Zhou Jianchao: The Creative Practices of the People are the Inexhaustible Source of Theoretical Innovation
Upholding theoretical innovation is a precious historical experience accumulated through a century of tireless struggle by the Communist Party of China (CPC), and it is a solemn historical responsibility for contemporary Chinese Communists. General Secretary Xi Jinping, while presiding over the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, pointed out that we must "focus on drawing wisdom for theoretical innovation from the creations of the masses," and that "the creative practice of the people is the inexhaustible source of theoretical innovation in Marxism." This important discourse profoundly reveals the people-centered character of the Party’s theoretical innovation, as well as the historical status and role of the masses within it. It points the way forward for us to base ourselves on the great practice of the masses, give full play to their creative wisdom, and advance the Party's theoretical innovation.
I. Marxism is a theory that speaks for the people and represents the people
The masses are the creators of history and the fundamental force that determines the future and destiny of history. Marxism is a theory that speaks for the people and represents the people; it was created to change the destiny of the people and has been enriched and developed through the practice of the people seeking liberation. Marx and Engels pointed out in The Holy Family that "historical activity is the activity of the masses, and with the thoroughness of the historical activity, the size of the mass whose activity it is will therefore increase." Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out in "On Coalition Government" that "the people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history." General Secretary Xi Jinping has noted: "As the creators of history, the people are not only the creators of material wealth but also the creators of spiritual wealth. The masses are not only a vast sea of power but also a vast sea of wisdom." We must maintain close ties with the masses, go deep among them frequently, and rely on them closely to obtain a steady stream of wisdom for theoretical innovation.
As the subjective force of social practice, the masses bear the historical mission of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation under the leadership of the CPC. Without the extensive participation of the masses, Chinese-path modernization would lack the subject for creating material and spiritual wealth and would become a "castle in the air." The fruits of the Party's theoretical innovation can only find the subjective force to realize their goals and tasks, and manifest their value and significance, if they are integrated with the historical practice of the masses, transformed into the conscious thought and action of the masses, and become an ideological weapon for them to understand and transform the world. This is also the fundamental touchstone for our Party in promoting theoretical innovation.
Whether a theory is correct or not must be tested through the practice of millions upon millions of people. Practice, as an object-oriented activity of human beings, possesses the quality of "direct reality" that links the subject with the object, and the subjective with the objective. Marx explicitly stated: "The question whether objective truth can be attributed to human thinking is not a question of theory but is a practical question." Theories used to observe, grasp, and lead the times must reflect the voice of the times and must never be divorced from the practice of their era; they must continuously summarize practical experience and condense it into the ideological essence of the times. The practical process of the masses is the historical process of testing all scientific answers to the "Questions of China, the World, the People, and the Times" [1]. Divorced from the creative practice of the masses, the Party's theoretical innovation would become water without a source or a tree without roots.
II. The achievements of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism are the crystallization of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people
The degree to which a theory is realized in a country depends on the degree to which it meets reality's needs; the effectiveness of a theory’s role depends on the depth to which it is applied in practice. Facing the constant emergence of new contradictions, problems, and situations in social practice, the people will be inspired to conduct new explorations and research. In this process, they obtain new methods for resolving contradictions and generate new theoretical understandings. The historical process of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is, in fact, the process by which the Party has united and led the people around the theme of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, based itself on the people's practical creations, concentrated the wisdom of the whole Party, continuously answered the questions of the times, and achieved theoretical innovation.
Looking back at history, Comrade Mao Zedong, in the long process of leading the Chinese revolution and construction, always emphasized that "the masses are the real heroes, while we ourselves are often childish and ignorant, and without this understanding, it is impossible to acquire even the most rudimentary knowledge." In his article "Get Organized!", he used the saying "three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhuge Liang" [2] to illustrate that the masses possess great creativity. He required Party members and cadres to go deep among the masses, learn from them, and gather their experience and wisdom to summarize and guide practice. In his closing speech at the Seventh National Congress of the CPC, Comrade Mao Zedong used the fable of "The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains" [3] to emphasize the practical power of the masses. It was precisely by applying the principle that the people are the creators of history and by giving full play to the creative enthusiasm and ingenuity of the masses that the CPC, after an arduous struggle, won the great victory of the New Democratic Revolution. Relying on the wisdom and strength of the people, the Party quickly healed the wounds of war, restored the national economy, completed the socialist revolution, established the basic socialist system, and advanced socialist construction, laying the fundamental political prerequisites and institutional foundations for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Chinese Communists profoundly summarized both positive and negative experiences since the founding of the People's Republic. They focused on major questions such as what is socialism and how to build it, what kind of Party to build and how to build it, and what kind of development to achieve and how to achieve it. They united and led the people in continuous exploration and practice under the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics. From the implementation of the household contract responsibility system [4] in rural areas and the sudden emergence of township and village enterprises, to the establishment of a system where public ownership is the mainstay and multiple forms of ownership develop together, and further to building a new socialist countryside, winning the battle against poverty, and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects—none of the emergence and development of these new things, nor the breakthroughs and sublimations in ideological understanding, were anything other than the result of the Party persisting in seeking truth from facts. These results were obtained by deriving new theoretical achievements from the summary of the vivid practices and wisdom of the masses, which in turn pushed the reform and opening up to deeper levels.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has kept the people in his heart, going deep into the grassroots and among the masses. His footprints span the length and breadth of the country as he continuously gathers the wisdom and strength of the masses to promote Chinese-path modernization. Combining theory and practice, he has deeply answered major questions concerning the development of the Party and the state's undertakings, proposed a series of new concepts, new thoughts, and new strategies for governance, founded Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and opened a new realm for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. He has repeatedly emphasized that "the CPC has its roots in the people, its lifeblood in the people, and its strength in the people," and that "any theory that is divorced from the people will be pale and weak, and any theory that does not benefit the people will be lifeless." History and practice have proven that all the Party’s correct opinions and propositions are the crystallization of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people. Every part of Sinicized and modernized Marxism originates from the wisdom, exploration, and creation of the people.
