Solidly Promoting High-Quality Development through Economic System Reform

General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that “comprehensively deepening reform must be taken as the fundamental driving force for advancing Chinese-path modernization.” The *Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization* [1]1 The *Decision* was adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in July 2024. explicitly requires that economic system reform be taken as the lever to better align relations of production with productive forces, the superstructure with the economic base, and national governance with social development. Economic system reform is the focus of comprehensively deepening reform, and high-quality development is the primary task of advancing Chinese-path modernization. To promote high-quality development, it is necessary to deepen economic system reform.

习近平总书记强调，“要把全面深化改革作为推进中国式现代化的根本动力”。《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》明确要求，以经济体制改革为牵引，推动生产关系和生产力、上层建筑和经济基础、国家治理和社会发展更好相适应。经济体制改革是全面深化改革的重点，高质量发展是推进中国式现代化的首要任务。推动高质量发展，必须深化经济体制改革。

High-quality development inherently requires deepening economic system reform

高质量发展内在要求深化经济体制改革

Historical materialism emphasizes that productive forces are the ultimate decisive force for changes in relations of production and for social development and progress, and that relations of production must correspond to the state and developmental requirements of the productive forces. Marx stated in *The Poverty of Philosophy*: “In acquiring new productive forces, men change their mode of production; and in changing their mode of production, in changing the way of earning their living, they change all their social relations.” The development of productive forces is a spiraling upward process from quantitative change, through partial qualitative change, to overall qualitative change. Each stage of development and leap in the productive forces inherently requires a corresponding change in the relations of production. An important task of China’s socialist modernization is to adapt to the stage requirements of productive forces development and to explore the establishment of a vibrant and dynamic economic system. Through long-term unremitting efforts, China’s economy has already transitioned from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development. Especially since the New Era, China’s economic development has achieved historic accomplishments and undergone historic transformations. This inherently requires deepening economic system reform to adapt to the requirements of further promoting high-quality development.

唯物史观强调，生产力是生产关系变革与社会发展进步的最终决定力量，生产关系必须与生产力状况、发展要求相适应。马克思在《哲学的贫困》中讲：“随着新生产力的获得，人们改变自己的生产方式，随着生产方式即谋生的方式的改变，人们也就会改变自己的一切社会关系。”生产力发展是由量变、局部质变到整体质变的螺旋式上升过程。生产力每一阶段的发展跃迁都内在要求生产关系随之变革。我国社会主义现代化建设的一项重要课题就是适应生产力发展的阶段要求，探索建立充满生机活力的经济体制。经过长期的不懈努力，我国经济已经实现由高速增长阶段转入高质量发展阶段。尤其是新时代以来，我国经济发展取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革。这内在要求深化经济体制改革，从而适应进一步推动高质量发展的要求。

From 2012 to 2023, China’s gross domestic product increased from 53.9 trillion yuan to over 126 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of over 6%; per capita GDP rose from 6,301 US dollars to 12,681 US dollars, entering the ranks of middle-income economies; the proportion of total R&D spending to GDP increased from 1.91% to 2.64%, and the global innovation index ranking rose from 34th to 12th. A series of cutting-edge scientific and technological innovations have continuously emerged, and strategic emerging industries have continuously grown and strengthened. China’s economic and technological strength has reached a new level, and new quality productive forces are being accelerated in their formation and development. To further promote high-quality development from this new starting point, it is necessary to deepen economic system reform to adapt to the new changes, new characteristics, and new requirements of the material and technological base. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that to develop new quality productive forces, it is necessary to further comprehensively deepen reform and form new types of relations of production that are compatible with them. The development of new quality productive forces requires the construction of new types of relations of production, and high-quality development requires the establishment of a high-level socialist market economy system.

