Deeply Understanding and Practicing the People-Centered Development Thought

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has creatively put forward the people-centered development thought, making a series of important expositions such as “the people’s aspiration for a better life is our goal,” “the country is the people, and the people are the country,” and “the people are the decisive force in building a modern socialist country in all respects,” scientifically answering the fundamental questions of for whom development is carried out, who relies on it, and who shares the fruits. Adhering to the people-centered development thought is the fundamental stance of China’s economic development and an important guideline for economic work in the New Era. We must take the people’s interests as the fundamental starting point and落脚点 of the Party’s leadership in economic work, and deeply grasp its theoretical logic, historical context, and practical requirements.

党的十八大以来，习近平总书记创造性提出以人民为中心的发展思想，作出“人民对美好生活的向往就是我们的奋斗目标”“江山就是人民、人民就是江山”“全面建成社会主义现代化强国，人民是决定性力量”等一系列重要论述，科学回答了发展为了谁、依靠谁、成果由谁共享的根本问题。坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，是我国经济发展的根本立场，是新时代做好经济工作的重要遵循。必须坚持把人民利益作为党领导经济工作的根本出发点和落脚点，深刻把握其理论逻辑、历史脉络与实践要求。

The Intrinsic Integration of the Marxist People’s Standpoint and Traditional Chinese People-Oriented Thought

马克思主义人民立场与中国传统民本思想的内在融通

Historical materialism holds that the masses of the people are the subjects of history, the creators of social material and spiritual wealth, and the decisive force in social change. People-centeredness is the essential attribute of Marxism. The Communist Party of China insists on combining the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and carries out innovative development. In its long-term struggle, our Party has established the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, formed the Party’s mass line, insisting on doing everything for the masses, relying on the masses, coming from the masses, and going to the masses, turning the Party’s correct propositions into the conscious actions of the masses. The people-centered development thought is precisely a vivid expression of this historical materialism; it both continues the theoretical core of the people creating history and, based on development realities, deepens the understanding of the people’s subject position.

唯物史观认为，人民群众是历史的主体，是社会物质财富和精神财富的创造者，是社会变革的决定力量。人民性是马克思主义的本质属性。中国共产党坚持将马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合，并进行创新性发展。在长期奋斗中，我们党确立了全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨，形成了党的群众路线，坚持一切为了群众，一切依靠群众，从群众中来，到群众中去，把党的正确主张变为群众的自觉行动。以人民为中心的发展思想，正是对这一唯物史观的生动表达，既延续了人民创造历史的理论内核，又立足发展实际深化了对人民主体地位的认识。

The people-centered development thought takes “people” as the value origin, emphasizing that the ultimate goal of development is for the people, the process of development must rely on the people, and the fruits of development must benefit all the people more and more fairly. It covers multi-dimensional goals such as material prosperity, political participation, spiritual enrichment, social justice, and ecological livability, aiming to promote the comprehensive development of people. This not only reaffirms the importance of promoting the comprehensive development of people in concept but also, through the national governance system and public policy arrangements, implements it in all aspects of economic and social development, providing scientific guidance for promoting the comprehensive development of people and the all-round progress of society.

以人民为中心的发展思想以“人”为价值原点，强调发展的终极目的是为了人、发展的过程要依靠人、发展的成果要更多更公平惠及全体人民，涵盖了物质富裕、政治参与、精神富足、社会公正、生态宜居等多维度目标，旨在推动人的全面发展。这不仅在理念上重申了促进人的全面发展的重要性，而且通过国家治理体系和公共政策安排，将其落实到经济社会发展的各个环节，为促进人的全面发展和社会全面进步提供了科学指引。

The people-centered development thought is both an inheritance and development of the Marxist thought on adhering to the people’s standpoint and a contemporary expression of the people-oriented thought in fine traditional Chinese culture. Whether it is the people-oriented thought of “the people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is stable, the state is at peace” [1]1 The term “落脚点” (luòjiǎo diǎn) is a Chinese political idiom meaning the ultimate goal or point of implementation, often paired with “出发点” (starting point) to frame policy logic., or the governance concept of “the way to govern the country begins with enriching the people” [2], these are important contents of fine traditional Chinese culture and are compatible with the Marxist thought on adhering to the people’s standpoint. Entering the New Era, facing new situations and new tasks, and based on new practices in governance, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the people-centered development thought, reflecting the intrinsic integration of the Marxist people’s standpoint and traditional Chinese people-oriented thought.

