Establishing an Independent and Integrated Industrial System and a National Economic System

The important goal of China's economic construction established by the collective leadership of the Party Central Committee with Mao Zedong as the core.

On the eve of the founding of New China, Mao Zedong clearly pointed out at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Party: "After the victory of the revolution, we should speedily restore and develop production, cope with foreign imperialism, steadily transform China from an agricultural into an industrial country and build China into a great socialist state.” And he suggested that we should "solve the problem of establishing an independent and integrated industrial system.”

In 1956, the Eighth National Congress of the CPC clearly pointed out for the first time: "We should build, in the main, an integrated industrial system within the period of three five-year plans.” Such an industrial system can produce all kinds of major machinery, equipment and raw materials, basically meeting the needs of China's expanded reproduction and technological transformation of the national economy. At the same time, it can also produce all kinds of consumer goods to satisfy the demands born of an ever-rising standard of living.

From December 1959 to February 1960, Mao Zedong pointed out in his talk on the Political Economics Textbook of the Soviet Union: “At the First Plenary Session of the Eighth National People’s Congress we spoke of the necessity to establish a firm foundation for socialist industrialization in the Second Five-Year Plan. We also said that within fifteen years or so we would build an integrated industrial system. These two statements are somewhat contradictory, for without a fully equipped industrial system how can we speak of having a firm foundation for socialist industrialization?”

Zhou Enlai pointed out in August 1963 at the meeting of the Drafting Committee of the Central Committee of the CPC in his speech “On Industrial Development”: "An independent national economic system should be basically established. The national economic system includes not only industry, but also agriculture, commerce, science and technology, culture and education, and national defense. The establishment of an independent national economic system is more complete than the establishment of an independent industrial system."

On December 21, 1964, Zhou Enlai, in his report on the government work at the First Session of the Third National People's Congress, took "the establishment of an independent and relatively comprehensive industrial and national economic structure” as the first step to realize the "four modernizations" in China.

The establishment of an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system was the first step for new China to make substantial progress from a backward agricultural country to a socialist industrial country, and it also laid a material and technological foundation for China's socialist development and progress and opening up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.