Xu Zhanchen: The Ideological Weapon and Guide to Action for Economic Work in the New Era
The Selected Economic Works of Xi Jinping (Volume I) (hereafter referred to as the Selected Works), published this year, collects the most important and fundamental writings of General Secretary Xi Jinping on economic construction from November 2012 to December 2024. The content is rich, the key points are prominent, and the vision is lofty. It includes both strategic planning at the aggregate level and practical requirements for a series of major economic issues, providing an authoritative textbook for the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups nationwide to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping's economic thought. Theoretical workers and those working in various economic fields must comprehend the Selected Works within the overall theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; understand it within the temporal coordinates of the new developments in Marxism, especially the new developments in political economy, amidst the accelerating evolution of the changes unseen in a century [1]; and, in combination with the historic achievements and transformations of our country's economy in the New Era, engage in deep reflection and implementation within the great practice of advancing Chinese-path modernization.
1. Clearly outlining the trajectory and logic of the formation and development of Xi Jinping's economic thought
The overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world's profound changes unseen in a century constitute the era-defining background for economic work in the New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "We must dialectically recognize and grasp the general domestic and international trends, coordinate the overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world's profound changes unseen in a century, deeply understand the new characteristics and requirements brought about by the evolution of the principal contradiction in our society, deeply understand the new contradictions and challenges brought about by the complex international environment, enhance our awareness of opportunities and risks, accurately identify changes, respond to them scientifically, and take the initiative to seek change." In the historical process of transitioning from "standing up" and "growing rich" to "becoming strong," [2] the change in the principal contradiction of our society is a historic shift affecting the entire situation. The current principal contradiction is between the people's ever-growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. This shift in the principal contradiction is the primary basis and important hallmark of socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly grasped the characteristics of the new era, anchored the missions and tasks of the New Era, and proposed new concepts, thoughts, and strategies such as recognizing, adapting to, and leading the "new normal" of economic development; grasping the new developmental stage, implementing the new development philosophy, and constructing a new development pattern; promoting the realization of high-quality development; and comprehensively advancing the cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.
Reviewing the path of China's economic development since the New Era, recognizing, adapting to, and leading the "new normal" of economic development served as the logical starting point. At the Central Economic Work Conference held in December 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly expounded on "how to view the new normal" and "how to act under the new normal," proposing that we "must accelerate the transformation of the economic development mode, accelerate the adjustment of the economic structure, and accelerate the cultivation and formation of new growth drivers" and "completely discard the idea of recreating high growth through old thinking, logic, and methods."
The new development philosophy is a vital component of Xi Jinping's economic thought. In "Deeply Understanding the New Development Philosophy and Advancing Supply-Side Structural Reform," General Secretary Xi Jinping combined history and reality with several major issues to profoundly explain the development philosophy of "innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing" from theoretical and macro perspectives. The new development philosophy is clearly problem-oriented, reflecting the organic unity of principles and methods, goals and means, and the overall situation and key priorities. It found the breakthrough point and created the conditions for achieving high-quality economic and social development in the New Era.
Currently, our country has entered a new development stage of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and marching toward the Second Centenary Goal [3]. Constructing a new development pattern with domestic dual circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international dual circulation reinforcing each other is a strategic measure to adapt to changes in our country's comparative advantages, reshape new competitive advantages, and firmly grasp the initiative of development. In "On Constructing a New Development Pattern," General Secretary Xi Jinping identified accelerating the cultivation of a complete internal demand system, accelerating scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, promoting the optimization and upgrading of industrial and supply chains, advancing agricultural and rural modernization, improving the quality of people's lives, and firmly holding the bottom line of secure development as the key focus areas for constructing the new development pattern. As the construction of the new development pattern continues to advance, the overall quality of China's economy continues to rise, providing us with the confidence and strength to respond to increasingly fierce and complex external risks and challenges.
Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the historical mission of Chinese Communists, and comprehensively building a great modern socialist country is the goal for which Chinese Communists have tirelessly struggled. In "Comprehensively Advancing the Cause of Building a Strong Country and National Rejuvenation through Chinese-path Modernization," General Secretary Xi Jinping summarized five characteristics of Chinese-path modernization: a huge population, common prosperity for all, the coordination of material and spiritual civilizations, harmony between humanity and nature, and following the path of peaceful development. The profound explanation and clear articulation of Chinese-path modernization will enable us to forge a modernization path for a major socialist country that better reflects the developmental achievements of contemporary human civilization, possesses higher quality and efficiency, and holds greater international appeal. It demonstrates socialist China's clear awareness of the uniqueness and grounding of its development path.
China's development is a major variable in the changing contemporary international landscape; the relationship between the world and China is no longer a simple one of influencing and being influenced. Based on profound changes in the conditions of the world, the country, and the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping has explored the common challenges facing humanity through the lens of the connection and interaction between China and the world. He proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, along with the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity. These have been widely accepted by the international community due to their practical relevance, ideological leadership, and moral appeal. Their practical fruits continue to manifest, pointing the way for the future development of humanity.
2. Profoundly expounding the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist political economy
Development is the Party's top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country, and economic work is the Party's central task. We must understand the series of major theoretical innovations of our Party in the New Era from the perspective of enriching and developing contemporary Marxist political economy and advancing the new development of scientific socialism. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on major theoretical issues—such as the relationship between the government and the market, the regulation and guidance of the healthy development of capital, and the development of new quality productive forces—reflect a distinct problem-consciousness and spirit of innovation, presenting the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism through vivid examples.
The relationship between the government and the market has always been the core issue of China's economic system reform. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee shifted the positioning of the market's role in resource allocation from "basic" to "decisive," reflecting a new breakthrough in our Party's understanding of the laws governing the construction of a socialist market economy. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed that "a high-level socialist market economy system is an important guarantee for Chinese-path modernization" and that we "must better utilize the role of market mechanisms." Currently, the construction of a unified national market continues to advance, the level of market-oriented allocation of various resource elements is steadily rising, and the roles of an effective market and a proactive government are being fully exerted. This has led to improved developmental performance and demonstrated a positive demonstration and driving effect.
Under the conditions of a socialist market economy, how to correctly understand the characteristics and behavioral laws of capital, leverage the positive role of capital as an important factor of production, and suppress the negative effects that its profit-seeking nature may bring is a major theoretical and practical issue. In "Regulating and Guiding the Healthy Development of China's Capital According to Law and Leveraging the Positive Role of Capital as an Important Factor of Production," General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed systematic and comprehensive governance requirements—both guiding and practical—on correctly handling capital and interest distribution, deepening capital market reform, regulating and guiding capital development, and comprehensively improving capital governance effectiveness. This provides the fundamental compliance framework for New Era capital governance to utilize capital where needed, promote its strengths, and suppress its harms.
Marxism regards productive forces as the most revolutionary force advancing social change, and developing social productive forces is the fundamental task of socialism. Based on a deep understanding and grasp of the evolutionary laws of productive forces and relations of production under the contemporary technological revolution and industrial transformation, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed that "developing new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement and an important focus for promoting high-quality development." General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on new quality productive forces have deepened and sublimated the concept of high-quality development, innovating and enriching Marxist theory of productive forces under new historical conditions.
3. Vividly presenting the highly characteristic methodological system of economic work in contemporary China
Engels once said, "Marx's whole way of thinking is not a doctrine but a method. It provides not ready-made dogmas, but starting points for further investigation and the method for such investigation." The great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics lie not only in mastering scientific theoretical weapons but, more importantly, in being based on China's national conditions and rooted in Chinese soil to form pragmatic and effective practical capabilities with Chinese characteristics. The formulation and implementation of China's Five-Year Plans, the construction of Special Economic Zones, the insistence on pilot programs before nationwide promotion for major reforms, and the "pairing assistance" and cooperation between economically developed and underdeveloped regions are all important practices with Chinese characteristics. The achievements of the poverty alleviation transition in the New Era have been widely praised by the international community, becoming a Chinese model for global poverty governance. These achievements and experiences vividly present the highly characteristic methodological system of economic work in contemporary China.
