Study and Implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Expositions on Upholding the Principal Position of Marxist Political Economy

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at a Symposium of Experts in Economic and Social Fields” (July 8, 2020), in *Xi Jinping: Excerpts from Important Discourses on the Construction of Socialist Market Economy*, Central Party Literature Press, 2023, p. 10. established for the first time the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological domain as a fundamental institution of our country. The 20th National Congress of the CPC and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee [2]2 “Curriculum-based ideological and political education” (课程思政) refers to the integration of ideological and political education content into all non-political theory courses in Chinese higher education, as a means of ensuring that all teaching upholds socialist orientation and Party leadership. again emphasized upholding the fundamental institution of the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological domain. However, since reform and opening up, with the introduction of Western market economy theory, Western economics has gradually replaced Marxist political economy to become the mainstream in Chinese economics. Western economics and Marxist political economy are mutually opposed in terms of class standpoint and values, and their conclusions contradict each other. Western economics occupying the mainstream position in Chinese economics circles is the result of blindly learning from Western market economy theory in the process of establishing a socialist market economy. We should promptly correct the direction in the New Era while building a high-level socialist market economy, so that Marxist political economy for the New Era becomes the mainstream in China’s economics education and academia. In the New Era, we should take Marxist political economy as the main body, draw on and absorb the beneficial elements of Western economics to develop Marxist political economy for the New Era, and use the theory of Marxist political economy for the New Era to study and answer the practical problems facing China.

I. Historical Review of the Shift in the Mainstream Position of Chinese Economics Circles

In 1978, China initiated the process of reform and opening up, and the traditional model of the socialist planned economy began to transform from that point. In the early period of reform and opening up, that is, from 1979 to the mid-1980s, a small number of works on Western economics were translated and published in China. The course name was usually “Critique of Bourgeois Economics,” and its content mainly introduced and commented on various schools of Western economics. At that time, the introduction of Western economics into China was mainly to critique it by presenting its content, in order to help Chinese scholars better understand the limitations of Western economic theory.

From the mid-to-late 1980s to the early 1990s, the attitude of Chinese economics circles toward Western economics underwent a major shift. Critiques of it became fewer and fewer, and instead, attention turned to systematically introducing and studying the schools, theories, and methods of Western economics. The reform goal of establishing a socialist market economy, set by the 14th National Congress of the CPC [3], combined “socialism” with “market economy,” opening up a new path for countries in the primary stage of socialism to develop a socialist market economy. However, the classical Marxist writers did not systematically expound on the theory of the socialist market economy. At that time, China lacked both market economy practice and market economy theory. Since the mid-1990s, Chinese economics circles began to comprehensively introduce various doctrines of Western economics and study the market economy theory of Western economics. With the deepening of market-oriented reforms, the attitude of many Chinese economics scholars toward Western economics and its market economy theory shifted from initial drawing on and sublation to wholesale acceptance. From then on, the theories of Western economics were gradually widely used to guide and explain China’s economic practice.

Currently, the economics faculties of most universities across the country take the Western economics system as the main body of their curricula. In terms of the number of courses offered, the specialized economics courses in Chinese universities are mostly dominated by Western economics. In terms of teaching hours, the class hours for courses related to Western economics far exceed those for courses related to Marxist political economy. In terms of the content of postgraduate entrance examinations for economics students, Western economics courses occupy an important position in the examination content. In terms of domestic economics journals, the number of papers on Western economics far exceeds the number of papers on Marxist political economy.

For a long time, Western economics has occupied the mainstream position in Chinese economics circles. A phenomenon has formed in which economics circles use Western economics to examine China’s economic problems, rather than using Marxist political economy to study China’s economic problems. More seriously, there has also appeared a strange phenomenon in academia of regarding Western economics as economics while denying that Marxist political economy is economics. Economics is the science that studies economic relations and the laws of economic activity and their application. It is divided into Western economics and Marxist economics. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: “The economy cannot be separated from politics, and politics cannot be separated from the economy. This is an inevitable law of the development of objective things. The politicization of the economy and the economization of politics should be the concentrated expression of the harmonious development of the dialectical unity of economy and politics.” [4] The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Therefore, Western economics, which excludes political factors and establishes a pure economics, does not conform to the reality of the socialist market economy. Using Western economics as the mainstream economics to guide China’s economic practice is bound to be erroneous and harmful. Western economics occupying the mainstream position in Chinese economics is the result of blindly learning from Western market economy theory in the process of exploring the establishment of a socialist market economy, and it needs to be corrected in the New Era.

