Reading *An Introduction to Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought*

The key textbook *An Introduction to Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought* (hereinafter referred to as *Introduction*), a key textbook for the Project of Marxist Theoretical Research and Development, compiled by the Central Propaganda Department and the National Development and Reform Commission, has been jointly published by Higher Education Press and People’s Publishing House. This is an authoritative textbook on the systematic and theoretical study of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, and moreover an important reading material for solidly promoting the integration of Xi Jinping’s economic thought into textbooks, into classrooms, and into minds. It possesses significant theoretical significance and practical value for studying and understanding Xi Jinping’s economic thought and applying it to guide practice.

由中央宣传部、国家发展改革委组织编写的马克思主义理论研究和建设工程重点教材《习近平经济思想概论》（以下简称《概论》），由高等教育出版社和人民出版社联合出版。这是关于习近平经济思想体系化学理化研究的权威教材，更是扎实推动习近平经济思想进教材、进课堂、进头脑的重要读物，对于学习和理解习近平经济思想并运用习近平经济思想指导实践具有重要的理论意义和实践价值。

First, the *Introduction* summarizes the important position of Xi Jinping’s economic thought as an integral part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era within the entire Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as well as its process of formation and development.

第一，《概论》概括了习近平经济思想作为习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的重要组成部分，在整个习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想中的重要地位和形成发展进程。

First, the *Introduction* explains that Xi Jinping’s economic thought is “a scientific theoretical system with rich connotations, rigorous logic, and systematic completeness, constituting the economic chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.” Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, achieved by the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, adhering to the Two Integrations [1]1 The “Two Integrations” (两个结合) refers to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture. and responding to a series of epochal questions raised in the practice of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, especially the great practice of Chinese-path modernization. In the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, development is the top priority; in advancing the great cause of building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation through Chinese-path modernization, high-quality development is the primary task. The Party’s basic line for the primary stage of socialism requires adhering to economic construction as the central task; therefore, economic work is the Party’s central work, and the primary aspect of high-quality development lies in high-quality economic development. It is precisely on the basis of scientifically summarizing the practical experience of China’s economic development, especially since the New Era, and revealing its objective laws of development, that Xi Jinping’s economic thought has formed an in-depth and systematic theoretical refinement and generalization, opening up a new realm in adapting Marxist political economy to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and constructing a new doctrine of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics. It “holds important milestone significance in the history of the development of Marxist political economy and in the history of scientific socialism.”

一是《概论》阐释了习近平经济思想是一个“内涵丰富、逻辑严密、系统完备的科学理论体系，构成了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的经济篇”。习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想是以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人坚持“两个结合”，在回应中国特色社会主义发展实践，特别是中国式现代化伟大实践中提出的一系列时代课题的过程中，实现的马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。在中国特色社会主义实践中，发展是第一要务，在推进以中国式现代化实现强国建设、民族复兴伟业过程中，高质量发展是首要任务。党在社会主义初级阶段的基本路线要求坚持以经济建设为中心，因而经济工作是党的中心工作，高质量发展首要在于经济高质量发展。习近平经济思想正是在科学总结我国经济发展尤其是新时代以来经济发展实践经验基础上，揭示其客观发展规律而作出的深入系统的理论提炼和概括，开拓了马克思主义政治经济学中国化时代化的新境界，构建了中国特色社会主义政治经济学新学说，“在马克思主义政治经济学发展史上、在科学社会主义发展史上都具有重要的里程碑意义”。

Second, the *Introduction* analyzes the process of the formation and development of Xi Jinping’s economic thought. On the one hand, from a practical perspective, the *Introduction* emphasizes the epochal nature of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, pointing out that “Xi Jinping’s economic thought is a precious crystallization of thought formed by the Chinese Communist Party’s unremitting exploration of the path of socialist economic development.” From the initial exploration of China’s socialist economic construction and development path after the founding of New China, to the theoretical and practical themes of socialism with Chinese characteristics proposed and unfolded in the new period of reform and opening up, and especially after socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, facing the new requirements of the times for coordinating the “two overall situations” [2] and adapting to new changes and contradictions in economic and social development, it is necessary to base ourselves on China’s national conditions and development practice, deeply study the new situations and new problems facing China’s economic development, and reveal new characteristics and new laws. Xi

