Deeply Comprehending the Systematic Thinking Method in Volume I of Xi Jinping’s Selected Works on the Economy

A system is a whole composed of several elements that are interconnected and interact with each other in a certain structure. Systematic thinking is a mode of thinking that uses a systematic perspective to understand and transform the world. Volume I of Xi Jinping’s Selected Works on the Economy (hereinafter referred to as the Selected Works), recently published, carefully selects 74 manuscripts by General Secretary Xi Jinping on economic construction from November 2012 to December 2024. It profoundly answers a series of major theoretical and practical questions regarding economic development in the New Era and contains rich systematic thinking. To deeply comprehend and adhere to systematic thinking, one must uphold a systematic concept, grasp holism, and highlight synergy.

系统是由相互联系、相互作用的若干要素以一定结构组成的整体。系统思维是运用系统观点认识、改造世界的思维方式。日前出版的《习近平经济文选》第一卷（以下简称《文选》）精选收录了习近平总书记2012年11月至2024年12月关于经济建设的74篇文稿，深刻回答了新时代经济发展一系列重大理论和实践问题，蕴含丰富的系统思维。深刻领悟并坚持系统思维，必须坚持系统观念、把握整体性、突出协同性。

Upholding a Systematic Concept

坚持系统观念

Adhering to systematic thinking first requires upholding a systematic concept, treating the object as a system, and emphasizing that the system is the basic mode of existence of things. Theoretically, the system as the basic mode of existence of things originates from the universality of connections; different things form different systems due to connections, and several different systems interconnected can form a larger system. Empirically, the system as the basic mode of existence of things originates from the fact that everything humans encounter in work and life is a system; there is no thing in the world that is not a system.

坚持系统思维首先要坚持系统观念，把对象作为系统，强调系统是事物存在的基本方式。从理论上看，系统是事物基本存在方式源于联系的普遍性，不同事物由于联系构成了不同系统，而若干个不同系统相互联系可以组成更大的系统。从经验上看，系统是事物基本存在方式，源于人类在工作和生活中遇到的一切事物都是一个系统，世界上不存在不是系统的事物。

Upholding a systematic concept is the logical starting point for adhering to systematic thinking. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized treating the object as a system. In his article “Strengthening the Party’s Comprehensive Leadership over Economic Work,” he pointed out: “Economic and social development is a systematic project involving multiple factors. When carrying out work, it is necessary to comprehensively consider political and economic, practical and historical, material and cultural, development and people’s livelihood, resources and ecology, domestic and international, and other factors, and avoid one-sidedness, simplification, and arbitrary action.” In “On Constructing a New Development Paradigm,” he stressed: “Constructing a new development paradigm is a systematic project. It requires both ‘grasping the essentials at the top,’ strengthening strategic planning and top-level design, and ‘detailing the specifics at the bottom,’ grasping the focal points of work.” In “Grasping the New Development Stage, Implementing the New Development Philosophy, and Constructing the New Development Paradigm,” he proposed: “The new development philosophy is a systematic theoretical system, answering a series of theoretical and practical questions about the purpose, driving force, mode, and path of development, and elucidating major political issues such as our Party’s political stance, value orientation, development model, and development path.”

坚持系统观念是坚持系统思维的逻辑起点。习近平总书记多次强调要把对象作为系统，他在《加强党对经济工作的全面领导》一文中指出：“经济社会发展是一个系统工程，涉及多方面因素，开展工作必须综合考虑政治和经济、现实和历史、物质和文化、发展和民生、资源和生态、国内和国际等多方面因素，切忌单打一、简单化、乱作为”；在《关于构建新发展格局》一文中强调：“构建新发展格局是一个系统工程，既要‘操其要于上’，加强战略谋划和顶层设计，也要‘分其详于下’，把握工作着力点”；在《把握新发展阶段，贯彻新发展理念，构建新发展格局》一文中提出：“新发展理念是一个系统的理论体系，回答了关于发展的目的、动力、方式、路径等一系列理论和实践问题，阐明了我们党关于发展的政治立场、价值导向、发展模式、发展道路等重大政治问题”。

