Ren Pengcheng: In Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform, We Must Consistently Uphold the Principal Status of the People
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee systematically summarized the valuable experience of comprehensively deepening reform since the New Era and proposed "Six Persistent Principles" that must be implemented in further comprehensively deepening reform. One of these is "persisting in a people-centered approach." This important principle provides scientific guidance and a value framework for further comprehensively deepening reform, advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization, and creating a high-quality, happy life.
The character of the people is the most distinctive trait of Marxism. The standpoint of the people is the fundamental political standpoint of the Communist Party of China (CPC). "Historical activity is the business of the masses," and those who determine historical development are the "masses of actors." The nature and purpose of the Party dictate that putting the people first is our Party’s fundamental political standpoint. Over more than 40 years of reform and opening up, we have traversed in several decades the modernization process that Western developed countries took centuries to complete. We have built the New China from being "poor and blank" [1] at its founding into a major global economy and the world leader in manufacturing, trade in goods, and foreign exchange reserves. We have created the "two miracles" of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process. Practice has proved that the people are the creators of history and the fundamental force that determines the future and destiny of the Party and the country.
Through long-term social practice, the masses have not only created a vast amount of material wealth but have also formed an understanding of changes in the real world and a mastery of the laws governing its evolution through reflection on nature, society, and human thought. They have created a vast amount of spiritual wealth, of which the formation and development of the Party’s innovative theories is the most powerful manifestation. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "The achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism are all the crystallization of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people. Whether it is Mao Zedong Thought, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, or Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, all originate from the wisdom, exploration, and creativity of the people."
From a practical perspective, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has seized strategic opportunities while coordinating the "two big pictures" [2]. It emphasizes that the New Era is an era for people of all ethnic groups across the country to strive in unity, continuously create a better life, and gradually achieve common prosperity for all; it is an era for all Chinese sons and daughters to work with one heart and mind [3] to strive for the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Party has led the people of the whole country in solving many difficult problems that had long been on the agenda but remained unsolved, accomplishing many great tasks that were desired in the past but never achieved, and pushing the cause of the Party and the country to achieve historical achievements and undergo historical transformations. These achievements are the result of combining the Party’s centralized and unified leadership with the principal strength of the masses.
Ensuring the people live a better life. Focusing on reform and promoting development is, in the final analysis, about ensuring the people live a better life. For over a hundred years since the founding of the Party, our Party has done everything possible to ensure the common people live well, continuously turning the people’s aspirations for a better life into reality. From Shikumen to Tiananmen, from Xingye Road to Fuxing Road [4], our Party has united and led the people to successively create great achievements in the neo-democratic revolution, the socialist revolution and construction, reform and opening up and socialist modernization, and socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era—all for the sake of making the people happier. Notably, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the people in building the world’s largest education, social security, and medical and health systems. The level of universal education has achieved a historical leap, the problem of absolute poverty has been solved historically, and common prosperity is being promoted within high-quality development. Practical deeds for people's livelihoods sustain the steady happiness of the common people.
In modern times, the country suffered humiliation, the people suffered hardship, and our civilization was covered in dust. Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation became the greatest dream of the Chinese people and the nation. For over a hundred years, every effort made, every struggle conducted, and every sacrifice made by our Party has been for the happiness of the people and the rejuvenation of the nation. Since the reform and opening up, our Party has led the people in liberating and developing productive forces, opened the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, formed the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, established the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and successfully advanced and expanded Chinese-path modernization. The happiness of the people has become the warmest hue in the great cause of national rejuvenation.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Communist Party of China is a party that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation; it is also a party that seeks progress for humanity and the great harmony for the world [5]." Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has coordinated the "two big pictures," and with the grand perspective of "maintaining a global vision," has promoted the common values of all humanity. It has actively promoted the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, the construction of a new type of international relations, and the high-quality development of the "Belt and Road" Initiative. It has continuously enriched and developed a new form of human civilization, providing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for solving the common problems facing humanity.
Relying on the masses to move toward the future. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Reform is meaningful only if it is for the people; reform has momentum only if it relies on the people." To further comprehensively deepen reform, we must further uphold the principal status of the people and gather the most extensive, strongest, and most majestic power for building a great modern socialist country.
Leadership by the Communist Party of China is the most defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest advantage of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. History and reality prove that without the Communist Party of China, there would be no New China and no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must give full play to the Party’s core leadership role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties. We must maintain a high level of consciousness in leading social revolution through the Party's self-revolution, persist in improving the system of norms for the Party's self-revolution, and continuously promote the Party's self-purification, self-perfection, self-renewal, and self-improvement to ensure the Party remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Ideals and convictions are the "ballast stone" and the lighthouse for "steady and sustained progress" [6]. Whether in the past, present, or future, firm faith in Marxism, steadfast belief in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and resolute confidence in realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are the powerful spiritual forces guiding and supporting the Chinese people in creating great undertakings. From the dual dimensions of history and reality, we must guide the masses to profoundly realize that the red political power, the New China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics did not come easily. We must unswervingly arm our minds and solidify our souls with the Party's innovative theories, further profoundly grasp the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," firm up the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Upholds."
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed that further comprehensively deepening reform should "test reform by actual results and the satisfaction of the masses." That is to say, whether the people support, approve, are happy with, and agree to something is the standard for measuring the gains and losses of all our work. We must respect the principal status and pioneering spirit of the people, ensuring that reform is for the people, relies on the people, and its fruits are shared by the people. In particular, we must vigorously promote a culture of investigation and research, follow the mass line, persist in developing whole-process people's democracy, and rely closely on the people to create a happy life.
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed that further comprehensively deepening reform should "take the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of the people’s well-being as the starting point and ultimate goal." We must anchor ourselves to the general goal of further comprehensively deepening reform, focus on the "Seven Focuses" for coordinated advancement, break down the conceptual, institutional, and structural barriers hindering Chinese-path modernization, and promote better adaptation between the relations of production and the productive forces, the superstructure and the economic base, and national governance and social development. We must do well and do right the things that benefit the people, so that the masses have a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security.
(The author is an Associate Researcher at the Shandong Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)
Source: Chinese Social Sciences Net / China Social Sciences Today