中共中央在2004（農曆甲申）年4月26日開始推動「馬克思主義理論研究和建設工程」，針對目前以經濟發展與改革開放為主流價值的中國社會中，馬克思主義意識形態逐漸被淡化的趨向，試圖大規模且有系統地推行馬克思理論的研究與重建。此顯示採取社會主義市場經濟已逾一個世代的中國，正面臨一個三叉路：回到原本計畫經濟的老路？持續走經濟自由而政治專政的混合體制道路？隨市場化而民主化，走西方選舉式政黨政治的道路？以目前的發展來看，中共中央仍在抗拒隨市場化而來的民主化，堅持經濟自由而政治專政的混合體制。所謂馬克思主義理論研究與建設工程，看來將只是中國試圖在重新詮釋馬克思思想的過程中，為共黨專政找到理論依託而已。此一經濟上自由而政治專政的混合體制，如何實現馬克思思想理論中去除社會不公平與不正義的核心人道關懷，對於中國未來的政治社會發展而言，是至關緊要的。而市場化所帶來的民主化壓力，將對中國不廣泛採取西方政黨政治的選舉民主，卻又希望走經濟自由開放的政治規畫，造成嚴厲考驗。

The Centre of China Communist Party announced to proceed “the Project of Marxist Theoretical Research and Building" on 26th April 2004, which is the Jiashen of the Chinese lunar year. This project is designated to promote and reconstruct the Marxism systematically and on a large scale in considering the trend that Marxism has fading away within the current China society in which economic development has becoming the mainstream value. This means that, after taking the market-socialism for over a generation, China is now facing a tri-crotched crossroad: backs off to the planning economy which is almost unlikely and unfavorable; insists onto the current hybrid system which is economically free relatively but politically tyrannical; or follows the western way to electoral democracy. It seems that the regime is still resisting the democratic pressures from without as well as from within brought by marketization. And the so-called Marxism Theoretical Research and Construction Project looks apparently is an attempt in finding support for the monopolization of political power form Marxism ideology. It is important for the China's future that whether or how this hybrid system can realize the core humanitarian value in negating the social unfairness and unjust. And the democratic pressure brought by the marketization will certainly and does bring severe test to the regime.