Ning Jizhe: The Direction, Path, and Key Tasks of Chinese Modernization
Abstract: Scientifically clarifying the theoretical perspectives of Chinese-path modernization is of vital importance for the in-depth study and comprehension of the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC. This article systematically expounds upon the characteristics, essential requirements, major principles, and strategic arrangements of Chinese-path modernization. It explores the significance, conceptual framework, and guiding principles of various aspects of Chinese-path modernization, focusing on an analysis of the primary tasks in the construction of the economy, society, ecological civilization, and science, education, and human resources. The article points out that China’s problems must be answered by Chinese people themselves, proceeding from China’s basic national conditions. We must persist in self-confidence and self-reliance, promote high-quality development, improve the people's quality of life, and gradually build our country into a great modern socialist power. The analysis in this article provides important insights for readers to comprehensively understand and accurately grasp the standpoint, viewpoint, and method of Chinese-path modernization.
Keywords: Report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC; Chinese-path modernization; High-quality development
I. Introduction The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC clearly stated that, from this moment on, the central task of the Communist Party of China is to unite and lead the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to realize the Second Centenary Goal [1] of building a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization. The report profoundly discussed the Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, major principles, and strategic arrangements for advancing Chinese-path modernization, and scientifically clarified the strategic tasks and major measures for our country's economic, social, ecological, and educational/scientific-talent construction over the next five years (Xi Jinping, 2022). This is an important strategic deployment made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core for the economic and social development of our country in the coming period. We must study and comprehend it in depth and implement it earnestly.
II. The Direction and Path of Chinese-path Modernization The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC expounded on the Chinese characteristics of Chinese-path modernization from five perspectives: a massive population, common prosperity for all, coordination between material and cultural-ethical [2] progress, harmony between humanity and nature, and following the path of peaceful development. The report also summarized the essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization in nine sentences: upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China, adhering to socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieving high-quality development, developing whole-process people’s democracy, enriching the people’s cultural-ethical world, achieving common prosperity for all, promoting harmony between humanity and nature, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and creating a new form of human advancement. Simultaneously, the report emphasized five major principles for advancing Chinese-path modernization: upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership, adhering to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, staying committed to a people-centered development philosophy, remaining dedicated to deepening reform and opening up, and persisting in carrying forward the spirit of struggle. The report reaffirmed the strategic arrangement of building a great modern socialist country in all respects in two steps, and further provided outlooks and deployments for the developmental goals and tasks for the next five years, through to 2035, and to the middle of this century (Xi Jinping, 2022). This reveals the connotations of Chinese-path modernization and points out the direction and path for future development.
(I) Upholding the Leadership of the Communist Party of China and Adhering to Socialism with Chinese Characteristics All the struggles carried out by the CPC in the century since its founding have been for the purpose of building our country into a great modern socialist power and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Socialism under the leadership of the CPC is the fundamental requirement of Chinese-path modernization.
(1) Arduous struggles in modern history. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation in modern times." After the Opium War of 1840, under the invasion of foreign powers and the corrupt rule of feudalism, our country missed the opportunity of the Industrial Revolution and fell significantly behind the times; the Chinese nation suffered unprecedented hardships. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Chinese people and countless people of high ideals were unyielding, laboriously seeking a path toward Chinese modernization. The "Strategy for National Reconstruction" [3] presided over and formulated by Mr. Sun Yat-sen was called the first blueprint for modern China's pursuit of modernization (Sun Yat-sen, 2011). However, under semi-colonial and semi-feudal social conditions, Chinese modernization did not and could not achieve success. The original aspiration and founding mission of the CPC was to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. From the founding of the Party to the establishment of New China, the CPC led the Chinese people in revolutionary struggle, overthrew the "three great mountains" [4], achieved national independence and people's liberation, and realized the great leap from thousands of years of feudal autocracy to people’s democracy, creating the fundamental social conditions for advancing Chinese-path modernization and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
(2) Arduous exploration after the founding of New China. From 1949 to 1978, the CPC led the people in proposing and putting into practice the goals for China's modernization. In the 1950s, Comrade Mao Zedong proposed: "Our people should have a far-reaching plan to strive to change our country’s backwardness in economics, science, and culture within several decades, and rapidly reach the advanced levels of the world." In the 1960s, Comrade Mao Zedong first proposed the vision of building our country into a great modern socialist power (Mao Zedong, 1999; Party Building Group of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, 1992). At the same time, Comrade Zhou Enlai proposed: "Starting from the Third Five-Year Plan, the development of our national economy can be considered in two steps: the first step is to build an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system; the second step is to comprehensively realize the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology, so that our country's economy stands in the forefront of the world." In 1949, our country's grain output was only 226.4 billion jin [5], crude steel output was only 158,000 tons, and we could not manufacture a single automobile. By 1978, grain output reached 610 billion jin, crude steel output reached 34.78 million tons, and automobile output reached 149,000 units (The "Glorious 70 Years" Compiling Group, 2019). On a foundation of "poverty and blankness" [6], our country established an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system, effectively safeguarding national sovereignty and security. The socialist revolution brought about the most extensive and profound social changes in the history of the Chinese nation. The socialist cause took solid steps, realizing the great leap of a large Eastern country into socialist society, laying an important foundation for advancing Chinese socialist modernization and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
(3) Successful practice since reform and opening up. From 1978 to 2012, the CPC led the people in advancing reform and opening up and socialist modernization. At the end of the 1970s and early 1980s, Comrade Deng Xiaoping proposed the "three-step" strategy: ensuring the people have enough to eat and wear by the late 1980s; ensuring the people reach a level of moderate prosperity [7] (xiaokang) by the end of the 20th century; and basically achieving modernization by the middle of the 21st century, with per capita income reaching the level of moderately developed countries (Deng Xiaoping, 1993; Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, 1995). At the start of the new century, our Party further proposed that by the centenary of the CPC, we would basically achieve modernization and comprehensively build a higher-level society of moderate prosperity that benefits over a billion people; and by the centenary of the founding of New China, we would basically complete modernization and build our country into a modern socialist country (Hu Jintao, 2011). During this period, our country achieved a historic breakthrough from relatively backward productive forces to becoming the world's second-largest economy, and realized a historic leap from insufficient food and clothing to a generally moderate prosperity, moving toward comprehensive moderate prosperity. This advanced the great leap of the Chinese nation from standing up to becoming prosperous, providing a vigorous institutional guarantee and material conditions for rapid development to advance Chinese socialist modernization and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
(4) Great changes upon entering the New Era. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the people of the whole country in common struggle, achieving historic achievements and witnessing historic changes in the cause of the Party and the state. The 19th National Congress of the CPC made strategic arrangements to advance the Second Centenary Goal in two stages, proposing to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035 and to build our country into a great modern socialist power that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of this century (Book Editorial Group, 2017). On the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, our country completed the historical task of poverty alleviation and the comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society, achieving the First Centenary Goal. From 2012 to 2021, China's GDP grew from 54 trillion yuan to 115 trillion yuan, its economic volume firmly ranking second in the world; per capita GDP increased from 39,800 yuan to over 81,000 yuan, equivalent to over 12,000 US dollars, approaching the lower limit of per capita income for high-income countries. The great changes of the decade in the New Era are of landmark significance. The Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong, laying a solid and powerful foundation for advancing Chinese socialist modernization and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
(5) The fundamental guarantee for marching toward the new journey. On the basis of long-term exploration since the founding of New China, and especially since reform and opening up, and following the breakthroughs in theory and practice since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC has led the Chinese people in successfully advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization. Reflecting on the past and looking to the future, without the CPC, there would be no New China, no socialism with Chinese characteristics, no Chinese-path modernization, and no rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Having traversed a century of struggle, the CPC has become even stronger and more powerful through "revolutionary forging" [8]. The Party's capacity for political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social mobilization has been significantly enhanced. The Party has always maintained "flesh-and-blood" ties with the masses. The CPC has always stood at the forefront of history amidst the profound changes in the global situation, remained the backbone of the people of the whole country in the historical process of responding to various domestic and international risks and tests, and remained the strong leadership core in the historical process of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is the fundamental guarantee for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation entering an irreversible historical process. It should be seen that Chinese-path modernization possesses the common characteristics of modernization in all countries—such as manifesting in economic development, scientific and technological progress, improvement of people’s livelihoods, and increase in per capita income, as well as the optimization of economic and social structures and the improvement of industrialization, informatization, and urbanization. Since reform and opening up, our country has authored the "two miracles" of rapid economic development and long-term social stability; per capita GDP has increased significantly, and levels of industrialization, informatization, and urbanization have risen remarkably. In just a few decades, we completed the historical transformations that most developed countries spent one or two hundred years to achieve. Simultaneously, Chinese-path modernization possesses Chinese characteristics based on its own national conditions. Scientific socialism has radiated vigorous vitality in 21st-century China. Chinese-path modernization provides an effective path for realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and offers a new choice for developing countries to achieve modernization. The great practice and innovative theories of advancing Chinese-path modernization are actual explorations and summaries of experience in our country's socialist modernization construction; they capture the enrichment and development of global modernization theory and practice, and have already created—and continue to create—a new form of human advancement.
(II) Proceeding from the Basic National Condition of a Massive Population: China’s Problems must be Answered by Chinese People Themselves (1) Understanding the basic national conditions. A massive population is the fundamental basis for Chinese-path modernization. The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of a massive population. It also noted that the principal contradiction in our society is the contradiction between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. The report further noted that China is a large developing country still in the primary stage of socialism, undergoing extensive and profound social changes; advancing reform and development or adjusting interest relations often "pulls a single hair and moves the whole body" [9] (Xi Jinping, 2022). These important expositions provide the key for us to understand our national conditions. Our country has a large population, a large rural population, and a large mobile [migrant] population. At the end of 2021, the total population was 1.413 billion, of which the rural population was approximately 500 million. Census data indicates that China's rural registered (hukou) population exceeds 700 million, and the mobile population exceeds 300 million. Meanwhile, the gap between urban and rural areas and among different regions remains large. In 2021, the ratio of per capita disposable income of urban residents to rural residents was 2.5:1, and the ratio of per capita GDP of the highest province to the lowest was 4.1:1. Our industrial structure is overall still at the low-to-medium end, and there is still a significant gap in the level of scientific and technological development compared with developed countries. Although our per capita GDP is close to the lower limit of high-income countries, it has only just surpassed the global average of over 11,000 US dollars. We should have a clear understanding of this. In thinking about issues, making decisions, formulating plans, issuing policies, and handling affairs, we must proceed from the basic national conditions of a massive population and unbalanced and inadequate development.
(2) Grasping the developmental path. Emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and being realistic and pragmatic are the Party’s ideological lines that must be adhered to over the long term. Only by persisting in starting from reality and basing ourselves on fundamental national conditions can we better manage China’s affairs. The transition of China’s population of over 1.4 billion from a developing economy into a modernized society as a whole—a scale exceeding the combined population of fewer than 1 billion in existing developed countries—is an unprecedented feat in the history of human development. It is also a contribution made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people toward solving the common problems facing humanity, and it serves as an inexhaustible source of Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength. At the same time, it must be recognized that the exploratory nature, difficulty, and complexity of such modernization are unprecedented, and the developmental paths and methods of promotion will inevitably have their own characteristics. For example, while we must follow the path of achieving modernization through industrialization, informatization, and urbanization as other countries have, we must specifically proceed from the reality of our large population and large number of farmers to vigorously promote agricultural modernization, following a developmental path where "four modernizations" proceed in parallel [10]. Furthermore, China has a large population with relatively low per capita income levels, and development in rural areas and the central and western regions lags behind. While these are the shortboards [11] and weaknesses of modernization, they also contain huge potential for development. This gives the expansion of domestic demand a strategic significance that affects the overall situation and provides vast room for maneuver in China; it also makes our massive domestic market a powerful magnetic field for attracting international elements and resources, providing a practical foundation for us to construct a new development pattern with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international dual circulation promoting each other.
