Shen Jie: Empowering the Improvement of Productive Quality and Efficiency through the New Development Philosophy [1]
New quality productive forces represent an original concept proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping against the major backdrop of socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a New Era and the economy transitioning from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development. This concept innovates and develops Marxist theory of the productive forces, providing a fundamental compliance for further liberating and developing the productive forces and realizing Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that the salient characteristic of new quality productive forces is innovation, which includes innovation at the level of technology and business models, as well as innovation in management and institutions. The history of the development of modern human civilization reveals to us that innovative practice does not emerge out of thin air; it requires a solid foundation of material conditions and, even more so, the guidance of innovative ideological concepts. Therefore, we must unswervingly take the New Development Philosophy [1] as our guide, integrating it into the logical relationship between understanding new quality productive forces and high-quality development.
The guidance of scientific theory is an essential condition for driving the development of the productive forces. Since the Industrial Revolution, theoretical knowledge from the natural sciences has been continuously transformed into new technologies and inventions, greatly promoting the enhancement of production efficiency; theoretical knowledge from management science and other social sciences has become an important basis for the continuous adjustment of the forms of production organization, playing a vital role in driving the development of the productive forces across different historical stages. However, during the stage of capitalist development, the development of social production has never been able to escape disorder and spontaneity. Only under socialist conditions can we form a scientific theory that possesses comprehensive guiding significance for the development of the productive forces, truly serving socialized large-scale production and the well-rounded and free development of the individual.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has combined the basic principles of Marxist political economy with Chinese reality, achieving a series of major innovations in economic theory. Entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the major theoretical thought of the "New Development Philosophy," requiring the advancement of development in which "innovation becomes the primary driver, coordination becomes an endogenous characteristic, green becomes the prevailing form, openness becomes the only way, and sharing becomes the fundamental purpose." From the formation of the "New Development Philosophy" to the proposal of "new quality productive forces," this reflects the CPC’s theoretical and operational self-consciousness [2] in developing advanced productive forces.
New quality productive forces are a qualitative state [3] of advanced productive forces that conform to the New Development Philosophy. New quality productive forces are not a partial optimization or simple iteration of traditional productive forces, nor are they economic growth driven purely by technological innovation. Rather, they are advanced productive forces birthed by revolutionary technological breakthroughs, the innovative allocation of factors of production, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading under the guidance of the New Development Philosophy. The "high-tech, high-efficiency, and high-quality characteristics" of new quality productive forces are the specific results of the New Development Philosophy guiding the liberation and development of the productive forces. At present, Chinese-path modernization has expanded the path choices for developing countries moving toward modernization, providing a Chinese solution for human society to break away from traditional economic growth modes and development paths of the productive forces. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth [4], and the formation and development of new quality productive forces attest to the scientific nature of the New Development Philosophy.
To further develop new quality productive forces, we must implement the New Development Philosophy completely, accurately, and comprehensively.
We must resolutely win the battle for key and core technologies and achieve high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology. As the first of the five development concepts, innovation is the primary driver of development and the first necessary condition for forming new quality productive forces. Scientific and technological innovation can give rise to new industries, new models, and new drivers; it is the core element for developing new quality productive forces. Chinese-path modernization must rely on the modernization of science and technology for support, and achieving high-quality development must rely on scientific and technological innovation to cultivate new drivers. We must earnestly recognize that without scientific and technological innovation, new quality productive forces cannot be formed; likewise, scientific and technological innovation lacking the guidance of the New Development Philosophy cannot form new quality productive forces. Striving to satisfy the sufficient conditions for forming new quality productive forces is the overall situation and the "big picture" [5] of further developing new quality productive forces; seizing scientific and technological innovation as the core element is the urgent task within this big picture.
We must adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability [6] and correctly handle the relationship between "stability" and "progress" in the formation of new quality productive forces. Developing new quality productive forces is a systemic project; it will not happen overnight, and we cannot expect to "achieve success in a single stroke" [7]. To this end, we must maintain industrial and economic security, enhance the resilience and security levels of industrial and supply chains, and ensure the sustainability of the development process of new quality productive forces. At the same time, we must properly handle the relationship between developing new industries, future industries, and traditional industries. New quality productive forces do not mean neglecting or abandoning traditional industries; we must prevent a "rush into action" [8] and the creation of bubbles. Traditional industries not only play a role in stabilizing employment but can also form new quality productive forces through transformation and upgrading.
We must adhere to the principle of development based on local conditions and promote the development of new quality productive forces in different regions through classified guidance. Our country is vast, and levels of economic and social development vary greatly across different regions. Therefore, each region should proceed from reality, "establish the new before breaking the old" [9], adapt measures to local conditions, and provide classified guidance. Based on local resource endowments, industrial foundations, and scientific research conditions, they should selectively promote the development of new industries, new models, and new drivers. For example, for Beijing, it is necessary to give full play to its role as an international center for scientific and technological innovation, lead development practices with innovative concepts, and manifest the "style of the capital" [10], particularly by providing strong support for other regions across the country in terms of scientific and technological innovation.
(Author: Shen Jie, Specially Appointed Researcher at the Beijing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center; Executive Vice President of the Party School of the Beijing Municipal Committee [Beijing Academy of Governance])
Source: Guangming Daily (December 31, 2024, Page 05) Web Editor: Hui Hui