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3nd LD-Writethru: Xinhua Insight: Xi highlights "big picture" in reform drive

Xinhua, May 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on officials to view the country's reform drive in the context of "a larger picture" in order to deepen reforms.

Xi made the remarks at the 12th meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform, during which he called on authorities to "grasp the larger picture of reform" and fully implement the "Four Comprehensives", an ideological framework that identifies the main pillars needed to support the rejuvenation of China.

"Four Comprehensives" refer to comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, advancing the rule of law, and strictly governing the Party.

"Authorities should subordinate themselves to the overall situation and have the courage to face up to challenges," Xi said.

An overall plan to promote innovation in reform in selected regions was adopted at the meeting. Members of the leading group also agreed that authorities must place scientific and technological innovation at the heart of the drive.

"Authorities should break down structural and institutional obstacles, advance sci-tech, management, branding and business models and promote innovation in military-civic integration," according to a statement issued after the meeting.

IMPROVING LAW ENFORCEMENT

At the meeting, the group approved a pilot reform plan for public interest litigation and a document on improving legal aid.

Describing legal aid as a "key project", it urged "efficient and quality" legal aid that caters to people's practical needs so they can "feel fairness and justice in every case".

Legal aid should be provided, with lower costs and requirements, to help disadvantaged groups solve basic problems in life and work, according to the group.

The statement said that legal aid should play a bigger role in solving social conflicts, as well as judicial protection of people's rights, especially in criminal cases,

Public interest litigation should focus on cases that harm state and public interests in the fields of environment and resources, food and drug safety, state-owned assets and leasing the right to use state-owned land.

A plan to expand a pilot project with strengthened liability for judges and prosecutors and better supervision of personnel, money and property to more provincial-level regions was also approved.

SCI-TECH INNOVATION

At the meeting, members of the leading group stressed that a plan to deepen reform in the science and technology sectors will be most effective if it stimulates innovation and integration of scientific and technological innovation with economic and social development.

The reform, with both short-term and long-term measures, should focus on obvious problems that restrain sci-tech innovation, the statement said.

"By 2020, major breakthroughs should be made in key areas in sci-tech reform, and a mechanism should be set up in line with socialist market economic laws in order to drive innovation," according to the statement.

Societies affiliated with the China Association for Science and Technology were urged to provide public services in sci-tech fields, including by accrediting new technology, formulating technical standards and organizing national awards schemes for science and technology. Endi