We Must Correctly Balance the Relationship Between Improving Quality and Expanding Total Volume

The 2024 Central Economic Work Conference[1]1 The Central Economic Work Conference is an annual high-level meeting convened by the Communist Party of China Central Committee to set the economic policy agenda for the following year. The 2024 conference was held in December 2024. put forward the "five must-balance" principles, one of which is "we must correctly balance the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume, so as to consolidate the material foundation for Chinese-path modernization." This represents our Party's deepening of its understanding of the laws governing economic work, and provides scientific guidance and fundamental principles for carrying out economic work on the new journey of the New Era and promoting high-quality development.

2024年中央经济工作会议提出“五个必须统筹”，其中之一是“必须统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系，夯实中国式现代化的物质基础”。这是我们党对经济工作规律性认识的深化，为做好新时代新征程经济工作、推动高质量发展提供了科学指引和根本遵循。

Correctly balancing the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume is an inherent requirement for consolidating the material foundation of Chinese-path modernization

统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系是夯实中国式现代化物质基础的内在要求

High-quality development is the primary task in building a modern socialist country in all respects; ensuring and improving people's wellbeing through development is a major task of Chinese-path modernization; and national security is an important foundation for the steady and sustained progress of Chinese-path modernization. Whether it is the realization of the primary task and the major task, or the consolidation of the important foundation of national security, a strong material base is required, which means that the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume must be correctly balanced.

高质量发展是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的首要任务，在发展中保障和改善民生是中国式现代化的重大任务，国家安全是中国式现代化行稳致远的重要基础。无论首要任务和重大任务的实现，还是国家安全这一重要基础的夯实，都要求有强大的物质基础做支撑，意味着必须统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系。

Correctly balancing the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume is an inherent requirement for achieving high-quality development. The relationship between quantity and quality runs through the entire process of economic development, with different emphases at different stages. In the early stages of economic development, when per capita income is relatively low and the national economic aggregate is still relatively small, it is more urgent to find ways to expand the total volume in a relatively short period of time. Only after a certain degree of quantitative accumulation has been achieved can qualitative change occur; in the early stages of development, overemphasizing quality is unrealistic. Since reform and opening up, after decades of rapid development, China has become the world's second-largest economy. The economy has transitioned from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development. The principal contradiction in society has correspondingly changed, and consequently the requirements for the quality and quantity of development have also changed. First, in the stage of high-quality development, increasing quantity is equally important. According to the overall strategic plan of the 20th National Congress of the CPC[2]2 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022. for comprehensively building a great modern socialist country, by 2035, when socialist modernization is basically realized, per capita gross domestic product should reach the level of moderately developed countries. This requires that economic growth must maintain a certain speed, making the "cake" bigger and enabling more wealth to emerge. Second, attention must be paid to qualitative improvement. Economic development should accelerate the shift from factor-input-driven growth to innovation-driven growth, fully embody the new development philosophy, accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading, and promote changes in quality, efficiency, and drivers of growth, so that the economy evolves towards a more advanced form, a more complex division of labor, and a more rational structure.

统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系是实现高质量发展的内在要求。量和质的关系贯穿经济发展的始终，不同发展阶段的侧重点不一样。在经济发展早期阶段，人均收入水平比较低，国家的经济总量还比较小，想办法在较短时间里把总量做大，相对而言是更加紧迫的事情。量的积累达到一定程度后，质变才有可能发生，在发展的早期阶段，过分强调质是不现实的。改革开放以来，经过几十年快速发展，我国已成为世界第二大经济体，经济已由高速增长阶段进入高质量发展阶段，社会主要矛盾相应地发生转变，进而对发展的质和量的要求也发生了转变。首先，在高质量发展阶段，量的增加同样重要。根据党的二十大关于全面建成社会主义现代化强国的总体战略安排，到二〇三五年基本实现社会主义现代化时，人均国内生产总值要达到中等发达国家水平，这就要求经济增长必须保持一定的速度，使“蛋糕”进一步做大，使财富更多更好涌现。其次，必须注重质的提升。经济发展应加快从要素投入驱动转向创新驱动，充分体现新发展理念，加快产业转型升级，推动质量变革、效率变革、动力变革，使经济向形态更高级、分工更复杂、结构更合理的阶段演化。

