting Chinese-style Modernization (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision"), which was deliberated and adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, emphasizes the need to take the reform of the economic system as the traction, and clarifies the direction, goals and key tasks of the reform of the economic system at present and in the future. This is an important deployment made by our party to sum up and apply the valuable experience of reform and opening up for more than 40 years, especially in the new era of comprehensively deepening reform, and to profoundly grasp the general trend at home and abroad.

First, fully understand the new situation, new tasks, and new requirements facing deepening the reform of the economic system

Based on the new stage of development, it is necessary to further deepen the reform of the economic system to implement the new development concept, build a new development pattern, promote high-quality economic development, and develop new productive forces in accordance with local conditions.

It is an inevitable requirement to implement the new development concept and promote high-quality economic development. The mainland economy has shifted from a stage of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development, and is in a critical period of transforming the mode of development, optimizing the economic structure, and transforming the growth momentum. Moreover, changes in the stage of economic development objectively require the establishment of institutional mechanisms that are commensurate with them. For example, the mainland's scientific and technological innovation as a whole has changed from following to running, requiring more attention to basic research and original innovation, promoting the development of start-ups and unicorns, allowing a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises to try and make mistakes, and giving full play to the decisive role of the market in the allocation of innovation resources. For another example, at present, the industrialization and urbanization of the mainland have entered a period of optimization and quality improvement, and it is necessary to accelerate the promotion of industrial transformation and upgrading, vigorously develop the service industry, and promote urban renewal and transformation, which requires the reform and improvement of the system and mechanism of urban-rural integration development, and the improvement of the system and mechanism of the development of the service industry. In short, it is necessary to adapt to the new situation of economic development, follow the law of scientific and technological innovation, industrialization, and urbanization, solve development problems through reform, further liberate and develop productive forces, greatly increase total factor productivity, and promote the effective improvement of the quality and reasonable growth of the economy.

It is an inevitable requirement to adhere to the people-centered principle and let the fruits of modernization benefit all the people in a more equitable manner. Ensuring and improving people's livelihood in the process of development and constantly realizing the people's yearning for a better life are the essential requirements of our party to build the party for the public and govern for the people. At the same time, this is also an objective requirement to realize the smooth circulation of production, distribution, circulation and consumption. Only by achieving high-quality and full employment and continuously improving the level of residents' income, social security and basic public services can we continue to expand consumption, consolidate the strategic basis of expanding domestic demand, and build a new development pattern with the domestic cycle as the main body and the domestic and international cycles reinforcing each other. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to the people-centered development philosophy, focused on ensuring and improving people's livelihood, and improved people's lives in all aspects. However, there is still a large gap in the income and wealth distribution of mainland residents, and the gap between urban and rural areas is still quite obvious, and there is still a gap between the mainland and the requirements of common prosperity. The masses are still faced with many problems in employment, education, medical care, childcare, and old-age care, and the imbalance of "one leg is long and the other leg is short" in economic and social development is quite prominent. To solve these problems, we must properly handle the relationship between the economy and society, better adapt to the requirements of the changes in the main contradictions in mainland society, pay more attention to improving people's livelihood and well-being, improve the quality of people's life, improve the income distribution system, implement the strategy of giving priority to employment, improve the social security system, promote the construction of a healthy China, and solidly promote common prosperity.

It is an inevitable requirement to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and win the strategic initiative in the increasingly fierce international competition. At present, the evolution of the world's political and economic landscape and the international balance of power is accelerating, geopolitical conflicts are frequent, and global security governance is facing severe challenges. The new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation represented by artificial intelligence, synthetic biotechnology, future energy, commercial aerospace, etc., has continuously made breakthroughs, and the speed of technological change and industrialization has been greatly accelerated, which is promoting a new leap in social productivity, and digital governance has become a new highland in the strategic game of major powers. Economic conservatism is strengthening, regionalism is replacing multilateralism, profound changes are brewing in international economic, trade and investment rules and the global governance system, and the restructuring of global industrial and supply chains is accelerating. In the face of the complex international situation and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, we must coordinate the overall domestic and international situations, further deepen the reform of the economic system with greater determination and more effective measures, promote high-level opening up, stimulate the endogenous driving force of economic development, reshape China's economic competitiveness, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Second, we should give more effective play to the leading role of economic structural reform in further deepening reform in an all-round way

The "Decision" clearly defines the overall requirements for further deepening reform in an all-round way, and still regards the reform of the economic system as the focus of further deepening the reform in an all-round way.

