By Wei Jianing, Research Team on “Methodology of Reform”, Research Department of Macro-Economy of DRC

Research Report [Special Issue No.55 (Total 1458), 2015] 2015-12-25

Abstract: History has proved that the methods and manners adopted in promoting reform are vital to success. This report made a systematic analysis of a series of classic cases on reforms at all times and in all countries including Shang Yang’s reform during the period of Warring States (475-221 B.C.), Wang Anshi’s reform in the middle of Song Dynasty, Zhang Juzheng’s reform during the middle-to-later period of Ming Dynasty, the Reform Movement in late Qing Dynasty, reforms in Taiwan after 1949, as well as Mrs. Thatcher’s reform, Reagan’s reform and Gorbachev's reform made respectively in the 1980s. Through the study of the above-mentioned reforms, the report has come to the following conclusions based on the methodology of reform. 1. Methodology plays a critical role in achieving reform success and a successful reform must be carried out in unison between the top leader and governments at various levels; a successful reform asks for relevant balanced forces including daring and resolute force, cohesive force, the force to keep composure, the force of influence, willpower and driving force. A successful reform needs to address the four fundamental relations properly: the relations between government and market, between state-owned and private enterprises, between government and people, and between the central and local governments. Finally, a successful reform should be fully prepared in terms of theory, publicity, organization, leading personnel and designing.

Key words: reform, methodology, historical experience