Zhong Ying: Deeply Understand the Core Essence and Practical Requirements of Developing New Quality Productive Forces

On the new journey, focusing on the central task of economic construction and the primary mission of high-quality development, General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to integrate scientific and technological innovation resources, lead the development of strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries, and accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces, while putting forward a series of methods and important requirements for implementation. This series of important expositions and major deployments by General Secretary Xi Jinping regarding the development of new quality productive forces further systematically elucidates the major theoretical and practical questions of "what are new quality productive forces, why develop them, and how to develop them." This represents an innovation and development of Marxist productive force theory, possessing significant theoretical weight and profound practical implications. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization" (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision"), deliberated and adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, made important deployments for improving the systems and mechanisms that promote high-quality economic development and facilitate the development of new quality productive forces. It points the way forward for improving systems and mechanisms to develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions ^[1] and for accelerating the shaping of new drivers and advantages for development. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core continues to expand and deepen the theoretical connotations and practical requirements of new quality productive forces, providing scientific guidance and blueprinting a vision for advancing high-quality development and writing a new chapter for Chinese-path modernization on the new journey.

I. New quality productive forces are an advanced state of productive forces that align with the New Development Philosophy

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In brief, new quality productive forces are an advanced state of productive forces where innovation plays the leading role, breaking away from traditional economic growth modes and development paths of productive forces. They are characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality, and align with the New Development Philosophy ^[2]. They are catalyzed by revolutionary technological breakthroughs, innovative allocation of production factors, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading. Their basic connotation is the leap-frog elevation of laborers, means of labor, and objects of labor, along with their optimized combination. Their core indicator is a substantial increase in total factor productivity. Their characteristic is innovation, the key lies in high quality, and their essence is advanced productivity." This important exposition scientifically answers what new quality productive forces are, demonstrating that they represent the developmental direction of advanced productive forces and are the inevitable choice for promoting the iterative upgrading of productive forces and achieving modernization.

New quality productive forces are a new type of productive force driven by innovation, supported by technological progress, and aimed at enhancing efficiency and quality. The development of such productive forces requires us not only to break free from the shackles of traditional economic growth modes but also to achieve fundamental changes in modes of production, economic structures, and development paths. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that new quality productive forces are catalyzed by revolutionary technological breakthroughs, innovative allocation of production factors, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading. This profoundly reveals that the formation and development of new quality productive forces is a systemic project requiring us to exert great effort and do solid work in various areas such as scientific and technological innovation, resource allocation, and industrial upgrading. Only in this way can we continuously generate and strengthen new quality productive forces, providing strong momentum and support for high-quality development.

From the perspective of the three elements of productive forces, the "new quality" of new quality productive forces is manifested as follows: First, new types of laborers, who are new-type talents capable of fully utilizing modern technology, adapting to modern high-end advanced equipment, and possessing the ability for rapid knowledge iteration—they are high-level, versatile, and high-quality laborers who adapt to the development of new quality productive forces. Second, new-quality means of labor, especially new production tools such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality equipment, and automated manufacturing equipment, as well as digital technologies represented by the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data, and 3D printing. Digital technology drives industrial change and green transformation through digital networks and intelligent algorithms. Third, new-quality objects of labor, manifested in the digitalization and intellectualization ^[3] of traditional objects of labor, as well as new objects of labor such as new materials and new energy. These include not only high-end intelligent equipment in physical form but also new production factors in non-physical forms such as data. With the development of fields like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and new energy technology, the scope and domain of objects of labor are expanding and can release enormous productive efficiency. Qualitative changes in the three elements of productive forces inevitably lead to a new-quality leap in productive forces, promoting the convenient flow, networked sharing, systematic integration, collaborative development, and highly efficient utilization of production factors such as labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, and data. This effectively reduces transaction costs, significantly improves resource allocation efficiency and total factor productivity, thereby promoting high-quality development and accelerating the process of Chinese-path modernization.

II. Developing new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement and an important focal point for promoting high-quality development

