Empowering the Development of New Quality Productive Forces with Innovative Culture

On June 1, 2024, Qiushi journal published an important article by General Secretary Xi Jinping titled “Developing New Quality Productive Forces Is the Intrinsic Requirement and Key Focal Point for Promoting High-Quality Development,” which emphasizes that to promote the development of new quality productive forces, we must “do a great job in innovation.” [1]1 *Qiushi* is the flagship journal of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, publishing theoretical and policy articles. History has proven that the progress of the times is inseparable from the remaking of culture, and the development of the economy and society is inseparable from the guidance of culture. The formation of new quality productive forces is not merely an economic and technological process but also a process of cultural reshaping. The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC proposed “fostering a culture of innovation, promoting the spirit of scientists, cultivating sound academic conduct, and creating an innovative atmosphere,” [2]2 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022 and adopted the report that outlines the Party’s guiding principles for the next five years and beyond. providing a fundamental guideline for creating a cultural environment conducive to the development of new quality productive forces on the new journey of the New Era. In its essence, innovative culture is a complete cultural ecosystem comprising innovative values, innovative institutional arrangements, and innovative practical norms, which empowers the development of new quality productive forces in all respects.

2024年6月1日，《求是》杂志发表习近平总书记重要文章《发展新质生产力是推动高质量发展的内在要求和重要着力点》，强调促进新质生产力发展，必须要“做好创新这篇大文章”。历史证明，时代的进步离不开文化的再造，经济社会的发展离不开文化的指引，新质生产力的形成不仅仅是一个经济过程、技术过程，更是一个文化重塑的过程。党的二十大报告提出，要“培育创新文化，弘扬科学家精神，涵养优良学风，营造创新氛围”，为新时代新征程上推动形成有利于新质生产力发展的文化环境提供了基本遵循。就其本质而言，创新文化是包含创新的价值理念、创新的制度安排、创新的实践准则在内的一整套文化生态系统，全方位赋能新质生产力发展。

The Innovation Gene of Fine Traditional Chinese Culture Is the “Golden Key” to Promoting the Development of New Quality Productive Forces

中华优秀传统文化的创新基因是促进新质生产力发展的“金钥匙”

At the National Science and Technology Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “We must persist in fostering a culture of innovation and inherit the innovation gene of fine traditional Chinese culture.” [4]4 The National Science and Technology Conference is a high-level meeting held by the CPC and the State Council to discuss and set policy directions for science and technology development. The most recent one was held in June 2024. Fostering the values of innovative culture should take cultural confidence as its cornerstone. The *Book of Changes* states, “Renewal day by day is called abundant virtue; the unceasing production of life is called change.” [3]3 The *Book of Changes* (*I Ching* or *Zhou Yi*) is an ancient Chinese divination text and one of the oldest classics, also used as a philosophical work on cosmology and change. Emphasizing the spirit of innovation and encouraging the pursuit of the new and change is the genetic code of Chinese civilization, providing important value guidance for the development of new quality productive forces.

习近平总书记在全国科技大会上强调，“坚持培育创新文化，传承中华优秀传统文化的创新基因”。培育创新文化的价值理念，应当以文化自信为基石。《易经》中“日新之谓盛德，生生之谓易”，强调创新精神、鼓励求新求变是中华文明的遗传密码，为发展新质生产力提供了重要价值指引。

Fine traditional Chinese culture emphasizes proactive transformative innovation. The *Zhou Yi* records, “Heaven and earth undergo transformation, and the four seasons are thereby completed,” [3]3 The *Book of Changes* (*I Ching* or *Zhou Yi*) is an ancient Chinese divination text and one of the oldest classics, also used as a philosophical work on cosmology and change. holding that people should also conform to the laws of nature, discard the old and bring forth the new. The development of new quality productive forces is an undertaking that requires bold exploration and sharp reform, and the mindset of “better to do nothing than to risk trouble” must be eliminated. In fierce international competition, whoever can open a new track in the exploration of unknown fields will gain a dominant position and the initiative in development. Fine traditional Chinese culture emphasizes dialectical innovation while upholding fundamental principles. The *Records of the Grand Historian* contains the phrase “follow the law and uphold what is correct.” [6]6 Han Yu (768–824) was a Tang dynasty Confucian scholar and prose master. *On Progress in Learning* (*Jinxue Jie*) is one of his famous essays on scholarship and self-cultivation. “Upholding what is correct” means following the objective laws of things and adhering to truth and the right path. To develop new quality productive forces, we cannot blindly rush forward or greedily seek speed just to achieve “newness” in technology, economy, or business forms; we must also “uphold what is correct” in putting talents first, reform as the key, and quality as the priority, insist on being people-centered, and always aim to meet the people’s needs for a better life. [8]8 “Become a common practice” (蔚然成风) is a four-character idiom describing a trend that becomes widespread and accepted. Fine traditional Chinese culture emphasizes open integrated innovation. Han Yu’s *On Progress in Learning* says, “Collect and store everything; use it when needed without omission—this is the skill of a good physician.” [7]7 “Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground” (守正创新) is a key concept in Xi Jinping’s thought, meaning to maintain correct principles while boldly innovating. Chinese civilization is an open system that continuously develops through exchange and mutual learning. The development of new quality productive forces is an international issue arising in the context of economic globalization. Moving from partial industrial upgrading to an overall qualitative leap in social productive forces requires fully leveraging the results of the new round of scientific and technological revolution, which is inseparable from high-level opening up and integrated exchange.

