An Important Innovation in the Marxist Theory of Productive Forces

General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the development of new quality productive forces, scientifically answering the major theoretical and practical question of what kind of productive forces to develop and how to develop them in the New Era on the new journey. The proposal of new quality productive forces is another major theoretical achievement of Xi Jinping's economic thought, injecting new connotations into the Marxist theory of productive forces.

习近平总书记创造性地提出发展新质生产力，科学回答了新时代新征程发展什么样的生产力以及如何发展生产力这一重大理论和实践问题。新质生产力的提出是习近平经济思想的又一重大理论成果，为马克思主义生产力理论注入了新的内涵。

First, it enriches and develops the Marxist theory on the driving forces of productive forces. Among the many factors determining productive forces, Marx and Engels focused on the revolutionary driving role of science and technology. New quality productive forces are characterized by innovation and key to high quality, aiming to shape a path of productive forces development that uses innovation to drive high quality and high quality to support innovation. Developing new quality productive forces with innovation as the leading force means fully leveraging the role of science and technology as the primary productive force and innovation as the primary driving force.

一是丰富发展了马克思主义关于生产力发展动力的理论。在决定生产力的诸多因素中，马克思、恩格斯着重讨论了科学技术的革命性推动作用。新质生产力的特点是创新、关键在质优，旨在塑造一条以创新推动质优、以质优支撑创新的生产力发展路径。以创新为主导发展新质生产力，就是要充分发挥科技作为第一生产力、创新作为第一动力的作用。

Second, it enriches and develops the Marxist theory on the principles of productive forces development. Marxism holds that the free, unimpeded, continuously progressive, and comprehensive development of productive forces is itself a precondition of society, and therefore a precondition of social reproduction. New quality productive forces are characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality. High technology reflects the "quality" of new quality productive forces, high efficiency reflects the "foundation" of new quality productive forces, and high quality reflects the "essence" of new quality productive forces. This is a practice in the New Era of the development of productive forces described by the classical Marxist writers.

二是丰富发展了马克思主义关于生产力发展原则的理论。马克思主义认为，生产力的自由的、无阻碍的、不断进步的和全面的发展本身就是社会的前提，因而是社会再生产的前提。新质生产力以高科技、高效能、高质量为特征，高科技反映了新质生产力的“成色”，高效能反映了新质生产力的“底色”，高质量反映了新质生产力的“本色”。这是对马克思主义经典作家描述的生产力发展的新时代践行。

Third, it enriches and develops the Marxist theory on the process of productive forces development. Marxism holds that an important content of productive forces development is the development of the elements of productive forces. New quality productive forces take the leap in laborers, means of labor, subjects of labor, and their optimized combination as their basic connotation. Compared with "development," the concept of "leap" places greater emphasis on the "qualitative" leap in productive forces and the upgrade driven by innovation.

三是丰富发展了马克思主义关于生产力发展过程的理论。马克思主义认为，生产力发展的重要内容就是生产力要素的发展。新质生产力以劳动者、劳动资料、劳动对象及其优化组合的跃升为基本内涵，相较于“发展”，“跃升”这一概念更加强调生产力在“质”上的飞跃和创新驱动下的升级。

Fourth, it enriches and develops the Marxist theory on the purpose of productive forces development. Marxism holds that the purpose of social production is to meet the needs of people's free and comprehensive development. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes that high-quality development is development that can well meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life. High-quality development requires new theories of productive forces to guide it, and new quality productive forces have already taken shape in practice and demonstrated a strong driving and supporting force for high-quality development. Using new quality productive forces to promote the realization of high-quality development is an important innovation in the Marxist theory on the purpose of productive forces development.

四是丰富发展了马克思主义关于生产力发展目的的理论。马克思主义认为，社会生产的目的是满足人的自由全面发展的需要。习近平总书记强调，高质量发展，就是能够很好满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要的发展。高质量发展需要新的生产力理论来指导，而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。以新质生产力推动实现高质量发展，是对马克思主义关于生产力发展目的理论的重要创新。

Fifth, it enriches and develops the Marxist theory on the laws of productive forces development. Marxism holds that productive forces determine relations of production, relations of production react upon productive forces, and relations of production must be suited to the condition of productive forces. The formation of new quality productive forces is premised on revolutionary breakthroughs in technology, innovative allocation of production factors, and deep transformation and upgrading of industries. This inevitably requires the formation and improvement of new types of relations of production that are suited to the scientific and technological innovation system, the optimization of the allocation mode of production factors, and the transformation and upgrading of industries. It requires deepening reforms of the economic system, the science and technology system, and others, and making efforts to unblock the blockages and sticking points that constrain the development of new quality productive forces. These are all important innovations in the Marxist theory on the laws of productive forces development.

五是丰富发展了马克思主义关于生产力发展规律的理论。马克思主义认为，生产力决定生产关系，生产关系反作用于生产力，生产关系一定要适合生产力的状况。新质生产力的形成以技术革命性突破、生产要素创新性配置、产业深度转型升级为前提，这必然要求形成与完善科技创新体制、优化生产要素配置方式、产业转型升级相适应的新型生产关系，深化经济体制、科技体制等改革，着力打通束缚新质生产力发展的堵点卡点。这些都是对马克思主义关于生产力发展规律理论的重要创新。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