Scientific Concept of Development

Experts' understanding of the Scientific Concept of Development

专家解读科学发展观

Why did the CPC Central Committee put forward the Scientific Concept of Development?

中央为何提出科学发展观？

The Scientific Concept of Development was put forward at the Third Plenary Session of the 16th CPC National Congress in 2003. It shows the new central leadership's deeper, innovative understanding regarding the connotation, essence and nature of development.

        2003年，十六届三中全会明确提出科学发展观，是新一届中央领导集体对发展内涵、发展要义、发展本质的进一步深化和创新。

Wang Huaichao, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Sciences of the Party School of CPC Central Committee, pointed out that after the reform and opening-up policy was introduced in 1978, the CPC Central Committee made a strategic decision to shift its focus onto socialist modernization construction. The Party's basic line, including keeping economic development as the central task and building up socialism with Chinese characteristics, gradually took shape. In the early 1990s, the CPC Central Committee formulated the principle of fast, coordinated and sustainable development. In particular, it put forth the sustainable development strategy. While propelling economic development, the CPC Central Committee took into consideration the population, resources and environment. It also began to foster harmony between man and nature. In the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005), the people-first concept was put forward. However, in day-to-day works, some local governments still kept their eyes glued on economic growth, especially GDP increases. Thus, they devoted less attention to the development of society and people.

        中央党校科社部副主任王怀超分析说，改革开放后，中央做出了把工作重心转移到社会主义现代化建设上来这一战略决策，并逐步形成了以经济建设为中心和建设有中国特色社会主义理论的基本路线。20世纪90年代初，党中央又制定了快速、协调和持续发展的方针，特别是制定并开始实施可持续发展战略，开始注意经济发展与资源、环境和人口的协调问题，开始注意人与自然的和谐发展。"十五"计划进一步提出了"以人为本"的思想。但是，各地在实践中大都还是把经济增长，特别是GDP（国内生产总值）增长作为发展的核心，客观上对社会发展和人的发展重视不够。

Zheng Xinli, Deputy Director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, had his own understanding of the background of the formulation of the Scientific Concept of Development. He pointed out that first of all, the concept was put forward when a series of prominent issues cropped up inChina's economic and social development. Since 1978,Chinahas made much headway in its economic development. However, it was also undeniable that the country was suffering from a series of problems, such as uneven development, uncoordinated development and a weak capacity to maintain sustainable development. Specifically speaking, the divide between urban and rural areas kept enlarging, the pressure on employment was intensifying, the gap between different regions was widening, the reserve of resources was diminishing and the eco-environment was deteriorating. During this period, social development obviously lagged behind economic advancement. After the 9th Five-Year Plan period (1996-2000), great efforts were made to improve the economic growth mode, which once led to a significant decrease in consumption. However, in the past two years, the former extensive economic growth mode was discovered again in some regions. While some of the problems were unavoidable, given the current stage of development, some resulted from a faulty understanding of development. In order to solve various problems in day-to-day works, the CPC Central Committee put forward the concept of comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development. The concept was formulated in accordance with the real conditions ofChinain order to meet the pressing needs of overall development of the country.

        中央政策研究室副主任郑新立指出：首先，科学发展观是针对当前我国经济、社会发展中存在的突出问题和矛盾提出来的。改革开放以来，我国经济发展取得了举世瞩目的巨大成就，但不可否认，也存在一系列突出的矛盾和问题，发展不够全面，也不够协调，持续发展能力较弱，如城乡差距拉大、就业压力增加、区域差距扩大、资源短缺和生态环境遭到破坏、社会的发展明显滞后于经济的发展等等。从"九五"以来大力推进经济增长方式转变，消耗一度下降，但近两年有的地方却出现了旧的粗放型增长方式回潮的势头。这些矛盾和问题，有些是在中国发展的现阶段难以避免的，有些则是由于发展观的偏差所导致的或者所加剧的。针对发展中实际存在的问题，提出树立和落实全面、协调、可持续的发展观，具有很强的现实针对性和紧迫性。

