The Theoretical Connotation and Practical Requirements of “Historical Patience”

“Historical patience” is a signature concept put forward by the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, through the application of a grand historical perspective. It reflects a scientific grasp of the laws governing the Communist Party’s exercise of power, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society. A profound understanding of the theoretical connotation and practical requirements of “historical patience” can provide important theoretical support and a methodological foundation for resolving deep-seated difficulties in the process of Chinese-path modernization.

“历史耐心”是以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人运用大历史观提出的一个标识性概念，折射出对共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律、人类社会发展规律的科学把握。深刻理解“历史耐心”的理论内涵与实践要求，能为破解中国式现代化进程中的深层次难题提供重要的学理支撑和方法论基础。

1. Major development strategies are the basic practical field for maintaining “historical patience”

1.重大发展战略是保持“历史耐心”的基本实践场域

On December 12, 2013, at the Central Conference on Urbanization, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “On the issue of population urbanization, we must have sufficient historical patience.” [1]1 The Central Conference on Urbanization was a high-level meeting held by the Chinese Communist Party in December 2013 to set policy directions for China’s urbanization process. Subsequently, he mentioned and elaborated on this concept on multiple occasions, as reflected in his relevant discourses on rural reform, rural revitalization, major regional strategies, and Chinese-path modernization. It can be seen that major development strategies are the basic practical field for maintaining “historical patience.”

2013年12月12日，习近平总书记在中央城镇化工作会议上指出：“在人口城镇化问题上，我们要有足够的历史耐心。”此后，他在多个场合提及并阐释了这一概念，体现于关于农村改革、乡村振兴、区域重大战略、中国式现代化等相关论述之中。可以看出，重大发展战略是保持“历史耐心”的基本实践场域。

Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made systematic plans and strategic deployments on issues concerning the overall situation and long-term interests, implementing or continuing to advance a series of major development strategies such as rural revitalization, coordinated regional development, and new-type urbanization, which have had a profound impact on China’s economic development. Generally speaking, simple problems can be resolved quickly in a relatively short time; the true value of patience is often fully demonstrated in the field of dealing with complex problems. The complexity of major development strategies is mainly reflected in the fact that they are “a collection of processes” [2]2 “A collection of processes” (过程的集合体) is a phrase derived from Engels’s formulation in *Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy*, emphasizing that the world is not a collection of finished things but a process of development.; from proposal to realization, they require a process of development: from a temporal perspective, the duration of the process varies, ranging from decades or centuries to hundreds or thousands of years, with intervals also varying in size; from a spatial perspective, some are limited to specific regions or fields, while others involve vast territories and affect varying population sizes. Whether it is the rural revitalization strategy, which serves as the overarching task of the “three rural” work [3]3 “Three rural” work (三农工作) is a standard Chinese Communist Party term referring to work related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. on the new journey of the New Era, or the construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, which involves 11 provinces and cities along the river and covers nearly half of the country’s population, or Chinese-path modernization, which benefits the comprehensive development of over 1.4 billion people, none of these are development goals that can be achieved overnight; they require continuous accumulation bit by bit and gradual advancement step by step.

新时代以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央针对关系全局、事关长远的问题作出系统谋划和战略部署，实施或接续推进乡村振兴、区域协调发展、新型城镇化等一系列重大发展战略，对我国经济发展产生深远影响。一般情况下，简单问题可在较短时间内快速解决，耐心的真正价值往往在应对复杂问题的场域中得以充分彰显。重大发展战略的复杂性，主要体现在其是“过程的集合体”，从提出到实现需要一个发展的过程：从时间维度看，过程的持续有长有短，短则几十年、上百年，长则几百年、上千年，间隔也或大或小；从空间维度看，有的局限于特定的区域或领域，有的涉及广袤的地域，影响的人口规模也不等。无论是作为新时代新征程“三农”工作总抓手的乡村振兴战略，还是涉及沿江11省市、覆盖全国近半人口的长江经济带建设，抑或惠及14亿多人口全面发展的中国式现代化，都不是可一蹴而就的发展目标，需要一点一滴地持续积累、一步一个脚印地渐次推进。

2. The theoretical connotation of “historical patience”

2.“历史耐心”的理论内涵

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on “historical patience” contain rich and vivid scientific connotations, profound and weighty essential meanings, and possess distinct theoretical characteristics and a solid theoretical foundation.

