Deeply Study Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought Closely Centered on the New Development Philosophy

The 2017 Central Economic Work Conference first proposed Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era on the Economy (Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought), stating: “Over the past five years, we have adhered to observing the general situation, planning the overall situation, and doing practical work, successfully steering the overall situation of China’s economic development, and in practice formed Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era on the Economy, with the new development philosophy as its main content.” In January 2021, at a study session for principal leading cadres at the provincial and ministerial level on studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: “Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have put forward many major theories and concepts regarding economic and social development, among which the new development philosophy is the most important and most fundamental.” Volume I of *Selected Works of Xi Jinping on the Economy* (hereinafter referred to as the *Selected Works*), which includes General Secretary Xi Jinping’s most important and most fundamental works on economic construction from November 2012 to December 2024, profoundly answers a series of major theoretical and practical questions such as how to view and how to conduct China’s economic development. Among them, the content that serves as a general outline and is also the most important and most fundamental is the new development philosophy.

2017年中央经济工作会议首次提出习近平新时代中国特色社会主义经济思想（习近平经济思想），指出：“5年来，我们坚持观大势、谋全局、干实事，成功驾驭了我国经济发展大局，在实践中形成了以新发展理念为主要内容的习近平新时代中国特色社会主义经济思想。”2021年1月，习近平总书记在省部级主要领导干部学习贯彻党的十九届五中全会精神专题研讨班上明确指出：“党的十八大以来我们对经济社会发展提出了许多重大理论和理念，其中新发展理念是最重要、最主要的。”《习近平经济文选》第一卷（以下简称《文选》），收入习近平总书记2012年11月至2024年12月期间关于经济建设最重要、最基本的著作，深刻回答了中国经济发展怎么看、怎么干等一系列重大理论和实践问题。其中，具有总纲意义也是最重要、最主要的内容是新发展理念。

The important position of the new development philosophy in Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought stems from the importance of economic development. China is the world’s largest developing country, is and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism, and development has always been the foundation and key to solving all of China’s problems. Whether for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieving the First Centenary Goal, or for comprehensively building a modern socialist country and marching toward the Second Centenary Goal, this major logic has never changed.

新发展理念在习近平经济思想中的重要地位，源于经济发展的重要性。我国是世界最大的发展中国家，正处于并将长期处于社会主义初级阶段，发展始终是解决我国一切问题的基础和关键。无论是对于全面建成小康社会、实现第一个百年奋斗目标，还是对于全面建设社会主义现代化国家、向第二个百年奋斗目标进军，这个大逻辑从未改变。

In “Accelerating the Construction of a New Development Pattern and Striving to Promote High-Quality Development,” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “High-quality development is the primary task in comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Development is the Party’s top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country.” Only by taking development as the Party’s top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country, regarding high-quality development as the hard truth of the New Era, and concentrating efforts on handling our own affairs well, can we continuously strengthen China’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national power, provide a more solid material and technological foundation for resolving various risks and challenges, and steadily advance toward the grand goal of comprehensively building a great modern socialist country.

习近平总书记在《加快构建新发展格局，着力推动高质量发展》中指出：“高质量发展是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的首要任务。发展是党执政兴国的第一要务。”只有把发展作为党执政兴国的第一要务，将高质量发展作为新时代的硬道理，集中精力办好自己的事，才能不断壮大我国经济实力、科技实力、综合国力，为化解各类风险挑战提供更为坚实的物质技术支撑，朝着全面建成社会主义现代化强国的宏伟目标不断前进。

The importance of economic development is not only fully reflected in the *Selected Works*, where many of the works revolve around economic development; it is also fully reflected in the *Outline for Studying Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought*. In the chapter structure of that book, apart from the general introduction and the concluding remarks, the subtitles of each of the 13 chapters all revolve around economic development. They are, respectively: on the fundamental guarantee for China’s economic development; on the fundamental stance for China’s economic development; on the historical orientation of China’s economic development; on the guiding principles for China’s economic development; on the path choice for China’s economic development; on the distinctive theme of China’s economic development; on the institutional foundation for China’s economic development; on the strategic measures for China’s economic development; on the primary driving force for China’s economic development; on the main focus points for China’s economic development; on the important magic weapon for China’s economic development; on the important safeguards for China’s economic development; and on the methodology for doing economic work well. In this sense, Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought is a system of thought that studies development and takes development as its theme. “Economic development” is the most important keyword in Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought, so the new development philosophy must inevitably become the main content of Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought.

