Zhang Shuguang: Deeply Comprehend the Systematic Thinking Methods in Volume I of "Xi Jinping's Selected Works on the Economy"
A system is a whole composed of several interconnected and interacting elements within a certain structure. Systems thinking is a way of thinking that applies a systemic perspective to understanding and transforming the world. The recently published Volume I of the Selected Economic Works of Xi Jinping (hereinafter referred to as the Selected Works) features a curated collection of 74 manuscripts by General Secretary Xi Jinping on economic construction from November 2012 to December 2024. These works profoundly address a series of major theoretical and practical issues concerning economic development in the New Era and contain a wealth of systems thinking. To profoundly comprehend and persist in systems thinking, one must uphold the systemic concept, grasp the nature of the whole, and emphasize synergy.
Upholding the Systemic Concept
Persisting in systems thinking first requires upholding the systemic concept—treating the object of study as a system and emphasizing that the system is the fundamental mode of existence for all things. From a theoretical perspective, the fact that systems are the fundamental mode of existence stems from the universality of connections; different things constitute different systems due to these connections, and several different systems can interconnect to form a larger system. From an empirical perspective, the systemic nature of existence arises from the fact that everything humans encounter in work and life is a system; nothing exists in the world that is not a system.
Upholding the systemic concept is the logical starting point for persisting in systems thinking. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized treating objects as systems. In the article "Strengthening the Party’s Comprehensive Leadership over Economic Work," he pointed out: "Economic and social development is a systemic project involving many factors. In carrying out our work, we must comprehensively consider various factors such as politics and economy, reality and history, matter and culture, development and people’s wellbeing, resources and ecology, and domestic and international contexts. We must avoid a 'single-track' approach, simplification, or reckless action." In the article "On Constructing the New Development Paradigm," he emphasized: "Constructing the New Development Paradigm [1] is a systemic project. We must both 'grasp the essentials from above' [2] by strengthening strategic planning and top-level design, and 'assign the details below' by grasping the focal points of our work." In the article "Grasp the New Development Stage, Implement the New Development Philosophy, and Construct the New Development Paradigm," he proposed: "The New Development Philosophy [3] is a systemic theoretical framework that answers a series of theoretical and practical questions regarding the purpose, momentum, methods, and paths of development. It elucidates major political issues such as our Party's political position, value orientation, development model, and development path."
Grasping the Nature of the Whole
Thinking in terms of the whole is the most fundamental mode of systems thinking, reflecting the viewpoint of universal interconnection in dialectical materialism. This is a form of rational thinking that cannot be obtained solely through empirical observation in daily life. Regarding this, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out vividly: "Things of a global [overall] nature cannot be seen by the eye; they can only be understood through mental reflection. Without such reflection, one will not understand them." Grasping the wholeness of a system must be understood at two levels: First, systemic elements are constrained by the whole; that is, the properties and functions of any element within a system are constrained by the whole. Elements possess specific attributes only within the system; once detached, these attributes cease to exist. Second, there is the structural nature of the systemic whole. Structure is the sum of the relations between elements, including causal relations, interactive relations, and spatial-positional relations. It is precisely the structure that determines the properties and functions of the systemic whole, ensuring that the whole is not merely a simple summation of its parts. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and the whole determines the parts. To correctly understand and analyze things, one must persist in thinking of the whole and be adept at analyzing problems from a holistic and global height.
Grasping the nature of the whole is a basic requirement for persisting in systems thinking. General Secretary Xi Jinping has frequently emphasized grasping the wholeness of things and enhancing "big-picture awareness." In the "Explanation on the 'Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform,'" he pointed out: "Persist in considering issues from the perspective of the big picture. Comprehensively deepening reform is a major strategic deployment related to the overall development of the cause of the Party and the state; it is not a single-item reform in a specific field or aspect. 'He who does not plan for the whole is insufficient to plan for a single domain' [4]." In "Several Major Theoretical and Practical Issues in Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform," he emphasized: "We must guide cadres and the masses to enhance their big-picture awareness and correctly treat the adjustment of interests and personal gains or losses in reform." In "Focusing on Revitalizing the Real Economy," he proposed: "The global market has already formed a whole. China's economy and the world economy are deeply integrated—you are within me, and I am within you."
