Wang Zhen: Theoretical Implications and Institutional Advantages of the Communist Party of China's Consolidation of Cultural Subjectivity in the New Era

In the perspective of the historical materialist outlook (historical materialism), culture—as the objectified product of human labor, production, and life practice—is the concentrated manifestation of a particular nation's mode of existence during a specific period, possessing definite subjective characteristics. Throughout the process of civilizational continuity and cultural innovation, people always seek answers regarding their origins and destiny within these subjective characteristics of culture; by upholding this subjectivity, they coalesce national spiritual strength and stimulate the people’s internal drive to move courageously forward. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that "Chinese civilization possesses a cultural subjectivity and a robust vitality that allows for self-development, responding to challenges, and opening up new horizons." Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, a profound grasp of the theoretical implications and institutional advantages of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in consolidating cultural subjectivity in the New Era helps to reveal the inherent laws by which Chinese civilization achieves continuous self-development and opens new horizons amidst cultural exchange, integration, and confrontation. At a new starting point, this further strengthens cultural confidence, promotes cultural prosperity, helps build a leading country in culture, and demonstrates the global significance of the New Form of Human Civilization.

I. The Communist Party of China Consolidates Cultural Subjectivity with Historical Materialism as the Theoretical Cornerstone

Consolidating cultural subjectivity cannot be separated from the guidance of a scientific worldview and methodology. General Secretary Xi Jinping has noted that "'The Combination' ^[1] has consolidated cultural subjectivity." In the New Era, the CPC takes historical materialism as its guide, combining it with the reality of national reform and development to continuously reinforce the theoretical cornerstone for consolidating cultural subjectivity.

The objectified practical activity unique to human beings is the objective basis for the generation and development of cultural subjectivity. Labor practice is the starting point of social history and the objective basis and realistic foundation for the generation of cultural subjectivity for a given group or nation. Marx and Engels pointed out: "By producing their means of subsistence men are indirectly producing their actual material life." As the essence of social life, labor practice becomes the important source of cultural generation for a specific nation in a specific period. Humans create a rich and diverse social life through labor, and simultaneously, human labor practice is objectified into a vital component of social life. The objectified products of labor become the material resources and spiritual wealth of social life; the subjective mentalities formed during labor become the spiritual cohesive force and group normative force in social life; and labor practice itself becomes a behavioral mode of social life. Marx and Engels noted: "What individuals are... depends on the material conditions of their production." Therefore, culture possesses both the general characteristics of human subjective practice and the specific subjective practical characteristics that serve as group norms within a certain group at a certain time. In the New Era, the CPC, building upon the "Two Combinations," has deepened innovation in human subjective cultural practice, profoundly reflecting the practical viewpoint of historical materialism.

The modernization of social production and life practice is the historical prerequisite for consolidating cultural subjectivity. Understanding the historical basis for consolidating cultural subjectivity in the New Era through the lens of Chinese-path modernization is an inheritance and upholding of historical materialism. Marx pointed out: "All social life is essentially practical." The changes and development of modernized social production and life practice have endowed social life with new historical characteristics, providing an objective historical basis for consolidating cultural subjectivity. On the one hand, practice constitutes the historical basis of social culture; social culture in the New Era develops within the practice of modernized social production and life. Practice inherently contains the relationship between man and nature as well as the relationships between individuals. In human subjective practice, humans use themselves as the measure to actively realize the "humanization of nature" (renhua ziran) ^[2]. "Definite individuals who are productively active in a definite way enter into these definite social and political relations." Social and political relations are objectified in practice as group cultural norms between people. Modernized social production and life practice cause the humanization of nature and group culture to exhibit new characteristics, becoming both important content of the subjective culture and a vital historical basis for consolidating cultural subjectivity in the New Era. On the other hand, practice enhances the historical momentum of social cultural development; the practice of Chinese-path modernization enhances the momentum for the innovative development of Chinese civilization. Engels pointed out that "the men who in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were working at the humanizing of the steam engine had no idea that they were preparing the instrument which more than any other was over-throwing the social conditions throughout the entire world." Material production practice provides the historical engine for social cultural development. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Chinese-path modernization endows Chinese civilization with modern power," and the practice of Chinese-path modernization has strengthened the developmental momentum for consolidating cultural subjectivity in the New Era.