以人民为中心的发展思想，既是对马克思主义关于坚守人民立场的思想的继承与发展，也是中华优秀传统文化中的民本思想等的时代表达。无论是“民惟邦本，本固邦宁”的民本思想，还是“治国之道，富民为始”的施政理念，都是中华优秀传统文化的重要内容，与马克思主义关于坚守人民立场的思想相契合。进入新时代，面对新形势新任务，立足治国理政新实践，习近平总书记创造性提出以人民为中心的发展思想，体现了马克思主义人民立场与中国传统民本思想的内在融通。

An Important Conclusion Drawn from Summing Up the Party’s Over One Hundred Years of Historical Experience

总结党百余年历史经验得出的重要结论

Adhering to the supremacy of the people, upholding the people’s subject position, and giving play to the people’s main role are important conclusions drawn from summing up the Party’s over one hundred years of historical experience. The over one hundred years of development history of the Communist Party of China is a history of the Party sharing hearts and minds with the people, sharing weal and woe with the people, and also a history of serving the people, relying on the people, and working for the people. Our Party has always closely relied on the masses of the people to create historical achievements, running the supremacy of the people through all historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform.

坚持人民至上，坚持人民主体地位、发挥人民主体作用，是总结党的百余年历史经验得出的重要结论。中国共产党一百多年的发展史，就是一部党与人民心心相印、与人民同甘共苦的历史，也是一部为了人民、依靠人民、服务人民的历史。我们党始终紧紧依靠人民群众创造历史伟业，将坚持人民至上贯穿于革命、建设和改革的各个历史时期。

Since the day of its birth, the Communist Party of China has engraved the word “people” in its heart, taking seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation as its original aspiration and founding mission. After the founding of New China, our Party proposed that the main task of the people across the country was to concentrate on developing social productive forces, realizing national industrialization, and gradually meeting the people’s growing material and cultural needs. In the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, our Party clarified that the principal contradiction in Chinese society was between the people’s ever-growing material and cultural needs and backward social production. From solving the problem of food and clothing to moving towards moderate prosperity, the Party has always closely followed the people’s needs to promote development, laying a solid foundation and accumulating experience for the New Era to embark on a new journey.

中国共产党自诞生之日起，就把“人民”二字铭刻在心，把为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴作为初心使命。新中国成立后，我们党提出，全国人民的主要任务是集中力量发展社会生产力，实现国家工业化，逐步满足人民日益增长的物质和文化需要。在改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，我们党明确，我国社会的主要矛盾是人民日益增长的物质文化需要同落后的社会生产之间的矛盾。从解决温饱到迈向小康，党始终紧扣人民需要推动发展，为新时代开启新征程厚植了根基、积累了经验。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core comprehensively assessed the international and domestic situation, proposed that the principal contradiction in Chinese society has transformed into the contradiction between the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development, keenly observed the people’s growing needs in areas such as democracy, rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment, and provided a basis for grasping the economy, seeking development, and promoting reform in the New Era. Our Party united and led hundreds of millions of people, adopted a series of strategic measures, promoted a series of transformative practices, achieved a series of breakthrough advances, and obtained a series of landmark achievements, and the people-centered development thought has taken root in people’s hearts. The battle against poverty achieved a comprehensive victory, historically solving the problem of absolute poverty that had plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years, with nearly 100 million rural poor people lifted out of poverty, and a moderately prosperous society in all respects was built; the world’s largest high-speed railway network and expressway network were built, and the comprehensive transportation network is increasingly perfect; whole-process people’s democracy has continuously developed and the institutional system has been continuously improved; the world’s largest education, medical care, and social security systems have been continuously consolidated, and the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security have become more substantial, more secure, and more sustainable; prominent environmental problems of concern to the people have been promptly addressed, the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets has been widely practiced, and the construction of a Beautiful China has taken major steps; material and cultural-

