The theoretical conceptualization of productive forces is a weak point in the study of historical materialism in China. The proposition of new quality productive forces provides a guidance for the developing historical materialism and the elucidating new theories on the productive forces. In order to deeply understand this profound, rich, and important scientific proposition,it is necessary, on the basis of a comprehensive review of Marxist theory on productive forces, to explicate the innovative significance of new quality productive forces in two respects. One is its innovation in the criteria of defining the productive forces to distinguish between socialism and capitalism from the perspective of productive forces, thus laying a solid historical foundation for the Chinese path to modernization; and the other is its response to the challenges of our times in terms of how human beings are to control material technologies and labor dominate capital. In short,we need to achieve an overall understanding of new quality productive forces from the perspective of worldview and methodology.

　　Editor: Zhong Yao  Deng Panyi

　　From: World Socialism Studies.2024.No.5.