China will push ahead with institutional reform of its ruling Communist Party and the government. This is according to a communique released in the wake of the Third Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. The announcement came just days before the country's annual political event - the Two Sessions, when delegates of the national legislature and advisory body gather in Beijing. CGTN's Tang Bo tells us more.

According to the communique, the plenum indicated its full recognition in the work of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC central committee since its first plenary session. The communique says that the political bureau has helped the country made a brand new step on the journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist China.

The CPC leaders stressed at the plenary session that deepening the structural reform of the Party and state institutions aims at modernizing the system and the capability of state governance. They believe the Party and state institutions should be reformed to strengthen the Party's leadership, improve state governance and make the system more efficient. The Party leaders emphasized at the plenum that the reform plan should meet the requirements of the socialist development with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The communique also says that transforming government functions and improving the framework of government institutions are the major tasks of the structural reform.

TANG BO BEIJING "And to well manage the country, straightening up the relations between the central and local governments becomes very important. A smooth and energetic working mechanism between the central and local governments should be built up. According to the communique, the reform plan will then be submitted to the upcoming annual session of the National People's Congress in March for further deliberation."