From Quantitative Change to Qualitative Change: The Generative Logic of “New Quality Productive Forces”

In September 2023, during an inspection tour in Heilongjiang Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must lead the comprehensive revitalization of industry through scientific and technological innovation. We must build on the existing industrial base, solidly advance the high-quality development of advanced manufacturing, accelerate the upgrading of traditional manufacturing, give full play to the role of scientific and technological innovation as an ‘incremental multiplier’, comprehensively upgrade the three industries [primary, secondary and tertiary], and continuously optimize the economic structure and adjust the industrial structure. We must integrate scientific and technological innovation resources, lead the development of strategic emerging industries and future industries, and accelerate the formation of new quality productive forces.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Economic Work Conference,” December 2023. “New quality productive forces” are a new type of productive forces distinct from traditional productive forces. They are productive forces centered on scientific and technological innovation, productive forces that have broken away from traditional growth paths and meet the requirements of high-quality development, and productive forces that are more integrative and embody new connotations in the digital age. The proposal of “new quality productive forces” has its own generative logic, which is manifested in the following three aspects.

2023年9月，习近平总书记在黑龙江考察时指出：“要以科技创新引领产业全面振兴。要立足现有产业基础，扎实推进先进制造业高质量发展，加快推动传统制造业升级，发挥科技创新的增量器作用，全面提升三次产业，不断优化经济结构、调整产业结构。整合科技创新资源，引领发展战略性新兴产业和未来产业，加快形成新质生产力。”“新质生产力”即有别于传统生产力的新型生产力，是以科技创新为主的生产力，是摆脱了传统增长路径、符合高质量发展要求的生产力，是数字时代更具融合性、更体现新内涵的生产力。“新质生产力”的提出有其生成性逻辑，体现在以下三个方面。

I. Quantitative Accumulation: The Feasibility of Forming New Quality Productive Forces

一、量的积累：新质生产力形成的可行性

Marxist political economy divides the composition of productive forces into three basic elements: laborers, instruments of labor, and objects of labor. In September 1988, based on the trends and status quo of contemporary scientific and technological development, Deng Xiaoping put forward the thesis that “science and technology are primary productive forces.” Along with the wave of reform and opening up, science and technology gradually became the primary factor driving changes in productive forces. They “integrate” and “permeate” the “three elements,” endowing the “three elements” with new connotations, while the “three elements” exist as the carriers of science and technology.

马克思主义政治经济学将生产力的构成分为劳动者、劳动资料、劳动对象三个基本要素。1988年9月，邓小平根据当代科学技术发展的趋势和现状，提出了“科学技术是第一生产力”的论断。伴随着改革开放的浪潮，科学技术逐渐成为引起生产力变革的首要因素，它“融合”“渗透”在“三要素”当中，赋予了“三要素”新的内涵，而“三要素”则作为科学技术的载体而存在。

In January 1956, the Central Committee of the CPC convened a National Conference on the Question of Intellectuals. Comrade Mao Zedong and Comrade Zhou Enlai called on the entire Party, the entire army, and the entire people to study scientific knowledge diligently and strive to rapidly catch up with the advanced level of world science and technology. It was at this conference that the Party Central Committee issued the great call to “march toward science.” [2]2 A Chinese idiom (百舸争流，千帆竞发) describing a scene of intense competition and vigorous development, often used to depict many entities striving forward simultaneously. Shortly thereafter, at the sixth meeting of the Supreme State Conference, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “The purpose of the socialist revolution is to liberate the productive forces.” [3]3 A reference to the Chinese idiom “推陈出新” (tuī chén chū xīn), meaning to discard the old and bring forth the new. Comrade Deng Xiaoping conducted a series of profound expositions and scientific studies on the theory of productive forces, emphasizing that developing productive forces is the essence and task of socialism, and put forward the scientific thesis that “science and technology are primary productive forces,” marking a new stage of innovation and development in China’s theory of productive forces. Comrade Jiang Zemin, based on the actual domestic and international conditions of the new period, proposed that “we must always represent the development demands of China’s advanced productive forces,” established and perfected the socialist market economy system, further liberated and developed productive forces, made developing advanced productive forces the theme of the era, and regarded scientific and technological progress and innovation as the key factors in the development of productive forces. Comrade Hu Jintao pointed out: “The Scientific Outlook on Development takes development as its essence.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the 2023 Central Economic Work Conference.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently attached great importance to innovation, promoted self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, firmly grasped the “bull’s nose” of independent innovation, gave full play to the role of scientific and technological innovation as an “incremental multiplier,” and creatively put forward the scientific thesis of “accelerating the formation of new quality productive forces.” New quality productive forces are productive forces that are more integrative and embody new connotations in the digital age, emphasizing the leading role of scientific and technological innovation. This brand-new concept enriches and develops the Marxist theory of productive forces.

