The theory of the Three represents is a policy developed by Jiang Zemin for the Communist Party of China . The formal statement of the theory is:

"Reviewing the course of struggle and the basic experience over the past 80 years and looking ahead to the arduous tasks and bright future in the new century, our Party should continue to stand in the forefront of the times and lead the people in marching toward victory. In a word, the Party must always represent the requirements of the development of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of the development of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people in China."

Although the theory is loudly promoted on Chinese television and newspapers, most Chinese and even some party members find the theory incomprehensible and irrelevant, and the theory has been the subject of many off-color jokes in China.

The actual function of the theory is two-fold. It legitimizes the inclusion of capitalists and private entrepreneurs within the Communist Party, and as a result has been the subject of quiet but heated opposition within the party. Second, it also serves to legitimize Jiang Zemin's historical legacy as a Marxist theorist on the level of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.