二是《概论》分析了习近平经济思想形成发展的进程。一方面，从实践上来说，《概论》强调习近平经济思想的时代性，指出“习近平经济思想是中国共产党不懈探索社会主义经济发展道路形成的宝贵思想结晶”。从新中国成立后开始的我国社会主义经济建设和发展道路的初步探索，到进入改革开放新时期提出并展开的中国特色社会主义的理论和实践主题，特别是中国特色社会主义进入新时代之后，面对统筹“两个大局”的时代新要求，适应经济社会发展的新变化新矛盾，需要立足我国国情和发展实践，深入研究我国经济发展面临的新情况新问题，揭示新特点新规律。习近平经济思想是对新时代中国特色社会主义经济实践提出的发展命题的马克思主义系统化的理论回应。另一方面，从理论上来说，《概论》突出习近平经济思想的发展性，指出习近平经济思想“不断深化对经济发展规律特别是社会主义经济发展规律的认识”。从2017年6月中共中央文献研究室编辑出版的《习近平关于社会主义经济建设论述摘编》概括出十个方面的重要论述；到2017年12月中央经济工作会议总结提出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，强调“七个坚持”；到2022年6月中共中央宣传部、国家发展和改革委员会组织编写的《习近平经济思想学习纲要》，从十三个方面系统阐释习近平经济思想；再到2025年3月中共中央党史和文献研究院编辑的《习近平经济文选》第一卷，收入了习近平总书记2012年11月至2024年12月发表的关于经济建设最重要、最基本的74篇著作，集中体现了习近平经济思想的形成和发展历程。伴随新时代中国特色社会主义经济发展，特别是中国式现代化的伟大历史进程，这一思想必然会进一步深入和丰富。

Second, the *Outline* summarizes the important original contributions and distinctive features of Xi Jinping’s economic thought in enriching and developing Marxist political economy.

第二，《概论》总结了习近平经济思想在丰富和发展马克思主义政治经济学方面作出的重要原创性贡献和鲜明特征。

First, the *Outline* summarizes Xi Jinping’s economic thought in terms of fifteen aspects of important original contributions. Based on China’s development practice in the New Era, facing new circumstances, studying new situations, solving new problems, and revealing new laws, it puts forward a series of new theoretical achievements with identifying and principled significance, and demonstrates how these creative achievements enrich and develop Marxist political economy. Specifically: it creatively proposes comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of modernization; it creatively proposes strengthening the Party’s overall leadership over economic work, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of the relationship between economy and politics; it creatively proposes adhering to a people-centered development thought, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of the essence of the socialist economy; it creatively proposes upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of the socialist economic system; it creatively proposes comprehensively deepening reform and opening up, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of the self-development and self-improvement of the socialist economic system; it creatively proposes fully, accurately, and comprehensively implementing the new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness, and sharing, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of the basic principles of socialist economic development; it creatively proposes constructing a new development pattern, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of social reproduction; it creatively proposes promoting high-quality development, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of the theme and stages of socialist economic development; it creatively proposes accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of productive forces; it creatively proposes accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of industrialization and industrial development; it creatively proposes promoting integrated urban-rural development, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of urban-rural relations; it creatively proposes promoting coordinated regional development, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of the distribution of productive forces and regional economic relations; it creatively proposes advocating inclusive and beneficial economic globalization, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of world history and the world market; it creatively proposes coordinating development and security, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of the relationship between development and security; it creatively proposes adhering to correct work strategies and methods, enriching and developing Marxist political economy’s theory of methods for doing economic work well. The above innovative theories enrich and develop Marxist political economy from different aspects. They not only have important guiding significance for China’s economic development, but also provide scientific theories of universal significance for countries around the world exploring economic development paths suited to their national conditions.

一是《概论》从15个方面概括了习近平经济思想的重要原创性贡献，立足新时代我国发展实践，面对新形势，研究新情况，解决新问题，揭示新规律，提出了一系列具有标识性、原理性的新的理论成果，论证了这些创造性的成果对马克思主义政治经济学作出的丰富和发展。即：创造性地提出以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于现代化的理论；创造性地提出加强党对经济工作的全面领导，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于经济和政治关系的理论；创造性地提出坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于社会主义经济本质的理论；创造性地提出坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于社会主义经济制度的理论；创造性地提出全面深化改革开放，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于社会主义经济制度自我发展和完善的理论；创造性地提出完整准确全面贯彻创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的新发展理念，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于社会主义经济发展基本原则的理论；创造性地提出构建新发展格局，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于社会再生产的理论；创造性地提出推动高质量发展，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于社会主义经济发展主题和阶段的理论；创造性地提出加快发展新质生产力，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于生产力的理论；创造性地提出加快建设现代化产业体系，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于工业化和产业发展的理论；创造性地提出推动城乡融合发展，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于城乡关系的理论；创造性地提出促进区域协调发展，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于生产力布局和区域经济关系的理论；创造性地提出倡导普惠包容的经济全球化，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于世界历史和世界市场的理论；创造性地提出统筹发展和安全，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于发展和安全关系的理论；创造性地提出坚持正确工作策略方法，丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学关于做好经济工作方法的理论。上述创新性的理论从不同方面实现了对马克思主义政治经济学的丰富和发展，不仅对我国经济发展具有重要指导意义，而且为世界各国探索适合本国国情的经济发展道路提供了具有普遍意义的科学理论。

Second, *An Introduction* summarizes the distinctive features of Xi Jinping’s economic thought from five aspects, pointing out that Xi Jinping’s economic thought is a major theoretical achievement in advancing the “Two Integrations.” It not only enriches and develops Marxist political economy but also embodies a profound grasp of the laws governing the development of Chinese civilization, drawing on and promoting fine traditional Chinese culture, and possesses distinct scientific, people-centered, contemporary, practical, and open characteristics.

