TheauthorispresidentoftheChinaInstituteforReformandDevelopmentInrecentyears,China鈥檚thinktankshaveenteredarapiddevelopmentera.Insomefieldsandareas,thereisagrowingthinktankmania,whichisarelativelynewphenomenoninthecountry,reflectingtheurgentneedforthinktanksinsociety.
Thisyearmarksthe40thanniversaryofChina鈥檚reformandopeningup,whichisatanewhistoricaljuncture.Theeconomyandsocietyareundergoingtransformation,whichdemandsarduouseffortsinfurtherreformandopeningup.Wearefacingaseriesofmajorissuesthatrequirethinktankstoresearchwithinitiativeandbringoutvaluablesuggestionsfordecisionmaking.
TheChinaInstituteforReformandDevelopment(CIRD)isbasedinsouthChina鈥檚HainanProvinceandhaslongbeendedicatedtostudyingandresearchingmajorstrategicissuesinHainan.WehavecompiledmanyimportantreportsandpolicyproposalsfortheHainanProvincialGovernment.
OnNovember1,1991,theCIRDwasestablishedandheldaseminarontheopening-upstrategyofHainan,focusingonestablishingspecialduty-freezonesontheisland.In2001,whenChinawaspoisedtojointheWorldTradeOrganization,theCIRDtooktheleadininitiatingtheideaofbuildingHainanintoaninternationaltourismislandandsubmittedastudyreportregardingthefeasibilityoftheproposal.From2007to2009,itpreparedanannualreportonthisproject.
Inrecentyears,theCIRDhassubmittedalmost100reportstotheHainanProvincialGovernmentonissuessuchasbuildingspecialenvironmentalprotectionzones,establishinganinternationaltourismislandandconstructingafreetradeport.
TherearetwoimportantpointsintheconstructionofanewtypeofthinktankswithChinesecharacteristics.Oneisthatwemustadheretotheproblem-orientedstrategyandtrytoplayaroleinthepolicy-makingprocessesoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)andtheChineseGovernment.
Forexample,inthemid-1990s,therewasaheateddebateonthetermoftherurallandcontract.TheCIRD,afterextensiveresearchandinvestigation,submittedtotheCentralGovernmenttheproposalof鈥済rantingfarmerslong-termandguaranteedlanduserights,鈥漺hichwaseventuallyadoptedattheThirdPlenarySessionofthe15thCPCCentralCommittee.
AftertheSARScrisisin2003,theCIRDputforwardapackageofpolicyproposalsincludingtransformingfromagovernmentpreoccupiedwitheconomicconstructiontoapublicservicegovernmentandpromotingtheequalizationofbasicpublicservices.
In2017,theCIRDcompiledaproposalwith30suggestionsonfurtherreformpoliciesfor2017to2020,providinganimportantreferenceforthegovernment.
Theotherpointinconstructinganewtypeofthinktanksisinnovation,especiallyinstitutionalinnovation.Thisshouldbestressedmoreinthinktankconstructiontomaintainobjectiveindependence,strengthenprofessionalismandshaperationalandresponsiblenewthinktanks.
InChina,thinktanksarestillanewthing.Theyaredifferentfromregularacademicgroups,whichfocusmainlyonacademicresearch.Thinktanksprovideadvisoryservicesfordecisionmakingbasedonacademicresearch.Theyarealsodifferentfromthemedia.Theyshoulderanimportantresponsibilityinreachingsocialconsensusthroughtheirownresearch.
Tostrengthentheconstructionofnew-typethinktankswithChinesecharacteristics,weshouldfocusontheirfunctionsforpublicserviceasnon-profitorganizations.Weshouldalsocreateasoundinstitutionalandsocialenvironmentfortheirdevelopment.
CopyeditedbyRebecaToledoCommentsto