Opinion: Remembering Deng Xiaoping: High-Quality Development Is the Absolute Principle of the New Era

On August 22, the 120th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping's birth, a grand symposium was held by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with President Xi Jinping delivering a significant speech commemorating the chief architect of China's reform and opening-up. Deng Xiaoping is renowned for his assertion, "development is the absolute principle," a notion of paramount relevance today, especially regarding high-quality development as a primary task to implement new developmental concepts [para. 1].

The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC in 1978 shifted China's focus to economic construction, marking the inception of the reform and opening-up era. This session catalyzed rapid development, with milestones like adopting a socialist market economy in 1992 and joining the World Trade Organization in 2001. These steps positioned China as the world's second-largest economy. The commitment to reform persists, with high-quality development regarded as the primary task in building a modern socialist country, repeatedly emphasized by entities like the Central Economic Work Conference [para. 2].

Reform and opening-up are essential for high-quality development. Deng Xiaoping's advocacy for sticking to these strategies, being bold, and innovating has been vital in China's economic ascent. The ongoing focus on deepening reforms is reiterated at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing reforms to advance Chinese-style modernization [para. 3].

Addressing real-world challenges is critical for advancing high-quality development. In the early reform period, China faced a substantial developmental gap with developed regions and unmet basic needs. Today, China's capacities, including a socialist market economy and rapid economic growth, provide a robust foundation for high-quality development. These capabilities are crucial as China faces external economic challenges, weak domestic demand, and the need to transition between old and new growth drivers [para. 4].

High-quality development requires a balanced pace of economic growth. Deng Xiaoping emphasized that economic development should be the core task, guiding all other functions. Presently, this development necessitates focusing on new quality productive forces. The 20th CPC Central Committee's Third Plenary Session highlighted the significance of revolutionary technological breakthroughs, innovative factor allocation, and deep industrial transformation to cultivate high-tech, high-efficiency, and high-quality industries [para. 5].

This kind of development also encompasses the comprehensive progression of individuals, not just GDP growth. The Third Plenum proposed that "promoting comprehensive development" includes improving income distribution, employment policies, social security, healthcare reforms, and population support services. Governments need to cater to public concerns in education, employment, healthcare, and elderly support to foster comprehensive development [para. 6].

A stable external environment is indispensable for high-quality development. Deng Xiaoping understood the importance of peace and sought to create favorable conditions for reform and opening-up. However, China's current external environment remains complex amid global unilateralism and protectionism. The nation continues to open its economy, adopting high-standard economic and trade agreements, and establishing a transparent, stable, and predictable institutional environment to support reforms through greater openness [para. 7].

Honoring Deng Xiaoping is not only about paying respect but also drawing strength from past reformers to advance their unfinished efforts. Transitioning from "development is the absolute principle" to "high-quality development is the absolute principle of the new era" represents an advanced understanding and a critical historical challenge that modern China must address comprehensively [para. 8].