Science and technology constitute a primary productive force
Science and technology are part of the productive forces – this is a basic tenet of Marxism. At the conference on science held in June 1988, Deng Xiaoping made the point that “Science and technology constitute a primary productive force” based on his observations of contemporary science and technology and the trend of their development. This dictum was one of Deng’s main ideas on science and technology. It summarized the features of modern science and technology and highlighted the driving role of science and technology in China’s economic and social progress in the 1990s and beyond.
The 14th CPC National Congress repeated Deng’s dictum and reiterated that “To enliven the economy, we must invigorate science and technology first.” Speaking to the conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in 2001, Jiang Zemin pointed out that “Science and technology constitute a primary productive force, and are the epitome and major indicator of advanced productive forces.” Addressing the International Conference on Engineering Science and Technology held in June 2014, Xi Jinping said, “China has realized rapid economic and social development since the People’s Republic was founded in 1949, especially since it adopted reform and opening up. Innovation in engineering science and technology has made invaluable contributions to this. In the world today, science and technology play a prominent role as a primary productive force.”
Currently, science and technology, and high technology in particular, are becoming a decisive force for economic and social development, and a focus of competitive strength of all countries. The core competitiveness of a nation is increasingly reflected by its capability to foster, allocate and manage intelligent resources and intellectual property, and to create and apply intellectual property. To fully leverage science and technology as a primary productive force is key to realizing China’s socialist modernization.
科学技术是第一生产力
“科学技术是生产力”是马克思主义的基本原理。1988年6月，邓小平根据科学技术发展的现状和趋势，在全国科学大会上首次提出“科学技术是第一生产力”。这一论断是邓小平科技思想的首要观点和精髓，既是现代科学技术发展的重要特点，也是科学技术发展的必然结果，为中国90年代乃至跨世纪经济和社会发展提供强大驱动力。
1992年党的十四大进一步指出，“科学技术是第一生产力，振兴经济首先振兴科技”。2001年，江泽民在庆祝中国共产党成立80周年大会上的重要讲话中指出，“科学技术是第一生产力，而且是先进生产力的集中体现和主要标志”。2014年6月，习近平在国际工程科技大会上强调：“新中国成立60多年特别是改革开放30多年来，中国经济社会快速发展，其中工程科技创新驱动功不可没。当今世界，科学技术作为第一生产力的作用愈益凸显。”
当今时代，科学技术特别是高技术正日益成为经济社会发展的决定性力量，成为综合国力竞争的焦点。国家核心竞争力越来越表现为对智力资源和智慧成果的培育、配置、调控能力，表现为对知识产权的拥有、运用能力。充分发挥科学技术“第一生产力”的作用，是实现中国社会主义现代化战略目标的关键。