The Profound Connotation of “Ensuring Decisive Progress in Basically Realizing Socialist Modernization”

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC explicitly stated that the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan [1]1 The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) is China’s national economic and social development plan for that period, formally titled the “Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.” should “ensure decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization.” On the new journey of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation, China will, through the efforts of three five-year plans—the 14th, 15th, and 16th—basically realize socialist modernization by 2035, fulfilling the first step of the “two-step” strategic arrangement [2]2 The “new nationwide system for mobilizing resources” (新型举国体制) refers to a state-led mechanism for concentrating resources on strategic technological breakthroughs, updated from the earlier planned-economy model to incorporate market mechanisms.. The period of the 15th Five-Year Plan is precisely the crucial five years that link the preceding and the following. At this key juncture in the historical process, the Party Central Committee explicitly put forward the goal of “ensuring decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization,” which centrally demonstrates our Party’s firm determination, with a proactive and enterprising mental state, to launch offensives in key areas of modernization and continuously promote the in-depth development of Chinese-path modernization. This has important theoretical connotations and practical value.

党的二十届四中全会明确提出，“十五五”时期要“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”。在强国建设、民族复兴新征程上，我国将通过“十四五”“十五五”“十六五”3个五年的努力，到2035年基本实现社会主义现代化，实现“两步走”战略安排的第一步。“十五五”时期正是承上启下的关键五年，在这一历史进程的关键节点，党中央明确提出“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”这一目标要求，集中展现了我们党以积极主动的精神状态，在现代化关键领域展开攻坚，持续推动中国式现代化建设向纵深发展的坚定决心，具有重要的理论内涵与实践价值。

1. The Spiritual Essence of “Ensuring Decisive Progress in Basically Realizing Socialist Modernization”

1.“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”的精神实质

Achieving extraordinary undertakings is inseparable from extraordinary spiritual support and conscious action. As an important institutional tool of China’s national governance system, the five-year plan, through top-level design that is strategic, forward-looking, and coordinated, decomposes long-term development goals into executable and assessable phased tasks. This not only ensures that China always maintains strategic focus in the process of modernization but also allows for timely adjustments to the development course according to changes in the situation, effectively responding to various risks and challenges. The implementation process of the five-year plan is essentially a dynamic, evolving, and proactive process of advancing modernization. The Party Central Committee’s explicit requirement that the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan should “ensure decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization” is by no means a simple progression in time; it also embodies the high degree of mission consciousness and historical initiative that the Communist Party of China upholds on the basis of profoundly grasping the laws of historical development and systematically summing up past experience in struggle.

成就非凡事业，离不开非凡的精神支撑与行动自觉。五年规划作为我国国家治理体系的重要制度工具，通过具备战略性、前瞻性与协调性的顶层设计，将长期发展目标分解为可执行、可评估的阶段性任务，既确保我国在现代化建设进程中始终保持战略定力，又能根据形势变化适时调整发展航向，有效应对各类风险挑战。五年规划的实施过程，本质上是一个动态演进、积极作为的现代化推进过程。党中央明确提出“十五五”时期要“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”，绝非时间维度上的简单递进，更体现了中国共产党在深刻把握历史发展规律、系统总结过往奋斗经验基础上，所秉持的高度使命自觉与历史主动精神。

Mission-driven, anchoring the direction of development. The century-long struggle of the Communist Party of China has always taken the realization of national modernization and the promotion of national rejuvenation as its core goals. A strong sense of mission is the fundamental driving force behind the formulation and implementation of China’s development plans. Since the founding of New China, from the 1st Five-Year Plan to the 15th Five-Year Plan, China’s development planning system has been continuously improved and matured, effectively guiding resource allocation and providing a solid guarantee for the implementation of major strategic tasks. The 15th Five-Year Plan builds on the past and sets a course for the future; it is a re-mobilization and re-deployment for basically realizing socialist modernization. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized, “Our understanding of time is measured in centuries and millennia” and “For urgent matters, we must act immediately and grasp them firmly, without slowness or delay. For long-term tasks, we must maintain strategic focus and patience, adhere to drawing the blueprint to the end, and work with perseverance and enduring effort.” [3]3 This resolution was adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in July 2024, outlining comprehensive reforms to advance Chinese modernization. The explicit proposal to “ensure decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization” is precisely a concentrated expression and a phased declaration of this sense of mission. This means that our Party not only sets grand goals for modernization but also, with a high sense of responsibility and urgency, is committed to achieving breakthrough results at key time nodes that are sufficient to support the overall situation and have far-reaching influence, thereby gradually transforming the blueprint for modernization into a realistic picture.