习近平总书记关于“历史耐心”的重要论述，蕴含着丰富鲜活的科学内涵、深刻厚重的精髓要义，具有鲜明的理论特质和坚实的学理基础。

First, it adheres to the dialectical unity of following the laws of historical movement and exerting historical initiative. The fundamental reason why historical materialism achieved a revolutionary transformation and creative breakthrough in the history of human thought is that it profoundly revealed the objective laws of historical movement hidden behind the complex and diverse historical phenomena. From this perspective, following the laws of historical movement is the basis, the source of confidence, and the essence of maintaining historical patience. At the same time, maintaining historical patience does not mean that people passively wait or do nothing in the face of historical laws. People are the subjects of historical movement; historical laws are both generated in people’s social practice and realized in people’s social practice. The generation and realization of any historical law are inseparable from people’s conscious, purposeful social practice activities. This is also the fundamental difference between historical laws and natural laws. As Engels pointed out, “In nature (if we leave aside the reaction of man upon nature) there are only blind, unconscious forces acting upon one another... On the contrary, in the history of society, the actors are all endowed with consciousness, are men acting with deliberation or passion, working towards definite goals.” [4]4 This quotation is from Friedrich Engels, *Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy* (1886). Following the laws of historical movement and exerting historical initiative are two aspects of the same historical process; this is the essence of maintaining historical patience. Neither can be negated by the other. It requires a spiritual realm of “achievement need not be in my name” and a historical responsibility of “achievement must necessarily include me.” [5]5 “Achievement need not be in my name” (功成不必在我) and “achievement must necessarily include me” (功成必定有我) are two related slogans often used by Xi Jinping to encourage officials to work for long-term goals without seeking personal credit. For example, with the improvement of production methods and the development of science and technology, large-scale operation will become an important trend in modern agricultural development; this is the internal logic of the development of historical movement. However, it must also be clearly recognized that changing the scattered, extensive mode of agricultural operation is a long historical process that requires time and conditions and cannot be rushed. This fully embodies the dialectical unity of following the laws of historical movement and exerting historical initiative.

一是坚持遵循历史运动规律和发挥历史主动性的辩证统一。唯物史观之所以能在人类思想史上实现革命性变革、创造性突破，根本原因在于其深刻揭示了藏匿于纷繁复杂的历史现象背后的历史运动的客观规律。从这个意义上看，遵循历史运动规律是保持历史耐心的依据所在、自信所在、要旨所在。同时，保持历史耐心并非意味着人在历史规律面前消极等待、无所作为。人是历史运动的主体，历史规律既是在人的社会实践中生成的，也是在人的社会实践中实现的。任何历史规律的生成和实现，都离不开人的有意识、有目的的社会实践活动。这也是历史规律和自然规律的根本区别。诚如恩格斯所言，“在自然界中（如果我们把人对自然界的反作用撇开不谈）全是没有意识的、盲目的动力……相反，在社会历史领域内进行活动的，是具有意识的、经过思虑或凭激情行动的、追求某种目的的人”。遵循历史运动规律和发挥历史主动性是同一个历史过程的两个方面，这是保持历史耐心的精髓要义之所在。既不能以前者否定后者，也不能以后者否定前者，需要有“功成不必在我”的精神境界和“功成必定有我”的历史担当。譬如，随着生产方式的改进和科技的发展，规模化经营将成为现代农业发展的重要趋向，这是历史运动发展的内在逻辑。然而也必须清醒地意识到，改变分散的、粗放的农业经营方式是一个较长的历史过程，需要时间和条件，不可操之过急。这充分体现了遵循历史运动规律和发挥历史主动性的辩证统一。