Correctly balancing the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume is an inherent requirement for ensuring and improving people's wellbeing through development. Throughout the entire process of realizing Chinese-path modernization, great importance must be attached to people's wellbeing, and the people's aspiration for a better life must be constantly fulfilled. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "In Chinese-path modernization, people's wellbeing is paramount. All the work of the Party and the government is aimed at enabling the ordinary people to live a happier life." Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC[3]3 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in November 2012., the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to a people-centered development philosophy. The breadth of social security has been continuously expanded, its intensity has been continuously strengthened, its thickness has been continuously consolidated, and its precision has been continuously improved. Sustained efforts have been made to ensure people's access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, elderly care, housing, and social assistance[4]4 This is a standard Chinese policy formulation referring to seven key areas of social welfare: childcare, education, employment, medical care, elderly care, housing, and assistance for the vulnerable.. People's lives have improved in all respects. The question of "whether something exists" has been basically resolved, and we have entered a stage of "whether it is good." Improving the quality of life has become the people's new aspiration for a better life. This requires promoting the economy to achieve both effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth from a higher starting point, so as to provide solid material support for ensuring and improving people's wellbeing.

统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系是在发展中保障和改善民生的内在要求。在实现中国式现代化的整个过程中，都要高度重视民生，不断实现人民对美好生活的向往。习近平总书记指出：“中国式现代化，民生为大。党和政府的一切工作，都是为了老百姓过上更加幸福的生活。”党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，民生保障的宽度不断拓展、力度不断增强、厚度不断夯实、精度不断提高，在幼有所育、学有所教、劳有所得、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居、弱有所扶上持续用力，人民生活全方位改善，已基本解决“有没有”的问题，进入到“好不好”的阶段，提高生活品质成为人们对美好生活的新向往。这就要求在更高的起点上推动经济实现质的有效提升和量的合理增长，为保障和改善民生提供扎实物质支撑。

Correctly balancing the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume is an inherent requirement for safeguarding national security. National security is an important foundation for the steady and sustained progress of Chinese-path modernization. We must fully implement a holistic approach to national security, improve the national security system, and strengthen our ability to safeguard national security. Economic security is an important component of national security and also an important foundation. The "giant vessel" of the Chinese economy still faces many risks and challenges as it sails through the vast ocean. For example, key core technologies are still subject to "bottlenecks"[5]5 A Chinese term for key technologies under foreign control that restrict China's development., and the resilience of industrial and supply chains needs to be further improved. Only by continuing to expand the total economic volume to increase the tonnage of China's economic "giant vessel" and improving the quality of economic development to enhance the stability of its voyage can we continue to sail far. To this end, we must increase the contribution of innovation to economic growth, enhance the resilience and security level of industrial and supply chains, coordinate internal and external security, prevent and defuse various risks, and achieve a positive interaction between high-quality development and high-level security.

统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系是维护国家安全的内在要求。国家安全是中国式现代化行稳致远的重要基础，必须全面贯彻总体国家安全观，健全国家安全体系，增强维护国家安全的能力。经济安全是国家安全的重要内容，也是重要基础。中国经济这艘“巨轮”在大海里乘风破浪还面临不少风险挑战，比如，关键核心技术还存在“卡脖子”现象、产业链供应链韧性有待进一步提高，只有继续做大经济总量以增加我国经济“巨轮”的吨位，提升经济发展质量以增强行驶的稳定性，才能继续扬帆远航。为此，必须增强创新对经济增长的贡献度，提升产业链供应链韧性和安全水平，统筹外部安全和内部安全，防范化解各种风险，实现高质量发展和高水平安全良性互动。

Correctly balancing the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume has sound basic conditions

统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系具备良好基础条件

Attaching importance to grasping the relationship between quality and quantity in economic development is an important experience of our Party in conducting economic work. At present, the adverse impacts of changes in the external environment are deepening, and China's economic operation still faces many challenges. Correctly balancing the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume faces many difficulties. However, the major achievements in economic development since reform and opening up, especially since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, have laid a sound foundation for correctly balancing this relationship in practice.

