In China's political arena, the Communist Party of China (CPC) exercises leadership. Strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the Party operates in tandem with supporting a range of bodies in performing their functions and playing their roles: the people's congresses, governments, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), supervisory departments, courts, prosecuting agencies, people's organizations, enterprises, public institutions, and social organizations. The draft decision focuses on adapting to the requirements for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era and establishing a functional system of Party and state institutions that upholds Party leadership in all respects and reflects the fundamental interests of the people. It aims to bring into full play the great strength of Party leadership at the institutional level, adopt a comprehensive approach to the set-up of the Party and government institutions, coordinate and give play to the functions and roles of various institutions, improve the systems and mechanisms for sound leadership, decision-making, and effective management and enforcement, and ensure the long-term governance of the Party and the lasting stability of the country.

Strengthening leadership by the Party in all respects is entirely consistent with our people-centered philosophy. The purpose of further reform of Party and state institutions is to better develop the causes of the Party and the state, meet the expectation of the people for a better life, and promote well-rounded personal development, comprehensive social progress, and common prosperity of the people. We must ensure the principal status of the people, and adhere to the Party's commitment to serving the public good and exercising power in the interests of the people. We must implement the Party's principle of the mass line, improve the system through which the people are the masters of the country, and improve the systems and mechanisms for bringing benefits to the people, serving them, addressing their concerns, protecting their rights, and interests, and accepting their supervision, so as to provide a stronger guarantee for the people to manage both state affairs and social, economic and cultural affairs.

(Source: Extract from Xi Jinping's speech at the Third Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, February 26, 2018)

This episode is presented by Shen Ting.