On December 24, 2015, China Society Of Administrative Reform (CSOAR) and the Commercial Press co-sponsored “The 13th Five-Year Plan: Decisive Stage in Finishing Building A Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Think Tank Missions” Seminar and Hot Issue Studies on China's Reform and Development (2016) book launch at the Chinese Academy of Governance. Wei Liqun, president of CSOAR, attended the meeting and made a concluding speech. Chen Xiaowen, deputy editor of the Commercial Press, addressed the seminar. Two main authors of the book, Liu Qingsong, Party Secretary and director-general of Henan Regulatory Bureau of China Securities Regulatory Commission, and Feng Qiaobin, professor of Economics Teaching and Research Department, made an introduction to the book respectively. The seminar was chaired by Wang Manchuan, Secretary-General of CSOAR.

In his speech, Wei pointed out that the seminar was of great success which was demonstrated in the following four aspects. First, Creative Way. The seminar was organized in a creative way which closely combined the book launch of the Commercial Press, one with a long history in China's publishing industry, with the seminar of Decisive stage in finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and Think Tank Missions; Second, Good Topic. With the theme of “The 13th Five-Year Plan: Decisive Stage in Finishing Building A Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Think Tank Missions”, the seminar focused on China’s overall situation and actually studied and implemented the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Party, of the Central Economic Work Conference and of the important speeches of General Secretary Xi Jinping; Third, Quality Speeches. The experts prepared their speeches carefully which were of high quality and level and stood out with theoretical innovation, academic innovation, and advice and suggestions; Four, Perfect Timing. At the turn of 2015 and 2016, the harvest season, the publication of the book was an important research achievement and the content of the seminar was another one. Therefore, the seminar was of great significance.

Wei Liqun said he believed that the next five years is a particularly important period in China’s development history, which is a transitional period of two strategic stages, an important period of coordinating the promotion of the "four comprehensive" strategic layout, and a special stage for China to avoid the middle-income trap. “The 13th Five-Year Plan” is the program of action of coordinating the promotion of the “four comprehensive” strategic layout and scientific planning of China’s next five years’ development. The objectives and tasks of the historical period are extremely heavy and arduous. To complete such heavy and arduous historical tasks is a major test for the governing competence and leadership capacity of Communist Party of China. We have a sufficient basis to believe that our Party will be able to withstand this major test, lead the people to bravely overcome all kinds of risks and challenges, and complete the established objectives and tasks on schedule.

Wei Liqun stressed that, the think tank and the think-tank researchers need to deeply grasp the situation and the tasks of the “The 13th Five-Year Plan” period, be fully aware of the important missions of the think tank bestowed by the time, and comprehensively enhance the ability of think tank to undertake the missions and the functions of carrying out and serving the Party and government decision-making, promoting theoretical innovation, guiding public opinion, providing social services, participating in public diplomacy and collecting and training talents to contribute to the realization of the objectives of “The 13th Five-Year Plan”.

He said we should pay more attention to the research of problems, guide and lead the research work well. We should keep focused on the following issues. First, we need to focus on the planning proposals and new ideas, new perspectives, new tasks, and new initiatives of “The 13th Five-Year Plan”, firmly grasp the main line of development, and firmly establish and earnestly implement the new development concepts including innovative development, harmonious development, green development, opening-up development and sharing development; Second, we should focus on decision demands, make researches around the overall work and the central task of the Party and the government, and study tendentious, possible, potential problems in addition to the new tasks of the central government; Third, we should focus on the people's concerns and regard their need as the start point of problems research; Fourth, we should focus on policy implementation and study and evaluate the progress of policy implementation and problems and new situations encountered. We should strive to improve the quality of research and carefully carry out the four important parts, namely topic selection, investigation, research and report. In addition, we should emphasize the diversity and transformation application of research achievements, putting their role into full play and fully reflecting their value.

The participating experts shared their experience of learning the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Party and the Cenral Economic Work Conference, discussed the new ideas, new concepts, new perspectives, new tasks and new initiatives in “The 13th Five-Year Plan” Proposals, and the five policy pillars and five major tasks (capacity elimination, deleveraging, destocking, lowering costs and making up for shortcomings) outlined by the Central Economic Work Conference, and analyzed some major, difficult and hot issues in the period of “The 13th Five-Year Plan” and the current development of China's reform. Besides, they put forward a number of meaningful and valuable policy suggestions.

The participating experts deemed that Hot Issue Studies on China's Reform and Development (2016) edited by Wei Liqun is rich in content and prominent in features by introducing domestic and foreign development changes in the period of “The 13th Five-Year Plan” and focusing on discussing the hot and difficult issues of the reform and development. First, Comprehensive Content. The book is divided into four sections covering national strategies, economy, society, and the government reform, with both exploration of domestic issues and judgment of international situation; Second, Problem Orientation. All the articles of the book are closely linked to the issues in specific areas, including agriculture "going out", defense industry development, financial reform, state enterprise reform, land reform, decentralization and aging, to discuss the current situation, analyze the causes and explore the solutions to the problems. Third, Forward-looking Suggestions. Many articles, based on numerous research and in-depth analysis, come up with some forward-looking and predictive countermeasures and suggestions according to the judgments of future development trend, reflecting that the "moderate advance" demand of the central government for the think tank research.

Over 70 relevant officials and experts and scholars attended the seminar and had in-depth discussions and exchanges. They are from the Central Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, State Council General Office, State Council Research Office, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Civil Affairs, General Administration of Customs, China Securities Regulatory Commission, AQSIQ, China Co-op, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National School of Administration, National Information Center, China International Economic Exchange Center, CSOAR, China People's University, Beijing Normal University, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, China Publishing Group Corp., the Commercial Press, and other departments and units. Xinhua News Agency, Guangming Daily, China Daily, China Reading weekly, people.cn, Chinanews.com, China.org and other media covered the seminar.