Second, it adheres to the dialectical unity of quantitative change and qualitative change. Maintaining historical patience embodies the dialectical unity of quantitative change and qualitative change. On the one hand, quantitative change is the prerequisite and realistic foundation for qualitative change. Without a certain accumulation of quantity, qualitative change cannot occur. This has important methodological implications for the advancement of major strategies: the ultimate realization of the overall qualitative change of major strategic goals requires the accumulation of quantity through solid, extensive work, and can only be achieved on the basis of partial, localized qualitative changes. Whether it is the new-type urbanization strategy, the rural revitalization strategy, or the coordinated regional development strategy, it is necessary to maintain the strategic resolve of “sticking to the blueprint drawn to the end” and to carry forward the historical responsibility of “carrying on the work one after another,” [6]6 “Sticking to the blueprint drawn to the end” (一张蓝图绘到底) and “carrying on the work one after another” (一茬接着一茬干) are common Chinese Communist Party idioms emphasizing policy continuity and sustained effort across leadership tenures. nurturing the conditions for qualitative change through the continuous accumulation of quantitative change. A good blueprint, as long as it is scientific, practical, and in line with the people’s wishes, everyone should carry on the work one after another. On the other hand, qualitative change consolidates the results of quantitative change and, on this basis, triggers new quantitative change. Qualitative change is the “joint” and “pivot” where things transition from old quality to new quality; it is both the end of the quantitative change of the old quality in the previous stage and the opening of a new possibility space and a new interface for new quantitative change at a higher level in the new development stage. The initiation and completion of a series of major development strategies, such as rural revitalization, coordinated regional development, and new-type urbanization, are both the goals of the Chinese Communists based on the current stage of struggle and necessary steps toward the ultimate realization of the lofty goal of communism. The Party Constitution clearly stipulates that the Party’s highest ideal and ultimate goal is to realize communism. The Party Constitution also clearly stipulates that the highest ideal of communism pursued by the Chinese Communists can only be realized on the basis of the full development and high-level advancement of a socialist society. It must be recognized that realizing communism is a very long historical process; we must base ourselves on the Party’s goals for the current stage of struggle and advance our cause down-to-earth. Therefore, the political implications of maintaining “historical patience” should be profoundly understood from the height of realizing the lofty ideal of communism.

二是坚持量变和质变的辩证统一。保持历史耐心，体现了量变和质变的辩证统一。一方面，量变是质变的先决性前提和现实基础。没有一定的量的积累，质变不可能发生。这对重大战略的推进具有重要方法论启示：重大战略目标的整体质变的最终生成，需要通过扎实的大量工作的量的积累，在阶段性、局部性质变的基础上才能实现。无论是新型城镇化战略，还是乡村振兴战略，抑或区域协调发展战略，都必须既要保持“一张蓝图绘到底”的战略定力，又要发扬“一茬接着一茬干”的历史担当精神，在推动量变的持续积累中孕育质变的发生条件。一张好的蓝图，只要是科学的、切合实际的、符合人民愿望的，大家就要一茬接着一茬干。另一方面，质变巩固着量变的成果，并在此基础上引发新的量变。质变是事物由旧质转向新质的“关节”和“枢纽”，既是前一阶段旧质的量变的结束，又开启了新的发展阶段新质在更高层面的新的量变的可能性空间和崭新界面。乡村振兴、区域协调发展、新型城镇化等一系列重大发展战略的开启及其完成，既是中国共产党立足现阶段的奋斗目标，又是朝着最终实现共产主义这个远大目标前进的必要环节。党章明确规定，党的最高理想和最终目标是实现共产主义。党章同时明确规定，中国共产党人追求的共产主义最高理想，只有在社会主义社会充分发展和高度发达的基础上才能实现。必须认识到，实现共产主义是一个非常漫长的历史过程，我们必须立足党在现阶段的奋斗目标，脚踏实地推进我们的事业。因此，应从实现共产主义远大理想的高度深刻理解保持“历史耐心”的政治意蕴。

Third, adhere to the dialectical unity of strategy and tactics. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must always think far ahead, be prepared for danger in times of peace, maintain strategic resolve and patience, and ‘reach the broad and great while exhausting the subtle and minute.’” If “reaching the broad and great” emphasizes examining strategic issues from a holistic, long-term, and trend-oriented height, then “exhausting the subtle and minute” focuses on implementing tactics starting from specific operational details. Whether strategy and tactics are correct directly concerns the rise or fall of the socialist cause. Strategy and tactics are dialectically unified: a long-term strategy requires flexible tactics to be implemented and ultimately realized; a strategy without tactics will inevitably degenerate into utopianism and armchair theorizing. Tactics are the direction and goal of strategy; tactics that lose the guidance of strategy will lose their way, even “differing by a hair’s breadth and missing by a thousand miles.” [7]7 “Differing by a hair’s breadth and missing by a thousand miles” (差之毫厘，失之千里) is a Chinese idiom meaning a small initial error leads to a huge mistake. Maintaining historical patience embodies the dialectical unity of strategy and tactics. From the dimension of time, maintaining historical patience requires balancing the present and the long term. On the one hand, current interests determine and serve long-term interests; this is a salient feature and essential requirement of major development strategies. Major development strategies have the essential attribute of being grounded in the long term: they serve contemporary development needs while placing greater emphasis on long-term growth value, striving to ensure that development dividends benefit future generations. On the other hand, the realization of a strategy requires a long and continuous historical process. In this process, if the immediate interests of the masses are neglected, it will be impossible to fully mobilize the initiative of all parties. From the dimension of space, major strategies are complex systemic projects involving multiple fields, dimensions, and levels; this determines that their implementation cannot be confined to a single field, dimension, or level but must be planned holistically and advanced continuously. For example, raising the urbanization rate of the permanent population requires the coordinated deployment of household registration reform, land policy, and public service supply policy systems; the regional coordinated development strategy requires the cross-regional allocation of production factors and the coordinated advancement of ecological compensation mechanisms and public service system construction; achieving common prosperity for all the people requires the coordinated advancement of cultivating economic growth momentum, optimizing wealth distribution mechanisms, and improving the social security system. All these must be carried out with an eye to the overall situation, step by step, maintaining historical patience in solving systemic problems.

