The 2008 China Reform Forum with the theme of "Emancipating the Mind and Institutional Innovation" opened in Foshan yesterday. Cheng Siwei, former Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Committee, Song Hai, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Zhou Tianming, member of the Standing Committee of Foshan Municipal Party Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, attended the forum.

This forum gathered a number of domestic economists, including Cheng Siwei and Gaoshang Quan, and the venue was Foshan Ceramic Creative Industrial Park in Chancheng District. The organizer stated that Guangdong is the vanguard of China's reform and opening up, and Foshan is one of the pioneer cities of China's reform and opening up. Many new ideas for reform and opening up come from Foshan. The reform of property rights system was first achieved in Shunde, and the rural stock cooperation system was pioneered in Nanhai. This forum focuses on exploring institutional innovation in reform and opening up, and choosing Foshan is just right.

Song Hai, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, stated that Guangdong is a pioneer and the biggest beneficiary of institutional reform. Over the past 30 years of reform and opening up, every institutional innovation in Guangdong has brought about breakthroughs in economic and social development. At present, Guangdong Province is facing problems such as economic restructuring, weak independent innovation ability, widening urban-rural gap, and increasing environmental pressure. He hopes that experts can brainstorm and provide suggestions for Guangdong's economic and social reform.

This forum lasts for one and a half days. Cheng Siwei, the former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a famous economist and management expert, Gao Shangquan, the President of the China Society for Restructuring the Economic System, a professor of Peking University and doctoral advisor, Huang Ting, the President of the Guangdong Society for Restructuring the Economic System, and other heavyweight experts will make theme reports. In addition, more than 20 experts and scholars, including Song Xiaowu, Xie Pengfei, Chi Fulin, Li Luoli, Yang Qixian, Wang Jun, Li Jiangfan, made special speeches on "how Guangdong further emancipates its mind in the new era", and "countermeasures and ideas for Guangdong to become the vanguard of the implementation of the Scientific Outlook on Development".

Cheng Siwei, the former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and a famous economist, pointed out in his keynote speech at the forum that the core of China's reform lies in institutional innovation.

Cheng Siwei said that the practice of China's reform and opening up for 30 years has proved that only reform can develop, and the core of reform lies in institutional innovation.

How to carry out institutional innovation? Cheng Siwei stressed that at present, four contradictions should be handled properly, namely, rule of law and rule of man, fairness and efficiency, planning and market, centralization and decentralization. This is a problem that China must face and deal with as it enters a deeper stage of reform.

Cheng Siwei pointed out that as an important manufacturing city in the Pearl River Delta, Foshan must find its own position in the process of development and reform. He believes that the construction of a financial backend service area in Qiandeng Lake, South China Sea, in Foshan is a good measure.

Chen Hongyu, Vice President of the Guangdong Provincial Party School who attended the forum, suggested that Foshan should strive to achieve breakthroughs in the coordinated development of urban and rural areas.

Chen Hongyu believes that Foshan played a pioneering role in the four liberation processes of Guangdong's ideology, and facing the new round of reform and opening up, Foshan has great potential. Chen Hongyu said that the experience of thirty years of reform and opening up has shown that our fundamental goal in seeking development is for the development of "people". After thirty years of development, Foshan has the conditions to achieve breakthroughs in urban-rural coordinated development.

Chen Hongyu said that the most direct measure to narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas is to start with improving the level of basic public services and ultimately achieve equalization of basic public services.

Chen Hongyu pointed out that the basic principle of clarifying the main providers of basic public services is that the government cannot let go or take on all responsibilities. The advanced 'urbanization' is not conducive to forming a public service pattern with diverse participation from the government, society, and citizens.

Chen Hongyu emphasized that if Foshan achieves a breakthrough in the system of urban-rural coordinated development, it will provide important reference for Guangdong Province to liberate its thinking and achieve urban-rural coordinated development.