使命驱动，锚定发展方向。中国共产党百余年奋斗历程，始终以实现国家现代化、推动民族复兴为核心目标。强烈的使命意识，是我国发展规划制定与落地实施的根本驱动力。自新中国成立以来，从“一五”计划到“十五五”规划，我国发展规划体系不断完善成熟，有效引导资源配置，为重大战略任务的落地提供了坚实保障。“十五五”规划承前启后，是对基本实现社会主义现代化的再动员、再部署。正如习近平总书记所强调的，“我们对时间的理解，是以百年、千年为计”“对当务之急，要立说立行、紧抓快办，不能慢慢吞吞、拖拖拉拉。对长期任务，要保持战略定力和耐心，坚持一张蓝图绘到底，滴水穿石，久久为功”。明确提出“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”，正是这种使命意识的集中体现与阶段性宣言。这意味着我们党不仅为现代化建设设定了宏伟目标，更以高度的责任感与紧迫感，致力于在关键时间节点取得足以支撑全局、影响深远的突破性成果，推动现代化蓝图逐步转化为现实图景。

Historical inheritance, grasping the logic of advancement. Since the beginning of the 21st century, from the 16th National Congress of the CPC to the 19th National Congress, China has successively put forward strategic deployments such as “building a moderately prosperous society in all respects,” “achieving new victories in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects,” “completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects,” and “securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.” [4]4 The “two unswervinglys” (两个毫不动摇) refer to the Party’s policy of unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector economy and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector economy. These deployments advanced the strategic task of building a moderately prosperous society in stages and steps, ultimately completing this historic task. Building a modern socialist country in all respects is an upgrade and expansion of the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. As the first step of this strategic goal, basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035 also needs to follow the logic of advancement that is gradual and progresses in echelons. The valuable experience of “achieving strategic goals step by step,” tempered and accumulated from the practice of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, provides crucial methodological guidance for overcoming difficulties and achieving “decisive progress” during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

历史传承，把握推进逻辑。进入21世纪以来，从党的十六大到党的十九大，我国先后提出“全面建设小康社会”“夺取全面建设小康社会新胜利”“全面建成小康社会”“决胜全面建成小康社会”等战略部署，将全面建设小康社会的战略任务分阶段、有步骤地推进，最终圆满完成这一历史性任务。全面建设社会主义现代化国家，是全面建设小康社会目标的升级与拓展。作为这一战略目标的第一步，2035年基本实现社会主义现代化同样需要遵循循序渐进、梯次提升的推进逻辑。从全面建设小康社会实践中淬炼积累的“分步骤实现战略目标”的宝贵经验，为“十五五”时期攻克难关、取得“决定性进展”提供了至关重要的方法论指导。

Proactive action, mastering the initiative in development. The formulation and implementation of plans embody a long-term development perspective, the core of which lies in achieving national development goals through understanding and applying laws. The spirit of historical initiative means not passively adapting to environmental changes, but actively recognizing, responding to, and seeking change; not blindly following the development paths of others, but, based on one’s own national conditions, forging a development path that conforms to China’s reality. Upholding high confidence, in development practice, one must be adept at following the trend to seize favorable opportunities, but also dare to go against the current to solve development problems. The more complex and volatile the situation, the more one must adhere to proactive action and firmly grasp the initiative in development. Confidence is no less important than gold; the more critical the stage, the more one must strengthen confidence and work hard and practically. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China needs to grasp the laws of development in a broader scope, wider field, and deeper level, further deepen reform comprehensively, and continuously advance the construction of Chinese-path modernization with a posture of historical initiative.