The role of the market mechanism must be brought into better play. The core is to properly handle the relationship between the government and the market, and strive to improve the institutional system that is both "lively" and "manageable." At present, the transformation of government functions is not yet in place, and macroeconomic regulation and control, social management, public services, market supervision and other fields still need to be strengthened urgently; At the same time, the market order is not standardized, the development of the market for production factors is lagging behind, and the market competition is not sufficient, and these problems are not conducive to giving better play to the enthusiasm and creativity of the main body of business. In this regard, on the one hand, it is necessary to further optimize the market environment, policy environment and legal environment, so that the market can fully exert its force in the allocation of resources; On the other hand, it is necessary to make up for market failures by maintaining market order, promoting the smooth operation of the economy, and ensuring economic security.

To promote social fairness and justice, and enhance people's well-being as the starting point and end point. Promoting high-quality and full employment and continuously improving residents' income, social security and basic public services are the fundamental goals of economic development, and at the same time, there is huge potential for investment and consumption in these areas. General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out that on the basis of the common struggle of all the people and economic and social development, we should step up the construction of a system that plays a major role in ensuring social fairness and justice, and gradually establish a social fairness guarantee system. When the problems in this regard are properly resolved, the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of all the people in promoting development can be fully mobilized, and only then can the country's development have a deep foundation and majestic power. It is necessary to plan and promote reform from the perspective of the people's overall interests, fundamental interests, and long-term interests, pay attention to finding the starting point and breakthrough point of reform from the people's urgency, hardship, and longing, such as employment, income increase, school enrollment, medical treatment, housing, errands, childcare and old-age care, and the safety of life and property, and launch more reform measures that are urgent for the people's livelihood and desired by the people, and do more practical things that benefit the people's livelihood, warm the hearts of the people, and conform to the will of the people, so that the reform can give the people a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security.

Pay more attention to system integration, pay more attention to highlighting key points, and pay more attention to the effectiveness of reform. At present, as the mainland enters a stage of high-quality development, economic development goals have increased, including economic goals such as economic growth, full employment, price stability, and balance of payments, as well as non-economic goals such as production safety and ecological environmental protection. At the same time, with the deepening of the reform, the institutional contradictions and interest relations involved are becoming more and more complex, and the reform involves many aspects such as business entities, enterprise systems, macroeconomic management, finance and finance, labor and employment, social security, foreign economic relations, and security development, and is facing dilemmas or even many difficult problems. In this case, the reform should pay more attention to system integration, strengthen the coordination and coordination of various reform measures, and promote the reform measures in all fields and aspects to work in the same direction, form a joint force, and enhance the overall efficiency. It is necessary to adhere to the combination of goal-oriented and problem-oriented, distinguish between primary and secondary goals, and clarify priorities. It is necessary to plan reform from the overall situation of economic and social development, take into account the total amount and structure, short-term and medium-term and long-term, supply side and demand side, effective market and promising government, development and security, and strive to launch a number of basic and traction major reform measures, and grasp the implementation of reform in the spirit of nailing.

3. Accurately grasp the key tasks of deepening the reform of the economic system

The "Decision" has made comprehensive arrangements for the key areas and key links in the reform of the economic system, and has put forward many major reform measures, which must be implemented in earnest.

