Building a Chinese Economics with the Guidance of Marxist Political Economy

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that Marxist political economy is an important component of Marxism and a required course for us to uphold and develop Marxism. Nowadays, various economic theories abound, but the only fundamental political economy for us is Marxist political economy, and no other economic theory can take its place. To construct an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics, it is necessary to uphold the guiding status of Marxist political economy, use the basic principles and methodology of Marxist political economy to analyze and answer the new questions raised in the practice of socialist economic construction with Chinese characteristics, reveal the laws of movement of socialist relations of production with Chinese characteristics, promote innovation in economic theory, guide the practice of socialist economic construction with Chinese characteristics, and accelerate economic development.

习近平总书记指出，马克思主义政治经济学是马克思主义的重要组成部分，也是我们坚持和发展马克思主义的必修课。现在，各种经济学理论五花八门，但我们政治经济学的根本只能是马克思主义政治经济学，而不能是别的什么经济理论。建构中国自主的经济学知识体系，必须坚持马克思主义政治经济学的指导地位，用马克思主义政治经济学基本原理和方法论分析和回答中国特色社会主义经济建设实践中提出的新问题，揭示中国特色社会主义生产关系的运动规律，推动经济理论创新，指导中国特色社会主义经济建设实践，加快经济发展。

Constructing an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics must adhere to taking the socialist mode of production with Chinese characteristics as the object of study. The object of study in economics is the focal point of economic research, embodying the philosophical stance and value orientation of economics, and determining the formation of economic categories and the construction of the logical system. Adam Smith defined the object of study in economics as the nature and causes of the wealth of nations; Say emphasized that economics is the science of clarifying how wealth is produced, distributed, and consumed; Robbins defined economics as the science that studies various choice problems arising from scarcity; Samuelson believed that economics studies how a society uses scarce resources to produce valuable goods and distributes them among different people. These views all emphasize that economics studies how to use scarce resources to produce wealth and distribute it among members of society. In contrast, Marxist political economy, guided by historical materialism, defines its object of study as the mode of production and the relations of production and distribution corresponding to it, and defines its research task as revealing the essential characteristics and interconnections of production, distribution, exchange, and consumption by uncovering the contradictions and laws of movement between the relations of production and the productive forces on a given basis of productive forces. Marxist political economy plays an important guiding role in determining the object of study for an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics. In the process of socialist economic construction, our Party has combined the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities, and through arduous exploration, has gradually blazed a path of socialist economic construction and development with Chinese characteristics, accumulating rich practical experience. This is precisely the practical foundation for constructing an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics. To construct an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics, it is necessary to inherit and develop Marxist political economy's grasp of the object of study, take the socialist mode of production with Chinese characteristics and the relations of production and exchange corresponding to it as the object of study, focus on exploring the laws of movement of the socialist mode of production with Chinese characteristics, and carry out theoretical innovation.

建构中国自主的经济学知识体系要坚持以中国特色社会主义生产方式为研究对象。经济学的研究对象是经济学研究的着力点，体现经济学的哲学立场和价值取向，决定经济学范畴的形成和逻辑体系的建构。亚当·斯密将经济学的研究对象确定为国民财富的性质和原因，萨伊则强调经济学是阐明财富是怎样生产、分配与消费的科学，罗宾斯对经济学所下的定义是一门研究由稀缺性所引起的各种选择问题的学问，萨缪尔森认为经济学研究的是一个社会如何利用稀缺的资源生产有价值的商品，并将它们在不同的人中间进行分配。这些观点都强调经济学研究如何利用稀缺资源生产财富并在社会成员之间进行分配。而马克思主义政治经济学以历史唯物主义为指导，将自己的研究对象确定为生产方式以及和它相适应的生产关系和分配关系，将自身的研究任务确定为通过揭示一定生产力基础上生产关系与生产力之间的矛盾运动及其规律性，阐明生产、分配、交换、消费的本质特征与相互联系。马克思主义政治经济学对于确定中国经济学自主知识体系研究对象具有重要指导作用。在社会主义经济建设的过程中，我们党将马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合，经过艰苦探索，逐步走出了一条中国特色社会主义经济建设和发展道路，积累了丰富的实践经验，这正是我们建构中国自主的经济学知识体系的实践基础。要建构中国自主的经济学知识体系，就要继承和发展马克思主义政治经济学对研究对象的把握，将中国特色社会主义生产方式以及与它相适应的生产关系和交换关系作为研究对象，着力探索中国特色社会主义生产方式的运动规律，开展理论创新。