1956年1月，中共中央召开全国知识分子问题会议。毛泽东同志、周恩来同志在会上要求全党、全军和全国人民努力学习科学知识，为迅速赶上世界科学技术先进水平而努力奋斗。就是在这次会议上，党中央发出了“向科学进军”的伟大号召。不久，毛泽东同志在最高国务会议第六次会议上指出：“社会主义革命的目的是为了解放生产力。”邓小平同志对生产力理论进行了一系列深刻阐述和科学研究，强调发展生产力是社会主义的本质和任务，提出“科学技术是第一生产力”的科学论断，标志着中国生产力理论进入创新与发展的新阶段。江泽民同志根据新时期国内国际实际情况，提出“始终是我们党代表中国先进生产力发展要求”，建立完善社会主义市场经济体制，进一步解放和发展生产力，并将发展先进生产力作为时代的主题，将科技进步和创新作为生产力发展的关键因素来抓。胡锦涛同志指出：“科学发展观，第一要义是发展。”习近平总书记对创新给予一以贯之的高度重视，推进科技自立自强，牢牢扭住自主创新的“牛鼻子”，发挥科技创新的“增量器”作用，创造性地提出了“加快形成新质生产力”的科学论断。新质生产力是数字时代更具融合性、更体现新内涵的生产力，强调了科技创新的主导作用。这一崭新概念，丰富和发展了马克思主义生产力理论。

In the practice of reform and opening up, we focused on science and technology as primary productive forces, implemented the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through human resources, and the innovation-driven development strategy. The three elements of productive forces expanded rapidly, achieving quantitative accumulation and increase. The number of high-quality laborers rose sharply. Since 1978, higher education has cumulatively cultivated and supplied 99 million high-quality talents for the country, and vocational schools have cumulatively cultivated and supplied over 200 million technical and skilled talents for the country. China has built the world’s largest higher education system, with a total enrollment of over 44.3 million people, a gross enrollment rate in higher education approaching 60%, a population receiving higher education reaching 240 million, and an average number of years of education for the new labor force reaching 13.8 years. The structure of the labor force’s quality has undergone major changes, and the quality of the entire nation has been steadily improved. The instruments of labor, as means of production, are a marker of the level of development of productive forces. Since 1978, China’s instruments of labor have undergone tremendous changes. Taking the changes in agricultural production tools as an example, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in 2018 the comprehensive mechanization rate of crop cultivation and harvesting nationwide exceeded 67%, and over 300 demonstration counties took the lead in basically realizing full mechanization throughout the entire process. Industrial products are the output of laborers acting upon objects of labor and can measure the depth and breadth of the objects of labor. Currently, the output of China’s industrial products holds a pivotal position in the world. According to the International Standard Industrial Classification, among 22 major categories, China ranks first in 7 major categories. Among over 500 major industrial products in the world, the output of 220 types of industrial products, including steel, cement, and automobiles, ranks first in the world.

