China Voice: Closing the "last-mile gap" in deepening reform

Chinese leaders did not pass any new proposals at their latest meeting on overall reform, the 21st of its kind, but rather stressed one key word: implementation.

The word is crucial to the success of the nation's whopping reform projects across nearly all fronts, and hence to the well-being of people both in China and around the world.

The previous 20 meetings of the Central Leading Group for Overall Reform had seen about 100 documents approved, rolling out an unprecedented number of strong reform measures to establish a healthier economy, a more independent judiciary and a more law-based society.

Implementing those reforms is now the most pressing job as China strives to sustain solid growth and improve social systems.

This year marks the start of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), a key period as China enters the home stretch to accomplish its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The country has also pledged to help 70 million people shake off poverty and access essential social services by 2020.

The implementation of a number of reforms has been praiseworthy, and some reforms, such as relaxing the permanent residence system, have yielded real benefits for the people.

The expanded Shanghai Free Trade Zone, a test bed for further reform and opening up, has contributed one quarter of the city's GDP.

However, some reform projects launched long ago remain unfinished due to inadequate implementation.

Officials are quick to implement the easy parts of reform, but they slow or stall when obstacles and challenges emerge. This is especially the case in the final stages of reform, when interests intertwine in complicated ways.

In some places and departments, reform has gotten little more than lip service. When the central authorities issue a reform document, local officials are busy "studying the spirit," but fail to put the measures into place.

As many experts have pointed out, reform-minded officials at all levels are the key to successful implementation.

At the meeting, the central leaders demanded establishing a highly efficient and traceable implementation system throughout the whole reform process, defining responsibilities and ordering strengthened supervision.

All officials should turn themselves into reformers in both word and deed, supporting the reforms and actively working to implement them. They should break obstructions, use new methods and make breakthroughs.

To make reform meet the people's demands, they must also conduct more field research and learn about what the people want.

Authorities should encourage innovation and praise outstanding individuals, but also tolerate mistakes and failure in reforms so officials feel free and bold in carrying them out.

Laziness, indifference, delays and buck-passing in implementation must be punished.

The reforms are aimed at powering China's development. Only by promoting implementation can China close the last-mile gap in deepening reform. Endi