从理论上回答了两大问题

早在1997年，党的十五大就提出“把按劳分配和按生产要素分配结合起来，坚持效率优先、兼顾公平”。但长期以来，哪些生产要素可参与分配，如何按生产要素来分配收入等问题，理论上并不十分明确。党的十九届四中全会提出“健全劳动、资本、土地、知识、技术、管理、数据等生产要素由市场评价贡献、按贡献决定报酬的机制”，从我国生产力发展实际出发，科学把握经济发展新趋势和新特征，从理论上回答了上述问题，为各类生产要素参与分配指明了方向。

一是明确了哪些生产要素参与分配。社会主义社会实行按劳分配原则，劳动自然就是参与分配的主要生产要素。改革开放后，我国所有制成分逐渐多元化，自然也要求分配方式多元化。为了鼓励其他生产要素参与生产，我国逐渐确立了按劳分配为主体、多种分配方式并存的分配制度，鼓励按劳分配和按生产要素分配相结合。党的十四届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于建立社会主义市场经济体制若干问题的决定》提出“允许属于个人的资本等生产要素参与收益分配”，明确了个人资本作为生产要素参与分配的权利。党的十五届四中全会通过的《中共中央关于国有企业改革和发展若干重大问题的决定》提出“实行董事会、经理层等成员按照各自职责和贡献取得报酬的办法”，认可了管理作为生产要素参与收入分配。在此基础上，党的十六大报告又进一步指出，“确立劳动、资本、技术和管理等生产要素按贡献参与分配的原则，完善按劳分配为主体、多种分配方式并存的分配制度”，把劳动、资本、技术和管理明确列为参与分配的生产要素。党的十八届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于全面深化改革若干重大问题的决定》提出“健全资本、知识、技术、管理等由要素市场决定的报酬机制”，进一步加入了知识这一生产要素。而党的十九届四中全会审议通过的《中共中央关于坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化若干重大问题的决定》首次增列数据作为生产要素，这就形成了一个完整的生产要素体系。劳动、资本、土地是数量型的生产要素，适应了我国经济高速增长阶段的需要；而知识、技术、管理是质量型生产要素，反映了高质量发展对生产要素的投入要求；数据是经济活动数字化进程的需要，体现了数字经济快速发展背景下分配制度的与时俱进。

二是明确了如何按生产要素来分配收入。劳动、资本、土地、知识、技术、管理、数据等生产要素要参与分配，但是生产要素怎样参与分配？按什么标准来决定不同生产要素在分配中的比例？这些问题如果解决不好，很可能导致分配不公，导致收入差距扩大，从而也会严重影响生产要素拥有主体参与生产的积极性。党的十六大明确提出了生产要素按贡献参与分配的原则，意味着生产要素参与分配参照的不是要素的投入，而是要素对价值创造的贡献，贡献越大，分配越多。但谁来决定要素的贡献呢？党的十九届四中全会提出“健全劳动、资本、土地、知识、技术、管理、数据等生产要素由市场评价贡献、按贡献决定报酬的机制”，明确了由市场来评价贡献的机制。生产要素的贡献由市场说了算，各类生产要素的所有者在市场交易中，通过生产要素的供求变化和价格来反映要素的稀缺度，进而评价要素的贡献。何种生产要素更稀缺，这种要素在收入分配中的话语权就大，市场对其评价就高，贡献就大，相应地其分配可能就多。比如，近年来，劳动力相对稀缺，市场对劳动力的贡献评价就高，劳动报酬在国民收入分配中的比例在提高。而随着我国经济转向高质量发展阶段，对知识、技术、管理等资源的需求增加，这些要素的稀缺度提高，市场对其贡献的评价就高，其在收入分配中的比例也会相应提高。近年来，我国实行以增加知识价值为导向的分配政策，提高科研人员科技成果转化收益分享比例，注重发挥企业家精神等，就是对这一趋势的反映。

从三个方面健全机制

如何健全劳动、资本、土地、知识、技术、管理、数据等生产要素由市场评价贡献、按贡献决定报酬的机制呢？可以从三个方面入手：

第一，明确劳动、资本、土地、知识、技术、管理、数据等生产要素的产权归属，实行严格的产权保护制度。马克思曾经指出：“商品不能自己到市场去，不能自己去交换。因此，我们必须找寻它的监护人，商品所有者。”同商品一样，若没有所有者，生产要素也不能自己进入交换，并进而投入生产。因此，明确产权、保护产权是生产要素参与生产并获得收入的前提，生产要素参与收入分配实际上是收入在不同要素所有者之间的分配。要实行最严格的产权保护制度，完善相关法律法规，形成清晰界定所有、占有、支配、使用、收益、处置等产权权能的制度安排，依法平等保护各类产权。要优化产权配置，推进产权制度改革。要突出保护各类知识产权，完善有利于激励创新的知识产权归属制度，加大知识产权侵权损害赔偿。