积极作为，掌握发展主动。规划的制定与实施体现了长远发展眼光，其核心在于通过认识规律、运用规律实现国家发展目标。历史主动精神，意味着不是被动适应环境变化，而是主动识变、应变、求变；不盲目跟随他人发展路径，而是立足自身国情，走出符合中国实际的发展道路。秉持高度自信，在发展实践中既要善于顺势而为，把握有利机遇，也要敢于逆流而上，破解发展难题。形势越是复杂多变，越要坚持积极作为，牢牢掌握发展主动权。信心的重要性不亚于黄金，越是到关键阶段，越要坚定信心、真抓实干。“十五五”时期，我国需在更广范围、更宽领域、更深层次把握发展规律，进一步全面深化改革，以历史主动的姿态持续推进中国式现代化建设。

2. The Historical Position of “Ensuring Decisive Progress in Basically Realizing Socialist Modernization”

2.“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”的历史方位

The period of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) is the first five years after China completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieved the First Centenary Goal, seizing the opportunity to embark on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and marching towards the Second Centenary Goal. [5]5 The First Centenary Goal (founded 1921) is completing the building of a moderately prosperous society; the Second Centenary Goal (founded 1949) is building a modern socialist country. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), centered on comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, it is a critical period for consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts to basically realize socialist modernization. It is necessary to accurately grasp the historical position of “ensuring decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization,” comprehensively ensure the connection with the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan, and at the same time, make overall plans for the longer-term path of modernization.

2021年—2025年的“十四五”时期，是我国全面建成小康社会、实现第一个百年奋斗目标之后，乘势而上开启全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程、向第二个百年奋斗目标进军的第一个五年。2026年—2030年，围绕以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，“十五五”时期是基本实现社会主义现代化夯实基础、全面发力的关键时期。必须精准把握“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”所处的历史方位，全面做好“十五五”时期与“十四五”规划收官的衔接，同时统筹谋划好更长时期的现代化建设路径。

Seeking progress while maintaining stability, preserving the continuity of plan implementation. The key to the successful practice of Chinese-path modernization lies in the five-year plans consistently maintaining strategic stability and policy continuity, with “seeking progress while maintaining stability” as the general tone of work running through them. The 15th Five-Year Plan must achieve seamless integration with the 14th Five-Year Plan, forming a work pattern of “drawing the blueprint to the end.” It is necessary to make successive deployments for development goals that are continuous and long-term, ensuring that major projects initiated during the 14th Five-Year Plan period receive sustained funding, policy, and resource guarantees, are successfully completed, and begin to yield benefits. It needs to be clarified that “decisive progress” is not simply an accumulation of quantity, but a fundamental qualitative improvement; it is not a partial or single-item advance, but an overall and systematic breakthrough. When planning the economic and social development of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it is necessary to accurately grasp the phased requirements, scientifically determine the goals and tasks, and propose ideas and measures around the goal of basically realizing socialist modernization. On the basis of the development achieved during the 14th Five-Year Plan, it is necessary to promote qualitative leaps in various undertakings and focus on resolving the key bottlenecks and deep-seated contradictions that constrain the basic realization of socialist modernization.

稳中求进，保持规划实施的延续性。中国式现代化建设的成功实践，关键在于五年规划始终保持战略稳定性与政策连续性，“稳中求进”是贯穿其中的工作总基调。“十五五”规划要与“十四五”规划实现无缝衔接，形成“一张蓝图绘到底”的工作格局。要对具有延续性、长期性的发展目标进行接续部署，确保“十四五”期间启动的重大项目获得持续的资金、政策与资源保障，顺利建成并发挥效益。需要明确的是，“决定性进展”并非简单的量的积累，而是质的根本性提升；并非局部的、单项的进步，而是全局的、系统的突破。在谋划“十五五”时期经济社会发展时，必须准确把握阶段性要求，围绕基本实现社会主义现代化目标，科学确定目标任务、提出思路举措。要在“十四五”发展基础上，推动各项事业实现质的飞跃，着力解决制约基本实现社会主义现代化的关键瓶颈与深层次矛盾。

Leading the future, laying a solid foundation for long-term development. The 15th Five-Year Plan must not only focus on the goals for five years but also look ahead to the goal of basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035 and even more long-term goals. This requires that the formulation and implementation of the plan possess far-reaching historical vision and strategic foresight, focusing on cultivating new drivers and shaping new advantages. In the field of scientific and technological innovation, it is necessary not only to solve the current “bottleneck” problems [6]6 “Bottleneck” problems (kabazi wenti) refers to key technologies and components that China cannot yet produce domestically and relies on imports for, which are seen as vulnerabilities in national security and economic development. but also to lay out in advance disruptive technologies that may lead the next industrial revolution; in the field of talent cultivation, it is necessary to build a talent system capable of supporting the construction of a modern socialist country; in the field of institutional construction, it is necessary to explore a national governance model that adapts to future social forms. At the same time, by enhancing strategic foresight capabilities, it is necessary to conduct forward-looking research and judgment on major changes and challenges that may arise in the global political, economic, technological, environmental, and social fields over a longer period in the future, make strategic reserves and adaptive preparations in advance to meet long-term challenges, and continuously enhance the resilience and strategic initiative of Chinese-path modernization.