The subjective understanding of culture originates from social production and life practice, and this subjective understanding in turn exerts an active counter-reaction on the innovation of modes of production. Marx and Engels pointed out: "Men are the producers of their conceptions, ideas, etc., that is, real, active men." The mode of production of a certain group in a certain period determines that its objectified products must reflect its social existence; culture must also reflect the stable, realistic survival modes and life patterns of a nation, giving culture objective subjective characteristics. Simultaneously, social consciousness possesses relative independence and exerts an active counter-reaction on social existence. As Marx and Engels noted: "productive forces, the state of society and consciousness, can and must come into contradiction with one another." Culture not only converges into a group culture within the social production of various eras but also exerts influence during the social production of various periods. It may become a positive factor that coalesces and inspires people to engage in socialized large-scale production, or it may become a negative factor in class societies that hinders the realization of the "free and conscious species-essence labor" (ziyou zijue leibenzhi laodong) ^[3] of human beings. The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Some Major Issues Concerning Upholding and Improving the System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Advancing the Modernization of China’s System and Capacity for Governance pointed out: "We must remain firm in our cultural confidence and firmly grasp the forward direction of advanced socialist culture." Taking scientific theory as guidance, grasping the developmental direction of advanced culture, and firmly consolidating cultural subjectivity has become the internal logic for the innovative development of the New Form of Human Civilization.

The people are the subjects and creators of history and culture. In the historical practice of human understanding and transformation of the world, whether in material or spiritual production, the masses show immense creativity and productivity, becoming the pioneers of survival modes for different social groups in different historical periods. Marx and Engels pointed out: "History is nothing but the activity of man pursuing his aims." Through their labor production and life practice, the people not only actively enrich their material world but also actively innovate their spiritual world; the people are the masters of civilizational innovation. Therefore, the cultural subjectivity of a certain group in a certain period is created by the people in their own labor production and life practice. At the same time, cultural subjectivity also needs the people to consolidate it. The economic base determines the superstructure, while the superstructure exerts an active counter-reaction on the economic base. The cultural subjectivity generated from the labor production and life practice of the masses will inevitably differ from other group cultures worldwide. Facing the challenges of heterogeneous cultures, only by relying on the people—this subjective cultural force—can cultural subjectivity be consolidated and continuously innovated. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "We must persist in a people-centered approach, focusing on meeting the diverse, multi-level, and multi-faceted spiritual and cultural needs of the people." Caring for the cultural needs of the people and respecting their subjective status in cultural generation reflects the New Era CPC’s adherence to the materialist view of history (mass line).

In social interaction, there exists cultural intersubjectivity (zhutijianxing); therefore, consolidating cultural subjectivity does not mean self-seclusion but requires mutual learning among civilizations through social interaction. Marx and Engels pointed out: "The production of ideas, of conceptions, of consciousness, is at first directly interwoven with the material activity and the material intercourse of men, the language of real life." Thus, cultural production and social interaction are inseparable. The generation and inheritance of culture can generally include two categories: material cultural production and spiritual cultural production, and material cultural intercourse and spiritual cultural intercourse. Both production and intercourse are subjective practical activities, but regarding cultural subjectivity, production focuses on the relationship between subject and object—that is, the relationship between humans and their objectified labor products (culture). Intercourse, however, focuses on the relationship between subjects—that is, the relationship between people as the generating subjects of different cultures, which is the issue of cultural intersubjectivity. Cultural subjectivity takes cultural intersubjectivity as a necessary supplement, or inherently contains cultural intersubjectivity. Cultural intersubjectivity indicates that people may face common cultural objects, thus condensing into a common cultural subject and possessing a common cultural subjectivity, which provides a scientific theoretical premise for cultural exchange and mutual learning. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "We must more actively and proactively learn from and draw upon all the outstanding achievements of human civilization." By upholding openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning among civilizations, the New Era CPC follows the laws of cultural generation and development within social interaction to consolidate cultural subjectivity, fully demonstrating its theoretical commitment to historical materialism.

II. The Communist Party of China Consolidates Cultural Subjectivity with Fine Traditional Chinese Culture as Cultural Nourishment

The "Second Combination" ^[4] is a "profound grasp of the laws governing the development of Chinese civilization." In the New Era, the CPC scientifically grasps the prominent characteristics and developmental laws of Chinese civilization, transforming the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture into cultural nourishment for consolidating cultural subjectivity.

