Promoting the Development of New Quality Productive Forces through High-Level Opening Up

New quality productive forces are an advanced state of productive forces whose basic connotation is the leap in workers, means of labor, objects of labor, and their optimized combination, and whose core hallmark is a substantial increase in total factor productivity, conforming to the new development philosophy. Since General Secretary Xi Jinping first proposed the concept of "new quality productive forces" on September 7, 2023, a series of important expositions have been published around this new concept. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC: A major meeting of the Communist Party of China's top leadership, held in July 2024, focused on further deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization. specifically made reform arrangements for improving the systems and mechanisms for developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions. Developing new quality productive forces is the intrinsic requirement and important focal point of high-quality development. The development of new quality productive forces requires conforming to the concept of open development. Accelerating the development of new quality productive forces requires expanding high-level opening up, creating a favorable international environment for new quality productive forces, and promoting the development of new quality productive forces through high-level opening up is of great significance.

新质生产力是以劳动者、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，符合新发展理念的先进生产力质态。自2023年9月7日习近平总书记首次提出“新质生产力”概念之后，围绕这个新概念发表了一系列重要论述。党的二十届三中全会专门对健全因地制宜发展新质生产力体制机制进行了改革部署。发展新质生产力是高质量发展的内在要求和重要着力点，新质生产力的发展需要符合开放发展的理念，加快发展新质生产力，需要扩大高水平开放，为新质生产力营造良好国际环境，以高水平开放推动新质生产力发展具有十分重要的意义。

I. Understanding New Quality Productive Forces from a Systemic Perspective

一、从系统角度理解新质生产力

Productive forces are a complex system. From the perspective of systems theory, a system can be deconstructed from three dimensions: "elements—structure—function." From the perspective of the system's constituent elements, it consists of three elements: workers, means of labor (tools), and objects of labor. In different eras, the connotation of the elements of the productive forces system changes differently. From the perspective of elements, new quality productive forces require not only new-type workers who master digital, intelligent, and green skills, but also new-type objects of labor such as massive data and information that can be effectively collected, processed, and utilized. More importantly, against the backdrop of accelerating evolution in the scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, new-type labor tools such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality devices, robots, the Internet of Things, and automated manufacturing equipment are emerging iteratively.

生产力是一个复杂系统，从系统论角度看，一个系统可从“要素—结构—功能”这三个维度进行解构。从系统构成要素看，包括劳动者、劳动资料(工具)、劳动对象三要素组成。不同时代，生产力系统要素内涵变化不同，新质生产力从要素上看，既要有掌握数字化、智能化、绿色化技能的新型劳动者，还要有诸如海量数据和信息可以被有效地收集、处理和利用的新型劳动对象，更重要的是在科技革命和产业变革加速演进的背景下，诸如人工智能、虚拟现实和增强现实设备、机器人、物联网、自动化制造设备等迭代涌现的新型劳动工具。

From the perspective of the structure of the new quality productive forces system, new quality productive forces are carried by a modern industrial system formed through the optimized combination of new-type elements. That is to say, the composition of the modern industrial system is precisely the structural manifestation of new quality productive forces. Compared with the general three-industry system classification of primary industry, secondary industry, and tertiary industry, the industrial system classified mainly by technological maturity into future industries, emerging industries, and traditional industries can better reflect the new-type element connotation and the essential characteristics of innovation of new quality productive forces. Among them, future industries in the gestation and budding stage involve key directions and fields such as brain-like intelligence, quantum information, gene technology, future networks, deep-sea and deep-space development, and hydrogen energy and energy storage. In recent years, strategic emerging industries have developed rapidly. In 2023, the added value of strategic emerging industries accounted for over 13% of GDP. The dominant technologies of traditional industries are often in the mature stage, generally originating from the first and second industrial revolutions, and were in a pillar and dominant position in the early and middle stages of industrialization. Overall, the added value of traditional industries in China's industrial system accounts for approximately 80%. The development of new quality productive forces is not only directly reflected in generating new industries, new models, and new drivers through disruptive technologies and frontier technologies, leading the development of strategic emerging industries and future industries, but also in transforming traditional industries through a new round of scientific and technological innovation, promoting the deep integration of future industries, strategic emerging industries, and traditional industries, thereby promoting the deep transformation and upgrading of traditional industries.