从2012年到2023年，我国国内生产总值从53.9万亿元增加到超126万亿元，年均增6%以上；人均国内生产总值从6301美元提升至12681美元，迈入世界中等收入经济体行列；全社会研发投入占国内生产总值比重由1.91%提高到2.64%，全球创新指数排名由第34位上升至第12位。一系列前沿科技创新成果不断涌现，战略性新兴产业不断发展壮大。我国经济与科技实力跃上新台阶，新质生产力正加快形成与发展起来。在新起点上进一步推动高质量发展，必须深化经济体制改革，以适应物质技术基础的新变化新特征新要求。习近平总书记强调，发展新质生产力，必须进一步全面深化改革，形成与之相适应的新型生产关系。新质生产力的发展需要构建新型生产关系，高质量发展需要建成高水平社会主义市场经济体制。

The world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, accelerating in their evolution, and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is developing rapidly. The external environmental challenges facing China’s high-quality development remain severe and complex, and the situation where many key core technologies are controlled by others has not fundamentally changed. Problems of imbalance, incoordination, unsustainability, and instability in China’s economic development are still relatively prominent; effective demand remains insufficient; the domestic economic circulation is not smooth enough; some enterprises are experiencing operational difficulties; and market vitality is insufficient. Moreover, institutional and mechanistic obstacles restricting high-quality development still exist, such as unreasonable administrative monopolies and market segmentation, an inadequate support system for scientific and technological innovation, and insufficiently smooth mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development. Resolving the prominent contradictions and problems of high-quality development and promoting the economy to achieve effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth cannot be separated from economic system reform. Unblocking the blockages and sticking points that constrain the development of new quality productive forces, accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system, and building a new development pattern also cannot be separated from economic system reform.

世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，新一轮科技革命和产业变革加快发展。我国高质量发展面临的外部环境挑战依旧严峻复杂，不少关键核心技术受制于人的局面尚未根本改变。我国经济发展中不平衡、不协调、不可持续、不稳定问题还较为突出，有效需求仍然不足，国内大循环不够畅通，部分企业经营困难、市场活力不足。并且，制约高质量发展的体制机制障碍依然存在，例如，不合理的行政垄断与市场分割，科技创新的支撑体制不健全，城乡融合发展的机制不够顺畅等。化解高质量发展的突出矛盾与问题，推动经济实现质的有效提升和量的合理增长，离不开经济体制改革。打通束缚新质生产力发展的堵点卡点，加快建设现代化产业体系，构建新发展格局，也离不开经济体制改革。

Using economic system reform to achieve the adaptation of relations of production to the development of productive forces

借助经济体制改革实现生产关系适应生产力发展

Changes in relations of production are an important driving force for the development of productive forces. When relations of production adapt to the developmental requirements of productive forces, they play a positive role in promoting the development of productive forces; conversely, they play a hindering role. Changing relations of production in accordance with the developmental requirements of productive forces can enhance the initiative, proactivity, and creativity of the subjects of various factors of production, fully unleash the productive role of each factor, improve the efficiency of the combination and allocation of factors of production, and promote the rapid development of productive forces. Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “To develop the productive forces, economic system reform is the only way.” Since reform and opening up, one important reason for China’s miracle of long-term rapid economic development has been the continuous adjustment of relations of production, which has stimulated the vitality of productive forces development.

生产关系的变革是生产力发展的重要动力。生产关系适应生产力发展要求时，就会对生产力发展起积极的促进作用；反之，则会起阻碍作用。顺应生产力发展要求变革生产关系，可以提高各生产要素主体的积极主动性和创造性，充分发挥各要素的生产作用，提高生产要素组合配置效率，促进生产力快速发展。邓小平同志指出：“要发展生产力，经济体制改革是必由之路。”改革开放以来，我国创造了经济长期快速发展的奇迹，一个重要原因就是不断调整生产关系，激发生产力发展活力。

In terms of ownership relations, the dominant position of the public sector of the economy has been maintained, while its operational and management mechanisms have been continuously reformed, and the existence and development of non-public sectors of the economy, such as individual, foreign-funded, and domestic private economies, have been gradually permitted, encouraged, and supported. This has fully released the space for the development of productive forces accommodated by various forms of ownership. In terms of economic operation, the highly centralized planned economic system was gradually broken through, and the role and status of the market economy were continuously elevated. Ultimately, the socialist market economy system was established, thereby stimulating economic vitality, improving the efficiency of resource allocation, and promoting the rapid development of social productive forces. In terms of distribution relations, a distribution system with distribution according to work as the main body and multiple forms of distribution coexisting has gradually taken shape. Various market entities participate in distribution by virtue of factors such as labor, capital, technology, and management, causing the sources for developing productive forces to compete to emerge.