Following the inherent laws of cultural subjectivity within the civilizational principles of "change" (bian) and "constancy" (chang). "The great virtue of Heaven and Earth lies in constant generation (chang sheng); thus it is said, 'life/generation'." The generation, development, and consolidation of cultural subjectivity are closely related to the "Eternal Way" (chang dao) explored amidst change. "Therefore, constantly without desire, one observes its mystery; constantly with desire, one observes its boundaries." "Establish it with 'constant non-being and being' (chang wu you), and let the 'Great One' (tai yi) ^[5] be the master." Laozi and Zhuangzi’s philosophy emphasizes that change is the normal state of all things in the world; therefore, by exploring and grasping the Eternal Way within change, one can seize the initiative at the junction of non-being and being—that is, one can consciously, actively, and purposefully grasp the "Great One." The ontic generation and cognitive changes of Chinese cultural subjectivity are closely related to this understanding of the law of eternal change in the universe and the active spirit of integrating Heaven, Earth, and humanity. It lets people recognize their own agency and encourages them to maintain that agency amidst shifting forms and constant changes, more actively transforming nature and innovating culture while grasping the Eternal Way. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Efforts must be made to stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation. The vitality of culture lies in innovation and creativity." Since the 18th CPC National Congress, cultural creation has flourished and the spiritual and cultural lives of the people have become richer, which is precisely an active response to the law of stimulating cultural innovation while exploring and grasping the Eternal Way.

The concept of "transforming people through culture" (yi wen hua ren) provides Chinese wisdom for consolidating cultural subjectivity. "From Jiaozhi to Huiji, a distance of seven or eight thousand li, the Hundred Yue tribes lived mixed together, each with their own clans and surnames; they cannot all be said to be descendants of Shao Kang." ^[6] The Chinese nation is a "pluralistic unity" (duoyuan yiti), and this has created a pluralistic yet unified Chinese culture, which is inseparable from Xunzi’s thought of "unifying the many through the one." "Man’s strength is not equal to that of an ox, and his running is not equal to that of a horse, yet the ox and horse are used by him. Why? I say: humans can form social groups (neng qun), while they [animals] cannot." Humans have a social mode of living, and the culture generated therefrom possesses group normativity. Once this stable group lifestyle is generated, it becomes the ideological and behavioral norm for individuals within the group, seeking the stable development of the group society and enhancing the ability to resist risks. How to achieve "unifying the many through the one" and "harmonizing the same and the different"—this "transforming people through culture" demonstrates the cultural wisdom of the Chinese nation. "Observe the patterns of heaven to understand the changes of the seasons; observe the patterns of humanity to transform and perfect the world." ^[7] Persisting in transforming people through culture, educating and coalescing people through culture’s ability to "generate commonality from difference" and "seek common ground while reserving differences," and promoting cultural integration and development has become an important ideological innovation and methodological guide for consolidating cultural subjectivity.

The idea of "Great Unity" (da yi tong) ^[8] provided an important condition for consolidating cultural subjectivity. Without the great transformations during the Zhou and Qin dynasties, it would have been difficult for the Chinese nation to become a cohesive whole, and for Chinese civilization to possess a highly unified cultural form. The political situation of Great Unity after the Qin and Han dynasties provided a powerful political institutional guarantee for the generation of cultural subjectivity. "Today, teachers follow different paths, people hold different theories, and the Hundred Schools have different methods and different goals; thus, the ruler has nothing with which to maintain unity." One cannot deny the role this [political unification] played in the Great Unity of Chinese culture; it provided policy conditions for Chinese cultural subjectivity. However, in the perspective of the "Big View of History" (da lishi guan), the political system of Great Unity did not lead the subjective culture to exclude other cultures; rather, it continuously expanded the subjective culture in an inclusive and integrative manner. "The reason Confucianism triumphed over the Hundred Schools was that it absorbed the strengths of the Hundred Schools." This inclusive thought of Great Unity allowed Chinese culture to continuously consolidate its subjectivity through enrichment and innovation. In the New Era, the CPC fully implements Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and actively builds a socialist ideology with strong cohesive power, reflecting the inheritance and development of the idea of Great Unity.

