The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee convened a meeting on June 27 to discuss the issue of further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

It was decided at the meeting that the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee will be held in Beijing from July 15 to 18.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee listened to a report about opinions collected within and outside the Party on the draft of The CPC Central Committee's Decision on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese Modernization. It was decided that the draft will be revised according to the discussion at this meeting before it is submitted to the coming plenum for deliberation.

It was noted at the meeting that the solicitation of opinions has fully promoted intra-Party democracy and pooled the wisdom of the whole Party, and all regions, departments and parties fully affirmed the draft, believing that the new situation and new problems faced in advancing Chinese modernization were thoroughly analyzed, the overall arrangements for further comprehensively deepening reform centering around advancing Chinese modernization were scientifically planned, and the draft will serve as a guiding document for further comprehensively deepening reform on the new journey. They all agreed that the draft has fully accentuated the initiative of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to improve and develop the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and modernize China's system and capacity for governance, and its firm resolve to open up broad prospects for Chinese modernization through further comprehensively deepening reform.

It was emphasized at the meeting that the overarching goal of further comprehensively deepening reform is to continue improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and modernize China's system and capacity for governance. By 2035, the building of a high-standard socialist market economy will be completed across the board, the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics will be improved, the country's system and capacity for governance will be basically modernized, and socialist modernization will be basically realized. All these will lay a solid foundation for building a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of this century.

It was noted at the meeting that to deepen reform across the board, it is imperative to summarize and apply valuable experience gained in reform and opening up, especially in the new era, and stick to the following principles: We should adhere to the overall leadership of the Party, uphold the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership, ensure that it fully exerts its core role in providing overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all sides, and uphold the Party's leadership throughout the reform, so as to advance reform in the right political direction. It is imperative to adhere to a people-centered approach, respect the principal position and the pioneering spirit of the people, ensure that reform will always respond to what the people call for, and ensure that reform is for the people and by the people and that its fruits are shared by the people. It is essential to remain committed to upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, adhere unswervingly to socialism with Chinese characteristics, keep pace with the times, adapt to the evolution of practice, and adopt a problem-oriented approach to promote innovation in practice, theories, institution, culture and all other sectors from a new starting point. Institution building must be carried out as a linchpin to strengthen top-level design and overall planning, combine phasing out the old and bringing in the new, and establish the new before abolishing the old. It is a must to consolidate fundamental systems, improve basic systems, and innovate important systems. It is also imperative to adhere to exercising law-based governance on all fronts, and deepening reform in line with the rule of law to advance Chinese modernization. Major reforms must have law as supporting basis, and what has been achieved from reform must be developed into legal systems. It is necessary to adhere to systems thinking and do a good job in handling major relationships between the economy and society, between the government and market, between efficiency and fairness, between vitality and order, and between development and security. Reform must be made more systemic, holistic, and coordinated.

It was noted at the meeting that the Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization. It is a must to uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee over further comprehensively deepening reform, maintain a high degree of consciousness that the Party's self-reform must guide social revolution, adhere to the spirit of reform in governing the Party, hammer away at implementing policies and plans for reform, and transform the strategic arrangements for further comprehensively deepening reform into a powerful force for advancing Chinese modernization.

Other matters were also discussed at the meeting.