在所有制关系上，坚持公有制经济主体地位不变，不断改革其经营管理机制，逐渐允许、鼓励和支持个体经济、外资经济以及国内私营经济等非公有制经济的存在和发展。从而充分释放了各种所有制经济所容纳的生产力发展空间。在经济运行上，逐渐突破高度集中的计划经济体制，不断提升市场经济的作用与地位。最终确立社会主义市场经济体制，从而激发了经济活力，提高了资源配置效率，促进了社会生产力的快速发展。在分配关系上，逐步形成以按劳分配为主体、多种分配方式并存的分配制度。各市场主体凭借劳动、资本、技术、管理等各要素参与分配，使发展生产力的源泉竞相涌流。

In the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has unswervingly deepened economic system reform, continuously enhancing the driving force and vitality of high-quality development. It has adhered to and improved the basic socialist economic system, organically combining the decisive role of the market in resource allocation with better play of the government’s role. It has actively promoted the construction of a high-standard market system, property rights protection, and factor market institutions, and continuously deepened reforms to streamline administration, delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services. A market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment has been accelerated in its formation, stimulating the endogenous driving force and market vitality of various business entities. Supply-side structural reform has been advanced in an orderly manner, the macroeconomic governance system has been continuously improved, and major national development strategies have been deeply implemented, effectively addressing the problems of unbalanced and inadequate development. By continuously deepening economic system reform, it is possible to unblock the blockages and sticking points that constrain high-quality development, improve the efficiency of factor allocation and combination, and promote the realization of economic transformation and upgrading and the in-depth transformation of the development model. Constructing new types of relations of production compatible with new quality productive forces can allow various advanced and high-quality factors of production to flow smoothly towards the development of new quality productive forces, promoting quality change through efficiency change and driving force change. In short, as institutional reforms conducive to innovative development, coordinated development, green development, open development, and shared development are continuously advanced, high-quality development will steadily move forward.

新时代以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚定不移深化经济体制改革，不断增强高质量发展的动力和活力。坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度，将市场在资源配置中发挥决定性作用与更好发挥政府作用有机结合。积极推进高标准市场体系、产权保护和要素市场制度建设，持续深化简政放权、放管结合、优化服务改革。市场化法治化国际化营商环境加快形成，激发了各类经营主体的内生动力与市场活力。供给侧结构性改革有序推进，宏观经济治理体系不断完善，国家重大发展战略深入推进，有效应对了发展不平衡不充分问题。通持续深化经济体制改革，可以打通制约高质量发展的堵点卡点，提升要素配置与组合效率，推动实现经济转型升级与发展方式的深入转变。构建与新质生产力相适应的新型生产关系，可以让各类先进优质生产要素向发展新质生产力顺畅流动，以效率变革、动力变革促进质量变革。总之，有利于创新发展、协调发展、绿色发展、开放发展、共享发展的体制改革不断推进，高质量发展就会稳步向前推进。

Further deepening economic system reform

进一步深化经济体制改革

General Secretary Xi Jinping has proposed that “major measures for further comprehensively deepening reform should be planned, to continuously inject strong impetus into promoting high-quality development and advancing Chinese-path modernization.” On the new journey of the New Era, to further promote high-quality development, it is necessary to further deepen economic system reform around the construction of a high-level socialist market economy system.

习近平总书记提出，“要谋划进一步全面深化改革重大举措，为推动高质量发展、推进中国式现代化持续注入强劲动力”。新时代新征程进一步推动高质量发展，要围绕构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制进一步深化经济体制改革。

First, reform and improve the institutional mechanisms for implementing the “Two Unswervinglys.” [2]2 The “Two Unswervinglys” refers to the 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 of the economy. On the one hand, improve the state-owned economy operation and management system, making state-owned enterprises and state capital stronger, better, and larger through reform and innovation. Deepen institutional and mechanistic reforms, focus on enhancing the core functions and core competitiveness of state-owned enterprises, optimize the layout and structure of the state-owned economy, and fully leverage their role in strengthening scientific and technological innovation, building a modern industrial system, and ensuring national security. On the other hand, protect the property rights of private enterprises and the rights and interests of entrepreneurs according to law, ensure that all forms of ownership economy use factors of production equally according to law, participate fairly in market competition, and receive equal legal protection, and fully implement the policies and systems that support the development and growth of the private economy. Promote the entrepreneurial spirit, guide private enterprises to consciously practice the new development concept and follow the path of high-quality development. Continuously optimize a fair, transparent, and predictable development environment, stimulating the endogenous driving force and innovation vitality of various business entities.

