Livelihood as the Priority: An Important Guideline for Chinese-Path Modernization

The state is founded on the people, and the altars of soil and grain are established for the people. [1]1 A classical allusion from Mencius, emphasizing that the people are the foundation of the state. Livelihood is the foundation of the people’s happiness and the root of social harmony. Improving the people’s wellbeing is the fundamental purpose of development. On April 22, 2024, when inspecting the Democratic Village Community in Xiejiawan Subdistrict, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “In Chinese-path modernization, livelihood is the priority. All the work of the Party and the government is aimed at enabling the common people to lead a happier life.” This important statement by General Secretary Xi not only elucidates the essential attribute of people-centeredness in Chinese-path modernization, but also identifies the key to its success or failure, and further clarifies the practical guideline for Chinese-path modernization, fully demonstrating the value stance of the Chinese Communist Party in governing the country and the action principles of modernization construction.

国以民为本，社稷亦为民而立。民生是人民幸福之基、社会和谐之本。增进民生福祉是发展的根本目的。2024年4月22日，习近平总书记在重庆市九龙坡区谢家湾街道民主村社区考察时指出，“中国式现代化，民生为大。党和政府的一切工作，都是为了老百姓过上更加幸福的生活”。习近平总书记的这一重要论述，既阐明了中国式现代化人民至上的本质属性，也指明了中国式现代化兴衰成败的关键所在，更明确了中国式现代化的实践遵循，充分彰显了中国共产党治国理政的价值立场和现代化建设的行动准则。

1. Livelihood as the Priority Demonstrates the People-Centered Essential Attribute of Chinese-Path Modernization

1.民生为大彰显了中国式现代化人民至上的本质属性

Livelihood as the priority is a basic conclusion and essential manifestation of the Party’s century-long struggle and exploration. As early as 1921, the first program adopted at the First National Congress of the Party proposed, “Abolish the private ownership of the capitalists, confiscate machinery, land, factories, semi-finished products and other means of production, and place them under public ownership.” This clarified the basic direction of revolution and construction, namely, everything for the public, everything for the people. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party led the people in establishing a relatively complete industrial system and national economic system, changing the former state of poverty and backwardness in old China, and bringing about a fundamental transformation in livelihood construction. During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the Party promoted modernization through reform and opening up and other means, improving people’s livelihood by raising the level of material life. Entering the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has consistently adhered to putting the people first, promoting high-quality economic and social development, and basically establishing a modern basic public service system, so that the fruits of modernization benefit all the people more and more fairly. It can be seen that the great process of the Party leading the people in revolution, construction, and reform over the past century is precisely a process in which the Party continuously carries out social revolution, mobilizes all positive factors to achieve national modernization in order to satisfy the people’s happy life, fully demonstrating the inherent attribute of livelihood as the priority.

民生为大，是党百余年奋斗探索历程的基本结论和本质彰显。早在1921年，党的一大通过的第一个纲领就提出，“消灭资本家私有制，没收机器、土地、厂房和半成品等生产资料，归社会公有”。从而明确了革命和建设的基本方向，即一切为公、一切为民。在社会主义革命和建设时期，党领导人民建立起比较完整的工业体系和国民经济体系，改变了旧中国一穷二白的现状，民生建设发生根本性转变；改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，党通过改革开放等方式推进现代化建设，以提升物质生活水平改善民生；进入新时代，以习近平同志为核心的党中央始终坚持人民至上，推动经济社会实现高质量发展，基本建成现代基本公共服务体系，让现代化建设成果更多更公平惠及全体人民。可见，百余年来党领导人民开展革命、建设和改革的伟大进程，就是党不断进行社会革命，调动一切积极因素实现国家现代化以满足人民幸福生活的进程，充分彰显了民生为大的内在属性。