The continuity of Chinese civilization provides an important guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity. The inheritance of Chinese civilization is orderly; the cultural spirit, cultural psychology, cultural values, and cultural emotions within fine traditional Chinese culture have, through inheritance and development, coalesced into a spiritual driving force for generations of Chinese people to forge ahead with determination, demonstrating the Chinese nation's consciousness and self-reliance in passing down and developing Chinese civilization. At the same time, Chinese culture emphasizes that "transmission must have a locus" (chuan zhi you zai) and that "heavenly principles and human ethics must not be extinguished" (tianli minyi buke minmie) ^[9]. This not only points out the significant meaning of inheriting a subject culture but also emphasizes the factual existence of that subject culture. That is, from an epistemological perspective, it answers the question of the objective existence of a subject culture, which can be recognized and inherited by the people. Therefore, the continuity of Chinese civilization ensures an orderly inheritance of the subject culture, providing an objective basis for consolidating cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The continuity of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that the Chinese nation must follow its own path." Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, clarifying the path and direction of cultural development fully demonstrates the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization and provides an important guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity.

III. The Communist Party of China Consolidates Cultural Subjectivity with Cultural Innovation Theory as Internal Support

Through the deep integration of theory and practice, the CPC has continuously deepened its understanding of the regular patterns of socialist cultural construction. In various historical periods, it has formed a wealth of cultural innovation theories, providing internal support for consolidating cultural subjectivity in the New Era.

During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the CPC persisted in the national character of cultural construction to counter the infiltration and aggression of imperialist culture. On the one hand, it revealed the essential attributes and fundamental direction of subject cultural construction during the building of New Democratic culture. Mao Zedong pointed out, "The so-called New Democratic culture is, in a word, the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal culture of the masses of the people led by the proletariat." This identified the essential attributes and fundamental direction of subject cultural construction. The CPC profoundly realized that building a subject culture must enhance the cultural consciousness of the Chinese nation, shaking off the negative influence of imperialist culture through independence and self-reliance to seek a path of cultural autonomy. On the other hand, it specified that the subject force of cultural innovation is the masses of the people. The first problem cultural subjectivity must solve is who creates culture—that is, the relationship between culture and people. Mao Zedong pointed out, "The masses are the inexhaustibly rich source of revolutionary culture." New Democratic culture was the objectified product of the revolutionary practice of the masses led by the CPC. The masses are the subject of culture. This profoundly reveals the question of who constitutes the subject force in the generation of culture within cultural subjectivity, providing a theoretical guideline for the CPC to profoundly grasp cultural subjectivity in the New Era.

During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the CPC actively constructed a cultural environment with socialist culture as the subject to eliminate the negative influences of decadent and backward cultures, such as imperialist and feudal cultures. On the one hand, it broke down superstitions regarding Western culture and enhanced Chinese cultural consciousness. Mao Zedong emphasized, "Whether in the East or the West, every nation must have its own things," and "People often have many superstitions, and superstition regarding imperialism is one of them; another is not believing in one's own strength, feeling that one's strength is minimal." Facing the "Sino-Western debate," the CPC adhered to historical materialism, grounded itself in China's reality, and continuously enhanced Chinese cultural consciousness and confidence, laying an ideological foundation for the construction of subject culture. On the other hand, cultural construction needs to establish a dominant position amidst diversity. Mao Zedong pointed out, "There are 2.7 billion people on earth; it will not do if they sing only one tune," but "whether within the Party, or in ideological and literary and art circles, the primary and dominant position must be contested for by 'fragrant flowers' and Marxism." Culture possesses characteristics of diversity due to the pluralistic practical bases of its generation, but culture also possesses group normativity. Therefore, socialist cultural construction aims to unify the many under the one, continuously consolidating cultural subjectivity. This provides methodological guidance for the CPC to deepen the construction of subject culture in the New Era.

