The restructuring of society started since the introduction of the reform and opening-up policy in China can roughly be divided into three periods: First, the spontaneous starting period ranging from 1978 to 1991; second, the period of consciously advancing the restructuring from 1992 to 2000; and third, the period of comprehensively speeding up the restructuring as of 2001. China's entry into the accelerated restructuring period was determined by the development stage and the rule governing development. Subjectively, we cannot turn a blind eye to that, because that would often lead to hasty meeting a challenge or attack for lack of foresight; nor can we feel uneasy even at time of sleeping and eating, because that would entail the lack of rational consideration and thus fail to meet challenges or attacks calmly.

At the beginning of the 21st century, China's socio-economic development began an all-round entry into the accelerated restructuring period. At the time when industrial modernization had not been fully completed, China began the process of marching toward knowledge modernization, in that case, changes in economic and social structures will further intensify and this represents a leapfrog evolution of the process of China's modernization.

Main problems in the accelerated restructuring period

(1) Profound change in economic structure is likely to trigger economic fluctuation

Firstly, the order of the proportion of value added composition going from large to small is shown as follows: in 2000 the secondary industry was (49 percent), the tertiary industry was (34 percent) and the primary industry was (17 percent). The proportion of the value added of the secondary industry has been stagnant for nearly eight years, this shows that either value added of this sector has approached the limit of development, or it is accumulating energy for the development of the next stage; while at the same time, the phenomenon of simple substitute featuring one declines and another grows of the primary industry and the tertiary industry is very prominent. Although future modern industry will still possibly have definite room for development, the tertiary industry has already shown tremendous prospect and room for development, the modern service sector of the tertiary industry is changing the traditional features of the service trade. Viewed from the economic restructuring trend, China's economy will turn from a production-dominated type to a circulation-dominated type, the proportion of the value added of the tertiary industry will gradually catch up with and even surpass the value added share of the secondary industry, the intensification of structural adjustment will bring about the high circulation of various elements of labor force.

Secondly, due to the preliminary transformation of the economic system, profound change has taken place in the mechanism of economic operation, under the action of the competition and price mechanisms, the resources-restraint economy is changing toward a demand-restraint economy, we have a lack of experience in tackling inadequate demand.

Thirdly, under the condition of China being a WTO member, its economy is also changing from a money capital-dominated type to a human capital-dominated type. Considering human capital from the angle of enterprises is aimed at mainly solving the following two problems: One is the human capital incentive mechanism, the other is the human capital restraint mechanism. Proper solutions of these two problems will benefit enterprises and high-level human resources, improper solutions will cause damage to both of them.

Fourthly, efforts will be made to quadruple China's 2000 GDP by 2020, its overall national strength and international competitiveness will witness conspicuous growth. To achieve this goal, it is imperative to properly handle the relations among reform, development and stability during the accelerated restructuring period. Then, China's reform drive will get across the critical point, its socialist market economic system will be improving day by day, the typical means used in the period of the planned economic system will no longer return, it is very difficult to storm the core part of the planned economy.

(2) Social structure will undergo constant changes, people need a process of psychological adaptability

Firstly, China is witnessing a widening gap not only of functional income, but also of structural income. In 2001China's Gin coefficient was 0.46, which had surpassed that of the United States and resulted in the continued break-up of society. Depth marketization will lead to continued acceleration of future break up, forces resisting the acceleration of division are being formed. For example, the problem in regard to putting the functions of trade union in place, the problem concerning the representative of farmers' interests, etc. The split of society leads to the change in the concept of social value from a mono form to pluralistic forms, of which the negative effect of social division has to be resolved through social dialogs and the establishment of social partnership.

Secondly, nuclear family has begun to become the mainstream of social cell. In the 21st century, along with the birth of the second-generation single child in China, the family mode of a "421"('four' refers to parents of both sides of the couple, 'two' refers to husband and wife, and 'one' refers to the child) structure will emerge, which will thereby reduce the family's continuous development to the minimum. The reduction of family scale has given rise to the diversified, stratified and individualized trend of family consumption. Families of different incomes, hobbies and grades have vast difference in their consumptions. Mini-type families have entailed increasingly loose society, ever-poorer rigidity and ever-stronger flexibility, although active adaptability is being enhanced, social uncertainty resulted therefrom is on the increase.

Analysis of countermeasures for the accelerated restructuring period

Building a well-off society in all fields is an all-round accelerated restructuring process. The coming 17 years are a development stage which serves as a connecting link between the preceding and the following that the third-step strategic goal must go through for the realization of China's modernization drive, it is also a stage in which difficult problems will be tackled for perfecting the socialist market economic system and a crucial stage for opening wider to the outside world.

(1) Creating an open, fair development environment, promoting a balanced economic and social development

In the process of practice, the one-sided understanding of development as the growth of GDP is the root cause of unbalanced economic and social development. In view of this, in the accelerated economic and social restructuring period, we should advocate "balanced economic and social development which is the most absolute principle".

It is known to all that partial openness can only bring about fairness in limited fields; only maximum openness can realize maximum fairness. The development environment of an open type is the primary condition for realizing fairness. For this reason, while managing economy and society, the government should, on one hand, open the economic field to the maximum, so that various types of enterprises can engage in full competition and gain a fair development, on the other hand, it should open the social realm to the greatest extent, so that various types of non-profit organizations can experience full development and actively undertake part of social functions, doing so is conducive not only to promoting social prosperity, but also to eliminating social grievance. Although economic equity is not equal to social fairness, economic equity, however, helps realize social development, while social fairness helps bring about economic growth. Under the banner of "placing priority on efficiency with due consideration given to fairness", it is possible to bring about coordinated economic and social development.

(2) Firmly establish the idea of "putting people first", realizing people's all-round development

In the accelerated restructuring period, we should switch from the "material"-centered development strategy to the "people-oriented" development strategy. Only by doing so, can we ensure the sustainability and equity of economic growth, satisfy the minimum subsistence requirements of all people, particularly the poverty-stricken group, and proceed to enable them to constantly reach a fairly high developmental level and enjoy a relatively high living quality and public service, to see to it that economic growth is conducive to realizing a benign cycle of people's development, economic growth and the advance of society.

(3) Strive to cultivate the third department

The traditional pattern of "large government, small society" made it hard for the government, under the situation of single-handed management, to solve mounting economic and social problems. Government departments must, together with enterprises, society and other organizations, exercise common control and common management. In the accelerated restructuring period, effecting the change of government functions will entail the shift of many functions from the government to society, if there are no relevant social organizations to undertake the functions originally executed by the government, it will inevitably give rise to the situation in which no one is in charge of the huge amount of social affairs. The underdevelopment of the third department is the most salient defect of the structure of China's social organization. This writer suggests: we should strive to cultivate the third department as we did in vigorously fostering the market system during the 1990s.

By People's Daily Online