党的十八大以来，中国特色社会主义进入新时代。以习近平同志为核心的党中央全面研判国际国内大势，提出我国社会主要矛盾已经转化为人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾，敏锐洞察人民群众在民主、法治、公平、正义、安全、环境等方面日益增长的需求，为在新时代抓经济、谋发展、促改革提供了依据。我们党团结带领亿万人民，采取一系列战略性举措，推进一系列变革性实践，实现一系列突破性进展，取得一系列标志性成果，以人民为中心的发展思想深入人心。脱贫攻坚战取得全面胜利，历史性解决了困扰中华民族几千年的绝对贫困问题，近1亿农村贫困人口实现脱贫，全面建成了小康社会；建成世界最大的高速铁路网、高速公路网，综合交通网络日益完善；全过程人民民主不断发展、制度体系不断健全；持续巩固世界规模最大的教育、医疗和社会保障体系，人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感更加充实、更有保障、更可持续；及时解决人民群众关心的突出环境问题，绿水青山就是金山银山理念得到广泛实践，美丽中国建设迈出重大步伐；物质文明和精神文明协调发展，全党全国各族人民的文化自信显著增强、日益坚定。新时代的奋斗历程雄辩地证明，始终坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，是我们党团结带领人民创造经济快速发展和社会长期稳定两大奇迹的力量源泉。

Implement and carry out throughout the entire process and in all areas of economic and social development

贯彻落实到经济社会发展全过程各领域

The people-centered development thought is not an abstract, esoteric concept; it cannot remain merely in rhetoric or stop at the stage of thought, but must be implemented and carried out throughout the entire process and in all areas of economic and social development. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has upheld the principal position of the people, responded to the people's aspirations for a better life, and continuously realized, safeguarded, and developed the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people. On the one hand, it has unswervingly promoted reform and opening up, improved the quality and efficiency of economic development, created both material wealth and spiritual wealth, continuously met the people's ever-growing needs for a better life, and provided a solid foundation for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. On the other hand, it has insisted on promoting the well-rounded development of the individual, fully mobilizing people's initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity, promoting high-quality and full employment, improving the income distribution system, and ensuring that the fruits of development benefit all the people more and more fairly.

以人民为中心的发展思想，不是一个抽象的、玄奥的概念，不能只停留在口头上、止步于思想环节，而要将其贯彻落实到经济社会发展的全过程各领域。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持人民主体地位，顺应人民群众对美好生活的向往，不断实现好、维护好、发展好最广大人民根本利益。一方面，坚定不移推动改革开放，提高经济发展的质量和效益，既创造物质财富，又创造精神财富，不断满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要，为全面建设社会主义现代化国家提供坚实基础。另一方面，坚持促进人的全面发展，全面调动人的积极性、主动性、创造性，促进高质量充分就业，完善收入分配制度，使发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民。

First, taking the satisfaction of the people’s needs for a better life as the starting point and落脚点 [1]1 The term “落脚点” (luòjiǎo diǎn) is a Chinese political idiom meaning the ultimate goal or point of implementation, often paired with “出发点” (starting point) to frame policy logic.. In the process of planning medium- and long-term development plans, major policy designs, and major project layouts, always bear in mind that “the people’s aspiration for a better life is our goal.” Focus precisely on the most immediate and realistic interests of the people that concern them most, improve the mechanism for promoting high-quality and full employment, perfect the public employment service system and the guarantee system for entrepreneurship driving employment, and secure the foundation of people’s livelihood through stable employment; further deepen the reform of the social security system, continuously improve the multi-tiered social security system that covers the entire population, coordinates urban and rural areas, is fair and unified, safe and standardized, and sustainable, firmly holding the bottom line of people’s livelihood; target shortcomings in education, medical care, elderly care, childcare, housing, etc., implement targeted policies to promote the equalization of basic public services, and let the fruits of development benefit all the people more and more fairly. At the same time, build a more solid material and technological foundation. High-quality development is an important support for meeting the people’s needs for a better life. It must be oriented toward the people’s growing, multi-level, and personalized material and cultural needs, take the cultivation and development of new quality productive forces as the starting point, plan and advance reforms from the perspective of the people’s overall interests, fundamental interests, and long-term interests, improve the scientific and technological innovation system, and push the national economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national power to new heights.

