The Theoretical Achievement of New Quality Productive Forces Demonstrates Original Contributions

Since 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping has not only originally proposed the new concept of "new quality productive forces," but has also profoundly elucidated the major characteristics, basic connotations, core indicators, and the significance, practical requirements, and methodology for developing new quality productive forces, forming a systematic theoretical expression. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization" adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [1]1 “Revolution in terminology” (术语的革命) is a phrase used by Marx and Engels to describe how new concepts and terms can reflect fundamental changes in understanding reality, often cited in the context of theoretical innovation. made a key systematic deployment for "improving the institutions and mechanisms for developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions," highlighting its major significance in the practice of further deepening reform comprehensively.

2023年以来，习近平总书记不仅原创性地提出了“新质生产力”这一新概念，而且深刻阐明新质生产力的重要特征、基本内涵、核心标志以及发展新质生产力的重要意义、实践要求、方法论等重大理论和实践问题，形成了系统化的理论表达。党的二十届三中全会通过的《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》，对“健全因地制宜发展新质生产力体制机制”进行了重点系统部署，凸显了其在进一步全面深化改革实践中的重大意义。

General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourse on new quality productive forces is an important component of Xi Jinping's economic thought, providing scientific guidance and an action guide for promoting high-quality development of China's economy on the new journey of the New Era. To deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourse on new quality productive forces and the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, it is necessary to proceed from the systematic nature of Xi Jinping's economic thought, deeply understand the important position of "new quality productive forces" within Xi Jinping's economic thought, accurately grasp its spiritual essence and core tenets, and thereby fully recognize the original theoretical contributions of Xi Jinping's economic thought, enhance the theoretical consciousness and action consciousness of implementing this important thought, further deepen economic system reform, and provide powerful impetus and institutional guarantees for Chinese-path modernization.

习近平总书记关于新质生产力的重要论述，是习近平经济思想的重要组成部分，为新时代新征程推动我国经济高质量发展提供了科学指引和行动指南。深入学习贯彻习近平总书记关于新质生产力的重要论述和党的二十届三中全会精神，必须从习近平经济思想的系统性出发，深刻理解“新质生产力”在习近平经济思想中的重要地位，准确把握其精神实质和核心要义，进而充分认识习近平经济思想的原创性理论贡献，增强贯彻落实这一重要思想的理论自觉和行动自觉，进一步深化经济体制改革，为中国式现代化提供强大动力和制度保障。

Realizing a "Revolution in Terminology"

实现“术语的革命”

Terminology, concepts, or categories are the linguistic expressions and forms of human understanding of the objective world, and are the basic units and tools of human rational thought. The formation and development of terminology, concepts, or categories mark the changes and progress of human thought. Proposing new terminology, concepts, or categories is an important prerequisite, pathway, and manifestation for achieving innovative development in scientific theory. Engels once profoundly pointed out: "Every new insight in a science implies a revolution in its terminology." [2]2 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2012, marking the beginning of Xi Jinping’s leadership and the official start of the “New Era” of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

术语、概念或范畴是人类对客观世界认识的语言表达和形式，是人类理性思维的基本单元和工具。术语、概念或范畴的形成和发展，标注着人类思想的变化和进步。提出新的术语、概念或范畴，是实现科学理论创新发展的重要前提、途径和表现。恩格斯曾经深刻地指出：“一门科学提出的每一种新见解都包含这门科学的术语的革命。”

Achieving innovation in thought and theory through a "revolution in terminology" generally has two main pathways and manifestations. One is to transform or redefine the connotation of existing terminology; the other is to create new theoretical terms or categories. As the latest theoretical achievement of Marxist political economy in contemporary China and the world of the 21st century, Xi Jinping's economic thought has precisely achieved innovative development through a series of "revolutions in terminology." On the one hand, it has enriched and developed a series of concepts or categories of Marxist political economy and socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics. For example, it has proposed "letting the market play the decisive role in resource allocation and better playing the role of the government," "adhering to a people-centered development philosophy," "the new stage of development," and "Chinese-path modernization." On the other hand, it has originally proposed a series of new concepts or categories based on the practice of socialist economic development with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. For example, "the new development philosophy," "the modernized economic system," "high-quality development," and "the new pattern of development." Through these two aspects, Xi Jinping's economic thought achieves a "revolution in terminology" and theoretical innovation, embodying a relationship of both inheriting the lineage and advancing with the times in relation to Marxist political economy and the CPC's economic thought, highlighting the spirit of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and constituting the most significant and important landmark achievements of China's independent economic knowledge system.