Constructing an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics must adhere to a people-centered value stance. Most Western economics claims to be pure economics, conducting only positive analysis of human economic activities—that is, empirical and positive analysis—without engaging in normative analysis, that is, without asking about right and wrong or making value judgments. In fact, Western economics, as it has developed to the present day, cannot exist independently of ideology; it has itself become part of bourgeois ideology, thus possessing a distinct ideological character. Marxist political economy has never concealed its class stance and value orientation. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Development for the people—this is the fundamental stance of Marxist political economy." The reform and opening up and the socialist modernization drive led by our Party are a great cause in which hundreds of millions of people participate, and also a great cause of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It is necessary to ensure and improve people's livelihoods through development, solve the most direct and realistic problems of greatest concern to the people, better meet the people's aspirations for a better life, promote people's well-rounded development and social progress as a whole, take enhancing people's welfare, promoting people's well-rounded development, and steadily advancing toward common prosperity as the starting point and goal of economic development, achieve development for the people, development relying on the people, and development results shared by the people, and continuously enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. The essential attribute of Marxist political economy is its people-centeredness, which aligns precisely with this goal. To construct an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics under the guidance of Marxist political economy, it is necessary to continue to implement and promote a people-centered value stance, take root in the great cause of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, elevate the fresh experience created by the masses in socialist modernization into a systematized economic theory, test the truth of economics through the production practice of the masses, and use innovative economic theories to better serve the people. This is the necessary path for constructing an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics, and also the fundamental guarantee of the strong vitality of an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics.

建构中国自主的经济学知识体系要坚持以人民为中心的价值立场。西方经济学大都标榜自己是纯粹的经济学，只对人类经济活动进行实然分析，即进行经验的、实证的分析，不对其进行应然分析，即不问东西，不作价值判断。其实，西方经济学发展至今也不能摆脱意识形态而独立存在，其自身也已经成为资产阶级意识形态的一部分，从而具有鲜明的意识形态属性。马克思主义政治经济学从来不讳言自己的阶级立场和价值取向。习近平总书记指出：“发展为了人民，这是马克思主义政治经济学的根本立场。”我们党领导的改革开放和社会主义现代化事业是亿万人民共同参与的伟大事业，也是为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴的伟大事业，要坚持在发展中保障和改善民生，解决好人民最关心最直接最现实的利益问题，更好满足人民对美好生活的向往，推动人的全面发展、社会全面进步，把增进人民福祉、促进人的全面发展、朝着共同富裕方向稳步前进作为经济发展的出发点和落脚点，实现发展为了人民、发展依靠人民、发展成果由人民共享，不断增强人民群众获得感、幸福感、安全感。马克思主义政治经济学的本质属性是人民性，也正与此目标相契合。以马克思主义政治经济为指导建构中国自主的经济学知识体系，就要继续贯彻、发扬以人民为中心的价值立场，要根植于改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的伟大事业，把人民群众在社会主义现代化建设中创造的鲜活经验上升为系统化的经济学说，通过人民群众的生产实践对经济学的真理性进行检验，用创新的经济理论更好服务于人民。这是建构中国自主的经济学知识体系的必由之路，也是中国自主的经济学知识体系强大生命力的根本保证。

Constructing an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics must adhere to taking the new historical juncture of China's economic development as the starting point of research. Marx's historical materialism emphasizes that specific relations of production are always linked to a particular level of development of the productive forces; as the productive forces change, the relations of production will also change accordingly. Marx said: "Social relations are closely bound up with productive forces. In acquiring new productive forces, men change their mode of production; and in changing their mode of production, in changing the way of earning their living, they change all their social relations. The hand-mill gives you society with the feudal lord; the steam-mill, society with the industrial capitalist." Conducting economic research cannot be divorced from reality, cannot be done behind closed doors, cannot be fanciful; instead, it must adhere to the principle of the unity of logic and history, conducting in-depth research on the state of development of the productive forces and the relations of production and exchange corresponding to them at a specific stage of economic and social development. Since the founding of New China, and especially since reform and opening up, our Party has firmly grasped economic construction as the central task, united and led the people of all ethnic groups across the country in arduous struggle, created remarkable achievements that have attracted worldwide attention, and unprecedentedly enhanced the country's economic strength. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era, and the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has transformed into the contradiction between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. Focusing on solving the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development, vigorously improving the quality and efficiency of development, achieving high-quality economic development, better meeting the people's growing needs in the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization aspects, and better promoting people's well-rounded development and social progress as a whole have become the primary tasks of economic development. Theoretically answering how to accomplish this task is undoubtedly a major historical mission of an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics. Against the backdrop of socialism with Chinese characteristics having entered a New Era and China's development having entered a new historical juncture, to follow the principle of the unity of logic and history in Marxist political economy and construct an independent Chinese knowledge system of economics, it is necessary to take the new historical juncture of China's development as the starting point of research, deeply explore the internal laws of socialist economic construction with Chinese characteristics under the new historical juncture, focus on answering the new topics and new questions raised by promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, and use innovative economic categories and theoretical viewpoints to guide new practice.

