The International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) held a thematic briefing in Beijing on November 19, introducing the just concluded Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee to foreign diplomatic envoys to China and outlining the significance of the conference for China's reform and future development.

In the briefing, Yuan Shuhong, Deputy Director of the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council, introduced the core concepts of the "decision on major issues concerning comprehensively deepening reforms" approved during the session. Yuan told the audience that the decision has demonstrated the wisdom and courage of the new generation of China's leadership in promoting comprehensive reform. It will act as a roadmap for China's future reform and development leading up to 2020.

Liu Shijin, Vice Director of Development Research Centre of the State Council, focused on reforms of the economic system during the briefing. He said the economic reforms will be a powerful force for the comprehensive reform of China, as the relationship between the market and government remains the core of China's economic reform.

According to the decision, China will establish a state security committee, improving systems and strategies to ensure national security.

When asked by foreign diplomats the difference between China's new security organ and the U.S. National Security Council, Yuan said the function of the U.S. National Security Council is mainly focused on external affairs whereas China's new security organ assumes the responsibility of both external and internal security affairs. The major duties of China's state security committee include stipulating and implementing state security strategies, pushing forward the construction of the rule of law system concerning state security, setting security principles and policies, as well as conducting research.

To ensure the smoothness of the reform, the CPC also decided in the latest conference to set up a leading group for overall reform as it is hard for certain or several departments to push forward such a complicated systematic project.

According to Yuan and Liu, the group will be in charge of designing major national reform on an overall basis, arranging and coordinating reforms in relevant aspects, pushing forward reform as a whole, and supervising the implementation of reform plans.

More than 200 senior foreign diplomatic envoys including about 40 ambassadors to Beijing from around 130 countries attended the briefing.