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THE leadership transition in China， which began in November 2012 at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China （CPC）， was completed at the end of the annual session of China’s legislature in March 2013. The country’s new leaders have made their debut and new local leaders have also taken up their places.
Foreign media are very interested in the new leaders’ governance philosophies and policy directions， while Chinese people are looking forward to an ever-improving life under the new leadership.
In the months after the new leadership took power， China appears to have entered a period of accelerated reform.
Reform Momentum
China’s development has reached a historical turning point. While 35 years of reform and opening-up have delivered continued and fast economic development， many developmental issues have also surfaced. These include income disparity， unbalanced development across regions， serious environmental pollution and degradation， and corruption.
These problems have made it more and more challenging for China to maintain both sound and fast growth. If not addressed in time， they may make future development unsustainable.
Sluggish growth in Europe， the United States and Japan has also increasingly hindered China’s exports. China’s economy is under heavy pressure from excessive production capacity and an unsustainable investment-driven growth model.
The country must speed up economic restructuring， boost domestic demand， step up industrial innovation and give a bigger role to the market.
These challenges impel the government not only to reconsider its medium and long-term economic and social development strategies， but also to explore new models of governance and economic development.
At this historical moment of transition， reform has become a buzzword. It represents a social consensus， and testifies to the CPC’s ruling ability and the new leadership’s insights and courage.
The new leadership under President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang has made clear China’s future reform direction from the very beginning. In the past few months， they have got people feeling that reform is instilling the country with new vital- ity and hope.
Reform has been the most frequently mentioned topic in both Xi and Li’s public speeches since last November. On his trip to Shenzhen City， Guangdong Province， last December， Xi clearly expressed a determination to carry on Deng Xiaoping’s philosophy of reform and sent out an important message that Deng-style reform is the answer to the country’s development problems. Reform Ideas
Xi has elaborated on the country’s reform guidelines， measures and paths on several occasions. His discourse revealed the new leadership’s resolution to innovate the country’s governance model to suit current realities.
On December 31， 2012， at a group study meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee， Xi said the reform process is partly designed by the country’s top leaders and partly like crossing the river by feeling for stones on the river bed. He said that leaders should have the bigger picture in mind， improve top-level design of reform and put greater focus on pursuing reform in a more systematic， comprehensive and coordinated way. They should simultaneously encourage bold exploration and a pioneering spirit， and continue to deepen reform and opening-up.
In his keynote speech at the closing of the first session of the 12th National People’s Congress（NPC）， Xi said that to pursue the “Chinese dream，”China must take the Chinese path， spread the Chinese spirit， and strengthen national solidarity. His speech， drawing heavily on the country’s history and reality， departed from traditional MarxistLeninist rhetoric.
When Li met the press on March 17 right after the conclusion of the annual session of the country’s top legislative body， he talked about institutional reform and transformation of government functions， and analogized it to “restoring to the market the hand that has mis-grown on the government.” He said， “transforming government functions is to redefine and rationalize the relations between the government， market and society. Put simply， the government should manage only the matters that fall within its purview， and leave to the market and society what they can do well.”
At the same session， a government reshuffle plan was announced， which reduced the number of government departments directly under the State Council from 27 to 23.
Li also stressed that China might be loosing the“demographic dividend” created by abundant cheap labor， but that it must seize the “reform dividend.”He stipulated the need for China’s future economic development to be more market-driven.
The Premier also described reforms to curb government power as a “self-imposed revolution”which would be as painful as cutting one’s own flesh.
Reform Actions
In the past few months， the new leaders have not only talked the talk about reform， but also walked the walk. In December， as the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee， Xi demanded that officials adhere to the “eight disciplines” designed as part of an effort to reduce extravagance by officials.
Xi’s “eight disciplines” include urging top leaders to conduct grassroots surveys to get a clearer idea of reality on the ground， and reduce formalities and fanfares in meeting and travel arrangements. Officials are required to bring smaller entourages during trips， and not to be greeted with welcome banners， red carpets， floral arrangements or grand receptions. Security measures such as road clearances should be reduced.
In the past three months， these austerity initiatives have shown their effectiveness. For instance， public spending on lavish feasts has been curbed， as indicated by the sharp drop in the price of Moutai， an expensive liquor usually consumed at public expense.
Xi took the lead in following these restraints. During his recent domestic visits， he arrived with little pomp and interacted with the common people.
At this year’s National People’s Congress session， Li pledged that the government will disclose public spending on official receptions， vehicles and overseas travels in 2013， freeze investments on constructing government office buildings and strictly manage official vehicles.
Xi said that the CPC should be able to put up with sharp criticism， correct mistakes if it has committed them and avoid them if it has not. He asked CPC committees at all levels to readily accept and welcome supervision from non-communist parties and personages so as to improve their work style. Xi made these remarks on February 6 while meeting representatives of non-communist parties， the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce， and those without party affiliations.
