Modernization of National Governance System and Governance Capability

In 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee adopted the “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues of Comprehensively Deepening Reform”, which puts forward the overall goals and requirements for comprehensively deepening reforms. The “Decision” pointed out: “The overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform is to improve and develop the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities”. The national governance system is the institutional system of the country, including institutional mechanisms, legal and regulatory arrangements in the economic, political, cultural, social, ecological civilization and other fields, that is, a set of closely connected and coordinated national systems. National governance capabilities is the ability to use the national system to manage all aspects of society, including reform, development and stability, internal affairs, foreign affairs and national defense, and governance of the Party, the state, and the military. National governance system and governance capabilities are the concentrated expression of a country’s system and system execution capability, and the two are complementary and inseparable. As the core content of the governance system, the role of the system is fundamental, overall, and long-term, but without effective governance capabilities, no matter how good the system and institutional system are, it will be difficult for them to function.

What kind of governance system a country chooses is determined by the country’s historical heritage, cultural traditions, economic and social development level and the people of the country. China’s existing national governance system and governance capabilities have unique advantages and are basically adapted to its national conditions and development requirements. In the meantime, in terms of the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities, there are still many areas that need to be improved. In particular, it requires to make all aspects of the system more scientific and complete, realize the institutionalization, standardization and proceduralization of the governance of the Party, the state, and the society, make full use of the system and laws to govern the country, and improve the Party’s scientific governance, democratic governance, and law-based governance. It also needs to be promoted through comprehensive reforms. Promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities is not only a summary and improvement of the successful experience of China’s modernization drive since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially since the Reform and Opening-up, but also an active response to the various severe challenges China faces in the new development stage of the modernization process. Promoting the modernization of the national governance system is a magnificent systematic project. In a sense, it is a revolution in the field of national governance, involving economic, political, cultural, social, ecological civilization and Party building and other fields. We must pay more attention to the system, integrity, and coordination of reforms, and accelerate the development of socialist market economy, democratic politics, advanced culture, harmonious society, and ecological civilization, so as to fully release the vitality of labor, knowledge, technology, management and capital, allow all the sources of creating social wealth to flow fully, and people benefit from development results more equitably. To promote the modernization of national governance capabilities, we must focus on improving the Party’s governing capacity, improve the ideological and political quality, scientific and cultural quality, and work skills of cadres and managers at all levels as soon as possible, and improve working capabilities of the Party, state organs, enterprises and institutions, people's organizations, social organizations, etc. as soon as possible, so that the national governance system can operate more effectively. To promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities, we must fully understand and grasp the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reforms, that is, “improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics” and “promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities” shall be considered as a whole.

The former involves the nature and direction of the issue, that is, the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities must adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, with the goal of improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics; the latter focuses on the form and basic way of realization, that is, continuously improving the national governance system and enhancing national governance capabilities.