China’s 2013 Reform Blueprint Unveiled | Generated by AI
Question: Please introduce 《中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定》 in English.
Answer:
The full official English title is:
“Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Some Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening the Reform”
It is commonly referred to in English as:
- The Third Plenum Decision of 2013
- “Decision on Comprehensively Deepening Reform”
- “Comprehensive Deepening of Reform Decision”
This historic document was adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (the “Third Plenum”) on November 12, 2013.
Core Background and Significance
- It is widely regarded as the most important and ambitious reform blueprint since the 1978 Third Plenum that launched China’s Reform and Opening-up policy.
- The document marks the beginning of the Xi Jinping era’s comprehensive reform program.
- It contains 60 major tasks grouped into 16 broad areas.
Most Frequently Quoted Guiding Phrase
“The market will play the decisive role in allocating resources”
(市场在资源配置中起决定性作用)
— this sentence represented a significant theoretical advancement from the previous formulation of the market playing a “basic” role.
Main Reform Areas Covered (selected highlights)
- Economic system: Making market mechanisms decisive while strengthening and improving Party and government leadership over the economy
- Fiscal and tax system reform (most important long-term structural reform)
- Financial system opening-up and risk prevention
- Land制度 / rural land / household registration (“hukou”) / urbanization
- Judicial system and rule of law (setting up circuit courts, Supreme Court tribunals, etc.)
- Ecological civilization system (very strong environmental governance emphasis)
- National security system and defense/military reform
- Party building and anti-corruption institutional mechanisms
- Cultural system, education, health, social governance, etc.
Historical Positioning
Many Chinese and international analysts divide China’s 40+ years of reform into three major stages:
- 1978–1992 Deng Xiaoping’s reform and opening-up initiation
- 1992–2013 Socialist market economy establishment and deepening (Jiang Zemin + Hu Jintao periods)
- 2013– Comprehensive deepening of reform (Xi Jinping period)
The 2013 Third Plenum Decision is generally seen as the starting point and programmatic document of the third stage.
In summary, this 2013 Decision is considered the most comprehensive, systematic, and ambitious top-level design document for China’s modernization reform in the 21st century so far.
References:
- http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2013-11/15/content_2528179.htm
- https://www.chinafile.com/document-9-chinafile-translation