(3) Persisting in self-confidence and self-reliance. To promote Chinese-path modernization for a massive population, we must strengthen confidence in our path, theory, system, and culture, and devote ourselves to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics with a more active sense of historical responsibility and creative spirit. We must persist in being problem-oriented, maintaining a systems perspective, and upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. We should enhance our problem-awareness, focus on practical issues, improve our thinking abilities, follow objective laws, continuously expand the breadth and depth of our cognition, and constantly propose new concepts, new ideas, and new methods that truly solve problems. We must persist in integrating theory with practice, respect the pioneering spirit of the grassroots and the masses, and follow the principle of "from the masses, to the masses" [12] to solve the problems and difficulties encountered on the road ahead through practice. We must maintain strategic resolve and historical patience, neither aiming for the unreachable nor sticking to old ways, but rather persisting in seeking progress while maintaining stability, moving forward step by step and continuing to advance to write new chapters of the New Era.
(III) Promoting common prosperity for all people, ensuring that the fruits of modernization benefit the people more extensively and fairly
(1) Clarifying the connotation of common prosperity. Common prosperity for all people is the social guarantee of Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping (2021a) pointed out: "The common prosperity we speak of is common prosperity for all people; it is the prosperity of both the material development and spiritual life of the masses. It is not prosperity for a few, nor is it a uniform egalitarianism." From a theoretical perspective, common prosperity is a fundamental goal of Marxism; Marxism foresees that the future society will aim for the prosperity of all people (Marx and Engels, 1979, 2012). From a historical perspective, common prosperity has been a basic ideal of the Chinese people since ancient times. The Chinese nation’s ideal of a prosperous, strong, just, and equal society is an important component of the Chinese Dream. From a political perspective, common prosperity centrally embodies our Party’s fundamental purpose of serving the people heart and soul, reflecting the people’s aspirations for a better life. From a practical perspective, common prosperity is an important feature of Chinese-path modernization. Since the reform and opening up, allowing some regions and some people to get rich first has promoted the great leap of the Chinese nation from "standing up" to "becoming rich." In 2020, China’s total social assets exceeded 1.6 quadrillion yuan, growing rapidly. Promoting common prosperity on the new journey is a Chinese characteristic and a transition mark of comprehensively building a modern socialist country.
(2) Improving the understanding of common prosperity. Achieving common prosperity signifies that all people can benefit from development, represents the fundamental interests of the broadest range of people, and embodies the principles of "people first," "establishing the Party for the public good," and "governing for the people." In the early years of the People’s Republic, shortly after proposing to build China into a great industrial country with a high level of civilization, Comrade Mao Zedong put forward the concept of making the entire rural population prosper together (Mao Zedong, 1999). After the reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out that the essence of socialism is to liberate and develop the productive forces, eliminate exploitation, eliminate polarization, and ultimately achieve common prosperity (Deng Xiaoping, 1993). After entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics (Xi Jinping, 2022). Looking at the domestic situation, we have currently historically resolved the problem of absolute poverty and comprehensively built a moderately prosperous society (xiaokang) on Chinese soil. China's productive forces, comprehensive national strength, and people's living standards have all reached a new level, laying a solid foundation for promoting common prosperity. As the adjustment of China’s economic and social structure accelerates, the people’s needs for a better life show many new characteristics, placing new demands on narrowing the urban-rural gap, regional gap, and income distribution gap. China has reached the historical stage of solidly promoting common prosperity. Looking at international comparisons, some countries in South America and Southeast Asia have fallen into the so-called "middle-income trap" due to widening income distribution gaps. Some developed countries in Europe and America have also seen the rise of populism, conservatism, and extremism due to the vast disparity between rich and poor and the erosion of the middle-income group, causing social and economic instability. All of this indicates that once the gap between rich and poor becomes too large, a country will find it difficult to achieve modernization; even countries that have already achieved modernization will fall deep into contradictions and face numerous difficulties. We must follow the path of Chinese-path modernization toward common prosperity for all people. At the same time, we should recognize that achieving common prosperity is a grand goal of China’s economic and social development that accompanies the entire process of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. It can by no means be achieved overnight or in a rush; rather, it is a long-term historical process that requires long-term planning and persisting over the long term to achieve lasting results.
(3) Solidly promoting common prosperity. This is a major deployment made by the 20th CPC National Congress. We must persist in taking the realization of the people’s aspirations for a better life as the starting point of modernization, effectively safeguard and promote social fairness and justice, make great efforts to promote common prosperity for all, and take effective measures to resolutely prevent polarization. We must persist in promoting common prosperity through high-quality development, making the "cake" bigger and better through the joint efforts of all people to lay a more solid material foundation for safeguarding social fairness and justice. Then, through reasonable institutional arrangements and policy adjustments, we must handle the relationship between growth and distribution well—slicing and distributing the "cake" fairly and reasonably—so that the superiority of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is fully reflected. We should give play to the initiative, proactive spirit, and creativity of all people and enterprises, encouraging the acquisition of wealth through hard work, legal operations, and entrepreneurial courage, while emphasizing that those who get rich first should lead and help others to follow suit, ensuring that everyone can participate in the development process and enjoy the fruits of development, thereby improving the balance, coordination, and inclusiveness of development. We must do our best within our means, ensuring that the protection and improvement of people’s livelihoods and the promotion of common prosperity are built on the foundation of sustainable economic development and financial resources. This involves coordinating primary distribution, redistribution, and third distribution [13], allowing the "effective market," "capable government," and "charitable society" to work together, following the road of Chinese-path modernization toward common prosperity for all.
(IV) Promoting coordination between material and spiritual civilizations, enriching the people’s spiritual world
(1) Recognizing the profound significance. The coordination between material and spiritual civilizations is a specific quality of Chinese-path modernization. Both material and spiritual abundance are fundamental requirements of socialist modernization. Achieving the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilizations is an important experience of the CPC in leading the Chinese people toward socialist modernization. The people’s spiritual fulfillment comes from advanced socialist culture and from fine traditional Chinese culture. Meeting the people’s growing spiritual and cultural needs not only embodies the principle of serving the people but also provides spiritual impetus and cultural support for modernization. At the beginning of the reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out that while building a high level of material civilization, we must raise the scientific and cultural level of the entire nation, develop noble and colorful cultural activities, and build a high level of socialist spiritual civilization (Deng Xiaoping, 1993; CPC Central Policy Research Office, 1992). After entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that only if both material and spiritual civilizations are well-developed, national material and spiritual strengths are enhanced, and the material and spiritual lives of people of all ethnic groups are improved, can the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics advance smoothly. Theory and practice tell us that material poverty is not socialism, nor is spiritual poverty. Modernization characterized by material gain alongside spiritual decline, moral absence, and a "money-first" mentality is meaningless. Promoting socialist modernization requires that while the economy grows and material conditions continuously improve, cultural construction is continuously strengthened and spiritual life is continuously improved, maintaining a "two-handed" approach where both hands are firm.
(2) Inheriting fine culture. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out that to persist in and develop Marxism, we must integrate it with fine traditional Chinese culture. It also noted that fine traditional Chinese culture has a long history, is broad and profound, and is the crystallization of the wisdom of Chinese civilization (Xi Jinping, 2022). The views on the universe, the world, and society accumulated by the Chinese people over long-term production and life are highly compatible with the values of scientific socialism and are closely linked to the Chinese characteristics of Chinese-path modernization. For example, "the world is for the public" (天下一家/天下为公, tiān xià wéi gōng) and "the people are the foundation of the state" (民为邦本, mín wéi bāng běn) are consistent with the principles of the CPC leading the people toward common prosperity. "Carrying the world with great virtue" (厚德载物, hòu dé zài wù) and "valuing good faith and harmony" (讲信修睦, jiǎng xìn xiū mù) are important standards for coordinating material and spiritual civilizations. "Harmony between humanity and nature" (天人合一, tiān rén hé yī) and "following the laws of nature" (道法自然, dào fǎ zì rán) are completely consistent with the policy of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. "Being kind to neighbors" (亲仁善邻, qīn rén shàn lín) and "Great Harmony in the world" (世界大同, shì jiè dà tóng) are the principles and goals pursued by our country in following the path of peaceful development and promoting a community with a shared future for humanity. "Discarding the old for the new" (革故鼎新, gé gù dǐng xīn) and "constant self-improvement" (自强不息, zì qiáng bù xī) are highly consistent with the concepts of high-quality development and the new development pattern. "Governing with virtue" (为政以德, wéi zhèng yǐ dé) and "appointing people based on merit" (任人唯贤, rèn rén wéi xián) are fundamental principles to be followed in developing whole-process people’s democracy and strengthening political and Party building. In short, fine traditional Chinese culture has left a precious spiritual wealth for the descendants of the Yan and Yellow Emperors [14] to comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.
(3) Promoting cultural construction. We must persist in the path of development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, strengthen cultural confidence, and build a strong socialist cultural country by focusing on "raising the flag, gathering the people, educating new people, flourishing culture, and presenting a positive image." We must develop a socialist culture that is oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future, and is national, scientific, and popular, strengthening the spiritual power to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation (Xi Jinping, 2022). We must deeply plant the material and technical foundations of modernization and solidify the material conditions for the people’s happy life, while simultaneously focusing on strengthening education on ideals and beliefs, inheriting Chinese civilization, stimulating the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation, and promoting the comprehensive abundance of things and the all-around development of people. We must build a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership to establish the "heart" for the country and the "soul" for the nation; extensively practice core socialist values, integrating them into the rule of law, social development, and daily life; promote traditional Chinese virtues and improve the level of civilization in society as a whole; and flourish and develop cultural undertakings and industries, producing more excellent works. Currently, the added value of China’s cultural industry accounts for more than 4% of GDP and needs further enhancement. We should absorb all the excellent achievements of human civilization with a broad mind that "accepts a hundred rivers" [15], while simultaneously enhancing the communication and influence of Chinese civilization.
(V) Promoting harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, furthering the construction of a Beautiful China
(1) Recognizing the importance of symbiosis. Harmony between humanity and nature is the green guarantee for Chinese-path modernization. Nature is the basic condition upon which humanity depends for survival; respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature are inherent requirements for building a0 modern socialist country in all respects. They are also the inevitable choices for a path of civilized development characterized by productive development, affluent life, and a sound ecological environment. As early as the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution was in full swing across Europe, the revolutionary mentor Engels pointed out: "Let us not, however, flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory nature takes its revenge on us." For over a century, most Western developed countries followed a path of "pollute first, treat later" during their industrialization process, leading to serious consequences such as the destruction of the ecological environment and waste pollution that harmed people's livelihoods. For instance, the mid-20th century saw events such as the Los Angeles photochemical smog in the United States, the Great Smog of London in the United Kingdom, and Minamata disease in Japan, which provided bitter lessons for humanity. These events demonstrate that endlessly demanding from nature, or even directly destroying it, will inevitably incur nature’s retribution. Conversely, fine traditional Chinese culture has always held that humanity and nature form a community of life [16]. For over 2,000 years, the Dujiangyan irrigation system [17], which utilizes natural forces for flood control and irrigation, has continuously operated on China's Chengdu Plain; the use of fertilizers consisting primarily of organic manure has long played an effective role in Chinese agricultural production.