从新质生产力系统的结构看，新质生产力是以新型要素优化组合形成的现代化产业体系为载体的，也就是说现代化产业的体系构成正是新质生产力的结构体现。与一般意义产业体系的一次产业、二次产业、三次产业构成的三次产业体系分类相比，以技术成熟度为主要划分标准的未来产业、新兴产业、传统产业的产业体系，更能体现出新质生产力的新型要素内涵和创新的本质特征，其中，处于孕育和萌芽期的未来产业涉及到类脑智能、量子信息、基因技术、未来网络、深海空天开发、氢能与储能等重点方向和领域。近些年来战略性新兴产业快速发展，2023年战略性新兴产业增加值占GDP比重超过13%；传统产业的主导技术往往是处于成熟期，一般是产生于第一次、第二次工业革命时期，在工业化初期、中期处于支柱和主导地位。总体而言，我国产业体系中传统产业增加值占比大约80%。新质生产力的发展，不仅仅直接体现在通过以颠覆性技术和前沿技术催生新产业、新模式、新动能，引领发展战略性新兴产业和未来产业，还体现在以新一轮科技创新改造传统产业，推动未来产业、战略性新兴产业与传统产业深度融合，从而促进传统产业深度转型升级。

From the perspective of the function of the new quality productive forces system, it is reflected in the improvement of production capacity and efficiency brought about by new-type production factors and the development of the modern industrial system, and is reflected in the comprehensive implementation of the new development philosophy and the promotion of high-quality development. To develop new quality productive forces, it is necessary to intrinsically and uniformly grasp innovative development, coordinated development, green development, open development, shared development, and secure development. Specifically, unlike traditional productive forces, the core hallmark of new quality productive forces is the improvement of total factor productivity. Total factor productivity (TFP) refers to the ratio of output to the input of comprehensive factors. Comprehensive factors refer to the combination of two or more factors such as capital, labor, energy, and other factors. Total factor productivity comprehensively reflects the improvement of production efficiency through technological progress and the improvement of resource allocation efficiency through the reconfiguration of production factors.

从新质生产力系统的功能看，则体现新型生产要素和为现代化产业体系发展带来的生产能力提升和效率改善，体现为全面贯彻新发展理念和推进高质量发展。发展新质生产力，要内在统一地把握创新发展、协调发展、绿色发展、开放发展、共享发展和安全发展。具体而言，有别于传统生产力，新质生产力的核心标志是全要素生产率的提升。全要素生产率(TFP)指产出与综合要素投入之比，综合要素指资本、劳动、能源及其他要素等两种或多种要素的组合，全要素生产率全面体现了通过技术进步实现生产效率的提高和通过生产要素的重新组合实现资源配置效率的提高。

II. "Shortcomings" in the Development of China's New Quality Productive Forces

二、我国新质生产力发展的“短板”

First, from the perspective of the elements of the new quality productive forces system, in terms of the labor factor, China generally has abundant human resources, but there are still shortcomings in the high-quality talent needed for the development of new quality productive forces. For example, in 2023, Clarivate [2]2 Clarivate: A company that provides analytics and data services, including the annual list of Highly Cited Researchers, which identifies influential researchers in various scientific fields. counted a total of 6,849 highly cited researchers worldwide, with the United States and China accounting for 37.5% and 17.9% respectively, the United States being approximately twice that of China. From the perspective of capital factor input for the development of new quality productive forces, in 2023, total expenditure on research and experimental development (R&D) was 3,327.8 billion yuan, with a ratio to GDP of 2.64%. Among this, basic research expenditure was 221.2 billion yuan, accounting for 6.65% of total R&D expenditure. Overall, there is still a considerable gap in basic R&D investment compared with developed countries. From the perspective of patents, China has advantages in applied patents. In 2023, there were 272,600 global PCT [3]3 PCT: Patent Cooperation Treaty, an international patent law treaty that provides a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions in multiple countries. patent applications, but there are still deficiencies in basic, original, and frontier technological innovation. If we understand infrastructure as a basic element of new quality productive forces, especially the computing power industry, it is a very important infrastructure for the development of new quality productive forces. In the computing power industry chain, whether it is chips, memory, operating systems, or cloud computing, we have obvious shortcomings. In 2022, chip imports amounted to 415.6 billion US dollars, accounting for 72% of the global total. In 2022, China's purchased memory accounted for 30% of the global market, while the self-sufficiency rate was less than 10%.