High-quality development requires a new theory of productive forces for guidance, and new quality productive forces have already formed in practice and demonstrated a strong driving and supporting force for high-quality development. We need to summarize and generalize this theoretically to guide new developmental practices. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly elucidated: "Developing new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement and an important focal point for promoting high-quality development. We must continue to do a good job in the great undertaking of innovation and promote the accelerated development of new quality productive forces." On one hand, new quality productive forces is a concept that matches high-quality development; it is an innovation and useful attempt at productive force theory during China's stage of high-quality development, and it represents an innovation and development of Marxist productive force theory. On the other hand, new quality productive forces already have developmental practices in China, and the purpose of theoretical summarization is to better guide practice. We must apply new quality productive forces to developmental practice and achieve high-quality development based on innovation. Developing new quality productive forces is an urgent requirement for advancing high-quality development and achieving Chinese-path modernization. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress proposed that the central task of the CPC is to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, achieve the Second Centenary Goal ^[4], and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization. High-quality development is the primary task in building a modern socialist country in all respects. Chinese-path modernization cannot be separated from the modernization of science and technology; otherwise, modernization would be like water without a source or a tree without roots. High-quality development requires high-quality productive forces; otherwise, it is impossible to truly achieve high output efficiency and a sound state of economic operation. Chinese-path modernization and high-quality development are built on a solid material and technological foundation, which depends on a high-quality workforce and new types of means of production, and cannot be separated from modern high-tech R&D and application. Modern high-tech, a high-quality workforce, and high-quality means of production are precisely the constituent elements of new quality productive forces. Currently, China has basically solved the supply problem of "going from nothing to something" in most fields, but the problem of high-quality demand not being effectively met still exists. This objectively requires the formation of a new balance where demand pulls supply and supply creates demand. Accelerating the development of new quality productive forces conforms to the realistic needs of high-quality development, helps realize a virtuous cycle in the national economy, better utilizes China's advantage as an ultra-large-scale market, and enhances the sustainability of economic growth and social development. Against the backdrop of rapid global technological changes and deep adjustment of industrial structures, developing new quality productive forces means promoting industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation. it reflects the strategy of building new competitive advantages through industrial upgrading to gain the initiative in development.

III. Actively cultivating and developing new quality productive forces

We must fully recognize the importance of accelerating the development of new quality productive forces for promoting high-quality development. We should seize the opportunities of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, increase the intensity of scientific and technological innovation, cultivate and strengthen emerging industries, plan and build future-oriented industries ahead of schedule, promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, continuously improve the modern industrial system, actively cultivate and develop new quality productive forces, and promote high-quality economic development.

Strengthen scientific and technological innovation, especially original and disruptive innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Scientific and technological innovation can generate new industries, new models, and new momentum, and is the core element for developing new quality productive forces. We must strengthen scientific and technological innovation, especially original and disruptive innovation, accelerate the achievement of high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, win the battle for key core technologies, enable original and disruptive technological innovation achievements to emerge in rapid succession, and cultivate new momentum for developing new quality productive forces." At the level of innovation, new quality productive forces differ from general innovation by possessing entirely new characteristics of the era and rich connotations: First, they place more emphasis on original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation and on achieving revolutionary technological breakthroughs. Second, they place more emphasis on digital technologies such as artificial intelligence; they represent advanced productive forces characterized by AI technology, especially "computing power." Third, they place more emphasis on the combination of scientific and technological innovation with industrial development, requiring the timely application of technological achievements to specific industries and industrial chains to improve the modern industrial system. In the current era, competition centered on the commanding heights of science and technology is unprecedentedly fierce. Key core technologies cannot be asked for, bought, or begged for. Only by strengthening original scientific and technological innovation can we hold key core technologies and the initiative for development firmly in our own hands. Only by strengthening disruptive technological innovation can we transcend and replace original technologies, driving the overall situation through breakthroughs in important fields and key links. From high-end chips and industrial mother machines ^[5] to development platforms and basic algorithms, and further to basic components and basic materials, only by winning the battle for key core technologies and letting original and disruptive technological innovations emerge can we cultivate new momentum, lay the foundation, and provide support for developing new quality productive forces.

Lead industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation. Only when science and technology are applied to the production process can they be transformed into realistic and direct productive forces. We must emphasize both the "0 to 1" original innovation breakthroughs and the "1 to infinity" application and transformation of results. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of applying technological innovation results and integration between scientific and industrial innovation. Developing new quality productive forces makes cultivating new industries a key task. During the deliberation of the Jiangsu delegation at the Second Session ^[6] of the 14th National People's Congress this year, the General Secretary further pointed out: "Scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation are the basic paths for developing new quality productive forces." Currently, China has basically constructed an industrial system that is large in scale, complete in categories, and strong in competitiveness, but problems of some industries being "large but not strong" or "complete but not superior" still exist. Aligning industrial chains with the development of new quality productive forces and improving the modern industrial system is an objective necessity.

Strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries are the main battlefields for developing new quality productive forces. We need to integrate scientific and technological innovation resources, lead the development of strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries, actively cultivate strategic emerging industries such as new energy, new materials, advanced manufacturing, and electronic information, and actively cultivate future-oriented industries to enhance new momentum for development. Aiming at the frontiers of world energy technology and focusing on key energy fields and major needs, we must rationally choose technical routes, utilize the advantages of the new-type whole-nation system ^[7], strengthen joint research on key core technologies, intensify the transformation and application of scientific research results, and cultivate energy technology and its related industries into new growth points driving China's industrial upgrading. Traditional industries can also become part of the new quality productive forces through transformation and upgrading. By allowing digital-intelligent and green technologies to be more widely applied, we can promote industries to move toward the mid-to-high end and accelerate the conversion of old kinetic energy into new. By promoting industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation—especially by generating new industries, models, and momentum through disruptive and frontier technologies—we can timely apply technological results to specific industries and chains, upgrade traditional industries, cultivate emerging industries, plan future-oriented industries, and improve the modern industrial system.