Entering the New Era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has incorporated ecological civilization construction into the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, explicitly proposing the endeavor to build a Beautiful China and promote the realization of green development. Our country’s battle against pollution has achieved major results; within a few years, the haze over the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has been greatly reduced. In 2021, the proportion of days with good air quality in 339 cities at the prefecture level and above reached 87.5%, a significant increase over 2012. Our motherland has achieved bluer skies, greener mountains, and clearer waters, opening a new path that avoids the old "pollute first, treat later" track of Western developed countries, and achieving an important milestone in integrating fine traditional Chinese culture into our socialist modernization.
(2) Establishing the general policy for governance. Aiming at the arduous tasks of ecological and environmental protection and the insufficient handling of the relationship between environmental protection and development, the Report to the 20th CPC National Congress proposed a governance strategy and solutions. We must firmly establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets [18], planning development from the height of harmony between humanity and nature. We must persist in sustainable development; prioritize conservation, protection, and natural restoration; and protect nature and the ecological environment as we protect our own eyes. We must coordinate industrial structural adjustment, pollution control, and ecological protection; synergistically promote carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth; and advance ecological priority, conservation-intensive, and green and low-carbon development (Xi Jinping, 2022). Guided by this, Chinese-path modernization that promotes harmony between humanity and nature has great prospects.
(VI) Taking the Path of Peaceful Development and Promoting the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity
(1) Promoting peaceful development. Peaceful development is the external guarantee for Chinese-path modernization. The Report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out that the historical trend of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit is unstoppable, and that the will of the people and the general trend of the times dictate that the future of humanity will ultimately be bright (Xi Jinping, 2022). This is an inheritance and innovation of the important thesis that peace and development remain the themes of the times. It should be noted that the people of the world love peace and long for development; China, as a responsible major country, has always adhered to a foreign policy of maintaining world peace and promoting common development. At the same time, it must be seen that the changes in the world, the times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. On one hand, the prospects for peaceful development are bright; on the other, the road to peaceful development is tortuous. Hegemonic, high-handed, and bullying acts such as the strong bullying the weak, predatory acquisition, and zero-sum games cause profound harm. The peace deficit, development deficit, security deficit, and governance deficit are intensifying, and human society faces unprecedented challenges. The world stands once again at a crossroads of history, and its direction depends on the choices of the people of all nations. At this critical juncture, the Report to the 20th CPC National Congress explicitly declared that Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of following the path of peaceful development (Xi Jinping, 2022). China firmly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, stands firmly on the right side of history and the side of human progress, holds high the banner of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, seeks its own development while resolutely maintaining world peace and development, and better maintains world peace and development through its own development. Our country will not follow the old path of certain countries that realized modernization through war, colonization, and plunder—that old path of benefiting oneself at the expense of others, filled with bloody crimes, which brought profound suffering to the people of the vast number of developing countries. China's development is a growth in the world's forces for peace; no matter what stage of development it reaches, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion.
(2) Building a community with a shared future for humanity. All living things grow together without harming one another; roads run parallel without interfering with one another [19]. The Earth is the home of humanity; all countries, regardless of size, are interdependent. Only when all nations follow the Great Way [20], live in harmony, and engage in win-win cooperation can prosperity be lasting and security be guaranteed. Building a community with a shared future for humanity is where the future of the world's people lies. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; in building a community with a shared future for humanity, China has taken the lead. China persists in dialogue and consultation to promote the construction of a world of lasting peace; persists in joint construction and sharing to promote a world of universal security; persists in win-win cooperation to promote a world of common prosperity; persists in exchange and mutual learning to promote an open and inclusive world; and persists in green and low-carbon development to promote a clean and beautiful world. We adhere to the basic state policy of opening up to the outside world, firmly pursue a win-win strategy of opening up, uphold true multilateralism, maintain the correct direction of economic globalization, and promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment while driving the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road construction is a platform for economic and cultural cooperation dedicated to peaceful development. Since President Xi Jinping proposed the grand Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 150 countries and 32 international organizations, effectively promoting the stability and prosperity of the world economy. In 2022, at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, Xi Jinping announced that in 2023, China would consider hosting the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The Chinese side has also proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. China will be committed to maintaining the basic norms of international relations, safeguarding international fairness and justice, deepening and expanding equal, open, and cooperative global partnerships, and working to expand common interests with all countries to promote the construction of an open world economy and jointly create an international environment conducive to development. We will actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system, promote the common values of humanity—peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom—deepen mutual learning among civilizations, promote the building of a global community of health for all and a community of life for humanity and nature, and, on the basis of building various communities of interest and responsibility, build a community with a shared future for humanity to join hands in creating a better future for mankind.
(VII) Persisting in Development as the Party's Top Priority in Governing and Rejuvenating the Country, and Achieving High-Quality Development
(1) Clarifying the primary task. High-quality development is the important foundation of Chinese-path modernization. The Report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out that high-quality development is the primary task of building a modern socialist country in all respects. This reflects the Party's basic line, its central task, the new development philosophy, and the direction and focus of our country's economic construction. The Report to the 20th CPC National Congress reaffirmed the Party's basic line, proposing to persist in taking economic construction as the center, adhering to the Four Cardinal Principles [21], and adhering to reform and opening up, as well as independence and self-reliance. The Report pointed out the Party's central task: to advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization. It discussed the Party's innovative theory on development, stating that we must fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy. All of these require taking high-quality development as the primary task of modernization. Without a solid material and technological foundation, it is impossible to build a great modern socialist country in all respects (Xi Jinping, 2022). High-quality development is development characterized by innovation, coordination, greenness, openness, and sharing; it is development centered on improving quality and efficiency; and it is development that relies on scientific and technological progress and reform and opening up.
(2) Clarifying the guiding principles. In the ten years of the New Era, remarkable results have been achieved in promoting high-quality development. Our country's total economic output has achieved a historic leap, economic efficiency has continuously improved, the coordination between urban-rural and regional development has strengthened, and grain output and manufacturing scale remain the highest in the world. Major achievements have been made in infrastructure construction, the total number of R&D personnel ranks first in the world, strategic emerging industries have grown, and major results have been achieved in scientific and technological innovation, placing our country among the ranks of innovative nations (Xi Jinping, 2022). We must deeply implement the new development philosophy, adhere to the direction of socialist market economy reform, maintain high-level opening up, and accelerate the construction of a new development pattern with domestic dual circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international dual circulation reinforcing each other. We must persist in taking high-quality development as the theme, organically combining the strategy of expanding domestic demand with deepening supply-side structural reform, enhancing the endogenous power and reliability of the domestic cycle, and improving the quality and level of the international cycle. We must accelerate the construction of a modern economic system, strive to improve total factor productivity, enhance the security and resilience of industrial and supply chains, promote integrated urban-rural development and coordinated regional development, and work to achieve an effective improvement in quality and reasonable growth in quantity.
(VIII) Developing Whole-Process People's Democracy and Ensuring the People are Masters of the Country
(1) Grasping the essential attribute. Whole-process people's democracy is the political guarantee for Chinese-path modernization. The Report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out that whole-process people's democracy is the essential attribute of socialist democratic politics; it is the most extensive, genuine, and effective democracy (Xi Jinping, 2022). It must be recognized that the Communist Party of China comes from the people and serves the people, practicing democratic centralism. Our country is a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants, where all power of the state belongs to the people. Our government is a people's government, responsible to the Party and the people. Democracy is not only an organic part of socialist values but also an important component of the common values of humanity. People's democracy is the lifeblood of socialism and an essential part of building a modern socialist country in all respects. Whole-process people's democracy is a major theoretical and practical innovation achieved by the CPC in leading the people to advance socialist political construction in the New Era. It is a democracy characterized by its popular stance, historical formation, institutional guarantees, genuine effectiveness, and dynamic advancement; it is a democracy that covers the entire chain, all directions, and the full scope of the political process and system. This facilitates the organic unity of Party leadership, the people being masters of the country, and the law-based governance of the country, fully reflecting the will of the people, guaranteeing their rights and interests, and stimulating their creative vitality.
(2) Clarifying guiding principles. Entering the New Era, the construction of socialist politics with Chinese characteristics has been significantly strengthened. The institutionalization, standardization, and proceduralization of socialist democratic politics have been comprehensively advanced. Socialist consultative democracy has developed extensively, and the status of the people as masters of the country has become more solid. The overall framework for the comprehensive law-based governance of the country has basically taken shape, and the construction of a Rule of Law China has opened up new horizons. By the end of 2021, the total number of CPC members was 96.71 million, with 4.94 million primary-level Party organizations, playing an important role in the construction of socialist democratic politics. We must unswervingly follow the path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics, unswervingly pursue comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, improve the system of institutions through which the people run the country, expand orderly political participation by the people, and ensure the people's right to democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight in accordance with the law. We must give full play to the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the masses and consolidate and develop a political situation characterized by vitality, stability, and unity. We must persist in the comprehensive law-based governance of the country, promote the construction of a Rule of Law China, and ensure it plays its proper role in the process of Chinese-path modernization.
(IX) Correctly Understanding the Facing Situation and Firmly Grasping Major Principles
(1) Recognizing opportunities and challenges. The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that building a modern socialist country in all respects is a great and arduous undertaking; the prospects are bright, but the road ahead is long and the task is heavy (Xi Jinping, 2022). In the new situation, to promote Chinese-path modernization, we must seize opportunities and meet challenges. From the perspective of favorable conditions, the world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century at an accelerated pace; a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is developing in depth; the international balance of power is undergoing profound adjustment; and strategic opportunities for our country's development still exist. From the perspective of unfavorable factors, the global pandemic has had a far-reaching impact; the counter-current of anti-globalization is rising; unilateralism and protectionism are increasing significantly; the recovery of the world economy is sluggish; local conflicts and turbulence occur frequently; global problems are intensifying; and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Internationally, global economic growth expectations have been lowered multiple times since 2022. For instance, the International Monetary Fund predicted in October that the world economic growth rate would be 3.2% in 2022 and 2.7% in 2023, reflecting a continued downward revision. Meanwhile, inflation rates in major European and American economies have reached their highest levels in the past 40 years, and the shadow of stagflation hangs over Western countries. Domestically, our country's reform, development, and stability face many deep-seated contradictions that cannot be avoided or bypassed; Party building—especially the improvement of Party conduct, the building of a clean government, and the anti-corruption struggle—faces many stubborn and recurrent problems; and suppression and containment from the outside could escalate at any time. Taken together, our country's development has entered a period where strategic opportunities and risks/challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing; various "black swan" and "gray rhino" [22] events may occur at any time. We must strengthen our confidence in victory, maintain strategic resolve, make good use of opportunities, act according to the trend, and continuously win new victories. At the same time, we must enhance our sense of potential danger, adhere to bottom-line thinking, be mindful of danger in times of peace, provide for a rainy day, and be prepared to withstand major tests of high winds, surging waves, and even perilous stormy seas.
