We will continue in the right direction and press ahead with reform and opening up. We dare to chew the tough bones and navigate the rough waters. We must have the courage to break down the barriers of old notions and the fences of interest groups.

— Speech given by Xi Jinping during his inspection visit to Guangdong Province, December 7-11, 2012

Dating to Chew the Tough Bones and Navigate the Rough Waters

—Reform means breaking down the barriers of old notions and the fences of interest groups

The Chinese equivalent of “tough bone” is frequently used to symbolize a formidable task. Mao Zedong used the expression in his work “On Protracted War”: “In attacking an enemy force on the move, if we strike too early, we expose ourselves and give the enemy a chance to prepare, and if we strike too late, the enemy may have encamped and concentrated its forces, presenting us with a hard nut to crack*.” The Chinese equivalent of “rough waters” is a general reference to rocky areas in rivers where the water is shallow and the current swift, and thus dangerous for ships to navigate. The term is currently used as a metonymy for challenging perilous situations.

* Literally “a tough bone to chew.”— Tr.

After the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping conducted his first field inspection in Guangdong Province, the bellwether of China’s reform and opening-up policy. He used the familiar images of “tough bones” and “rough waters” to remind everybody that many new challenges await the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics during the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, especially in terms of driving reform to a deeper level.

When China first launched its reform and opening-up policy, the roadblocks of reform were primarily ideological in nature. Some people pointed to Stalin as the touchstone of true socialism, and relegated the household responsibility system with remuneration linked to output, special economic zones, commodity economy, and so forth to the preserve of capitalism. But such measures stimulated rapid economic growth and benefited all strata of society. As such, once the ideological shackles of the “socialism vs. capitalism” debate were removed, reform proved to be an inexorable force.

China has wrought remarkable achievements over more than three decades of reform and opening up. A sound trajectory has been charted, and a viable blueprint is complete. This blueprint involves tackling the easy issues before the difficult ones, pursuing progressive reform by “wading across the fiver by feeling for the stones,” and seeking progress while holding on to China’s heritage. China has not followed in the footsteps of certain Eastern European nations and the former Soviet Union by attempting to reform the economy by means of so-called “shock therapy.” No—in the course of carrying out reform, China has sought to preserve social stability while promoting economic prosperity and social progress.

As the reforms deepen, however, there will doubtless be difficulty. “The easy part of the job has been done to the satisfaction of all. What is left are tough bones that are hard to chew.” Virtually all of the rocks that might be felt in the knee-deep water have already been discovered. The rocks that remain are the long-abiding struggles that have accumulated in areas that are hard to reach. In other words, China has entered the deep, perilous waters of reform. In addition, China’s accelerated development has ushered in greater achievements, and this has only raised the people’s expectations. All of this is putting our courage and vision to the test as we seek to further reform. Given the urgency of the situation, we must heed the call of the hour and the voice of the people by “daring to chew the tough bones and navigate the rough waters.”

The call to reform is a summons to profound revolution. Reform brings with it an intense clash of ideas and demands a reorientation of people’s interests. This is why courage and resolve are indispensable. There have been signs of ossification in the interest relationships that have formed throughout the last thirty years of reform. In particular, certain groups have sought to capitalize on loopholes in the market economy and legal system for their own private gain. Their aversion to having their interests shifted has created a barrier for reform. Today, at a new starting point in history, we must set sail once again. We must face the difficulties head-on and courageously rise to the challenges set before us. We must break through the barriers and perils of intractable interests to ensure that more fruits of reform and development might be shared by the people in a fairer way. That way, the glorious light of equity and justice might shine upon the great nation of China.

It will no longer do to settle for merely localized, stopgap, or piecemeal reforms, as such reforms are suited neither to the needs of today nor the expectations of the people. We are beleaguered today with issues that our predecessors never faced — issues that cannot be bypassed or avoided. Comprehensive and deep reform is now a non-negotiable. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee sounded forth the rallying call for comprehensively deepening reform. The key now lies in implementation. "When there are many to gather firewood, the fire burns high." Driving deeper, all-around reform calls for maintaining the iron determination and faith of the CPC as well as marshaling the efforts of the whole society, especially when it comes to fostering the pioneering spirit at the grassroots level. The history of China's policy of reform and opening up offers telling evidence that the effective tools of revolutionary reform are to be found among the masses.

“Tough bones” are hard on the teeth and “rough waters” are difficult to navigate. When faced with hardship, danger, and challenge, we must not only "have the nerve" to face them but also "have the mind" to solve them; we need both courage and wisdom. This is, to put it in concrete terms, the road to comprehensive and deeper reform: “To progress steadily means to stay on course and proceed in safety, and, more importantly, make no fatal mistakes.”

The success of China’s policy of reform and opening up has proven that the kind of reform that China needs today is continuous and progressive, moving from the shallow to the deep and from the simple to the demanding. The political upheaval of Eastern Europe is heuristic insofar as it shows that extreme forms of “shock therapy” introduced in the name of “reform” are altogether ill-suited to advancement in China. China, as a large country, must continue “chewing tough bones” and “navigating rough waters” by leading example, encouraging innovation at the grassroots level, and strategically “moving from individual points to surface application.” We cannot afford to take the old path of a rigid closed-door policy, nor an erroneous path by abandoning socialism.

(An excerpt from XI JINPING: WIT AND VISION -- SELECTED QUOTATIONS AND COMMENTARY, published by FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS in 2015)