Experts' understanding of the Scientific Concept of Development

專家解讀科學發展觀

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

中央為何提出科學發展觀？

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，十六屆三中全會明確提出科學發展觀，是新一屆中央領導集體對發展內涵、發展要義、發展本質的進一步深化和創新。

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.

        中央黨校科社部副主任王懷超分析說，改革開放后，中央做出了把工作重心轉移到社會主義現代化建設上來這一戰略決策，并逐步形成了以經濟建設為中心和建設有中國特色社會主義理論的基本路線。20世紀90年代初，黨中央又制定了快速、協調和持續發展的方針，特別是制定并開始實施可持續發展戰略，開始注意經濟發展與資源、環境和人口的協調問題，開始注意人與自然的和諧發展。"十五"計劃進一步提出了"以人為本"的思想。但是，各地在實踐中大都還是把經濟增長，特別是GDP（國內生產總值）增長作為發展的核心，客觀上對社會發展和人的發展重視不夠。

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鄭新立指出：首先，科學發展觀是針對當前我國經濟、社會發展中存在的突出問題和矛盾提出來的。改革開放以來，我國經濟發展取得了舉世矚目的巨大成就，但不可否認，也存在一系列突出的矛盾和問題，發展不夠全面，也不夠協調，持續發展能力較弱，如城鄉差距拉大、就業壓力增加、區域差距擴大、資源短缺和生態環境遭到破壞、社會的發展明顯滯后于經濟的發展等等。從"九五"以來大力推進經濟增長方式轉變，消耗一度下降，但近兩年有的地方卻出現了舊的粗放型增長方式回潮的勢頭。這些矛盾和問題，有些是在中國發展的現階段難以避免的，有些則是由于發展觀的偏差所導致的或者所加劇的。針對發展中實際存在的問題，提出樹立和落實全面、協調、可持續的發展觀，具有很強的現實針對性和緊迫性。

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，科學發展觀是實現黨的十六大提出的全面建設小康社會目標的客觀要求。實現全面建設小康社會的目標，難點在農村，特別是在中西部地區的農村。在城市里也有兩三千萬居民生活水平較低。怎樣才能讓城市和農村中生活困難的群眾過上小康生活，充分享受到改革和發展的成果？這是全面建設小康社會的重要任務。全面建設小康社會的要求不光是追求GDP的指標，它還應包括社會的發展、環境的改善、文化生活和精神道德水平的提高，推動物質文明、精神文明和政治文明的全面發展。按照全面建設小康社會的目標和要求，需要我們轉變過去的發展觀念。

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.

        在新中國成立50多年來的發展歷程中，我們有一些比較成功的經驗和做法，如建立社會公共衛生體系、加強農村義務教育等，然而這些好的做法卻在體制轉軌過程中有所流失。相對于我國經濟高速發展的水平，社會領域的發展明顯滯后，不能適應經濟發展的要求，更不能適應人民對物質、文化生活改善的要求。2003年非典疫情的突襲給我們敲響了警鐘。

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，科學發展觀的提出也表明，我國目前經濟發展的水平使我們有條件解決過去想解決而解決不了的問題。許多社會發展問題，如科技進步、教育發展、環境治理、生態改善等，都需要大量資金投入。過去在溫飽問題還沒有得到解決的時候，我們不得不把主要精力放在增加供給，滿足人們最基本的物質生活需求上，其他方面很難顧及到。經過20多年的改革發展，我國已基本實現了小康，國家的財力和經濟實力有了明顯增長，人均GDP已經達到1000美元。經濟發展到目前這種水平，我們有條件、也有能力解決過去想辦而沒有辦成的事情。

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

        以經濟建設為中心是科學發展觀應有之義。

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.

        專家們指出，樹立和落實科學發展觀，必須糾正一些地方和領域出現的重經濟指標，輕社會進步；重物質成果，輕人的價值；重眼前利益，輕長遠福祉的偏頗。但我們必須清醒地認識到，提出全面、協調、可持續的發展觀，并不意味著發展經濟已退居次要位置，更不意味著經濟建設不重要了。人類社會的發展規律昭示我們：經濟發展雖然不是發展的全部內涵，卻是發展的核心內涵。

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.

        國務院發展研究中心主任王夢奎明確指出：沒有過去20多年的高速增長，就沒有今天的大好局面。諸多社會問題的解決，也是以經濟持續發展為基礎的。我國20多年來經濟發展和體制改革中取得的成就和存在的問題以及國內外的經驗和教訓都說明：社會經濟發展的戰略目標，不是單純追求經濟增長，更不是單純追求GDP的增長而是在經濟發展基礎上實現社會全面進步，增進全體人民的福利。

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?

        中央財經領導小組辦公室副主任、著名"三農"問題專家陳錫文告訴記者，過去單純地追求GDP的增長不是真正的發展。GDP固然重要，但一個地方GDP增長很快，同時"三無（土地、崗位、保障）"農民大量增加，怎么能叫發展呢？

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.

        正反兩方面的實踐深刻地警示我們：既不能以經濟發展代替社會發展，也不能因為強調發展的全面性而否定經濟發展在社會發展中的基礎地位。我們必須在堅持經濟建設這個中心的基礎上，來統籌各方面，促進全面發展。中國人口多，人均資源占有量少，同發達國家相比，還處于相對落后狀態。據專家測算，如果美國年增長率為3%，中國年增長率為8%，那么中國需要68年才能實現人均GDP與美國相當；如果美國增長率為4%，中國增長率為7%，那么中國需要118年才能趕上美國。在整個社會主義初級階段，物質財富的增長，始終是發展最核心、最基本的內容，沒有物質的快速增長，其他各方面協調發展的社會目標就很難實現。