Deng Xiaoping Theory
Great change has remained the trend around the globe since the 1970s. With the conclusion of the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in late 1978, China ushered in a new era of reform and opening up and socialist modernization.
It was against this background that Deng Xiaoping Theory gradually formed and developed, based on a review of China's successes and setbacks in developing socialism and drawing on the rise and fall of other socialist countries.
Addressing the closing session of the CPC Central Work Conference in December 1978, Deng Xiaoping delivered a speech entitled "Emancipate the Mind, Seek Truth from Facts, and Unite as One in Looking to the Future." This was a statement proclaiming China's new era, new path, and new theory on socialism with Chinese characteristics. At the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee that followed, the Party decided to shift the focus of the Party and the country to socialist modernization, thus raising the curtain for reform and opening up. This is deemed the embryo of Deng Xiaoping Theory.
At the Party's 12th National Congress in September 1982, Deng Xiaoping first raised the subject of "building socialism with Chinese characteristics." The Party's 13th National Congress in 1987 elaborated on the theory on the primary stage of socialism and the guideline for building socialism with Chinese characteristics in this stage. Based on a review since the late 1970s, the congress summarized Deng's observations on China's socialism in terms of the stage, tasks, motivation, conditions, and general plan, as well as international situation. These constitute an outline of the theory on socialism with Chinese characteristics.
In early 1992, Deng made a tour of south China and in speeches at various locations, he provided timely answers to such questions as what is socialism, and how to build socialism, which helped people free their minds and boosted their confidence in socialism.
In his report to the 14th CPC National Congress held in October 1992, Jiang Zemin (b. 1926) summarized the theory on building socialism with Chinese characteristics under nine headings: path of development, stages of development, fundamental task, motive force, external conditions, political guarantees, strategic plan, leading force and forces to rely on, and China's reunification. This established Deng's theory on Chinese socialism as the guidance for the whole Party.
At the 15th CPC National Congress held in September 1997, the theory initiated by Deng Xiaoping on building socialism with Chinese characteristics was named Deng Xiaoping Theory, designated together with Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought as the guiding thought and guide to action of the CPC, and written into the Party Constitution. In 1999, the Second Session of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) wrote this theory into the Chinese Constitution.
Deng Xiaoping Theory is a complete scientific system that embraces philosophy, political economics and scientific socialism. It covers, among other things, the economy, politics, science and technology, education, culture, ethnic affairs, military affairs, foreign affairs, the united front, and Party development. It provides answers to a number of basic questions about Chinese socialism, including the ideological guideline and nature of socialism, the path and stages of socialist development, the fundamental tasks, the development strategy and driving forces behind socialism, the opening up of socialist countries, the reform of socialist political and economic structures, the political guarantees for socialist development, the diplomatic strategies for a socialist country, China's reunification, the forces to rely on for China's socialism, the military and defense of a socialist country, and the leadership core of socialism.
Deng Xiaoping Theory carries forward and develops Mao Zedong Thought in China's new historical conditions. It is the second historic step in adapting Marxism to China's conditions and is the crystallization of the wisdom of the entire Party. The theory guided China in making a number of major changes from focusing on class struggle to focusing on economic development, from a closed and semi-closed state to reform and opening up, and from a planned economy to a socialist market economy, achieving political stability, economic development, and ethnic solidarity, and enhancing socialist productive forces, comprehensive national strength, and standards of living.
邓小平理论
20世纪70年代以来，国际形势和世界政治格局发生重大变化，和平与发展逐步成为时代主题。1978年，中共十一届三中全会开启了改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期。邓小平理论是在和平与发展成为时代主题的历史条件下，在中国改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的实践中，在总结中国社会主义胜利和挫折的历史经验并借鉴其他社会主义国家兴衰成败历史经验的基础上，逐步形成和发展起来的。
1978年12月，邓小平在中共中央工作会议闭幕会上作题为《解放思想，实事求是，团结一致向前看》的讲话。这是开辟新时期新道路、开创建设有中国特色社会主义新理论的宣言书。随后召开的中共十一届三中全会作出把党和国家的工作重点转移到社会主义现代化建设上来的战略决策，揭开了改革开放的序幕。这次全会标志着邓小平理论开始形成。
1982年9月，邓小平在中共十二大上第一次提出“建设有中国特色的社会主义”的重要命题。1987年，中共十三大系统阐明了关于社会主义初级阶段的理论，完整概括了中国共产党在社会主义初级阶段的基本路线，初步概括了中共十一届三中全会以来开辟新道路的历史经验，并从中国社会主义建设的阶段、任务、动力、条件、布局和国际环境等方面，对邓小平关于社会主义建设的一系列科学理论观点作了归纳。这些构成了建设有中国特色的社会主义理论的轮廓，标志着邓小平理论初步形成。
1992年年初，邓小平视察中国南方并发表了重要谈话，及时深刻地回答了中国改革开放中“什么是社会主义，怎样建设社会主义”的重大问题，极大地解放了人们的思想并坚定了人们的社会主义信念。同年10月，江泽民在中共十四大报告中，从发展道路、发展阶段、根本任务、发展动力、外部条件、政治保证、战略步骤、领导和依靠力量、实现祖国统一等9个方面，概括了建设有中国特色社会主义理论的主要内容，确立了邓小平建设有中国特色社会主义理论在全党的指导地位。
1997年9月，中共十五大将邓小平关于建设有中国特色社会主义的理论定名为“邓小平理论”，同马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想并列为党的指导思想和行动指南并写入党章。1999年，九届全国人大二次会议将邓小平理论载入中国宪法。
邓小平理论是贯通哲学、政治经济学、科学社会主义等领域，涵盖经济、政治、科技、教育、文化、民族、军事、外交、统一战线、党的建设等方面比较完备的科学体系。这一体系科学回答了建设中国特色社会主义的一系列基本问题，主要包括：关于社会主义思想路线的理论；关于社会主义本质和社会主义发展道路的理论；关于社会主义发展阶段的理论；关于社会主义根本任务的理论；关于社会主义建设发展战略的理论；关于社会主义发展动力的理论；关于社会主义国家对外开放的理论；关于社会主义政治、经济体制改革的理论；关于社会主义建设政治保证的理论；关于社会主义国家外交战略的理论；关于祖国统一的理论；关于社会主义事业依靠力量的理论；关于社会主义国家军队和国防建设的理论；关于社会主义事业领导核心的理论等。
邓小平理论是毛泽东思想在新的历史条件下的继承和发展，是马克思主义中国化第二次历史性飞跃的理论成果，是中国共产党集体智慧的结晶。在邓小平理论的指导下，中国逐步实现了从“以阶级斗争为纲”到以经济建设为中心、从封闭半封闭到改革开放、从计划经济到社会主义市场经济等一系列重大转变，实现了政治稳定、经济发展、民族团结，社会主义生产力、综合国力和人民生活水平踏上一个大台阶，成功走出了一条中国特色社会主义新道路。