通过“术语的革命”实现思想理论的创新，大体上有两种主要途径和表现。一种是对已有的术语进行内涵上的改造或者重新定义，另一种则是创造新的理论术语或范畴。作为马克思主义政治经济学在当代中国、21世纪世界的最新理论成果，习近平经济思想正是以一系列“术语的革命”实现了创新发展。一方面，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学和中国特色社会主义政治经济学的一系列概念或范畴。如，提出“使市场在资源配置中起决定性作用，更好发挥政府作用”“坚持以人民为中心的发展思想”“新发展阶段”“中国式现代化”等。另一方面，根据新时代中国特色社会主义经济发展实践原创性地提出了一系列新的概念或范畴。如，“新发展理念”“现代化经济体系”“高质量发展”“新发展格局”等。习近平经济思想通过上述两个方面实现“术语的革命”和理论创新，体现着与马克思主义政治经济学和中国共产党经济思想既一脉相承又与时俱进的关系，彰显着守正创新的精神，是中国自主的经济学知识体系最显著最重要的标识性成果。

Proposing new quality productive forces is yet another major conceptual innovation, achieving another "revolution in terminology," and making a new major contribution to the innovative development of Marxist political economy and socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics. Its original theoretical contribution lies in, for the first time, clearly condensing and summarizing productive forces in terms of their qualitative state, breaking through existing cognitions and traditional understandings of productive forces. It can be said to be an important "new insight" concerning the characteristics and laws of the development of contemporary social productive forces.

提出新质生产力是又一个重大概念创新，实现了又一次“术语的革命”，为马克思主义政治经济学和中国特色社会主义政治经济学的创新发展作出了新的重大贡献。其在理论上的原创性贡献在于，第一次明确地对生产力进行了质态上的凝练和概括，突破了关于生产力的既有认知和传统理解，可以说是关于当代社会生产力发展特征和规律的重要的“新见解”。

The proposal of new quality productive forces has a rich practical source and factual basis, as well as a profound ideological origin and theoretical foundation. It reflects both a scientific summary of the main characteristics and trends of contemporary world science and technology, productive forces, and economic development, and a keen insight and profound summation of the qualitative state of advanced productive forces in China's New Era and their development situation; it reflects both a major innovative development of the Marxist theory of productive forces, and a creative sublimation of the CPC's understanding of the laws of productive force development; it reflects both the logically consistent conceptual extension and cognitive innovation of a series of new concepts, ideas, and strategies proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [3]3 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2012, marking the beginning of the New Era under Xi Jinping's leadership., and represents their quintessential synthesis.

新质生产力的提出，具有丰富的实践来源和事实基础、深厚的思想渊源和理论依据。既体现了对当代世界科技、生产力和经济发展主要特征与趋势的科学概括，也体现了对我国新时代先进生产力质态及其发展状况的敏锐洞察和深刻总结；既体现了对马克思主义生产力理论的重大创新发展，也体现了中国共产党对生产力发展规律认识的创造性升华；既体现了党的十八大以来习近平总书记提出的一系列新理念新思想新战略的合乎逻辑的概念延展和认识拓新，也体现了其精粹的集大成。

From the perspective of the development stage. After building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieving the First Centenary Goal [4]4 The First Centenary Goal refers to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the centenary of the CPC's founding in 2021., seizing the momentum to embark on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and marching toward the Second Centenary Goal [5]5 The Second Centenary Goal refers to building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the centenary of the People's Republic of China's founding in 2049. marks China's entry into a new stage of development. A comprehensive analysis of the domestic and international situation shows that China's development still faces an important period of strategic opportunity. To seize and make good use of new opportunities, it is necessary to accelerate economic structural optimization and upgrading, bravely stand at the forefront of the global new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and also enhance scientific and technological innovation capabilities, achieve major breakthroughs in key core technology innovation, and add new momentum and advantages to China's economic development. Therefore, shifting from mainly relying on the input of production factors to mainly relying on scientific and technological innovation for driving development, and promoting a revolutionary leap in the qualitative state of productive forces while increasing the total quantity of productive forces, is the key task of the new stage of development.

从发展阶段的角度看。全面建成小康社会、实现第一个百年奋斗目标之后，乘势而上开启全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程、向第二个百年奋斗目标进军，标志着我国进入了一个新发展阶段。综合分析国内外形势，我国发展仍然处于重要战略机遇期。抓住用好新机遇，既要加快经济结构优化升级，在全球新一轮科技革命和产业变革浪潮中勇立潮头，也要提升科技创新能力，在关键核心技术创新上取得重大突破，为我国经济发展增添新的动能和优势。因此，从主要依靠生产要素投入转向主要依靠科技创新驱动，在推动生产力总量增加的同时推动生产力质态革命性跃迁，是新发展阶段的关键任务。

From the perspective of the development philosophy. New quality productive forces are an advanced qualitative state of productive forces that conforms to the new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing. Promoting the development of productive forces through scientific and technological innovation, rationally arranging the structure of productive forces between urban and rural areas and between regions, cultivating green productive forces by strengthening ecological civilization construction, creating an open innovation ecosystem conducive to the development of productive forces by continuously expanding and deepening opening up, and enabling all the people to become the subjects of developing productive forces and fully share the material civilization achievements formed by developing productive forces—these are precisely the underlying logic and ideological essence of the new development philosophy.

