[ Qualifier ]

Scientific

In Chinese Communist Party discourse, “scientific” refers not just to empirical scientific methods, but functions instead as a rhetorical tool claiming rational legitimacy for Party decisions and policies. When officials describe “scientific” approaches outside references to science and technology, they typically mean that these align with CCP priorities and represent a balanced consideration of Party objectives.

The term gained prominence within CCP discourse with the introduction of Hu Jintao’s guiding political principle, the “Scientific Outlook on Development” (科学发展观), which claimed to correct unbalanced growth with more rational policies. In contemporary usage, such as describing Covid-19 policies as “scientific and precise” (科学精准), the qualifier serves to portray political decisions as inevitable, rational outcomes rather than subjective choices.

Key Examples

“The Chinese Communist Party comes from the people, is rooted in the people, serves the people, and seeks happiness for the people…. In his letter to the symposium commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Xi Jinping proposed the new era human rights view [which] reflects the people-oriented nature of human rights and scientifically identifies the most essential characteristics of developing human rights in China.”^[1] — State Council Information Office, June 25, 2021
“The history of our Party’s struggle tells us that only by combining the basic principles of Marxism with China’s concrete reality, scientifically summing up our own experiences, and determining a path forward and strategic tactics that conform to China’s characteristics, can our cause continue to achieve victory.” — Jiang Zemin, July 1, 1991
“The practice of the Chinese Communist Party in leading China’s revolution, construction, and reform demonstrates that the key to managing China’s affairs lies with the Party …. The socialist leadership theory …. scientifically addresses new questions in contemporary leadership theory and practice, profoundly embodies the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of people and highlights the characteristics and value of the era’s innovation in socialist leadership theory and practice with Chinese characteristics.” — People’s Daily, February 26, 2015

[1] State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China, “The Communist Party of China’s Great Practice of Respecting and Safeguarding Human Rights (June 2021)”, People’s Daily, 25 June 2021, p. 7.