(2) Grasping major principles. These are the important guidelines for Chinese-path modernization. On the road ahead for Chinese-path modernization, we must resolutely uphold the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee; implement the Party's leadership in all fields, aspects, and links of the cause of the Party and the state; and ensure that the Party always remains the most reliable "backbone" [23] for all the people when wind and rain strike. This ensures the correct direction of our country's socialist modernization construction, ensures that we possess strong political cohesion and development confidence for united struggle, and gathers a majestic force for millions to act as one and overcome difficulties together. We must persist on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics without changing course or altering our resolve; we must neither return to the old path of seclusion and stagnation nor take the "evil path" of changing flags and banners [24]. We must persist in basing the development of the country and the nation on our own strength and keep the destiny of China's development and progress firmly in our own hands. We must safeguard the fundamental interests of the people, improve people's well-being, and continuously ensure that development is for the people, relies on the people, and its fruits are shared by the people. We must deepen reform and innovation, unswervingly expand opening up, focus on resolving deep-seated institutional and mechanistic obstacles, continuously demonstrate the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics, continuously increase the momentum and vitality of socialist modernization construction, and better transform our country's institutional advantages into national governance efficacy. We must enhance the ambition, integrity, and confidence of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups; we must not believe in "heresies," fear "ghosts," or succumb to pressure [25]. We should advance in the face of difficulties, coordinate development and security, strive to overcome all difficulties and challenges on the road ahead, and rely on tenacious struggle to open up new horizons for development.
(3) Strengthening confidence in modernization. The practical exploration and development achievements of the Chinese people over the 70-plus years since the founding of New China—especially the 40-plus years of reform and opening up—show that there is no monolithic modernization model in the world, nor is there a "one-size-fits-all" modernization standard. Chinese-path modernization rejects the old path of Western modernization which is capital-centered, polarized, characterized by bloated materialism, and driven by external expansion and plunder. It shatters the myth that "modernization equals Westernization," expands the path for developing countries to achieve modernization, and provides a Chinese solution for humanity's exploration of better social systems. For a long time, some in the West have advocated that only the capitalist system can achieve modernization; this prophecy has been shattered by the miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability created by our country. In today's world, although many countries are pursuing modernization, not many have achieved it. In the past few decades, among more than 100 middle-income countries in the world, only 13 have entered the ranks of high-income countries, and among them, the only large economies are Japan and South Korea (World Bank, 2015). One important reason for this is that some developing countries, ignoring their own national conditions and historical position, completely copied the Western model. As a result, their development process has been extremely difficult; some have stagnated, others have faced constant crises, and some have even fallen into long-term political and social turmoil. We must enhance our confidence in modernization and achieve self-reliance and self-strengthening.
(X) Implementing strategic arrangements for modernization and determining future development goals
(1) Recognizing new characteristics. When planning future goals, tasks, and action programs, the 20th National Congress of the CPC profoundly analyzed the new historical characteristics facing our country's development. First, the Communist Party of China has traversed 100 years of creating brilliance and is now uniting and leading the Chinese people to carry forward the cause and forge ahead into the future, continuing to win great victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics under new historical conditions. Our country's development faces new strategic opportunities. Second, the CPC united and led the Chinese people to achieve the First Centenary Goal [26] and has embarked on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects and achieving the Second Centenary Goal; our country's development faces new strategic tasks. Third, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has achieved historical results and entered a critical period of building on the momentum to ensure that the process is not delayed or even interrupted; our country's development faces a new strategic stage. Fourth, the first decade of the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics has passed, and we must continue to create a new situation for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics; our country's development faces new strategic requirements. Fifth, the changes of the century and the collective pandemic are intertwined; world peace and development face severe challenges; the external environment is more unstable and uncertain; and our country's development faces a new strategic environment. These important judgments provide the analytical basis for formulating long-term development strategic goals.
(2) Establishing development goals. On the basis of the two-step strategic arrangement made at the 19th National Congress to fully build a modern socialist power, the 20th National Congress of the CPC further provided a macro outlook on the strategic goals of basically achieving modernization by 2035 and building a modern socialist power in all respects by the middle of this century. It also proposed the main goals and tasks for economic and social development in the next five years (Xi Jinping, 2022). First, the next five years are a critical period for getting the efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start; doing the work of these five years well is vital to achieving the Second Centenary Goal. The main goals and tasks for the next five years include: achieving new breakthroughs in high-quality development; significantly improving the capacity for scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening; making major progress in constructing a new development pattern and building a modern economic system; deeply advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity; further improving the institutionalization, standardization, and procedural level of whole-process people's democracy; continuously strengthening the cohesion of the Chinese nation and the influence of Chinese culture; significantly improving the equalization of basic public services; achieving notable results in the construction of a Beautiful China; further consolidating national security; and further improving China's international status and influence. Second, the general goals for our country's development by 2035 include: a substantial leap in economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national strength; reaching the level of a moderately developed country in per capita GDP; ranking among the top of innovative countries; building a modern economic system; forming a new development pattern; basically achieving the modernization of the national governance system and capacity; making the whole-process people's democracy system more sound; significantly strengthening international soft power; achieving equalization of basic public services; basically realizing the Beautiful China goal; comprehensively strengthening the national security system and capacity; and basically completing modernization. Third, by the middle of this century, building our country into a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful modern socialist power that leads in comprehensive national strength and international influence. These strategic goals are the directional guidance for Chinese-path modernization.
III. Key Tasks for Economic Construction in the Next Five Years The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC takes Chinese-path modernization as the central task and makes strategic deployments for economic construction in the next five years from five aspects: economic system reform, modernization of the industrial system, rural revitalization, coordinated regional development and urbanization, and opening up to the outside world.
(I) Taking the domestic cycle as the mainstay and promoting the mutual reinforcement of domestic and international dual circulation
(1) Understanding the inevitable choice. Constructing a new development pattern with the domestic cycle as the mainstay and the domestic and international dual circulation mutually promoting each other is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, based on changes in our country's development stage, environment, and conditions—especially changes in our country's comparative advantages. It is an inevitable choice to shape new advantages in international cooperation and competition in the new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. Before the Reform and Opening Up, our country's economy was dominated by the domestic cycle, and imports and exports accounted for a very small proportion of the national economy. After the Reform and Opening Up, we opened our doors, expanded foreign trade, and attracted foreign investment, leading to an increase in the proportion of openness. Especially after China's accession to the WTO in 2001, we participated deeply in the international division of labor, integrated into the international cycle, and formed a development pattern where "both ends (markets and resources) are outside." This played an important role in enabling us to seize the opportunities of economic globalization, rapidly increase economic strength, and improve people's lives. In 2008, to respond to the serious impact of the international financial crisis, we took expanding domestic demand as the basic foothold for maintaining steady and rapid economic development, promoting the shift toward domestic demand-driven development; the role of the domestic cycle in our country's economy began to rise significantly. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, while promoting supply-side structural reform, we have persisted in implementing the strategy of expanding domestic demand, making development rely more on domestic demand, especially consumer demand. Our country's dependence on foreign trade decreased from a peak of 62.4% in 2005 to 32% in 2020, and the ratio of current account surplus to GDP decreased from a peak of over 10% to less than 2% at present. The contribution rate of domestic demand to economic growth has remained above 90% (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022). In this context, the proposal to construct a new development pattern is a conscious grasping of the objective economic laws and development trends of our country. With the increase in per capita income, the characteristic of the domestic market dominating the economic cycle has become increasingly apparent, and the potential of domestic demand for economic growth is being continuously released. From the demand side, China is already the world's second-largest consumer market; relying on its massive population, the domestic market will continue to expand. From the supply side, our country's strong production capacity based on the huge domestic market can promote the integration and innovation of global factors and resources, maximizing the scale and agglomeration effects. As long as we follow the trend and apply precise policies, our country is fully equipped to construct a new development pattern and reshape new competitive advantages.
(2) Making a "preemptive move." Constructing a new development pattern is a "preemptive move" (xiānshǒu qí) for our country to take the initiative in development; it is not a forced move or a makeshift measure. From an international comparison, the characteristic of large-country economies is that domestic demand is the mainstay and the internal cycle is viable. This is the case for countries with large populations and land areas like the United States, Russia, and India. As the world's second-largest economy and the largest manufacturing nation, China's domestic cycle has huge potential and can objectively play a greater role; this is the primary consideration for constructing a new development pattern. At the same time, against the current international background full of uncertainty and instability, grounding ourselves in the domestic economy, relying on the advantages of a large domestic market, and fully grasping the potential of domestic demand to expand room for development and maneuver will help mitigate the impact of external shocks and the decline in external demand. It is also conducive to ensuring the basic operation of our country's economy and overall social stability in extreme circumstances.
(3) Adhere to an orientation of openness. In constructing the new development pattern, we aim to promote an open domestic and international dual circulation, not a closed domestic single circulation. Currently, China's economy is deeply integrated into the world economy, with high levels of industrial linkage and interdependence with many countries globally; for instance, China is now the major trading partner of approximately 140 countries, and the domestic and foreign demand markets are themselves interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Taking the domestic macro-circulation as the mainstay in no way means operating behind closed doors; rather, it means utilizing the potential of domestic demand to better connect domestic and international markets, using the domestic macro-circulation to attract global resources and factors, making better use of both domestic and international markets and resources, improving the capacity for global resource allocation, and better seizing strategic initiative in open development. China’s door to the world will not be closed; it will only open wider. We must scientifically understand the relationship between the domestic macro-circulation and international circulation, act with initiative and skill, build a new system for a higher-level open economy, and implement opening up across a broader scope, in wider fields, and at a deeper level.
(4) Adhere to a market orientation. In constructing the new development pattern, we aim to promote a domestic macro-circulation based on a unified national big market, rather than localized "small circulations" where regions are confined to their own markets. Taking the domestic macro-circulation as the mainstay is a national-level concept; it should not be understood as various localities treating their own provincial, municipal, or county-level small circulations as the mainstay. From a national perspective, we must guide the effective implementation of the coordinated regional development strategy, major regional strategies, and the functional zoning strategy [27], while advancing the construction of a unified national big market. From a local perspective, regions must identify their own positions and comparative advantages within the domestic macro-circulation and the domestic-international dual circulation. Relying on Free Trade Pilot Zones and various development and opening zones, they should create new heights of reform and opening up, discard "large and all-inclusive" or "small and all-inclusive" [28] models, refrain from regional blockades or blind repetitive construction, and actively explore effective paths conducive to constructing the new development pattern, thereby promoting local economic prosperity and healthy interaction between regions.
(5) Define priority tasks. Constructing the new development pattern is a systemic project that requires both strengthened strategic planning and top-level design, as well as a firm grasp of key focal points. First, we must accelerate scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, striving to break through "chokepoint" [29] links in the economic circulation, promoting the organic connection of industrial and supply chains, and strengthening and supplementing these chains [30] through open development. Second, we must advance the modernization of agriculture and rural areas to ensure that the rice bowls of the Chinese people are held firmly in their own hands and that farmers' incomes continue to increase steadily. Third, we must strengthen the construction of a modern circulation system, improving the hardware, software, channels, and platforms of circulation to ensure the smooth flow of people, goods, capital, data, and information in both domestic and international circulations. Fourth, we must proactively expand domestic demand, improving people's lives and promoting economic circulation by expanding employment, increasing income, and boosting consumption; through deepening reform and refining policies, we should focus on clearing "bottlenecks and blockages" to accelerate the cultivation of a complete domestic demand system. Fifth, we must take the satisfaction of domestic demand as our fundamental foothold, focusing on improving the adaptability of the supply system to domestic demand, thereby forming a higher-level dynamic balance where demand pulls supply and supply creates demand. Sixth, addressing the specific problems of domestic and international circulations respectively as well as their common issues, we must enhance the endogenous momentum and reliability of the domestic macro-circulation while improving the quality and level of the international circulation. Seventh, we must firmly hold the bottom line of secure development, correctly handle the relationship between security and development, pay attention to mending loopholes and strengthening weak links, and effectively prevent and resolve various risks and challenges.
