Third Plenary Sessions in History

Since the third plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China（CPC） was held more than three decades ago， China has been cruising on the road to reform and opening-up. Tremendous changes have occurred throughout the country since then. A glance at history reveals that the third plenary session of each CPC Central Committee frequently produced landmark breakthroughs and significant decisions that changed the whole nation. For this reason， the term “Third Plenary Session” has become inextricably linked to China’s reform and opening-up， as well as symbolic of Chinese society’s march towards prosperity.

Third Plenary Session of 11th CPC Central Committee： Historic Turning Point （1978）

Held in December 1978， the session put an end to the historic period when Chinese society considered “class struggle as the key link，” and new leadership formed around Deng Xiaoping. Participants of the session also identified construction of a modern nation as their key task. Over the following six years， China embarked on nationwide reform. Reform in the countryside started with the historic household farmland-contract system in Xiaogang Village in eastern China’s Anhui Province. However， during the period， the planned economy was still dominant， since the market economy had just sprouted.

Third Plenary Session of 12th CPC Central Committee： Reform from Countryside to City （1984）

Held in October 1984， the session passed the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Reform of the Economic Structure， which marked a shift of focus for reform from countryside to urban areas. Comprehensive reform of the country’s economic structure had since taken place. The session also pointed out for the first time that China’s socialist economy should not be a planned economy， but a planned commodity economy with public ownership as the foundation. Such a statement already marked a significant breakthrough amidst the political conditions of the time.

Third Plenary Session of 13th CPC Central Committee： Clearing the Way for Further Reform （1988）

Held in September 1988， the session passed two important documents： The Primary Work Plan on Price and Wage System Reform and The Notice on Strengthening and Improving Ideological and Political Work in Enterprises. At the time， as the country transitioned from a planned economy to a market economy， China faced a chaotic economic situation and surging prices. In order to deepen reform and opening-up， the meeting affirmed guidelines to improve the economic environment， rectify the economic structure and deepen overall reform.

Third Plenary Session of 14th CPC Central Committee： Outlining Framework of a Socialist Market Economy （1993）

Held in November 1993， this session passed the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Issues of Building a Socialist Market Economy， which detailed a roadmap to establish a socialist market economy. Deng Xiaoping’s inspection tour of southern China in 1992 was a major turning point. For the first time， the 14th CPC National Congress， held in October 1992， clearly defined the goal of China’s economic reform as the establishment of a socialist market economy. The Decision made at this session elaborated the goal and basic principles of China’s economic reform in a systemic and specific manner. The Decision also required state-owned enterprises to reform their operations and establish modern enterprise mechanisms which clearly define property rights， separate ownership from day-to-day management， and adopt scientific management methods.

Third Plenary Session of 15th CPC Central Committee： Building a Socialist New Countryside （1998）

Held in October 1998， the session released the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Important Issues of Agriculture and Countryside Work and set the goal of building a new socialist countryside by 2010. It also formulated strategies and policies for economic， political and cultural construction in rural areas. Against a backdrop of the country’s rapid industrialization and urbanization， the imbalance between rural and urban development has increasingly widened. The Decision laid a foundation for strengthening agriculture and rural development.

Third Plenary Session of 16th CPC Central Committee： Improving Market Economy Reform （2003）

Held in October 2003， the session passed the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Issues of Completing the Construction of a Market Economy， mapping reform and de-velopment for the next ten years. It presented new ideas and measures to complete the construction of a socialist market economy. This session emphasized people-oriented， balanced， sustainable and overall development， marking a significant shift in the nation’s development strategy. The session clarified that public ownership should not equate to state ownership， and that some enterprises with diversified ownership， including joint stock companies， could also been identified as public ownership. It also encouraged non-public economic entities to take part in lawful economic activity. This marked the third “mind revolution，”with the previous two inspiring diversified distribution patterns and market-oriented resource allocation.

Third Plenary Session of 17th CPC Central Committee： Balanced Development Between Rural and Urban Areas （2008）

Held in October 2008， the session passed the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Major Issues on Promoting the Reform and Development of Rural Areas and set the goal to further rural reform and development through improving rural infrastructure， promoting modern agriculture， and accelerating the development of public services in rural areas. As China quickened its pace of industrialization and urbanization， issues concerning agriculture， the countryside and farmers caused by the old rural-urban dual structure had become increasingly thorny， generating new social problems such as the migrant worker status. The session called for elimination of rural-urban gap and integrated economic and social development in both rural and urban areas， so as to ensure both rural and urban residents enjoy equal rights.