中华优秀传统文化强调主动式的变革创新，《周易》载“天地革而四时成”，认为人也应当顺应自然界的法则，推陈出新、革故鼎新。新质生产力的发展是一项需要大胆探索、锐意变革的事业，要杜绝“宁可不作为，也不要出事”的思想。在激烈的国际竞争中，谁能在未知领域的探索中开辟新赛道，谁就能赢得发展的优势地位与主动权。中华优秀传统文化强调辩证式的守正创新。《史记》中有“循法守正”一词，“守正”就是要遵循事物的客观规律，坚守真理与正道。发展新质生产力，不能为了创技术、经济、业态之“新”而盲目冒进、贪多求快，更要守住人才为本、改革为要、质量为先之“正”，坚持以人民为中心，始终以满足人民群众对美好生活的需求为目标。中华优秀传统文化强调开放式的融合创新，韩愈《进学解》中说“俱收并蓄，待用无遗者，医师之良也”，中华文明是在交流互鉴中不断发展的开放体系，新质生产力的发展是在经济全球化背景下产生的国际性课题，从局部的产业升级走向社会生产力整体质的飞跃需要充分利用新一轮科技革命成果，这离不开高水平的对外开放与融合交流。

The Basic Institutions of Comprehensive Innovation Are the “Booster” Driving the Development of New Quality Productive Forces

全面创新的基础制度是驱动新质生产力发展的“助推器”

Marxist political economy holds that the contradictory movement between productive forces and relations of production, and between the economic base and the superstructure, is the fundamental driving force for the development of human society. Institutional innovation and technological innovation are two sides of the same coin and are key variables that affect technological innovation and promote a leapfrog development of productive forces. The high-end factors required for the development of new quality productive forces are often “specific,” and specificity implies greater sensitivity to the transaction costs brought by institutional quality. To this end, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that we must focus on the prominent issues that constrain the deep integration of science and technology with the economy, and accelerate the construction of basic institutions for comprehensive innovation around what innovation is for, who organizes innovation, and how to support, encourage, and protect innovation.

马克思主义政治经济学认为，生产力与生产关系、经济基础与上层建筑的矛盾运动是推动人类社会发展的根本动力。制度创新与科技创新一体两面，是影响科技创新、推动生产力实现飞跃发展的关键变量。发展新质生产力所需的高端要素往往具有“专用性”，而专用性意味着对制度质量带来的交易成本更加敏感。为此，习近平总书记强调，要紧扣制约科技与经济深度融合的突出问题，围绕创新要干什么、谁来组织创新、如何支持激励保护创新，加快建设全面创新的基础制度。

Currently, there is still a gap between China’s innovation situation and the goals of achieving high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology and building a strong scientific and technological power. In the process of accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, there are still institutional mechanistic obstacles such as uneven distribution of scientific and technological resource investment, weak overall planning and coordination capabilities for scientific and technological innovation, and insufficient systematic layout of strategic scientific and technological forces. To build basic institutions for comprehensive innovation: first, start from the investment side, improve the scientific research funding support system, pay attention to subsidies for key core “bottleneck” technology projects, and refine fiscal support policies; second, focus on the research and development side, establish and improve the industry-university-research integration platform, promote the connection and integration of high-end factors with various innovation chains, provide integrated guarantees for resource investment, talent concentration, and technology assessment, advance deep innovation coordination, and reduce coordination costs; third, support the market side, improve systems for property rights protection, social credit, and market access; fourth, attach importance to top-level design, use scientific and technological innovation to lead the construction of a modern industrial system, strengthen the principal position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, and strengthen the layout of basic research.

