Strengthen Political and Theoretical Consciousness and Give Full Play to the Leading and Driving Role
On the morning of May 11, Shi Taifeng, President and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group [1] of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), visited the Academy’s Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era for an investigative survey. He was accompanied by Vice President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group Gao Xiang. President Shi Taifeng fully affirmed the achievements made by the Center since its establishment and provided clear requirements for further deepening the research, dissemination, and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, pointing the way toward the high-quality development of the Center. On the afternoon of May 11, the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (hereafter referred to as the "Xi Research Center"), in conjunction with the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era of the Institute of Marxism Studies, held a symposium to study and grasp the spirit [2] of President Shi Taifeng’s speech.
On the afternoon of May 11, the Xi Research Center held a symposium to study and grasp the spirit of President Shi Taifeng’s speech, presided over by Comrade Xin Xiangyang. (Photo provided by the Office of the Institute of Marxism Studies).
Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and Executive Deputy Director of the Xi Research Center, stated that President Shi Taifeng’s speech clarified the direction for the Center's future work. He emphasized that comrades from both the Xi Research Center and the Institute of Marxism Studies must earnestly study, implement, and carry out the spirit of the speech. He pointed out the need to heighten political standing [3] and resolutely shoulder the primary political task of researching, disseminating, and interpreting Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, while giving full play to the Xi Research Center's role in driving and guiding scientific research. He cautioned against the fragmentation of research, stressing the need to work hard on improving the holistic, systematic, and academic nature of studies into Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Furthermore, he called for the integration and consolidation of forces from multiple parties, adhering to high-starting-point planning and high-quality development to focus on producing a batch of high-quality research results and cultivating elite talents specialized in the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Secretary Xin Xiangyang speaking at the symposium to study and grasp the spirit of President Shi Taifeng’s speech (Photo provided by the Office of the Institute of Marxism Studies).
Gong Yun, Vice Director of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and Executive Deputy Director of the Xi Research Center, stated that President Shi Taifeng’s visit to the Center reflects the high degree of importance the Academy’s Party Leadership Group attaches to the research of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must heighten our political and theoretical consciousness regarding the research, dissemination, and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and implement the instructions of the Academy leadership. We must trace the lineage of the formation and development of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to improve the holistic nature of our research; achieve the organic integration of political discourse and academic discourse to enhance the academic rigor of our research; and strengthen the construction of our talent pool by both tempering existing research forces and training students.
Chen Zhigang, Director of the Department of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, stated that the study of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era should be integrated with research on the fundamental theories of Marxism. Holistic and systematic research must be combined with research on major frontier issues. We must work hard on "understanding thoroughly, comprehending fully, and implementing practically" [4], using research projects to drive talent cultivation and push forward research work more effectively.
Other participating comrades expressed one after another that they would transform the spirit of President Shi Taifeng’s instructions into a driving force for high-quality research. They pledged to maintain a firm political direction, uphold political resolve, and persist in "pursuing scholarship for the people" [5]. They committed to deepening and substantiating the research of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era within their respective fields, welcoming the 20th National Congress of the Party with even more outstanding achievements.
Contributed by the Xi Research Center May 12, 2022