II. Taking High-Quality Development as the Theme, Organically Combining the Strategy of Expanding Domestic Demand with Deepening Supply-Side Reform
(1) Recognize the great significance. Supply and demand represent the two sides of a single coin in economic development. To resolve the issue of supply-demand imbalance, one must scientifically grasp the relationship between the two, propose developmental ideas that adapt to the requirements of the times, and guide new practice with new theory. Implementing the strategy of expanding domestic demand is an effective way to respond to external shocks and stabilize economic operations. In 1998, China relied on expanding domestic demand to successfully respond to the impact of the Asian financial crisis. In 2008, China again relied on expanding domestic demand to successfully respond to the impact of the international financial crisis. At present, there is an even greater need to focus on expanding domestic demand to stabilize the economy and promote development. Promoting supply-side structural reform is the fundamental strategy for achieving high-quality development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, through the implementation of "Three De-s, One Reduction, One Supplement" [31], the promotion of "Breaking, Establishing, and Reducing" [32], and the advancement of "Consolidation, Enhancement, Elevation, and Smoothness" [33], the quality and efficiency of China's supply system have significantly improved. In the future, continuing to improve the quality of economic development will still rely on deepening supply-side structural reform. Coordinating the expansion of domestic demand with the deepening of supply-side structural reform is a long-term strategy for actively responding to changes in the domestic and international environment and enhancing developmental initiative; it is also a practical requirement for the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country. We must coordinately plan the expansion of demand and the optimization of supply, deeply advancing the optimization and upgrading of the economic structure, the accelerated transformation of the mode of development, and the continuous expansion of the economic scale to better meet the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life.
(2) Grasp principles and requirements. First, the expansion of domestic demand must be placed in a position of importance. Currently, insufficient demand has become a prominent contradiction. We must tap the potential of market demand and enhance the driving role of domestic demand for economic growth. Simultaneously, it should be recognized that a market is the world’s most scarce resource; China’s powerful domestic market not only brings significant economies of scale to its own development but also provides excellent profit opportunities for foreign factors and resources. We must further leverage the advantages of China's ultra-large-scale market and do everything possible to expand domestic demand. Second, we must adhere to taking high-quality development as the theme. In the new stage of development, the domestic demand we aim to expand should be effective demand—demand that meets the personalized and diversified consumption needs of the masses, demand for investment with efficiency and returns, demand backed by principal and subject to debt constraints, and sustainable demand that benefits the people's livelihoods. We must unify the expansion of domestic demand and the optimization of structure with the requirements of high-quality development to promote a dynamic balance between effective demand and rational supply. Third, we must adhere to supply-side structural reform as the main line. Whether in the long or short term, the fact that supply cannot keep pace remains a profound constraint on demand; structural contradictions on the supply side remain the "principal aspect of the contradiction." We must persevere in promoting supply transformation, using supply transformation to drive demand and structural optimization to promote growth. Fourth, we must adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability. Adhering to a systems perspective and bottom-line thinking are important principles of governance and the methodology for economic work. "Stability" is the keynote and the foundation; "progress" is the concerto and the source of momentum. We must emphasize stability first and seek progress while maintaining stability, ensuring China's development remains invincible.
(3) Determine priority tasks. To construct the new development pattern, we must identify the organic points of integration between implementing the expansion of domestic demand and supply-side structural reform to form a synergy for high-quality development. First, focus on deepening reform and expanding opening up. Deepen reforms in key areas such as enterprises, markets, and finance/taxation to enhance the momentum and vitality of various market entities; leverage the role of the unified national big market in effectively allocating resources; create a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized; and continue to attract foreign factors and resources for our use, promoting the integrated development of "two markets and two types of resources." Second, focus on maintaining macroeconomic stability. Strengthen and improve macro-regulation, perform cross-cycle design and counter-cyclical adjustment of macro-policies, and improve policy transparency, credibility, professionalism, and predictability. Utilize a combination of policy tools—planning, fiscal, monetary, industrial, consumption, and investment—to provide micro-entities with a stable, rational, predictable, and sustainable macro-environment. Third, focus on increasing total factor productivity (TFP). Comprehensively improve labor productivity, capital output rate, land utilization rate, information and data utilization rate, and the contribution rate of scientific and technological progress. Leverage the important roles of populations of different ages, labor resources, talent resources, and human capital in economic development to increase the potential economic growth rate through TFP transformation. Fourth, focus on enhancing the resilience and security levels of industrial and supply chains. Accelerate the mending of prominent shortfalls in basic software, core hardware, and foundational materials, and improve independent intellectual property rights and substitution capabilities to ensure industrial and supply chains remain smooth and unimpeded. Simultaneously, strengthen international cooperation in industrial fields to maintain the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains. Fifth, focus on promoting urban-rural integration and coordinated regional development. While ensuring increased grain production, effectively increase farmers' incomes and build infrastructure for rural public services and environmental protection to aid rural revitalization. Relying on city clusters and metropolitan areas, construct a pattern of coordinated development for large, medium, and small cities, and optimize the regional economic layout and the system of territorial space. While supporting old revolutionary base areas, ethnic minority areas, border areas, and ecologically protected areas, promote the concentration of various factors toward advantageous regions.
III. Following the Law of the Transformation of Quantity into Quality to Promote the Effective Improvement of Economic Quality and the Rational Growth of Economic Quantity
(1) Grasp intrinsic requirements. Promoting the effective improvement of economic quality and the rational growth of economic quantity is an intrinsic, scientific, and inevitable requirement of high-quality development. According to the law of the transformation of quantity into quality in Marxist dialectical materialism, quantitative change is the preparation for qualitative change, and qualitative change in turn opens the path for new quantitative change; such cyclical progression drives the continuous forward development of things (Xiao Qian et al., 1981). This is true for the world and for the economy. The practice of pursuing economic growth while ignoring quality and efficiency does not conform to objective laws; often, while output value might rise momentarily, product quality, workplace safety, environmental protection, and the input-output ratio decline, eventually making economic growth unsustainable. At the same time, without quantitative growth, there is no foundation for qualitative improvement. Since the beginning of the New Era, China has transitioned from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development, achieving historical breakthroughs in both the quality and quantity of economic development. In terms of quality, China's ranking in the Global Innovation Index rose from 34th to 11th, average life expectancy increased from 74.8 to 78.2 years, and ecological and environmental protection underwent a historic turning point. In terms of quantity, from 2012 to 2021, China's economy grew at an average annual rate of 6.6%; though slower than the preceding 34 years, the total volume increased by an average of 6.56 trillion yuan per year, more than four times the average of those 34 years. Looking forward to 2035, China's per capita GDP is expected to reach the level of a moderately developed country, which requires not only the continued improvement of quality but also the sustained expansion of quantity.
(2) Comprehend the rich connotations. An important hallmark of promoting the effective improvement of economic quality is achieving high-quality development that conforms to the New Development Philosophy. This requires: making innovation the primary driver of development and achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength; making coordination an endogenous feature of development and achieving coordinated development between industries, urban and rural areas, and regions; making "green" the universal form of development and achieving a healthy ecology, clean production, circular development, and low-carbon development; making openness the necessary path for development and constructing a new high-level open economic system; and making sharing the fundamental goal of development to achieve common prosperity for all people. It also requires effectively coordinating development and security so that high-quality development and high-level security complement each other. To promote the rational growth of economic quantity, we must maintain economic operations within a "reasonable range" over the long term, achieving a speed consistent with the potential growth rate, ensuring that the number of new jobs is not below the lower limit, the unemployment rate is not above the upper limit, and the consumer price index (CPI) rise is not above the upper limit. Currently, facing the "triple pressure" of shrinking demand, supply shocks, and weakening expectations, coupled with pandemic disruptions, we must place greater importance on stabilizing growth, employment, and prices. We must strive to return the economic growth rate to a reasonable range as soon as possible and maintain employment conditions and the overall price level within a reasonable range. To combine the effective improvement of quality with the rational growth of quantity, we must achieve growth characterized by employment, income, tax revenue, low inflation, and less pollution; growth that narrows the gap between urban and rural areas and regions, improves livelihoods, and follows a path of peaceful development; and development that unifies speed, scale, quality, efficiency, structure, and security.
(3) Define implementation channels. To promote the effective improvement of quality and the rational growth of quantity, we must fully mobilize and leverage the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of all parties. First, we must combine an efficient market with a proactive government, using deepened reform to break through institutional obstacles restricting development and to stimulate the momentum for economic growth and the potential for structural optimization. Second, we must leverage the initiative of both the central and local governments, adhering to the unified leadership of the central government, strengthening top-level design, and emphasizing policy coordination, while ensuring that localities adapt measures to local conditions, exercise creative spirit, and optimize hierarchical management. Third, we must leverage the initiative of both coastal and inland regions—developed areas should strive to take the lead in promoting economic transformation, while less developed areas should engage in a healthy "catch-up," enhancing their capacity for self-development. Fourth, we must combine self-reliance and strength with open cooperation, accelerating the enhancement of independent innovation—especially the capacity for original innovation—while making more full and effective use of both international and domestic markets and resources.
IV. Adhere to the Reform Direction of the Socialist Market Economy and Build a High-Level Socialist Market Economic System
(1) Adhere to the “Two Unswervinglys” [34]. This entails unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector of the economy, while unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector. The public sector, represented by the state-owned economy and the collective economy, plays a vital role in the national economy. In 2021, the total assets of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) nationwide reached 309 trillion yuan, a strength that cannot be underestimated. We must deepen the reform of state-owned capital and SOEs, accelerate the optimization of the layout and structural adjustment of the state-owned economy, and promote state-owned capital and SOEs to become stronger, better, and larger. Since the beginning of reform and opening up, China’s non-public sector has continuously developed; currently, there are over 40 million private enterprises and more than 110 million individual industrial and commercial households (个体工商户) [35], playing an important role in prospering the economy and increasing employment. We must optimize the development environment for private enterprises, protect the property rights of private enterprises and the rights of entrepreneurs in accordance with the law, and promote the development and growth of the private economy. We must also support the development of small, medium, and micro-sized enterprises. All types of enterprises should improve the modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics, carry forward the entrepreneurial spirit, and accelerate the construction of world-class enterprises.
(2) Give play to the “Two Roles.” This means giving full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and better playing the role of the government. Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out that capitalism has planning and socialism has markets (Deng Xiaoping, 1993). General Secretary Xi Jinping has noted that developing a market economy under socialist conditions is a great pioneering undertaking of our Party. At present, the proportion of items priced by the market in the fields of commodities and services in China has reached 97.5%, and the number of various market entities nationwide has exceeded 160 million; the primary role of enterprises in the socialist market economy is increasingly apparent. We must deepen the reform to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services [36], promote the market-based allocation of production factors, and build a high-standard market system that is unified, open, competitive, and orderly. We must also improve the fundamental systems of the market economy, such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, and social credit, and optimize the business environment. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the country has formulated 14 national development plans (including "Five-Year Plans"); national planning has transformed from mandatory plans under the traditional planned economy to guiding plans under the socialist market economy, playing an important role in modernization. We must improve the macroeconomic governance system and give play to the strategic guiding role of national development planning. We must also strengthen anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition measures, break down local protectionism and administrative monopolies, and regulate and guide the healthy development of capital in accordance with the law.