首先，从新质生产力系统要素看，在劳动力要素方面，总体上我国具有丰富的人力资源，但是新质生产力发展需要的高素质人才还存在短板。例如，2023年科睿唯安统计的全球高被引科学家共6849位，美国、中国占比分别为37.5%、17.9%，美国约为我国的2倍；从新质生产力发展的资本要素投入看，2023年全年研究与试验发展(R&D)经费支出33278亿元，与国内生产总值之比为2.64%，其中基础研究经费2212亿元，占R&D经费支出比重为6.65%，总体上基础研发经费投入与发达国家还有较大差距；从专利角度看，我国在应用型专利方面具有优势，2023年全球PCT专利申请共27.26万件，但在基础性、原创性、前沿性技术创新方面仍有不足。如果我们把基础设施作为一个新质生产力的基础要素来理解，尤其是算力产业，它是新质生产力发展很重要的一个基础设施。在算力产业链上，无论是芯片、存储器、操作系统还是云计算，我们都存在着明显的短板。2022年芯片进口额4156亿美元，占全球72%；2022年我国购买的存储器占全球市场的30%，而自给率不足10%。

Second, from the perspective of the structure of the new quality productive forces system, building a modern industrial system requires both following the general laws of modern industrial development, continuously promoting industrial upgrading and structural optimization along the directions of digitalization, intelligence, greening, and integration, and meeting the requirements of high-quality development, forming an industrial system with completeness, advanced nature, coordination, security, openness, and inclusiveness. The so-called completeness of the modern industrial system means that the industrial system includes multiple industries in different fields and levels, thereby constructing a comprehensive industrial ecosystem. The so-called advanced nature requires the industrial system to have internationally leading levels in technology, management, innovation, and institutions. Security focuses on the safety and reliability of the industrial system; the modern industrial system must have the characteristics of being autonomous, controllable, safe, and reliable. Coordination reflects the synergistic development and coordinated operation between different industrial fields, regional layouts, and factors. Inclusiveness emphasizes the universality and social responsibility of the modern industrial system, promoting green economic development, and ensuring that the benefits of sustainable economic growth reach the broad masses of the people. Openness demonstrates the degree of interaction and integration of a country's industrial system with the global environment. Overall, by designing an indicator system, we construct a six-dimensional evaluation index for the modern industrial system and then conduct international comparisons. The evaluation results of the development level of China's modern industrial system in 2019 show that the development levels of modern industrial systems in countries around the world can be roughly divided into three tiers. China is in the stage of climbing from the second tier to the first tier. In 2019, China's modern industrial system development level score was 0.54, lower than the first-tier United States (0.68), Japan (0.64), and Germany (0.62), at the leading level of the second tier. Among them, completeness is far ahead globally, but there are gaps in advanced nature, openness, and security, with advanced nature being less than half that of the United States and Japan. Overall, from the perspective of the industrial system carrying new quality productive forces, advanced nature, openness, and security are our shortcomings, and completeness is our greatest advantage.

