Development is the Overriding Principle

Economic development, the major theoretical achievements formed by Deng Xiaoping's long-term practical and theoretical exploration on what is socialism and how to build socialism, was the major proposition summarized in the Southern Talks in February 1992. On December 18, 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed to “take economic development as the central task”, which initiated the great practice of contemporary China’s Reform and Opening-up. On January 16, 1980, Deng Xiaoping pointed out at the cadre meeting convened by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China: “Above all, economic development must be the central task. Deviating from the center of economic development, we will be in danger of losing the material foundation. All other tasks must serve this central task and never interfere with it or impact it.” This important thought was summed up by him in the Southern Talks as “development as the top priority”. The reason why we take development as the top priority is that it is an important manifestation of the essence of socialism and the fundamental task of socialism. The essence of socialism is to liberate productive forces, develop productive forces, eliminate exploitation, eliminate polarization, and ultimately achieve common prosperity. Adhering to the primary essence of emancipating and developing the productive forces is an important guarantee for unifying the thinking of the entire Party and the people of the country and realizing the socialist goal of common prosperity. The main thread running through socialism with Chinese characteristics is to achieve development through reforms. This is an unwavering prerequisite for persisting in focusing on economic development as the central task. The liberation and development of productive forces are important ways to complete the historical tasks of socialist modernization. The reason why we take development as the top priority is to address the outstanding problems that China must solve in the process of modernization. Our country’s socialist modernization remains an arduous task, which includes both old problems accumulated in the past and new problems that are constantly emerging. To solve the major problems in the primary stage of socialism in our country and to overcome various difficulties depend on development. Speeding up development and improving comprehensive national strength are important means to deal with various risks.

The reason why development is the top priority is that Deng Xiaoping made an important judgment in response to the development of the world situation. Entering the end of the 20th century, the vast majority of people in the world yearn for stability and peace in the world, for social civilization and progress and for a happy life. Pursuing stability and development has become the mainstream of world trend. Faced with this remarkable feature of the international situation, Deng Xiaoping pointed out, “The truly big issues in the world nowadays are global strategic issues, one being peace and the other being economic issue or development issue.” Among them, development issue is the core. Deng Xiaoping's proposition that development is the top priority guides the whole Party and the people of the whole country to continue to emancipate their minds, and push socialism with Chinese characteristics to a new historical stage. After 40 years of development of Reform and Opening-up, China’s great achievements have fully proved that development is the top priority, which is an irrefutable truth.