Unambiguously State a Clear Position and Respond to Controversies

The first Central Economic Work Conference after the 20th National Congress of the CPC was successfully held in Beijing from December 15 to 16, 2022. At the conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping summarized the economic work of 2022, analyzed the current economic situation, and deployed the economic work of 2023, steering the course for a good start in comprehensively building a modern socialist country. At the same time, General Secretary Xi Jinping gave a clear-cut and unambiguous response to some

党的二十大后的首次中央经济工作会议于2022年12月15日—16日在北京胜利召开。习近平总书记在会上总结了2022年经济工作，分析了当前经济形势，部署了2023年经济工作，为全面建设社会主义现代化国家开好局起好步定向领航。同时，习近平总书记就推进共同富裕实质性进展过程中出现的一些错误言论进行了态度鲜明、毫不含糊的回应。

In the process of advancing substantive progress in common prosperity, especially the events in 2021 involving Ant Group, Tencent’s donations, and Didi’s listing, the “nerves” of capital were greatly stirred, causing concerns among capital and entrepreneurs. Some self-media interpreted common prosperity as “robbing the rich to help the poor” and the third distribution as “forced donations,” further amplifying these concerns and forming a not-insignificant trend of thought. The 2020 Central Economic Work Conference, the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC in 2021, and the 2021 Central Economic Work Conference successively put forward new formulations such as “strengthening anti-monopoly and preventing the disorderly expansion of capital,” “preventing the disorderly expansion of capital and maintaining market order,” and “setting up ‘traffic lights’ for capital to prevent the barbaric growth of capital.” [1]1 The “traffic lights” metaphor refers to regulatory measures that either permit (green light) or restrict (red light) the activities of capital, aiming to guide it toward productive investment and away from disorderly or harmful expansion. These new formulations were misunderstood by some, further expanding the scope for association with this erroneous thinking. Consequently, various incorrect views such as “robbing the rich to aid the poor” and “a second transformation of capital” kept emerging, and some even believed that “it is possible to slide back onto the track of old socialism (planned economy socialism).” In 2022, hot topics such as the “people’s economy” and “supply and marketing cooperatives” were essentially echoes and aftereffects of this same issue.

在推进共同富裕实质性进展的过程中，尤其是2021年发生的蚂蚁金服、腾讯捐款、滴滴上市等事件，极大地牵动了资本的“神经”，让资本和企业家产生了担心。一些自媒体将共同富裕解读为“杀富济贫”、第三次分配是“强制捐款”等，进一步放大了这种担心，形成了一股不大不小的思潮。2020年中央经济工作会议、2021年党的十九届六中全会、2021年中央经济工作会议先后提出“强化反垄断和防止资本无序扩张”、“防止资本无序扩张、维护市场秩序”、“为资本设置‘红绿灯’、防止资本野蛮生长”等新表述，这些新表述被一些人误解，进一步扩大了这种错误思想的联想空间。由此，导致“劫富济贫”、“资本二次改造”等各种错误观点不断泛起，甚至有人认为“有可能滑回旧社会主义（计划经济的社会主义）的轨道”。2022年“人民经济”、“供销社”等热门事件在本质上依然是这一问题的回响和余音。

The 2022 Central Economic Work Conference pointed out that to do economic work well, it is necessary to adhere to the “Six Persistences,” [2]2 The “Six Persistences” (六个坚持) are principles for economic work: upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system, adhering to the direction of socialist market economy reform, adhering to the “Two Unswervinglys,” adhering to the general tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability, adhering to the system of high-quality development, and adhering to the people-centered development philosophy. which include upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system, adhering to the direction of socialist market economy reform, and adhering to the “Two Unswervinglys.” [3]3 The “Two Unswervinglys” (两个毫不动摇) refer to the policy of unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector economy and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector economy. This is a clear-cut stance against various incorrect understandings, an unambiguous response to various erroneous controversies. Only by returning to the definition of the “basic economic system” at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee can we deeply feel the clarity of the stance, the certainty of the attitude, and the resoluteness of the response in this statement. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee re-summarized the connotation of the basic socialist economic system from three dimensions: the ownership of the means of production, the distribution method, and the economic system.

2022年中央经济工作会议指出，做好经济工作必须做到“六个坚持”，其中就包含了坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度，坚持社会主义市场经济改革方向，坚持“两个毫不动摇”。这是对各种不正确认识旗帜鲜明的态度，这是对各种错误争议的毫不含糊的回应。回到十九届四中全会对“基本经济制度”的界定中，我们才能深刻感受到这句话中旗帜之鲜明、态度之肯定、回应之坚决。十九届四中全会从生产资料所有制、分配方式和经济体制三个维度重新概括了社会主义基本经济制度的内涵。

Upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system indicates that public ownership as the mainstay and the coexistence of multiple forms of ownership together constitute the economic base (relations of production) of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. On this basis, it is also necessary to implement a distribution system with distribution according to work as the mainstay and multiple forms of distribution coexisting. At the same time, both the public sector and the multiple forms of ownership economy operate within the rules of the market economy. This is not only an inevitable result determined by the level of development of the productive forces, but also a practical choice that embodies the superiority of the socialist system, and moreover, it is a great creation of the Party and the people.

坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度，说明公有制为主体和多种所有制共同构成了新时代中国特色社会主义的经济基础（生产关系），在此基础上也必须实施按劳分配为主体、多种分配方式并存的分配制度，同时公有制和多种所有制经济都是在市场经济规则中运行。这既是生产力发展水平决定的必然结果，又是体现社会主义制度优越性的实践选择，更是党和人民的伟大创造。

Unambiguously emphasizing adherence to the direction of socialist market economy reform indicates that the development of both the public sector and the non-public sector must follow the basic laws of the market economy. Just as General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Both theory and practice have proven that market allocation of resources is the most effective form. The market deciding the allocation of resources is a general law of the market economy; the market economy is essentially an economy where the market decides the allocation of resources.” [4]4 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s remarks on the role of the market in resource allocation, emphasizing the fundamental nature of the market economy. Therefore, although consolidating the dominant position of public ownership is a prerequisite for ensuring the socialist nature, consolidating the dominant position of public ownership and leveraging the leading role of the state-owned economy is not achieved by eliminating the non-public economy, but rather by promoting the high-quality development of the public sector economy within the track of the market economy and enhancing the core competitiveness of state-owned enterprises through fair competition with the non-public economy. Hence, there is no so-called “state advances, private sector retreats,” let alone the possibility of a so-called “second transformation of capital,” and it is even less possible to “slide towards traditional socialism.”

毫不含糊地强调坚持社会主义市场经济改革方向，说明公有制和非公有制的发展都要遵循市场经济的基本规律。恰如习近平总书记强调：“理论和实践都证明，市场配置资源是最有效的形势。市场决定资源配置是市场经济的一般规律，市场经济本质上就是市场决定资源配的经济”。因此，巩固公有制的主体地位虽然是确保社会主义性质的前提，但是巩固公有制的主体地位、发挥国有经济的主导作用，并不是通过消灭非公有制经济来实现的，而是在市场经济的轨道中通过推动公有制经济的高质量发展、提高国企的核心竞争力在与非公有制经济的公平竞争中实现的，因此并不存在所谓“国进民退”，更不存在所谓的“资本二次改造”的可能，更不可能“滑向传统社会主义”。

Unambiguously emphasizing adherence to the “Two Unswervinglys” indicates that “‘promoting the development and growth of the private economy’ is a long-term policy, not an expedient measure”; it indicates that preventing the disorderly expansion of capital does not mean abandoning the protection of private property, but rather maintaining the order of the socialist market economy and legally protecting the property rights of private enterprises and the rights and interests of entrepreneurs; it indicates that setting up “red lights” for a minority of capital is not about strangling capital, but about turning on “green lights” better for the majority of capital; when we incorporate multiple forms of ownership and distribution methods into the basic socialist economic system, and write them into important decisions such as the “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform” and the “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Upholding and Improving the System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Advancing the Modernization of the National Governance System and Governance Capacity,” [5]5 These are key CPC Central Committee decisions from the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee (2013) and the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee (2019), respectively, outlining reforms to the economic system and national governance. it indicates that state-owned enterprises and private enterprises are equal in system and law, and in policy and public opinion, support and encouragement are given to the development and growth of the private economy and private enterprises.

毫不含糊地强调坚持“两个毫不动摇”，说明“‘促进民营经济发展壮大’，这是长久之策，不是权宜之计”；说明防止资本无序扩张不是放弃保护私有财产，而是要维护社会主义市场经济秩序和依法保护民营企业产权和企业家权益；说明为少数资本设置“红灯”不是要扼杀资本，而是为大多数资本更好地开“绿灯”；当我们把多种所有制与分配方式纳入社会主义基本经济制度，写入《中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定》《中共中央关于坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化若干重大问题的决定》等重要决定，说明国企民企在制度和法律上是平等的，在政策和舆论上是鼓励支持民营经济和民营企业发展壮大的。

Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. The historic achievements and historic transformations of the forty years of reform and opening up and the ten years of the New Era have already proven that upholding the dominant position of public ownership is a prerequisite for ensuring the socialist nature, developing the non-public economy is an effective means of promoting economic development, and the market is the most effective form of resource allocation. Wholly negating the non-public sector is just as much a non-Marxist attitude as wholly negating the public sector; the rigid old path of closed-doorism and the evil path of changing the banner are equally doomed to failure. [6]6 The “rigid old path of closed-doorism” refers to a return to the pre-reform planned economy and isolation, while the “evil path of changing the banner” refers to abandoning socialism for capitalism; both are standard CPC formulations for ideological errors. The Central Economic Work Conference unambiguously stated a clear position and unequivocally responded to controversies. Like timely rain, it not only cleared up various disputes, but also clarified the status of the non-public economy, boosted the confidence of the private economy, pointed out the direction for its development, and provided guarantees. It will surely gather the mighty force for building a great modern socialist country and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

实践是检验真理的唯一标准。改革开放四十年和新时代十年的历史性成就和历史性变革已经证明，坚持公有制的主体地位是确保社会主义性质的前提，发展非公有制经济是促进经济发展的有效手段，而市场是资源配置的最有效形式。全盘否定非公有制与全盘否定公有制一样，都是非马克思主义的态度；封闭僵化的老路和改旗易帜的邪路一样，都是注定要失败的。中央经济工作会毫不含糊地亮明态度，旗帜鲜明地回应争议，如随车甘雨，不仅廓清了各种争议，而且澄明了非公有制经济的地位，还提振了民营经济的信心，为其发展指明了方向、提供了保障，必将凝聚起建设社会主义现代化强国、实现中华民族伟大复兴的磅礴伟力！

(Author Biographies: Zhao Guanghui, Researcher at the Wenzhou University Research Base of the Zhejiang Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and Oujiang Distinguished Professor at Wenzhou University; Zhuo Gaosheng, Dean and Doctoral Supervisor of the School of Marxism at Wenzhou University)

（作者简介：赵光辉，浙江省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心温州大学研究基地研究员，温州大学瓯江特聘教授；卓高生，温州大学马克思主义学院院长，博士生导师）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心