The visionary arc of President Xi's reform

I'm Robert Lawrence Kuhn and here's what I'm watching: President Xi Jinping's leadership, especially with respect to reform.

I wrote a book on China's 30-years of reform from 1978 to 2008, for which then Zhejiang Party Secretary Xi Jinping gave me advice; I received the China Reform Friendship Medal at the 40th anniversary of China's Reform and Opening up in 2018; and I witnessed first-hand China's achievements and challenges since January 1989, which was my first of more than 150 trips to China, where I travelled the country, meeting farmers and migrant workers as well as leaders and officials.

I have been following President Xi since 2005, when we first met in Hangzhou, and 2006, when we had an extended conversation in which he explained how political theory and pragmatic practice work together. He stressed adapting national policies to local conditions, and he focused on improving the lives of the people, environmental protection, and strengthening culture. While recognizing China's achievements, he called for a realistic appraisal of China's challenges.

To appreciate President Xi's leadership on reform, one must begin by understanding what China means by "reform." It does not mean less government and more private sector. It does mean optimizing both government and the private sector. In a word, when China says "reform," China means "improvement." So, when President Xi streamlined the government bureaucracy (in 2018) by combining ministries and reducing their numbers, that was reform. When Xi transferred the management of the local courts to the provincial governments, that was reform. When Xi directed the restructure of China's healthcare system, that was reform. When Xi instituted the relentless anti-corruption campaign in the Party, that was reform.

I like to start with one of President Xi's first guiding political theories of overall governance, the "Four Comprehensives," put forth in 2014 ( later, the "Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy" ), three of which refer to comprehensively expanding in-depth reform, promoting law-based governance, and enforcing strict Party self-governance.

From there I go to Xi's first guiding theory of economic development - the "Five Major Concepts of Development" in 2015 ( later the "New Concepts of Development" ) - innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing. It was the first time that "innovation" was given pride of place as the first of the five - the top position. Xi's focus on innovation was just beginning. It would become the core of his vision to drive China's "high-quality development" via "new quality productive forces".

Xi's commitment to reform is exemplified by his leading, since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, over 72 highest-level, reform-focused meetings, from the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform to the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reform. This is called, "The Drumbeat for Reform." These senior-most meetings reviewed and approved more than 600 reform documents, and guided authorities to issue more than 3,000 reform plans.

Most recently, in June, President Xi presided over the fifth meeting of the 20th Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reform, which reviewed and approved a series of reform documents, relating to the Modern Enterprise System, Income Guarantee Mechanisms for Grain Farmers, and Building a Globally Competitive Open Environment for Scientific and Technological Innovation.

It was in April 2023, at the first meeting, that Xi emphasized that "comprehensively deepening reform should be regarded as the fundamental driving force for promoting Chinese modernization."

Personally, I spent several years focusing on President Xi's anti-poverty campaign, motivated by Xi's surprising comment, "I have spent more energy on poverty alleviation than on anything else." To Xi, "the system of income distribution is the foundational system for promoting common prosperity." In 2018, China's individual income tax threshold was raised from 3,500 yuan ($482) to 5,000 yuan ($688) per month. This change reduced the proportion of taxpayers among urban workers from 44 percent to 15 percent, with additional deductions further lowering the tax burden for those earning below 20,000 yuan ($2,752) per month by more than 50 percent. This to Xi Jinping is real reform.

Looking forward, President Xi will continue stressing science and technology, and indigenous innovation, as the pinnacle of Chinese reform.

I'm keeping watch. I'm Robert Lawrence Kuhn.

Script and Presenter: Robert Lawrence Kuhn

Producer: Yang Yutong

Video Editor: Liang Zhiqiang

Graphic Designer: Qi Haiming

Executive Producer: Sun Lan

Chief Editor: Li Shouen

Supervisors: Xiao Jian, Adam Zhu

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