建构中国自主的经济学知识体系要坚持以中国经济发展的新历史方位作为研究起点。马克思的历史唯物主义强调，一定的生产关系总是与特定的生产力发展水平相联系的，随着生产力的变化，生产关系也将随之变化。马克思说：“社会关系和生产力密切相联。随着新生产力的获得，人们改变自己的生产方式，随着生产方式即谋生的方式的改变，人们也就会改变自己的一切社会关系。手推磨产生的是封建主的社会，蒸汽磨产生的是工业资本家的社会。”开展经济学研究，不能脱离实际，不能闭门造车，不能异想天开，而是要坚持逻辑与历史相统一的原则，对特定经济社会发展阶段的生产力发展状况及与之相适应的生产关系和交换关系进行深入研究。新中国成立以来，特别是改革开放以来，我们党紧紧抓住经济建设这个中心，团结带领全国各族人民艰苦奋斗，创造了举世瞩目的伟大成就，国家经济实力空前提高。党的十八大以来，中国特色社会主义进入新时代，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。着力解决发展不平衡不充分问题，大力提升发展质量和效益，实现经济高质量发展，更好满足人民在经济、政治、文化、社会与生态文明等方面日益增长的需要，更好推动人的全面发展、社会全面进步，已成为经济发展的首要任务。从理论上回答如何完成好这一任务，无疑是中国自主的经济学知识体系的重大历史使命。在中国特色社会主义进入新时代、我国发展进入新历史方位的时代背景下，要做到遵循马克思主义政治经济学逻辑与历史相统一的原则，建构中国自主的经济学知识体系，就要把我国发展的新历史方位作为研究起点，深入探析新历史方位下中国特色社会主义经济建设的内在规律，着力回答以中国式现代化推动实现中华民族伟大复兴所提出的一系列新课题、新问题，用创新的经济范畴和理论观点指导新的实践。

To construct an independent Chinese economic knowledge system, it is necessary to persistently enhance the theoretical elucidation and systematic construction of Xi Jinping’s economic thought. Xi Jinping’s economic thought adheres to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, is grounded in China’s fundamental national conditions, deeply explores and summarizes the relations of production of socialism with Chinese characteristics and their laws of motion, and puts forward a series of original achievements. These mainly include: the thought on strengthening the Party’s overall leadership over economic work; the thought on people-centered economic development; the thought on achieving high-quality economic development; the thought on upholding and improving the basic socialist economic system; the thought on building a high-level socialist market economy system; the thought on establishing and adhering to the new development concept of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness, and sharing; the thought on coordinating the expansion of domestic demand and deepening supply-side structural reform; the thought on vigorously developing manufacturing and the real economy; the thought on constructing a new development pattern; the thought on developing new quality productive forces; the thought on coordinating development and security; and the thought on promoting and leading the healthy development of economic globalization. Xi Jinping’s economic thought is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It is General Secretary Xi Jinping’s systematic theoretical summary of the practice of economic development in the New Era, applying the basic principles of Marxist political economy. It is the concentrated embodiment in the economic field of the practical and theoretical innovations in governance by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. It is a scientific theory grounded in national conditions, with a global vision, and leading the future.