Grasping Holism

把握整体性

Holistic thinking is the most basic mode of systematic thinking, embodying the dialectical materialist viewpoint of universal connection. Holistic thinking is a rational mode of thinking that cannot be obtained solely through empirical observation in daily life. On this, Comrade Mao Zedong vividly pointed out: “This kind of overall situation cannot be seen with the eyes; it can only be understood by thinking with the mind. Without thinking, one cannot understand it.” Grasping the holism of a system should be understood from two levels: first, system elements are constrained by the whole, meaning that the nature and function of any element in a system are constrained by the whole; an element can only possess specific attributes within the system, and once it leaves the system, these attributes cease to exist. Second, the structural nature of the system as a whole; structure is the sum of relationships among elements, including causal relationships, interactive relationships, spatial positional relationships, etc. It is precisely structure that determines the nature and function of the system as a whole, and determines that the system as a whole is not equal to the simple sum of its parts. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts; the whole determines the parts. To correctly understand and analyze things, one must adhere to holistic thinking and be adept at analyzing problems from an overall and global perspective.

整体性思维是最基本的系统思维方式，体现了唯物辩证法普遍联系的观点。整体性思维是一种理性思维方式，单靠日常生活中的经验观察是无法获得的，对此，毛泽东同志形象地指出：“这种全局性的东西，眼睛看不见，只能用心思去想一想才能懂得，不用心思去想，就不会懂得。”把握系统的整体性要从两个层面去理解：一是系统要素受整体制约，即系统中任何要素的性质和功能都受整体制约，要素只有在系统中才能具备特定属性，一旦脱离系统，上述属性将不复存在；二是系统整体的结构性，结构是要素关系的总和，这种关系包括因果关系、互动关系、空间位置关系等，正是结构决定了系统整体的性质和功能，决定了系统整体并不等于各部分的简单相加。整体大于部分之和，整体决定部分。正确认识和分析事物，必须坚持整体性思维，善于从整体上、从全局高度分析问题。

Grasping holism is a basic requirement for adhering to systematic thinking. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized grasping the holism of things and strengthening the awareness of the overall situation. In his “Explanation on the ‘Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Comprehensively Deepening Reform of Major Issues,’” he pointed out: “Adhere to considering issues from the overall situation. Comprehensively deepening reform is a major strategic deployment concerning the overall situation of the Party and the country’s development, not a single reform in a certain field or aspect. ‘One who fails to plan for the whole situation is inadequate to plan for a single domain.’” [1]1 A classical Chinese allusion from the Qing dynasty text *The Art of War* by Chen Qianqiu, meaning that without considering the whole situation, one cannot manage even a part. In “Several Major Theoretical and Practical Issues in Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform,” he stressed: “Guide cadres and the masses to strengthen their awareness of the overall situation and correctly handle the adjustment of interest relations and personal gains and losses in reform.” In “Focusing on Revitalizing the Real Economy,” he proposed: “The global market has formed a whole; China’s economy and the world economy are deeply integrated, with each having a stake in the other.”

把握整体性是坚持系统思维的基本要求。习近平总书记多次强调把握事物的整体性，增强大局意识，他在《关于〈中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定〉的说明》中指出：“坚持从大局出发考虑问题。全面深化改革是关系党和国家事业发展全局的重大战略部署，不是某个领域某个方面的单项改革。‘不谋全局者，不足谋一域’”；在《进一步全面深化改革中的几个重大理论和实践问题》中强调：“要引导干部、群众增强大局意识，正确对待改革中的利益关系调整和个人利害得失”；在《着力振兴实体经济》中提出：“全球市场已经形成一个整体，我国经济和世界经济深度融合，你中有我，我中有你。”

Highlighting Synergy

突出协同性

For a system to exert its overall effect, its internal elements must coordinate and cooperate with each other. The synergy of elements is the decisive factor for the system to exert its overall performance. If elements are not coordinated and conflict, it will lead to a disordered state of the system, or even disintegration. Therefore, adhering to systematic thinking must highlight synergy, fully recognize the correlations between elements, between elements and the system, and between the system and the external environment, and do a good job of overall coordination.

