In its history of more than 50 years, the CAS has issued four different guidelines for the academy's overall development.

　　On January 14, 1950, the CAS launched its first guideline for the reform of research institutes and the training of more professionals. The CAS then aimed to serve the country's industrial and agricultural construction, the health sector, and national defense. CAS researchers' main task was to focus on basicscientific study and new technology.

　　From March 18 to 31, 1978, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) organized the national science and technology conference. The then vice-premiers Deng Xiaoping and Fang Yi spoke. Fang said that the major purpose of the CAS was to study and develop new scientific theory and technology, to help concerned departments resolve major problems in the country's social and economic development. Basic research and further improvement were two important points for the CAS work.

　　At the end of 1983, the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee urged the CAS to greatly enhance research for practical use, choose important areas to further develop and to continue paying great attention to basic research, which was regarded as the CAS' third guideline.

　　At the beginning of 1987, in a report submitted to the CPC Central Committee, the CAS put forward the fourth guideline, that of mobilizing major forces to join in the country's economic construction while maintaining a capable and vigorous group to follow up world-level basic research and the innovation of high technology.