Through Рolicy of reform and opening up, China has followed a unique development path. Currently, the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet ended, and development is also the most pressing challenge for all countries in the world. The evolution of the concept of development in the past and modern concept of China's development can provide theoretical support for the development of countries around the world.
The article examines the evolution of the concept of "development" in world academic circles after World War II. Initially, development was identified only with economic growth, but soon this concept was constantly expanded, adding social factors and concern for the people themselves, and finally formed into the concept of sustainable development.
The evolution of development theories in the world has had a great influence on the concepts of China's development, which are based on the specific national conditions of China and overlap with the main world concepts. High-quality development is the latest achievement in development theory in China and has provoked widespread debate in the Chinese academic community. Based on the main social contradictions in the country, Chinese scholars have clarified the content of this concept, and also had appropriate discussions in relation to specific industries.