经济发展的重要性，不仅在《文选》中得到充分体现，其中的多篇著作都是围绕经济发展而展开的；而且在《习近平经济思想学习纲要》中也得到充分体现，在该书的篇章结构中，除了总论和结束语的13章，每一章的副标题都是围绕经济发展而展开的，分别是：关于我国经济发展的根本保证、关于我国经济发展的根本立场、关于我国经济发展的历史方位、关于我国经济发展的指导原则、关于我国经济发展的路径选择、关于我国经济发展的鲜明主题、关于我国经济发展的制度基础、关于我国经济发展的战略举措、关于我国经济发展的第一动力、关于我国经济发展的主要着力点、关于我国经济发展的重要法宝、关于我国经济发展的重要保障、关于做好经济工作的方法论。从这个意义上说，习近平经济思想是研究发展、以发展为主题的思想体系，“经济发展”是习近平经济思想中最重要的关键词，那么新发展理念也必然要成为习近平经济思想的主要内容。

The important position of the new development philosophy in Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought stems from the importance of the development philosophy for economic development. In “Grasping the New Development Stage, Implementing the New Development Philosophy, and Constructing the New Development Pattern,” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “A very important aspect of our Party leading the people in governing the country is to properly answer the major question of what kind of development to achieve and how to achieve it.” Economic and social development is a complex large system; there must be a general requirement that unifies direction and standards. The development philosophy is precisely such a general requirement; a given development practice is always guided by a given development philosophy.

新发展理念在习近平经济思想中的重要地位，源于发展理念对于经济发展的重要性。习近平总书记在《把握新发展阶段，贯彻新发展理念，构建新发展格局》中指出：“我们党领导人民治国理政，很重要的一个方面就是要回答好实现什么样的发展、怎样实现发展这个重大问题。”经济社会发展是一个复杂的大系统，必须有一个管总的要求，做到方向一致、标准统一。发展理念就是这样一个管总的要求，一定的发展实践都是由一定的发展理念来引领的。

As the concentrated embodiment of development ideas, development methods, and development focus points, whether the development philosophy is correct fundamentally determines the effectiveness or even success or failure of development. As the general outline and major logic guiding development, the development philosophy must not only answer major questions such as what kind of development to achieve and how to achieve it, but also clarify major issues concerning the political stance, value orientation, development model, and development path of development. As the baton guiding development, the development philosophy must not only make top-level designs for the future development blueprint, but also answer a series of theoretical and practical questions concerning the purpose, driving force, methods, and pathways of development.

作为发展思路、发展方式、发展着力点的集中体现，发展理念是否对头，从根本上决定着发展成效乃至成败。作为统领发展的总纲要和大逻辑，发展理念不仅要回答实现什么样的发展、怎样实现发展等重大问题，而且要阐明关于发展的政治立场、价值导向、发展模式、发展道路等重大问题。作为统领发展的指挥棒，发展理念不仅要为未来发展图景作出顶层设计，而且要回答发展的目的、动力、方式、路径等一系列理论和实践问题。

To pursue development on the new journey of the New Era, we must base ourselves on the overall situation of the cause of the Party and the state, and more prominently highlight the guiding role of the new development philosophy for economic development. For example, only by linking the development of new quality productive forces with the complete, accurate, and comprehensive implementation of the new development philosophy, and developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions, can we fundamentally solve the problem of development momentum and continuously promote the economy to achieve effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth. Only by guiding further comprehensive deepening of reform and opening up with the new development philosophy, basing ourselves on the new development stage, deepening supply-side structural reform, and improving the incentive and constraint mechanisms for promoting high-quality development, can we continuously shape new driving forces and new advantages for development, providing strong momentum and institutional guarantees for Chinese-path modernization.