在改革开放的实践中，我们聚焦科技是第一生产力，实施科教兴国战略、人才强国战略和创新驱动发展战略，生产力三要素得到了迅速的扩张，实现了“量”的积累与增加，高素质劳动者的数量急剧攀升。1978年以来，高等教育累计为国家培养和输送了9900万名高素质人才，职业学校累计为国家培养和输送了2亿多名技术技能人才。我国已建成世界最大规模高等教育体系，在学总人数超过4430万人，高等教育毛入学率接近60%，接受高等教育的人口达到2.4亿，新增劳动力平均受教育年限达13.8年，劳动力素质结构发生了重大变化，全民族素质得到稳步提高。作为劳动资料的生产工具是生产力发展水平的标志。1978年以来，我国劳动资料发生巨大变化，以农业生产工具的变化为例，据农业农村部消息，2018年全国农作物耕种收综合机械化率超过67%，300多个示范县率先基本实现全程机械化。工业产品是劳动者作用于劳动对象的产出，可衡量劳动对象的深度和广度。目前，中国工业品产量在世界具有举足轻重的地位，按照国际标准工业分类，在22个大类中，中国在7个大类中名列第一，在世界500多种主要工业产品当中，钢铁、水泥、汽车等220种工业品产量居世界第1位。

II. Qualitative Leap: The Inevitability of Forming New Quality Productive Forces

二、质的飞跃：新质生产力形成的必然性

Historical materialism emphasizes that productive forces are the ability of human beings to transform and conquer nature, and are the decisive force and source of momentum driving the continuous forward development of human civilization. Looking back at the entire historical process of human society, it is a process of continuous development of social productive forces from low to high, from backward to advanced. Every scientific and technological progress inevitably brings about a qualitative leap in productive forces.

历史唯物主义强调，生产力是人类改造自然、征服自然的能力，是推动人类文明不断向前发展的决定力量和动力源泉。回顾整个人类社会历史进程，就是社会生产力从低级到高级、从落后到先进的不断发展的过程。每一次科技进步都必然带来生产力的质的飞跃。

From the mechanization of the first industrial revolution in the 18th century, to the electrification of the second industrial revolution in the 19th century, and then to the informatization of the third industrial revolution in the 20th century, disruptive technological innovations brought about a great liberation of social productive forces and a great leap in living standards, fundamentally changing the trajectory of human history. Entering the new period, humanity has ushered in a new scientific and technological revolution based on the information revolution. This transformation is represented by productive forces such as tool systems including big data, the Internet, cloud computing, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. It is completely different from traditional productive forces and has brought about new qualitative development vastly different from the past. The report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC pointed out: “China’s economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development, and is now in a critical period of transforming the development model, optimizing the economic structure, and switching the drivers of growth.” [5]5 Report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, October 2017. Seeking development from “innovation” has become the key to the development of productive forces in the New Era and an important node for realizing the leap from “quantity” to “quality.” Integrating scientific and technological innovation resources, promoting the transformation of the economic development model, cultivating and strengthening strategic emerging industries and future industries, and accelerating the formation of “new quality productive forces” are the preemptive moves for seizing the commanding heights and shaping new competitive advantages for China’s high-quality economic development.

从18世纪第一次工业革命的机械化，到19世纪第二次工业革命的电气化，再到20世纪第三次工业革命的信息化，颠覆性的科技革新带来了社会生产力的大解放和生活水平的大跃升，从根本上改变了人类历史的发展轨迹。进入新时期，人类迎来了在信息革命基础上新的科技革命。此次变革以大数据、互联网、云计算、区块链及人工智能等工具体系为生产力代表，完全不同于传统的生产力，带了来与以往大不相同的新质发展。党的十九大报告指出：“我国经济已由高速增长阶段转向高质量发展阶段，正处在转变发展方式、优化经济结构、转换增长动力的攻关期”。向“创新”要发展，成为新时代生产力发展的关键，是实现由“量”到“质”飞跃的重要节点。整合科技创新资源，推动经济发展方式转变，培育壮大战略性新兴产业和未来产业，加快形成“新质生产力”，是为中国经济高质量发展抢占制高点、塑造竞争新优势的先手棋。

In 2015, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China [6]6 The Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee was held in October 2015. for the first time comprehensively proposed the new development concept that involves profound changes in the overall situation of China’s development, namely the “five major development concepts” of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing, aiming to solve development problems and achieve a leap in quality and efficiency. In 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping further reiterated: “The new development concept is the direction, the key; the primary one is innovation,” and “we must aim at the world’s scientific and technological frontiers, comprehensively enhance independent innovation capabilities, and strive to make major innovations in basic science and technology fields and achieve major breakthroughs in key core technology fields.” [7]7 Xi Jinping, remarks on the new development concept, 2016. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out: “We must adhere to facing the world’s scientific and technological frontiers, facing the main battlefield of the economy, facing the major national needs, and facing the people’s life and health, and accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening. Guided by national strategic needs, we must concentrate resources to carry out original and leading scientific and technological research, and resolutely win the battle for key core technologies.” [8]8 Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, October 2022. This series of major strategic deployments has provided the necessary conditions for the formation of “new quality productive forces.”