(3) Improve policy mechanisms. To promote the development of the socialist market economy, we must give full play to the role of macroeconomic policies. First, strengthen the coordination and cooperation between fiscal and monetary policies. We should make good use of fiscal policy tools to counter economic headwinds, drive high-quality development, and promote the balance of economic aggregates and the optimization of economic structures. We must deepen the reform of the fiscal and tax systems, improve the modern budget system, optimize the tax structure, and improve the fiscal transfer payment system. We should give play to the dual functions of monetary policy in aggregate regulation and structural adjustment—primarily through interest rate adjustments—to maintain the stability of the currency value and thereby promote economic growth, maintain the stability of the overall price level, promote full employment, keep the RMB exchange rate basically stable at a reasonable and balanced level, and increase support for key areas and weak links in the national economy. We must deepen the reform of the financial system, build a modern central banking system, strengthen and improve modern financial supervision, reinforce the financial stability guarantee system, supervise all financial activities according to law, and hold the bottom line of preventing systemic risks. We must improve the functions of the capital market and increase the proportion of direct financing. Second, enhance the foundational role of consumption in economic development and the key role of investment in economic development, particularly in optimizing the supply structure. We should make good use of consumption policies, guide consumption expectations, improve the consumption environment, enhance consumption capacity, and improve the systems and mechanisms for promoting consumption. We should make good use of investment policies, maintain reasonable growth in total investment, adjust and optimize the investment structure, guide the direction and focus of investment, deepen the reform of the investment system, enrich investment tools, and strive to improve investment efficiency. Third, give full play to the role of industrial policy. We must deepen supply-side structural reform, guide and support the development of advantageous industries, support and assist weak industries, and provide a favorable policy environment for the autonomous development of enterprises, thereby improving the quality, efficiency, technical level, environmental protection level, and international competitiveness of industrial development. Finally, improve the mechanisms for macroeconomic regulation. We must accelerate the establishment and improvement of a system of targets, planning, policies, coordination, guarantees, and supervision/evaluation for macroeconomic regulation that reflects the requirements of high-quality development. We should improve the mechanisms for formulating and implementing macroeconomic policies, attach importance to the management of social expectations, improve the coordination mechanisms for macroeconomic policies, strengthen the assessment of the consistency of macro-policy orientations, and improve the mechanisms for market entities to participate in the formulation of macroeconomic policies in an orderly manner. We should fully utilize means such as the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence to elevate the modernization of macro-governance.
(V) Persist in placing the focus of economic development on the real economy and building a modern industrial system
(1) Promote the construction of the "One New and Five Strongs." This means promoting new industrialization and accelerating the construction of a manufacturing powerhouse, a quality powerhouse, an aerospace powerhouse, a transportation powerhouse, and a network powerhouse, while also accelerating the construction of a Digital China. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and especially since reform and opening up, China’s industrial construction has achieved world-renowned success. The scale of industrial added value ranks first in the world; China possesses all industrial categories in the major, medium, and small classifications, and the output of over 220 major industrial products ranks first globally. In the field of quality, the quality of industrial and agricultural products, services, and engineering has continuously improved, and Chinese standards in some fields have begun to go international. In aerospace, significant achievements have been made in manned spacecraft, lunar exploration, and Mars exploration. In transportation, the mileage of high-speed rail and expressways, as well as port throughput, all rank first in the world; the airport layout is expanding rapidly, and inland waterway and maritime shipping continue to develop. In the network and digital fields, there are over 2 million 5G base stations, and the number of internet users has reached 1.03 billion, with the scale of the digital industry ranking second in the world. At the same time, we must clearly see that China’s industry and related fields are still generally in a state of being "large but not strong." The process of industrialization is not yet complete. There is an urgent need to consolidate the foundation of "largeness" and accelerate the march toward "strongness." We must actively promote new industrialization—which is characterized by high technological content, good economic efficiency, low resource consumption, less environmental pollution, and the full utilization of human resource advantages—optimize the layout, structure, function, and system integration of infrastructure, build a modern infrastructure system, and promote new progress in building manufacturing, quality, aerospace, transportation, and network powerhouses.
(2) Promote the elevation of industrial development. First, lay a solid industrial foundation. We must implement projects to re-engineer the industrial foundation and tackle key major technical equipment, support the development of small, medium, and micro-sized enterprises that are "specialized, refined, featured, and novel" (专精特新) [37], and promote the technological and environmental transformation of traditional industries, driving manufacturing toward high-end, intelligent, and green development. Second, enhance industrial advantages. We must consolidate the leading position of advantageous industries and products. Whether they are technology-intensive, labor-intensive, or resource-intensive industries, as long as they are competitive in domestic and international markets, they must stand firm, transform and upgrade, and expand their advantages. Third, shore up industrial weak links. In areas related to secure development—whether they involve hardware shortages or software gaps—we must accelerate the process of filling these gaps, enhance operational capacity and safety levels, and improve the ability to guarantee the supply of strategic resources, ensuring the security of grain, energy resources, and important industrial and supply chains. Fourth, expand high-end industries. We must promote the integrated and clustered development of strategic emerging industries, accelerate the development of high-tech industries, and build new growth engines such as next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment, and green environmental protection.
(3) Promote the "Two Deep Integrations." First, promote the deep integration of modern services with advanced manufacturing and modern agriculture. With the deepening of the modern industrial division of labor and collaboration, advanced manufacturing is increasingly combined with modern services such as R&D and design, marketing, business services, modern logistics, and modern finance, forming service-oriented manufacturing—also known as the "servitization of manufacturing." Similarly, the development of modern agriculture is combined with modern services; diverse service forms in pre-production, during-production, and post-production have promoted the application of modern technology in agriculture, improved agricultural labor productivity, and driven the development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas, as well as the processing of agricultural and sideline products and the food industry. We must insist on enterprises as the main body, products and services as the link, the market as the orientation, efficiency as the criterion, and policy as the guide to implement the deep integration of modern services with advanced manufacturing and modern agriculture. Particular attention should be paid to accelerating the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), building an efficient and smooth circulation system, and reducing circulation costs. At the same time, adapting to the growing service needs of more than 1.4 billion people, we must actively develop various colorful lifestyle services, combining this with the vigorous development of producer services to build a high-quality and efficient service innovation system. Second, promote the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy. Digitalization, informatization, networking, and intellectualization are the major trends of economic and social development. The digital economy has flourished in China; whether through digital industrialization or industrial digitalization, it has injected new momentum into the development of the real economy and changes in lifestyles and production methods. In this field, China has a traditional foundation, late-mover advantages, and conditions for "running behind," as well as the potential for "running alongside" and highlights of "leading the race." We must lose no time in accelerating the development of the digital economy, creating internationally competitive digital industry clusters, promoting digital industrialization to "reach the sky and touch the ground" [38], achieving extensive coverage of industrial digitalization, and continuously improving the technical, informational, and data levels of the real economy. Chinese-path modernization cannot follow the old path of some developed countries—industrialization followed by de-industrialization and then re-industrialization—but must combine new industrialization with economic digitalization, making the industrial and supply chains solid, complete, good, excellent, large, and strong.
(VI) Persist in prioritizing the development of agriculture and rural areas, and comprehensively promoting rural revitalization
(1) Clarify goals and tasks. Since the beginning of the New Era, China's agricultural and rural development has achieved remarkable success: total grain output has exceeded 1.3 trillion catties [39] for eight consecutive years, the growth of per capita disposable income for farmers has consistently outpaced that of urban residents, and agricultural infrastructure has been significantly strengthened. At the same time, it should be noted that in building a modern socialist country in all respects, the most arduous and heavy tasks remain in the rural areas. We must persist in the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, adhere to the integrated development of urban and rural areas, facilitate the flow of production factors between urban and rural areas, accelerate the construction of an agricultural powerhouse, and solidly promote the revitalization of rural industries, talent, culture, ecology, and organizations. We must coordinate the layout of rural infrastructure and public services and build a beautiful countryside that is pleasant to live and work in. Building an agricultural powerhouse was a major goal proposed for the first time in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress. We must promote the strengthening of farmland protection and construction in all aspects, achieve breakthroughs in agricultural science, technology, and equipment in all fields, promote the transformation of green agricultural development in the whole process, promote the coverage of socialized agricultural services in all links, advance the upgrading of the entire agricultural industrial chain, and expand agricultural international cooperation in all directions to ensure the key tasks of building an agricultural powerhouse are implemented.
(2) Consolidate the foundation of grain. "Food is the first necessity of the people, and grain is the foundation of agriculture" [40]. If a problem arises with China's grain supply, no one in the world can save us; therefore, ensuring stable and increased grain production must be prioritized as the top task in agricultural and rural work. We must consolidate the foundation of food security in all aspects, fully implement the shared responsibility of the Party and government for food security, and further implement the "Rice Bag" provincial governor responsibility system and the "Vegetable Basket" mayor responsibility system [41]. We must grasp two key links: one is the land link—we must firmly hold the "red line" of 1.8 billion mu [42] of arable land and gradually transform all permanent basic farmland into high-standard farmland. The other is the seed link—we must deeply implement the seed industry revitalization action, persevering in technological breakthroughs for seeds just as we did when cultivating hybrid rice seeds in the past. We must strengthen the support of agricultural science, technology, and equipment, and improve the mechanisms for guaranteeing interest for grain farmers and compensation for major producing areas. We must also establish a "Big Food View" (大食物观) [43], develop facility agriculture, stop food waste, and build a diversified food supply system.
(3) Increase farmers' income. The sources of income for China's farmers are gradually diversifying, including wage income (primarily from migrant work), business income from self-employment, property income, and transfer income. Under increased downward economic pressure, it is even more important to steadily increase farmers’ incomes. We must promote the stable employment of migrant workers, develop rural characteristic industries, broaden the channels for farmers to increase their wealth, consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation, and enhance the endogenous development momentum of areas and people lifted out of poverty.
(4) Deepen rural reform. Agricultural and rural development depends first on policy, second on investment, and third on reform—and both policy and investment rely on reform. Rural reform is a vital guarantee for the development of "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" (三农). We must consolidate and improve the basic rural operation system, develop the new rural collective economy, develop new types of agricultural business entities and socialized services, and develop appropriately scaled agricultural operations. We must deepen rural land reform, grant farmers more substantial property gains, protect the legal land rights of farmers who have settled in cities, encourage the voluntary and compensated transfer of land rights in accordance with the law, improve the agricultural support and protection system, and build a sound rural financial service system.
