On 13 March, 2026, “The China Political Economy Forum of 40 · 2026” was held at SASS. Professor Quan Heng, Deputy Director General of Publicity Department of Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC and Secretary of SASS CPC Committee, and Professor Gan Chunhui, Executive Vice President of SASS, delivered the opening remarks. The Forum was chaired by Professor Shen Kaiyan, Director of the Institute of Economics at SASS.
Professor Quan pointed out that research in political economy should uphold the principle of serving the nation and the society while pursuing theoretical rigor and clarity, so as to enhance its strategic guidance and practical explanatory power. It should be firmly grounded in the new journey and new requirements of Chinese modernization, and better respond to the needs of economic and social development. At the same time, it should help tell China’s story well and elucidate the Chinese path, while continuously improving the academic, disciplinary and discourse systems with Chinese characteristics. Focusing on the key tasks and challenges of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and centering on major practical issues and theoretical propositions, including the optimization of the macroeconomic policy framework, the synergy between scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, the sustained expansion of domestic demand, and the development of new forms of the smart economy, efforts should be made to strengthen the integrated innovation of theory and policy, and to accelerate the development of an independent Chinese economic knowledge system.
Professor Gan noted that the strategic arrangements for the 14th Five-Year Plan period, as outlined at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, have endowed the development of Marxist political economy with renewed contemporary relevance, while also opening up broader prospects for research on the political economy of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As part of the commemorative academic events marking the 70th anniversary of the Institute of Economics at SASS, the Forum aims to provide a high-level platform for academic exchange and to promote mutual learning among experts.
Professor Zhan Yubo, Deputy Director of the Institute of Economics at SASS, observed that the rapid development of artificial intelligence is, to some extent, intensifying labour substitution and widening macro-level supply-demand imbalances. This substitution is extending beyond manual labour to encompass highly skilled work and certain decision-making functions. He emphasized that the key lies in better coordinating technological diffusion, labour protection, and institutional safeguards to prevent persistent structural tensions between technological advancement and employment objectives.