从发展理念的角度看。新质生产力是符合创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的新发展理念的先进生产力质态。以科技创新推动生产力发展，合理布局城乡之间、区域之间的生产力结构，通过加强生态文明建设培育绿色生产力，以不断扩大和深化对外开放营造有利于生产力发展的开放创新生态，让全体人民成为发展生产力的主体并充分共享发展生产力形成的物质文明成果，正是新发展理念的底层逻辑和思想精髓。

From the perspective of China's economic development pattern. After the outbreak of the international financial crisis, the world situation and the external environment for China's development underwent profound changes. Especially with the accelerated evolution of changes unseen in a century, economic globalization encountered headwinds, and protectionism and unilateralism rose. Accelerating the construction of a new pattern of development with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other has become an inevitable choice in China's development strategy. To construct the new pattern of development, ensure the smooth flow of domestic circulation, and shape China's new advantages in international circulation, it is necessary to win the battle for key core technologies and accelerate overcoming "bottleneck" technologies in important fields, which must be built on the basis of the development of new quality productive forces. At the same time, accelerating the construction of the new pattern of development and smoothing domestic and international circulations requires enhancing scientific and technological strength and ensuring the security and stability of industrial and supply chains, which is also conducive to promoting the development of new quality productive forces.

从我国经济发展格局的角度看。国际金融危机爆发后，世界形势和我国发展的外部环境发生深刻变化，特别是随着世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，经济全球化遭遇逆流，保护主义和单边主义抬头，加快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，成为我国在发展战略上的必然选择。而构建新发展格局，确保国内大循环畅通，塑造我国在国际大循环中的新优势，就要打好关键核心技术攻坚战，加快攻克重要领域“卡脖子”技术，这需建立在新质生产力发展的基础上。同时，加快构建新发展格局，畅通国内国际双循环，需要增强科技实力，保障产业链供应链安全稳定，这也有利于推动新质生产力发展。

From the perspective of high-quality development. Developing new quality productive forces is the intrinsic requirement and key focus for promoting high-quality development. China's economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development. Whether it is the transformation of the economic development mode from scale-speed, extensive growth to quality-efficiency, intensive growth, or the deep adjustment of the economic structure from mainly expanding increments to simultaneously adjusting stock and optimizing increment, or the shift of the driving force of economic development from traditional growth points to new growth points, none can be separated from the development of productive forces. Currently, factors constraining high-quality development still exist in large numbers. New quality productive forces have already taken shape in practice and demonstrated a powerful driving and supporting force for high-quality development. It is necessary to summarize and generalize them theoretically to guide new development practices.

从高质量发展的角度看。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。我国经济已由高速增长阶段转向高质量发展阶段，无论是经济发展方式从规模速度型粗放增长转向质量效率型集约增长，还是经济结构从增量扩能为主转向调整存量、做优增量并存的深度调整，抑或是经济发展动力从传统增长点转向新的增长点，都离不开生产力的发展。目前，制约高质量发展的因素还大量存在。新质生产力已经在实践中形成并展示出对高质量发展的强劲推动力、支撑力，需要从理论上进行总结、概括，用以指导新的发展实践。

From the perspective of Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization both follows the general laws of modernization and possesses distinct Chinese characteristics; it is the modernization of a huge population, the modernization of common prosperity for all, the modernization of material and cultural-ethical progress in harmony, the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, and the modernization of taking the path of peaceful development. Only by vigorously developing new quality productive forces, continuously opening up new fields and new tracks for development, and shaping new drivers and new advantages for development, can we build a solid material and technological foundation for Chinese-path modernization, enable the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics to advance steadily and remain invincible, and continuously demonstrate its vibrant vitality and institutional superiority.

从中国式现代化的角度看。中国式现代化既遵循现代化的一般规律，又具有鲜明的中国特色，是人口规模巨大的现代化、全体人民共同富裕的现代化、物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化、人与自然和谐共生的现代化、走和平发展道路的现代化。只有大力发展新质生产力，不断开辟发展新领域新赛道、塑造发展新动能新优势，才能为中国式现代化构筑强大物质技术基础，使中国特色社会主义事业行稳致远，始终立于不败之地，不断彰显旺盛活力和制度优越性。

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on new quality productive forces, marked prominently by a “revolution in terminology” [1]1 “Revolution in terminology” (术语的革命) is a phrase used by Marx and Engels to describe how new concepts and terms can reflect fundamental changes in understanding reality, often cited in the context of theoretical innovation., possesses outstanding theoretical innovativeness, scientificity, and significant theoretical leadership and practical guiding significance. It fully embodies the Marxist theoretical foundation and essence of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, and further highlights its systematic nature and originality.