During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the field of ideology and culture faced clashes between numerous contradictions: the indigenous versus the foreign, the traditional versus the modern, and the new versus the old. How to inject scientific cultural momentum into the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and how to enhance cultural consciousness and firm up cultural confidence, became important issues for the CPC to resolve through theoretical deepening and practical innovation. On the one hand, Marxism was used to lead the exchange and development of diverse cultures. Deng Xiaoping pointed out, "Those things belonging to the cultural field must be analyzed, identified, and criticized with Marxism regarding their ideological content and methods of expression." Using Marxism to lead the direction of subject cultural construction became the CPC's understanding of the regular patterns of cultural construction. On the other hand, historical materialism was used as a guide to enhance historical initiative in cultural creation. Jiang Zemin emphasized, "Our cultural construction cannot sever history." Hu Jintao emphasized, "Promote the great development and prosperity of culture more consciously and actively." Every nation generates a way of life with group characteristics through labor, production, and daily practice, which becomes the important nourishment and cultural momentum for the nation's reproduction and growth. Grounded in the inheritance and innovation of historical culture, the CPC continuously improved the construction of cultural soft power, providing solid theoretical support for deepening the understanding of Chinese cultural subjectivity and subject cultural construction in the New Era.

In the New Era, how to handle the relationship between the "roots" (genmai) ^[10] and the "soul" (hunmai) ^[11] of culture, how to resolve the "dispute between the ancient, the modern, the Chinese, and the foreign," and how to better firm up cultural confidence have become important tasks for the CPC's cultural construction. First, cultural subjectivity enhances cultural confidence. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Cultural confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity." In the New Era, the CPC proposed the major proposition of consolidating cultural subjectivity to further firm up the confidence and self-reliance of Chinese culture, promoting Chinese civilization to possess greater leadership, cohesion, transformative power, and influence. Second, the people need culture, and culture needs to take hold of the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, we should "collectively serve the contemporary mission of educating people through culture." Based on concerning itself with, satisfying, and leading the actual needs of the cultural subject, we must stimulate the creative vitality of the masses for the subject culture, making it the spiritual driving force for the growth and development of the masses. This fully reflects the value orientation of the CPC in consolidating cultural subjectivity in the New Era. Finally, deepen subject cultural construction within the "Two Combinations." Upholding the fundamentals means "upholding the CPC's cultural leadership and the Chinese nation's cultural subjectivity." Historical materialism holds that the economic base determines the superstructure; culture with Chinese characteristics is established upon a socialist mode of production. Sublating (yangqi) the heterogenous cultures generated on the basis of alienated labor, satisfying the needs of Chinese-path modernization, and scientifically leading the direction of subject cultural development have become important points of focus for building a leading cultural power ^[12] in the New Era.

The CPC's consolidation of cultural subjectivity in the New Era exhibits distinct theoretical characteristics. First, it adheres to seeking truth from facts, achieving the self-realization of the universality of contradictions within the particularity of contradictions during the consolidation of cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "For any culture to stand firm and go far, to have leadership, cohesion, transformative power, and influence, it must have its own subjectivity." In the New Era, the CPC always adheres to the laws of cultural inheritance and innovation, actively draws on the fine achievements of human civilization, and is committed to promoting cultural innovation on the basis of inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture. This continuously activates the creative vitality of the masses, allowing the consolidation of cultural subjectivity in the New Era to complete the self-realization of the universality of contradictions within their particularity, further highlighting the theoretical character of seeking truth from facts. Second, it adheres to advancing with the times, always staying guided by the Party's innovative theories in consolidating cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The creation of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the most powerful embodiment of this cultural subjectivity." Important discourses within Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era—regarding shouldering the cultural mission of the New Era, firming up cultural confidence, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, mastering the leadership of public opinion under informationized conditions, and constructing a Chinese system of discourse and narrative—provide an "advance with the times" ideological weapon for the theoretical innovation of consolidating cultural subjectivity. Finally, it adheres to the supremacy of the people, always ensuring that the people's culture is for the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "every member" of the Chinese nation should "become a subject in disseminating Chinese virtues and Chinese culture," and "being people-centered means taking the satisfaction of the people's spiritual and cultural needs as the starting point and goal of literature and art and literary and artistic work." In the New Era, the CPC always emphasizes the subjective position of the people in the generation, development, inheritance, and innovation of culture, continuously stimulating the subjective kinetic energy of the masses in cultural innovation and development, so that cultural subjectivity in the New Era is continuously consolidated and strengthened.

IV. Institutional Advantages of the Communist Party of China in Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity in the New Era

The CPC's consolidation of cultural subjectivity in the New Era possesses incomparable institutional advantages. The fundamental, basic, and important institutions of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics provide a solid guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity in the New Era. These institutional advantages will be transformed into innovative kinetic energy, continuously promoting the innovative development of Chinese cultural subjectivity.

