Fully Leverage Academic and Theoretical Advantages to Demonstrate the Power of Thought and Truth in General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Speech
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 General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech delivered at the provincial and ministerial-level leading cadres' seminar themed "Studying the Spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Speeches, Welcoming the 20th Party Congress." Zhen Zhanmin, Vice President of CASS and Member of the Leading Party Members’ Group, attended and addressed the meeting.
Zhen Zhanmin pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the seminar is a document of distinct political, theoretical, and guiding significance issued on the eve of the 20th National Congress of the CPC. It is an important speech that carries forward the cause and leads into the future, while upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. It centrally demonstrates the innovative achievements of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism in the New Era. As a programmatic document shining with the light of Marxist truth, it serves as a political manifesto and an action plan for persisting in and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, laying 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 General Secretary’s speech and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Research Center must fully utilize its resource advantages in Marxist theoretical research, its comprehensive range of disciplines, its concentration of talent, and its diverse research platforms. It should produce a series of masterpieces featuring the characteristics and wisdom of CASS, promoting the implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era through research results characterized by theoretical persuasiveness and ideological leadership. It is necessary to further strengthen top-level planning and design, increase organizational and coordination efforts, and enhance the integration and cross-disciplinary coordination of major research projects and subjects to deepen the intensity of research and interpretation. Innovation in working mechanisms is required to consolidate and build a formidable research force, continuously strengthening the holistic, systematic, and academic research and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. More unique, pioneering, and leading results should be formed 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 CASS Institute of Marxism Studies 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, Party Secretary of the Institute of World History; Jin Minqing, Party Secretary of the Institute of Modern History; Yao Zhizhong, Party Secretary 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, Research Fellow at the Institute of Marxism Studies, delivered speeches sharing their learning insights in light of their respective work and research fields.
Huang Qunhui stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech profoundly elucidated the essential characteristics and profound connotations of the Chinese-path modernization. This path possesses not only a historical and practical logic for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation under the leadership of the CPC, but also a profound theoretical logic and significant theoretical value. Faced with complex modernization theories, the Chinese-path modernization takes Marxist theory as its guide, achieving a combination of inclusive learning and innovative transcendence, and the unity of regularity and diversity. With the "four theoretical cores"—People-Centeredness, National Conditions, Civilizational Coordination, and Peaceful Development—it has uniquely formed a modernization theory with Chinese characteristics.
Luo Wendong noted that in the five-hundred-year history of world socialism, the ten years of the New Era are but a fleeting moment, yet the historic achievements and social transformations led by the Party are unprecedented and rare in the world. If the birth of Marxism transformed socialism from a utopia to a science, and the creation of Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought enabled socialism to leap from theory to a 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 a primary to an advanced stage.
Jin Minqing pointed out that the Chinese-path modernization is of great significance in the history of human civilization. It shatters the myth of the exclusivity 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 [1]. As the Chinese-path modernization develops healthily, Chinese modernization theory has formed an autonomous theoretical system, achieving a transcendence over Western modernity theory. This theory embodies the unities 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 argued that the General Secretary’s speech laid a solid foundation for the upcoming 20th Party Congress. It is of great significance for inspiring the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups to maintain strategic clarity amid the accelerating evolution of the world's once-in-a-century great changes [2], to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to strive to write a new chapter in the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country as we embark on the new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal [3]. It also sets important requirements for the whole Party, especially to firmly grasp the overall strategic framework of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, to profoundly grasp the periodic characteristics of our era, to scientifically grasp the strategic opportunities and risks, and to accurately grasp the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
Song Yuehong stated that the speech is a programmatic document for 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 of the ten years in the New Era hold milestone significance in the history of the Party, the People's Republic of China, reform and opening up, the development of socialism, and the development of the Chinese nation. He emphasized that on the new journey, we must unswervingly promote the historical process of the great rejuvenation. To implement the spirit of the speech, we must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, persist in using Chinese-path modernization to promote rejuvenation, be courageous in conducting the great struggle with many new historical features [4], and always base the development of the country and the nation on the foundation of our own strength.
Gong Yun discussed the milestone significance of the ten years of great changes in the "five histories." The New Era is a temporal continuation of the CPC leading the people through revolution, construction, and reform, and a spatial expansion of the Party's original aspiration and founding mission. It marks a new orientation in the 70-plus-year history of the People's Republic of China as the country enters a new stage of development. It signifies that reform and opening up has shifted 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, demonstrating institutional advantages in the competition with capitalism. This means the Chinese nation has welcomed a great leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong [5].
Lin Jianhua pointed out that the speech profoundly explained major theoretical and practical issues and clarified the major policies and action plans for the Party and state for the coming period. Looking back, all achievements were won by the Party and the people together. Looking forward, we must persist in being guided by the latest achievements of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Practice has proven and will continue to prove that the key to achieving the central tasks of the new journey lies with the Party.
Chen Zhigang argued that Chinese-path modernization is a socialist modernization independently created through the 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 civilization, while absorbing the fine achievements of human civilization. Chinese-path modernization possesses both national and global characteristics, as well as particularity and universality. It neither follows the old path of closed-off stagnation [6] nor the "evil path" of changing flags [7]. It insists on keeping the destiny of China's progress firmly in its own hands while adhering to opening up to the outside world in alignment with economic globalization.