Livelihood as the priority is the proper meaning of the socialist modernization led by the Party consistently adhering to the Marxist view of the people. When envisioning the future society, Marx and Engels proposed establishing an association “in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all.” Their theory, for the first time, explored the path of human liberation and freedom from the standpoint of the people, pointing out that the fundamental direction of social construction is a society without oppression, without exploitation, and with equality for all. After the founding of New China, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out that achieving the country’s socialist industrialization should be dedicated to “meeting the people’s growing needs and raising the people’s living standards.” Entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Safeguard the fundamental interests of the people, improve people’s wellbeing, and continuously realize development for the people, development relying on the people, and development achievements shared by the people, so that the fruits of modernization benefit all the people more and more fairly.” In summary, the Marxist view of the people, in the process of its adaptation to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, has always emphasized the unity of social construction, modernization construction, and people’s happiness. This has laid the ideological origin and theoretical foundation for why Chinese-path modernization should adhere to livelihood as the priority, explaining from a theoretical perspective why Chinese-path modernization is a type of modernization that takes livelihood as the priority.

民生为大，是党领导的社会主义现代化建设始终坚持马克思主义人民观的应有之义。马克思和恩格斯在畅想未来社会时就提出，要建立一个“每个人的自由发展是一切人的自由发展的条件”联合体，他们的理论第一次站在人民的立场探求人类自由解放的道路，指明了社会建设的根本指向是没有压迫、没有剥削、人人平等。新中国成立之后，毛泽东同志曾指出，实现国家的社会主义工业化要致力于“满足人民日益增长着的需要，提高人民的生活水平”。进入新时代，习近平总书记强调，“维护人民根本利益，增进民生福祉，不断实现发展为了人民、发展依靠人民、发展成果由人民共享，让现代化建设成果更多更公平惠及全体人民”。综而论之，马克思主义人民观及其在中国化时代化的进程中，始终强调社会建设、现代化建设与人民幸福的统一性，这奠定了中国式现代化理应坚持民生为大的思想渊源和理论基础，从学理上解释了中国式现代化建设为什么是一种民生为大的现代化。

Livelihood as the priority is the practical requirement for continuously meeting the people’s growing needs for a better life through Chinese-path modernization. At present, 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, reflecting the people’s higher needs for a better life in terms of democracy, the rule of law, fairness, justice, security, environment, and other aspects. Chinese-path modernization is the fundamental way to meet the people’s needs for a better life. We must use the “arrow” of Chinese-path modernization to shoot at the “target” of the people’s needs for a better life, ensuring that the arrow hits the target. [2]2 A Chinese idiom meaning to act with a clear target and purpose. Precisely for this reason, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We have made realizing the people’s aspiration for a better life the starting point and ultimate goal of modernization. We have worked to uphold and promote social fairness and justice, to promote common prosperity for all, and to prevent polarization.” Chinese-path modernization must take meeting the higher-level needs of the more than 1.4 billion people in terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation as its focus, carry out all work centered on the people’s needs for a better life, and strive to meet the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life.

民生为大，是以中国式现代化不断满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要的现实要求。当前，我国社会主要矛盾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，反映出人民在民主、法治、公平、正义、安全、环境等方面对美好生活的更高需要。中国式现代化建设是满足人民群众美好生活需要的根本途径，我们必须用中国式现代化建设的“矢”去射人民群众美好生活需要的“的”，做到有的放矢。正因如此，习近平总书记强调：“我们坚持把实现人民对美好生活的向往作为现代化建设的出发点和落脚点，着力维护和促进社会公平正义，着力促进全体人民共同富裕，坚决防止两极分化。”中国式现代化建设要以满足十四亿多人口的衣食住行等方面的高层次需要为着眼点，以人民美好生活需要为中心开展各项工作，致力于满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要。