新时代新征程抓发展，必须立足于党和国家事业发展全局，更加突出新发展理念对于经济发展的引领作用。比如，只有将发展新质生产力同完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念联系起来，因地制宜发展新质生产力，才能从根本上解决发展动力问题，持续推动经济实现质的有效提升和量的合理增长。只有以新发展理念引领进一步全面深化改革，立足新发展阶段，深化供给侧结构性改革，完善推动高质量发展激励约束机制，才能不断塑造发展新动能新优势，为中国式现代化提供强大动力和制度保障。

The important position of the new development philosophy in Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought stems even more from the importance

新发展理念在习近平经济思想中的重要地位，更源于新发展理念对于新时代新征程经济发展的重要性。习近平总书记在党的十八届五中全会上提出创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的发展理念，在十八届中央政治局第三十次集体学习时强调新发展理念就是指挥棒、红绿灯。新发展理念不是凭空得来的，而是在深刻总结国内外发展经验教训的基础上形成的，是在深刻分析国内外发展大势的基础上形成的。换言之，新发展理念是立足我国经济发展实践，奔着解决我国经济发展实际问题而去的。

Specifically, each of the five concepts for development—innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing—corresponds to the weaknesses and shortcomings in China’s economic development, unfolding around such key focal points as the driving force of development, the balance of development, the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, the internal and external linkages of development, and social fairness and justice. Innovation-driven development focuses on solving the problem of the driving force of development, requiring that innovation be placed in a prominent position in the overall national development and that innovation run through all the work of the Party and the state. Coordinated development focuses on solving the problem of unbalanced development, requiring the correct handling of major relations in development and continuously enhancing overall and coordinated development. Green development focuses on solving the problem of harmony between humanity and nature, requiring the coordinated advancement of economic and social development and ecological and environmental protection, so as to create a good production and living environment for the people. Open development focuses on solving the problem of internal and external linkages in development, requiring the building of a new system for a higher-standard open economy and promoting reform and development through expanded opening up. Shared development focuses on solving the problem of social fairness and justice, requiring adherence to sharing by all the people, comprehensive sharing, co-construction and sharing, and gradual sharing, and continuously promoting the realization of common prosperity for all the people.

具体来看，创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享五大发展理念，每一条都对应着我国经济发展的短板弱项，围绕发展动力、发展协调性、人与自然和谐共生、发展内外联动、社会公平正义等重要着力点一一展开。创新发展注重的是解决发展动力问题，要求把创新摆在国家发展全局的突出位置，让创新贯穿党和国家一切工作；协调发展注重的是解决发展不平衡问题，要求正确处理发展中的重大关系，不断增强发展整体性协调性；绿色发展注重的是解决人与自然和谐问题，要求实现经济社会发展和生态环境保护协同共进，为人民群众创造良好生产生活环境；开放发展注重的是解决发展内外联动问题，要求建设更高水平开放型经济新体制，以扩大开放推进改革发展；共享发展注重的是解决社会公平正义问题，要求坚持全民共享、全面共享、共建共享、渐进共享，不断推动实现全体人民共同富裕。

The new concepts for development constitute an internally connected whole. In the New Era and on the new journey, the primary task in the field of China’s economic construction is to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new concepts for development and promote high-quality development. Innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing form a highly coupled and indivisible systemic project. They each have their own emphasis and provide mutual support; one cannot attend to one thing and lose sight of another, nor can they substitute for each other. They must be implemented in a unified manner, with not a single one missing. Only by treating the new concepts for development as a whole and running them through the entire process and all areas of economic development, making them interpenetrate and reinforce each other, and always grasping, measuring, and promoting development through the internal unity of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing, can all aspects form a joint force and truly achieve the goals of advocating innovation, emphasizing coordination, promoting green, deepening openness, and advancing sharing.

新发展理念是一个具有内在联系的整体。新时代新征程我国经济建设领域的首要任务，就是完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，推动高质量发展。创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享是一个高度耦合、不可分割的系统工程。它们各有侧重、协同支撑，既不能顾此失彼，也不能相互替代，必须统一贯彻，一个都不能少。只有将新发展理念作为一个整体贯穿于经济发展的全过程和各领域，相互贯通、相互促进，始终以创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的内在统一来把握发展、衡量发展、推动发展，才能使各方面形成合力，真正做到崇尚创新、注重协调、倡导绿色、厚植开放、推进共享。