(7) Constructing a regional economic layout and spatial system characterized by complementary advantages and high-quality development, while promoting coordinated urban-rural development. (1) Accurately implementing the strategy for coordinated regional development. The four major regions—East, Central, West, and Northeast—serve as the spatial pillars for the coordinated development of China's regions. Since the implementation of strategies such as the Great Western Development, the coordination of China's regional development has significantly increased, yet the development gap between regions remains large. We must promote a new pattern in the Great Western Development, push for new breakthroughs in the full revitalization of the Northeast, accelerate the rise of the Central region, and encourage the East to accelerate its drive toward modernization. We must support the accelerated development of old revolutionary base areas [44] and ethnic minority areas, strengthen the construction of border regions, and promote the prosperity of border residents and the stability of border defenses. (2) Accurately implementing major regional strategies. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Central Committee has made new major decisions regarding regional development. We must thoroughly implement the New Development Philosophy to ensure that the execution of these new strategies achieves new results. In promoting the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, we must target the "ox's muzzle" [45] of relocating Beijing’s non-capital functions and develop the Xiong'an New Area with high standards and quality. In promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, we must prioritize conservation and refrain from excessive development, striving to build a primary battlefield for "ecology first and green development," while advancing the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. In promoting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, we must support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the overall national development framework, creating a world-class bay area and city cluster full of vitality and international competitiveness. In promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the focus should be on high-quality integration, enhancing the region's capacity to allocate global resources and its ability to radiate and drive national development. In promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, we must persist in the holistic conservation and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts [46], fundamentally improving the ecological quality of the Yellow River basin. (3) Accurately implementing the strategy for functional zones. We must improve the system of functional zones, supporting urban areas in the efficient concentration of economy and population, supporting agricultural production areas in enhancing food production capacity, and supporting ecological functional areas in focusing on protecting the environment and providing high-quality eco-products. We should refine the categorization of functional zones, formulating specialized policies for key development areas, ecologically fragile areas, and energy/resource-rich areas, optimizing the spatial development pattern of the national territory, and implementing national and regional spatial plans. The ocean is both an economic and an ecological zone; we must develop the marine economy, protect the marine ecosystem, and accelerate the construction of a strong maritime nation. (4) Accurately implementing the new-type urbanization strategy. The proportion of China's permanent urban population has reached nearly 65%, while the registered urban population (hukou) is near 50%. Adhering to the people-centered development philosophy requires placing urban work in a more prominent position to meet the needs of urban residents, including migrant workers from agricultural backgrounds, for a better life. We must promote people-centered new-type urbanization, accelerate the granting of permanent urban residency to people who have moved from agriculture, and promote the coordinated development of large, medium, and small cities based on city clusters and metropolitan areas, while advancing urbanization with county seats as important carriers. Urban construction and management is a profound science; we must persist in the principle that "the people's city is built by the people and for the people," improving the level of urban planning, construction, and governance. We must transform the development models of megacities and super-large cities, implement urban renewal actions, strengthen urban infrastructure, and build livable, resilient, and smart cities.
(8) Unswervingly expanding opening up and promoting high-standard opening up. (1) Continuing to promote factor-based opening up. For over 40 years, reform has promoted opening up, and opening up has driven reform; through reform and opening up, the construction of socialist modernization has continuously moved forward. Expanding opening up has attracted large amounts of capital, advanced technology, management experience, and foreign talent to China, which, acting alongside domestic productive factors, has promoted rapid economic development. On the new journey, we must persist in promoting development through opening up, expand factor-based opening up, and promote high-quality development. Relying on China’s massive market advantage, we must use the domestic circulation to attract global resources and factors, enhance the linkage effect between domestic and international markets and resources, and improve the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation. (2) Steadily expanding institutional opening up. Compared to factor-based opening up, which directly introduces resources, institutional opening up focuses on creating an environment. This facilitates the role of reform in promoting opening up and better attracts and utilizes factors. Constructing a high-standard socialist market economy system requires the building of a new system for a higher-level open economy, which inevitably necessitates institutional opening up and the implementation of deeper, broader, and higher-level openness. We must proactively align with high-standard international market rules, strengthen the development of rules, management, and standards, promote the optimization and upgrading of trade in goods, innovate mechanisms for trade in services, develop digital trade, and accelerate the building of a strong trading nation. We should improve the management system of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list for foreign investment, reasonably shorten the negative list, protect the rights and interests of foreign investors according to law, and strengthen high-level legal protections. Simultaneously, in accordance with international practices and conventions, we must improve systems for national security reviews of foreign investment, anti-monopoly reviews, national technical security list management, and the unreliable entity list, thereby safeguarding economic security and the fundamental interests of investors. (3) Improving the pattern of opening up. Through over 40 years of effort, China has formed an overall pattern of all-dimensional opening up. However, opening up in the Central, West, and Northeast remains relatively lagging; westward opening is still weaker than eastward opening, and the level of openness in the East still needs improvement. Next, we must continue to optimize the regional layout of opening up, consolidate the leading position of the eastern coastal areas, improve the level of openness in the Central, West, and Northeast, accelerate the construction of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, and the Hainan Free Trade Port, implement the strategy to upgrade pilot free trade zones, and expand a global-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas. The Belt and Road Initiative connects domestic regional development with international economic and cultural cooperation. We must adhere to the principles of "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits," maintaining policy, infrastructure, trade, financial, and people-to-people connectivity. We must highlight concepts of openness, green development, and integrity, emphasizing high standards, people's livelihoods, and sustainability to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. We should orderly promote the internationalization of the Renminbi, participate deeply in the global division of labor and cooperation, and maintain a diversified and stable international economic pattern and trade relations, creating a favorable international environment for the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country.
IV. Key Tasks for Education, Science and Technology, Talent, Social Construction, and Ecological Civilization The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC made specific deployments for the construction of the education, science, and technology, and talent sectors, and made strategic arrangements for social and ecological civilization construction.
(1) Implementing the strategy for invigorating China through science and education and strengthening the talent support for modernization. (1) Adhering to the "Three Firsts." That is, persisting in the views that science and technology are the primary productive force, talent is the primary resource, and innovation is the primary driver of development. High-quality development requires science and technology; technological innovation requires talent; and talent cultivation requires education. Since the founding of the People's Republic and especially since reform and opening up, China's education, science, and talent undertakings have achieved major successes, building the world's largest education system, entering the ranks of innovative countries, and reaching a total of over 200 million skilled personnel. At the same time, we must recognize that deficiencies remain in basic research, key core technologies are still subject to foreign "chokeholds," and the support of education and talent for high-quality development needs to be strengthened. We must thoroughly implement the strategy for invigorating China through science and education, the strategy on developing a quality workforce, and the innovation-driven development strategy, opening up new fields and tracks for development, and constantly shaping new drivers and advantages for growth. We must prioritize the development of education, insist on self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and be driven by the leading role of talent, accelerating the construction of a powerful nation in education, science, and talent. (2) Running the education system well. Education is a matter of great significance to the state and the Party. The fundamental questions of education are: what kind of people to cultivate, how to cultivate them, and for whom to cultivate them. We must fully implement the Party's educational policy. We must fulfill the fundamental task of "fostering virtue through education" (li de shu ren) [47], cultivating socialist builders and successors who are well-rounded in morals, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor. People's education is for the people; we must persist in a people-centered approach to education. Realizing high-quality development requires high-quality education; we must accelerate the construction of a high-quality education system. We must develop quality-oriented education, promote educational equity, accelerate the high-quality balanced development of compulsory education and urban-rural integration, and optimize the coverage of regional educational resources. We must strengthen the inclusive development of preschool and special education, persist in the diversified development of senior high schools, and improve the financial aid system for students across all levels. Nearly 30 years ago, Comrade Deng Xiaoping wrote an inscription for the Beijing Jingshan School: "Education must be oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future," which still holds important guiding significance. Promoting Chinese-path modernization requires carrying forward the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation while drawing on the outstanding achievements of foreign civilizations, adapting to the trends of the technological and industrial revolutions, and building a learning society and a learning nation where lifelong learning is available to all. To this end, we must coordinate the collaborative innovation of vocational, higher, and continuing education; promote the integration of vocational and general education, the combination of industry and education, and the fusion of science and education; and optimize the positioning of vocational education. We must strengthen the construction of basic, emerging, and interdisciplinary subjects, accelerate the development of world-class universities and disciplines with Chinese characteristics, guide and regulate the development of private education, and promote the digitalization of education. We must also deepen comprehensive reforms in education, strengthen the development and management of teaching materials, and improve school management and evaluation systems. (3) Driving technological innovation. Innovation holds a core position in the overall situation of China's modernization, and we must always persist in it. Technological innovation is the "dragon's head" [48] of innovation; it concentrates the power of theoretical, institutional, and cultural innovation, leading human society forward. First, technological innovation cannot be separated from institutional innovation. We must improve the technological innovation system, the system for the Party Central Committee’s unified leadership over science and technology work, and the "new-type whole-of-nation system." We must strengthen national strategic technological forces, optimize the allocation of innovation resources, and improve the positioning and layout of national research institutions, high-level research universities, and leading tech enterprises. We should form a national laboratory system and coordinately promote the construction of international and regional technological innovation centers. We must deepen the reform of the science and technology system, reform technological evaluation, strengthen the construction of basic technological capacity, and enhance legal protection for intellectual property rights. We should increase diversified investment in science and technology, improving the efficiency of such investment, and deepening the reform of the allocation and use of fiscal technology funds to stimulate innovation vitality. Second, technological innovation cannot be separated from theoretical and cultural innovation. We must strengthen basic research, highlighting originality and encouraging free exploration. We must foster an innovation culture, carry forward the spirit of scientists, cultivate an excellent academic style, and strengthen strategic technological consultation. Third, technological innovation cannot be separated from demand-orientation and the agency of enterprises. Over 100 years ago, Engels said that if society has a technical need, that need will advance science more than ten universities (Engels, 2015). We must persist in facing the frontiers of world science, the main economic battlefield, major national needs, and the people's life and health. We must accelerate the realization of high-level technological self-reliance and self-strength, especially by taking national strategic needs as the guide, concentrating forces to conduct original and pioneering technological breakthroughs, and resolutely winning the battle for key core technologies. We must accelerate the implementation of a batch of strategic, overall, and forward-looking major national science and technology projects. Simultaneously, we must strengthen the deep integration of industry, academia, and research led by enterprises, deepening goal-orientation and improving the conversion rate of technological achievements and the level of industrialization. We must strengthen the dominant position of enterprises in technological innovation, giving full play to the leading and supporting role of backbone tech enterprises, and creating a favorable environment for the growth of small and medium-sized tech enterprises. Fourth, technological innovation cannot be separated from international cooperation. Scientists have nationalities, but science has no borders. Based in China, we must expand international technological exchanges and cooperation, strengthening the construction of an internationalized research environment and forming an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness.
(4) Advancing human resource development. Cultivating and producing a large number of high-quality talents who possess both integrity and ability is a project of vital importance for the long-term development of the country and the nation. Success in any endeavor depends on talent; the breadth of a career is determined by the quality of manpower available. First, it is necessary to establish guidelines for talent development. We must persist in educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country, comprehensively improving the quality of talent cultivation, focusing on fostering top-notch innovative personnel, and gathering the world’s brightest minds to make use of them. Second, we must clarify the principles of talent policy. We must uphold the principle of the Party managing talent, adhere to respecting labor, knowledge, talent, and creativity, and implement more proactive, open, and effective talent policies. We should guide the vast numbers of talented individuals to love the Party and the country, remain dedicated to their professions, and serve the people. Third, we must improve the strategic layout of talent. Regarding the composition of the workforce, we must focus on all categories of talent simultaneously to build a large-scale, rationally structured, and high-quality talent pool. Regarding spatial distribution, we must accelerate the construction of major global talent centers and innovation hubs, promote the rational distribution and coordinated development of talent, and focus on forming a comparative advantage in the international competition for talent. Regarding the distribution of force, we must accelerate the building of national strategic talent forces, striving to cultivate more masters, strategic scientists, first-class scientific and technological leaders, and innovation teams, as well as young scientific talents, outstanding engineers, "Great Country Craftsmen" [49], and high-skilled workers. Fourth, we must promote reform and opening up in talent management. We should deepen the reform of systems and mechanisms for talent development, showing genuine care for talent, meticulousness in cultivation, sincerity in recruitment, and care in utilization. We must "thirst for talent" [50] and "not be restricted to one pattern," gathering outstanding individuals from all sectors into the cause of the Party and the people.