第二，建设一个统一开放、竞争有序的要素市场。由市场评价要素的贡献意味着一定要有一个完善的要素市场。改革开放以来，我国基本形成了较为健全的商品市场，但要素市场发展较为滞后，要素市场上的城乡分割、区域分割、价格扭曲、市场壁垒等现象较多存在。为此，首先要建设一个全国统一的要素市场。既要打破城乡分割，建设城乡统一的劳动力市场、土地市场，也要打破区域和条块分割，建设统一的知识产权市场，还要打破数据孤岛，引导培育数据交易市场，更要探索建立职业经理人市场。要加快清理废除妨碍统一市场和要素自由流动的各项规定和做法，促进要素自由流动。其次要推进要素价格市场化改革。最大限度发挥市场决定价格的作用，完善反映市场供求关系、资源稀缺程度的生产要素价格形成机制。

第三，坚持问题导向，完善要素参与分配的机制。完善劳动参与分配的机制，坚持多劳多得，少劳少得，不劳不得，让不同种类、不同强度的劳动获得不同的劳动报酬，提高劳动报酬在初次分配中的比重，巩固按劳分配的主体地位。完善资本参与分配的机制，推进资本市场改革，创新金融产品，完善收益与风险匹配机制，让不同期限、承担不同风险的资金获得合理收益和风险补偿。完善土地参与分配的机制，建立健全土地增值收益分配机制。完善知识参与分配的机制，实行以增加知识价值为导向的分配政策，构建体现增加知识价值的收入分配机制，在全社会形成知识创造价值、价值创造者得到合理回报的良性循环。完善技术参与分配的机制，鼓励科研人员通过科技成果转化获得合理收入，建立健全对科研人员实施股权、期权和分红激励的机制。完善管理参与分配的机制，突出抓好国有企业薪酬制度改革，统筹用好员工持股、股权激励、股权分红等中长期激励措施，激发各级管理人员的活力。完善数据参与分配的机制，建立健全数据权属、公开、共享、交易规则，让数据所有者能够从数据使用中获得应有收益。

总之，健全劳动、资本、土地、知识、技术、管理、数据等生产要素由市场评价贡献、按贡献决定报酬的机制，是党中央顺应经济高质量发展要求做出的科学决断，对促进经济高质量发展、提高人民收入水平、实现共同富裕都具有重大意义。我们要在实践中深刻领会，结合实际情况积极贯彻落实推进，不断推动我国社会主义基本经济制度更加成熟更加定型。

七大生产要素理论原文节选：

中共中央关于坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化若干重大问题的决定
（2019年10月31日中国共产党第十九届中央委员会第四次全体会议通过）...  ...
六、坚持和完善社会主义基本经济制度，推动经济高质量发展...  ...

（二）...  ...健全劳动、资本、土地、知识、技术、管理、数据等生产要素由市场评价贡献、按贡献决定报酬的机制。健全以税收、社会保障、转移支付等为主要手段的再分配调节机制，强化税收调节，完善直接税制度并逐步提高其比重。完善相关制度和政策，合理调节城乡、区域、不同群体间分配关系。重视发挥第三次分配作用，发展慈善等社会公益事业。...  ...

（执笔：陈启清，来源：人民网，有部分增删。文章仅代表作者观点，如来源标注有误请告知，我们及时予以更正/删除）

Seven major production factors

---Labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, data

Highlighting the importance of intangible assets

At the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the principle of "distribution according to work as the main body and coexistence of multiple distribution methods" was established as the basic socialist economic system. At the same time, it was further pointed out that "a sound mechanism should be established to evaluate the contribution of production factors such as labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, and data by the market, and to determine the remuneration based on contribution". This is a continuous deepening of understanding of the distribution system and the composition of production factors. Improving this system has extremely important theoretical significance and practical value in mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of various production factors to participate in production, allowing the vitality of various production factors to burst out, and allowing all sources of creating social wealth to fully flow.

