The General Foundation of Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

The report of the 18th CPC National Congress pointed out that the general basis for building socialism with Chinese characteristics was the primary stage of socialism.

In 1981, the 6th Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee first proposed that China’s socialist system is still in the primary stage. In 1987, the 13th CPC National Congress scientifically explained the meaning of the primary stage of socialism and formulated the basic line of the primary stage of socialism.

The 15th CPC National Congress reiterated and emphasized that China was in and would be in the primary stage of socialism for a long time, and summed up the nine basic characteristics and formulated the basic program of this stage. In the 21st century, China’s development presents a series of new stage characteristics, which requires the Party to make further scientific analysis and accurate judgment on China’s national conditions.

The 16th CPC National Congress emphasized that China was in and would be in the primary stage of socialism for a long time. The well-off society reached now is still low-level, incomplete and unbalanced in development. To consolidate and improve the current well-off level still needs a long period of hard work.

The 17th CPC National Congress emphasized that China’s basic national condition that China was still in and would be in the primary stage of socialism for a long time, had not changed, and the main social contradiction between the people’s growing material and cultural needs and backward social production has not changed either.

On this basis, the 18th CPC National Congress clearly stated that the general basis for building socialism with Chinese characteristics was the primary stage of socialism.

China’s basic national condition that it is still in and will be in the primary stage of socialism for a long time, has not changed. The main social contradiction between the people’s growing material and cultural needs and backward social production has not changed. China’s international status as the largest developing country in the world has not changed. We emphasize that socialism with Chinese characteristics is still in and will be in the primary stage of socialism for a long time, because we should always take it as the fundamental basis for promoting reform and planning development. This requires us to firmly grasp this largest national condition under any circumstances, and base the promotion of reform and development in any aspect on it, in a way that we neither surpass the stage nor lag behind the reality, and do our best and do what we can in everything.