习近平总书记关于新质生产力的重要论述，以“术语的革命”为显著标识，具有突出的理论创新性、科学性和重大的理论引领与实践指导意义，使习近平经济思想的马克思主义理论底蕴和底色得到充分体现，也使其系统性和原创性得到进一步彰显。

Expanding Theoretical Innovation Achievements

拓展理论创新成果

The era is the mother of thought; practice is the source of theory. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [2]2 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2012, marking the beginning of Xi Jinping’s leadership and the official start of the “New Era” of socialism with Chinese characteristics., socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era, and China’s economic development has entered a new normal. In guiding the practice of economic development in the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly summarized and fully applied the successful experience of China’s economic development, proceeding from the new reality, and put forward a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies, forming Xi Jinping’s economic thought, which has led China’s economic development to achieve historic accomplishments and undergo historic transformations.

时代是思想之母，实践是理论之源。党的十八大以来，中国特色社会主义进入新时代，我国经济发展进入新常态。在指导新时代经济发展的实践中，习近平总书记深刻总结并充分运用我国经济发展的成功经验，从新的实际出发，提出一系列新理念新思想新战略，形成了习近平经济思想，引领我国经济发展取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革。

Xi Jinping’s economic thought is a scientific theoretical system composed of basic contents including strengthening the Party’s overall leadership over economic work, adhering to a people-centered development philosophy, entering a new stage of development, adhering to the new development philosophy, building a new development pattern, promoting high-quality development, upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system, deploying and implementing major national development strategies, adhering to innovation-driven development, vigorously developing manufacturing and the real economy, unswervingly expanding comprehensive opening up, coordinating development and security, and adhering to correct work strategies and methods. It systematically elaborates on a series of major issues concerning the fundamental guarantee, fundamental stance, historical orientation, guiding principles, path choice, and distinct theme of China’s economic development in the New Era. It adheres to the basic principles and methods of Marxist political economy, forming a series of theoretical achievements with distinct contemporary relevance and creativity in adapting to new situations, solving new problems, and responding to new challenges.

习近平经济思想是由加强党对经济工作的全面领导、坚持以人民为中心的发展思想、进入新发展阶段、坚持新发展理念、构建新发展格局、推动高质量发展、坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度、部署实施国家重大发展战略、坚持创新驱动发展、大力发展制造业和实体经济、坚定不移全面扩大开放、统筹发展和安全、坚持正确工作策略和方法等基本内容构成的科学理论体系，系统阐述了新时代我国经济发展的根本保证、根本立场、历史方位、指导原则、路径选择、鲜明主题等一系列重大问题，坚持马克思主义政治经济学的基本原理和方法，在适应新形势、解决新问题、应对新挑战中形成了一系列具有鲜明时代性和创造性的理论成果。

Since the New Era, under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, China’s economic construction has achieved significant accomplishments. Through reform, social productive forces have been further liberated and developed, continuously meeting the people’s growing needs for a better life. The total quantity of productive forces, expressed in terms of total GDP and total commodity production, has grown substantially. The quality of productive forces, expressed through the optimization of industrial structure and economic structure, urban-rural integration, and coordinated regional development, has continuously improved. At the same time, new quality productive forces, expressed through the vigorous development of high-tech industries, green and low-carbon industries, and strategic emerging industries, have accelerated their formation. The overall quality, efficiency, and international competitiveness of China’s economy have continuously improved. Based on the increase in total productive forces, the improvement in quality, and the emergence of advanced qualitative states, the people’s material and cultural living standards have been greatly enhanced, their sense of gain, happiness, and security have continuously increased, greatly enhancing their confidence and pride.

新时代以来，在习近平经济思想科学指引下，我国经济建设取得重大成就，通过改革进一步解放和发展社会生产力，不断满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要。以GDP总量和商品生产总量表现出来的生产力总量大幅增长，以产业结构和经济结构优化、城乡融合和区域协调发展表现出来的生产力质量不断提高。同时，以高新技术产业、绿色低碳产业、战略性新兴产业等蓬勃发展表现出来的新质生产力加快形成。我国经济整体质量效益和国际竞争力不断提升，在生产力总量增加、质量提高和先进质态涌现的基础上，人民的物质文化生活水平得到大幅提高，获得感、幸福感、安全感不断提升，极大增强了自信心和自豪感。