当前，我国的创新态势相对于实现高水平科技自立自强、建设科技强国的目标仍然存在差距，加快发展新质生产力的过程中依然存在科技资源投入分配不均、科技创新统筹协调能力不强、战略科技力量体系化布局不足等体制机制性障碍。建设全面创新的基础制度，一要从投资端入手，完善科研资金支持体系，重视对关键核心“卡脖子”技术项目的补贴，细化财政支持政策；二要在研发端发力，建立健全产学研一体化平台，促进高端要素与各个创新链条的衔接、融合，做好资源投入、人才集聚、技术评估等一体化保障，推进创新深度协同，降低协调成本；三要在市场端支持，完善产权保护、社会信用、市场准入等制度；四要重视顶层设计，以科技创新引领现代化产业体系建设，强化企业科技创新主体地位，强化基础研究布局。

Breakthroughs in Original and Disruptive Innovation Are the “Navigator” Leading the Development of New Quality Productive Forces

原创性、颠覆性创新突破是引领新质生产力发展的“领航仪”

The purpose of forming values and institutional arrangements that support innovation is to ignite the engine of practice that drives the development of new quality productive forces. With the in-depth evolution of the new round of technological and industrial revolutions, disruptive technological innovation has become a “sharp weapon” for major countries around the world to shape their international competitive advantage. Currently, the practical models of innovation among Chinese science and technology enterprises generally exhibit characteristics of integrated innovation and imitation innovation, and there are still shortcomings in original innovation and disruptive innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping has elevated disruptive innovation to the strategic height of achieving high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, emphasizing that “we must enable original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation achievements to emerge in abundance, and cultivate new drivers for the development of new quality productive forces.” Looking ahead, focusing on breakthroughs in original and disruptive innovation capabilities is an important practical principle for driving the development of new quality productive forces through innovation.

形成支持创新的价值理念与制度安排，目的在于点燃驱动新质生产力发展的实践引擎。随着新一轮技术革命与产业革命的深入演进，颠覆性的技术创新已成为全世界主要国家塑造国际竞争优势的“利器”。当前，我国科技企业创新的实践模式普遍呈现出集成创新、模仿创新的特点，在原始创新、颠覆性创新方面仍存在短板。习近平总书记将颠覆性创新提升到实现高水平科技自立自强的战略高度，强调“使原创性、颠覆性科技创新成果竞相涌现，培育发展新质生产力的新动能”。展望未来，重点聚焦原创性、颠覆性创新能力的突破是以创新驱动新质生产力发展的重要实践准则。

From the source, disruptive technologies require the support of basic research, especially original basic research. Against the backdrop of the technological and industrial revolutions, competition in the field of science and technology is shifting toward the frontier of basic research. Strengthening investment in basic research, improving innovation support, and strengthening original innovation incentives are the necessary paths for driving disruptive technological innovation. From the perspective of development pathways, disruptive technological innovation in its early stages is often difficult to identify, carries high risk, and is highly uncertain. It requires a long-term view, providing a breeding ground for its germination and growth through forward-looking policy measures, and creating an atmosphere that encourages innovation and tolerates failure, while avoiding short-termism and outcome-only evaluations. From the perspective of results, the outcomes of disruptive technologies can often bring revolutionary changes to human production and life in a short period of time. Therefore, we must not only attach importance to original innovation “from zero to one,” but also to the transformation of innovation results “from one to one hundred,” clearing the “last mile” of scientific and technological innovation activities. [10]

从源头上看，颠覆性技术需要基础性研究，特别是原创基础性研究的源头支撑，技术革命和产业革命的背景下，科技领域的竞争出现向基础前沿领域前移的趋势，加强基础研究投入、完善创新支持、强化原创激励，是带动颠覆性技术创新的必由之路；从发展路径上来看，颠覆性的技术创新早期往往存在难以识别、风险较大、不确定性强的特点，需要立足长远，通过具有前瞻性的政策措施为其提供萌芽和生长的沃土，营造鼓励创新、宽容失败的氛围，切忌急功近利、唯结果论；从成果来看，颠覆性技术的成果往往能在短时间内为人类的生产生活带来革命性的变化，因此不仅要重视“从零到一”的原始创新，更要重视“从一到一百”的创新成果转化，打通科技创新活动的“最后一公里”。

The cultivation of innovative culture has become an important focal point for advancing the cause of innovation and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. Taking culture as the soul and innovation as the wings, closely following the pulse of the times of high-quality development, doing a great job in innovation, and creating a cultural environment conducive to innovation, so that innovation becomes a common practice throughout society, can effectively consolidate and bring into play the endogenous driving force for promoting the development of new quality productive forces, and inject strong momentum into the grand goal of building a strong country. [9]9 “The last mile” (最后一公里) is a Chinese metaphor for the final, often most difficult, step in completing a task or achieving a goal.

创新文化的培育已经成为推进创新事业、加快发展新质生产力的重要着力点。以文化为魂魄，以创新为羽翼，紧扣高质量发展的时代脉搏，做好创新这篇“大文章”，营造一个有利于创新的文化环境，使创新在全社会蔚然成风，能够有效凝聚和发挥推动新质生产力发展的内生动力，为推进强国建设的宏伟目标注入强大动能。

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