Zheng Shanjie: Study and Apply "Xi Jinping's Selected Works on the Economy" Effectively to Solidly Promote High-Quality Development
Since the 18th Party Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has persisted in combining the basic principles of Marxist political economy with China's specific realities and the characteristics of the times. It has proposed a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies, forming and developing Xi Jinping’s economic thought in practice, which has pointed out the correct direction and provided the fundamental compliance for economic work in the New Era. The first volume of the Selected Economic Works of Xi Jinping (hereafter referred to as the Selected Works), published in March this year, systematically reflects the rich connotations, scientific system, and innovative contributions of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, providing an authoritative textbook for the in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping’s economic thought.
I. Systematically studying the Selected Works and profoundly grasping the basic principles of Xi Jinping’s economic thought
The Selected Works includes 74 works by General Secretary Xi Jinping. Grounded in the great practice of our country’s economic development, it takes the comprehensive advancement of Chinese-path modernization as its goal and the Party’s comprehensive leadership over economic work as its fundamental guarantee. Adhering to the fundamental position of being people-centered, it scientifically summarizes the law-based understanding of doing economic work in the New Era and represents the latest theoretical achievement in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist political economy. Among these, the systematic expositions on five aspects—constructing a new development pattern, fostering and developing new quality productive forces, handling the relationship between the government and the market, enhancing people's well-being, and balancing development and security—target the prominent characteristics and key issues of our country’s economic and social development at the current stage. They profoundly answer a series of major theoretical and practical questions regarding the path, momentum, mechanism, purpose, and safeguards for promoting high-quality development. During the study process, we must closely integrate our practical work to profoundly grasp the basic principles contained in these expositions for observing, analyzing, and solving realistic problems.
Constructing a new development pattern identifies the direction and path of development and serves as the strategic base point for promoting high-quality development. Constructing a new development pattern is a major strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee after judging the hour and sizing up the situation [1] based on changes in our country's development stage, environment, and conditions—particularly based on changes in our comparative advantages. It is a systemic and deep-seated transformation concerning the overall situation and a strategic plan rooted in the present with an eye on the long term. Articles in the Selected Works such as "On Constructing a New Development Pattern," "Grasp the New Development Stage, Implement the New Development Philosophy, and Construct a New Development Pattern," and "Accelerate the Construction of a New Development Pattern to Grasp the Initiative for Future Development" provide comprehensive and systematic elucidations on the historical background, major significance, core essentials, and focal points of accelerating the construction of a new development pattern. We must accurately grasp and actively promote this major strategic deployment from a global perspective, persisting in placing the development of the country and the nation on the base point of our own strength. We must accelerate the construction of a domestic macro-circulation [2] led by domestic demand, consolidate the foundation of our country’s economic development, and enhance the security and stability of development. By doing so, we will create a powerful attraction for global factors and resources, a strong competitiveness in fierce international competition, and a powerful driving force in global resource allocation, thereby better gaining the initiative and winning the future through open development.
Fostering and developing new quality productive forces emphasizes the source of developmental momentum and is an inherent requirement and important focal point for promoting high-quality development. New quality productive forces are an advanced state of productive forces in which innovation plays the leading role; they break away from traditional economic growth modes and development paths for productive forces, featuring high technology, high efficiency, and high quality, and aligning with the new development philosophy. Articles in the Selected Works such as "What Are New Quality Productive Forces and How to Develop Them" and "Chinese-path Modernization Must Rely on Modernization of Science and Technology for Support" profoundly clarify the major significance, scientific connotation, and practical requirements of fostering and developing new quality productive forces, providing new theoretical guidance for liberating and developing social productive forces on the new journey of the New Era. Fostering and developing new quality productive forces is a requirement of the times to grasp the deep development of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation; it is an inherent requirement for promoting economic structural transformation and achieving high-quality development, and it is the key to winning the initiative for development and continuously strengthening economic power amid fierce international competition. We must solidly promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, resolutely win the battle for key core technologies, focus on increasing the supply of high-quality technology, strengthen the principal position of enterprises in technological innovation, and promote the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, so that more achievements turn from "samples" into "products" and form industries, continuously transforming frontier innovative achievements into new quality productive forces.