The Fundamental Institutional Advantages of the Communist Party of China in Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity in the New Era

Our country's Constitution explicitly stipulates: "The socialist system is the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China. Leadership by the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics." "All work and activities of our national governance are carried out in accordance with the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics." The socialist system and the leadership of the CPC are the fundamental institutional advantages for consolidating and developing cultural subjectivity.

The socialist system and the leadership of the CPC guarantee cultural strategic focus (dingli) and cultural security. While various ideologies and cultures in the world today exchange and blend, they also bring challenges to the people's spiritual focus and the country's cultural security. Strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work is one of the important focus points in facing the new cultural mission. The socialist system provides the fundamental institutional guarantee for better completing this cultural mission. At the same time, the CPC in the New Era adheres to Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as a guide in the fields of propaganda and ideological work, ideological and political work, and literary and artistic work, ensuring cultural focus and cultural security amidst the exchange, blending, and clashing of diverse cultures, thereby better consolidating cultural subjectivity.

The socialist system and the Party's cultural leadership ^[13] guarantee the scientific direction of cultural subjectivity's development. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "For cultural construction, only by upholding the fundamentals can we avoid losing our center and our direction." All work and activities to consolidate cultural subjectivity are carried out under the socialist system, which also provides the institutional guarantee for better adhering to the Party's cultural leadership. The CPC's cultural leadership and cultural subjectivity have a profound internal connection. The realization of cultural leadership is reflected not only in the formulation of guiding ideologies and policies for subject cultural construction but also in the value guidance and methodological direction of cultural creation and dissemination. In this process, the Party's leadership is not abstract but concrete; through the formulation, implementation, and supervision of the lines, principles, and policies of cultural construction, the scientific development direction of cultural subjectivity is ensured.

The socialist system and the leadership of the CPC guarantee the continuous enhancement of the driving force for cultural subjectivity. Cultural subjectivity was established on the land of China by the CPC leading the Chinese people. The Party's leadership is the dominant force in the innovative development of Chinese culture, and the socialist system provides the institutional guarantee for the Party's overall leadership. This ensures that the development of Chinese culture both conforms to the basic principles and lines of socialism and reflects the will and requirements of the masses, thereby scientifically enhancing the driving force for developing cultural subjectivity. The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization pointed out: "Adhere to the people-centered creative orientation, persist in combining the production of results with the cultivation of talent, integrate the cultivation of works with the cultivation of the environment, and improve the service, guidance, and organizational mechanisms for literary and artistic creation and production." Both the socialist system and the Party's cultural policies emphasize being people-centered, ensuring that the fruits of cultural development are shared by all people. Improving the cultural quality and cultural consciousness of the entire nation and enhancing the cohesion and attraction of socialist culture provide a solid guarantee for boosting the driving force to consolidate cultural subjectivity.

The fundamental institutional system of upholding the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere is a major institutional innovation that concerns the overall development of the Party and state’s undertakings and the long-term cultural development of our country. It centrally embodies the valuable historical experience accumulated by the Party in leading the practice of cultural construction, providing a solid institutional foundation for consolidating cultural subjectivity and ensuring that cultural development always proceeds along the correct path. As the fundamental political system, the system of people's congresses ^[14] is conducive to ensuring the scientific nature of consolidating cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "The system of people's congresses upholds the principle that all power of the state belongs to the people, maximizing the protection of the people’s role as masters of the country." The system of people's congresses helps to strengthen the cultural subject and the construction of the subject culture, ensuring that cultural construction conforms to the fundamental interests of the people and guaranteeing that the masses are both the subjects of cultural innovation and the beneficiaries of cultural development. As a supportive platform, the system of people's congresses is an important vehicle for extensively listening to and reflecting the will of the people and concentrating the wisdom of the people. Therefore, on this platform, focus can be placed on the hot issues of the people's cultural life, more effectively targeting the key points and difficulties of cultural development, providing a reference and basis for decision-making in consolidating cultural subjectivity.

The Institutional Strengths of the Basic Systems of the Communist Party of China in Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity in the New Era

The basic systems of socialism with Chinese characteristics refer to the sum of the relations of production built on the basis of a certain level of productive forces, as well as the political and ideological superstructure corresponding to them, including systems in the economic, political, cultural, and social spheres. These basic systems provide an important guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity.