系统要发挥整体效应，其内部要素必须相互协调、共同协作。要素的协同是系统发挥整体性能的决定性因素，如果要素不协同、相冲突就会导致系统呈现无序状态，甚至走向瓦解。因此，坚持系统思维必须突出协同性，充分认识要素之间、要素与系统之间、系统与外部环境之间的关联性，做好统筹协调。

First, strengthen the synergy between overall advancement and key breakthroughs. The development of things is uneven. This unevenness is manifested on the one hand as uneven development of different things, and on the other hand as unevenness among different elements within the same thing. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to the unity of the two-point theory and the key-point theory. [2]2 “Two-point theory” and “key-point theory” are terms from Mao Zedong’s dialectical materialism, referring to the need to consider both sides of a contradiction while focusing on the principal aspect. Adhering to the two-point theory means paying attention to both the principal contradiction and not neglecting the secondary contradictions, seeing both the principal aspect of the contradiction and not ignoring the secondary aspect. Adhering to the key-point theory means being good at grasping the principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction. The key-point theory takes the two-point theory as its premise; the two-point theory naturally contains the key-point theory. Any work must adhere to the unity of the two-point theory and the key-point theory, strengthen the synergy between overall advancement and key breakthroughs, use key breakthroughs to drive overall advancement, and use overall advancement to consolidate key breakthroughs. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the synergy between overall advancement and key breakthroughs. In “Deeply Understanding the New Development Philosophy and Promoting Supply-Side Structural Reform,” he stressed: “Innovation is a complex social systematic project, involving all fields of the economy and society. Adhering to innovation-driven development requires both adhering to a comprehensive and systematic viewpoint and grasping the key, using breakthroughs in important fields and key links to drive the overall situation.” In “Several Relationships That Need to Be Correctly Grasped in Promoting the Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt,” he pointed out: “We must adhere to key breakthroughs, grasp the principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction on the basis of overall advancement, adopt targeted specific measures, strive to achieve the matching of the overall and the partial, the combination of addressing both symptoms and root causes, and the connection of gradual progress and breakthroughs, realizing the unity of overall advancement and key breakthroughs.”

一是加强整体推进和重点突破的协同。事物发展是不平衡的，这种不平衡一方面表现为不同事物发展的不平衡，另一方面表现为同一事物内部不同要素之间的不平衡，因此必须坚持两点论和重点论的统一。坚持两点论是既要重视主要矛盾又不能忽视次要矛盾，既要看到矛盾的主要方面又不能忽略矛盾的次要方面；坚持重点论是要善于抓主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面。重点论以两点论为前提，两点论天然包含重点论。任何一项工作都要坚持两点论和重点论的统一，加强整体推进和重点突破的协同，以重点突破带动整体推进，以整体推进巩固重点突破。习近平总书记高度重视整体推进和重点突破的协同，他在《深入理解新发展理念，推进供给侧结构性改革》中强调：“创新是一个复杂的社会系统工程，涉及经济社会各个领域。坚持创新发展，既要坚持全面系统的观点，又要抓住关键，以重要领域和关键环节的突破带动全局”；在《推动长江经济带发展需要正确把握的几个关系》中指出：“要坚持重点突破，在整体推进的基础上抓主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面，采取有针对性的具体措施，努力做到全局和局部相配套、治本和治标相结合、渐进和突破相衔接，实现整体推进和重点突破相统一。”