Xi Jinping’s economic thought possesses distinct contemporary relevance and practicality, continuously enriching and developing according to the changes and developments of the era and practice. On the new journey of the New Era, advancing Chinese-path modernization has more complete institutional guarantees, a more solid material foundation, and a more proactive spiritual force. At the same time, the external risks, challenges, and uncertainties facing China’s development have significantly increased. How to better leverage the superiority of the socialist system, achieve a leap in productive forces through scientific and technological innovation, firmly grasp the initiative in development, completely shake off the passive situation where some key core technologies are still controlled by others, and comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, have become major issues concerning the success or failure of the Party and the state’s cause. It is precisely against this backdrop of the times that General Secretary Xi Jinping, with the profound insight, keen judgment, and theoretical creativity of a Marxist politician, thinker, and strategist, clearly proposed accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.

习近平经济思想具有鲜明的时代性和实践性，根据时代和实践发展变化不断丰富发展。新时代新征程，推进中国式现代化具有更为完善的制度保证、更为坚实的物质基础、更为主动的精神力量。同时，我国发展面临的外部风险挑战和不确定性显著增加。如何更好发挥社会主义制度优越性，通过科技创新实现生产力的跃升，牢牢掌握发展的主动权，彻底摆脱一些关键核心技术仍然受制于人的被动局面，以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，成为事关党和国家事业兴衰成败的重大问题。正是在这样的时代背景下，习近平总书记以马克思主义政治家、思想家、战略家的深刻洞察力、敏锐判断力、理论创造力，明确提出加快发展新质生产力。

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s relevant important discourses comprehensively and systematically reveal the scientific connotation of new quality productive forces, the internal mechanism of their formation and development, and the practical requirements and methodology for cultivating and developing them. They prominently emphasize that new quality productive forces are an advanced qualitative state of productive forces that breaks away from traditional economic growth modes and paths of productive forces development and conforms to the new development philosophy. They profoundly point out the important position and role of innovation, especially revolutionary breakthroughs in technology, innovative allocation of production factors, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading, in the development of new quality productive forces. A significant increase in total factor productivity is the core hallmark of new quality productive forces, and developing new quality productive forces is the intrinsic requirement and key focus for promoting high-quality development. They systematically elaborate on the paths and priorities for developing new quality productive forces, namely, the necessity to further comprehensively deepen reform, expand high-standard opening up, form new production relations compatible with the development of new quality productive forces, and create a favorable international environment for their development. They emphasize the need, according to the requirements for developing new quality productive forces, to smooth the virtuous cycle of education, science and technology, and talent; improve the working mechanism for talent cultivation, introduction, utilization, and rational flow; and strengthen scientific and technological innovation, especially original and disruptive technological innovation. They call for arranging industrial chains around the development of new quality productive forces to enhance the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains. They clearly point out that new quality productive forces are themselves green productive forces, and it is necessary to accelerate the green transformation of the development mode to contribute to peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality. They clearly state the important principles and scientific methods that must be followed in developing new quality productive forces, namely, that all localities should proceed from their actual conditions, establish the new before abolishing the old, adapt measures to local conditions, and provide categorized guidance. Based on local resource endowments, industrial foundations, and scientific research conditions, they should selectively promote the development of new industries, new models, and new drivers, use new technologies to transform and upgrade traditional industries, and actively promote the high-end, intelligent, and green development of industries. In developing new quality productive forces, one must avoid rushing headlong into mass action and bubble formation, nor should one adopt a single model.

习近平总书记的相关重要论述，全面、系统地揭示了新质生产力的科学内涵、新质生产力形成和发展的内在机理、培育和发展新质生产力的实践要求和方法论等。突出强调新质生产力是摆脱传统经济增长方式、生产力发展路径和符合新发展理念的先进生产力质态。深刻指出创新特别是技术革命性突破、生产要素创新性配置、产业深度转型升级等在新质生产力发展中的重要地位和作用，全要素生产率大幅提升是新质生产力的核心标志，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。系统阐述了发展新质生产力的路径和重点，即必须进一步全面深化改革、扩大高水平对外开放，形成与发展新质生产力相适应的新型生产关系，营造发展新质生产力的良好国际环境。强调要按照发展新质生产力的要求，畅通教育、科技、人才的良性循环，完善人才培养、引进、使用、合理流动的工作机制，加强科技创新特别是原创性、颠覆性科技创新；要围绕发展新质生产力布局产业链，提升产业链供应链韧性和安全水平。明确指出新质生产力本身就是绿色生产力，必须加快发展方式绿色转型，助力碳达峰碳中和。明确提出发展新质生产力必须遵循的重要原则和科学方法，即各地要坚持从实际出发，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，用新技术改造提升传统产业，积极促进产业高端化、智能化、绿色化，发展新质生产力要防止一哄而上、泡沫化，也不要搞一种模式。

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on new quality productive forces is not only consistent in spirit with adhering to the new development philosophy, building a new development pattern, promoting high-quality development, adhering to innovation-driven development, and vigorously developing manufacturing and the real economy, but also more profoundly reveals the underlying logic of how to view and act on the Chinese economy in the New Era. It greatly enriches and expands the theoretical depth, breadth, and height of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, opens up a new realm for socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics, and possesses important theoretical value and contemporary contributions.