第一，改革完善落实“两个毫不动摇”的体制机制。一方面，健全国有经济经营管理体系，在改革创新中做强做优做大国有企业与国有资本。深化体制机制改革，着力增强国有企业的核心功能与核心竞争力，优化国有经济布局结构，充分发挥其在强化科技创新、建设现代化产业体系、保障国家安全等方面的作用。另一方面，依法保护民营企业产权和企业家权益，使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，全面落实支持民营经济发展壮大的政策制度。弘扬企业家精神，引导民营企业自觉践行新发展理念、走高质量发展之路。持续优化公平透明、可预期的发展环境，激发各类经营主体的内生动力和创新活力。

Second, build a unified national market and a high-standard market system. Break down administrative barriers and market segmentation, eliminate local protectionism and vicious competition, and accelerate the construction of an efficient, standardized, fair, competitive, and fully open unified national market. Establish and improve basic market economy systems such as unified property rights protection, market access, fair competition, and social credit. Under unified market institutional rules, clear the blockages and choke points that impede the domestic great circulation, and promote the smooth flow of commodities, factors, and resources. Remove various unreasonable market access barriers, clean up and abolish policies that hinder a unified market and fair competition, improve the social credit incentive and restraint mechanism, and accelerate the creation of a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized first-class business environment. Improve a fair and unified market supervision and law enforcement system, strengthen anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition efforts, and continuously enhance the effectiveness of market supervision.

第二，构建全国统一大市场与高标准市场体系。打破行政壁垒和市场分割，消除地方保护主义和恶性竞争，加快建设高效规范、公平竞争、充分开放的全国统一大市场。建立健全统一的产权保护、市场准入、公平竞争、社会信用等市场经济基础制度，在统一的市场制度规则下打通制约国内大循环的堵点卡点，促进商品要素资源畅通流动。破除各种不合理的市场准入壁垒，清理废除各种妨碍统一市场和公平竞争的政策，完善社会信用激励约束机制，加快创建市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境。健全公平统一的市场监管与执法体系，强化反垄断和反不正当竞争，不断提高市场监管的效能。

Third, establish and improve a new system for a high-standard open economy. Promoting reform and development through opening up, and building a high-standard open economic system is an inherent requirement of constructing a high-standard socialist market economy system. Unswervingly promote high-standard opening up to the outside world, enhance the linkage effect of the two markets and two types of resources [domestic and international], and continuously shape new advantages for a higher-standard open economy. Proactively align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, and steadily advance institutional opening up in areas such as rules, regulations, management, and standards. Actively promote the optimization and upgrading of goods trade, innovate mechanisms for the development of service trade, develop digital trade, and expand cross-border e-commerce exports. Improve the protection mechanism for foreign investment rights and interests and the negative list system for foreign investment access, build free trade pilot zones to a high standard, and enhance the quality and level of international trade and investment cooperation. Actively promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, participate in the reform of the global economic governance system, and maintain a diversified, stable, mutually beneficial, and win-win international economic and trade relationship.

第三，建立健全高水平开放型经济新体制。以开放促改革、促发展，建设高水平开放型经济新体制是构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制的题中之义。坚定不移推动高水平对外开放，增强国内国际两个市场两种资源联动效应，不断塑造更高水平开放型经济新优势。主动对接国际高标准经贸规则，稳步推进规则、规制、管理、标准等制度型开放。积极推进货物贸易优化升级，创新服务贸易发展机制，发展数字贸易，扩大跨境电商出口。完善外商投资权益保护机制与外资准入负面清单制度，高标准建设自由贸易试验区，提升国际贸易投资合作质量和水平。积极推动共建“一带一路”高质量发展，参与全球经济治理体系改革，维护多元稳定、互利共赢的国际经贸关系。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