Xi highlights 'big picture' in reform drive

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 strategic layout of the "Four Comprehensives".

"(Authorities) should subordinate themselves to the overall situation and have the courage to face up to challenges," he 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, the statement read.

Innovation should be encouraged as China presses ahead with "going global" and "bringing in" strategies in opening up, so as to improve the country's labor, information, knowledge, technique, management and capital efficiency, and build a new growth engine for social and economic development.

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 cater to the people's practical needs to "feel fairness and justice in every case."

Legal aid should be provided, with lower costs and requirements, to help people solve basic problems in life and work.

The statement noted that legal aid should play a bigger role in solving social conflict, ensuring harmony and stability 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 reform on judicial management to more provincial-level regions was also approved, with strengthened liability for judges and prosecutors and better supervision of personnel, money and property.