习近平总书记关于新质生产力的重要论述，不仅与坚持新发展理念、构建新发展格局、推动高质量发展、坚持创新驱动发展、大力发展制造业和实体经济等内容在精神实质上是一致的，而且更加深刻地揭示了新时代中国经济怎么看、怎么干的深层逻辑，极大丰富和拓展了习近平经济思想的理论深度、广度、高度，开拓了中国特色社会主义政治经济学的新境界，具有重要的理论价值与时代贡献。

Elevating the Understanding of the Category of Productive Forces

升华生产力范畴认知

Productive forces are one of the core categories of Marxism. Compared with other philosophical and social science theories, Marxist theory prominently emphasizes the decisive position and role of material productive forces and their development in the existence and development of human society. This is an important hallmark of why the Marxist view of history is a materialist conception of history, the fundamental basis for Marxism’s scientific revelation of the laws of development of human society, and thereby draws a clear line of distinction from all idealist conceptions of history.

生产力是马克思主义的核心范畴之一。与其他哲学社会科学理论相比，马克思主义理论突出强调了物质生产力及其发展在人类社会存在和发展中的决定性地位与作用，这是马克思主义历史观之所以是唯物主义历史观的重要标志，是马克思主义科学揭示人类社会发展规律的根本依据，并由此与一切唯心主义历史观划清了界限。

At the same time, Marxism profoundly reveals the different positions and roles of the material factor and of humans and their labor in the development of productive forces, thereby establishing a dialectical materialist conception of history. Marxism holds that using the instruments of production to produce material products to satisfy one’s own needs is the fundamental marker distinguishing humans from animals. The human material production process first manifests as a process in which humans, through the active activity of labor, employ the means of labor (primarily the instruments of production) to transform nature (the original object of labor), thereby creating material products capable of satisfying their own needs. Therefore, humans and nature, or the material, are the most general elements of the production process; labor is the active, creative element in human productive activity, and the material factor can become an actual factor of production only through human labor. In the labor process, humans themselves, as social beings, also develop. On this point, Engels profoundly pointed out that labor created humans themselves.

同时，马克思主义又深刻地揭示了物的因素和人及其劳动在生产力发展中的不同地位与作用，从而确立了辩证唯物主义的历史观。马克思主义认为，利用生产工具生产物质产品来满足自己的需要，是人类区别于动物的根本标志。人类物质生产过程首先表现为人通过劳动这一能动性活动运用劳动资料（主要是生产工具）改造自然（原始劳动对象）从而创造出能够满足自身需要的物质产品的过程。因此，人和自然或物是生产过程的最一般要素，劳动是人类生产活动中的能动的、具有创造性的要素，物的因素只有通过人的劳动才能成为实际的生产要素。在劳动过程中，作为社会的人自身也得以发展。对此，恩格斯深刻指出，劳动创造了人本身。

What is called productive forces first refers to the comprehensive capacity displayed by humans in the process of producing material products. Since humans and their labor are the active, dynamic, and creative elements of the production process, Marx theoretically understood the production process first as a labor process and generalized all the productive forces displayed in the production process as labor productivity. Since labor can produce material products only when combined with the means of production, Marx summarized labor, the means of labor, and the objects of labor as the simple elements of the labor process. Since the human production process is not only a combination of humans and their labor with material objects but also possesses a social character, it is influenced by multiple factors. Marx profoundly pointed out: “The productivity of labor is determined by many circumstances, including: the average degree of skill of the workers, the level of development of science and its degree of technological application, the social combination of the production process, the scale and efficacy of the means of production, and natural conditions.” [6]6 Karl Marx, *Capital*, Volume 1, Chapter 1, Section 2. The translation follows the standard English edition. It can be said that precisely because it correctly distinguishes the different positions and roles of humans and material objects within productive forces, and particularly emphasizes the subject position of humans in production, it becomes possible to further link productive forces with relations of production, thereby scientifically explaining the dialectical relationship between productive forces and relations of production, and further explaining the dialectical relationship between the political, legal, and other superstructures and the economic base. In this way, a systematic historical materialism is constructed, scientifically revealing the general laws of the development of human society. The Marxist conception of history is both materialist and dialectical; it is a dialectical materialism. Profoundly grasping the organic unity of the materialist and dialectical aspects is the key to accurately understanding and applying Marxism.

