1. The first stage: 1978 from the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee to 1982 on the eve of Deng Xiaoping's "Southern Talks", which was the initial stage of reform and opening up. Its main feature is that the reform is mainly carried out in rural and local areas, with solving the problem of eating as the primary goal. The implementation of the rural household contract responsibility system has achieved more remarkable results than the urban economic system reform.

2. The second stage: from 65438 to 199 1 year, Deng Xiaoping's "Southern Talks", Deng Xiaoping's Southern Talks and the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which is a breakthrough stage of reform and opening up. Its main feature is that the reform extends from rural areas to cities and from the economic system to other fields, with the focus on invigorating state-owned enterprises, taking the socialist market economy as the target model and denying the "planned economy".

3. The third stage: 1992 Deng Xiaoping's Southern Talks and the 14th to 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2002 are the deepening stages of reform and opening up. The main features are that great progress has been made in reform, the socialist market economic system has been initially improved, China has proposed to join the WTO, and opening up has entered a new stage.

4. The fourth stage: from the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2002 to the present, it is a key stage of reform and opening up. Its main feature is that the reform is difficult and involves deep-seated system problems. It puts forward Scientific Outlook on Development's great strategic thought on building a harmonious socialist society.