Modernizing the national governance system and capabilities

At its third plenary session held on November 9-12, 2013, the 18th CPC Central Committee stated that the overarching goal of comprehensively expanding in-depth reform is to refine and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to modernize the national governance system and capabilities. The governance system and capabilities of a country are embodied in its institutions and the ability of its institutions to execute.

China's national governance system, led by the Party, is a system of institutions for managing the country. These include economic, political, cultural, social, ecological and Party development mechanisms and institutions, as well as laws, regulations and plans. These are a complete set of tightly linked and coordinated national institutions.

China's national governance capabilities are defined by its ability to use these institutions to manage various aspects of society, including reform, development and stability; internal affairs, foreign relations and national defense; and governance of the Party, the nation and the armed forces.

These institutions and their capabilities are mutually complementary and holistically integrated; there must be a good governance system in order to improve governance capabilities, and capabilities must be improved if institutions are to be fully effective. Promoting their modernization means adapting to changing times and reforming institutions, laws and regulations which are unsuited to the needs of development, while at the same time constantly establishing new institutions, laws and regulations, so that all institutions become more scientific and more complete, thereby making the governance of the Party, of the nation and of the society more institutionalized, more standardized and more procedure-oriented.

More emphasis must be given to strengthening governance capabilities:  – Work must be done according to more clearly-defined institutional guidelines;

– There must be a stronger awareness of acting in accordance with the law;  – We must be adept at using institutions and laws to manage the country;

– All institutional strengths should become national governance capacities; and  – The Party's ability to govern scientifically, democratically and in accordance with the law must be improved.

Modernizing the national governance system and capabilities is a requirement for refining and developing Chinese socialism, and it is necessary for achieving socialist modernization.

國家治理體系和治理能力現代化

2013年11月召開的黨的十八屆三中全會提出，全面深化改革的總目標是完善和發展中國特色社會主義制度，推進國家治理體系和治理能力現代化。國家治理體系和治理能力是一個國家制度和制度執行能力的集中體現。國家治理體系是在黨領導下管理國家的制度體系，包括經濟、政治、文化、社會、生態文明和黨的建設等各領域體制機制、法律法規安排，也就是一整套緊密相連、相互協調的國家制度；國家治理能力則是運用國家制度管理社會各方面事務的能力，包括改革發展穩定、內政外交國防、治黨治國治軍等各個方面。國家治理體系和治理能力是一個有機整體，相輔相成，有了好的國家治理體系才能提高治理能力，提高國家治理能力才能充分發揮國家治理體系的效能。推進國家治理體系和治理能力現代化，就是要適應時代變化，既改革不適應實踐發展要求的體制機制、法律法規，又不斷構建新的體制機制、法律法規，使各方面制度更加科學、更加完善，實現黨、國家、社會各項事務治理制度化、規范化、程序化。要更加注重治理能力建設，增強按制度辦事、依法辦事意識，善于運用制度和法律治理國家，把各方面制度優勢轉化為管理國家的效能，提高黨科學執政、民主執政、依法執政水平。推進國家治理體系和治理能力現代化，是完善和發展中國特色社會主義制度的必然要求，是實現社會主義現代化的應有之義。