The Developmental Thread and Direction of the Political Economy of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

The political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics is rooted in the practical soil of China’s economic development. It is a theoretical system that has gradually taken shape along with the continuous advancement of reform and opening up and socialist modernization. Looking ahead, amid the changes unseen in a century in the world, the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics will conform to the changes of the times, take the new problems and new challenges of economic development as its reference, continuously expand the breadth and depth of research, provide theoretical support for constructing China’s independent economic knowledge system, and offer theoretical guidance for China’s economic practice in the new stage of development.

中国特色社会主义政治经济学根植于中国经济发展的实践土壤，是伴随着改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的不断推进而逐步形成的理论体系。展望未来，在世界百年未有之大变局下，中国特色社会主义政治经济学将顺应时代变革，以经济发展新问题新挑战为观照，不断拓展研究广度和深度，为建构中国自主的经济学知识体系提供理论支撑，为新发展阶段中国经济实践提供理论指引。

Three Major Periods of Development

三大发展时期

The political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics is an achievement of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Along with the development of the practice of socialist economic construction in different historical periods of our country, and the deepening of the understanding of the laws of the socialist economy, the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics has achieved innovative development.

中国特色社会主义政治经济学是马克思主义中国化时代化的成果。随着我国不同历史时期社会主义经济建设实践的发展，以及对社会主义经济规律认识的深化，中国特色社会主义政治经济学实现了创新发展。

The first period is 1949–1978. In the process of completing the socialist transformation, the basic positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxist political economy were used to deeply analyze the nature of Chinese society, the current state of development of the productive forces, and the practical needs, providing theoretical guidance for promoting fundamental changes in the relations of production in our society and exploring the establishment of the basic socialist economic system. After the smooth completion of the socialist transformation, the practice of exploring the path of socialist economic construction accumulated experience for our socialist economic construction and also provided sufficient nourishment for the further development of Marxist political economy. During this period, although our socialist construction experienced tortuous development, we still explored and put forward a series of economic theories with Chinese characteristics based on the reality of socialist construction, including the theory of the basic contradictions of socialism, the theory of socialist public ownership, and the theory of comprehensive balance of the national economy, which laid a solid foundation for the formation and development of the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

第一个时期是1949—1978年。在完成社会主义改造的过程中，马克思主义政治经济学的基本立场、观点和方法被用于深入剖析中国社会的性质、生产力的发展现状和现实需求，为推动我国社会生产关系发生根本性变革、探索建立社会主义基本经济制度提供了理论指引。在社会主义改造顺利完成后，探索社会主义经济建设道路的实践为我们积累了社会主义经济建设的经验，也为进一步发展马克思主义政治经济学提供了充足养分。在这一时期，尽管我国的社会主义建设经历了曲折发展，但我们依然根据社会主义建设实际探索并提出了一系列具有中国特色的经济理论，包括社会主义基本矛盾理论、社会主义公有制理论、国民经济综合平衡理论等，为中国特色社会主义政治经济学的形成与发展奠定了坚实基础。

The second period is 1978–2012. The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Party made the historic decision to implement reform and opening up, and the work focus of the Party and the state shifted to economic construction. At the Twelfth National Congress of the Party, Comrade Deng Xiaoping first proposed the thesis of “building socialism with Chinese characteristics,” which became the great banner guiding reform and opening up and socialist modernization. With the continuous advancement of reform and opening up, the practical exploration of socialist construction with Chinese characteristics deepened continuously. Scholars also continuously refined new theoretical concepts and contributed new theoretical achievements on the basis of summing up experience. Theoretical research on the ownership of the means of production, the distribution system, and the socialist market economy also deepened. On this basis, the understanding of the internal logic and connections between different theories and categories became increasingly clear, further promoting the continuous optimization and improvement of the theoretical framework and main structure of the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

第二个时期是1978—2012年。党的十一届三中全会作出实行改革开放的历史性决策，党和国家的工作中心转移到经济建设上来。在党的第十二次全国代表大会上，邓小平同志首次提出“建设有中国特色的社会主义”命题，成为指引改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的伟大旗帜。随着改革开放的持续推进，中国特色社会主义建设的实践探索不断深化，学者们也在总结经验的基础上不断提炼出新的理论概念、贡献新的理论成果，在生产资料所有制、分配制度、社会主义市场经济等方面的理论研究也愈加深入。在此基础上，对不同理论和范畴间内在逻辑、联系的认识愈发清晰，进一步推动了中国特色社会主义政治经济学的理论框架和主要结构不断优化和完善。

The third period is from 2012 to the present. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era, the principal contradiction in society has changed, and economic development has entered a new normal. Based on the practice of the New Era, how to better use the positions, viewpoints, and methodologies of Marxist political economy to analyze the profound changes and development trends in domestic and international economic conditions, explore new laws, propose new concepts, and solve new problems has become the historical mission of Marxist political economy. It is precisely against this background that General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to study, apply, and develop Marxist political economy well, and to continuously develop the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As the latest achievement in the development of the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi Jinping’s economic thought is a major theoretical achievement formed by applying the basic principles of Marxist political economy to guide economic development practice in the New Era. It possesses unique theoretical qualities and distinct originality, opening up a new realm of Marxist political economy.

