习近平时代的主题将是“超越和复兴”
“726”讲话提出一个重大论断——十八大以来，中国特色社会主义进入新的发展阶段。“新发展阶段”新在哪里，要从整个新中国历史来理解。
新中国第一个时代是毛泽东为代表的中国共产党人开创的，主题是“建国、创业”，中国实现了政治、经济和思想独立，人民空前团结，为改革开放打下厚实的物质基础。
第二个时代是邓小平为代表的中国共产党人开创的，主题是“改革、开放”，几十年走完西方几百年的路，社会主义和市场、社会主义中国和资本主义全球体系实现了融合，创造了罕见的经济奇迹。
十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央，正在开辟新中国的第三个时代，主题可以说是“超越、复兴”。金融危机宣告了西方发展模式遭遇挫折，改革开放也积累了不少矛盾，不能萧规曹随，而需要开创性的魄力才能解决，“新的伟大斗争”正是在这一背景下展开的。本届党中央“虽曰守成、实同开创”，新的时代具有同前两个时代不同的鲜明特点。具体地说，从现在到本世纪中叶，中国发展的主题将是“超越和复兴”。
其中，“超越”首先是指对改革开放前后两个时期的超越。改革开放前后两个时期不能相互否定，这是习近平做出的重大政治理论判断，也是开辟新阶段的历史依据。新阶段不是简单地深化改革，也不是简单地回归毛泽东时代，而是既深化改革、扩大开放，同时发挥社会主义制度优势，加强党的领导、改善社会公平、治理市场失灵，整合两个时代、超越两个时代，通过哲学上“正-反-合”的过程，实现新的上升和飞跃。从这一意义上可以说，中国特色社会主义“始于毛、成于邓、兴于习”。
“超越”第二方面的含义是对西方道路的超越。西方主流的现代化道路，实现了少数国家(约10亿人)兴旺发达，却没有实现人类共同发展;实现了物质极大丰富，但没有实现公平、协调、绿色、共享，仍然周期性陷入危机，也不足为世界所借鉴。中国成为发展最快、最好的发展中国家，源于中国坚持了不同于西方的独特道路。习近平自信宣布中国特色社会主义拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的途径，这是对世界三分之二以上人口提供的公共产品。未来三十年，中国还将继续探索和完善这条道路。
“复兴”第一方面含义是中华民族的伟大复兴。中国发展的目标已经从“站起来”、“富起来”转向“强起来”，满足人的全面发展和社会全面进步的需求，这也都需要理论和实践创新，特别是扭转过度依赖经济增长的发展方式。七二六讲话表明，十九大将回答实现第一个百年目标之后，2020年- 2049年这一时代中国举什么旗、走什么路，如何实现建设社会主义现代化国家的目标。十九大将统领未来的二三十年。
“复兴”第二方面的含义是全球社会主义的伟大复兴。全球金融危机本质是资本主义危机，金融危机之后，全球开始重新重视马克思主义，思考社会主义的现实意义。社会主义不仅是一种思潮和意识形态，也是解决现实问题的工具。中国之所以有令其他国家羡慕的决策灵活、发展迅速、社会稳定、人民团结的优势，从根本上说是由于坚持了社会主义制度。当前，全球面临的经济失衡、生态危机、两极分化等问题，只有靠增加政策中的社会主义因素才能够实现。习近平高度强调“四个自信”，这是对二十一世纪社会主义发展方向的展望。社会主义的目标和中华民族伟大复兴的目标是统一的。中华民族的伟大复兴，将是21世纪社会主义复兴道路上最有力的引领力量。
China's development path a success
In his keynote address to a high-level meeting on July 26, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new development stage after the 18th National Congress of the CPC.
This major conclusion is based on the history of the People's Republic of China. The first stage of the PRC started with its founding in 1949, when China achieved political and economic independence. The second stage began when the reform and opening-up policy was implemented in 1978, which led to China's unprecedented economic growth and the development of market economy under socialism.
After the 18th Party Congress in 2012, the Party leadership with Xi as the core started the third stage of China's development.
But while it is true that the 2008 global financial crisis exposed the flaws in the Western development mode, China, too, faces certain social challenges, and creative measures are needed to overcome them.
It is against this background that the Party leadership, thanks to its hard work, has made tremendous progresses in the third stage. From 2012, a new stage, different from the first two stages, has been developing. And China is committed to completing this stage by the middle of this century.
Two key words, "transcending" and "rejuvenation" best describe this new era. "Transcending" here means, transcending the two preceding stages. Xi has made a major conclusion - that the two previous stages could not negate each other. The new stage will help deepen reform and opening-up under the socialist system. It will also strengthen the Party's leadership, enhance social fairness, ensure the success of market economy and enrich the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
"Transcending" also means transcending the Western mode of development, which helped only a small number of countries with a cumulative population of about 1 billion to lead comfortable lives but failed to realize common prosperity. More importantly, the Western development mode failed to realize fair, coordinated, environmentally friendly and shared development. As a result, it has to face many crises.
China has followed its own path of economic development and become the largest and fastest-growing developing country. As Xi said, socialism with Chinese characteristics has widened the path of modernization for developing countries, which is a public good that can help two-thirds of the world's population achieve progress. And China will continue to provide such public goods.
"Rejuvenation" means the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The goal of China's development has transcended from "standing up" and "getting rich" to "getting stronger" to help meet the needs of overall human development and social progress. But that requires innovations both in theory and practice, especially in terms of freeing China of its overreliance on economic growth for overall development.
Xi's keynote speech shows the 19th Party Congress will provide not only guidance in the coming decades but also detailed answers on how to realize the objective of building a modern socialist country.
"Rejuvenation" also means the rejuvenation of global socialism. Since capitalism has been crippled by 2008 global financial crisis, the entire world is trying anew to understand the real meaning of socialism and Marxism, not only as an ideology but also as a means to solving the existing problems. It is the socialist system that has helped China gain advantage over other countries in terms of efficient governance, fast development, social stability and unity.
To correct the economic imbalances, resolve the environmental crisis and narrow the widening wealth gaps, countries across the world need to make their policies more "socialistic". The ultimate goal of socialism is in accordance with the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which will be a powerful guiding force for the success of socialism in the 21st century.
The author is an associate researcher in macroeconomics at the Development Research Center of the State Council.
(China Daily USA 08/22/2017 page12)