The New Development Philosophy is also a theoretical innovation achievement of Marxism that keeps pace with the times. Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought originates from practice and continuously enriches and develops as practice advances. The same is true of the New Development Philosophy. From General Secretary Xi Jinping’s emphasis at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee [1]1 The Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, held in October 2015, adopted the CPC Central Committee’s Proposal on Formulating the 13th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, which formally introduced the New Development Philosophy. in October 2015 that “adhering to the New Development Philosophy is a profound transformation bearing on the overall situation of China’s development,” to his emphasis at the seminar for provincial- and ministerial-level leading cadres on studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee [2]2 The seminar for provincial- and ministerial-level leading cadres on studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee was held in January 2021, focusing on the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan. in January 2021 that “the whole Party must fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the New Development Philosophy,” and his requirement that it be grasped from the perspectives of fundamental purpose, problem orientation, and awareness of potential dangers, and then to his emphasis when participating in the deliberation of the Inner Mongolia delegation at the Fifth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress [3]3 The Fifth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress was held in March 2022; General Secretary Xi Jinping participated in the deliberation of the Inner Mongolia delegation. in March 2022 that “implementing the New Development Philosophy is the only way for China to grow and become stronger in the New Era,” the adjustments and changes in the expressions and formulations in between reflect precisely the continuous deepening and elevation of the understanding of the New Development Philosophy. Facing a series of new and profound changes in economic development on the new journey of the New Era, only by treating the New Development Philosophy as an open theory that continuously develops for the future and understanding and grasping it in step with the times can we continuously use the Party’s innovative theories to study new situations, solve new problems, and put forward new ideas, new strategies, and new measures.

新发展理念也是与时俱进的马克思主义理论创新成果。习近平经济思想源于实践，又随着实践发展而不断丰富发展。新发展理念也是如此。从习近平总书记2015年10月在党的十八届五中全会上强调“坚持新发展理念是关系我国发展全局的一场深刻变革”，到2021年1月在省部级主要领导干部学习贯彻党的十九届五中全会精神专题研讨班上强调“全党必须完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念”，并要求从根本宗旨、问题导向、忧患意识把握新发展理念，再到2022年3月参加十三届全国人大五次会议内蒙古代表团审议时强调“贯彻新发展理念是新时代我国发展壮大的必由之路”，其间表述、提法的调整变化所折射出的，正是对新发展理念的认识不断深化和升华。面对新时代新征程经济发展所发生的一系列新的深刻变化，只有将新发展理念作为面向未来不断发展的开放的理论，与时俱进地加以理解和把握，才能不断运用党的创新理论研究新情况、解决新问题，提出新的思路、新的战略、新的举措。

Overall, the New Development Philosophy constitutes the most important and primary content of Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought. It is the “bull’s nose” [4]4 “Bull’s nose” (牛鼻子) is a Chinese idiom meaning the key link or crucial point that, once grasped, enables one to control the whole situation. that we must seize and hold well when deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought. While persisting in reading original works, studying original texts, and comprehending principles, only by taking the study of the New Development Philosophy as the main thread and starting from studying the New Development Philosophy can we accurately grasp the positions, viewpoints, and methods that run through Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought, achieve an understanding not only of its words but also of its meaning, not only of what it is but also of why it is so, and thereby achieve twice the result with half the effort. At the same time, only by deeply pondering and profoundly comprehending the New Development Philosophy, which is the most important and primary content, can we accurately grasp the latest scientific judgments and latest strategic deployments of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee regarding economic work, truly clarify the situation, identify the problems accurately, and make the countermeasures concrete, thereby continuously improving our ability and level in doing economic work.

总的来看，新发展理念构成了习近平经济思想最重要、最主要的内容，是我们深入学习贯彻习近平经济思想应当牵住、牵好的“牛鼻子”。在坚持读原著、学原文、悟原理的同时，只有以学习新发展理念为主线、从学习新发展理念做起，才能准确把握贯穿习近平经济思想的立场、观点、方法，做到知其言更知其义、知其然更知其所以然，进而收到事半功倍之效。同时，也只有紧紧围绕新发展理念这一最重要、最主要的内容深入思考、深刻领会，才能准确把握习近平总书记和党中央关于经济工作的最新科学论断、最新战略部署，真正把情况摸清、把问题找准、把对策提实，不断提升做好经济工作的能力和水平。

Online editor: Tong Xin

网络编辑：同心