Fan Peng: We Must Keep Firmly in Mind that High-Quality Development is the Unyielding Principle of the New Era
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "We must keep in mind that high-quality development is the hard truth [1] of the New Era. We must fully implement the new development philosophy and ensure the fulfillment of strategic tasks. These include accelerating the construction of a modern economic system, promoting high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, coordinately promoting deep-seated reform and high-level opening up, and balancing high-quality development with high-level security. We must improve the evaluation system for promoting high-quality development to lay a solid foundation for its advancement. Developing new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement and a vital focus for promoting high-quality development. We must continue to do a good job on the great prose of innovation [2] to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces."
This important discourse is not only a new development of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, but also a new expression of the new ideas of Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism in contemporary China. It possesses not only great historical and practical significance but also immense theoretical innovation value. This discourse helps us deepen our understanding of the spiritual essence of Marxism and guides us in using the latest achievements of contemporary Chinese Marxism to direct the building of a great modern socialist country. It assists us in steadfastly following the path of Chinese-path modernization and helps us grasp the current general trend of development, leverage China's advantages, break through development dilemmas, and create new development achievements for the benefit of the Chinese people.
Marxism is a scientific truth that evolves alongside the development of the times. In different eras, different nations, and different concrete practices, it not only possesses entirely different rich forms but also—as Marx noted—"entirely different contents." However, these entirely different contents simultaneously possess the exact same value orientation and common essence, embodying the intellectual marrow of Marxism. In his speech at the conference commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly noted: "Marxism is vast and profound, but in the final analysis, it can be summarized in one sentence: seeking liberation for humanity." This is the common essence and intellectual marrow of Marxism across different eras, nations, and concrete practices. Depending on the characteristics of the era, the foundation of national conditions, key missions, and the principal contradiction [3], Marxism has seen diverse summaries and expressions. These rich and varied expressions fully reflect the "hard truths" of Marxism under different epochal environments. Clarifying the historical background, the basis of the principal contradiction, and the connotation of the major missions behind these different "hard truths" has direct guiding significance and practical methodological value for us to keep in mind that "high-quality development is the hard truth of the New Era" and for "implementing strategic tasks."
Around 1939, the contradiction between imperialism and the Chinese nation became unprecedentedly sharp and rose to become the principal contradiction in our society. The Chinese people were weighed down by the "three great mountains" [4] of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism. The people suffered, the nation was disgraced, and civilization was shrouded in dust [5]. Without revolution and struggle, it would have been impossible to ever overthrow the three great mountains or wash away these "three shames." Because our Party integrated the universal truths of Marxism with the concrete realities of the Chinese revolution at that time and truly understood the "hard truth" of revolution, we forged our own path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing political power through armed force, allowing the Chinese people to stand up [6] through countless hardships.
On January 29, 1992, during his Southern Tour talks [7], Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out with powerful resonance: "Development is the hard truth." This can be described as the most accurate, profound, and distinct summary of the line, principles, and policies since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978. This "hard truth" was similarly a concrete manifestation of the common essence and intellectual marrow of Marxism—"seeking liberation for humanity"—under the specific conditions of the time. It was proposed to resolve the principal contradiction of that era, which was "the contradiction between the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people and backward social production." Because we profoundly grasped this simplest and greatest Marxist truth, our Party was able to eliminate interference, emancipate the mind, seize the key through seeking truth from facts, and hold fast to the center of economic construction. We consistently upheld the Four Cardinal Principles [8], persistently advanced reform and opening up, concentrated our energy on construction, and single-mindedly pursued development. We embarked on the path of Chinese-style moderately prosperous society (Xiaokang [9]) that allowed the Chinese people to become prosperous, achieving a new leap in Marxism and new happiness for the Chinese people.
