Implementation equally vital for ensuring success

The ongoing fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is focused on full and strict governance over the Party, which provides a strong political guarantee for national governance.

By improving the organizational system, regulatory system, institutional system, and accountability system, the Party's political and organizational advantages are transformed into governance effectiveness, safeguarding economic and social development.

For instance, the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) outlines blueprints across diverse fields, including science and technology, infrastructure, people's livelihoods, and environmental protection.

The real impact of these initiatives will be determined by how effectively they are executed at local levels, integrated into annual budgets and reflected in people's everyday lives.

For those unfamiliar with China's political system, the process of "implementation" can be understood through practical questions: Who is responsible for getting things done? What happens when one department cannot solve a problem on its own? And how can national goals be achieved when local conditions differ?

Consider China's healthcare system, which serves the country's 1.4 billion people. Patients want timely, efficient and affordable treatment, which necessitates seamless coordination among hospitals, medical insurance, pharmaceutical procurement and the pricing of medical services.

The key questions are: How can hospitals operate sustainably when drug prices drop? How can medical professionals be fairly compensated for their work? And how can medical insurance funds be used more effectively? These interconnected issues require someone to take responsibility for the outcome of reform.

Sanming, a city in Fujian province in eastern China, has explored a way to address these interconnected challenges through healthcare reform. A city official was given overall responsibility for healthcare, medical insurance and pharmaceuticals, unifying responsibilities that were previously divided among different departments.

By lowering drug prices, adjusting medical service prices accordingly and coordinating with medical insurance payments, Sanming managed to reduce costs, recognize the value of medical professionals and protect patient benefits simultaneously.

China's approach to implementation emphasizes responsibility within its political system.

Sanming's experience shows that a responsible actor is needed to manage cross-departmental reform, unify different parties around a common objective and continuously address emerging challenges.

In China, the Party's organizational framework extends from the central government to local levels, enabling CPC committees at different levels to coordinate government departments and transform collective decisions into concrete action.

Local governments are expected to tackle specific problems, particularly those that individual departments cannot resolve on their own.

When Sanming's model was promoted nationwide, localities were encouraged to adapt it to their circumstances.

Regional differences in fiscal conditions, demographics and healthcare resources mean that paths to improving medical services will also differ. Local governments need to understand the national policy's intent and then devise effective solutions tailored to their circumstances.

Local experimentation, public feedback and the replication of successful practices ensure that central reform and local implementation remain interconnected.

Some responsibilities extend beyond administrative boundaries.

River protection requires cooperation between regions. The ecological compensation mechanism developed by Anhui and Zhejiang provinces for the Xin'an River basin addresses this challenge.

Central government guidance enabled these provinces to share the costs and benefits of ecological protection. Downstream areas that benefit from the improved water environment share the costs borne by upstream areas.

Tasks may be divided among different regions and departments, while benefits may emerge at different times and reach different groups of people. Even so, the parties involved are expected to shoulder responsibility for a shared future, reflecting the centripetal force of China's political system, translated into sustained action through institutional arrangements.

Setting targets does not necessarily mean implementation is better. An industry needed for national development may not suit every county, and not every county needs an industrial park.

Allowing localities to contribute according to their circumstances helps avoid unhealthy competition, redundant construction and wasted resources.

High-quality implementation requires responsibility linked to actual results.

Performance assessments should consider local differences, with higher authorities addressing shortages of resources and capabilities at the grassroots level, while local officials should honestly report the challenges faced. This approach helps correct deviations promptly and prevents overemphasis on numbers, reports and formal compliance.

China's implementation system connects national goals, organizational coordination and local initiative. The central government oversees overall national development, while different regions and departments undertake specific tasks and seek practical solutions.

Understanding China's development involves examining how responsibility is structured, how local initiative is harnessed and how implementation is assessed over time.

The author is a researcher at the Institute of Political Science, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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