"Two-Stage" Development Strategy

Mao Zedong's ideas on strategic steps of ideas for realizing "four modernizations".

On the eve of the founding of New China, when Mao Zedong discussed the issue of transforming China from an agricultural country to an industrial country at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the CPC, he put forward the task of "solving the problem of establishing an independent and integrated industrial system.”

In September 1956, the resolution of the Eighth National Congress of the CPC stated: "We should build, in the main, an integrated industrial system within the period of three five-year plans or a little more time.” In December 1959, Zhou Enlai further raised the problem of establishing an independent and integrated industrial system. At the Fourth Session of the Second National People's Congress, held at the end of 1963, he used the term "basically building an independent and relatively comprehensive industrial and economic structure” within 15 years.

In August and September 1963, Mao Zedong's revised preliminary draft on industrial development clearly pointed out: "After three years of transition, our industrial development can be considered in two stages: the first stage is to build an independent and relatively comprehensive industrial and economic structure; the second stage is to accomplish the overall modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense and science and technology, so that our economy will be among the front ranks of world economies.”

At the First Session of the Third National People's Congress held in December 1964, Zhou Enlai made a complete and accurate statement of the "two-step" strategy in his report on government work. This is: “To accomplish this historic task, we may envisage the development of our economy in two stages beginning with the Third Five-Year Plan. The first stage is to build an independent and relatively comprehensive industrial and economic structure; the second stage is to accomplish the overall modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense and science and technology, so that our economy will be among the front ranks of world economies.”

In January 1975, Zhou Enlai reiterated the goal of "four modernizations" and the strategy of "two stages" in his report on government work at the First Session of the Fourth National People's Congress. It was of great significance to implement the "two-step" strategy. By doing so, China's economic development could be established on a solid and reliable basis, and it could develop relatively rapidly, and China could win economic independence and consolidate its political independence.