Relevant basic systems at the political level provide an important guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity. First, the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China is conducive to ensuring the scientific and democratic consolidation of cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Advancing consultative democracy ^[15] helps to improve the people's orderly political participation, close the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the people, and promote scientific and democratic decision-making." Political consultation emphasizes the consultative discussion of major policies before decisions are made, seeking consensus and providing intellectual support and resources for policy formulation. Through political consultation, wisdom and strength from all sides can be gathered to form a broad social consensus, fully enhancing the subjective awareness of the masses and providing a democratic path for the formulation and implementation of policies to consolidate cultural subjectivity. At the same time, political consultation provides a platform for different groups to express their opinions and suggestions, contributing to the democratization and scientific rigor of policy. This is crucial for establishing the subject amidst diversity and setting the direction amidst plurality, thereby promoting the innovative development of culture on the basis of consolidating cultural subjectivity. Second, the system of regional ethnic autonomy is conducive to increasing the vitality of the development of cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "conserve and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and strengthen interactions, exchanges, and integration among all ethnic groups." Regional ethnic autonomy builds a full development platform for all ethnic groups, allowing their diverse cultures to be protected and developed. This system enables all ethnic groups to promote common prosperity through mutual learning and exchange while maintaining their own cultural characteristics. Third, the system of community-level self-governance ^[16] is conducive to enhancing the innovative vitality of cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must improve the mechanisms for community-level self-governance, mobilize the enthusiasm for autonomy among urban and rural residents, enterprises, public institutions, and social organizations, and build a social governance community in which everyone is responsible and everyone does their part." Through various forms such as grassroots self-governing organizations, social groups, and volunteer organizations, the masses can directly participate in all stages of cultural construction, thereby ensuring the breadth and depth of cultural activities. This increase in participation not only enhances the attractiveness and affinity of cultural activities but also promotes a more colorful grassroots cultural life, continuously strengthening the vitality of cultural innovation.

Relevant basic systems at the economic level provide an important guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity. The basic socialist economic systems—such as the dominance of public ownership with diverse forms of ownership developing together, the dominance of distribution according to work with diverse modes of distribution coexisting, and the socialist market economy ^[17]—not only embody the superiority of the socialist system but also adapt to the level of development of social productive forces in the primary stage of socialism in China; they are great creations of the Party and the people. First, the basic economic system dominated by public ownership ensures the nature and development direction of the subject culture. The essence of culture is the objectification of human labor; in a private-ownership economy, labor becomes alienated ^[18], and its objectified products cannot be held by the masses. The socialist public-ownership economy ensures that the objectified products of the "species-essence labor" ^[19] of free and conscious human beings can be held by the masses, safeguarding their status as cultural subjects. Second, the distribution system dominated by distribution according to work ensures that "people's culture is for the people," consolidating the subjective position of the masses in socialist culture. The masses are both the creators of culture and the objects of its nourishment. The socialist distribution system ensures that the people share in the fruits of excellent culture, better achieving the task of the times—to "cultivate people through culture" (以文化人)—enabling all people to continuously enhance their cultural consciousness and cultural confidence through the nourishment of excellent culture, thereby steadily consolidating cultural subjectivity. Third, the socialist market economy system, established on the foundation of the basic economic and distribution systems, continuously activates the developmental vitality for consolidating cultural subjectivity. In the process of Chinese-path modernization, the cultural needs of the people exhibit diverse characteristics; the socialist market economy system ensures the coordinated development of cultural undertakings ^[20] and cultural industries, continuously stimulating the vitality of the inheritance and innovation of Chinese culture.

Relevant basic systems at the cultural level provide an important guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity. The system for the prosperity and development of advanced socialist culture is conducive to continuously consolidating the common ideological foundation for all people to strengthen cultural subjectivity. On the one hand, the system of public opinion guidance work that upholds the correct orientation is conducive to creating a favorable ideological and cultural environment. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The principles of the Party managing propaganda, ideology, the media, and the internet must be fully implemented." Currently, the exchange, integration, and confrontation of diverse global cultures coexist, and consolidating cultural subjectivity faces multiple challenges in the sphere of public opinion. Upholding a system of public opinion guidance with the correct orientation helps the masses further consolidate their cultural subjectivity by "singing the main theme" ^[21] and spreading positive energy. On the other hand, the system of ideological and moral construction helps promote the sustainable development of the work to consolidate cultural subjectivity. In 2017, the Central Spiritual Civilization Development Steering Committee issued the "Guiding Opinions on Deepening Mass Spiritual Civilization Creation Activities"; in 2019, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council successively issued the "Outline for the Implementation of Civic Moral Construction in the New Era" and the "Outline for the Implementation of Patriotism Education in the New Era"; and in 2021, they issued the "Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Ideological and Political Work in the New Era." These systems and policy opinions play an important role in safeguarding the sustained development of the work to consolidate cultural subjectivity.

