General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC that “the great transformation over the past 10 years of the new era marks a milestone in the history of the Party, of the People’s Republic of China, of reform and opening up, of the development of socialism, and of the development of the Chinese nation”. This assertion is of great importance and far-reaching significance for a profound understanding of the historic changes in the new era over the past decade and for a clear direction of advancement in adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics; it is also of great importance and far-reaching significance for a full understanding of the new period opened in the history of the PRC and the history of reform and opening-up since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, and for further leading the in-depth development of the study of the history of the PRC. The division of periods to a history with basically consistent social forms depends mainly on whether there emerge new stage characteristics in history. If we compare the decade of the new era with the several historical stages already experienced in reform and opening up, it is easy to see that, after the 18th National Congress of the CPC, China has indeed undergone a significant and profound change in the philosophy of governance, in the practice of socialist modernization, in the construction of economy, politics, culture, society and ecological civilization, as well as in the policy and practice of institutional reform, national security and the Party’s self-construction, showing distinctive stage characteristics, marking the beginning of a new period in the history of the PRC and reform and opening up.

Editor: Zhong Yao、Zheng Yifan

From:Studies on Marxism.2023.No.1.