Fundamental transformation of economic system and economic growth model
The economic system and the economic growth model are the two factors that determine the trajectory of a country’s economic development. Choosing and reforming them are issues of importance to economic decision-makers. The economic system concerns the relations of production, and the economic growth model concerns the productive forces. These two pairs are interdependent, interacting and mutually reinforcing. They have different alignments under different conditions, and a certain economic system accords with a certain model of economic growth.
At the Fifth Plenary Session of its 14th Central Committee, the CPC stated that the key to realizing the Ninth Five-year Plan and the Long-range Objectives Through the Year 2010 would lie in two fundamental transformations of fundamental importance: the transformation from a planned economy to a socialist market economy, and the transformation from an extensive to an intensive model of economic growth. These two transformations would promote sustainable, rapid and sound economic growth and social progress.
The first transformation was a reform strategy for institutional change; in essence it meant to reform the relations of production. The second transformation was a development strategy for growth change that implied transferring the productive forces to a different track. Simultaneously advancing these two transformations and making reform and development complementary were vital to China’s strategic goals.
The two transformations were proposed based on a summary of China’s experience and achievements in reform, opening up and modernization, especially during its Eighth Five-year Plan period (1991-1995). They constituted an underlying principle of the Party stemming from in-depth analysis and understanding of the laws of China’s economic development. They were also two urgent strategic economic tasks and indicators of deeper institutional reform and the pursuit of higher quality.
实现两个根本性转变
决定一个国家经济发展轨迹的，一是经济体制，二是经济增长方式。前者的选择和改革与后者的选择和更新，是经济工作始终关注和决策的重要内容。经济体制与生产关系相联系，经济增长方式与生产力相联系，两者之间相互依存、相互制约、相互促进，在不同条件下有不同的组合形态，一定的经济体制又与一定的经济增长方式相对应。
1995年党的十四届五中全会提出，实现“九五”计划和2010年远景目标的关键是实行两个具有全局意义的根本性转变：一是经济体制从传统的计划经济体制向社会主义市场经济体制转变，二是经济增长方式从粗放型向集约型转变，目的是促进国民经济持续快速健康发展和社会全面进步。第一个根本性转变是指生产关系的改革，是改革战略，可以叫作“体制转轨”；第二个根本性转变是指生产力发展途径的调整，是发展战略，也可以叫作“增长转型”。“体制转轨”与“增长转型”同步推进，改革与发展相辅相成，是实现新时期伟大战略目标的关键所在。
实现“两个根本性转变”目标，是对中国改革开放以来特别是“八五”时期改革开放和现代化建设所取得的伟大成就及成功经验的历史总结，是党在深入探索和全面把握中国经济发展规律的基础上提出的重要方针，是关系国民经济全局的紧迫而重大的战略任务，标志着中国经济建设将朝着深化体制改革、提高质量的方向发展。