其次，从新质生产力系统的结构看，建设现代化产业体系，既要遵循一般意义现代产业发展的规律，沿着数字化、智能化、绿色化和融合化方向持续推进产业升级和结构优化，又要符合高质量发展要求，形成具有完整性、先进性、协调性、安全性、开放性、包容性的产业体系。所谓现代化产业体系完整性，意味着产业体系包含多个不同领域和层面的产业，从而构建一个全面的产业生态系统；所谓先进性要求产业体系在技术、管理、创新、制度等方面具备国际领先水平，安全性关注产业体系的安全和可靠性，现代化产业体系必须具备自主可控、安全可靠的特点；协调性体现了不同产业领域之间、区域布局之间和要素之间的协同发展和协调运作；包容性强调了现代化产业体系的普惠性和社会责任，促进经济绿色发展，确保经济的可持续增长惠及广大人民群众；开放性展现了一个国家产业体系与全球环境的互动和融合程度。总体上我们通过设计指标体系，构造现代化产业体系六维评价指数，然后进行国际比较。2019年中国现代化产业体系发展水平评价结果表明，世界各国的现代化产业体系发展水平大体上可以分为三个梯队，中国正处于从第二梯队向第一梯队攀升的阶段。2019年中国的现代化产业体系发展水平得分为0.54，低于第一梯队的美国(0.68)、日本(0.64)和德国(0.62)，处于第二梯队的领先水平。其中，完整性在全球遥遥领先，但在先进性、开放性和安全性有差距，尤其是先进性甚至不足美国和日本的二分之一。总体上从新质生产力承载的产业体系看，先进性、开放性和安全性是我们的短板，完整性是我们的最大优势。

Finally, from the perspective of the systemic function of new quality productive forces, we focus on the core indicator of new quality productive forces—total factor productivity. Since 1978, with the advancement of reform and opening up, productive forces have been greatly liberated, and the growth rate of total factor productivity has risen rapidly. Although it exhibited trough characteristics in the growth rate of total factor productivity in the late 1980s, 1998, and 2008, from 1992 until the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis, China’s average annual growth rate of total factor productivity reached 5.7%. After China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, by 2007, China’s total factor productivity growth rate reached 6.2%. The significant increases in China’s total factor productivity growth rate are closely related to the dividends of reform and opening up. Affected by the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 global financial crisis, China’s total factor productivity growth rate plummeted and subsequently hovered around 1% for many years. In 2020, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s total factor productivity growth rate sharply dropped to -1.4%, before recovering somewhat in 2021. China’s per capita GDP is still relatively low, and it is necessary to promote the improvement of total factor productivity through the enhancement of new quality productive forces, thereby improving the potential growth rate. Only in this way can we basically achieve modernization by 2035, with per capita GDP reaching the level of moderately developed countries.

最后，从新质生产力系统功能看，我们聚焦到新质生产力的核心标志——全要素生产率。1978年以来，随着改革开放推进，生产力获得极大解放，全要素生产率增速快速提升。虽然经过在20世纪80年代末、1998年、2008年呈现出全要素生产率增速波动的谷值特征，但1992年至亚洲金融危机爆发前，中国全要素生产率年均增速达到5.7%。2001年中国加入世界贸易组织(WTO)后，2007年，中国全要素生产率增速达到6.2%。中国全要素生产率增速的显著提升均与改革开放红利密切相关。受1997年亚洲金融危机和2008年全球金融危机影响，中国全要素生产率增速急速下降，并在之后多年持续徘徊在1%左右的水平。2020年，受新冠疫情冲击，中国全要素生产率增速骤降至-1.4%，2021年又有所恢复。我国人均GDP还相对较低，需要通过新质生产力的提升来推动全要素生产率的提升，进而改善潜在增速。这样才能到2035年基本实现现代化，人均GDP达到中等发达国家水平。

III. Key Focal Points for Promoting the Development of New Quality Productive Forces through High-Standard Opening Up

三、以高水平开放推进新质生产力发展的重要着力点

To develop new quality productive forces and achieve the leap of the productive forces system from traditional to modern, the key path is to lead the construction of a modern industrial system through scientific and technological innovation. This requires gathering innovation factors to enhance the advancement of the industrial system, breaking down barriers to the flow of innovation factors by promoting high-standard opening up, activating local innovation potential through global resource allocation, promoting the orderly and free flow of international and domestic factors, efficient allocation of resources, and deep integration of domestic and international markets, thereby providing a favorable international environment for the development of new quality productive forces. In this way, the development of new quality productive forces can increase total factor productivity, provide new momentum for China’s economic development, and achieve an effective improvement in quality and a reasonable growth in quantity of the economy.

