Xi calls to step up drive for reform

President Xi Jinping urged Party and government officials on Tuesday to step up efforts to implement reform and achieve targets.

He made the remarks at the 15th meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform, which was set up in late 2013 to manage the ongoing reform drive.

Reforms in many areas have made solid and steady progress since the start of the year, and new breakthroughs have been reported in crucial areas, Xi said.

He emphasized that Party agencies and governments at all levels must show greater determination and perseverance in advancing reforms, and find solutions to new problems arising from the reforms. He called for accurate targets to be set and for concrete implementation of reform measures.

Xi told officials to conduct careful research before carrying out their reform measures, such as seeking public opinion.

"We cannot take a detour or retreat when we meet conflicts, problems or difficulties in our reform," he said. "Instead, we should study them in a timely manner, come up with countermeasures and actively solve them."

At Tuesday's meeting, the leading group adopted six reform plans.

They cover strengthening the top legislature's power to correct problems revealed by audits; improving judicial accountability of courts; improving judicial accountability of procuratorates; developing world-class universities; promoting compulsory education in underdeveloped regions; and managing lost identity cards.

Yang Weidong, a law professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said the fact that the central leadership has rolled out so many detailed plans shows how broad the reform is.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/19/2015 page1)