Development as the top priority

Throughout the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping always felt a sense of urgency about China’s economic development. He believed that the target of doubling the economic output could be achieved only by seizing opportunities with determination and driving the Chinese economy up to a new level every few years. In June 1987 he urged an acceleration of the reform process, and in June 1989 he called for every possible effort to speed up development. In his speeches during his tour of southern cities in early 1992, he advocated a strategic focus on development as the top priority.

Deng’s emphasis on development was in response to world events at the time. The end of the 20th century witnessed fundamental changes in the global landscape, evidenced by the widespread pursuit of peace, social progress, happiness, stability and development. Bearing this global picture in mind, Deng called on the Party to focus on the most important issues, or rather issues of global strategic significance, those being peace and economic development.

In fact, the issue of development was Deng’s greatest concern. He said, “Development is the absolute principle. We must be clear about this question. If we fail to analyze it properly and to understand it correctly, we shall become overcautious, not daring to emancipate our minds and act freely. Consequently, we shall lose opportunities. Like a boat sailing against the current, we must forge ahead or be swept downstream.”

Four decades of reform and opening up have proved the vital importance of development and the validity of Deng’s thinking. Xi Jinping has also pointed out on many occasions that we should never waver in our resolve to pursue development, as it is the key to solving all the problems that China faces.

發(fā)展才是硬道理

從20世紀(jì)80年代開始，鄧小平對中國的經(jīng)濟(jì)建設(shè)始終懷著一種焦急的緊迫感。他認(rèn)為，只有橫下心來，抓住機(jī)遇，加快發(fā)展，隔幾年上一個(gè)臺階，才能確保翻番任務(wù)的實(shí)現(xiàn)。1987年6月，他強(qiáng)調(diào)“改革步子要加快”；1989年6月，他十分堅(jiān)決地說：“凡是能夠積極爭取的發(fā)展速度還是要積極爭取?！卑l(fā)展速度年年初，鄧小平在“南方談話”中，更是明確提出了“發(fā)展才是硬道理”這一戰(zhàn)略思想。

鄧小平提出這一思想，也與當(dāng)時(shí)的國際環(huán)境密切相關(guān)。20世紀(jì)末期，世界形勢發(fā)生了根本性變化，絕大多數(shù)人都向往著世界的安定和平、社會的文明進(jìn)步以及幸福美滿的生活，思穩(wěn)定、謀發(fā)展是世界思潮的主流。面對國際形勢這一顯著特點(diǎn)，鄧小平最先以敏銳的洞察力向全黨提出：“現(xiàn)在世界上真正的大問題，帶全球性的戰(zhàn)略問題，一個(gè)是和平問題，一個(gè)是經(jīng)濟(jì)問題或者說發(fā)展問題?！逼渲械陌l(fā)展問題又是鄧小平在這一時(shí)期最為關(guān)注的焦點(diǎn)。他強(qiáng)調(diào)，“發(fā)展才是硬道理。這個(gè)問題要搞清楚。如果分析不當(dāng)，造成誤解，人們就會變得謹(jǐn)小慎微，不敢解放思想，不敢放開手腳，結(jié)果是喪失時(shí)機(jī)，猶如逆水行舟，不進(jìn)則退?！备母镩_放40年的事實(shí)證明，發(fā)展才是硬道理，這是一條顛撲不破的真理。習(xí)近平也反復(fù)指出，發(fā)展是解決中國所有問題的關(guān)鍵，這一戰(zhàn)略思想要堅(jiān)定不移地堅(jiān)持。