Theoretically answered two major questions

As early as 1997, the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed "combining distribution according to work and distribution according to production factors, adhering to the principle of prioritizing efficiency and balancing fairness". However, for a long time, the issues of which production factors can participate in distribution and how to distribute income according to production factors have not been very clear in theory. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed the "sound mechanism for evaluating the contribution of labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, data and other production factors by the market and determining rewards based on their contributions." Starting from the actual development of China's productive forces, we scientifically grasp the new trends and characteristics of economic development and theoretically answer the above questions, pointing out the direction for various production factors to participate in distribution.

One is to clarify which production factors participate in distribution. Socialist society implements the principle of distribution according to work, and labor is naturally the main factor of production that participates in distribution. After the reform and opening up, the composition of ownership in China has gradually diversified, naturally requiring diversified distribution methods. In order to encourage other production factors to participate in production, China has gradually established a distribution system with distribution according to work as the main body and multiple distribution methods coexisting, encouraging a combination of distribution according to work and distribution according to production factors. The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Issues Concerning the Establishment of a Socialist Market Economy System, passed at the Third Plenary Session of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, proposes to "allow personal capital and other production factors to participate in income distribution", clarifying the right of personal capital as a production factor to participate in distribution. The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning the Reform and Development of State owned Enterprises, passed at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, proposes the method of implementing the remuneration system for members of the board of directors, management, and other levels in accordance with their respective responsibilities and contributions, and recognizes management as a factor of production to participate in income distribution. On this basis, the report of the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China further pointed out that "the principle of participating in the distribution of production factors such as labor, capital, technology, and management based on their contributions should be established, and the distribution system with distribution based on labor as the main body and multiple distribution methods coexisting should be improved". Labor, capital, technology, and management should be clearly listed as the production factors participating in distribution. The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reform, passed at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, proposes to "improve the compensation mechanism determined by the factor market of capital, knowledge, technology, management, and other factors", further incorporating knowledge as a production factor. The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Adhering to and Improving the System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Promoting the Modernization of the National Governance System and Governance Capacity, which was reviewed and passed at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, added data as production factors for the first time, forming a complete system of production factors. Labor, capital, and land are quantitative production factors that meet the needs of China's high-speed economic growth stage; Knowledge, technology, and management are quality oriented production factors, reflecting the investment requirements of high-quality development for production factors; Data is a requirement for the digitization process of economic activities, reflecting the up-to-date distribution system in the context of the rapid development of the digital economy.

The second is to clarify how to allocate income according to production factors. Labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, data and other production factors need to participate in distribution, but how do production factors participate in distribution? What criteria are used to determine the proportion of different production factors in distribution? If these problems are not solved properly, they may lead to unfair distribution and widening income gap, which will also seriously affect the enthusiasm of production factor owners to participate in production. The 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly proposed the principle of production factors participating in distribution based on their contributions, which means that the reference for production factors participating in distribution is not the input of factors, but the contribution of factors to value creation. The greater the contribution, the more distribution. But who will determine the contribution of the elements? The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed a "sound mechanism for evaluating the contribution of production factors such as labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, and data by the market, and determining compensation based on contributions", clarifying the mechanism for evaluating contributions by the market. The contribution of factors of production is determined by the market. Owners of various factors of production reflect the scarcity of factors through changes in supply and demand and prices of factors of production in market transactions, and then evaluate the contribution of factors. Which production factor is more scarce, and this factor has a greater say in income distribution. The market evaluates it highly, contributes more, and correspondingly, its distribution may increase. For example, in recent years, labor has been relatively scarce, and the market's contribution to labor has been highly evaluated. The proportion of labor remuneration in national income distribution is increasing. As China's economy shifts towards a stage of high-quality development, the demand for resources such as knowledge, technology, and management increases, and the scarcity of these elements increases. The market's evaluation of their contribution is higher, and their proportion in income distribution will correspondingly increase. In recent years, China has implemented a distribution policy guided by increasing the value of knowledge, increased the proportion of scientific and technological achievements transformation benefits shared by researchers, and emphasized the use of entrepreneurial spirit, which is a reflection of this trend.