The first is to build a high-level socialist market economic system and stimulate the endogenous power and innovation vitality of the whole society. The socialist market economic system is a great creation of the mainland's reform and opening up, and is a key factor in China's economic achievement of the "two miracles." In the new era and on the new journey, in order to create a new situation in Chinese-style modernization, we must put the construction of a high-level socialist market economic system in a prominent position. It is necessary to uphold and implement the "two unswerving" principles, promote the complementary advantages and common development of the economies of all forms of ownership, and consolidate the foundation of the socialist market economic system. It is necessary to speed up the construction of a large unified national market, improve the market systems and rules for labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, data, and other factors, and improve the basic systems of the market economy, such as the protection of property rights, market access, fair competition, and social credit. The socialist market economy is essentially an economy governed by the rule of law, and it is necessary to conscientiously protect the property rights and legitimate rights and interests of all forms of economic ownership, formulate a law on the promotion of the private economy, and earnestly strengthen the construction of a business environment based on the rule of law.

The second is to improve the system and mechanism for promoting high-quality development, and shape new momentum and new advantages for development. It is necessary to focus on promoting the effective improvement of the quality of the economy and the rational growth of quantity, improve the system and mechanism for the development of new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, including improving the policy and governance system for promoting the development of strategic industries, and establishing a mechanism for the growth of industrial input in the future, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, and gradually replace or transform traditional productive forces with new productive forces. The real economy is the foundation of high-quality development, and the digital economy is an important driving force. It is necessary to comply with the development laws and trends of industrial digitalization, intelligence, and service-oriented, improve the system for promoting the deep integration of the real economy and the digital economy, improve the system and mechanism for the development of the service industry, and improve the system and mechanism for the construction of modern infrastructure. In the face of increasingly fierce international competition, we must focus on strengthening key core technologies, improving the overall planning and connection system for exploration, supply, storage and marketing of strategic mineral resources, and improving the resilience and security of the industrial chain and supply chain.

The third is to build an institutional mechanism to support comprehensive innovation and improve the overall efficiency of the national innovation system. This is an urgent task to meet a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, develop new quality productive forces, and promote high-quality development. It is necessary to focus on the needs of high-quality economic development and modernization, deepen the comprehensive reform of education, coordinate and promote the reform of education methods, school-running models, management systems, and guarantee mechanisms, improve the mechanism of cultivating people with virtue, establish a discipline setting adjustment mechanism and talent training model driven by scientific and technological development and national strategic needs, improve the long-term mechanism for the construction of teachers' ethics and teaching style, and accelerate the construction of a high-quality education system. Adhere to the strategic orientation of "four aspects", optimize the positioning and layout of national scientific research institutions, high-level research universities, and leading science and technology enterprises, improve the management of science and technology plans, establish a mechanism for cultivating and strengthening leading science and technology enterprises, promote the reform of scientific research institutions, and strive to stimulate the ability of scientific and technological innovation and creativity. It is necessary to improve the mechanism for discovering, selecting, and cultivating young innovative talents, strengthen the talent incentive mechanism, improve the support and guarantee mechanism for bringing in overseas talents, and strive to cultivate a large number of high-quality talents who can meet the needs of modernization.

Fourth, improve the macroeconomic governance system and improve the efficiency of governance. It mainly includes enhancing the consistency of macroeconomic policy orientation and improving the level of fiscal and financial governance. It is necessary to improve the macroeconomic regulation and control system, promote the coordinated efforts of fiscal, monetary, industrial, price, employment and other policies, and include economic policies and non-economic policies in the assessment of the consistency of macroeconomic policy orientation. It is necessary to improve the budget system, improve the tax system conducive to high-quality development, social fairness, and market unity, and improve the fiscal relationship between the central and local governments. It is necessary to smooth the monetary policy transmission mechanism, improve the function of the capital market that coordinates investment and financing, and improve the financial supervision and control system. Focusing on the construction of a regional economic layout and territorial space system with complementary advantages and high-quality development, we will improve the implementation of the regional coordinated development strategy mechanism.