重视把握好经济发展中质和量的关系是我们党作好经济工作的重要经验。当前，外部环境变化带来的不利影响加深，我国经济运行仍面临不少挑战，统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系面临诸多挑战，但改革开放以来尤其是党的十八大以来，经济发展取得的重大成就，为实践中统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系奠定了良好基础条件。

The economic aggregate is large. China's share of the global economic aggregate has been increasing, now reaching over 18%, and its contribution rate to world economic growth has exceeded 30% for many consecutive years, demonstrating strong economic resilience and growing importance in global economic governance. The continuous expansion of the economic aggregate and the sustained enhancement of development resilience mean that the favorable factors driving high-quality development are increasing and the environment is improving. This not only gives China greater leeway in its development but also inherently drives the economy to upgrade to a higher level.

经济总量大。我国经济总量占全球经济总量的比重不断提高，目前达到18%以上，对世界经济增长的贡献率连续多年超过30%，展现出强大的经济发展韧性，对全球经济治理的重要性与日俱增。经济总量的不断扩大和发展韧性的持续增强，使得驱动高质量发展的有利因素越来越多、环境越来越好，不仅使我国发展有更大的回旋余地，而且内在驱动着经济发展向着更高水平提升。

The quality foundation is solid. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, significant progress has been made in high-quality development, mainly reflected in better alignment with the new development philosophy. In terms of innovative development, R&D investment has been continuously increased, China's ranking in the Global Innovation Index has risen significantly, major breakthroughs have been made in key core technologies, accelerated deployments have been made in fields such as quantum technology, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and new energy, and scientific and technological innovations have been promptly transformed into tangible productive forces. The modern industrial system has been continuously improved, and the technological content of economic growth is increasingly high. In terms of coordinated development, regional coordinated development strategies such as the large-scale development of the western region, the full revitalization of the northeast, the accelerated rise of the central region, and the leading development of the eastern region have been elevated to a higher level. Major regional strategies such as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin have been implemented. The institutional mechanisms for regional coordinated development have become more robust, and the coordination, balance, and integration of regional development have been significantly enhanced. In terms of green development, the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets[6]6 A Chinese environmental slogan emphasizing the economic value of ecological preservation. has taken deep root, the ecological civilization system has become more complete. Guided by the "dual carbon" goals[7]7 The "dual carbon" goals refer to China's targets to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060., efforts to reduce carbon emissions, cut pollution, expand green development, and promote growth have been coordinated, major steps have been taken in building a Beautiful China, and the green background of development has become more substantial. In terms of open development, a more proactive opening-up strategy has been implemented. Institutional opening-up in rules, regulations, management, and standards has been steadily expanded. Deep participation in the global division of labor and cooperation has been pursued. Active participation in global economic governance has been undertaken. The Belt and Road Initiative has yielded fruitful results. Foreign trade has maintained a good development momentum of quality improvement and stable quantity, forming a pattern of opening-up on a larger scale, in more fields, and at a deeper level. In terms of shared development, residents' income has basically kept pace with economic growth, the urban-rural income gap has continued to narrow, the size of the middle-income group has steadily expanded, the people's sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security has become more substantial, more guaranteed, and more sustainable, and significant progress has been made in common prosperity.