(II) Increasing people's well-being and improving quality of life
(1) Persisting in ensuring and improving people's livelihoods through development. "The country is the people, and the people are the country" [51]. Benefiting the people is the essential requirement of the Party's commitment to serving the public interest and governing for the people. We must further strengthen social development, do a good job in guaranteeing and improving livelihoods, encourage common struggle to create a better life, and continuously realize the people's aspirations for a better life. We must realize, maintain, and develop the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people, focusing closely on the most immediate and realistic interest issues that concern them most. We should adopt more measures that benefit and warm the hearts of the people, focus on solving the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems [52] of the masses, improve the basic public service system, increase the level of public services, enhance balance and accessibility, steadily promote common prosperity, and collectively create a high-quality life.
(2) Improving the distribution system. The distribution system is the foundational institution for promoting common prosperity. We must persist in the system where distribution according to work is the mainstay and multiple modes of distribution coexist, constructing an institutional system that coordinates primary distribution, redistribution, and tertiary distribution [53]. Primary distribution is the important foundation for promoting common prosperity. Efforts should be made to increase the share of resident income in the distribution of national income and the share of labor compensation in primary distribution. We must advocate for "more pay for more work," encourage wealth creation through hard work, promote equality of opportunity, increase the income of low-income earners, and expand the middle-income group. We should improve the policies and systems for distribution according to production factors and explore multiple channels to increase the factor-based income of low- and middle-income groups. Redistribution is an important guarantee for common prosperity. We must increase the intensity of regulation through taxation, social security, and transfer payments, improve the individual income tax system, regulate the order of income distribution, standardize mechanisms for wealth accumulation, protect legal income, adjust excessively high income, and ban illegal income. Tertiary distribution is a supplementary method for common prosperity. Currently, corporate donations in China account for over 60% of total physical and monetary donations, while individual donations account for less than 30%, leaving significant room for development. We should guide and support enterprises, social organizations, and individuals who are willing and able to participate actively in public welfare and charitable causes.
(3) Implementing the employment-first strategy. Employment is the most fundamental aspect of people's livelihoods. China has a labor force of over 900 million and more than 700 million employed persons. Every year, more than 10 million rural migrant workers enter cities, and over 10 million college students graduate (Li Keqiang, 2022); thus, employment pressure remains high. We must strengthen the employment-first policy, aiming to promote high-quality full employment. We should coordinate the urban and rural employment policy systems, break down institutional and policy barriers that hinder the flow of labor and talent, eliminate unreasonable restrictions and employment discrimination that affect equal employment, and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to achieve self-development through diligent labor. We must improve the mechanisms for promoting employment. This includes improving the public employment service system, refining the support system for key groups, strengthening "bottom-line" assistance for groups with difficulties, and improving the system of lifelong vocational skills training. We should promote entrepreneurship to drive employment and support the standardized development of new forms of employment. We must strengthen the protection of labor rights and interests. This involves improving labor laws and regulations, refining the consultation and coordination mechanisms for labor relations, improving the system for protecting labor rights, and strengthening the protection of rights for those in flexible employment and new forms of employment.
(4) Improving the social security system. The social security system is the safety net for people’s lives and the stabilizer for social operation. Through years of effort, China has built the world's largest social security system, with basic pension insurance covering 1.04 billion people and the participation rate in basic medical insurance stabilizing at 95%. We must continue to improve the system. This entails building a multi-level social security system that covers the entire population, coordinates urban and rural areas, is fair and unified, safe and standardized, and sustainable. We should expand the coverage of social insurance, improve the mechanisms for raising funds and adjusting benefits for basic pension and basic medical insurance, accelerate the improvement of a unified national social insurance public service platform, refine the system for preserving and increasing the value of social security funds and their safety supervision, and improve the layered and classified social assistance system. For pension insurance, we should improve the national coordination system for basic pensions, develop a multi-level and multi-pillar pension insurance system, and implement a gradual delay of the statutory retirement age. For medical insurance, we should promote provincial-level coordination of basic medical insurance, facilitate the orderly linkage of multi-level medical protection, improve the systems for major illness insurance and medical assistance, implement cross-regional medical settlement, establish a long-term care insurance system, and actively develop commercial medical insurance. We must care for women, children, and the disabled, upholding the basic national policy of gender equality, protecting the legal rights of women and children, improving the social security system and care service system for the disabled, and promoting the comprehensive development of programs for the disabled. Regarding housing, we must persist in the position that "houses are for living in, not for speculation," and accelerate the establishment of a housing system with multi-subject supply, multi-channel guarantee, and simultaneous rental and purchase.
(5) Advancing the "Healthy China" initiative. People's health is an important symbol of national prosperity and strength. Currently, China has built the world's largest medical and health system, and average life expectancy is close to that of developed countries. At the same time, the people's desire for health is endless, and the development of the medical and health cause has a long way to go. We must place the protection of people's health in a strategic position of priority development and improve policies for promoting health. We must improve population policies, optimize population development strategies, establish a system of birth support policies, and reduce the costs of childbearing, upbringing, and education. We should implement the national strategy for actively responding to population aging, develop elderly care enterprises and programs, optimize services for solitary elderly people, and strive to ensure that all elderly people enjoy basic pension services. We must strengthen medical and health construction, deepen the reform of the medical and health system, promote the coordinated development and governance of medical insurance, medical services, and medicine, and facilitate the expansion and balanced regional distribution of high-quality medical resources. We should deepen the reform of public hospitals with a public welfare orientation and regulate the development of private hospitals. We should expand the medical and health workforce, placing the focus of work on rural areas and communities. Importance should be attached to mental health and psychological hygiene, and the preservation, inheritance, innovation, and development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) should be promoted. We must highlight public health, adhering to the principle of prevention first, strengthening the health management of major chronic diseases, and improving the capacity of grassroots levels to prevent and treat diseases. We should innovate mechanisms for the synergy and integration of medical care and prevention, improve the public health system, enhance the capacity for early detection of major epidemics, strengthen the prevention, control, and treatment system and emergency capacity for major outbreaks, and effectively curb the spread of major infectious diseases. We should deeply carry out the "Healthy China" action and the Patriotic Health Campaign [54], advocating for civilized and healthy lifestyles. We should promote physical fitness, culture, and tourism, extensively carrying out national fitness activities, strengthening sports work for youth, promoting the comprehensive development of mass sports and competitive sports, and accelerating the building of a strong sporting nation. We should persist in "using culture to shape tourism and using tourism to showcase culture," promoting the deep integrated development of culture and tourism.
(III) Promoting green development and actively yet prudently advancing carbon peaking and carbon reduction
(1) Accelerating green transformation. Promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of economic and social development is a key link in achieving high-quality development. Since the reform and opening up, China has designated sustainable development as a national strategy and environmental protection and resource conservation as basic national policies, promoting conservation, protection, and structural adjustment. In particular, over the past 10 years, the green transformation of China's economy has significantly accelerated, and major strides have been made in green and low-carbon development. We must accelerate the adjustment and optimization of industrial, energy, and transportation structures, implement a comprehensive conservation strategy, promote the economical and intensive use of all types of resources, and accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system. We should improve fiscal, tax, financial, investment, and pricing policies and standard systems that support green development, develop green and low-carbon industries, improve the market-based allocation system for resource and environmental factors, accelerate the research, development, and promotion of advanced energy-saving and carbon-reducing technologies, advocate for green consumption, and promote the formation of green and low-carbon production and lifestyles.
(2) Advancing pollution prevention and control. In the past few years, China has made significant progress in the "tough battle" against pollution; blue skies and white clouds have returned to the North China Plain. We must consolidate these achievements and press forward, adhering to targeted, scientific, and law-based pollution control, and continue to fight the battles to protect blue skies, clear water, and clean soil. In terms of atmospheric pollution, we should strengthen the synergistic control of pollutants and basically eliminate heavy pollution weather. In water pollution, we should coordinate the management of water resources, water environments, and water ecosystems, promoting the ecological protection and treatment of major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, and basically eliminating black and malodorous water bodies in cities. Regarding soil pollution, we must strengthen the prevention and control of pollution at its source and carry out the treatment of new pollutants. We should improve the level of environmental infrastructure, promote the improvement of urban and rural human settlements, fully implement the pollutant discharge permit system, improve the modern environmental governance system, and deeply advance the Central Ecological and Environmental Protection Inspections, using inspections to promote governance and strictly preventing environmental risks.
(3) Protecting ecosystems. The ecological environment is the foundation upon which we depend for survival and development; it must not be damaged and must be meticulously cared for. We should focus on national key ecological functional zones, ecological protection red lines, and nature reserves, accelerating the implementation of major projects for the protection and restoration of important ecosystems to enhance the diversity, stability, and sustainability of ecosystems. At the same time, we should promote the construction of a nature reserve system with national parks as the mainstay, implement major biodiversity protection projects, and scientifically carry out large-scale land greening actions. We should implement the system of fallowing and resting for grasslands, forests, rivers, lakes, and wetlands, and effectively implement the ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River. We must strengthen biosafety management and prevent the invasion of alien species. Ecosystem protection requires the guarantee of institutional mechanisms. We should deepen the reform of the forest tenure system, improve the system of cropland fallowing and rotation, establish a mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products, and refine the ecological protection compensation system.
(4) Implementing the "Dual Carbon" strategy. Achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is a major global action to address climate change and a broad and profound systemic economic and social change for China. Our characteristics of being "oil-poor, gas-deficient, and coal-rich" [55] present arduous challenges in cooperation and transformation. However, the rapid rise of the renewable energy industry also presents us with rare opportunities in this international competition and cooperation. We must base our actions on China's energy and resource endowment, adhering to the principle of "establishing the new before breaking the old" [56], and implement carbon-peaking actions in a planned and step-by-step manner. We should refine the control of total energy consumption and intensity, focusing on controlling fossil fuel consumption and gradually transitioning to a "dual control" system for total carbon emissions and intensity. We should promote the clean, low-carbon, and efficient utilization of energy and advance the low-carbon transition in sectors such as industry, construction, and transportation. We must deeply advance the energy revolution, strengthen the clean and efficient use of coal, increase the intensity of oil and gas exploration and development and efforts to increase reserves and production, and accelerate the planning and construction of a new energy system. We should coordinate hydropower development with ecological protection, actively, safely, and orderly develop nuclear power, and strengthen the system for energy production, supply, storage, and marketing to ensure energy security. We should improve the carbon emission statistical accounting system, refine the carbon emission market trading system, enhance the carbon sink capacity of ecosystems, and actively participate in global governance for addressing climate change.
(The author is the Vice Chairman of the Economic Committee of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Vice Chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges) Web Editor: Lian Yu Source: Management World, Issue 3, 2023.