經濟發展必須根據客觀的初始條件，運用適當的發展策略加以推動。中共在建政之初，好高驚遠，罔顧現實條件，強力破壞既有經濟制度，勉強拉抬經濟成長。經過三0年的努力，相對四鄰經濟蓬勃發展，但其卻陷於經濟遲滯、民生貧困之窘境，不得不從事經濟體制的改革。
基於既有意識型態的限制及中國人務實主義的性格，中共採取了漸進的改革模式，以試點為基礎，逐步向地方政府及企業放權讓利。在這進行改革的二十年中，雖然經濟成長十分快速，但景氣循環波動加劇。面對未來，中共要在顧及經濟成長的同時，還必須面對體制改革的各種問題，色括市場的繼續開放、產權的改革，政府角色的轉換及法制的建立等。大陸經濟現代化的工程剛剛開始，難題正在前面。

Economic development must be based on objective initial conditions， and then enforced through the proper use of developmental strategy. When China's communist regime was first established， the communist government ignored initial economic conditions and destroyed the original ecomomic system， which barely improved economical growth rapidly. After thirty years of effort， the ecomomy of China's neighbors have flourished while mainland China was， for the most part， in a state of economic depression. Therefore， the Communist government had no choice but to reform the economy.
Due to ideological restrictions and the pragmatic character of the Chinese， Communist China chose to reform the economy gradually. Profit and power was given to the local government and enterprises on an experimental basis. Although the economy improved greatly during these twenty years of reform， it also fluctuated. In the future， China must not only keep up economic growth， but at the same time face problems such as opening up the market， reforming property rights， changing the role of the government， and establishing the rule of law.