Improve the mechanism from three aspects

How to improve the mechanism by which production factors such as labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, and data are evaluated by the market and compensated based on their contributions? You can start from three aspects:

Firstly, clarify the ownership of property rights for production factors such as labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, and data, and implement a strict property rights protection system. Marx once pointed out that "a commodity cannot go to the market on its own and cannot be exchanged on its own. Therefore, we must find its guardian, the owner of the commodity." Like a commodity, without an owner, the factors of production cannot enter the exchange and then be put into production. Therefore, clarifying property rights and protecting property rights are prerequisites for production factors to participate in production and obtain income. The participation of production factors in income distribution is actually the distribution of income among different factor owners. We need to implement the strictest property rights protection system, improve relevant laws and regulations, and form a clear institutional arrangement that defines the ownership, possession, control, use, income, and disposal of property rights, and equally protect all types of property rights in accordance with the law. We need to optimize the allocation of property rights and promote the reform of the property rights system. We need to highlight the protection of various types of intellectual property rights, improve the intellectual property ownership system that is conducive to encouraging innovation, and increase compensation for intellectual property infringement damages.

Secondly, build a unified, open, and orderly competitive factor market. Evaluating the contribution of factors by the market means that there must be a comprehensive factor market. Since the reform and opening up, China has basically formed a relatively sound commodity market, but the development of the factor market is relatively lagging. There are many phenomena such as urban-rural segmentation, regional segmentation, price distortion, and market barriers in the factor market. To this end, the first step is to build a nationally unified factor market. We need to break the urban-rural division, establish a unified labor market and land market for both urban and rural areas, as well as break regional and block divisions, build a unified intellectual property market, break data silos, guide the cultivation of data trading markets, and explore the establishment of a professional manager market. We need to accelerate the clearance and abolition of various regulations and practices that hinder the unified market and the free flow of factors, and promote the free flow of factors. Secondly, we need to promote market-oriented reform of factor prices. Maximize the role of the market in determining prices, and improve the formation mechanism of production factor prices that reflects market supply and demand relationships and resource scarcity.

Thirdly, adhere to a problem oriented approach and improve the mechanism of factor participation in distribution. Improve the mechanism of labor participation in distribution, adhere to the principle of "more for more work, less for less, no for no", and allow different types and intensities of labor to receive different labor remuneration, increase the proportion of labor remuneration in initial distribution, and consolidate the main position of distribution according to work. We will improve the mechanism for capital participation in distribution, promote capital market reform, innovate financial products, improve the mechanism for matching returns and risks, and allow funds with different maturities and risks to obtain reasonable returns and risk compensation. Improve the mechanism for land participation in distribution and establish a sound mechanism for distributing land value-added benefits. Improve the mechanism for knowledge participation in distribution, implement distribution policies oriented towards increasing knowledge value, and construct an income distribution mechanism that reflects the increase in knowledge value. This will create a virtuous cycle in society where knowledge creates value and value creators receive reasonable returns. Improve the mechanism for technology participation in distribution, encourage researchers to obtain reasonable income through the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and establish and improve mechanisms for implementing equity, options, and dividend incentives for researchers. Improve the mechanism of management participation in distribution, highlight the reform of the salary system in state-owned enterprises, coordinate the use of medium and long-term incentive measures such as employee shareholding, equity incentives, and equity dividends, and stimulate the vitality of management personnel at all levels. Improve the mechanism for data participation in distribution, establish and improve data ownership, disclosure, sharing, and trading rules, so that data owners can obtain the expected benefits from data usage.

In a word, improving the mechanism that labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, data and other production factors are evaluated by the market and their remuneration is determined by their contributions, which is a scientific decision made by the Party Central Committee to comply with the requirements of high-quality economic development, and is of great significance to promoting high-quality economic development, improving people's income levels, and achieving common prosperity. We need to deeply understand in practice, actively implement and promote based on the actual situation, and continuously promote the maturity and finalization of China's socialist basic economic system.

Extract from the original text of the theory of the seven major production factors:

Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Adhering to and Improving the Socialist System with Chinese Characteristics and Advancing the Modernization of the National Governance System and Governance Capacity

(Adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC on October 31, 2019)

6、 Adhere to and improve the basic socialist economic system, and promote high-quality economic development

（2） Establish a mechanism by which production factors such as labor, capital, land, knowledge, technology, management, and data are evaluated by the market and compensated based on their contributions. We will improve the redistribution and adjustment mechanism primarily through taxation, social security, and transfer payments, strengthen tax regulation, improve the direct tax system, and gradually increase its proportion. Improve relevant systems and policies, and reasonably adjust the distribution relationship between urban and rural areas, regions, and different groups. Emphasize the role of the third distribution and develop social welfare undertakings such as charity

(Author: Chen Qiqing, Source: People's Daily Online, with some additions and deletions. The article only represents the author's viewpoint. If there are any errors in the source labeling, please let us know and we will make timely corrections/deletions.)