Learning keywords is one of the best ways to keep abreast of the latest developments in a country. The China Academy of Translation, a research institute affiliated with the China International Publishing Group, the country's leading international publisher, regularly analyzes prevailing Chinese terms in various sectors and translates them into a number of foreign languages ranging from English to Arabic. In each issue, Beijing Review presents a selection of these keywords to help readers know more about China.

Great truths are always simple

This is an important concept of traditional Chinese philosophical thinking. It means that fundamental principles, approaches and guiding rules are invariably straightforward and can be explained very concisely in simple words. Premier Li Keqiang quoted this saying in his Report on the Work of the Government to the National People's Congress in March 2015. In a subsequent meeting, he further elaborated on it. The notion of simplicity, he said, comes from The Analects, which advocates the virtue of holding the people in high regard and streamlining governance. In other words, civil servants must first of all treat the people with respect and never harass them with too much red tape. This, he said, dovetails with the Chinese Government's efforts at streamlining governance and delegating power.

The Internet Power strategy

The Internet Power strategy aims to put China, a country with an extensive cyber presence, on track to become an Internet technology leader. The strategy was proposed by Xi Jinping in February 2014. It calls for developing core Internet technologies, promoting a healthy cyber culture, strengthening IT infrastructure, improving talent management, and expanding Internet-related international cooperation.

The strategy was incorporated into the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). This move was prompted by a growing understanding of the imperative to pursue development of IT and the Internet and of the trends of modernization and globalization. Under the 13th Five-Year Plan, China will step up efforts to encourage technological innovation, build a healthy cyber culture, strengthen infrastructure and cyber security, increase the use of information technology, and expand international cooperation as part of its Internet Power strategy. The goal is to provide easy access to IT infrastructure, enhance innovation, bolster the information economy, and ensure cyber security.

Transforming government functions

Transforming government functions is at the core of a more in-depth administrative structural reform drive. Essentially, it involves determining what the government should and should not do by clarifying the roles of the government, the market and society, i.e., by clearly defining what should be dealt with by each of them individually or jointly.

Generally speaking, since the reform and opening-up policy was introduced in the late 1970s, great progress has been made and valuable experience gained in transforming the functions of the government at all levels, providing strong impetus to the country's modernization process.

However, much remains to be done in this respect. Government intervention in the microeconomy is still considered excessive and too intrusive. It is also imperative to improve macroeconomic regulation and address inadequacies in market regulation and social and public services. With greater resolve, the Chinese Government must intensify its push to transform government functions. Only by doing so, can it better meet the pressing challenges of driving the process of reform and opening up to a deeper level, speeding up the transformation of the growth model, encouraging ethical conduct, and maintaining social harmony and stability.

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