Key word: CPC, reform

A draft proposal on institutional restructuring and functional transformation of the State Council will be discussed at the ongoing Second Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which kicked off on Tuesday, according to media reports.

The draft suggests decentralizing and further streamlining administrative departments, as well as carrying out institutional reforms in an "active yet prudent, step by step manner, with priority given to functional transformation," according to a CNTV report.

This kind of institutional restructuring, also called "large department system" reform, was first proposed in 2008 at the first meeting of the 11th National People's Congress in order to help improve the administrative efficiency of the government.

Commentator Bi Xiaozhe pointed out in an opinion piece on eastday.com that the institutional reforms should not simply cut or combine departments, but rather directly address the real reason behind the reforms – the structure in place cannot keep up with China’s rapid economic development.

"It’s not easy for the government to fit the current administrative powers to accommodate the current economic development," Bi added.

Global Times published an editorial stressing that China needs not sweeping large-scale reforms, but to adopt a "step-by-step approach."

"The assumption that bigger reforms are better is wrong," the paper said. "China needs to continue its institutional reforms, which will require efforts over several generations. Reforms cannot be stopped, but they also cannot be realized overnight."

The article also pointed out that the urgent issues China faces include strengthening market supervision, further enabling people to improve their standard of living and fighting corruption.

Deng Yuwen, an expert on China's reforms and social transformation, echoed this opinion in the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post, saying that the public should not expect the government to complete the reforms anytime soon.

Deng also suggested the government not only reshuffle departments, but also redesign their very functions.

"This kind of transformation needs public supervision, of course," Deng added.

In another article published by the Qilu Evening News, commentator Li Kangning urged the government to disclose information about the reforms to the public.

Li said that the public knows very little about the draft, which may result in wild rumors and have a negative influence on society.

@上海老顽童吴德余：The Ministry of Railways is now seemly an independent department. The high cost and fast development of high-speed rail construction has only brought us flimsy results. I wonder how the Ministry will be reformed this time around.

@郗昉：Reform should include reducing governmental interference in economy and society while cutting their authority and departmental benefits. Simply combining of departments is meaningless.

@周德文：I think the government should cut the number of civil servants employed, because the current administrative overhead is too much for tax bearers to bear.