III. Adhering to the mass line is the fundamental method for continuously advancing the Party's theoretical innovation
The mass line is the Party's lifeline and fundamental working line; it is an important "family heirloom" for the Party to maintain its youthful vitality and combat effectiveness, and it is also the fundamental method for continuously advancing the Party's theoretical innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In all our work, we must follow the mass line; in advancing the Party's theoretical innovation, we must also follow the mass line. We must never engage in building cars behind closed doors, empty talk, or slipping into utopianism." [5]
To advance the Party's theoretical innovation, we must adhere to the fundamental position of putting the people first. A scientific theory only possesses value and meaning if it is truly understood and mastered by the masses and meets their needs. Being people-oriented is the essential attribute of Marxism. The Party's theory comes from the people, is for the people, and benefits the people; therefore, we must adhere to a value position centered on the people. History has proven that practical innovative activities require a correct value orientation so that the crystallized wisdom of innovation meets the needs of the people; otherwise, the interests of the people will be harmed. The Party's theoretical innovation is closely linked to the fundamental interests of the masses and serves as a powerful endogenous drive, pushing the Party to forge ahead in deepening and expanding the practice of Chinese-path modernization, promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism to achieve new leaps and open new realms.
To advance the Party's theoretical innovation, we must respect the pioneering spirit of the masses. Respecting the pioneering spirit of the masses, supporting and correctly guiding their creative activities, and being adept at forming fresh experiences from their practical creations—summarizing, analyzing, and generalizing them into theoretical forms to guide social practice—is an essential requirement for advancing the Party's theoretical innovation. This process is, in fact, the process by which the Party unites and leads the masses to actively create history, and the process by which the Party's theoretical innovation gains a profound mass foundation. Only by respecting the pioneering spirit of the masses, relying on them, and believing in them can we concentrate their creative wisdom and form theories that the people love, identify with, and possess, making them a powerful material force for understanding and transforming the world and overcoming all difficulties and obstacles on the road ahead.
To advance the Party's theoretical innovation, we must go deep among the masses to conduct investigation and research. Investigation and research are the concentrated expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology; they are effective ways to overcome formalism and bureaucratism and are the basic skill for doing all work well. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Investigation and research are the foundation of planning and the way to success. No investigation, no right to speak; no investigation, no right to make decisions." Investigation and research should adhere to a problem-oriented approach, focusing on new changes and characteristics in the social life of the masses during the New Era and on the new journey. By going deep into the grassroots to conduct research, we can discover new situations and problems, draw on the fresh experiences, pioneering methods, and practical forms created by the masses, and summarize and refine original thoughts and breakthrough theories that conform to the laws of social development, thereby promoting the development and progress of contemporary Chinese society. Only by consciously taking the people as our teachers, modestly learning from them, "dropping our airs and bending our bodies" [6], staying grounded, and understanding the situation below—by deeply conducting investigation and research to discover the prominent problems faced by the masses and refine the fresh experiences they create—can we make scientific decisions and deployments that correspond to the actual situation and the people's will. Only then can the Party's theoretical innovation maintain its eternal vitality.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The masses are at the forefront of practice; they are the most sensitive to and have the deepest perception of changes in practice. They are also the wisest. As long as we go among the masses, many problems that were once puzzling can be suddenly understood and solved." The creative practice of the people is the inexhaustible source of theoretical innovation in Marxism. We must persist in starting from the people as the subject of practice and value, ensuring that the Party's theoretical innovation is consistent with the fundamental interests of the masses, and making it a powerful ideological weapon for people to understand and transform the world and advance the cause of Chinese-path modernization. Only by respecting the pioneering spirit of the people, focusing on summarizing fresh experiences from their creative practice, elevating these to rational knowledge, and refining new theoretical achievements, can the Party's innovative theory enter the hearts of hundreds of millions of people, stay grounded, gather the people's wisdom, follow the people's will, win the people's hearts, and continuously advance with the times to gain lasting vitality.