质量基础好。党的十八大以来，高质量发展取得重大进展，主要体现在更加符合新发展理念。创新发展方面，研发投入力度不断加大，全球创新指数排名大幅上升，关键核心技术取得重大突破，在量子技术、人工智能、生物医药、新能源等领域加速布局，并及时将科技创新成果转化为看得见的生产力，现代化产业体系不断完善，经济增长的科技含量越来越高。协调发展方面，西部大开发、东北全面振兴、中部地区加快崛起、东部地区率先发展等区域协调发展战略迈向更高水平，京津冀协同发展、长江经济带发展、粤港澳大湾区建设、长三角一体化发展、黄河流域生态保护和高质量发展等区域重大战略实施，区域协调发展战略机制更加健全，区域发展的协调性平衡性整体性明显增强。绿色发展方面，绿水青山就是金山银山的理念深入人心，生态文明制度体系更加健全，在“双碳”目标指引下，协同推进降碳减污扩绿增长，美丽中国建设迈出重大步伐，发展的绿色底色更加厚重。开放发展方面，实行更加积极主动的开放战略，稳步扩大规则、规制、管理、标准等制度型开放，深度参与全球产业分工和合作，积极参与全球经济治理，共建“一带一路”取得丰硕成果，对外贸易整体保持质量提升、数量稳定的良好发展势头，形成更大范围、更宽领域、更深层次对外开放格局。共享发展方面，居民收入与经济增长基本同步，城乡居民收入差距持续缩小，中等收入群体规模稳步扩大，人民群众获得感、幸福感、安全感更加充实、更有保障、更可持续，共同富裕取得重要进展。

Adhering to a systematic approach to correctly balance the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume

坚持系统观念统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系

Correctly balancing the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume runs through the entire process of building a modern socialist country in all respects. It requires adhering to a systematic approach, taking economic construction as the central task, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implementing the new development philosophy, further deepening reform of systems and mechanisms in all respects, and continuously consolidating the material foundation for Chinese-path modernization.

统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系贯穿全面建设社会主义现代化国家整个过程，需要坚持系统观念，以经济建设为中心，完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，进一步全面深化体制机制改革，不断夯实中国式现代化的物质基础。

Accelerate the creation of a new pattern of development. Creating a new development pattern with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international dual circulations mutually reinforcing is a major strategic decision based on the new stage of development, in response to changes unseen in a century, and aimed at reshaping China's new competitive advantages. The 2024 Central Economic Work Conference proposed "implementing a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately accommodative monetary policy"[8]8 A shift from the previous "prudent monetary policy" stance, signaling an easing of monetary conditions. and introduced a series of comprehensive measures to expand domestic demand, providing specific guidance for tapping the potential of domestic demand. In the future, it is necessary to better handle the relationship between the economy and society, better ensure and improve people's wellbeing, focus on finding the driving points and breakthroughs for reform from the people's urgent problems and aspirations, and cultivate new economic growth points by solving these urgent problems. At the same time, deepen supply-side structural reform, improve the quality of products and services, smooth the major cycle of supply and demand, accelerate the construction of a unified national market, expand high-standard opening-up, and achieve dynamic balance between supply and demand at a higher level.

加快构建新发展格局。构建以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局，是立足新发展阶段、应对百年未有之大变局、重塑我国竞争新优势的重大战略决策。2024年中央经济工作会议提出，“实施更加积极的财政政策和适度宽松的货币政策”，并出台一系列全方位扩大内需的举措，为挖掘内需潜力提供具体指引。未来需要更好地处理经济与社会的关系，更好地保障和改善民生，注重从老百姓急难愁盼中找准改革的发力点和突破口，在解决老百姓急难愁盼中培育新的经济增长点。同时，深化供给侧结构性改革，提高产品和服务质量，畅通供需大循环，加快建设国内统一大市场，扩大高水平对外开放，使供需在更高水平实现动态平衡。

Vigorously develop new quality productive forces. Whether it is qualitative improvement or quantitative growth, both require the development of productive forces as the premise and foundation. To correctly balance the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume, it is necessary to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces. Accelerate scientific and technological innovation, promptly apply scientific and technological innovation achievements to corresponding industries and industrial chains, transform and upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and strengthen emerging industries, lay out and build future industries, improve the modern industrial system, open up new fields and tracks for development, and shape new drivers and advantages for development. All localities should, based on their own resource endowments, industrial foundations, and strategic positioning granted by the state, develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, forming a modern industrial development pattern with diverse quality forms and a division of labor and cooperation.

