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.

發展才是硬道理

從20世紀80年代開始，鄧小平對中國的經濟建設始終懷著一種焦急的緊迫感。他認為，只有橫下心來，抓住機遇，加快發展，隔幾年上一個臺階，才能確保翻番任務的實現。1987年6月，他強調“改革步子要加快”；1989年6月，他十分堅決地說：“凡是能夠積極爭取的發展速度還是要積極爭取。”發展速度年年初，鄧小平在“南方談話”中，更是明確提出了“發展才是硬道理”這一戰略思想。

鄧小平提出這一思想，也與當時的國際環境密切相關。20世紀末期，世界形勢發生了根本性變化，絕大多數人都向往著世界的安定和平、社會的文明進步以及幸福美滿的生活，思穩定、謀發展是世界思潮的主流。面對國際形勢這一顯著特點，鄧小平最先以敏銳的洞察力向全黨提出：“現在世界上真正的大問題，帶全球性的戰略問題，一個是和平問題，一個是經濟問題或者說發展問題。”其中的發展問題又是鄧小平在這一時期最為關注的焦點。他強調，“發展才是硬道理。這個問題要搞清楚。如果分析不當，造成誤解，人們就會變得謹小慎微，不敢解放思想，不敢放開手腳，結果是喪失時機，猶如逆水行舟，不進則退。”改革開放40年的事實證明，發展才是硬道理，這是一條顛撲不破的真理。習近平也反復指出，發展是解決中國所有問題的關鍵，這一戰略思想要堅定不移地堅持。