Since the beginning of the New Era, our country has continuously achieved new breakthroughs in basic and frontier research, obtaining a series of major original achievements in fields such as quantum technology, life sciences, material sciences, and space science. On June 6, 2025, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) released images transmitted by the Tianwen-2 probe showing the deployment of its circular solar wings. To meet the power supply requirements for exploration at a main-belt comet approximately 375 million kilometers from the sun, the Tianwen-2 probe was developed and equipped with circular flexible solar wings. Figure: The posture of the solar wings after full deployment, captured by a monitoring camera. (Photo provided by Xinhua News Agency and CNSA)
Handling the relationship between the government and the market "grasps" the key factor of development and is a major issue that must be resolved to promote high-quality development. The relationship between the government and the market is one of the most controversial and perennially new topics in economics. How to handle this relationship well—organically combining an effective market with a capable government and making good use of both the "invisible hand" and the "visible hand"—is the core issue in deepening the reform of the economic system. Articles in the Selected Works such as "Accurately Grasping Making the Market Play the Decisive Role in Resource Allocation and Better Playing the Government's Role," "The Market Economy is an Economy Under the Rule of Law, and the Rule of Law is the Best Business Environment," and "Several Major Theoretical and Practical Issues in Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform" scientifically clarify the dialectical unity between the government and the market. These transcend the metaphysical "dichotomy" regarding the government-market relationship long held in Western economics and contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to resolving this global economic puzzle. We must persist in dialectics and the "doctrine of two points," [3] continuing to work on the combination of the basic socialist system with the market economy to leverage the advantages of both. We need both an effective market and a capable government. Particularly in areas of market failure, such as the current "involution-style" [4] competition in industries like photovoltaics and new energy vehicles, the government must step in timely to strengthen macro-control and market supervision. We must not only use administrative means such as planning, layout, and pricing in a coordinated manner to guide the regulated development of industries but also emphasize the use of legal means to strengthen supervision according to the law, regulate the behavior of local governments and enterprises, and better maintain market order.
Enhancing people's well-being defines the fundamental purpose of development and is the starting point and goal of promoting high-quality development. Development for the people is the fundamental position of Marxist political economy. We must persist in the people-centered development philosophy, taking the enhancement of people's well-being, the promotion of well-rounded human development, and steady progress toward common prosperity as the starting point and goal of high-quality development. Articles in the Selected Works such as "The People's Aspiration for a Better Life is Our Goal," "Persist in the People-Centered Development Philosophy to Advance the Process of Comprehensively Building a Moderately Prosperous Society," and "Enhancing People's Well-being and Improving the Quality of People's Lives" discuss the fundamental position of being people-centered from various aspects such as struggle goals, original aspiration and founding mission, development philosophy, changes in the principal contradiction of society, [5] and the essential requirements of socialism. They profoundly clarify the main tasks and policies for realizing the socialist purpose of production in the New Era. We must persist in the people-centered development philosophy, conform to the people's aspiration for a better life, focus on ensuring and improving livelihoods, and solve the "urgent, difficult, and anxious" problems [6] of the masses with heart, emotion, and strength, so that the fruits of Chinese-path modernization benefit all people more extensively and fairly.
Balancing development and security identifies the prerequisite for development and is an important guarantee for promoting high-quality development. Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee for security; we must unswervingly maintain security and promote development. We must emphasize both development and security, enhancing national security strength through development while creating a secure environment conducive to economic and social development, effectively preventing and resolving various risks and challenges, and achieving a positive interaction between high-quality development and high-level security. Articles in the Selected Works such as "Ensure Our Country's Food Security," "Actively Promote Our Country's Energy Production and Consumption Revolution," and "Serve the Real Economy and Prevent Financial Risks" deepen the understanding of the law of dialectical unity between development and security, pointing the way for implementing the major principle of balancing development and security in national governance. The road ahead cannot be smooth sailing; the more the economy develops and society progresses, the more important security becomes. We must promote high-level security through high-quality development and safeguard high-quality development with high-level security. Only in this way can we fully overcome various difficulties and challenges on the road ahead, withstand the major tests of high winds, turbulent waves, and even terrifying swells, [7] and ensure the smooth advancement of the cause of socialist modernization.