第三个时期是2012年至今。党的十八大以来，中国特色社会主义进入新时代，社会主要矛盾发生转变，经济发展进入新常态。立足新时代的实践，如何更好运用马克思主义政治经济学的立场、观点和方法论分析国内外经济条件的深刻变化和发展趋势，探索新规律、提出新理念并解决新问题，已成为马克思主义政治经济学的历史使命。正是在这一背景下，习近平总书记多次强调，要学习好、运用好、发展好马克思主义政治经济学，要不断发展中国特色社会主义政治经济学。作为中国特色社会主义政治经济学发展的最新成果，习近平经济思想是运用马克思主义政治经济学基本原理指导新时代经济发展实践形成的重大理论成果，具有独特的理论品质和鲜明的原创性，开辟了马克思主义政治经济学新境界。

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, in the process of Chinese-path modernization, scholars focus on the great practice of China’s economic development and continuously promote the innovative development of the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The following aspects of research are particularly noteworthy: First, the theory of the Party’s comprehensive leadership over economic work, emphasizing that the centralized and unified leadership of the Party is the essential feature and greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Second, the theory of adhering to the people-centered development thought, emphasizing respect for the principal position of the people in historical development, fully manifesting the essential characteristics and value orientation of socialism. Third, the theory emphasizing the need to implement the new development philosophy in the new stage of development and construct a new development pattern with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. Fourth, the formation of a theory on high-quality economic development, clarifying that high-quality development is the distinct theme of China’s economic development in the New Era, reflecting the deepening understanding of the laws of socialist economic development and its stage-specific characteristics. Fifth, the theory on Chinese-path modernization and common prosperity, studying and explaining the profound connotation and practical path of Chinese-path modernization, proposing to liberate and develop the productive forces to achieve common prosperity. Sixth, promoting theoretical innovation on new quality productive forces, emphasizing scientific and technological innovation as the core driving force to promote the optimal allocation of production factors, the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure, and the improvement of total factor productivity. Seventh, continuously improving the theory on the basic socialist economic system, including the ownership of the means of production, the distribution system, and the socialist market economy system, elucidating the internal connection between the ownership structure and distribution system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as the necessity and feasible path of the organic combination of socialism and the market economy. Eighth, continuously developing the theory on economic system reform, which aims to clarify the direction of reform, explore the specific realization forms and development paths of the socialist economic system, and provide important theoretical support and practical guidance for China’s economic development and global economic transformation. Ninth, deepening and expanding the theory on opening up to the outside world. This theory points the way forward for expanding opening up to the outside world under socialist conditions, broadening the fields of international cooperation, participating in global economic governance, and properly handling complex relationships with the world market. Tenth, forming a theory on coordinating development and security, emphasizing the importance of enhancing risk awareness, pointing out that while pursuing economic development, the relationship between development and security must be balanced to effectively respond to complex and volatile risk challenges.

在习近平经济思想的指引下，在中国式现代化进程中，学者们聚焦中国经济发展的伟大实践，不断推动中国特色社会主义政治经济学创新发展。以下几个方面的研究是特别值得关注的：一是党对经济工作全面领导的理论，强调党的集中统一领导是中国特色社会主义制度的本质特征和最大优势。二是坚持以人民为中心的发展思想的理论，强调尊重人民群众在历史发展中的主体地位，充分彰显社会主义的本质特征和价值取向。三是强调新发展阶段需要贯彻新发展理念，构建以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局的理论。四是形成了关于经济高质量发展的理论，明确高质量发展是新时代我国经济发展的鲜明主题，体现出对社会主义经济发展规律及其阶段性特征的认识不断深化。五是关于中国式现代化与共同富裕理论，研究阐释了中国式现代化的深刻内涵和实践路径，提出了要解放和发展生产力以实现共同富裕。六是推动关于新质生产力的理论创新，强调以科技创新作为核心驱动力，推动生产要素配置优化、产业结构转型升级以及全要素生产率提升。七是不断完善关于社会主义基本经济制度的理论，包括生产资料所有制、分配制度以及社会主义市场经济体制，阐明了中国特色社会主义所有制结构和分配制度的内在联系，以及社会主义和市场经济有机结合的必要性和可行路径。八是不断发展关于经济体制改革的理论，该理论旨在明确改革方向、探索社会主义经济体制的具体实现形式和发展路径，为中国经济发展与全球范围内的经济转型提供了重要理论支撑和实践指引。九是深化拓展对外开放的理论，这一理论为在社会主义条件下扩大对外开放、拓宽国际合作领域、参与全球经济治理、处理好与世界市场的复杂关系指明了前进方向。十是形成统筹发展和安全的理论，强调增强风险意识的重要性，指出在追求经济发展的同时要平衡好发展和安全的关系，以有效应对复杂多变的风险挑战。