引领未来，奠定长远发展的坚实基础。“十五五”规划不仅要着眼于五年的目标，而且要放眼于2035年基本实现社会主义现代化乃至更为长远的目标。这就要求规划制定与实施必须具备深远的历史眼光与战略前瞻性，着力培育新动能、塑造新优势。在科技创新领域，既要解决当前面临的“卡脖子”问题，更要提前布局可能引领下一次产业革命的颠覆性技术；在人才培养领域，要构建能够支撑社会主义现代化国家建设的人才体系；在制度建设领域，要探索适应未来社会形态的国家治理模式。同时，要通过提升战略预见能力，对未来更长时期全球政治、经济、科技、环境、社会等领域可能出现的重大变革与挑战进行前瞻性研判，提前做好应对长远挑战的战略储备与适应性准备，不断增强中国式现代化的韧性与战略主动性。

3. The Key Link of “Ensuring Decisive Progress in Basically Realizing Socialist Modernization”

3.“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”的关键环节

The Party Central Committee has explicitly stated that the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan [1]1 The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) is China’s national economic and social development plan for that period, formally titled the “Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.” should “ensure decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization.” This is not only a phased requirement in terms of time but also a mobilization order to tackle difficulties on the new journey. “Decisive progress” demands both completing the vast majority of tasks for basically realizing socialist modernization at the aggregate level and, more importantly, winning the main tough battles for basically realizing socialist modernization at the quality level. This requires focusing on the most critical and core areas, concentrating forces to fight tough battles, and achieving a fundamental leap in development quality and efficiency.

党中央明确提出“十五五”时期要“确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展”，不仅是时间维度上的阶段性要求，更是新征程上开展攻坚克难的动员令。“决定性进展”既要求在总量层面完成基本实现社会主义现代化的绝大部分任务，更要求在质量层面打赢基本实现社会主义现代化的主要攻坚战。这就需要聚焦最关键、最核心的领域，集中力量打好攻坚战，实现发展质效的根本性跃迁。

Use scientific and technological innovation to solidify core support. Currently, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is advancing deeply. Scientific and technological innovation has become the core battlefield of international strategic competition and a key support for Chinese-path modernization. Only by firmly grasping core technologies in our own hands can we truly gain the initiative in competition and development. The key to achieving major breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation during the 14th Five-Year Plan period lies in promoting the transformation of China’s technological development from “following and running alongside” to “running alongside and leading.” At present, China has successfully ranked among the world’s leading innovative countries through the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, it is necessary to further strengthen the ability to transform scientific and technological achievements “from 1 to N,” while simultaneously focusing on solving the difficult problem of basic original innovation, that is, the breakthrough “from 0 to 1.” It is essential to strengthen the national strategic scientific and technological forces, fully leverage the advantages of the new nationwide system for mobilizing resources [2]2 The “new nationwide system for mobilizing resources” (新型举国体制) refers to a state-led mechanism for concentrating resources on strategic technological breakthroughs, updated from the earlier planned-economy model to incorporate market mechanisms., target frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum information, life sciences, integrated circuits, new energy, deep sea, and deep space, deploy and implement a number of major national science and technology projects with strategic, overall, and forward-looking significance, strive to achieve self-reliance and control in key core technology fields, and cultivate and form world-class industrial clusters marked by new quality productive forces.

以科技创新筑牢核心支撑。当前，新一轮科技革命与产业变革深入推进，科技创新已成为国际战略博弈的核心战场，更是中国式现代化建设的关键支撑。只有将核心技术牢牢掌握在自己手中，才能真正掌握竞争与发展的主动权。“十五五”时期推动科技创新实现重大突破，关键在于推动我国科技发展从“跟随并跑”向“并跑领跑”转变。目前，我国已通过创新驱动发展战略的实施，成功跻身全球创新型国家前列。“十五五”时期，需进一步强化科技成果转化“从1到N”的能力，同时重点破解基础性原始创新难题即“从0到1”的突破。要强化国家战略科技力量，充分发挥新型举国体制优势，瞄准人工智能、量子信息、生命科学、集成电路、新能源、深空深海等前沿领域，部署实施一批具有战略性、全局性、前瞻性的国家重大科技项目，力争在关键核心技术领域实现自主可控，培育形成以新质生产力为标志的世界级产业集群。