II. Taking Xi Jinping’s economic thought as guidance to perform economic and social development work well
Our country has entered a critical period for comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong nation and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. Faced with a complex situation where the adverse effects of external environment changes are deepening and internal risks and challenges are increasing, we must study the Selected Works deeply, consciously use Xi Jinping’s economic thought to plan economic work and promote economic development, effectively respond to various risks and challenges, strive to transform various positive factors into developmental achievements, and focus on driving high-quality development to become deeper and more substantive.
Firmly grasping the strategic base point of the new development pattern and expanding domestic demand in an all-round way. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that to construct a new development pattern, we must persist in the strategic base point of expanding domestic demand, so that production, distribution, circulation, and consumption rely more on the domestic market, forming a virtuous cycle of the national economy. We must profoundly grasp the theoretical essence and practical requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on constructing a new development pattern, better leverage the driving role of domestic demand, strengthen the domestic macro-circulation, and handle two key areas of work. On the one hand, we must vigorously boost consumption by deeply implementing special actions to boost consumption. Through comprehensive measures such as increasing income and reducing burdens, enriching supply, stimulating vitality, smoothing circulation, and optimizing the environment, we will promote the expansion of volume and the improvement of quality and efficiency in consumption. On the other hand, we must expand effective investment, making full and good use of government investment, performing preliminary work meticulously, doing well in project planning and reserves, strengthening whole-cycle project supervision, and improving the comprehensive benefits of investment. We will exert greater effort to promote private investment, formulating and issuing a number of measures to further promote the development of private investment, and continuing to introduce a batch of major projects in fields such as infrastructure, ecological environmental protection, and public services to attract private capital participation. At the same time, we will continue to expand high-level opening up to the outside world, improve the systems and mechanisms for participating in high-level international circulation, and continuously increase the intensity of autonomous and unilateral opening up, using international circulation to enhance the efficiency and level of the domestic macro-circulation.
To construct a new development pattern, we must implement opening up to the outside world over a wider range, in more fields, and at a deeper level. From June 19 to 24, 2025, the 9th China-South Asia Expo was held in Kunming, Yunnan. As of 12:00 on June 24, 153 commercial and trade contracts were actually signed at the expo, with the value of foreign trade contracts reaching 8.479 billion yuan, and museum entrance exceeding 500,000 person-times. Figure: The Southeast Asia Pavilion of the expo photographed on the closing day. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Chao)
Developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions and driving the expansion of the total volume through quality improvement. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that developing new quality productive forces does not mean ignoring or abandoning traditional industries; it is necessary to prevent a "headlong rush" [8] and the formation of bubbles, and not to engage in a single model. We must earnestly study and profoundly understand the practical requirements for developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions, improve top-level design, coordinate the relationship between fostering new momentum and updating old momentum, and enhance the supporting capacity of the modern industrial system for high-quality development. We will accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, implement actions for the high-quality development of key industrial chains, actively apply and promote digital-intelligent and green technologies, strengthen quality support and standard leadership, and promote the upgrading of key industries such as petrochemicals, automobiles, steel, and shipbuilding. We will vigorously develop emerging industries and proactively layout future industries, deeply implement national strategic emerging industry cluster development projects, promote bottle-neck technological breakthroughs and achievement applications throughout the entire chain, vigorously implement "AI Plus" actions, and promote the development of industries such as large aircraft, the low-altitude economy, the digital economy, original new drugs, and quantum technology. We will improve the overall efficiency of the national innovation system, continue to increase investment in scientific and technological innovation, give full play to the role of national venture capital guidance funds, and attract social capital to participate in venture capital with greater intensity to create an open and inclusive innovation ecosystem.
