The long river of history flows ceaselessly, and the torrent of time rolls on unstoppably.

In 2024, the People's Republic of China celebrated its 75th anniversary. It was a crucial year for achieving the goals and tasks set in the 14th Five-Year Plan. The comprehensive deepening of reforms set sail once again, and a crucial stage was passed in promoting the building of a powerful nation and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in an all-round way through the path of Chinese modernization.

During this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited more than ten provincial-level regions and the Macao Special Administrative Region, made four overseas visits, presided over a series of important meetings, attended a series of major events, delivered a series of important speeches, and issued a series of important instructions, thus driving remarkable new achievements in the theory and practice of national governance.

Facing complex and severe situations in this year, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country to overcome difficulties, forge ahead with determination, and work hard, achieving extraordinary development results. China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national strength continued to grow, and Chinese modernization took solid new steps forward.

Riding the wind and breaking the waves. As history turns a new page, the dawn of rejuvenation is emerging brightly.

Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, forging ahead with determination—

"To turn the blueprint of Chinese modernization into reality, the fundamental lies in further comprehensively deepening reforms."

"Follow the right path, yet efforts are needed halfway through; the goal is within reach, so don't shy away from hard work when aiming for the summit." At the reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping quoted a couplet from Mount Heng in Hunan Province to describe China's position in the historical process today.

Halfway up the mountain, the road becomes steeper; in midstream, the current flows faster.

By 2024, the internal and external environments for China's development had undergone complex and profound changes: the once-in-a-century changes were accelerating, the world had entered a new period of turmoil and transformation, experiencing major adjustments, differentiations, and restructurings. Meanwhile, the tasks of reform, development, and stability in China were arduous and onerous, and the economic operation still faced many difficulties and challenges.

This is an era of great changes and, more importantly, an era full of opportunities.

By now, more than 40 years had passed since the landmark Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, and over 10 years since the landmark Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

The 20th CPC National Congress defined the central tasks of the Party and the country in the new era and on the new journey. "The current and future periods are a crucial time for promoting the building of a powerful nation and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in an all-round way through Chinese modernization."

The times pose new questions. At this critical moment of carrying forward the past and forging ahead into the future, there is a call for the crucial responsibility to open up new prospects.

At the end of April 2024, a Xinhua News Agency report spread across the country via radio waves—

"The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting on April 30 and decided to convene the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in July this year, focusing on further comprehensively deepening reforms and promoting the issue of Chinese modernization."

Less than a month later, from May 22 to 24, General Secretary Xi Jinping went on an in-depth inspection and research tour in Shandong Province to listen to opinions and suggestions on further comprehensively deepening reforms.

At Rizhao Port, with the vast sea and sky stretching out and the blue waves rippling, General Secretary Xi Jinping stopped by the wharf, facing the sea breeze and looking into the distance in deep thought.

Over the past 40-plus years, it was precisely the great power of reform and opening up that had enabled this once-unknown port to quickly grow into the "youngest" port with an annual cargo throughput of 500 million tons, ranking seventh in the world in terms of annual cargo throughput.

General Secretary Xi Jinping was deeply moved and said, "From this, we should firmly believe that China's path of reform and opening up will surely succeed."

On the new journey in the new era, what can we rely on to unite and gather strength? What can we rely on to promote development? What can we rely on to meet challenges?

"Since the 20th CPC National Congress, I have been constantly thinking about the issue of further comprehensively deepening reforms." "Chinese modernization has been continuously advanced in the process of reform and opening up and will surely open up broad prospects in this process as well."

Facing the complex and intertwined international and domestic situations, the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and the new expectations of the people, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core made a historic strategic choice, injecting powerful impetus into Chinese modernization through further comprehensively deepening reforms.

From the winter of 2023 to the midsummer of 2024, over a period of more than seven months, General Secretary Xi Jinping personally served as the head of the drafting group for the documents of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, planning the whole process, organizing investigations, providing meticulous guidance, and setting the direction.

On the afternoon of July 18, 2024, in the banquet hall on the second floor of the Great Hall of the People, with the lights shining brightly, the second plenary session of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was held here.

"Approved!"

With General Secretary Xi Jinping's solemn announcement, warm applause erupted throughout the hall. A new reform blueprint marking the era was born, and a new milestone was erected in China's reform and opening up.

The over 20,000-word document sketched out a magnificent "panoramic view" of reforms on the new journey—

Aiming at 2035, it focused on deploying the reform tasks for the next five years; with the "six adherences," it pointed out the important guidelines for further comprehensively deepening reforms; with the "seven focuses," it encompassed the strategic priorities for promoting Chinese modernization; more than 300 important reform measures not only grasped the "key link" of economic system reforms but also coordinated and promoted reforms in other fields...