So far， the new leadership has conveyed strong messages of reform and showed bold determination to deepen it. We look forward to more pleasant surprises from Chinese leaders in the post-Deng Xiaoping era.
Foreign media are very interested in the new leaders’ governance philosophies and policy directions， while Chinese people are looking forward to an ever-improving life under the new leadership.
In the months after the new leadership took power， China appears to have entered a period of accelerated reform.
Reform Momentum
China’s development has reached a historical turning point. While 35 years of reform and opening-up have delivered continued and fast economic development， many developmental issues have also surfaced. These include income disparity， unbalanced development across regions， serious environmental pollution and degradation， and corruption.
These problems have made it more and more challenging for China to maintain both sound and fast growth. If not addressed in time， they may make future development unsustainable.
Sluggish growth in Europe， the United States and Japan has also increasingly hindered China’s exports. China’s economy is under heavy pressure from excessive production capacity and an unsustainable investment-driven growth model.
The country must speed up economic restructuring， boost domestic demand， step up industrial innovation and give a bigger role to the market.
These challenges impel the government not only to reconsider its medium and long-term economic and social development strategies， but also to explore new models of governance and economic development.
At this historical moment of transition， reform has become a buzzword. It represents a social consensus， and testifies to the CPC’s ruling ability and the new leadership’s insights and courage.
The new leadership under President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang has made clear China’s future reform direction from the very beginning. In the past few months， they have got people feeling that reform is instilling the country with new vital- ity and hope.
Reform has been the most frequently mentioned topic in both Xi and Li’s public speeches since last November. On his trip to Shenzhen City， Guangdong Province， last December， Xi clearly expressed a determination to carry on Deng Xiaoping’s philosophy of reform and sent out an important message that Deng-style reform is the answer to the country’s development problems. Reform Ideas
Xi has elaborated on the country’s reform guidelines， measures and paths on several occasions. His discourse revealed the new leadership’s resolution to innovate the country’s governance model to suit current realities.
On December 31， 2012， at a group study meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee， Xi said the reform process is partly designed by the country’s top leaders and partly like crossing the river by feeling for stones on the river bed. He said that leaders should have the bigger picture in mind， improve top-level design of reform and put greater focus on pursuing reform in a more systematic， comprehensive and coordinated way. They should simultaneously encourage bold exploration and a pioneering spirit， and continue to deepen reform and opening-up.
In his keynote speech at the closing of the first session of the 12th National People’s Congress（NPC）， Xi said that to pursue the “Chinese dream，”China must take the Chinese path， spread the Chinese spirit， and strengthen national solidarity. His speech， drawing heavily on the country’s history and reality， departed from traditional MarxistLeninist rhetoric.
When Li met the press on March 17 right after the conclusion of the annual session of the country’s top legislative body， he talked about institutional reform and transformation of government functions， and analogized it to “restoring to the market the hand that has mis-grown on the government.” He said， “transforming government functions is to redefine and rationalize the relations between the government， market and society. Put simply， the government should manage only the matters that fall within its purview， and leave to the market and society what they can do well.”
At the same session， a government reshuffle plan was announced， which reduced the number of government departments directly under the State Council from 27 to 23.
Li also stressed that China might be loosing the“demographic dividend” created by abundant cheap labor， but that it must seize the “reform dividend.”He stipulated the need for China’s future economic development to be more market-driven.
The Premier also described reforms to curb government power as a “self-imposed revolution”which would be as painful as cutting one’s own flesh.
Reform Actions
In the past few months， the new leaders have not only talked the talk about reform， but also walked the walk. In December， as the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee， Xi demanded that officials adhere to the “eight disciplines” designed as part of an effort to reduce extravagance by officials.
Xi’s “eight disciplines” include urging top leaders to conduct grassroots surveys to get a clearer idea of reality on the ground， and reduce formalities and fanfares in meeting and travel arrangements. Officials are required to bring smaller entourages during trips， and not to be greeted with welcome banners， red carpets， floral arrangements or grand receptions. Security measures such as road clearances should be reduced.
In the past three months， these austerity initiatives have shown their effectiveness. For instance， public spending on lavish feasts has been curbed， as indicated by the sharp drop in the price of Moutai， an expensive liquor usually consumed at public expense.
Xi took the lead in following these restraints. During his recent domestic visits， he arrived with little pomp and interacted with the common people.
At this year’s National People’s Congress session， Li pledged that the government will disclose public spending on official receptions， vehicles and overseas travels in 2013， freeze investments on constructing government office buildings and strictly manage official vehicles.
Xi said that the CPC should be able to put up with sharp criticism， correct mistakes if it has committed them and avoid them if it has not. He asked CPC committees at all levels to readily accept and welcome supervision from non-communist parties and personages so as to improve their work style. Xi made these remarks on February 6 while meeting representatives of non-communist parties， the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce， and those without party affiliations.
So far， the new leadership has conveyed strong messages of reform and showed bold determination to deepen it. We look forward to more pleasant surprises from Chinese leaders in the post-Deng Xiaoping era.