We must promote the organic integration of effective markets and capable government, enhancing the efficacy of macro-control, continuously stimulating market vitality, and incessantly strengthening the impetus for development. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that we must coordinate the relationship between an effective market and a capable government to form an economic order that is both "dynamic without chaos" and "managed without stagnation" [9]. We must earnestly study and comprehend the General Secretary’s important expositions, adhering to the dual-wheel drive of an effective market and a capable government. This ensures that the market plays the decisive role in resource allocation while the government’s role is better utilized, continuously improving the efficacy of macro-control, strengthening the confidence of market entities, stimulating market vitality, and bolstering the impetus for development. In response to changing circumstances, we must constantly strengthen and improve macro-control, increase the intensity of counter-cyclical macro-policy adjustments, and accelerate the introduction of measures to stabilize employment, stabilize the economy, and promote high-quality development. We must conduct preliminary policy research and reserves in a normalized and "open-ended" manner, adequately preparing contingency plans, continuously improving the "policy toolkit" for stabilizing employment and the economy, and timely introducing incremental reserve policies. We will advance the construction of a national unified large market [10] in depth, thoroughly implementing construction guidelines, revising and publishing a new version of the negative list for market access, and deeply dismantling barriers to market entry. Taking the pilot comprehensive reforms for the market-based allocation of production factors as a starting point, we will promote the construction of a national unified factor market, facilitating the smooth flow of productive factors, the efficient allocation of various resources, and the full release of market potential. We will further standardize local investment promotion and intensify efforts to rectify behaviors that violate the construction of a national unified large market. Focusing on the crux of problems, we will implement industry-specific policies and apply targeted remedies, addressing both symptoms and root causes to resolve structural contradictions in key industries. We will persist in the leading role of standards, utilizing market-oriented and rule-of-law means more extensively to regulate the order of market competition and promote the healthy development and upgrading of industries.
Since the beginning of this year, various regions have actively explored new models of cultural and tourism consumption, injecting new impetus into expanding consumption through diversified supply. The photo shows the start of the 2025 Huai’an Marathon and Grand Canal Marathon Series (Huai’an Station) on April 13, 2025, with contestants passing through the Huai’an Ecological Cultural and Tourism Zone. (Photo by He Jinghua, Xinhua News Agency)
We must focus on ensuring and improving people's livelihoods, resolving the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that for Chinese-path modernization, people’s livelihoods are of paramount importance; no matter concerning livelihoods is small, as "every branch and leaf is tied to our feelings" [11]. We must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, focusing on the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses. We must do our utmost within our means to continuously improve the level of livelihood protection, so that the fruits of development benefit all people more extensively and equitably, making the "warmth" of policies more perceptible and accessible. We will focus on stabilizing employment, promoting the coordination of fiscal, monetary, and other policies with employment policies, and implementing employment support plans for key areas, key industries, urban and rural grassroots levels, and small, medium, and micro enterprises. We will improve the income distribution system, regulate the order of income distribution, and build an institutional system that coordinates primary distribution, redistribution, and third distribution [12], continuously narrowing the income gap and strengthening residents' consumption capacity. We will deepen reforms in the fields of education, social security, and medicine and health; expand the supply of high-quality educational resources, increase efforts to build high-quality high schools, promote the high-quality development of higher education, and promote the equalization of basic public educational services. We will improve the social security system to alleviate the worries of residents; promote the renovation of hospital wards and equipment updates, and implement projects to strengthen the medical and health foundations to better meet the medical needs of the people.