Relevant basic systems at the social and ecological civilization levels provide an important guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity. On the one hand, the socialist education system helps consolidate the subjective position of the masses in cultural inheritance and innovation. The Education Law of the People's Republic of China clearly states: "Education must serve the socialist modernization drive and the people, must be integrated with productive labor and social practice, and must train socialist builders and successors with an all-around development in morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor." The socialist education system clarifies the basic direction of talent cultivation, ensuring that the cause of education can cultivate promising youth who inherit and develop excellent Chinese culture, thereby providing the human resource guarantee for enriching the subject culture and strengthening the cultural subject. On the other hand, systems of environmental governance and ecological restoration within the ecological civilization system help to better protect cultural subjectivity. In 2020, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Guiding Opinions on Building a Modern Environmental Governance System," emphasizing the "improvement of the corporate responsibility system for environmental governance" and "strengthening the development of corporate environmental governance responsibility systems, urging enterprises to strictly implement laws and regulations and accept social supervision." Continuously improving the responsibility system for environmental governance enables humans to better handle the relationship between humanity and nature, protecting natural and cultural diversity and guarding the natural foundation for cultural subjectivity.

The Institutional Strengths of Important Systems of the Communist Party of China in Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity in the New Era

So-called "important systems" refer to the specific systems in various fields, aspects, and links of national governance derived from the fundamental and basic systems. Among the important systems in various fields, the system for cultivating and practicing Core Socialist Values, the system for the supervision of cultural heritage protection, and the system for the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent play important roles in consolidating and developing cultural subjectivity.

The system for cultivating and practicing Core Socialist Values ^[22] is conducive to deepening the value core of cultural subjectivity. Within the cultural forms of a certain group in a certain period, there are surface-level cultural phenomena, middle-level national cultural psychology, and a deep-level value core; consolidating cultural subjectivity is inseparable from the inheritance and development of this value core. In 2013, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the "Opinions on Cultivating and Practicing Core Socialist Values," emphasizing the integration of Core Socialist Values into the entire process of national education and their implementation in the practice of economic development and social governance. Advancing the cultivation and practice of Core Socialist Values through institutionalized and regularized mechanisms not only clarifies the value orientation for consolidating cultural subjectivity but also provides a reference basis for building a value consensus for cultural subjectivity.

The system for the supervision of cultural heritage protection is conducive to better inheriting and developing fine traditional Chinese culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Improve the systems and mechanisms for the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, accelerate the improvement of the system of laws and regulations, strengthen the allocation of work forces and the integration of management resources, and earnestly enhance authority, synergy, and binding force." In 2024, the "Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization" emphasized: "Establish a coordination mechanism for the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, establish a system for the supervision of cultural heritage protection, and promote the systematic protection and unified supervision of cultural heritage." Improving the system for cultural heritage protection supervision helps the masses, on the basis of enhancing cultural consciousness and cultural confidence, demonstrate their subjective position in the inheritance and innovation of Chinese culture, thereby consciously consolidating cultural subjectivity.

The relevant important systems for the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent are conducive to the better development of cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Education, science and technology, and talent are the foundational and strategic pillars for building a socialist modernized country in all respects." In 2025, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the "Outline of the Plan for Building a Leading Country in Education," emphasizing the "construction of a mechanism for the integrated and coordinated promotion of education, science and technology, and talent." Within this system, through policy coordination, project integration, and resource allocation, the collaborative education mechanisms of "teaching and educating," "cultivating through culture," and "research and educating" can be better improved. Strengthening the supportive role of education for science and technology and talent is conducive to further realizing the coordinated development of humans and culture, continuously consolidating the educational, scientific, and talent foundations for cultural subjectivity.

Source: World Socialism Studies (Issue 12, 2025) Editor: Hui Hui