2. Livelihood as the Priority Identifies the Key to the Success or Failure of Chinese-Path Modernization

2.民生为大指明了中国式现代化兴衰成败的关键所在

Livelihood as the priority concerns the goal and direction of Chinese-path modernization. The world modernization process began in Western countries, and the developed countries of today are mainly European and American countries and capitalist countries deeply influenced by Western civilization. This gives people the illusion that modernization equals Westernization and that Western civilization is modern civilization. Some Western countries even define Western modernization as the benchmark and beacon of world modernization development, demanding that other countries’ modernization must follow its model step by step. However, the successful exploration and advancement of Chinese-path modernization have broken the myth of “modernization = Westernization” and achieved a transcendence of Western modernization, which is based on the logic of capital. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that follows the logic of people-centeredness. This determines that Chinese-path modernization must prioritize livelihood, emphasize the people’s subjective status, and regard serving the people as the driving force of Chinese-path modernization, thereby providing a new choice for developing countries to independently move towards modernization and explore the diversity of modernization paths.

民生为大，事关中国式现代化建设的目标方向。世界现代化进程是从西方国家开始的，当今世界的发达国家也主要是欧美国家和深受西方文明影响的资本主义国家。这就给人们一种错觉，似乎现代化就是西方化、西方文明就是现代文明。一些西方国家更是将西方现代化自定义为世界现代化发展的标杆和明灯，要求其他各国的现代化必须以之为模型，亦步亦趋。然而，中国式现代化的成功探索和推进拓展，打破了“现代化=西方化”的迷思，实现了对西方现代化以资本为逻辑的超越。中国式现代化是遵循人本逻辑的现代化，这决定着中国式现代化必须做到民生为大，强调人的主体性地位，把为人民服务看作中国式现代化建设的原动力，从而为广大发展中国家独立自主迈向现代化、探索现代化道路的多样性提供了全新选择。

Livelihood as the priority concerns the realization of the mission and tasks of Chinese-path modernization. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party proposed the mission and task of the “Four Modernizations.” [3]3 The Four Modernizations, proposed in the 1960s, referred to the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology. During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the Party proposed the “Three-Step” strategy, [4]4 The Three-Step strategy, formulated in 1987, outlined the goals for economic development: doubling the 1980 GNP by 1990, doubling it again by 2000, and reaching the level of moderately developed countries by the mid-21st century. clarifying the blueprint for modernization. In the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Party has put forward the grand blueprint of basically realizing socialist modernization from 2020 to 2035, and building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful from 2035 to the middle of this century, emphasizing the need to comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. It can be seen that Chinese-path modernization is a modernization with the mission and task of achieving national rejuvenation and people’s happiness. Livelihood construction is an important reference for whether national rejuvenation is achieved, and it is also the basic prerequisite for the people’s happy life. In short, for the nation to rejuvenate, livelihood must be strengthened; for the people to be happy, livelihood is the foundation. A strong and effective livelihood security system is an important symbol of national rejuvenation and national strength. A livelihood system that is inclusive, basic, and provides a safety net can give the people a clearer perception of national rejuvenation.

民生为大，事关中国式现代化使命任务的实现。在社会主义革命和建设时期，党提出“四个现代化”的使命任务；在改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，党提出“三步走”战略，明确了现代化建设蓝图；在中国特色社会主义新时代，党提出了从2020年到2035年基本实现社会主义现代化，从2035年到本世纪中叶把我国建成富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国的宏伟蓝图，强调要以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。可见，中国式现代化是以实现民族复兴和人民幸福为使命任务的现代化。民生建设作为民族复兴是否实现的重要参考，也是人民幸福生活的基本前提。简言之，民族要复兴，必须强民生；人民要幸福，民生是基础。一个坚强有力的民生保障体系是民族复兴和国家强盛的重要标志，普惠性、基础性、兜底性的民生体系，可以让人民群众对民族复兴有更加明确的感知。

Livelihood as the priority concerns whether Chinese-path modernization can achieve common prosperity. As early as the 1950s, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out that industrialization construction should be dedicated to achieving China’s “great development, great wealth, and great strength,” and emphasized that “this wealth is common wealth, this strength is common strength, and everyone has a share.” This idea of modernization construction dedicated to achieving common prosperity has continued to this day. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has promoted common prosperity through Chinese-path modernization, achieving significant results. For example, from 2013 to 2020, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in poverty-stricken areas increased from 6,079 yuan to 12,588 yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 11.6%, 2.3 percentage points higher than the national average growth rate for rural residents during the same period, and the ratio to the national per capita disposable income of rural residents increased from 64.5% to 73.5%. Chinese-path modernization takes livelihood as the priority, focuses on making up for shortcomings in livelihood, improving people’s wellbeing, and by securing the bottom line of livelihood, ensures that the fruits of modernization benefit all the people more and more fairly, continuously achieving more obvious substantive progress in promoting common prosperity for all.