一是将满足人民美好生活需要作为出发点和落脚点。在谋划发展中长期规划、重大政策设计、重大项目布局过程中，时刻牢记“人民对美好生活的向往就是我们的奋斗目标”。聚焦人民群众最关心最直接最现实的利益问题精准发力，健全高质量充分就业促进机制，完善就业公共服务体系和创业带动就业的保障制度，以稳定就业筑牢民生之本；进一步深化社会保障制度改革，不断健全覆盖全民、统筹城乡、公平统一、安全规范、可持续的多层次社会保障体系，牢牢兜住民生底线；瞄准教育、医疗、养老、托育、住房等方面的短板，靶向施策推动基本公共服务均等化，让发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民。同时，构筑更加坚实的物质技术基础。高质量发展是满足人民美好生活需要的重要支撑，必须以人民群众日益增长、多层次和个性化的物质文化需求为导向，以培育和发展新质生产力为抓手，从人民整体利益、根本利益、长远利益出发谋划和推进改革，完善科技创新体系，推动国家经济实力、科技实力、综合国力不断跃上新台阶。

Second, fully unleash the creative power of hundreds of millions of people. The people are the fundamental force driving economic and social development. We must respect the people’s pioneering spirit, attach great importance to grassroots practice, encourage local authorities, grassroots units, and the masses to boldly explore and pilot initiatives, improve the institutional mechanisms that encourage innovation, promptly sum up experiences, bravely advance theoretical and practical innovation, and continuously deepen the understanding of the laws governing economic and social development in the New Era. We must give full play to the principal role of the people, continuously enhance the people’s level of participation in the management of the state and economic, cultural, and social affairs, adhere to “investing in people,” strive to bridge the knowledge gap and skills gap, promote the simultaneous renewal and iteration of occupations and the development and improvement of people, form a good situation where everyone can become a talent and everyone can fully display their talents, and transform the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of hundreds of millions of people into a powerful driving force for advancing economic and social development.

二是充分激发亿万人民的创造伟力。人民群众是推动经济社会发展的根本动力。要尊重人民群众首创精神，高度重视基层实践，鼓励地方、基层、群众大胆探索、先行先试，完善鼓励创新的体制机制，及时总结经验，勇于推进理论和实践创新，不断深化对新时代经济社会发展规律的认识。要充分发挥人民群众的主体作用，持续提升人民群众参与国家和经济文化社会事务管理水平，坚持“投资于人”，着力弥合知识鸿沟、技能鸿沟，推动职业焕新迭代与人的发展提升同步，形成人人皆可成才、人人尽展其才的良好局面，将亿万人民的积极性、主动性、创造性转化为推进经济社会发展的强大动力。

Third, solidly promote common prosperity to achieve more obvious substantive progress. Common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics and also a long-term historical process. Realizing common prosperity for all the people inherently contains the organic unity of efficiency and fairness, development and sharing. In practice, it is necessary to deepen the reform of the income distribution system, strive to increase the proportion of residents’ income in national income distribution and the proportion of labor remuneration in primary distribution, improve the policy and system for distribution according to factors, and increase the factor income of middle- and low-income groups through multiple channels. It is necessary to coordinate the promotion of urban-rural integration and regional coordinated development, break the urban-rural dual barriers through institutional innovation, continue to deepen the reform of the household registration system, allocate public resources according to the permanent resident population, optimize the planning and layout of rural infrastructure and public services, promote agricultural scale and whole-chain upgrading, guide suitable industries to transfer to county areas, cultivate characteristic industrial clusters, especially smooth the flow of urban and rural factors, protect farmers’ land rights and interests, and attract talents to return to their hometowns for nearby employment and entrepreneurship. It is necessary to firmly, accurately, and securely hold the bottom line of basic people’s livelihood, increase the intensity of guarantees for compulsory education, basic elderly care, basic medical care, social assistance, etc., and strengthen care services and guarantees for special and difficult groups.

三是扎实推进共同富裕取得更为明显的实质性进展。共同富裕是中国特色社会主义的本质要求，也是一个长期的历史过程。实现全体人民共同富裕，内蕴着效率与公平、发展与共享的有机统一。在实践中，需深化收入分配制度改革，着力提高居民收入在国民收入分配中的比重、劳动报酬在初次分配中的比重，健全按要素分配政策制度，多渠道增加中低收入群众要素收入。需统筹推进城乡融合和区域协调发展，以制度创新打破城乡二元壁垒，继续深化户籍制度改革，按常住人口配置公共资源，优化乡村基础设施和公共服务规划布局，推动农业规模化以及全链条升级，引导适配产业向县域转移，培育特色产业集群，特别是要畅通城乡要素流动，保障农民土地权益，吸引人才返乡就近就地就业创业。需兜住兜准兜牢基本民生底线，加大义务教育、基本养老、基本医疗、社会救助等保障力度，加强对特殊困难群体的关爱服务保障。

(The author is the Deputy Director of the Chongqing Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and the Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and President of the Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者系重庆市中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心副主任，重庆社会科学院党组书记、院长）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