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.

實現兩個根本性轉變

決定一個國家經濟發展軌跡的，一是經濟體制，二是經濟增長方式。前者的選擇和改革與后者的選擇和更新，是經濟工作始終關注和決策的重要內容。經濟體制與生產關系相聯系，經濟增長方式與生產力相聯系，兩者之間相互依存、相互制約、相互促進，在不同條件下有不同的組合形態，一定的經濟體制又與一定的經濟增長方式相對應。

1995年黨的十四屆五中全會提出，實現“九五”計劃和2010年遠景目標的關鍵是實行兩個具有全局意義的根本性轉變：一是經濟體制從傳統的計劃經濟體制向社會主義市場經濟體制轉變，二是經濟增長方式從粗放型向集約型轉變，目的是促進國民經濟持續快速健康發展和社會全面進步。第一個根本性轉變是指生產關系的改革，是改革戰略，可以叫作“體制轉軌”；第二個根本性轉變是指生產力發展途徑的調整，是發展戰略，也可以叫作“增長轉型”。“體制轉軌”與“增長轉型”同步推進，改革與發展相輔相成，是實現新時期偉大戰略目標的關鍵所在。

實現“兩個根本性轉變”目標，是對中國改革開放以來特別是“八五”時期改革開放和現代化建設所取得的偉大成就及成功經驗的歷史總結，是黨在深入探索和全面把握中國經濟發展規律的基礎上提出的重要方針，是關系國民經濟全局的緊迫而重大的戰略任務，標志著中國經濟建設將朝著深化體制改革、提高質量的方向發展。