In 1987, former Premier Zhao Ziyang, in a speech entitled "Advance Along the Road of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics," put forward the theory of the primary stage of socialism, and proposed a basic line of "one central task and two basic points" to guide policy-making during this primary stage. According to this view, economic development is the central task of the government, while holding to two basic points, which were the four cardinal principles (the socialist road, the people's democratic dictatorship, the leading role of the Party, and Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong thought), and the policy of reform and opening up. The speech defined a three-stage development strategy for the next century, designed to achieve the modernization of China, and also addressed the issue of political reform.

(China.org.cn September 16, 2009)