Use reform and opening up to activate the driving engine. Chinese-path modernization has been continuously explored and advanced in the process of reform and opening up. Ensuring decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization inevitably relies on a higher level of reform and opening up to release development vitality. The “Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization” [3]3 This resolution was adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in July 2024, outlining comprehensive reforms to advance Chinese modernization. adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC closely focuses on the major issues that need to be solved to advance Chinese modernization and plans reform measures. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we must firmly grasp high-quality development as the primary task, further deepen reform comprehensively and expand high-standard opening up around advancing Chinese modernization, and focus on key areas to push reform and opening up deeper and more solidly. With the goal of building a high-level socialist market economy system, we should promote institutional opening up, deepen market-oriented reforms of factors of production, and accelerate the construction of a unified national market that is efficient, standardized, fair competition, and fully open. We should stimulate the vitality of various business entities, adhere to the “two unswervinglys” [4]4 The “two unswervinglys” (两个毫不动摇) refer to the Party’s policy of unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector economy and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector economy., deepen the reform of state-owned assets and state-owned enterprises, and enhance their core competitiveness; optimize the development environment for private enterprises, protect the property rights of private enterprises and the rights and interests of entrepreneurs according to law, and promote the growth and expansion of the private economy. At the same time, we should create a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized first-class business environment, stabilize market expectations, and enhance development confidence.

以改革开放激活动力引擎。中国式现代化是在改革开放进程中不断探索推进的，确保基本实现社会主义现代化取得决定性进展，必然依赖更高水平的改革开放释放发展活力。党的二十届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》，紧扣推进中国式现代化需要破解的重大问题谋划改革举措。“十五五”时期，必须牢牢把握高质量发展这一首要任务，围绕推进中国式现代化进一步全面深化改革、扩大高水平对外开放，聚焦关键领域推动改革开放走深走实。要以构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制为目标，推进制度型开放，深化要素市场化改革，加快建设高效规范、公平竞争、充分开放的全国统一大市场。要激发各类经营主体活力，坚持“两个毫不动摇”，深化国资国企改革，提升其核心竞争力；优化民营企业发展环境，依法保护民营企业产权和企业家权益，促进民营经济发展壮大。同时，要打造市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境，稳定市场预期，增强发展信心。

Use safe development to build a solid barrier. Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security. Without a safe and stable environment, all development achievements may be lost. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China will plan its own development in a more complex and uncertain international environment, with various risks and challenges accumulating and even manifesting intensively. Against this background, we must adhere to coordinating development and security, strengthen bottom-line thinking, effectively prevent and resolve various risks, and ensure new development patterns with a new security architecture. We must insist on making the first move and taking the initiative, promote the national security guarantee capability to a new level, and integrate the maintenance of national security into all aspects and the entire process of the Party and the state’s work. Accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, enhance the ability to ensure economic security, and ensure the security of grain, energy resources, and key industrial and supply chains; strengthen financial risk early warning, prevention and control mechanisms, and capacity building, and resolutely hold the bottom line of preventing systemic risks; enhance the resilience and security level of industrial and supply chains, and improve the efficiency of the national economic cycle.

以安全发展构筑坚实屏障。安全是发展的前提，发展是安全的保障。缺乏安全稳定的环境，一切发展成果都可能付诸东流。“十五五”时期，我国将在更为复杂和充满不确定性的国际环境中谋划自身发展，各类风险挑战不断积累甚至集中显现。在此背景下，必须坚持统筹发展和安全，强化底线思维，有效防范化解各类风险，以新安全格局保障新发展格局。坚持下好先手棋、打好主动仗，推动国家安全保障能力迈上新台阶，将维护国家安全贯穿于党和国家工作各方面全过程。加快构建新发展格局，增强经济安全保障能力，确保粮食、能源资源、重要产业链供应链安全；加强金融风险预警、防控机制与能力建设，坚决守住不发生系统性风险的底线；提升产业链供应链的韧性与安全水平，提高国民经济循环效能。

(Author: Tao Wenzhao, Distinguished Researcher of the Beijing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center, Professor of the School of Marxism Studies, Renmin University of China)

（作者：陶文昭，系北京市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、中国人民大学马克思主义学院教授）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