II. The General Framework and Key Issues of the Decision

The Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee believes that, facing the new situation with new tasks and new requirements, China must take comprehensive measures to deepen its reform. To do this, the key lies in further developing an environment for fair competition, further invigorating economic and social growth, further enhancing the efficiency of the government, further exploring social equality and justice, further promoting social harmony and stability, and further improving the Party's leadership and governance.

To carry out these resolutions, it must be stressed that we should be fully aware of our problems, focus on the key issues for further study and research, and strive to solve the major dilemmas and problems challenging our development. As the Communist Party of China has fought its way through revolution, construction and reforms, its sole aim has always been to solve the problems of China. It is fair to say that existing problems have forced us to reform, and reforms are deepened once problems are tackled and solved.

In the past 35 years, we have overcome many problems hindering the development of the Party and the state through reform. But new problems always replace old ones during our exploration and transformation of the world. This is why our system needs to be constantly improved and why reform cannot be accomplished in one stroke or why we cannot rest on our laurels indefinitely once existing problems are solved.

The draft Decision stressed five major considerations. One, it had to meet the new requirements for the development of the Party and state, and implement the strategic task of deepening reform comprehensively, as set forth at the Party's 18th National Congress. Two, it had to center on reform and foreground the new measures for deepening it comprehensively, leaving out general and repetitive measures and measures solely for enhancing development. Three, it had to address the key issues, properly deal with the pressing concerns of the people, respond to their calls and aspirations, focus on important areas and crucial segments, and ensure that the reform of the economic system took the lead in promoting development. Four, it had to take an active yet discreet attitude when designing the reform measures. Five, it had to plan the tasks according to the timetable, which set forth that by 2020 decisive results were to have been achieved in the reform of important areas and crucial segments.

The Plenary Session set as the framework of the Decision the important issues that China needs to deal with, and arranged the Decision according to its various points. In addition to the Foreword and Conclusion, there are 16 parts divided into three main sections. The first part is also the first section and the General Remarks that mainly elaborates on the significance, guiding thoughts and overall direction of deepening reform comprehensively. Section 2 consists of Part 2 to Part 15, introducing the arrangement of the main tasks and important measures for deepening reform in six aspects – the economy, politics, culture, society, ecology and national defense/armed forces. The different aspects are arranged as follows: Economy from Part 2 to Part 7, politics from Part 8 to Part 10, culture in Part 11, society from Part 12 to Part 13, ecology in Part 14, and national defense/armed forces in Part 15. Part 16 composes the third section, Organizational Leadership, which mainly elaborates on strengthening and improving the Party's leadership in the course of deepening reform comprehensively.

Here, I would like to explain the considerations of the CPC Central Committee on the major issues and key measures mentioned in the Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.