Be the pioneer in the development of the new think tanks with Chinese Characteristics

To build new think tanks with Chinese characteristics, we should perfect a national governance system and improve modern governance in order to enable think tanks to shoulder their responsibilities demanded by the times. On the one hand, we should create favorable circumstances and conditions for the healthy development of think tanks at the national and social level; on the other hand, think tanks should insist on self-improvement and self-reliance and act now, taking an active part in and imposing positive influence on decision-making. Guided by the rules of decision-making consultation and advanced experience learned abroad, think tanks need to explore and create new organizational forms and management methods, enhance strategic planning and comprehensive study and judgment, and improve the service level of decision-making consulting. More important, they should be aware of the differences between China’s political system and decision-making and those of Western countries, in which case we can build new think tanks according to the national governance system, to the conditions of the country, the Party, and society, and to the fundamental requirements of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. By establishing high-quality think tanks, more useful policy advice and advisory opinions will be provided to the Party and the government as well as all kinds of economic entities, with a view to enhancing national soft power, advancing the modernization of governance system, and improving governance.

We should have a precise positioning of the duties of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics. The functions and duties of think tanks should vary according to different situations. The Development Center is a think tank within the political system, directly providing services in research and consulting for major policies concerning economic and social development to the Central Committee of CPC and the State Council. To build new think tanks, we need to expand reform, and establish scientific and efficient systems and mechanism full of vitality; improve decision services, and construct high-level policy research teams; set up foreign exchange platforms suited to economic globalization, and utilize think tanks and talent from both home and abroad. To this end, we should have a clear idea of the duties of think tanks, and conform to the working rules of decision-making consulting. Combined with the requirements of central government toward think tanks, we try to carry out the “National Innovative Project of New Think Tank Construction”, aiming to push forward reforms in institution setting, scientific research mechanism, and talent management, and raise research quality.

First, besides doing overall, comprehensive, strategic, and long-time research on major issues, intensify the study of key issues and difficult problems in economic and social development. Second, specify policy research orientation in order to add practical value of policy advice to decisions. Third, rely on high-level experts to interpret major public policies for the public from both home and abroad, improve the accuracy of policy interpretation, enhance its impact, and reinforce its social effect. Fourth, take advantage of the objectivity and professionalism of think tanks to perform third-party assessment regarding significant reform programs and policies and their results, and make efforts to promote standard, correct, and professional assessment.

Innovate in the new think tank system with Chinese characteristics. System innovation is the key to building new think tanks with Chinese characteristics, which requires us to take great pains to innovate in the new think tank system with Chinese characteristics. First, establish the security system that can ensure the tasks assigned by the central government are finished with high quality. Centering on main issues of concern by central government, a complete service guarantee program with great effectiveness should be developed to help accurately locate the demand of making decisions, quickly organize and carry out research, improve the quality of research results, and further make policy advice punctually proposed and successfully used. Second, improve the selection system for major research subjects. Based on the demand analysis of making decisions, annual major research subjects should be planned according to the principle of being both issues-oriented and tendency-oriented. Third, adopt a flexible and effective organization system for scientific research. Develop a responsibility system of subjects and set up research groups out of different departments and fields according to the needs of subject research so that superior forces can be concentrated and research resources from both home and abroad can be effectively integrated to serve research on consultation of decision-making. Fourth, establish a system under which research results are delivered for censorship in categories and the quality can be controlled. The quality of delivered research results should be controlled in three stages: approval of person in charge of the research department, revision by leader responsible for research and the final decision by the main leader. Fifth, establish a competition-oriented evaluation system for scientific research. Improve the transparency of research organizations, subject approval and performance evaluation, and strengthen competition to improve the approval criteria and elimination rate, and increase incentives for excellent research results.