Fifth, improve the system and mechanism of urban-rural integrated development and promote the common prosperity and development of urban and rural areas. The integrated development of urban and rural areas is an inevitable trend and an important symbol of national and regional modernization, and it is also an important driving force for promoting modernization. The mainland is in the second half of urbanization, and it is necessary to focus on improving quality and innovation, improve and optimize the urban system, and promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas. It is necessary to focus on promoting a new type of urbanization that is people-oriented, implement a system of providing basic public services through household registration in the place of permanent residence, and accelerate the urbanization of the rural migrant population. Adapt to the changing requirements of the development stage of urbanization, and deepen the reform of the urban construction, operation, and governance systems. We will improve the normalized mechanism for preventing the return to poverty and poverty that covers the rural population, establish a hierarchical and categorical assistance system for the low-income rural population and underdeveloped areas, and continue to consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation. Focusing on promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, we will consolidate and improve the basic rural management system and deepen the reform of the land system.

Sixth, improve the system and mechanism of high-level opening-up and promote high-level opening-up. Creating an external environment conducive to peaceful development is an objective requirement for promoting Chinese-style modernization, and we must strengthen confidence, maintain determination, effectively respond to challenges, and strive to expand China's development space to the world. It is necessary to take the initiative to align with international high-standard economic and trade rules, steadily expand the opening up of rules, regulations, management, standards and other institutions, and actively participate in the reform of the global economic governance system. Deepen the reform of the foreign trade system, vigorously develop digital trade, green trade and trade in services, and rebuild the mainland's new advantages in international cooperation and competition. Deepen the reform of the management system for foreign investment and foreign investment, increase the introduction of foreign investment, support enterprises to "go global" in an orderly manner, and promote international cooperation in industrial and supply chains.

Seventh, improve the system of ensuring and improving people's livelihood, and constantly meet the people's yearning for a better life. It is necessary to persist in the coordinated promotion of economic structural reform and reform in the social field, focus on improving the quality of life of the people, and strive to promote reforms in the fields of income, employment, social security, medical and health care. Focusing on narrowing the income gap, we will improve the income distribution system, build a coordinated system of primary distribution, redistribution, and tertiary distribution, standardize the order of income distribution, and standardize the wealth accumulation mechanism. Take high-quality and full employment as the priority goal of economic and social development, promote the coordination and linkage of fiscal, monetary, investment, consumption, industrial, regional and other policies and employment policies, gradually improve the level of treatment of skilled talents, improve employment support policies for key groups, improve the employment public service system, and strive to solve structural employment contradictions. Focusing on promoting the high-quality and sustainable development of the social security system, we will gradually increase the basic pension of basic old-age insurance for urban and rural residents, improve the social security system for flexibly employed persons, migrant workers, and new forms of employment, and accelerate the establishment of a housing system that combines rental and purchase. In order to cope with the aging of the population and the declining birthrate, it is necessary to promote the construction of a childbirth-friendly society and improve the policy mechanism for the development of the pension industry and the pension industry. Medical and health care is the people's livelihood issue that the people are most concerned about, and it is necessary to implement the health priority development strategy, promote the expansion and sinking of high-quality medical resources and the balanced layout of regions, accelerate the construction of a hierarchical diagnosis and treatment system, deepen the reform of public hospitals oriented by public welfare, and guide and standardize the development of private hospitals.

Eighth, deepen the reform of the system and mechanism of ecological civilization and promote green, low-carbon and circular development. The construction of ecological civilization is related to the well-being of the people and the future of the nation. It is necessary to put the construction of ecological civilization in a prominent position, properly handle the relationship between economic development and ecological construction, and promote the benign interaction between the reform of the ecological field and the reform of the economic system. It is necessary to speed up the improvement of the institutional mechanism for the implementation of the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, improve the value realization mechanism of ecological products, accelerate the planning and construction of a new energy system, and build a carbon emission statistical accounting system, a product carbon labeling certification system, and a product carbon footprint management system.

(Source of this article: Economic Daily Author: Wang Changlin, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)