2024会议笔记：习近平总书记深刻阐释新质生产力理论 [2024 meeting notes: General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly explained the theory of high quality productivity]

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The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held its 11th group study session on making solid progress in promoting high-quality development on the afternoon of Jan. 31. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, while presiding over the study session, emphasized it is a must to bear in mind that high-quality development is an unyielding principle in the new era. (Xi stresses development of new productive forces, high-quality development)

Promoting high quality development has become an important element of the evolution of socialist modernization away from its Reform and Opening Up Era  focus, toward an emphasis on high value added production. That, in turn, requires a theoretical (and ideological) basis; and that basis is meant to align the idea of political vanguardism with economic and productive vanguardism. More specifically, just as the CPC embodies the vanguard of leading forces the leadership of which provides proper guidance for political development, so high quality production signifies the leading forces of the development of productive forces which is an essential element of modernization in the New Era faced with the current general contradiction of uneven development and distribution. "Xi stressed that high-quality development has to be supported by a new productivity theory. . . .  In a nutshell, the new productive forces are primarily driven by innovation, and break free from traditional economic growth modes and productivity development paths." (Xi stresses development of new productive forces, high-quality development).

When Xi first used the term during a key party congress in 2017, he said China’s economy is transitioning away from a “high-speed growth phase.” He highlighted the importance of lifting productivity and improving the structure of the economy, as he called for more efficient and sustainable development. An analysis of Communist Party publications since then shows that progress in six key areas is often cited as required, including making the economy greener, more innovated and balanced. (Why China’s Xi is Pushing ‘High-Quality Development’).

Xi Jinping's inspection tour of inspection visit to Heilongjiang Province, northeast China (6-8 September 2023) set the stage for this elaboration of policy and the theoretical grounding in a theory of productive forces as a manifestation of socialist development in the current historical moment of Chinese development. " After four decades of reform and opening up, China is once again entering a critical period of taking its productive forces to the next level. . . In his speeches during the Heilongjiang tour, Xi emphasized that China must cultivate strategic emerging industries, such as new energy, new materials, advanced manufacturing, electronic information technology, among others, and industries of the future to foster new drivers of growth." (Developing new, high-quality productive forces).

To make these ideas more generally available, a sort of info-graphic was prepared for distribution in the form of colorful "meeting notes" of the study session and Xi Jinping's guidance--2024会议笔记：习近平总书记深刻阐释新质生产力理论 [2024 meeting notes: General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly explained the theory of high quality productivity].  It provides a quite useful "masses friendly" summary of the new emphasis on production. It follows below in the original Chinese and with a crude English translation. The more polished translation that smooths out a lot of the message might be found here).

 

 

2024|Meeting Notes

General Secretary Xi Jinping thoroughly explained the theory of new quality productivity

Meeting: The 11th collective study meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee
Time: January 31
Theme: Solidly promote high-quality development
Agenda: Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee studied on their own and exchanged work experiences. General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech when presiding over the study.
Summary: General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that we must keep in mind that high-quality development is the last word in the new era, comprehensively implement the new development concept, accelerate the construction of a modern economic system, promote high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and coordinate the advancement of deep-seated reforms and Strategic tasks such as high-level opening up, coordinating high-quality development and high-level security are implemented in place, and the assessment and evaluation system for promoting high-quality development is improved to lay the foundation for promoting high-quality development. The development of new productive forces is an intrinsic requirement and an important focus for promoting high-quality development. We must continue to do a good job in innovation and promote the accelerated development of new productive forces.

Meeting points

The obvious results of high-quality development since the new era

Since the new era, the Party Central Committee has made a series of major decisions and arrangements to promote high-quality development, which has become the consensus and conscious action of the whole party and society, and has also become the main theme of economic and social development.

In recent years, China has made fruitful achievements in scientific and technological innovation, and the results of innovation-driven development have become increasingly apparent: the coordination and balance of urban and rural regional development have been significantly enhanced; reform and opening up have been comprehensively deepened, and development momentum has been competing for development; green and low-carbon transformation has achieved remarkable results, and the pace of development mode has changed. Accelerate and achieve significant results in high-quality development.

At the same time, a large number of factors restricting high-quality development still exist. These must be taken seriously and effectively resolved.

Meeting points 

New Quality Productivity Theory 

In summary, new quality productivity is an advanced productivity state in which innovation plays a leading role, breaks away from the traditional economic growth mode and productivity development path, has the characteristics of high technology, high efficiency and high quality, and conforms to the new development concept. It was born from revolutionary technological breakthroughs, innovative allocation of production factors, and in-depth industrial transformation and upgrading. It takes the leap in workers, labor materials, labor objects and their optimal combination as its basic connotation, and takes the substantial increase in total factor productivity as its core symbol. Its characteristics It is innovation, the key lies in high quality, and the essence is advanced productivity.

Meeting points

Cultivate new driving forces for the development of new productive forces

It is necessary to strengthen scientific and technological innovation, especially original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation, accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-reliance, fight for key core technologies, enable original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation results to emerge, and cultivate new momentum for the development of new quality productivity. It is necessary to promptly apply the results of scientific and technological innovation to specific industries and industrial chains, transform and upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and strengthen emerging industries, layout and build future industries, and improve the modern industrial system.

It is necessary to layout the industrial chain around the development of new-quality productive forces, improve the resilience and safety level of the industrial chain and supply chain, and ensure that the industrial system is independent, controllable, safe and reliable. It is necessary to scientifically lay out scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation around the strategic tasks of promoting new industrialization and accelerating the construction of a manufacturing power, a quality power, a network power, a digital China and an agricultural power.

It is necessary to vigorously develop the digital economy, promote the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, and create an internationally competitive digital industry cluster.

Meeting points

New productivity itself is green productivity

We must accelerate the green transformation of the development model and help reach carbon peak and carbon neutrality. We must firmly establish and practice the concept that clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and unswervingly follow the path of ecological priority and green development. To those ends we must accelerate green technological innovation and the promotion and application of advanced green technologies, strengthen green manufacturing, develop green service industries, expand green energy industries, develop green and low-carbon industries and supply chains, and build a green and low-carbon circular economic system. We must continue to optimize the economic policy toolbox that supports green and low-carbon development, giving full play to the role of green finance, and create efficient ecological green industrial clusters. At the same time, we must vigorously promote a green and healthy lifestyle for the whole of society.

 Meeting points 

Further comprehensively deepen reforms and form new production relations 

It is necessary to deepen the reform of the economic system, science and technology system, etc., strive to clear up the blockages that restrict the development of new productive forces, establish a high-standard market system, innovate the allocation of production factors, and allow all types of advanced and high-quality production factors to flow smoothly to the development of new productive forces.

At the same time, we must expand high-level opening up to the outside world and create a good international environment for the development of new productive forces. In accordance with the requirements for developing new productive forces, we must smoothen the virtuous cycle of education, science and technology, and talents, and improve the working mechanism for talent training, introduction, use, and reasonable flow.

It is necessary to optimize subject settings and talent training models in colleges and universities according to new trends in scientific and technological development, and cultivate urgently needed talents for the development of new productive forces and promotion of high-quality development.

It is necessary to improve the factor participation income distribution mechanism, stimulate the vitality of production factors such as labor, knowledge, technology, management, capital and data, better reflect the market value of knowledge, technology and talents, and create a good atmosphere that encourages innovation and tolerates failure.