The Third Plenary Session of the Sixteenth Central Committee of the CPC

It convened in Beijing from October 11 to 14, 2003. The Plenary Session listened to and discussed Hu Jintao's work report entrusted to him by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, deliberated and adopted the “Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Socialist Market Economy System”, adopted the “The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the CPC on Amending Certain Parts of the Constitution”, and decided to submit it to the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress for consideration.

The “Decision”, for the first time, put forward the “Scientific Outlook on Development” in a Party document in its entirety, i.e., “adhering to the people-oriented approach and establishing a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable outlook on development”, and called for the implementation of the "Five Coordinates" (coordinating urban and rural development, regional development, economic and social development, the harmonious development of man and nature, and the development at home and opening up to the outside world), improve the socialist market economic system. The “Decision” clearly put forward the “Scientific Outlook on Development” as a guideline for promoting economic and social development and deepening economic system reform, and an important principle that must be adhered to.

With regard to the main tasks of improving the socialist market economy system, the “Decision” stipulates perfecting the basic economic system that keeps public ownership as the mainstay, while allowing diverse forms of ownership develop side by side; establishing a system which is favorable for gradually changing the dual economic structure of urban and rural areas; establishing a mechanism to promote the coordinated development of regional economies; building a unified, open, competitive and orderly modern market system; upgrading the macro-economic control system, administrative system and economic legal system; improving employment, income distribution, and social security system; and establishing a mechanism to promote sustainable economic and social development. Therefore, it is essential to adhere to the mainstay position of the public ownership system, establish and improve the modern property rights system, improve the operation system based on household contract operation and double-decked operation combining unified operation and diversified independent operation, placing the promotion of employment in a more prominent position in economic and social development, and deepening the reforms in science and technology, education, culture and healthcare system.