II. The Harmfulness of Western Economics Occupying the Mainstream Ideology of Chinese Economics

Comrade Xi Jinping said: “It should be said that so far, people’s practical experience with the capitalist market economy is rich, and theoretical development has also reached a relatively high stage, forming three major economic theoretical systems: Marxist economics, neoclassical economics, and Keynesian mainstream economics.” [5] Comrade Xi Jinping also profoundly pointed out: “There exists the problem of some people completely copying Western economic theory and using the market economy theory of Western capitalist private ownership to guide the brand-new practice of the socialist market economy. In all the works on the socialist market economy published so far, what is seen is almost entirely a restatement of Western market economy theory… From this perspective, using Western market economy theory to impersonate socialist market economy theory, just like stubbornly adhering to the traditional planned economic system, will cause serious damage to the cause of socialist modernization. This point should arouse high vigilance among theorists and practitioners.” [6] From this, one can clearly see Comrade Xi Jinping’s distinct

Comrade Xi

General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, “Nowadays, there are all kinds of economic theories, but the only foundation of our political economy can be Marxist political economy, and no other economic theory can take its place,” and “In our economics teaching, we must not mechanically apply foreign theories without digesting them; we must still teach Marxist political economy. Contemporary Chinese socialist political economy must be taught and discussed extensively, and must not be marginalized.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at a Symposium of Experts in Economic and Social Fields” (July 8, 2020), in *Xi Jinping: Excerpts from Important Discourses on the Construction of Socialist Market Economy*, Central Party Literature Press, 2023, p. 10. From this, it can be seen that General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to Marxist political economy and contemporary Chinese socialist political economy, and emphasizes that Chinese economic theory can only be guided by Marxist political economy. However, the reality is that Marxist political economy was gradually marginalized over a certain period, a situation that only began to be reversed and corrected in the New Era, during the formation and development of Xi Jinping’s economic thought.

General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “If we use the Western capitalist value

General Secretary Xi Jinping said: “Capitalist civilization is built on the

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Some developing countries, disregarding their national conditions and historical circumstances, have copied the Western model wholesale, resulting in maladaptation, with the vast majority falling into the predicament of long-term economic stagnation and social and political turmoil.” In response,

Marxist scholars have great potential to contribute to enriching and developing Marxism in the New Era, and can make contributions to promoting the systematic and theoretical research and interpretation of Xi Jinping’s economic thought. The modes of interaction between the Party and government and academia are diverse, including: scholars conducting academic research and publishing research results based on the needs of national development and scientific laws, with these results exerting direct or indirect influence on the decision-making of the Party and government; the Party and government typically soliciting research and verification from academic institutions and the insightful views of experts and scholars before making decisions; and academic research institutions and experts and scholars submitting research results to leaders at all levels for reference, playing a role in providing counsel. Currently, representative figures in Marxist economics still active in academia include Liu Guoguang, Gu Hailiang, Cheng Enfu, Jian Xinhua, Yan Pengfei, Li Jianping, Wang Zhenzhong, and others. Their academic achievements are also important results and components of Marxist political economy in the New Era. Therefore, Marxist economics in the New Era includes both Xi Jinping’s economic thought and the innovative Marxist economic theories proposed by Marxist economics scholars that meet the requirements of the New Era.

Comrade Xi Jinping has pointed out that “the great practice of establishing a socialist market economy requires the development and improvement of the Marxist economics system,” and that “for socialism, whether it is neoclassical economics, Keynesian mainstream economics, or other Western economic theories, none can be placed on a par with Marxist economics… It is necessary to take Marxist economics, whose basic paradigm is the most scientific and best able to meet the requirements of the socialist market economy, as the foundation and principal body, and to absorb and incorporate the excellent achievements of Western economics.”

Therefore, in the New Era, Marxist political economy should be taken as the principal body, drawing on and absorbing the beneficial components of Western economics. Through the positive interaction between the Party and government and Marxist scholars, we should jointly develop Marxist political economy for the New Era, and use the theories of Marxist political economy for the New Era to study and answer the practical problems facing China.

(II) The total class hours for Marxist political economy courses in the New Era should slightly exceed the total class hours for Western economics courses

Currently, in the curriculum design of national finance and economics colleges and universities, Western economics courses (microeconomics and macroeconomics) have at least a hundred class hours. If derivative courses of Western economics are included, this reaches several hundred class hours. Although some finance and economics majors offer Marxist political economy courses, their class hours are far fewer than those for Western economics courses. Some finance and economics colleges and universities do not even have specialized courses in Marxist political economy, and the class hours for Marxist political economy within the basic principles of Marxism course are pitifully few. Because the class hours for Marxist political economy are few, teachers cannot systematically introduce the theory of Marxist political economy, nor can they provide in-depth elucidation of it.