Three Key Points to Promote Development

三点着力推进发展

The political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics is not only a summary, refinement, and elevation of historical experience, but also a theoretical innovation and practical exploration oriented toward the future. Based on the new stage of development, promoting the further development of the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics requires continuous deepening in aspects such as strengthening problem-oriented research, perfecting the systematic construction of theory, and broadening the international perspective.

中国特色社会主义政治经济学不仅是对历史经验的总结、提炼与升华，而且是面向未来的理论创新和实践探索。立足新发展阶段，推动中国特色社会主义政治经济学进一步发展，需要在强化问题导向研究、完善理论的系统化建设并拓宽国际视野等方面持续深化。

First, it is necessary to base research on China’s practice and strengthen a problem-oriented approach. At each stage of China’s economic development, it faces different concrete economic relations and economic problems, providing ample soil and nourishment for the theoretical development of the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to the “problem-theory-practice” research paradigm, taking the real problems in the great economic practice as the guiding topics and directions for theoretical research. For example, the institutional mechanisms for accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, the coordinated advancement of high-quality development and common prosperity, the construction of a unified national market and market-oriented reform of factors of production, the optimization of the innovation-driven development strategy under the new nationwide system for mobilizing resources, the effect analysis and path exploration of green and low-carbon transformation, the sustainability assessment and risk prevention and control of local government debt, the economic and social impacts brought by demographic structural changes, the empowerment of rural revitalization and integrated urban-rural development by digital technology, as well as technological innovation, institutional innovation, and economic growth and employment issues in the era of artificial intelligence—these are all major real problems that urgently need to be answered. In the process of analyzing these problems, the basic principles and methods of Marxist political economy should be fully applied, focusing on the state of development of productive forces, the impact of existing economic institutions on productive forces and its consequences, and feasible adjustment paths, to deeply reveal the internal logic and development laws of the operation of the socialist economy, and to promote periodic theoretical innovation in the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics. At the same time, it is necessary to promote the organic integration of theoretical innovation achievements with new practices, so that they can better guide the resolution of real problems, thereby providing scientific guidance for the next stage of theoretical exploration and policy practice.

一是立足中国实践，强化问题导向研究。中国经济发展各个阶段都面临着不同的现实经济关系和经济问题，为中国特色社会主义政治经济学的理论发展提供了充足的土壤和养分。因此，需要坚持“问题—理论—实践”研究范式，把伟大经济实践中的现实问题作为理论研究的课题指南和路向。例如，加快发展新质生产力的体制机制、高质量发展与共同富裕的协同推进、全国统一大市场建设与要素市场化改革、新型举国体制下的创新驱动发展战略优化、绿色低碳转型的效应分析和路径探索、地方政府债务的可持续性评估和风险防控、人口结构变迁带来的经济和社会影响、数字技术赋能乡村振兴和城乡融合发展，以及人工智能时代的技术创新、制度创新与经济增长和就业问题等，都是亟待回答的重大现实问题。在分析这些问题的过程中，应充分运用马克思主义政治经济学的基本原理和方法，围绕生产力发展状况、现有经济制度对生产力的影响及其后果、可行的调整路径等方面，深入揭示社会主义经济运行的内在逻辑和发展规律，推动中国特色社会主义政治经济学的阶段性理论创新。同时，必须推动理论创新成果与新的实践有机结合，使其能够更好地指导解决现实问题，从而为下一阶段的理论探索和政策实践提供科学指引。