After this grand and practical new reform blueprint was announced, foreign media commented one after another that what was coming for China was a more comprehensive and profound reform stage, "showing the new direction for future development."

This is both a continuation of the practice of comprehensively deepening reforms since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee and a new chapter in promoting Chinese modernization on the new journey.

The blueprint has been drawn; the key lies in its implementation.

"The whole Party should work together to ensure the implementation of the 'Decision,' transforming the strategic deployment of further comprehensively deepening reforms into a powerful force for promoting Chinese modernization." General Secretary Xi Jinping took promoting the implementation of the spirit of the plenary session as a crucial means of national governance, guiding the whole Party and the people across the country to strengthen their confidence in reforms and better concentrate their efforts to ensure the steady and long-term progress of reforms.

In October 2024, in the upsurge of studying and implementing the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping embarked on an inspection and research tour with a dense schedule. From the southeast coast to the land along the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River, in four days, he visited two provinces and four cities, witnessing the rising tide and numerous sails competing in a race.

In Xiamen, Fujian Province, he put forward clear requirements for the construction of the special economic zone and the pilot free trade zone; in Hefei, Anhui Province, he inspected the centralized display of major scientific and technological innovation achievements and called for accelerating scientific and technological innovation and industrial transformation and upgrading.

During the inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Today, in terms of the depth and breadth of reform and opening up, higher requirements are imposed than in the past." "We should strive to be at the forefront in comprehensively deepening reforms and expanding high-level opening up."

Shortly after returning to Beijing from the inspections in Fujian and Anhui, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the opening ceremony of the special seminar for leading cadres at the provincial and ministerial levels on studying and implementing the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He profoundly expounded on the four pairs of relationships that needed to be properly handled in further comprehensively deepening reforms and required leading cadres to "enhance their sense of political responsibility and historical mission" and earnestly "face up to contradictions and problems without evading them, root out persistent and stubborn problems without hesitation, respond to risks and challenges without shrinking back, and strive to open up new prospects for reform and development."

Setting good examples from the top and seizing every moment.

Since the convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping has presided over many important meetings, studied and deployed major reform measures, and gone to the grassroots level for inspection and research on many occasions, building consensus on reforms, stimulating the impetus for reforms, and promoting the implementation of reforms.

The "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Accelerating the Comprehensive Green Transformation of Economic and Social Development" was released, the reform of gradually delaying the statutory retirement age in an orderly manner in accordance with the principles of voluntariness and flexibility was implemented, and the draft of the Law on Promoting the Private Economy was submitted to the meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation...

A series of heavyweight reform measures that were crucial to the overall situation, attracted much attention, and were of high value were introduced intensively. Further comprehensively deepening reforms were in full swing, further stimulating new driving forces for China's economic and social development, and a new and updated picture of Chinese modernization was unfolding.

Facing difficulties head-on and strengthening confidence—

"Firmly grasp high-quality development as the primary task and comprehensively promote Chinese modernization."

On September 26, 2024, in Zhongnanhai, Beijing, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to analyze and study the economic situation. A sentence in the news report, "Effectively enhance the sense of responsibility and urgency in doing a good job in economic work," attracted much attention both at home and abroad.

From a good start in the first quarter to the gradually increasing downward pressure in the second and third quarters, China's economy had reached a critical moment and an important juncture by then.

Cutting the reserve requirement ratio and interest rates, boosting the property and stock markets, and helping enterprises tide over difficulties... In response to the new situations and problems emerging in economic operation, the meeting promptly and resolutely deployed a package of incremental policies.

Implementing large-scale equipment renewal and the replacement of consumer goods with new ones, effectively reducing the logistics costs across the whole society, promoting the stable growth of foreign trade, and stimulating the vitality of the ice and snow economy... The "combined punches" of policies in various aspects coordinated and worked precisely.

Entering October, social expectations and confidence were strengthened, and China's economy witnessed a significant rebound, with its economic operation showing a trend of "high at the beginning, low in the middle, and rising at the end." It was estimated that the annual economic growth rate would be around 5%.

Facing difficulties squarely, making accurate judgments, responding calmly, and adopting comprehensive measures, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core demonstrated extraordinary wisdom and ability in guiding China's economy with a far-reaching vision and a correct assessment of the situation.

Looking back on the extraordinary path that China's economy had traversed in the past year, the effective improvement in quality and the reasonable growth in quantity were unified throughout the whole process of high-quality development.

On November 14, 2024, as a new car rolled off the production line, China's annual output of new energy vehicles exceeded 10 million for the first time, marking a solid step for China in its transformation from a big automobile country to a powerful one.