Emphasizing Synergy
For a system to exert its holistic effect, its internal elements must coordinate and collaborate with one another. The synergy of elements is the decisive factor in the system's ability to exert its holistic performance. If elements do not synergize or instead conflict, the system will fall into a state of disorder or even collapse. Therefore, persisting in systems thinking must emphasize synergy, fully recognizing the correlations between elements, between elements and the system, and between the system and its external environment, while ensuring good overall coordination.
First, we must strengthen the synergy between "overall advancement" and "key breakthroughs." The development of things is uneven. This unevenness manifests on one hand as the uneven development between different things, and on the other as the unevenness between different elements within the same thing. Therefore, we must persist in the unification of the "two-point theory" and the "priority theory" [5]. Persisting in the two-point theory means that while we emphasize the primary contradiction, we must not ignore secondary contradictions; while we see the principal aspect of a contradiction, we must not ignore its secondary aspect. Persisting in the priority theory means being adept at grasping the primary contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction. The priority theory takes the two-point theory as its premise, and the two-point theory naturally contains the priority theory. In any work, we must persist in the unification of the two-point and priority theories, strengthening the synergy between overall advancement and key breakthroughs—using key breakthroughs to drive overall advancement and using overall advancement to consolidate key breakthroughs. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to this synergy. In "Deeply Understanding the New Development Philosophy and Promoting Supply-Side Structural Reform," he emphasized: "Innovation is a complex social systemic project involving various fields of economy and society. To persist in innovative development, we must both uphold a comprehensive and systemic view and grasp the key points, driving the overall situation through breakthroughs in important fields and key links." In "Several Relationships that Need to be Correctly Grasped in Promoting the Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt," he pointed out: "We must persist in key breakthroughs. On the basis of overall advancement, we must grasp the primary contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction, adopt targeted and concrete measures, and strive to ensure that the overall situation and local parts are coordinated, that treating the root cause and the symptoms are combined [6], and that gradual progress and breakthroughs are linked, achieving the unification of overall advancement and key breakthroughs."
Second, we must strengthen the synergy between "top-level design" and "practical exploration." These two are dialectically unified and promote each other, inherently containing the dialectic relationship between theory and practice. On one hand, top-level design guides practical exploration. Top-level design is systemic strategic planning that provides scientific concepts, action goals, and roadmaps for practical exploration. On the other hand, practical exploration verifies, enriches, and develops top-level design. Theory originates from practice; scientific theory must not only be tested through practice but must also be enriched and developed within it. Economic construction is a complex systemic project; we must ensure the synergy of top-level design and practical exploration. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized this. In "Accelerating the Implementation of the Free Trade Zone Strategy and Constructing a New System for an Open Economy," he emphasized: "Accelerating the implementation of the free trade zone strategy is a complex systemic project. We must strengthen top-level design and plan the 'big chessboard' [7]. Use both the 'pieces' and the 'momentum' [8]. We should gradually build a free trade zone network that is based on the periphery, radiates through the 'Belt and Road,' and faces the globe... making cooperation between our country and relevant countries closer, exchanges more convenient, and interests more integrated." In "Building Pilot Free Trade Zones into New Heights of Reform and Opening Up in the New Era," he pointed out: "We must dare to break through, dare to experiment, and reform autonomously, forming as quickly as possible a batch of new systems that can be replicated and promoted." In "Comprehensively Promoting the Great Cause of Building a Strong Country and National Rejuvenation through Chinese-path Modernization," he identified the relationship between top-level design and practical exploration as one of the major relationships that must be handled in advancing Chinese-path modernization: "Chinese-path modernization is promoted in stages and across fields. Realizing the development goals of each stage and implementing development strategies in each field likewise requires top-level design... At the same time, advancing Chinese-path modernization is an exploratory undertaking with many unknown areas. This requires us to explore boldly in practice and promote the development of the cause through reform and innovation. We must never 'carve a mark on the boat to find a sword' [9] or 'wait by the stump for a rabbit' [10]."