Global Times: Third plenum inspires renewed vitality into China's modernization drive

By Wang Changlin

BEIJING, Sept. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) adopted a resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization at its third plenary session held from July 15 to 18 in Beijing. The resolution emphasized the need to further deepen reform comprehensively with a view to advancing Chinese modernization.

Modernization is a comprehensive and profound transformation of economic and social development, as well as a profound transformation of the system and mechanism. 

Modernization refers to the profound transformation of social production methods and human lifestyles, triggered by the rapid rise in productivity since the industrial revolution. It is a historical process of rapid increase in social material wealth, promoting the profound transformation of traditional society into modern society. 

Its main features include highly developed productivity, leading technological innovation capabilities, effective national governance, urban-rural integrated society structure, high-level public services, safe and beautiful ecological environment, and high levels of civic literacy.

The practice of global modernization fully proves that science and industrial revolution are the fundamental driving forces for modernization. For a country or region to achieve modernization, it must seize the opportunities of technological revolution and vigorously develop advanced productive forces. 

Meanwhile, institutional and cultural innovation is the guarantee for the development of modernization. The modernization of national governance system and governance capacity is not only an important part of comprehensive and complete modernization, but also a key factor and necessary condition for a country to walk a smooth path toward modernization.

Advancing Chinese modernization

Chinese modernization is continuously advancing and will open broad prospects in the process of reform and opening-up. 

Reform and opening-up is the crucial policies for China to move with the times in great strides. Over the past 40 years, reform and opening-up have emerged as the defining symbol, the most widely accepted consensus, and the most remarkable spirit of contemporary China.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, historic achievements and progress have been made in the cause of the Party and the country, relying on reform and opening-up. 

China has promoted high-quality economic development with supply-side structural reform at its center, resolutely expanded high-level opening-up, decisively eliminated a range of systemic and institutional drawbacks, and achieved the transformation from partial exploration and breakthrough to systemic integration and comprehensive deepening in reform.

The basic institutional framework in various fields has been basically established, many areas have undergone historic progresses, systemic reshaping, and overall reconstruction. 

The level of modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity has been further improved, providing a strong institutional guarantee for the comprehensive construction of a moderately prosperous society, promoting China's economy to embark on the path of high-quality development, and continuously enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security of the people. China has embarked on a new journey to comprehensively build a socialist modernized country. 

On this new journey, China must continue to create new opportunities in building Chinese modernization, with a strong reliance on reform and opening-up. Currently, China faces a crucial period of promoting the construction of a strong country and national rejuvenation through the comprehensive advancement of Chinese modernization. 

China needs to start from its own national conditions, follow the general laws of modernization, strive to explore an institutional system suitable for the development of Chinese modernization, continuously promote better adaptation between production relations and productive forces, national governance, and social development, and stimulate vitality and add momentum to Chinese modernization.

Opening broader prospects

To further deepen reform comprehensively, it is essential to focus closely on advancing the theme of Chinese modernization. It is essential to closely focus on the overall goal of upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing China's system and capacity for governance and further promote comprehensive deepening of reform.

China needs to focus on building a high-level socialist market economy system. A high-level socialist market economy system is an important guarantee for Chinese modernization. 

Since the reform and opening-up, a key factor in the great success of China's economic development has been the establishment of a socialist market economy system. In the new journey of promoting Chinese modernization, China needs to prioritize the construction of a high-level socialist market economy system, further stimulate the internal driving force and innovation vitality across the whole of society. 

Only by working unswervingly both to consolidate and develop the public sector and to encourage, support and guide development of the non-public sector, building a unified national market, improving basic market economy institutions such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, and social credit, can China better play the role of market mechanisms, optimize resource allocation efficiency and maximize benefits, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development.

Prioritizing the improvement of people's quality of life is essential. A higher quality of life encompasses stable employment, greater satisfaction with income, reliable social security, and improved basic public services. These elements serve as both the foundation and the driving force behind economic development, playing a crucial role in fostering a high-quality economic cycle.

To advance Chinese modernization, it is crucial for China to align reforms in both the economic and social sectors. 

This includes improving the income distribution system, strengthening the social security framework, and ensuring that basic public services are balanced and accessible to all. By doing so, China can achieve meaningful progress in the comprehensive development of individuals and promote the common prosperity of its citizens.

The author is vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

SOURCE Global Times