Everything We Do Must Proceed from the Realities of the Primary Stage of Socialism

Part of Deng Xiaoping's Talk with Italian Communist Party Leaders Leonilde Jotti and Renato Zangheri on August 29, 1987. Contained in in Vol. 3 of Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping. China is developing its economy in three steps. Two steps will be taken in this century, to reach the point where our people have adequate food and clothing and lead a fairly comfortable life. The third step, which will take us 30 to 50 years into the next century, is to reach the level of the moderately developed countries. These are our strategic objectives and our high ambitions. It would be impossible for us to fulfil those aspirations without carrying out reform and opening to the outside world. At the same time, the conversation also expounded the unprecedent great changes in rural areas caused by respecting the creative spirit of grass-roots agricultural units and farmers. The talk discussed the importance of deepening economic system reform and carrying out corresponding political system reform. “The reform of the political structure is a complex undertaking, and every measure we take will affect the interests of thousands upon thousands of people.

So we have to proceed one step at a time, in a well-directed and orderly way. We cannot simply copy the system of the capitalist countries lock, stock and barrel, and we cannot allow bourgeois liberalization.” For instance, we cannot abandon leadership by the Communist Party. Without the Communist Party there would be chaos, or at least instability. Under those conditions, any development would be impossible. In the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC held in 1981, “Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China” was adopted, completely denouncing the Cultural Revolution and Mao Zedong's theory of continuing revolution under proletarian dictatorship. For the first time, it was clearly stated that our socialist system is still in its infancy. On the eve of the 13th National Congress of the CPC,Deng Xiaoping emphasized in this talk: “ The 13th National Party Congress will explain what stage China is in: the primary stage of socialism. Socialism itself is the first stage of communism, and here in China we are still in the primary stage of socialism — that is, the underdeveloped stage. In everything we do we must proceed from this reality, and all planning must be consistent with it.” This exposition, for the first time, evaluates the primary stage of socialism as the basic national condition of China that concerns the overall situation, and clarifies that this issue is the starting point and fundamental basis for the Party to formulate its line, principles and policies.

Deng Xiaoping's talk expounds and accurately grasps the overriding reality and basic national conditions of our country at the primary stage of socialism, and has provided a basis for building socialism with Chinese characteristics.