Second, it is necessary to construct a theoretical economic system that is scientific, systematic, and highly open. Currently, there are different views in academia on the starting category, basic principles, and logical mainline. It is necessary to take Marxism as the guide, adhere to the Two Integrations [4]4 The Two Integrations (两个结合) refers to the principle of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, as articulated by Xi Jinping., start from the reality of China’s economic development to summarize regular understandings, clarify core concepts, sort out theoretical foundations, and strengthen the academic support for the theoretical system of the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this process, innovation at the methodological level is equally important. It is necessary to vigorously innovate the methodology of Marxist political economy, while drawing on cutting-edge methods such as artificial intelligence, big data and causal inference, and complex system modeling, to enhance the scientific nature and empirical support of theoretical analysis, explore the laws of economic operation, and improve the ability to explain and solve economic problems. At the same time, focusing on the core issues of economic development, it is necessary to deeply analyze the key factors affecting economic operation and development momentum. In the process of revealing internal mechanisms and expanding theoretical depth, the theoretical structure should be continuously optimized, the hierarchical system improved, and the systematic construction of the theoretical system promoted, building a logical and mutually supportive theoretical framework. Furthermore, the theoretical system of the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics should not only be based on China’s national conditions and deepen the summarization and refinement of local experience, but also adhere to open development, reasonably draw on international experience and beneficial components of Western economics, discard the dross and select the essential, achieve mastery through a comprehensive study, and form an economic theoretical system that is both in line with China’s reality and has universal explanatory power.

二是构建学理化、系统化且充满开放性的经济理论体系。当前，学术界在起点范畴、基本原理和逻辑主线上存在不同观点，需要以马克思主义为指导，坚持“两个结合”，从中国经济发展实际出发总结规律性认识，廓清核心概念，厘清理论基石，强化中国特色社会主义政治经济学理论体系的学理支撑。在此过程中，方法层面的创新同样不可忽视，要大力创新马克思主义政治经济学方法论，同时借鉴人工智能、大数据与因果推断、复杂系统建模等前沿方法，增强理论分析的科学性和实证支撑，探索经济运行规律，增强对经济问题的解释、解决能力。同时，围绕经济发展的核心议题，需深入剖析影响经济运行和发展动力的关键要素，在揭示内在机制、拓展理论深度的过程中，不断优化理论结构，完善层次体系，推动理论体系的系统化建构，构建起逻辑严密、相互支撑的理论架构。此外，中国特色社会主义政治经济学理论体系不仅要立足中国国情，深化本土经验的总结提炼，还要坚持开放发展，合理借鉴国际经验和西方经济学的有益成分，去粗存精、融会贯通，形成既符合中国实际又具有普遍解释力的经济学理论体系。

Third, it is necessary to broaden the international perspective and promote the formation of a Chinese approach to global economic governance. Currently, although trade protectionism is on the rise and the global economic situation is becoming increasingly complex, economic globalization remains the mainstream trend of world economic development. Advanced technologies represented by artificial intelligence can dissolve barriers of time and space, reduce communication and exchange costs, and accelerate the deepening and restructuring of international economic linkages and division of labor and cooperation. Against this backdrop, how China can reshape its international competitive advantage in the world economic system and play a greater role in global economic governance has become an important topic for the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new stage of development. To this end, it is necessary to grasp the development thread of globalization, deeply study the new dynamics and new challenges of the world economy, and engage in in-depth thinking around key issues such as building a new system for a higher-standard open economy, reshaping the rules of global economic governance, international competition and cooperation in the era of the digital economy, restructuring and security assurance of industrial chain resilience, risk prevention and control and regulatory mechanisms for cross-border capital flows, and the digital transformation of the international monetary system. This will enable the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics to provide theoretical support and Chinese wisdom for global economic governance while responding to the real needs of China’s economic development. At the same time, it is necessary to narrate China’s economic development experience in plain and understandable language, so that the Chinese approach and Chinese theory can better integrate into the global economic discourse system, continuously enhancing the international influence of Chinese economic theory.

三是拓宽国际视野，推动形成全球经济治理的中国方案。当前，尽管贸易保护主义抬头、全球经济形势日趋复杂，经济全球化仍然是当今世界经济发展的主流趋势。以人工智能为代表的先进技术能够消解时空壁垒、降低通信和交流成本，加速国际经济联通与分工协作的深化重组。在此背景下，中国如何在世界经济体系中重塑国际竞争优势，并在全球经济治理中发挥更大作用，已成为新发展阶段中国特色社会主义政治经济学的重要课题。为此，需要把握全球化发展脉络，深入研究世界经济的新动态、新挑战，围绕建设更高水平开放型经济新体制、全球经济治理规则重塑、数字经济时代的国际竞争与合作、产业链韧性重构与安全保障、跨境资本流动的风险防控和调控机制、国际货币体系的数字化变革等关键议题展开深入思考，使中国特色社会主义政治经济学在回应好中国经济发展现实需求的基础上，为全球经济治理提供理论支撑和中国智慧。同时，要用通俗易懂的语言讲述中国经济发展经验，使中国方案和中国理论更好地融入全球经济学话语体系，不断提升中国经济学理论的国际影响力。

(The author is a professor at the School of Economics, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics)

（作者系西南财经大学经济学院教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