President emphasizes carrying out reform tasks

President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for all-out efforts to fully leverage the motivation of various sides and ensure the implementation of over 300 reform measures adopted during the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark when presiding over the sixth meeting of the Central Commission for Deepening Overall Reform, a month after the conclusion of the third plenum.

Xi, who heads the commission, said it is necessary to make good use of existing reform achievements and important experiences to further comprehensively deepen reform.

It was emphasized at the meeting that the sequence and timing of implementing the reform tasks should be decided according to strategic priorities. Reforms should be closely integrated with economic and social development, and landmark reform measures should be put in place at an accelerated pace.

The commission called for strengthening oversight and inspection of the reform work based on how well it performs, what it delivers, and how much satisfaction it brings to the people.

The meeting also reviewed and adopted guidelines regarding the implementation of the strategy for upgrading pilot free trade zones.

The meeting's participants noted that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, China has established 22 pilot free trade zones, with an array of landmark and pioneering innovations in institutions, playing an effective role as a comprehensive test platform for reform and opening-up.

As the third plenum decided to implement the strategy for upgrading pilot FTZs, they said the strategy is aimed at expanding institutional opening-up, pursuing reform in a more systematic and effective manner, and developing a high-quality open economy in the pilot FTZs.

Underscoring that efforts for this purpose should be guided by high-standard opening-up and focus on innovation in institutions, the meeting's participants said that pilot reforms will be encouraged to enhance the country's comprehensive competitiveness in foreign trade as well as promote liberalization and facilitation of investment.

They also called for refining the policy systems that facilitate trade, investment, capital flow, transportation, and personnel exchanges, and those that ensure the safe and orderly flow of data.

Highlighting the need to both pursue development and safeguard security, the policymakers said it is important to better prevent and control risks while steadily expanding institutional opening-up related to rules, regulations, management, and standards.