Аңдатпа
Introduction. The course of Reform and Opening-Up proclaimed by Deng Xiaoping marked the transition from command-administrative economy to a model of ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’, thereby laying the foundation for the formation of a national system of strategic planning. Despite the extensive research on the economic aspects of Chinese reforms, the evolution of China’s strategic thinking as a historical process linked to institutional, ideological, and managerial transformations remains insufficiently explored in historiography. Goals. This study aims to reveal the patterns and stages in the formation of China’s strategic course from 1978 to the present, as well as to analyze the reforms and openness that have transformed the country’s governance system and external strategy. Materials and methods. The source base of the study consists of official documents of the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the PRC, which consistently reflected the evolution of the country’s strategic course since the late 1970s, as well as statistical data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China and the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The study also draws on scholarly publications by Chinese, Russian, and Western researchers that examine various aspects of the reform agenda. The study employs problem-chronological and historical-comparative methods, as well as a system-structural approach and content analysis. Results and conclusions. The development of China’s strategic course has gone through four main stages, namely: emergence and institutionalization of reforms (1978–1989), integration into the global economy and strengthening of market institutions (1990–2001), strategic modernization based on the concept of the ‘Scientific Outlook on Development’ (2002–2012), and the strategic renewal of the ‘New Era’ (since 2012) characterized by an emphasis on ‘high-quality development’, innovation-driven independence, and social balance. Throughout the reform process, China has shifted from directive planning to indicative and strategic management, strengthening the role of the National Development and Reform Commission and the system of long-term forecasting. Ideologically, the reform and opening-up policy evolved from Deng Xiaoping’s pragmatic reformism to Xi Jinping’s concept of civilizational resilience and technological sovereignty. In conclusion, the study highlights that the Chinese model has demonstrated the possibility of combining political stability, managed reformism, and global proactivity, turning strategic thinking into a key instrument of adaptation and resilience of the PRC in the 21st century.