On January 11, 2021, in a speech at a seminar for provincial and ministerial-level leading officials, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Since the 18th National Congress, we have proposed many major theories and concepts regarding economic and social development, among which the new development philosophy is the most important and primary. The new development philosophy is a systematic theoretical system that answers a series of theoretical and practical questions concerning the purpose, power, mode, and path of development. It elucidates major political issues such as our Party's political stance, value orientation, development model, and development path. The whole Party must implement the new development philosophy completely, accurately, and comprehensively."
The key to implementing the new development philosophy is to firmly grasp high-quality development as the "hard truth of the New Era." In essence, this "hard truth" remains a new expression of the common essence and marrow of Marxism—"seeking liberation for humanity"—in the New Era. It addresses the fact that "the principal contradiction in our society has been transformed into the contradiction between the people’s ever-growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development," as well as the requirements of the new development philosophy. It is based on the latest national condition that "China's economy has transitioned from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development."
The "hard truth of the New Era" that is "high-quality development" has a logical premise and cognitive foundation: General Secretary Xi Jinping’s repeated emphasis that "development is the hard truth," which constitutes an adherence to Deng Xiaoping Theory. Simultaneously, this "hard truth of the New Era" has the new requirements and missions of the New Era: the specific emphasis on "high-quality development," which is a new development of Deng Xiaoping Theory and a major theoretical innovation and strategic deployment as socialism with Chinese characteristics enters the New Era. Only by truly understanding, firmly remembering, and specifically implementing this "hard truth" can the Chinese people stand more steadily, become more prosperous, and China truly become strong.
In the New Era and on the new journey, how can we unswervingly and persistently implement the "hard truth" of high-quality development?
First, we must profoundly understand and accurately grasp the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments." We must recognize the political requirements of this "hard truth" from the height of improving political judgment, political understanding, and political execution. In September 1954, in his speech at the First Session of the First National People's Congress, Comrade Mao Zedong clearly stated for the first time: "The force at the core leading our cause is the Chinese Communist Party. The theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism." This requirement likewise needs to be implemented specifically while advancing with the times. Today, the core force leading our cause is the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and the theoretical basis guiding our thinking is Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The "hard truth of the New Era" is a new requirement of this thought and must be accurately understood and fully implemented.
Second, we must provide the guarantee of the subject of practice for implementing this "hard truth" through the strength of will found in the "Four Confidences" [10]. Without confidence in our path, theory, system, and especially cultural confidence, we cannot provide the ideological guidance and subjective force for realizing high-quality development. Everything must be done by people. The most important feature distinguishing Marxism from all previous theories is that it is a theory of the people—a theory for the people, relying on the people, and for the benefit of the people. Divorced from the interests of the broad masses, "people-centeredness" has no value orientation. Divorced from the wisdom and collective strength of the masses, "for the people" will likewise fail in practice. The "Four Confidences" come from the people; only by serving, relying on, and benefiting the people can confidence be transformed into self-reliance and eventually into strength.
Finally, the effect of implementing the "hard truth of the New Era" must be reflected and tested by the practical actions and actual achievements of implementing the new development philosophy completely, accurately, and comprehensively. Marxism has always held that the puzzles of history, the era, and theory must ultimately be solved by the "practical force" of "real individuals" with the masses as the main body. Only by fully implementing the new development philosophy can we truly make innovation the primary driving force in various concrete practices and accelerate the development of new quality productive forces. Through the comprehensive coordination of deep-seated reform and high-level opening up, we can make coordination an endogenous feature and use a modern economic system to achieve "progress while maintaining stability." We must treat "green" as a universal form to resolve the many current contradictions between humanity and nature, and ensure high-quality development through high-level security. Only by comprehensively fulfilling these major strategic tasks can the fruits of development be shared by the masses, embodying the ultimate goal of high-quality development. Only when the masses receive tangible benefits and everyone speaks well of the results can we say the "hard truth of the New Era" has been truly implemented.
(The author is the Honorary Dean of the School of Marxism at Lanzhou City University) Source: Guangming Daily February 11, 2025