发展新质生产力，要实现生产力系统从传统向现代的跃迁，关键路径是以科技创新引领现代化产业体系建设。这需要集聚创新要素推进产业体系先进性的提升，通过推进高水平开放打破创新要素流动壁垒，以全球资源配置激活本土创新潜能，促进国际国内要素有序自由流动、资源高效配置、国内国际市场深度融合，为新质生产力发展提供良好的国际环境，从而以新质生产力发展提高全要素生产率，为中国经济发展提供新的动能，实现经济质的有效提升和量的合理增长。

First, create a first-class internationalized business environment conducive to gathering global new quality productive forces factors.

第一，营造有利于集聚全球新质生产力要素的一流的国际化营商环境。

This requires proactively aligning with high-standard market rules, regulations, management, and standards, and steadily expanding institutional opening up. Specifically, regarding talent factors, we should actively explore a high-tech talent immigration system, consider establishing a “tech immigration” special plan with quotas for foreign talent in future technology fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, refer to the construction of an international scientist community in Shanghai Zhangjiang Science City, integrate convenient services such as visas, education, and medical care, and consider implementing “one person, one policy” tax incentives for top scientists; regarding technology factors, build a global new-type factor trading market, develop new trading varieties such as intellectual property securitization, technology option trading, and carbon financial derivatives, proactively align with high-standard economic and trade rules such as CPTPP [4]4 CPTPP: Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade agreement among 11 Pacific Rim countries. and DEPA [5]5 DEPA: Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, a multilateral agreement on digital trade among a smaller group of countries, including Singapore, New Zealand, and Chile., conduct pilot trials in areas such as the digital economy and green trade, promote the upgrading of intellectual property protection, consider exploring the establishment of an international intellectual property dispute resolution center, fully implement a negative list for cross-border service trade, advance comprehensive pilot demonstrations for the expansion of the service industry, encourage professional service institutions to enhance their international service capabilities, and attract global digital giants to participate in China’s new infrastructure construction.

这要求主动对标高标准的市场规则、规制、管理、标准，稳步扩大制度型开放。具体而言，关于人才要素，要积极探索高技术人才移民制度，可以考虑针对人工智能、量子计算等未来技术领域设立外籍人才配额的“科技移民”专项计划，参照上海张江科学城建设国际科学家社区，集成签证、教育、医疗等便利服务，考虑对顶尖科学家实行“一人一策”税收优惠；关于技术要素，建设全球新型要素交易市场，发展知识产权证券化、科技期权交易、碳金融衍生品等新型交易品种，主动对接CPTPP、DEPA等高标准经贸规则，在数字经济、绿色贸易等领域先行先试，推进知识产权保护升级，考虑探索设立国际知识产权争端解决中心，全面实施跨境服务贸易负面清单，推进服务业扩大开放综合试点示范，鼓励专业服务机构提升国际化服务能力，吸引全球数字巨头参与中国新型基础设施建设。

Second, build a modern industrial system through open cooperation in global industrial and supply chains.

第二，在推进全球产业链供应链的开放合作中建设现代化产业体系。

This requires fully leveraging the advantages of China’s huge market demand, rich application scenarios, and complete industrial supporting systems to provide favorable conditions for the innovative development of multinational corporations. Implement the comprehensive cancellation of foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector, expand the catalog of encouraged foreign investment industries, promote the expansion of opening up in sectors such as telecommunications and healthcare, carry out pilot projects to relax foreign investment access in the field of scientific and technological innovation, support foreign-invested enterprises in establishing R&D centers and undertaking national science and technology projects, and improve the mechanisms for promoting and ensuring outbound investment. We must cultivate a new global industrial ecosystem, establish a “scientist + entrepreneur + investor” triangle-driven mechanism for the development of future industries on a global scale, and create a whole-process global innovation chain of “basic research + technological breakthroughs + achievement transformation + tech finance.” In particular, focus on strategic areas such as semiconductors and new energy, build cross-border industrial chains, and create open industrial innovation clusters. Specifically, from the perspective of the R&D stage, on the one hand, accelerate the construction of a global R&D network, encourage multinational enterprises to set up R&D centers in China, and achieve “reverse innovation” technology spillovers. On the other hand, support local enterprises in participating in international big science programs to seize the commanding heights of cutting-edge technology.