We must coordinate high-quality development and high-level security, building development on a more secure and reliable foundation. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that we must consistently enhance our awareness of potential dangers and guard against risks and challenges. We must deeply implement the Overall State Security Outlook [13], enhance our ability to maintain national security, and ensure the new development pattern with a new security pattern. We will take multiple measures to stabilize employment, enterprises, markets, and expectations, continuously refining the "policy toolkit" and utilizing a "combination punch" of policies to improve the foresight, targeted nature, and effectiveness of macro-control, using the certainty of high-quality development to cope with the uncertainty of sharp changes in the external environment. We will effectively prevent and resolve risks in key areas, continue to consolidate the stable trend of the real estate market, steadily resolve local government debt risks, actively guard against risks in the financial sector, and go all out to consolidate the fundamentals of economic development and social stability. We will strengthen security construction in key areas, ensure the steady production and supply of grain and important agricultural products, guarantee the secure and stable supply of energy and resources, make every effort to ensure the security of important industrial and supply chains, maintain national data security, and firmly hold the bottom line of preventing systemic risks.
We must scientifically plan the economic and social development of the "15th Five-Year Plan" [14], linking short-term goals with medium- and long-term goals. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that the scientific formulation and successive implementation of five-year plans is an important experience in our Party’s governance and an important political advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must deeply plan the key tasks for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan and compile the development plan effectively. We must closely follow the goal of basically achieving modernization by 2035, accurately grasping the Party Central Committee’s phased requirements for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, as well as the development requirements for new quality productive forces and the essential requirements for common prosperity. We must demonstrate foresight regarding changes in the international situation and their profound impact on our country's economy and society, scientifically determine development goals, and plan major strategic tasks, major reform measures, and major engineering projects, so that the development plan can better play its role in leading and guiding economic and social development.
III. Continuously Deepen Study to Constantly Enhance the Ability to Promote High-Quality Development Amidst Complex Situations
This year is the concluding year of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and an important year for further comprehensively deepening reform; the tasks of reform, development, and stability are heavy. We must earnestly study the Selected Works, consciously using Xi Jinping’s economic thought to guide and lead development and reform work, pushing high-quality development to new heights.
Study to gain confidence and responsibility. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that we often say leading cadres currently face a "capability crisis," the most fundamental lack of which is insufficient theoretical literacy. Through studying the Selected Works, we should truly perceive the theoretical charm and practical power of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, tangibly enhancing our theoretical confidence in using this thought to analyze situations, respond to challenges, and solve difficult problems, while taking the initiative and shouldering heavy responsibilities on the new journey of the New Era.
Study to gain scientific methods. The articles included in the Selected Works centrally embody and reflect the scientific methodology inherent in Xi Jinping’s economic thought. They discuss not only the "what" and the "why," but also "how to view" and "what to do," providing us with scientific and effective ideational and working methods to face difficulties head-on and unswervingly manage our own affairs well. Through studying the Selected Works, we must deeply understand and grasp scientific methods for economic work, such as "seeking progress while maintaining stability" and combining "goal-orientation" with "problem-orientation," using the scientific methodology of Xi Jinping’s economic thought to guide development and reform work toward new successes.
Study to gain the ability for practical application. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that being good at economic work is a vital aspect of a leading cadre's ability. Through studying the Selected Works, we must continuously improve our political quality and professional competence. We must be able to "look from the macro perspective," keeping the "greatest interests of the nation" [15] in mind, being adept at planning the overall situation and grasping major issues, and considering and promoting economic and social development from a political height. Simultaneously, we must be able to "start from the micro level," being down-to-earth and understanding reality, ensuring that the major strategies formulated and the important policies introduced conform to objective laws, are truly effective and "thirst-quenching" [16], and can be implemented with tangible results.
Study to gain practical effects. Xi Jinping’s economic thought is a scientific guide for action in doing our country’s economic work well in the New Era, possessing a distinct practical nature. Through studying the Selected Works, we must comprehensively grasp the practical requirements of Xi Jinping’s economic thought. We must closely integrate it with the overall direction, strategic deployment, and target tasks of economic work in the New Era, strengthening the sense of mission to "grasp" [work], tempering the ironclad ability to "implement," and carrying forward a "down-to-earth" working style, tangibly pushing the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments to take root, blossom, and bear fruit.
(Author: Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the National Development and Reform Commission; Chairperson of the Council of the Xi Jinping Economic Thought Research Center)