Marxist political economy in the New Era includes both Xi Jinping’s economic thought and the new theories of Marxist political economy proposed by contemporary Marxist political economy experts and scholars. Therefore, courses on Xi Jinping’s economic thought and courses on innovative Marxist political economy proposed by contemporary Marxist political economy scholars should be offered in all national finance and economics colleges and universities. The total class hours for Marxist political economy in the New Era should slightly exceed the total class hours for Western economics courses. Only in this way can the mainstream position of Marxist political economy in the New Era in the teaching field be reflected from a pedagogical perspective.

Only by using Marxist political economy in the New Era to guide the cultivation of talent in higher education can it be ensured that university students master the economic stance and analytical methods of Marxism, thereby helping university students establish a firm Marxist stance and communist belief.

(III) Domestic economics journals should publish more articles related to Marxist political economy in the New Era

Publishing papers in journals, especially core journals, is an important condition for scholars’ professional title promotion, award evaluations, and for doctoral and master’s students to graduate. The type of articles a journal publishes more of will guide scholars to devote their main energy to research in that area. Therefore, in the context where Chinese core journals mainly publish articles on Western economics, many economics scholars spend their energy studying Western economics rather than Marxist political economy.

The preference for the types of articles published in domestic economics journals depends on the journal’s mission and column settings. When publishing articles, domestic economics journals should reflect the mainstream position of Marxist political economy in the New Era within economics journals. As a discipline that profoundly influences the course of world history, Marxist political economy has unique value and significance in analyzing and explaining economic phenomena. Therefore, the authors suggest that while maintaining academic diversity, domestic economics journals should add columns on Xi Jinping’s economic thought and Marxist political economy, and ensure that the publication proportion of articles in the Xi Jinping’s economic thought column and the Marxist political economy column reaches at least 50 percent. At the same time, the authors suggest that all national comprehensive journals and university journals also set up columns

Recently, Shanghai implemented the requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the Marxist theoretical research and construction project for the new era, launching a support plan for the “Key Research Columns on Marxist Studies” in philosophy and social science academic journals of Shanghai’s higher education institutions, thereby putting into practice through concrete actions General Secretary Xi Jinping’s requirements on strengthening Marxist theoretical research.

(IV) China’s economics education community should focus on cultivating doctoral candidates and scholars specializing in Marxist political economy

Since reform and opening up, the economics programs in university economics departments have shifted from being primarily based on Marxist political economy to being primarily based on Western economics, cultivating a large number of master’s and doctoral students studying Western economics. There is no small number of scholars who hold completely Western economic viewpoints and serve as high-level think tank advisors, and there is also no small number of experts and scholars in some domestic universities who advocate fully accepting Western economics and using Western economics entirely to guide reform and opening up. Therefore, in today’s Chinese economics community, the number of scholars specializing in Western economics far exceeds the number of scholars specializing in Marxist political economy.

In the New Era, the cultivation of talent in economics programs should be primarily based on Marxist political economy. Within existing training plans for Western economics, talent should be cultivated that possesses a critical spirit and is adept at drawing on the beneficial experiences of Western economics, rather than scholars who fully accept Western economics. That is, graduate students in Western economics should be equipped with the ability to critique and draw lessons from Western economics.

With the advocacy of relevant leaders in the Party Central Committee and the strong support of the Central Propaganda Department, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has launched the “Training Program for Backbone Talents in Marxist Theory,” recruiting and cultivating doctoral students in Marxist theory nationwide. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences adheres to the leading role of Marxist disciplines, establishing academic disciplines and programs nationwide for the first time according to the Marxist category, and has become a highly influential highland for cultivating Marxist theoretical talent. With the strong support of the Party Central Committee, the cultivation of doctoral students in Marxist theory has received increasing attention nationwide. This is a powerful measure to reverse the marginalization of Marxist political economy in Chinese academic circles, and universities across the country should gradually promote this practice.

(V) Integrate Xi Jinping’s economic thought into Western economics courses and conduct curriculum-based ideological and political education [2]2 “Curriculum-based ideological and political education” (课程思政) refers to the integration of ideological and political education content into all non-political theory courses in Chinese higher education, as a means of ensuring that all teaching upholds socialist orientation and Party leadership.

For a long time, a considerable portion of professional teachers in finance and economics colleges and universities have received their education within the theoretical system of Western economics. Their knowledge structure is entirely constructed on the theoretical system of Western economics, and they adopt a completely accepting attitude toward Western economics. Therefore, in their actual teaching of Western economics, they carry out fully Westernized teaching entirely according to the theoretical system of Western economics, and a considerable portion of the students they cultivate also fully accept Western economics. In response to this, Western economics should be correctly treated in accordance with General

(The authors are: Professor at the School of Marxism, Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance; Director of the Xi Jinping Economic Thought Research Institute, Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance; Distinguished Researcher at the China Governance Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Researcher at the Lixin Branch of the University Research Center for the Great Founding Spirit of the Communist Party of China; and Lecturer at the School of Information Management, Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance.)

Online editor: Ma Jingren