小平同志高瞻远瞩,着眼未来,提出“科学技术是第一生产力”,这是符合马克思主义的基本原理,符合我国基本国情的。它对我们顺利完成“三步走”的宏伟目标具有积极的指导意义。这是因为: 第一,它符合中国国情。我国有12亿人口,本世纪末将达13亿,到达2050年约有16亿人口。虽说中国“地大物博”但人口众多,人均资源贫乏,人均有效生存空间越来越狭窄,只有一些发达国家（如美国）的1/10—1/15。况且我国人口分布不均,主要集中在东部沿海地区,西北 Comrade Xiaoping has a long-term view of the future and puts forward the idea that “science and technology are the primary productive forces.” This is in line with the basic tenets of Marxism and with China’s basic national conditions. It has a positive guiding significance for our successful accomplishment of the grand goal of “three steps”. This is because: First, it is in line with China’s national conditions. With a population of 1.2 billion, China will reach 1.3 billion by the end of this century and reach about 1.6 billion by 2050. Although China has “vast land and abundant natural resources”, its population is huge and its per capita resources are scarce. Its per capita living space is becoming more and more narrow, only about 1/10 to 1/15 of that of some developed countries (such as the United States). Moreover, China’s population is unevenly distributed, mainly in the eastern coastal areas and the northwest