Reform and opening-up start over in a new era

In his 100-minute, 13,000-character speech addressing the official commemoration of the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up, President Xi Jinping offered what is to date the most comprehensive elaboration of the latest proposal for the 40-year-old cause to "start over".

That, according to Xi, means to press ahead with reform and opening-up with a new-found confidence and sense of direction. Which boils down to a deeper conviction in the continuous indispensability of reform and openness as well as a continuous commitment to doing it the right way.

No one is in a position to dictate to the Chinese people what should or should not be done, Xi said, making it clear that the country will change what should and can be reformed, but it won't change what shouldn't and can't be.