The historic achievements and transformations in China's economic development in the New Era demonstrate that our Party is not only able to gain insight into historical necessity and grasp developmental laws but is also rich in practical creativity. We must be adept at viewing reality through history and seeing essence through phenomena, correctly handling the relationships between the whole and the part, the present and the long-term, the macro and the micro, the principal contradiction and secondary contradictions, and the particular and the general. In "Comprehensively Advancing the Cause of Building a Strong Country and National Rejuvenation through Chinese-path Modernization," General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically discussed six relationships that need to be handled well in advancing Chinese-path modernization: top-level design and practical exploration, strategy and tactics, upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, efficiency and equity, vitality and order, and self-reliance and self-strengthening and opening up to the outside world.
The Selected Works provides profound expositions on important practical relationships in New Era economic development, such as "quality and quantity," "stability and progress," "supply and demand," "crisis and opportunity," and "internal and external." On the relationship between "quality and quantity," we must "promote the economy to achieve effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth." On the relationship between "stability and progress," it is proposed that "stability is the overall situation and the foundation, while progress is the direction and the driver. 'Stability' and 'progress' are dialectically unified and must be grasped as a whole; what should be stable must be stabilized, and what should progress must be pursued with enterprise, grasping the pace and intensity of work." On the relationship between "supply and demand," we must "organically combine the strategy of expanding domestic demand with the deepening of supply-side structural reform" to "form a higher-level dynamic equilibrium where demand pulls supply and supply creates demand." On the relationship between "crisis and opportunity," we must "cultivate new opportunities in crisis and open new ground in the midst of change." On the relationship between "internal and external," we must "shape new advantages for China's participation in international cooperation and competition, value the use of international circulation to improve the efficiency and level of domestic dual circulation, and improve the quality and allocation level of China's production factors." These important expositions grasp the essence of the issues, are clear and easy to understand, emphasize action, and are of great guiding significance.
Applying the methodology of Marxist political economy deepens the understanding of the laws of our country's economic development and improves the ability and level of leading economic development. In "On Constructing a New Development Pattern," General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed that we must both "grasp the essentials from above" (cao qi yao yu shang) [4] by strengthening strategic planning and top-level design, and "distribute the details below" (fen qi xiang yu xia) by grasping the focus of work. Means are determined by ends and function under the constraint of those ends. We should pay attention to the mutual promotion, positive interaction, overall advancement, and key breakthroughs in all aspects of work, preventing situations where "new methods are not known how to be used, old methods are ineffective, hard methods are not dared to be used, and soft methods are useless."
Poverty is a prominent problem plaguing global development and governance. The key to poverty alleviation lies in precision. In "Poverty Alleviation Must Use Precise Measures, Exert Precise Effort, and See Precise Results," General Secretary Xi Jinping clarified that four questions must be resolved: "who should be helped," "who is helping," "how to help," and "how to exit." China's poverty alleviation implemented "six precisions"—precision in identifying aid recipients, project arrangements, fund utilization, household measures, village-based personnel assignment, and poverty exit results. By issuing a series of policy measures and constructing a whole set of effective policy, work, and institutional systems, a "combination of punches" was thrown. China's poverty alleviation has created the world's most brilliant practical sample of poverty reduction governance.
This year marks the concluding year of the 14th Five-Year Plan, and various regions and departments are planning economic work for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. We must earnestly strengthen the study of the Selected Works, persist in combining theory with practice, achieve reflection within study, use reflection to comprehend principles, use principles to guide action, and gain further reflection from action. We must earnestly improve the entire Party's level of political theory and its ability for dialectical thinking. By persisting in being demand-oriented, reality-oriented, and future-oriented, we will enhance our consciousness, initiative, and creativity in doing economic work in the New Era, transforming the study of the Selected Works into a powerful force for solving practical difficulties, innovating development modes, improving development performance, and promoting the realization of high-quality development.