二是《概论》从五个方面总结了习近平经济思想的鲜明特征，指出习近平经济思想是推动“两个结合”的重大理论成果，不仅丰富发展了马克思主义政治经济学，而且体现了对中华文明发展规律的深刻把握，汲取弘扬了中华优秀传统文化，具有鲜明的科学性、人民性、时代性、实践性和开放性。

Third, *An Introduction* elucidates the scientific system, important conceptual categories, and main content of Xi Jinping’s economic thought.

第三，《概论》阐释了习近平经济思想的科学体系和重要思想范畴及主要内容。

First, in terms of overall content, aside from the introduction, *An Introduction* comprises fifteen chapters, each elucidating aspects of Xi Jinping’s economic thought concerning the goal orientation, fundamental guarantee, fundamental stance, institutional foundation, important magic weapon, guiding principles, path selection, distinctive theme, key focal points, important support, key tasks, inherent requirements, important safeguards, and strategies and methods for conducting economic work in China’s development. It provides a comprehensive summary of the main content of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, reflecting the characteristics of combining theory with practice and unifying epistemology with methodology.

一是从总体内容上，除导论外，《概论》共设十五章，分别阐释了习近平经济思想中，关于我国经济发展的目标指向、根本保证、根本立场、制度基础、重要法宝、指导原则、路径选择、鲜明主题、重要着力点、重要支撑、重点任务、内在要求、重要保障以及做好经济工作的策略和方法等，将习近平经济思想的主要内容作出了全面概括，体现了习近平经济思想理论与实践相结合，认识论与方法论相统一的特点。

Second, in terms of basic categories and major propositions, *An Introduction* deeply elucidates the new categories and important propositions put forward by Xi Jinping’s economic thought, mainly including: Chinese-path modernization, the Party’s overall leadership over economic work, the people-centered development thought, the basic socialist economic system, the new development philosophy, the new development pattern, high-quality development, new quality productive forces, the modern industrial system, integrated urban-rural development, coordinated regional development, inclusive and universally beneficial economic globalization, coordinating development and security, and the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability. This reflects the creative contributions of Xi Jinping’s economic thought in constructing an independent knowledge system for socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics.

二是在基本范畴和重大命题上，《概论》深入阐释了习近平经济思想所提出的新范畴和重要命题，主要包括：中国式现代化、党对经济工作的全面领导、以人民为中心的发展思想、社会主义基本经济制度、新发展理念、新发展格局、高质量发展、新质生产力、现代化产业体系、城乡融合发展、区域协调发展、普惠包容的经济全球化、统筹发展和安全、稳中求进工作总基调等，体现了习近平经济思想在构建中国特色社会主义政治经济学自主知识体系方面作出的创造性贡献。

Xi Jinping’s economic thought is a profound and extensive scientific system. In particular, its thought on socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics opens up a new realm of adapting Marxist political economy to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. It is a systematic doctrine that continuously expands and enriches itself along with the development of the socialist economy with Chinese characteristics, especially in guiding the practice of Chinese-path modernization. To deeply study and implement Xi Jinping’s economic thought, it is necessary to gain a deeper and more systematic understanding of its basic viewpoints, methods, and internal connections and logical structure, especially to deeply study and comprehend the latest theoretical achievements gained through the continuous enrichment and development of Xi Jinping’s economic thought in practice, and to reflect them in textbook construction in a timely and accurate manner. It is believed that the compilation team of *An Introduction* can continue to make new progress in these areas.

习近平经济思想是一个博大精深的科学体系，尤其是其中的中国特色社会主义政治经济学思想，开拓了马克思主义政治经济学中国化时代化的新境界，是伴随中国特色社会主义经济发展，特别是在指导中国式现代化实践中不断拓展和丰富的系统化的学说。深入学习贯彻习近平经济思想，需要对习近平经济思想的基本观点、方法以及内在联系和逻辑结构作出更加深入和系统的理解，特别是对习近平经济思想在实践中不断丰富和发展所取得的最新理论成果深入学习和领悟，并及时准确地反映到教材建设中，相信《概论》编写组在这些方面能够不断取得新进展。

(Author: Liu Wei, former President of Renmin University of China, National First-Class Professor)

（作者：刘伟，系中国人民大学原校长、国家一级教授）