Empowering Production Quality and Efficiency Improvement with the New Development Philosophy

New quality productive forces is an original concept proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping against the major backdrop of socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a New Era and the economy shifting from a phase of high-speed growth to a phase of high-quality development. It innovates and develops the Marxist theory of productive forces and provides the fundamental guidance for further unleashing and developing productive forces and realizing Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that the salient feature of new quality productive forces is innovation, which includes innovation at the level of technology and business models as well as innovation at the level of management and institutions. The history of modern human civilization development shows us that innovative practice does not arise out of thin air; it requires a solid foundation of material conditions and, even more, the guidance of innovative ideas and concepts. Therefore, it is imperative to unswervingly take the new development philosophy as the guide and integrate the new development philosophy into the logical relationship between understanding new quality productive forces and high-quality development.[1]1 The new development philosophy refers to the five development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing, proposed by the CPC to guide high-quality development.

新质生产力是习近平总书记在中国特色社会主义进入新时代、经济由高速增长阶段转向高质量发展阶段的重大背景下提出的原创性概念，创新和发展了马克思主义生产力理论，为进一步解放和发展生产力、实现中国式现代化提供了根本遵循。习近平总书记强调，新质生产力的显著特点是创新，既包括技术和业态模式层面的创新，也包括管理和制度层面的创新。现代人类文明发展的历史向我们昭示，创新性实践并非凭空产生，需要坚实的物质条件基础，更需要创新性思想理念引领。因此，必须坚定不移以新发展理念为指引，将新发展理念贯通于理解新质生产力和高质量发展的逻辑关系之中。

The guidance of scientific theory is an important condition for driving the development of productive forces. After the Industrial Revolution, theoretical knowledge from the natural sciences was continuously transformed into new technologies and inventions, greatly promoting the improvement of production efficiency; theoretical knowledge from management science and other social sciences became an important foundation for the continuous adjustment of production organization forms, playing an important role in driving the development of productive forces at different historical stages. However, in the stage of capitalist development, the development of social production has always been unable to escape disorder and spontaneity. Only under socialist conditions can a scientific theory be formed that has comprehensive guiding significance for the development of productive forces and truly serves large-scale socialized production and the comprehensive and free development of human beings.

科学理论指引是驱动生产力发展的重要条件。工业革命以后，自然科学的理论知识不断转化为新的技术与发明，极大地促进了生产效率的提升；管理科学和其他社会科学的理论知识成为生产组织形态不断调整的重要基础，在不同历史阶段发挥了驱动生产力发展的重要作用。然而在资本主义发展阶段，社会生产发展始终无法摆脱无序性、自发性。只有在社会主义条件下，才能形成对生产力发展具有全面指导意义，真正为社会化大生产服务、为人的全面自由发展服务的科学理论。

Since the founding of New China, the Communist Party of China has combined the basic principles of Marxist political economy with China's actual conditions, achieving a series of major innovations in economic theory. Entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the major theoretical idea of the "new development philosophy," requiring the promotion of development in which "innovation becomes the primary driving force, coordination becomes an endogenous characteristic, green becomes a universal form, openness becomes the inevitable path, and sharing becomes the fundamental purpose." From the formation of the "new development philosophy" to the proposal of "new quality productive forces," this reflects the CPC's theoretical and action consciousness in developing advanced productive forces.[2]2 "Theoretical and action consciousness" (理论自觉和行动自觉) is a CPC term denoting conscious awareness of theoretical principles and proactive implementation in practice.

新中国成立以来，中国共产党把马克思主义政治经济学基本原理与中国实际相结合，经济理论实现了一系列重大创新。进入新时代，习近平总书记提出了“新发展理念”这一重大理论思想，要求推进“创新成为第一动力、协调成为内生特点、绿色成为普遍形态、开放成为必由之路、共享成为根本目的”的发展。从“新发展理念”的形成到“新质生产力”的提出，体现了中国共产党发展先进生产力的理论自觉和行动自觉。

New quality productive forces are an advanced form of productive forces that conform to the new development philosophy. New quality productive forces are not a local optimization or simple iteration of traditional productive forces, nor are they economic growth driven solely by technological innovation; rather, they are advanced productive forces spawned by revolutionary technological breakthroughs, innovative allocation of production factors, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading under the guidance of the new development philosophy. The "high-tech, high-efficiency, high-quality characteristics" of new quality productive forces are the concrete results of the new development philosophy leading the liberation and development of productive forces. At present, Chinese-path modernization has expanded the path choices for developing countries to achieve modernization and provided a Chinese solution for human society to break away from traditional economic growth modes and paths of productive forces development. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth; the formation and development of new quality productive forces confirm the scientific nature of the new development philosophy.

新质生产力是符合新发展理念的先进生产力质态。新质生产力不是传统生产力的局部优化与简单迭代，也不是单纯的技术创新驱动的经济增长，而是在新发展理念引领下由技术革命性突破、生产要素创新性配置、产业深度转型升级而催生的先进生产力。新质生产力的“高科技、高效能、高质量特征”，是新发展理念引领生产力解放和发展的具体成果。当前，中国式现代化拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的路径选择，为人类社会摆脱传统经济增长方式、生产力发展路径提供了中国方案。实践是检验真理的唯一标准，新质生产力的形成和发展印证了新发展理念的科学性。

To further develop new quality productive forces, it is necessary to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy.