Second, the scientific concept of development is a necessary requirement to accomplish the objective of building a prosperous society in an all round way. To achieve this objective, great efforts must be made to improve the living standards in ruralChina, especially in the central and western parts ofChina. Efforts must also be made in urban areas where some 30 million people still lead comparatively poor lives. What should the government do to help the poor live a better life and spread the benefits of the reform and opening-up policy to all? This becomes an important task for the government to fulfill when it tries to build a prosperous society in an all-round way. To build a well-off society in an all-round way does not mean simple GDP growth. It also signifies societal development, environmental improvement, an enhancement of people's cultural life and ethical standards, and the comprehensive development of material, political and spiritual civilizations. To achieve the objective, we should change the former faulty understanding of development.

        其次，科学发展观是实现党的十六大提出的全面建设小康社会目标的客观要求。实现全面建设小康社会的目标，难点在农村，特别是在中西部地区的农村。在城市里也有两三千万居民生活水平较低。怎样才能让城市和农村中生活困难的群众过上小康生活，充分享受到改革和发展的成果？这是全面建设小康社会的重要任务。全面建设小康社会的要求不光是追求GDP的指标，它还应包括社会的发展、环境的改善、文化生活和精神道德水平的提高，推动物质文明、精神文明和政治文明的全面发展。按照全面建设小康社会的目标和要求，需要我们转变过去的发展观念。

In the past five decades since the People's Republic ofChinawas founded, we have accumulated a series of successful experiences, such as building up a nationwide public medical system and strengthening compulsory education in rural areas. However, some of these good practices were not maintained during the economic transformation. Compared with the fast economic development inChina, social development obviously lagged behind, unable to meet the requirements of economic development and the needs of the people for material and cultural life. In addition, the unexpected SARS outbreak in 2003 reminded us that besides economic growth, there were many other issues that needed to be addressed promptly.

        在新中国成立50多年来的发展历程中，我们有一些比较成功的经验和做法，如建立社会公共卫生体系、加强农村义务教育等，然而这些好的做法却在体制转轨过程中有所流失。相对于我国经济高速发展的水平，社会领域的发展明显滞后，不能适应经济发展的要求，更不能适应人民对物质、文化生活改善的要求。2003年非典疫情的突袭给我们敲响了警钟。

Finally, after years of economic progress,Chinais now capable of solving previously unsolvable problems. To solve the problems inherent in social development, such as technological innovation, educational development, pollution control and ecological improvement, a large quantity of financial investment is required. In the past, when food and clothing were not adequate, the government made all of its efforts to increase supply and fulfill people’s fundamental needs for material life. Under such conditions, it was difficult for the government to spare efforts for other issues. However, thanks to the fast development in the past 20 years, the Chinese people have become prosperous by and large. The country has seen a remarkable rise in its economic strength. The per-capita GDP totaled US$1,000.

        最后，科学发展观的提出也表明，我国目前经济发展的水平使我们有条件解决过去想解决而解决不了的问题。许多社会发展问题，如科技进步、教育发展、环境治理、生态改善等，都需要大量资金投入。过去在温饱问题还没有得到解决的时候，我们不得不把主要精力放在增加供给，满足人们最基本的物质生活需求上，其他方面很难顾及到。经过20多年的改革发展，我国已基本实现了小康，国家的财力和经济实力有了明显增长，人均GDP已经达到1000美元。经济发展到目前这种水平，我们有条件、也有能力解决过去想办而没有办成的事情。

To keep economic development as the central task is naturally included in the Scientific Concept of Development.

        以经济建设为中心是科学发展观应有之义。

Experts pointed out that to ensure the successful implementation of the Scientific Concept of Development, on one hand, we should correct a series of erroneous understandings, such as prioritizing economic growth over social development, prioritizing material output over the realization of men's values, and prioritizing immediate interests over long-term interests. On the other hand, we should clearly note that to conduct comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development, we should always consider economic development as our primary task. The law of social development tells us that although economic growth is not the whole of development, it is the essence of development.