民生为大，事关中国式现代化能否实现共同富裕。毛泽东同志早在20世纪50年代就曾提出工业化建设要致力于实现我国的“大为发展，大为富、大为强”，并强调“这个富，是共同的富，这个强，是共同的强，大家都有份”。这种现代化建设致力于实现共同富裕的思想一直延续至今。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央以中国式现代化建设推动共同富裕，取得了重大成就。比如，2013年到2020年贫困地区农村居民人均可支配收入从6079元提高到12588元，年均增长11.6%，比同期全国农村居民人均可支配收入增速高2.3个百分点，与全国农村居民人均可支配收入的比率从64.5%提高到73.5%。中国式现代化以民生为大，注重补齐民生短板，增进民生福祉，通过兜牢民生底线，让现代化建设成果更多更公平惠及全体人民，在推进全体人民共同富裕上不断取得更为明显的实质性进展。

3. Livelihood as the Priority Clarifies the Practical Guideline for the Effective Implementation of Chinese-Path Modernization

3.民生为大明确了中国式现代化见行见效的实践遵循

Chinese-path modernization takes the people’s livelihood as the priority, and should therefore take “the people’s livelihood” as its core, focusing on how to grasp the “great affairs of the state” [1]1 A classical allusion from Mencius, emphasizing that the people are the foundation of the state. and exploring the practical guiding principles for the construction of Chinese-path modernization.

中国式现代化，民生为大，理应以“民生”为内核，着眼于如何把握“国之大者”，探寻中国式现代化建设的实践遵循。

Chinese-path modernization upholds the people’s livelihood as the priority in building primary-level Party organizations and the primary-level governance system. The key to the people’s livelihood projects in Chinese-path modernization lies in their implementation, refinement, concretization, and actualization, so that the masses can truly feel tangible benefits. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “Doing a good job of primary-level and foundational work is extremely important. As long as every primary-level Party organization and every Party member has a strong sense of purpose and responsibility, and can play the role of a fighting bastion and a vanguard and model, our Party will be very strong, our country will be very strong, our people will be very strong, and the Party’s governing foundation will be as firm as a rock.” [2]2 A Chinese idiom meaning to act with a clear target and purpose. During the fight against poverty, 255,000 village-based work teams and over 3 million first secretaries and work team members were stationed on the front line — this is the best proof. Therefore, with primary-level Party organizations as the main body, we should continuously reform and innovate, improve the social governance system of joint contribution, joint governance, and shared benefits, enhance the effectiveness of social governance, perfect the primary-level governance platform supported by grid-based management, refined services, and information-based support, and let the masses truly feel the achievements of Chinese-path modernization in improving people’s livelihood through a sound primary-level governance system.

中国式现代化在建好基层党组织和基层治理体系中坚持民生为大。中国式现代化建设中的民生工程，关键在于落地落细落小落实，让人民群众切实感受到实实在在的好处。习近平总书记指出，“做好基层基础工作十分重要，只要每个基层党组织和每个共产党员都有强烈的宗旨意识和责任意识，都能发挥战斗堡垒作用、先锋模范作用，我们党就会很有力量，我们国家就会很有力量，我们人民就会很有力量，党的执政基础就能坚如磐石”。脱贫攻坚期间，25.5万个驻村工作队、300多万名驻村第一书记和工作队员扎根到第一线，就是最好的证明。为此，应以基层党组织为主体，不断改革创新，健全共建共治共享的社会治理制度，提升社会治理效能，完善网格化管理、精细化服务、信息化支撑的基层治理平台，在健全基层治理体系中让人民群众切实感受到中国式现代化的民生成就。