建构中国自主的经济学知识体系要坚持提升对习近平经济思想的学理化阐释和体系化建构。习近平经济思想坚持马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，立足中国基本国情，深入探索和总结中国特色社会主义生产关系及其运动规律，提出了一系列原创性成果，主要有：关于加强党对经济工作全面领导的思想；关于经济发展要以人民为中心的思想；关于实现经济高质量发展的思想；关于坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度的思想；关于建设高水平社会主义市场经济体制的思想；关于树立和坚持创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的新发展理念的思想；关于统筹扩大内需和深化供给侧结构性改革的思想；关于大力发展制造业和实体经济的思想；关于构建新发展格局的思想；关于发展新质生产力的思想；关于统筹发展和安全的思想；关于推动和引领经济全球化健康发展的思想等。习近平经济思想是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的重要组成部分，是习近平总书记运用马克思主义政治经济学基本原理对新时代经济发展实践作出的系统理论概括，是以习近平同志为核心的党中央治国理政实践创新和理论创新在经济领域的集中体现，是立足国情、放眼世界、引领未来的科学理论。

Xi Jinping’s economic thought is an important achievement in adapting Marxist political economy to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. It possesses rich theoretical connotations and innovative qualities. It not only provides a rich theoretical treasure trove for China’s independent economic knowledge system but also points the direction for accelerating the construction of that system. Currently, the central task in constructing China’s independent economic knowledge system is to focus on enhancing the theoretical elucidation and systematic construction of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, and to promote the construction and development of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics. To this end, efforts should be concentrated in the following four areas. First, deeply study the formation and development of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, focusing on elucidating its historical background, theoretical origins, and development process, and clarifying the historical necessity and contemporary demands of its emergence and development. Second, deeply study a series of important theoretical innovation achievements of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, systematically elucidate its rich connotations, spiritual essence, original theoretical contributions, and the scientific methodology it contains, and focus on refining and constructing its system of categories and logic, forming a discourse system that organically unifies historical logic, theoretical logic, and practical logic. Third, construct a textbook system for Chinese economics guided by Xi Jinping’s economic thought. It is necessary to deeply summarize the practical experience of socialist economic construction with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively display the great achievements of socialist economic construction and development with Chinese characteristics, systematically elucidate the important theoretical innovation achievements and original contributions of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, and profoundly reveal its major theoretical significance, practical effects, and international influence. Fourth, strengthen the construction of the “three major systems” [2]2 The “three major systems” refer to the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system in philosophy and social sciences, a framework promoted by the CPC to establish an independent Chinese knowledge system. of economics guided by Xi Jinping’s economic thought, forming an economic disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner. This will fundamentally change the practice of copying Western economics and mechanically applying Western economic principles to tell China’s story, open up a new situation for the innovation and development of Chinese economics, and make new contributions to accelerating the adaptation of Marxist political economy to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, comprehensively building a modern socialist country, and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

习近平经济思想是马克思主义政治经济学中国化时代化的重要成果，具有丰富的理论内涵和创新品质，既为中国自主的经济学知识体系提供了丰富的理论宝藏，也为加快建构中国自主的经济学知识体系指明了方向。当前，建构中国自主的经济学知识体系的中心任务就是要着力提升对习近平经济思想的学理化阐释和体系化建构，推动中国特色社会主义政治经济学的建设和发展。为此，要在以下四方面着力。其一，深入研究习近平经济思想的形成和发展，着重阐释习近平经济思想的时代背景、理论渊源、发展历程，阐明习近平经济思想产生和发展的历史必然和时代需要。其二，深入学习习近平经济思想的一系列重要理论创新成果，系统阐释习近平经济思想的丰富内涵、精神实质、原创性理论贡献和蕴含的科学方法论，着力提炼和建构习近平经济思想的范畴体系和逻辑体系，形成历史逻辑、理论逻辑、实践逻辑有机统一的话语体系。其三，以习近平经济思想为指导建构中国经济学教材体系，要深入总结中国特色社会主义经济建设的实践经验，全面展示中国特色社会主义经济建设和发展取得的伟大成就，系统阐释习近平经济思想的重要理论创新成果和原创性贡献，深刻揭示习近平经济思想的重大理论意义、实践成效、国际影响。其四，以习近平经济思想为指导加强经济学“三大体系”建设，形成具有中国特色、中国风格、中国气派的经济学学科体系、学术体系、话语体系，从根本上改变照搬照抄西方经济学、生搬硬套西方经济学原理讲中国故事的风气，开辟中国经济学创新和发展的新局面，为加快推动马克思主义政治经济学中国化时代化、全面建设社会主义现代化国家、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴作出新贡献。

(The author is a professor at the School of Economics, Nankai University)

（作者系南开大学经济学院教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