Give full play to academic and theoretical advantages and demonstrate the intellectual and truthful power of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches

On August 4, the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) held a symposium to study and implement the spirit of the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the provincial-level principal leading officials' seminar on "Studying the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and welcoming the 20th Party Congress." Zhen Zhanmin, Vice President and Member of the Leadership Core Group ^[1] of CASS, attended and addressed the meeting.

Zhen Zhanmin pointed out that the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the seminar for provincial-level principal leading officials is a significant address of distinct political, theoretical, and guiding character, delivered on the eve of the 20th Party Congress. It is a major speech that carries forward the cause and forges ahead into the future while upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. It centrally demonstrates the innovative achievements of the Sinicization and modernization ^[2] of Marxism in the New Era. It constitutes a programmatic document shining with the radiance of Marxist truth, a political manifesto and program of action for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and has laid an important political, ideological, and theoretical foundation for the successful convening of the 20th Party Congress.

Zhen Zhanmin emphasized that in promoting the research and interpretation of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Research Center must make full and effective use of its resource advantages in Marxist theoretical research, its comprehensive range of academic disciplines, its concentration of high-level talent, and its diverse research platforms. It must produce a series of masterpieces that reflect the characteristics and wisdom of CASS, using research results characterized by theoretical persuasiveness and ideological leadership to promote the implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It is necessary to further strengthen top-level planning and design, increase efforts in organizational coordination, and bolster the integration and cross-disciplinary coordination of major research projects and subjects to deepen the intensity of research and interpretation. We must strengthen innovation in work mechanisms, consolidate and build a formidable research force, and continuously enhance the holistic, systematic, and academic research and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This will involve producing more unique, pioneering, and leading achievements in researching and solving major issues concerning the overall, fundamental, and key interests of the Party and the state.

Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS and Executive Deputy Director of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, presided over the meeting. Experts including Huang Qunhui, Director of the Institute of Economics; Luo Wendong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of World History; Jin Minqing, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Modern History; Yao Zhizhong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of World Economics and Politics; Song Yuehong, Deputy Director of the Institute of Contemporary China; Gong Yun and Lin Jianhua, Deputy Directors of the Institute of Marxism Studies; and Chen Zhigang, researcher at the Institute of Marxism Studies, delivered speeches in succession, sharing their insights based on their respective work realities and research fields.

Huang Qunhui stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech profoundly elucidated the essential characteristics and deep connotations of the Chinese-path modernization. This path possesses not only the historical and practical logic of the Chinese nation’s great rejuvenation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, but also a profound theoretical logic and significant theoretical value. In the face of complex and diverse theories of modernization, the Chinese-path modernization takes Marxist theory as its guide. It achieves a combination of eclectic absorption and innovative transcendence of modernization theories, alongside the unity of regularity and diversity. With the "People-Centered Theory," "National Conditions Theory," "Civilizational Coordination Theory," and "Peaceful Development Theory" as its four theoretical cores, it has uniquely formed a modernization theory with Chinese characteristics.

Luo Wendong argued that in the five-hundred-year history of world socialism, the decade of the New Era is but "the flick of a finger" ^[3]. However, the great historical cause created and the social transformations promoted by the Party leading the people are unprecedented and rare in the world. If the birth of Marxism transformed socialism from utopia to science, and the creation of Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought enabled socialism to leap from theory to system, then the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics—particularly Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era—will guide the transition of socialism from its primary stage to a higher stage.

Jin Minqing pointed out that the Chinese-path modernization holds immense significance in the history of the development of human civilization. It shatters the myth of the "uniqueness" of the Western modernization path, expands the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization, and promotes the formation and development of a new form of human civilization. With the healthy development of the Chinese-path modernization, Chinese modernization theory has formed an autonomous theoretical system, achieving a transcendence of Western theories of modernity. This theory embodies the unity of Party leadership and people's creativity, autonomy and integration, inheritance and development, strategy and tactics, idealism and realism, comprehensiveness and key priorities, and theory and practice.

Yao Zhizhong maintained that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech laid an excellent foundation for welcoming and successfully holding the 20th Party Congress. It is of great significance for inspiring the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups nationwide to maintain strategic clarity, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strive to write a brand-new chapter in building a modern socialist country in all respects during the new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal ^[4] and the historical period where "world changes unseen in a century" are accelerating. It also sets forth important requirements for the whole Party, particularly requiring us to firmly grasp the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, profoundly understand the characteristics of the stage of our era, scientifically grasp the strategic opportunities and risks we face, and accurately grasp the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.

Song Yuehong stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech is a programmatic document for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and building a modern socialist country in all respects in the New Era. Standing at the strategic height of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the speech pointed out that the great changes in the ten years of the New Era hold milestone significance in the history of the Party, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, the history of the development of socialism, and the history of the development of the Chinese nation. It emphasized that on the new journey, we must unswervingly promote the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. To implement the spirit of the speech, we must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, persist in promoting national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, have the courage to carry out a "great struggle with many new historical characteristics" ^[5], and always place the development of the country and the nation on the basis of our own strength, holding the destiny of China's development and progress firmly in our own hands.

Gong Yun discussed the milestone significance of the great changes in the ten years of the New Era across the aforementioned "five histories." The New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a temporal continuation of the CPC leading the people through revolution, construction, and reform, and a spatial expansion of Chinese Communists' original aspiration and founding mission in creating great causes for the era. It marks a new orientation in the 70-plus-year history of New China, as China enters a new stage of development. It signifies that China’s reform and opening up has transitioned from local exploration and "breaking the ice" to systemic integration and comprehensive deepening. It has opened a brand-new chapter in the history of world socialism, showing the systemic advantages of socialism in competition with capitalism. It means that the Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong, and that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered a stage of comprehensive realization.

Lin Jianhua pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech profoundly elucidated major theoretical and practical issues concerning the New Era and clarified the major policies and programs of action for the cause of the Party and the state in the coming period. Looking back, all our achievements were won through the joint struggle of the Party and the people. Looking forward, we must persist in taking the latest achievements of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism as our guide and keep the development of the nation based on our own strength. Practice has proved and will continue to prove that the key to achieving the central tasks and various goals of the new journey in the New Era lies with the Party.

Chen Zhigang argued that Chinese-path modernization is a socialist modernization created independently through the great practice of reform and opening up. It is guided by the continuous development of Marxism, rooted in China’s unique reality and five thousand years of Chinese civilization, and absorbs the excellent achievements of human civilization. Chinese-path modernization possesses both national and global character, as well as both particularity and universality. It follows neither the "old path" of closed and rigid orthodoxy ^[6] nor the "evil path" of changing flags and banners ^[7]. It insists on keeping the nation's destiny in its own hands while actively conforming to the trend of economic globalization and persisting in opening up to the outside world.