Developing new quality productive forces requires scientific policy-making and adaptation to local conditions. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Developing new quality productive forces does not mean ignoring or abandoning traditional industries. We must prevent a headlong rush into action ^[8] and the creation of bubbles, and we must not adopt a single model. All localities must persist in proceeding from reality, establish the new before breaking the old ^[9], act according to local conditions, and provide categorized 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 momentum, use new technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries, and actively promote the high-end, intelligent, and green development of industries." This profoundly elucidates the key issues in developing new quality productive forces and further clarifies the practical path for accelerating the transformation, upgrading, and efficiency enhancement of traditional industries while balancing the relationship between new quality productive forces and traditional productive forces.

We must thoroughly implement the methodology of "adapting measures to local conditions" ^[10] pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping, while continuously deepening our theoretical understanding and practical exploration of new quality productive forces. On one hand, new quality productive forces and traditional industries do not stand in an adversarial relationship; the key lies in using new technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries, actively promoting their transition toward becoming high-end, intelligent, and green. We must coordinately advance the upgrading of traditional industries, the expansion of emerging industries, and the cultivation of future-oriented industries. Developing new quality productive forces does not mean excluding or liquidating traditional industries; it cannot be one-sidedly understood as "discarding the old for the new" ^[11] or a total concentration of resources in strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries at the expense of traditional industrial development. Taking China’s industry as an example, currently, traditional industries still account for approximately 80% of the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size ^[12] nationwide. The steady development of traditional industries plays an irreplaceable role in stabilizing employment, ensuring growth, and even securing industrial safety. We must establish the new before breaking the old ^[13], adapt measures to local conditions, and provide category-based guidance. This involves accelerating the improvement of scientific and technological innovation capabilities and the application of their results to inject new "technological genes" into traditional industries. By replacing backward technologies in traditional sectors with emerging technologies, we promote digital upgrades and green transformations, selectively driving the development of new industries, new models, and new growth drivers to foster and form new quality productive forces. On the other hand, developing new quality productive forces must involve seeking truth from facts and adapting measures to local conditions, maintaining a close integration with local resource endowments, industrial foundations, and scientific research conditions. Resource endowments and development levels vary greatly across different regions, as do the priorities and difficulties of development; thus, the development of new quality productive forces will exhibit distinct regional characteristics. The acceleration and cultivation of new quality productive forces is a rich concept involving many aspects—strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries are only one part; it also encompasses the high-end, intelligent, and green transformation of traditional industries. We must never abandon the principles of seeking truth from facts and adapting measures to local conditions by "rushing headlong into action" ^[14] or forcibly pushing the development of emerging and future-oriented industries. Instead, we need to make scientific judgments on industrial development based on local realities and explore new paths that leverage local advantages and enhance local characteristics.

We must form relations of production that are better adapted to the requirements of developing new quality productive forces. The Decision ^[15] proposes improving relevant rules and policies to accelerate the formation of relations of production that are more compatible with new quality productive forces. This clarifies the relationship between developing new quality productive forces and further comprehensively deepening reform. The Decision makes important deployments for improving the systems and mechanisms that promote high-quality development and the expansion of new quality productive forces. It proposes improving systems and mechanisms for developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions, encouraging various advanced factors of production to cluster toward the development of new quality productive forces, and significantly increasing total factor productivity. We must deepen reforms of the economic system and the science and technology management system, striving to clear the bottlenecks and "blockage points" ^[16] that constrain the development of new quality productive forces. We must establish a high-standard market system and innovate the ways in which factors of production are allocated, allowing various advanced and high-quality factors of production to flow smoothly toward the development of new quality productive forces. We must expand high-level opening up to the outside world to create a favorable international environment for the development of new quality productive forces. In accordance with the requirements for developing new quality productive forces, we must ensure a virtuous cycle between education, science and technology, and talent, and improve the working mechanisms for the cultivation, introduction, utilization, and rational flow of talent. In short, by further comprehensively deepening reform to clear bottlenecks and blockage points, and by using institutional innovation to construct more compatible relations of production, we will effectively dismantle the constraints and obstacles to the development of new quality productive forces. This will allow innovation and creativity to emerge in an unending stream, enabling new quality productive forces to unleash their surging momentum.