Chinese-path modernization ensures and improves people’s livelihood through development. During his many inspection tours, General Secretary Xi Jinping has paid close attention to the masses’ issues of meals, vegetable purchases, housing, and medical treatment. These subtle livelihood issues best reveal the basic effectiveness of modernization construction and reflect whether modernization construction has enhanced the well-being of the people. Chinese-path modernization must enhance the people’s well-being through development and properly handle the dialectical relationship between development and people’s livelihood. Development should be taken as the prerequisite and foundation for ensuring people’s livelihood, while whether people’s livelihood has been effectively improved should be used as an important criterion for measuring the development of Chinese-path modernization construction. In this way, more material and cultural-ethical wealth can be created through development, so that the masses can have a greater sense of gain in terms of childcare, education, employment, medical care, elderly care, housing, and support for the vulnerable. [3]3 The Four Modernizations, proposed in the 1960s, referred to the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology.

中国式现代化在发展中保障和改善民生。习近平总书记在多次考察中十分关注人民群众的吃饭、买菜、住房、看病等问题，这些细微的民生问题最能看出现代化建设的基本成效，反映出现代化建设是否增进了民生福祉。中国式现代化建设必须在发展中增进民生福祉，处理好发展与民生之间的辩证关系。将发展作为保障民生的前提基础，同时用民生是否得到有效改善作为衡量中国式现代化建设发展的重要标准，从而在发展中创造更多物质财富和精神财富，让人民群众在幼有所育、学有所教、劳有所得、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居、弱有所扶等方面更有获得感。

Chinese-path modernization consolidates the developmental impetus for livelihood construction by relying on the people. For Chinese-path modernization that takes the people’s livelihood as the priority to proceed steadily and far, it must find a stable developmental impetus. Historical materialism has already given us the answer. Marx once said, “People make their own history.” Comrade Mao Zedong also stated, “The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history.” [4]4 The Three-Step strategy, formulated in 1987, outlined the goals for economic development: doubling the 1980 GNP by 1990, doubling it again by 2000, and reaching the level of moderately developed countries by the mid-21st century. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to adhere to a people-centered approach, respect the principal position of the people, and give full play to the people’s initiative in pioneering work. Chinese-path modernization, with the people’s livelihood as the priority, must in the final analysis adhere to the people-centered development thought, put the people first, and draw inexhaustible developmental impetus from the people. Our Party bears in mind that “making the people’s lives happy is the great affair of the state,” follows the human-centered logic, relies on the principal force of the people, and guides and encourages the broad masses of the people to use their own hands in Chinese-path modernization to enhance their well-being, improve their quality of life, and create a happy life.

中国式现代化在依靠人民中夯实民生建设的发展动力。以民生为大的中国式现代化要想行稳致远，就必须找到稳固的发展动力。唯物史观已经告诉我们答案。马克思曾说，“人们自己创造自己的历史”。毛泽东同志也曾讲，“人民，只有人民，才是创造世界历史的动力”。习近平总书记多次强调必须坚持以人为本，尊重人民主体地位，发挥群众首创精神。中国式现代化，民生为大，说到底必须坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，把人民放在首位，从人民那里汲取不竭的发展动力。我们党牢记让人民生活幸福这个“国之大者”，遵循人本逻辑，依托人民主体力量，引导激励广大人民群众在中国式现代化建设中依靠自己的双手增进民生福祉、提高生活品质、创造幸福生活。

(Authors: Pan Xun and Cui Jianxi. Pan Xun is Deputy Party Secretary of Southwest University and a researcher at the Southwest University Branch Center of the Chongqing Research Center for the Theory of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Cui Jianxi is an Associate Professor at the School of Marxism, Southwest University.)

（作者：潘洵、崔建西，分别系西南大学党委副书记，重庆市中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心西南大学分中心研究员；西南大学马克思主义学院副教授）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心