三是坚持战略和策略的辩证统一。习近平总书记指出：“我们要常怀远虑、居安思危，保持战略定力和耐心，‘致广大而尽精微’。”如果说“致广大”强调的是从全局性、长远性、趋势性高度审视战略问题的话，那么，“尽精微”则侧重从具体的操作性细节入手重视策略的落实。战略和策略正确与否，直接关系到社会主义事业的兴衰成败。战略和策略是辩证统一的：长远的战略需要灵活的策略才能落实并最终实现，没有策略的战略必将沦为空想、纸上谈兵；战略是策略的方向、目标，离开战略导引的策略就会迷失方向，甚至“差之毫厘，失之千里”。保持历史耐心，体现了坚持战略和策略的辩证统一。从时间的维度来看，保持历史耐心需要兼顾当前和长远。一方面，当前利益决定并服务于长远利益，这是重大发展战略的显著表征和本质要求。重大发展战略具有立足长远的本质属性：既服务于当代发展需求，更注重长远成长价值，力求使发展红利惠及子孙后代。另一方面，战略的实现需要一个长久接续的历史过程。在这个过程中，如果忽视群众眼前的利益，就无法充分调动各方面的积极性。从空间的维度来看，重大战略是涉及多领域、多维度、多层次的复杂系统工程，由此决定其实施不能局限于单一领域、单一维度、单一层面，必须统筹谋划、持续推进。譬如，提高常住人口城镇化率要求户籍制度改革、土地政策与公共服务供给政策体系的协同部署，区域协调发展战略需要生产要素的跨区域配置与生态补偿机制、公共服务体系建设的协同推进，实现全体人民共同富裕需要经济增长动力培育、财富分配机制优化与社会保障体系完善的协调推进，这些都必须着眼全局、循序渐进，在破解系统性难题中保持历史耐心。

3. Practical Requirements of “Historical Patience”

3.“历史耐心”的实践要求

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on “historical patience” not only manifests profound theoretical characteristics but also contains rich methodology and targeted practical requirements.

习近平总书记关于“历史耐心”的重要论述，不仅彰显深刻的理论特质，而且蕴含着丰富的方法论和有针对性的实践要求。

First, establish a grand view of history. The epistemological prerequisite for maintaining historical patience lies in establishing a grand view of history, “analyzing the mechanisms of evolution and exploring historical laws from the long river of history, the tide of the times, and the global situation.” The so-called grand view of history means not being confined to a single moment, event, domain, or period, but examining specific historical events and the historical significance they reveal from a long-term, long-cycle, broad-field, and all-round macro perspective. Establishing a grand view of history requires not only basing oneself on the current international and domestic situation but also reviewing the past to explore the logic of historical evolution and looking forward to the future to grasp the trends of historical progress; it requires not only grasping the essence and overall situation amidst the myriad and ever-changing chaos but also seizing the principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction. Only by proceeding from a grand view of history can one grasp the laws of historical development and, on the basis of scientifically grasping historical laws, actively adapt to the long-term, complex, and stage-based requirements of the historical process, thereby achieving the dialectical unity of following objective laws and exerting subjective initiative.