所谓生产力，首先是指人类在生产物质产品过程中表现出来的综合能力。由于人及其劳动是生产过程的主动的、能动的、具有创造性的要素，所以马克思在理论上把生产过程首先理解为劳动过程，把生产过程中表现出来的全部生产力概括为劳动生产力。由于劳动只有与生产资料相结合才能生产出物质产品，所以马克思把劳动、劳动资料、劳动对象概括为劳动过程的简单要素。由于人类生产过程不仅是人及其劳动与物相结合的过程，而且具有社会性，所以受到多种情况的影响。马克思曾深刻地指出：“劳动生产力是由多种情况决定的，其中包括：工人的平均熟练程度，科学的发展水平和它在工艺上应用的程度，生产过程的社会结合，生产资料的规模和效能，以及自然条件。”可以说，正是因为正确地区分了人和物在生产力中的不同地位与作用，并且特别强调了人在生产中的主体地位，所以才能进一步把生产力和生产关系联系起来，进而科学说明了生产力与生产关系的辩证关系，再进而说明了政治、法律等上层建筑与经济基础的辩证关系，由此构建起了系统的历史唯物主义，科学揭示了人类社会发展的一般规律。马克思主义的历史观既是唯物的也是辩证的，是一种辩证唯物论。深刻把握唯物和辩证两个方面的有机统一关系，是准确理解和运用马克思主义的关键。

On the basis of scientifically explaining the dialectical relationship between productive forces and relations of production, Marx further proceeded from the perspective of political economy to explain the relationship between science, technology, and productive forces, proposing very rich concepts of productive forces such as natural productive forces, labor productivity, and social productive forces, thereby systematically explaining the connotation of productive forces. Marx also revealed the essential characteristics of capitalist productive forces and their inherent contradictions with capitalist relations of production, among other things.

在科学说明生产力与生产关系的辩证关系的基础上，马克思进一步从政治经济学的角度出发，说明了科学、技术与生产力的关系，提出了自然生产力、劳动生产力、社会生产力等十分丰富的生产力概念，从而系统地说明了生产力的内涵。马克思还揭示了资本主义生产力的本质特征及其与资本主义生产关系的内在矛盾等。

In a certain sense, the scientific nature and truth of Marxism lie in the fact that, compared to other philosophical and social science theories, it profoundly perceives and reveals the foundational status and decisive role of human material productive forces and their development for the relations of production and all other relations of human society, for all human ideas and concepts, and for the development of human society itself and the progress of civilization. At the same time, starting from the organic connection and systematicity among the various components of society, Marxism profoundly reveals the influence and role of natural conditions, relations of production, and the superstructure on the development of productive forces.

从一定意义上说，马克思主义的科学性和真理性，正在于相比其他哲学社会科学理论而言深刻地洞察和揭示了人类物质生产力及其发展对于人类社会的生产关系及其他一切关系、对于人类的一切思想观念以及人类社会本身的发展和文明进步所具有的基础地位与决定性作用。同时，马克思主义从社会各组成部分之间的有机联系和系统性出发，深刻地揭示了自然条件、生产关系、上层建筑等对于生产力发展的影响和作用。

Productive forces are not only an important category of historical materialism but also an important category of Marxist political economy. In *Capital*, Marx conducted an in-depth and systematic study of the productive forces that have developed since the emergence of capitalism, profoundly revealing the new characteristics, new trends, and new requirements of the development of capitalist productive forces, as well as their inherent contradictions with capitalist relations of production and the superstructure. It is precisely on the basis of such theoretical research that he profoundly revealed the general laws and historical trends of the socio-economic development of capitalist society. *Capital* provides a model for us to deeply study contemporary productive forces and their new characteristics of development, and to scientifically understand the new trends of contemporary social development.

生产力不仅是历史唯物主义的重要范畴，而且是马克思主义政治经济学的重要范畴。马克思在《资本论》中对资本主义产生以来的生产力进行了深入系统的研究，深刻揭示了资本主义生产力发展的新特征、新趋势和新要求及其与资本主义生产关系和上层建筑的内在矛盾，正是在这样的理论研究基础上，深刻揭示了资本主义社会经济发展一般规律和历史趋势。《资本论》为我们深入研究当代生产力及其发展的新特征、科学认识当代社会发展的新趋势提供了一个典范。

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on new quality productive forces embodies the adherence to and inheritance, as well as the innovation and development, of the Marxist theory of productive forces. This inheritance and innovation are reflected in many aspects. For example, starting from the perspective of the development of productive forces, especially changes in the qualitative state of productive forces, it emphasizes that productive forces are the fundamental driving force for the development of human society, that new quality productive forces are an advanced qualitative state of productive forces that conforms to the new development philosophy, and that developing new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement and important focal point for promoting high-quality development; starting from the dialectical relationship between productive forces and relations of production, it clearly proposes the need to form new relations of production compatible with new quality productive forces, to deepen reforms in the economic system, the science and technology system, etc., pointing out the path for developing new quality productive forces; applying the Marxist principle of the basic elements of productive forces, it profoundly reveals the important position of the leap in workers, means of labor, objects of labor, and their optimized combination in developing new quality productive forces, thereby pointing the direction for the innovative development of production modes and organizational forms; and so on.