2015年中国共产党第十八届中央委员会第五次全体会议首次完整提出了关系我国发展全局深刻变革的新发展理念，即创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享“五大发展理念”，旨在破解发展难题，实现质量和效益的飞跃。2016年习近平总书记又进一步重申：“新发展理念是方向、是钥匙，首要的就是创新”，“要瞄准世界科技前沿，全面提升自主创新能力，力争在基础科技领域作出大的创新、在关键核心技术领域取得大的突破。”党的二十大报告指出：“坚持面向世界科技前沿、面向经济主战场、面向国家重大需求、面向人民生命健康，加快实现高水平科技自立自强。以国家战略需求为导向，集聚力量进行原创性引领性科技攻关，坚决打赢关键核心技术攻坚战。”这一系列重大战略部署为“新质生产力”的形成提供了必要条件。

III. The Unity of Gradualness and Leapingness: The Reality of Forming New Quality Productive Forces

三、渐进性与飞跃性的统一：新质生产力形成的现实性

The development of things is the unity of gradualness and leaping; the quantitative accumulation in the development of productive forces, when it reaches a certain degree, will inevitably lead to a qualitative transformation. The formation of new quality productive forces requires not only continuous accumulation of quantity but also continuous scientific and technological innovation and breakthroughs to achieve qualitative change. The global information technology revolution is accelerating, and the application of information technology in all walks of life is deepening, which has and will continue to spawn a large number of new business forms. The popularization of the digital economy and the electronic information industry has injected new engines into global economic growth and has thereby formed a large number of emerging productive forces. In recent years, by conforming to the development trends of digitalization, networking, intelligence, and greening, China is striving to transform from a “latecomer” in the Internet era into a “leader” in the new round of the information revolution. The proposal of new quality productive forces further points the direction for us to promote industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation and to build competitive advantages through industrial upgrading.

事物的发展是渐进性与飞跃性的统一，生产力发展中量的积累发展到一定程度必将引起质的蜕变。新质生产力的形成既需要持续不断的积累量，也需要不断地进行科技创新与突破从而达到质变。全球信息技术革命加速推进，信息科技在各行各业的应用日益深入，已经并将持续催生大量新生业态。数字经济以及电子信息产业的普及，为全球经济增长注入新引擎，并以此形成了大量的新兴生产力。近年来，通过顺应数字化、网络化、智能化、绿色化的发展趋势，我国正在从互联网时代的“后来者”努力成为新一轮信息革命的“引领者”。而新质生产力的提出，进一步为我们以科技创新推动产业创新、以产业升级构筑竞争优势指明了方向。

To promote the development of new quality productive forces, we must attach importance to transforming a large amount of modern science and technology into actual productive forces and gradually achieve an increase in the “quantity” of the new real economy. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The foundation lies in the real economy, the key lies in scientific and technological innovation, and the direction lies in industrial upgrading.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Economic Work Conference,” December 2023. This is no exception for the whole country. The real economy is the foundation and engine of high-quality development of productive forces. We must persist in focusing the efforts of economic development on the real economy, build a modern industrial system, develop advanced manufacturing and strategic emerging industries, and promote the integrated and clustered development of industries; promote the advancement of industrial foundational capabilities and the modernization of industrial chains, and enhance the resilience of industrial chains and the capacity to guarantee strategic resources; accelerate the construction of a modern infrastructure system, and promote the construction of new infrastructure through effective investment.

