Cao Ping: A Theoretical Interpretation of the "Step-by-Step Advancement" in Realizing Socialist Modernization | Marxism Research Network

Professor Cao Ping, Party Secretary of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, points out that "stepped progression" ^[1] is an important law of development proposed at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. Its core connotation is embodied in the unity of periodicity and leaping advancement; it follows a developmental logic that moves from quantitative change to qualitative change, ensuring continuity between stages and a gradual ascent. This reveals that socialist modernization is not achieved in a single stroke ^[2], but is rather a historical process of gradual progress and continuous breakthroughs. The "15th Five-Year Plan" period ^[3] plays a pivotal role in this process as a link between the past and the future: it is both a continuation of the developmental achievements of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and a critical stage for laying the foundation and exerting full force toward basically achieving socialist modernization. During this period, it is necessary to consciously apply the law of "stepped progression," focusing on core areas such as high-quality development, the leap in new quality productive forces, and high-level security to promote decisive progress in Chinese-path modernization. The Chinese practice of the "stepped progression" of socialist modernization possesses profound global significance in terms of highlighting a people-centered civilizational orientation, proving the diversity of paths to modernization, and pioneering a new paradigm of interaction based on peaceful development.

Notes

↩ [1] 阶梯式递进 (jiētīshì dìjìn): Literally "ladder-style incremental progression." In Chinese political discourse, this refers to a development model where progress is made through distinct, sequential stages (rungs), where each stage prepares the ground for a qualitative leap to the next level of complexity or capacity.

↩ [2] 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù): A classical Chinese idiom meaning "to reach the goal in a single step" or "to succeed overnight." It is frequently used in CPC theory to emphasize the "protracted nature" (持久性) of socialist construction and to warn against the "Leftist" error of adventurism.

↩ [3] “十五五”时期 (shíwǔwǔ shíqī): Refers to the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (2026–2030). These plans are the primary mechanism for the Chinese state to coordinate economic and social policy, transitioning from the broad goals of the "14th Five-Year Plan" (2021–2025) toward the long-range objectives for 2035.