习近平总书记关于新质生产力的重要论述，体现了对马克思主义生产力理论的坚持和继承、创新和发展。这种继承性和创新性体现在许多方面。如，从生产力发展特别是生产力质态变化的角度出发，强调生产力是人类社会发展的根本动力，新质生产力是符合新发展理念的先进生产力质态，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；从生产力与生产关系的辩证关系出发，明确提出要形成与新质生产力相适应的新型生产关系，深化经济体制、科技体制等改革，指明了发展新质生产力的路径；运用马克思主义关于生产力基本要素的原理，深刻揭示了劳动者、劳动资料、劳动对象及其优化组合的跃升在发展新质生产力中的重要地位，从而为生产方式和组织方式的创新发展指明了方向；等等。

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on new quality productive forces not only enriches and develops the connotation and theoretical content of the Marxist category of productive forces but also, on the basis of adhering to the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, provides important insights for adhering to and developing historical materialism. In classic Marxist texts, there are expressions such as new productive forces, revolution in productive forces, and material productive forces reaching a certain stage of development, but there is no clear qualitative definition and classification of productive forces themselves. The major theoretical contribution of the category of new quality productive forces is first reflected in the clear qualitative definition and classification of productive forces, thereby more clearly revealing the law of quantitative and qualitative change of productive forces and elevating the theoretical understanding of the category of productive forces. On the one hand, the category of new quality productive forces itself possesses a distinct contemporaneity, centrally reflecting the main characteristics and trends of the development of productive forces in the contemporary world, especially in China. That is, China’s contemporary advanced productive forces are primarily generated by revolutionary breakthroughs in technology, innovative allocation of production factors, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading, with the leap in workers, means of labor, objects of labor, and their optimized combination as the basic connotation, and a substantial increase in total factor productivity as the core marker. In other words, new quality productive forces refer to an advanced qualitative state of productive forces that possesses directional leadership and overall influence within the contemporary productive forces system. On the other hand, starting from the theoretical paradigm of historical materialism, the concept of the qualitative state of productive forces can be used to gain a more specific understanding and knowledge of the relationship between productive forces and their relations of production in different socio-historical stages, particularly to make clear theoretical definitions and generalizations of the qualitative state of productive forces in different social formations, and to apply them to a more refined and accurate explanation of the evolutionary process of human social formations, thereby deepening the scientific understanding of the laws of the historical development of human society. In this sense, the category of new quality productive forces and its theoretical elaboration make a significant contribution to adhering to and developing historical materialism.

习近平总书记关于新质生产力的重要论述，不仅丰富发展了马克思主义生产力范畴的内涵和理论内容，而且在坚持马克思主义立场观点方法的基础上，为坚持和发展历史唯物主义提供了重要启示。马克思主义经典文献中有新生产力、生产力发生革命、物质生产力达到一定的发展阶段等表达，但并没有明确地对生产力本身进行质态上的规定和划分。新质生产力范畴的重大理论贡献，首先体现在对生产力进行了明确的质态规定和划分，从而更加清晰地揭示了生产力的量变质变规律，升华了对生产力范畴的理论认知。一方面，新质生产力范畴本身具有鲜明的时代性，集中反映了当代世界特别是我国生产力发展的主要特征和趋势，即我国当代先进生产力主要是由技术革命性突破、生产要素创新性配置、产业深度转型升级而催生，以劳动者、劳动资料、劳动对象及其优化组合的跃升为基本内涵，以全要素生产率大幅提升为核心标志。也就是说，新质生产力是指在当代生产力系统中具有方向引领性和全局影响力的先进生产力质态。另一方面，从历史唯物主义的理论范式出发，可以运用生产力质态这个概念对不同社会历史阶段中的生产力及其与生产关系之间的关系进行更加具体的认识和理解，特别是对不同社会形态的生产力质态在理论上作出清晰的内涵界定和概括，并运用于对人类社会形态演进过程的更加精细和准确的解释，从而深化对人类社会历史发展规律的科学认识。从这个意义上来说，新质生产力范畴及其理论阐释对于坚持和发展历史唯物主义具有重大贡献。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