        专家们指出，树立和落实科学发展观，必须纠正一些地方和领域出现的重经济指标，轻社会进步；重物质成果，轻人的价值；重眼前利益，轻长远福祉的偏颇。但我们必须清醒地认识到，提出全面、协调、可持续的发展观，并不意味着发展经济已退居次要位置，更不意味着经济建设不重要了。人类社会的发展规律昭示我们：经济发展虽然不是发展的全部内涵，却是发展的核心内涵。

Wang Mengkui, Director of theDevelopmentResearchCenterof the State Council, pointed out that the current prosperous situation inChinais mainly due to fast economic growth over the past two decades. The settlement of all those social problems is based on continuous economic achievement. In the past 20 years,Chinahas made much headway in economic development and institutional reform. Meanwhile, however, a great number of problems have cropped up. All the experiences we have acquired in domestic development and the development of other countries tell us that economic growth, especially GDP growth, should not be taken as the only index of social-economic development. The final aim of our development should be achieving a comprehensive social advancement on the basis of economic growth, thus to enhance the living standards of all people.

        国务院发展研究中心主任王梦奎明确指出：没有过去20多年的高速增长，就没有今天的大好局面。诸多社会问题的解决，也是以经济持续发展为基础的。我国20多年来经济发展和体制改革中取得的成就和存在的问题以及国内外的经验和教训都说明：社会经济发展的战略目标，不是单纯追求经济增长，更不是单纯追求GDP的增长而是在经济发展基础上实现社会全面进步，增进全体人民的福利。

Chen Xiwen is the deputy director of the Leading Work Group of Financial and Economic Works of the CPC Central Committee. He is also a specialist on agricultural policies. Chen saidChinaused to concentrate on GDP growth alone. This was not real development. To Chen, if a local government achieved fast GDP increase by depriving farmers of their lands, works and even social securities, how could we call it development?

        中央财经领导小组办公室副主任、著名"三农"问题专家陈锡文告诉记者，过去单纯地追求GDP的增长不是真正的发展。GDP固然重要，但一个地方GDP增长很快，同时"三无（土地、岗位、保障）"农民大量增加，怎么能叫发展呢？

All positive and negative experiences warn us that on one hand, we should not replace social development by pure economic pursuit, and on the other hand, we should not deny the key role of economic development in social advancement. On the whole, we should stick to the central task of economic development and strive for a balanced development of all resources to achieve comprehensive development within all of society.Chinahas a huge population but only a small amount of per-capita resources. Compared with the developed countries, it remains backward in many fields. Take an example: suppose the annual economic growth rate of theUSstands at 3 percent and that ofChina8 percent, it will takeChina68 years to enjoy a per-capita GDP equal to that of theUS. Suppose the annual economic growth rate of theUSstands at 4 percent and that ofChina7 percent, it will takeChina118 years to catch up with theUS.Chinais at the primary stage of socialism. The increase of material wealth should always be taken as the essence and fundamental issue of development. Without fast accumulation of material wealth, it is difficult for us to accomplish the objective of fostering balanced development.

        正反两方面的实践深刻地警示我们：既不能以经济发展代替社会发展，也不能因为强调发展的全面性而否定经济发展在社会发展中的基础地位。我们必须在坚持经济建设这个中心的基础上，来统筹各方面，促进全面发展。中国人口多，人均资源占有量少，同发达国家相比，还处于相对落后状态。据专家测算，如果美国年增长率为3%，中国年增长率为8%，那么中国需要68年才能实现人均GDP与美国相当；如果美国增长率为4%，中国增长率为7%，那么中国需要118年才能赶上美国。在整个社会主义初级阶段，物质财富的增长，始终是发展最核心、最基本的内容，没有物质的快速增长，其他各方面协调发展的社会目标就很难实现。