The Criterion of "Being Favorable in Three Aspects”

It is also called “three favorables” criterion. In his 1992 Southern Talks, Deng Xiaoping brought up the standard of “three favorables” so as to eliminate the doubt about whether China is a capitalist country or socialist country and promote the socialist modernization. The specific content of the of “three favorables” criterion is “whether it is favorable for developing the productive forces of the socialist society, enhancing the comprehensive national strength of the socialist countries, and improving the people’s living standards”. The standard of “three favorables” is the crystallization of the CPC’s creative application and development of the basic principles of historical materialism on the relation between two pairs, i.e., the productive forces and production relations, as well as the economic foundation and superstructure, the experience summary of China’s socialist Reform and Opening-up, and it is also the product of implementing the Party’s ideological line of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts. It scientifically answers the major theoretical questions like “what socialism is” and “how to build socialism”, eliminates people’s confusion about whether China is a capitalist country or socialist country, and provides an important guiding ideology for seizing opportunities, continuing to promote Reform and Opening-up, and accelerating development. “Three favorables” not only provides a scientific standard for Reform and Opening-up, but also reflects that the fundamental purpose of Reform and Opening-up is to improve and develop socialism.