一是树立大历史观。保持历史耐心的认识论前提，在于树立大历史观，“从历史长河、时代大潮、全球风云中分析演变机理、探究历史规律”。所谓大历史观，就是不局限于一时、一事、一域、一段，而是从长时段、长周期、宽场域、全方位的宏阔视野考察具体的历史事件及其所揭示的历史意义。树立大历史观，不仅要立足当前的国际国内形势，而且要回顾过去以探寻历史演进的逻辑、展望未来以把握历史前进的趋向；不仅要在林林总总、纷纭多变的乱象中把握本质和全局，而且要抓住主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面。只有从大历史观出发，才能把握历史发展规律，并在科学把握历史规律的基础上主动适应历史进程的长期性、复杂性与阶段性要求，从而实现遵循客观规律与发挥主观能动性的辩证统一。

Second, precisely seize historical opportunities. Precisely seizing historical opportunities is a key measure for maintaining historical patience. At critical moments when historical opportunities emerge, social subjects must be able to scientifically assess and precisely seize them, so as not to miss the chance. Looking back on the struggle of more than a century, “our Party has always used the basic principles of Marxism to analyze and grasp the historical trend, correctly handle the relationship between China and the world, and been adept at seizing and making good use of various historical opportunities,” laying a solid foundation for advancing from victory to new victory. Chinese Communists actively accumulate development potential when historical opportunities are not yet ripe; once the time is ripe, they seize the initiative with decisiveness and proactivity to drive breakthroughs in the cause. It is worth pointing out that historical opportunities often pass in the blink of an eye, requiring constant sharp insight and timely decisiveness. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized seizing historical opportunities, stating that “the key is timing and decision-making.” As long as we grasp the laws and general trend of historical development, seize the moment of historical change, act in accordance with the trend, and strive with vigor, we can advance better. Precisely seizing historical opportunities requires both the strategic acumen to identify windows of opportunity and strong strategic resolve to eliminate various interfering factors, finding the principal contradiction and dominant force amidst the scientific analysis of numerous variables and making decisive choices.

二是精准把握历史机遇。精准把握历史机遇是保持历史耐心的关键性举措。在显现历史机遇的关键时刻，社会主体要能够科学研判、精准把握，以免错失良机。回顾百余年奋斗历程，“我们党始终以马克思主义基本原理分析把握历史大势，正确处理中国和世界的关系，善于抓住和用好各种历史机遇”，为从胜利走向新的胜利奠定了良好的基础。中国共产党人在历史机遇尚未成熟时积极蓄积发展势能，一旦时机成熟便以果敢与主动抢占先机、推动事业实现突破性进展。值得指出的是，历史机遇往往转瞬即逝，必须始终保持敏锐的洞察力和及时的决断力。习近平总书记多次强调把握历史机遇，提出“关键是时机和决断”。只要把握住历史发展规律和大势，抓住历史变革时机，顺势而为，奋发有为，我们就能够更好前进。对历史机遇的精准把握，既需要识别机遇窗口的战略敏锐性，也需要强大的战略定力以排除各种干扰因素，在科学辨析纷繁变量中找寻主要矛盾与主导力量并果断决策。

Third, resolutely avoid two erroneous tendencies. Two erroneous tendencies must be effectively prevented: one is the “theory of quick victory,” either hoping to “accomplish the whole task at one stroke” through one or two years of concentrated efforts or a few rounds of focused attacks, or attempting to eradicate the root cause and solve all existing problems with a single strong dose or one-time concentrated treatment; the other is the “theory of inaction,” which holds that realizing development strategies requires a long period, a long cycle, and a long process, thereby adopting a passive and inactive posture. In short, when we consider problems, make decisions, and handle affairs, we must neither be overly ambitious nor stick to old ways; we must maintain historical patience, adhere to making progress while maintaining stability and advancing step by step, and comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.

三是力戒两种错误倾向。要切实防止两种错误倾向：一种是“速胜论”，或者希冀通过一两年、搞一两次集中攻关而“毕其功于一役”，或者企图通过下一剂猛药、一次性集中诊疗而根绝病灶、解决所有存在的问题；一种是“无为论”，即认为实现发展战略需要长时段、长周期、长过程而采取消极无所作为的姿态。总之，我们想问题、作决策、办事情，既不能好高骛远，也不能因循守旧，要保持历史耐心，坚持稳中求进、循序渐进，以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业。

(Author: Kang Xiaoqiang, Researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and Professor at the Department of Scientific Socialism, Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC [National Academy of Governance])

（作者：康晓强，系中央党校〔国家行政学院〕习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员、科学社会主义教研部教授）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