Over the past year, from emerging industries gathering strength to traditional industries being rejuvenated and upgraded, new productive forces have demonstrated a strong driving and supporting force for China's economic development.

What are new productive forces? General Secretary Xi Jinping gave a profound explanation: "Their characteristic is innovation, the key lies in high quality, and their essence is advanced productive forces."

How to develop new productive forces? General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward clear requirements: "We should not act blindly in a rush, start something in a hasty manner and then abandon it just as quickly. Instead, we must adapt to local conditions and each should have its own characteristics."

The Wuhan Industrial Innovation Development Institute has built a "government-industry-university-research-funding-application-service" system for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. In the more than two years since its establishment, it has successfully incubated and empowered over 200 science and technology enterprises and gathered more than 700 innovative and entrepreneurial talents.

On November 5, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected this institute and, while communicating with scientific researchers and enterprise heads, pointed out, "To achieve high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology and develop new productive forces, there is an even more urgent need for the integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation."

"Science and technology + industry," General Secretary Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasized this important path for developing new productive forces throughout the year.

In terms of institutional mechanisms, we have strengthened the leading position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation and promoted the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements; in terms of industrial layout, new business forms such as artificial intelligence and low-altitude economy have opened up new tracks, and future industries such as bio-manufacturing and quantum technology have ventured into uncharted territories... The momentum of innovation-driven development is strong, and the driving force and vitality of China's economy are bursting out.

According to the Global Innovation Index 2024 released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, China's ranking in innovation rose by one place compared to the previous year to the 11th place, and it has risen by 18 places in the past 10 years, making it one of the economies with the fastest rising rankings.

In the main melody of high-quality development, the chorus of the whole country working as one is even louder.

In March, in Changsha, the focus was on promoting the rise of the central region in the new era; in April, in Chongqing, research was conducted on promoting the large-scale development of the western region in the new era; in September, in Lanzhou, arrangements were made for comprehensively promoting the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin...

Over the past year, General Secretary Xi Jinping successively presided over three special seminars, drawing a new picture of coordinated regional development with strategic and overall considerations: "These meetings are held once every term. We should take them one by one, carry them out round after round, and persevere in our efforts. Success will surely be achieved..."

The central government issued documents to promote the high-quality development of the ice and snow economy in the Northeast region, the Yangtze River Delta region released a three-year action plan for integrated development, and the first central enterprise headquarters, China Satellite Network, settled in Xiong'an New Area was completed and delivered... Various regional sectors in China complemented each other and joined forces, forming a big chessboard.

"We should adhere to the principle of the whole country working as one, help each other, especially coastal areas should help western regions, and developed regions should help underdeveloped regions. All should find their proper roles." General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during his inspection in Qinghai in June 2024.

"Actively integrate into the construction of the national unified market," "Better play the role of economically large provinces in radiating and driving the development of regions and even the whole country," "We can't do everything; we should be selective and focus on what we can do best"... Under the guidance and deployment of General Secretary Xi Jinping, all regions, based on their own strengths, strived to be the first, making moves one by one on this big chessboard.

To play this big chess game well, it is crucial to balance development and security.

When giving the "first lesson of the year" to the "key few," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "we should focus on preventing and defusing financial risks, especially systemic risks"; when the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee conducted collective learning, the General Secretary pointed out that "we should balance the development of new energy and national energy security"; when inspecting local areas and coming to the fields, the General Secretary urged that "food security must be ensured by ourselves"...

Launching the largest debt reduction measures in recent years, vigorously promoting the battle to ensure the delivery of housing, and further enhancing the grassroots emergency management capabilities... Over the past year, risks in key areas in China have been resolved in an orderly and effective manner.

On December 10, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with the heads of major international economic organizations who came to China to attend the "1 + 10" Dialogue. The foreign representatives spoke highly of China's economic development achievements, were optimistic about China's development prospects, and believed that China had always been an important engine and a stabilizing anchor for global economic growth.

"All these have further strengthened our determination and confidence to forge ahead, overcome difficulties, and steadily promote Chinese modernization in the new era and on the new journey." General Secretary Xi Jinping summarized the achievements of the whole year at the Central Economic Work Conference held in December.

Putting people first and remaining steadfast—

"For Chinese modernization, people's livelihood is of utmost importance."

With bluestone slabs, red-brick houses, and banyan trees... In the Minzhu Village Community, Xiejiwan Street, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing, the bright community reception hall, the fully functional Party-mass service center, and the community cafeteria with the aroma of food... All are good places for community residents.

Once a well-known "old and dilapidated" community, it has transformed into a new homeland where tradition and modernity blend after urban renewal.（Outlook New Era）