Second is strengthening the synergy between top-level design and practical exploration. Top-level design and practical exploration are dialectically unified and mutually reinforcing, inherently embodying the dialectical unity of theory and practice. On the one hand, top-level design guides practical exploration; top-level design is a systematic strategic plan that provides scientific concepts, action objectives, and roadmaps for practical exploration. On the other hand, practical exploration verifies, enriches, and develops top-level design; theory originates from practice, and scientific theory must not only be tested through practice but also enriched and developed in practice. Economic construction is a complex systematic project, and it is imperative to achieve synergy between top-level design and practical exploration. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the synergy between top-level design and practical exploration. In “Accelerating the Implementation of the Free Trade Zone Strategy to Build a New Open Economic System,” he stressed: “Accelerating the implementation of the free trade zone strategy is a complex systematic project. We must strengthen top-level design and plan the big picture; we must attend to both specific moves and the overall momentum, gradually building a free trade zone network that is rooted in the surrounding regions, radiates along the Belt and Road, and faces the world. We should actively negotiate and establish free trade zones with countries and regions along the Belt and Road, making cooperation between China and these countries closer, exchanges more convenient, and interests more integrated.” In “Building the Pilot Free Trade Zones into New Highlands of Reform and Opening Up in the New Era,” he pointed out: “We must boldly explore, boldly experiment, and independently reform, quickly forming a batch of replicable and scalable new systems, and accelerating the first trial of effective and useful results in areas such as facilitating investment and trade, efficient and convenient supervision, and standardized legal environments.” In “Advancing the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation on All Fronts through a Chinese Path to Modernization,” he identified the relationship between top-level design and practical exploration as one of the major relationships that need to be handled in advancing Chinese-path modernization: “Chinese-path modernization is advanced in stages and fields; achieving the development goals of each stage and implementing the development strategies of each field also requires top-level design… At the same time, advancing Chinese-path modernization is an exploratory undertaking, and there are still many unknown areas that require us to boldly explore in practice, to promote the development of the cause through reform and innovation. We must never be like the man who marked his boat to find his lost sword, or the farmer who waited by the tree stump for a hare to run into it.” [3]3 The phrases “刻舟求剑” (marking the boat to find the lost sword) and “守株待兔” (waiting by the tree stump for a hare) are classical Chinese idioms. The first refers to a rigid, unchanging approach to changing circumstances; the second refers to passively waiting for luck rather than actively seeking solutions.

二是加强顶层设计和实践探索的协同。顶层设计和实践探索二者辩证统一、相互促进，内在蕴含着理论和实践的辩证统一关系。一方面，顶层设计引领实践探索，顶层设计是系统性的战略规划，为实践探索提供科学理念、行动目标和路线方案；另一方面，实践探索验证、丰富、发展顶层设计，理论源于实践，科学的理论不仅要通过实践检验，更要在实践中丰富和发展。经济建设是一项复杂的系统工程，必须做好顶层设计和实践探索的协同。习近平总书记多次强调顶层设计和实践探索的协同，他在《加快实施自由贸易区战略，构建开放型经济新体制》中强调：“加快实施自由贸易区战略是一项复杂的系统工程。要加强顶层设计、谋划大棋局，既要谋子更要谋势，逐步构筑起立足周边、辐射‘一带一路’、面向全球的自由贸易区网络，积极同‘一带一路’沿线国家和地区商建自由贸易区，使我国与沿线国家合作更加紧密、往来更加便利、利益更加融合”；在《把自由贸易试验区建设成为新时代改革开放的新高地》中指出：“要大胆闯、大胆试、自主改，尽快形成一批可复制、可推广的新制度，加快在促进投资贸易便利、监管高效便捷、法制环境规范等方面先试出首批管用、有效的成果”；在《以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业》中把顶层设计与实践探索的关系作为推进中国式现代化需要处理的重大关系之一，“中国式现代化是分阶段、分领域推进的，实现各个阶段发展目标、落实各个领域发展战略同样需要进行顶层设计……同时，推进中国式现代化是一个探索性事业，还有许多未知领域，需要我们在实践中去大胆探索，通过改革创新来推动事业发展，决不能刻舟求剑、守株待兔”。

(Author: Zhang Shuguang, Vice Dean of the School of Marxism, Beijing Municipal Party Committee Party School)

（作者：张曙光，系中共北京市委党校马克思主义学院副院长）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心