推动新质生产力发展，必须重视将大量的现代科技转化为现实生产力，逐步实现新的实体经济的增“量”。习近平总书记强调：“根基在实体经济，关键在科技创新，方向是产业升级。”对于全国而言也不例外。实体经济是生产力高质量发展的根基和引擎，必须坚持把发展经济的着力点放在实体经济上，建设现代化产业体系，发展先进制造业和战略性新兴产业，推进产业融合集群发展；推进产业基础能力高级化、产业链现代化，提高产业链韧性和战略性资源保障能力；加快建设现代化基础设施体系，以有效投资促进新型基础设施建设。

To promote the development of new quality productive forces, we must grasp the leading role of scientific and technological innovation and achieve a leap in productive forces. At present, although China’s industrial system is large in scale and diverse in categories, its overall development level is not yet high. We must accelerate the development of strategic emerging industries and future industries, make up for shortcomings and weaknesses, lengthen and strengthen strong points, and seize the commanding heights of future industrial competition. Emerging industries and future industries use scientific and technological innovation to lead the comprehensive revitalization of industry, driving the continuous emergence of new economic growth points. This not only breaks away from traditional growth paths and relies less on resource input, meeting the requirements of high-quality development, but also profoundly reveals the trends of the current world economic development and grasps the laws of the development of the times. To form new quality productive forces, we should focus on cultivating strategic emerging industries, promote the leading development of emerging industries, so that all industries present a development trend of a hundred boats contending and a thousand sails racing, [2]2 A Chinese idiom (百舸争流，千帆竞发) describing a scene of intense competition and vigorous development, often used to depict many entities striving forward simultaneously. strengthen the layout of cutting-edge technologies, and cultivate future industries such as quantum information, gene technology, deep-sea aviation development, and hydrogen energy storage.

推动新质生产力发展，必须抓住科技创新的主导作用，实现生产力的跃迁。目前，我国产业体系虽然规模庞大、门类众多，但整体发展水平还不高，必须加快发展战略性新兴产业和未来产业，补齐短板弱项，加长长板强项，抢占未来产业竞争的制高点。新兴产业和未来产业以科技创新引领产业全面振兴，带动新经济增长点持续涌现。这不仅摆脱了传统增长路径，且对资源投入依赖较少，符合高质量发展要求；而且深刻揭示当今世界经济发展潮流，把握时代发展规律。形成新质生产力，应着力培育战略性新兴产业，推动新兴产业领先发展，使各行各业呈现百舸争流、千帆竞发的发展态势，加强推进前沿技术布局，培育量子信息、基因技术、深海航空开发、氢能储备等未来产业。

To promote the development of new quality productive forces, we must focus on cutting-edge fields and promote the upgrading of traditional industries. The “newness” of new quality productive forces lies in bringing forth the new from the old in traditional industries, [3]3 A reference to the Chinese idiom “推陈出新” (tuī chén chū xīn), meaning to discard the old and bring forth the new. enabling them to radiate new vitality. China’s traditional industries have a large volume, accounting for more than 80% of the manufacturing industry. The transformation and upgrading of traditional industries directly concerns the overall situation of building a modern industrial system. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Promote the deep integration of digital technology and the real economy, empower the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, spawn new industries, new business forms, and new models, and continuously strengthen, optimize, and expand China’s digital economy.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the 2023 Central Economic Work Conference.” This is a strategic choice to grasp the new opportunities of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and will also build new competitiveness and lasting momentum for the high-quality development of China’s economy.

推动新质生产力发展，必须应着眼于前沿领域，推动传统产业升级。新质生产力的“新”在于对传统产业的推陈出新，使之重新焕发新活力。我国传统产业体量大，在制造业中占比超过80%，传统产业的改造升级直接关乎现代化产业体系建设全局。习近平总书记指出：“促进数字技术和实体经济深度融合，赋能传统产业转型升级，催生新产业新业态新模式，不断做强做优做大我国数字经济。”这是把握新一轮科技革命和产业变革新机遇的战略选择，也将为中国经济高质量发展构建新竞争力和持久动力。

(Authors: Sun Nailong, Dean and Professor of the School of Marxism, Dezhou University; Ma Yanling, School of Marxism, Jiamusi University)

（作者：孙乃龙，德州学院马克思主义学院院长、教授；马艳玲，佳木斯大学马克思主义学院）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