大力发展新质生产力。无论质的提升还是量的增长，都需以生产力的发展为前提和基础。统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系，必须加快发展新质生产力。加快科技创新，及时将科技创新成果应用到相应的产业和产业链上，改造提升传统产业，培育壮大新兴产业，布局建设未来产业，完善现代化产业体系，开辟发展新领域新赛道，塑造发展新动能新优势。各地应结合自身资源禀赋、产业基础和国家赋予的战略定位，因地制宜发展新质生产力，形成质态多样、分工合作的现代化产业发展格局。

Continuously enhance the vitality of market entities. Uphold and implement the "two unswervinglys"[9]9 The "two unswervinglys" refer to the Party's policy of unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector of the economy and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector.. While promoting the optimization and structural adjustment of the state-owned economy and making state-owned capital and state-owned enterprises stronger, better, and larger, create a favorable environment for the development of the non-public sector of the economy, so that the non-public sector has more stable expectations and firmer confidence, and plays its role as a vital force in advancing Chinese-path modernization. Ensure that all forms of ownership can legally and equally use factors of production, participate in market competition on a fair footing, and receive equal legal protection. Promote complementary advantages and common development among all forms of ownership. Create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized first-class business environment, and effectively solve the difficulties faced by market entities in their production and operations. Vigorously promote the entrepreneurial spirit, improve management levels, and promote the emergence of more world-class enterprises, unicorn companies[10]10 A unicorn company is a privately held startup company valued at over US$1 billion., and lighthouse factories[11]11 A lighthouse factory is a manufacturing facility designated by the World Economic Forum as a leader in the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies..

持续增强经营主体活力。坚持和落实“两个毫不动摇”，在推进国有经济布局优化和结构调整、推动国有资本和国有企业做强做优做大的同时，为非公有制经济发展营造良好环境，使非公有制经济有更稳定的预期和更坚定的信心，发挥其推进中国式现代化的生力军作用。保证各种所有制经济依法平等使用生产要素、公平参与市场竞争、同等受到法律保护，促进各种所有制经济优势互补、共同发展。营造市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境，切实解决经营主体在生产经营中面临的困难。大力弘扬企业家精神，提高经营管理水平，推动涌现更多的世界一流企业、独角兽企业、灯塔工厂。

Give full play to the role of human capital. Expanding the total volume requires new drivers, and improving quality requires even more new drivers. Therefore, innovation is an important prerequisite for correctly balancing the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume and achieving high-quality development. We must adhere to the core position of innovation in the overall modernization drive and accelerate the achievement of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening. Among the various factors that determine innovation, human capital plays a particularly important role. To give full play to the role of human capital, it is necessary to continuously improve the quality of human capital training. By optimizing the disciplinary structure and talent training models of higher education institutions and expanding the scale of training for talents in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine, the future adaptability of talent is constantly enhanced. Promote the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent. Facilitate the rational flow of labor and talent. Optimize the allocation of human capital. Form more talent hubs and innovation highlands. Improve the talent evaluation and incentive mechanism. Smooth the channels for talent social mobility. Form a favorable atmosphere for starting businesses and pursuing careers.

充分发挥人力资本作用。做大总量需要新动能，提升质量更需要新动能，因此，创新是统筹好提升质量和做大总量的关系、实现高质量发展的重要前提，必须坚持创新在现代化建设全局中的核心地位，加快实现高水平科技自立自强。在决定创新的诸要素中，人力资本发挥着特别重要的作用。充分发挥人力资本的作用，需要持续提高人力资本培养质量，通过优化高等学校学科设置和人才培养模式、扩大理工农医类专业人才培养规模等举措，不断增强人才的未来适应性。推动教育科技人才一体发展，促进劳动力和人才合理流动，优化人力资本配置，形成更多人才高地和创新高地。完善人才评价激励机制，畅通人才社会性流动渠道，形成干事创业的良好氛围。

(The author: Lai Desheng, researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC [National Academy of Governance], and professor at the Department of Social and Ecological Civilization Teaching and Research)

（作者：赖德胜，系中央党校〔国家行政学院〕习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员、社会和生态文明教研部教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