这要充分发挥我国庞大市场需求、丰富应用场景、完善产业配套体系的优势，为跨国公司创新发展提供有利条件。落实全面取消制造业领域外资准入限制措施，扩大鼓励外商投资产业目录，推动电信、医疗等领域扩大开放，开展放宽科技创新领域外商投资准入试点，支持外商投资企业投资设立研发中心、承担国家科技计划项目，完善促进和保障对外投资体制机制。要培育全球产业新生态，在全球范围内建立“科学家+企业家+投资家”三角驱动的未来产业发展机制，打造“基础研究+技术攻关+成果转化+科技金融”全过程全球化创新链，尤其是聚焦半导体、新能源等战略领域，建设跨境产业链，打造开放型产业创新集群。具体从研发环节看，一方面要加快全球研发网络构建，鼓励跨国企业在华设立研发中心，实现“逆向创新”技术溢出。另一方面，要支持本土企业参与国际大科学计划，抢占尖端技术制高点。

Third, make free trade zones an important platform for promoting the development of new quality productive forces through high-standard opening up.

第三，使自贸区成为以高水平开放促进新质生产力发展的重要平台。

We must deeply advance the strategy of upgrading pilot free trade zones and expand the high-standard free trade zone network facing the world. Based on the experience of pilot free trade zones, uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, actively participate in the reform of the global economic governance system, and provide more global public goods. Specifically, align with the high-standard rule systems of CPTPP and DEPA, conduct stress tests in areas such as digital trade, intellectual property, and state-owned enterprise neutrality within free trade zones, and establish a market governance system that aligns with internationally accepted rules; deepen pilot projects for cross-border data flow, establish a “data customs” in pilot free trade zones, classify and formulate a whitelist for cross-border data flow, and explore the establishment of a system framework for data rights confirmation, trading, and secure flow; through the negative list system in pilot free trade zones, selectively relax technology access in areas such as the digital economy and biomedicine; relying on platforms such as the Hainan Free Trade Port and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, develop offshore R&D and manufacturing with “both ends outside” [6]6 “Both ends outside” (两头在外): A term referring to a production model where both the sourcing of raw materials and the sale of finished products are conducted in foreign markets, often used in the context of export-oriented processing trade.; consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping, and trade center, support Hong Kong and Macao in building a highland for gathering international high-end talent, and better leverage the exemplary role of Hong Kong and Macao in promoting the development of new quality productive forces through high-standard opening up.

要深入推进自由贸易试验区提升战略，扩大面向全球的高标准自由贸易区网络。以自贸区试验经验为基础，维护以世界贸易组织为核心的多边贸易体制，积极参与全球经济治理体系改革，提供更多全球公共产品。具体而言，对标CPTPP、DEPA高标准规则体系，在自贸区进行数字贸易、知识产权、国企中立等领域的压力测试，建立与国际通行规则接轨的市场治理体系；深化跨境数据流动试点，在自贸试验区建立“数据海关”，分类制定数据跨境流动白名单，探索建立数据确权、交易、安全流动制度框架；通过自贸试验区负面清单制度，定向放宽数字经济、生物医药等领域技术准入；依托海南自贸港、粤港澳大湾区等平台，发展“两头在外”的离岸研发与制造；巩固提升香港国际金融、航运、贸易中心地位，支持香港、澳门打造国际高端人才集聚高地，更好发挥香港、澳门在以高水平开放推进新质生产力发展中的示范作用。

(Author’s bio: Huang Qunhui, Researcher at the Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者简介：黄群慧，中国社会科学院经济研究所研究员）

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