Development follows scientific path

Editor's note: Party General Secretary Hu Jintao addressed the opening session of a workshop for officials at the ministerial and provincial levels on July 23. The following is the latest People's Daily commentary on the address:

"The most important reason why China has made historic accomplishments and progress is that it has adhered to the guidelines of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the Three Represents, and formed and implemented the Scientific Outlook on Development on the basis of practice-based theoretical innovations," Hu told a high-level workshop on July 23.

Hu's remarks incisively generalized the fundamental reason for the great progress China has made in the past decade since the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and scientifically expounded the theoretical guidelines that should be followed to push forward the progressive cause of the Party and the nation.

To carefully study the spirit of Hu's remarks, we should deepen our perception of the Scientific Outlook on Development from a new ideological level and fully grasp its practical value, theoretical contributions and practical requirements to continuously strengthen our consciousness and steadfastness for its implementation.

Scientific development is a distinct theme of contemporary China and it is also where people's fundamental interests lie. To thoroughly grasp the Scientific Outlook on Development, we should fully realize its practical values. Over the past decade, we have faced not only a rapidly changing international situation, but also the heavy domestic task of reform, development and stability.

We have faced opportunities not present before, as well as encountered challenges totally new to us. We have hosted the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the Shanghai 2010 World Expo, faced the 2003 SARS epidemic, the deadly 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and felt the damaging impact of the global financial crisis.

The Party has led the 1.3 billion Chinese people to thoroughly implement the Scientific Outlook on Development and vigorously push forward reform and development, considerably bolstering the country's economic force and its overall national strength, improving people's living conditions and displaying to the outside world a new outlook and image of the Chinese nation. The fruits of China's development have fully showcased the power of truth in the Scientific Outlook on Development and its practical values.

The Scientific Outlook on Development is the embodiment of the Party's theoretical innovations since the 16th National Congress of the CPC and a major strategic thought that must be adhered to for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. To fully grasp its significance, we should have an in-depth understanding of its theoretical contributions.

The Scientific Outlook on Development has developed into a scientific theory, guiding the development and progress of contemporary China because it has inherited and developed the important thoughts of the three generations of the Party's leaderships, and combined with the world outlook and methodology of Marxism and advanced with the times. It has become the important guideline for China's economic and social development because it has provided the correct answers to such crucial questions as what kind of development model the country should have and how, under different situations, it can give rise to a series of new thoughts, new viewpoints and new conclusions to help choose the direction of the country's socialist modernization drive.

Fully implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development will be a long-term and arduous task. We should be determined to push for its full implementation by taking more forceful measures and inventing better systems to convert it into a powerful force that can promote fast and good economic and social development.

We should stick to development as the Party's top task to govern and rejuvenate the nation. We should adhere to the "people-first" principle and "all-round, coordinated and sustainable development" approach, and strive to change concepts that are not adaptable to the Scientific Outlook on Development. And we should more consciously embark on a scientific development road to implement the Scientific Outlook on Development in every aspect of the country's economic and social development.

As the latest theoretical fruit of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Scientific Outlook on Development is a combination of Marxism and the actual conditions in contemporary China. It is also the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the CPC and the Chinese people.

We will be more capable of undertaking the historical task of developing a more powerful and prosperous China in the process of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics if we adhere to the Scientific Outlook on Development.

(China Daily 08/02/2012 page8)