进一步发展新质生产力，必须完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念。

We must resolutely win the battle for key and core technologies and achieve high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology.[3]3 The "battle for key and core technologies" (关键核心技术攻坚战) is a national campaign to achieve breakthroughs in essential technologies and reduce dependence on foreign sources. Innovation, as the first of the five development concepts, is the primary driving force for development and the first necessary condition for forming new quality productive forces. Scientific and technological innovation can spawn new industries, new models, and new drivers of growth; it is the core element in developing new quality productive forces. Chinese-path modernization must be supported by scientific and technological modernization, and achieving high-quality development requires cultivating new drivers through scientific and technological innovation. We must truly recognize that without scientific and technological innovation, new quality productive forces cannot be formed, and scientific and technological innovation lacking the guidance of the new development philosophy cannot form new quality productive forces either. Striving to meet the sufficient conditions for forming new quality productive forces is the overall and major task for further developing new quality productive forces; seizing the core element of scientific and technological innovation is the key task within this overall and major task.

要坚决打赢打好关键核心技术攻坚战，实现高水平科技自立自强。创新作为五大发展理念之首，是发展的第一动力，是形成新质生产力的第一必要条件。科技创新能够催生新产业、新模式、新动能，是发展新质生产力的核心要素。中国式现代化要靠科技现代化作支撑，实现高质量发展要靠科技创新培育新动能。我们要切实认识到没有科技创新无法形成新质生产力，缺乏新发展理念引领的科技创新也无法形成新质生产力。努力满足形成新质生产力的充分条件，是进一步发展新质生产力的全局、大局；抓住科技创新这个核心要素，则是这个全局、大局的要务。

We must adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability and correctly handle the relationship between stability and progress in the formation of new quality productive forces.[4]4 "Seeking progress while maintaining stability" (稳中求进总基调) is a fundamental work principle of the CPC, emphasizing steady advancement. Developing new quality productive forces is a systematic project that cannot be accomplished overnight, and we cannot hope to achieve everything in one battle.[5]5 "To accomplish everything in one battle" (毕其功于一役) is a classical Chinese idiom, often used in CPC discourse to caution against unrealistic one-time solutions. To this end, it is necessary to safeguard industrial security and economic security, enhance the resilience and security level of industrial and supply chains, and ensure the sustainability of the development process of new quality productive forces. At the same time, we must handle the relationship between developing new industries, future industries, and traditional industries. New quality productive forces do not mean neglecting or abandoning traditional industries; we must prevent a rush for quick results and bubbles. Traditional industries can not only play a role in stabilizing employment but can also form new quality productive forces through transformation and upgrading.

要坚持稳中求进总基调，正确处理新质生产力形成中稳和进的关系。发展新质生产力是一个系统工程，不会一蹴而就，不能希冀毕其功于一役。为此，必须维护产业安全、经济安全，提升产业链供应链韧性和安全水平，保障新质生产力发展进程可持续。同时，处理好发展新产业、未来产业和传统产业的关系。新质生产力不是忽视、放弃传统产业，要防止一哄而上、泡沫化。传统产业不仅能在稳定就业方面发挥作用，也能通过改造升级形成新质生产力。

We must adhere to the principle of acting according to local conditions and promote the development of new quality productive forces in different regions by categories.[6]6 "Acting according to local conditions" (因地制宜) is a Chinese idiom meaning to adapt measures to local circumstances, a common policy principle. China has a vast territory, and the level of economic and social development varies greatly across regions. Therefore, all regions should proceed from their actual conditions, first establish before abolishing, act according to local conditions, and adopt categorized guidance.[7]7 "First establish before abolishing" (先立后破) is a CPC reform strategy advocating the establishment of new mechanisms before dismantling old ones. Based on local resource endowments, industrial foundations, scientific research conditions, etc., they should selectively promote the development of new industries, new models, and new drivers. For example, for Beijing, it is necessary to give full play to its role as an international science and technology innovation center, use innovative concepts to lead development practice, reflect the capital city's demeanor, and especially provide strong support to other regions of the country in terms of scientific and technological innovation.

要坚持因地制宜的发展原则，分类推进不同区域新质生产力发展。我国幅员辽阔，各地经济社会发展水平呈现出较大差异性。因此各地区应从实际出发，先立后破、因地制宜、分类指导，根据本地的资源禀赋、产业基础、科研条件等，有选择地推动新产业、新模式、新动能发展。例如对于北京来说，要充分发挥国际科技创新中心的作用，用创新理念引领发展实践，体现首都风范，特别是要在科技创新方面给全国其他地区提供强大支撑。

(The author, Shen Jie, is a special research fellow of the Beijing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center and the deputy secretary (deputy president) in charge of daily work of the Beijing Municipal Party School (Beijing Academy of Governance).)

（作者：沈洁，系北京市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、北京市委党校〔北京行政学院〕分管日常工作的副校〔院〕长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