Persisting in Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Comprehensively Opening Up

2. The only way to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics

Reform and opening up went hand in hand with socialism with Chinese characteristics. The great practice of reform and opening up is an inexhaustible source of power for the formation and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The reason why socialism with Chinese characteristics has vigorous vitality lies in the fact that it is a socialism that implements reform and opening up. It is in the great practice of reform and opening up that socialism with Chinese characteristics has ushered in a great leap from its founding, development to perfection. Reform and opening up have deepened the understanding of the law of socialist construction and provided strong support for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The CPC’s understanding and grasp of the law governing socialist construction has gone through a process of moving from shallow to deep. On the basis of summing up the experience of socialist construction and in the magnificent practice of reform and opening up, we have gradually realized that socialist society is a society of constant change and change, and there is no immutable socialism; socialism is a kind of socialism that can have “multiple ways” and has no fixed and unique model; socialism is a socialism that is rejuvenated and manifests world significance through integration with China’s practice, and there is no abstract socialism that departs from the specific national conditions and actual conditions. Based on these understanding of laws, one of the basic conclusions drawn by the CPC in summing up its long-term historical experience is to follow its own road and build socialism with Chinese characteristics. Adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics has become the theme of all the Party’s theories and practices since the reform and opening up.

Reform and opening up have provided a practical basis for the creation, development and improvement of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Socialism is not only a political proposition, but also a movement, which cannot be separated from practice. In the great practice of reform and opening up, the Communist Party of China has insisted on proceeding from reality and basing itself on the actual national conditions.

“Do what Comrade Mao Zedong has proposed but has not done, correct what he opposes and is wrong, and do well what he has not done well.” 1 He pioneered socialism with Chinese characteristics, and in practice, it continues to develop and gradually improve. At every major historical juncture facing the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we have relied on deepening reform and opening up to get out of the predicament and successfully break through. This is true whether it is to get rid of the domestic predicament after the end of the “Cultural Revolution” or to face the grim situation at home and abroad in the late 80s and early 90s of the 20th century; whether it is to respond to the domestic and foreign concerns after the death of Comrade Deng Xiaoping in 1997, or to cope with the new phased characteristics that emerged at the turn of the century; whether it is to cope with the huge impact of the international financial crisis in 2008, or to properly handle the main social contradictions that have been transformed in the new era. Reform and opening up have indeed become a key move to determine China’s future and destiny. Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out: During the Cultural Revolution, when the ‘Gang of Four’ was in power, the people were in a dull mood, and it could even be said that they were in a state of worry, and the whole society was in a state of stagnation. After the end of the Cultural Revolution, there are still two years to go. China really became active and really concentrated its efforts on what the people wanted to do after the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee at the end of 1978. " 2 With its revolutionary shaping of contemporary China, reform and opening up has injected strong vitality into socialism with Chinese characteristics.

From the implementation of household joint production contracting, the sudden emergence of township enterprises, the abolition of agricultural taxes, animal husbandry taxes and special product taxes, to the separation of “three powers” in rural contracted land, winning the battle against poverty, and implementing the strategy of rural revitalization; from doing a good job in large and medium- sized state-owned enterprises and developing individual and private economies to deepening the reform of state-owned assets and state-owned enterprises, and developing a mixed-ownership economy; from single public ownership to public ownership as the mainstay, the common development of multiple ownership economies and adherence to the “two unwavering” principle; From the traditional planned economic system to the unprecedented socialist market economic system, to making the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources and giving better play to the role of the government; from focusing on economic structural reform to comprehensively deepening the reform of economic, political, cultural, social and ecological civilization systems and party building systems. It is precisely because of the bold reform of production relations that do not adapt to the productive forces and the superstructure that does not adapt to the economic base that the enthusiasm of the broad masses of the people has been aroused, the creativity and development vitality of the whole society have been greatly stimulated, and the appearance of China’s urban and rural areas has undergone tremendous changes.

Opening up to the outside world means boldly absorbing and borrowing all the achievements of civilization created by human society, and absorbing and borrowing all the advanced business and management methods that reflect the laws of modern socialized production in all countries in the world, including the capitalist developed countries, so as to enrich and enhance their own development capabilities. From the establishment of special economic zones such as Shenzhen, the opening up of coastal border and riverine cities and inland central cities to the Canadian World Trade Organization, the joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, the establishment of pilot free trade zones, the planning of free trade ports with Chinese characteristics, and the successful holding of two sessions of the China International Import Expo, it has both “brought in” and “gone out.” It is precisely by opening our minds and embracing the world that we can truly integrate the tide of development of the era and realize the historic transformation from closed and semi-closed to open to the outside world. Practice has proved that socialism is not a complacent and self-enclosed system, but a society that continues to grow and develop through openness and exchanges. The history of more than 40 years has proved that socialist China has not changed its banner in opening up to the outside world, but has made scientific socialism shine with new vigor in the 21st century through the vivid practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

To sum up, socialism with Chinese characteristics was born in the reform and opening up, and it also developed and expanded in the reform and opening up. Reform and opening up is the logical starting point for opening up the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is also a powerful driving force for continuously expanding this road; reform and opening up is the practical source for forming and developing the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is also the practical basis for constantly improving this theoretical system; reform and opening up is a distinctive feature of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and an important magic weapon for enhancing the vitality of this system; reform and opening up is the source of living water for the formation of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and an important driving force for the development and prosperity of this culture. Reform and opening up is the “magic weapon” for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and writing a new chapter in socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era still requires comprehensively deepening reform and continuously expanding opening up.