A police vehicle parks in front of Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Saturday. Public security departments have stepped up security checks around Tiananmen Square as the four-day Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee started on Saturday. Photo: IC

The 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday approved a decision on "major issues concerning comprehensively deepening reforms" at the close of their four-day meeting.

Entrusted by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a work report to the third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, held from Nov. 9 to 12 in Beijing.

The general objective of the approved reforms is to improve and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and push on with modernization of the country's governing system and capabilities, according to the communique issued after the session.

China must build on the paramount reality that it remains in the primary stage of socialism and will long remain so while pursuing comprehensive, deeper reform. China must stick to the strategic judgement that development is still the key to solving all problems in China, the communique said.

It is most important to adhere to the leadership of the CPC, it said.

Economic reform is key, and the core solution is the proper relationship between the government and the market, leaving the market to play the decisive role in allocation of resources and the government to play a better role, it said.

Decisive results must be achieved in key sectors, and a well-developed, scientific, procedure-based and effective framework must be in place by 2020 to ensure institutions in all sectors be more mature, according to the communique.

China will stick to the dominant role of public ownership, playing the leading role of the state-owned economy, while encouraging, supporting and guiding the non-public sector, enhancing its vitality and creativity, it said.

A united and open market system with orderly competition will be built so that the market will play a "decisive" role in allocating resources, according to the communique.

Government functions must be transformed in a manner to build a law-based and service-oriented government.

The reform also includes building a modern fiscal system that supports the initiative of both central and local governments.

China aims to improve a new type of relations between industry and agriculture and between urban and rural areas.

China will lower the investment threshold, step up the development of free trade zones and increase opening-up of inland, coastal and border areas.

Greater importance will be attached to perfecting a democratic system and enriching democratic forms to show the advantages of China's socialist political system.

China will deepen judicial system reform and step up building a socialist judicial system that features justice, high efficiency and authority to uphold the rights and interests of the people.

Power must be supervised by the people and exercised transparently.

China will follow the development path of a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.

Reforms must be accelerated in the social sector including education, employment, income distribution, social security and public health.

The country will establish a state security committee, improving systems and strategies to ensure national security, according to the communique which called for the innovation of systems to effectively prevent and end social disputes and improve public security.

The communique also urged building of a comprehensive system for ecological progress that protects the environment.

Modern armed forces with Chinese characteristics will be built, the communique said.

The CPC will set up a central leading team for "comprehensively deepening reform." It will be in charge of designing reform, arranging and coordinating reform, pushing forward reform and supervising the implementation of plans.

A total of 204 full members and 169 alternate members of the CPC Central Committee attended the plenum.

Standing committee members of CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, leading officials from relevant departments, some grassroots-level delegates to the 18th CPC National Congress as well as experts and scholars were also present at the plenary session as non-voting delegates.