The Sixth Lecture of the "21st Century Marxism Grand Auditorium" Held

Recently, the sixth lecture of the "21st Century Marxism Lecture Hall," organized by the Faculty of Marxist Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and hosted by the Institute of Marxism Studies, was held in Beijing. Chen Li, former Director of the Academic and Editorial Committee of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, was invited to deliver a special report titled "The Historical Inevitability of the 'Two Establishments'." Gong Yun, Vice President of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS, presided over the event.

Chen Li stated that the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century ^[1] explicitly points out that the Party's establishment of Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and its establishment of the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reflects the common will of the Party, the military, and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups. This is of decisive significance for the development of the cause of the Party and the country in the New Era and for advancing the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This major political judgment was made on the basis of a comprehensive summary of the major achievements and historical experience of the Party's century of struggle, particularly the historical achievements, historical shifts, and fresh experience accumulated in the cause of the Party and the country since the 18th Party Congress ^[2].

Chen Li elaborated on the historical inevitability of the "Two Establishments" from three perspectives.

First, understanding the historical inevitability of the "Two Establishments" through the profound theoretical origins of Marxism and the practice of the international communist movement. Chen Li maintains that basic Marxist theory, especially the Marxist theory of Party building, contains important ideological content regarding the maintenance of the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership. From the classic works of Marxism, we can further discern that maintaining central authority and centralized, unified leadership is not limited solely to the field of Party building. Drawing on their observation of large-scale production methods in modern industry, Marx and Engels significantly developed these ideas. For instance, in Capital, Marx used modern production as an example to emphasize centralized unity; in On Authority, Engels also emphasized the necessity of organization. Regarding the practice of the international communist movement, Marx and Engels further deepened their understanding of centralized authority and the establishment of a core leadership for the Party through the great practice of leading the movement and carrying out the proletarian struggle. By summarizing the experiences and lessons of the international communist movement, particularly the failure of the Paris Commune, they further deepened the understanding of maintaining the Party’s centralized, unified leadership. Regarding Lenin’s development of Marxism, Lenin integrated the Marxist theory of Party building with the reality of the Russian Revolution, profoundly analyzing and discussing the relationships between leaders, political parties, classes, and the masses. In terms of organizational building, he pointedly proposed the important idea of building a new type of proletarian party, greatly enriching and developing the Marxist theory of Party building.

Second, profoundly understanding the historical inevitability of the "Two Establishments" through the Party’s magnificent century-long course of struggle. Chen Li proposed that the "Two Establishments" can be described as an inevitable conclusion drawn from our Party’s century of struggle. Strengthening the Party’s centralized leadership, maintaining the Party’s core leadership, and ensuring the ideological unity, political solidarity, and consistency of action of the entire Party is a major political principle and a distinctive advantage that our Party has adhered to for over a hundred years.

Chen Li elaborated on this through four "key points" in the Party's century of struggle. The first key point is the founding of the Party. From its very inception, our Party very clearly established the major political principle of maintaining the authority of the Party Central Committee and centralized, unified leadership, which was reflected in the Party programs and constitutions formulated at the First and Second National Congresses. The second key point is the Zunyi Conference ^[3], which summarized our Party's experiences and lessons, focused on resolving the military and organizational issues that were of decisive significance at that time, established the Party’s correct leadership, resolved the issue of the Party’s leadership core, and achieved a great historical turning point. The third key point is the Seventh National Congress of the Party, which formally established Comrade Mao Zedong’s leadership position in the Party Central Committee. The fourth key point occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s; faced with the profound and complex changes in the situation at home and abroad at that time, our Party further deepened its understanding of maintaining the authority of the Party Central Committee, centralized and unified leadership, and the establishment of the Party’s leadership core.

Finally, profoundly understanding the historical inevitability of the "Two Establishments" through the great practice of historical achievements and historical shifts in the cause of the Party and the country since the 18th Party Congress. Chen Li stated that the great practice of the "ten years of great change in the New Era" fully demonstrates the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments" for the development of the Party and state's cause and for promoting the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This should be grasped from five aspects: first, profoundly understanding and grasping the new concepts, new thoughts, and new strategies of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core regarding the maintenance of central authority and centralized, unified leadership since the 18th Party Congress; second, profoundly understanding that the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core is the fundamental guarantee for the historical achievements and shifts in the New Era; third, profoundly understanding the major role of Comrade Xi Jinping, as the core of the Party Central Committee and the core of the whole Party, in "steering the helm" ^[4] of the historical achievements and shifts in the New Era; fourth, profoundly understanding the scientific guidance provided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism, for the historical achievements and shifts in the New Era; fifth, profoundly understanding that the "Two Establishments" are a historical inevitability and the choice of history and the people.

In his concluding remarks, Gong Yun stated that this report addressed three areas—Marxist theory and the practice of the international communist movement, the Party’s magnificent century-long struggle, and the historical achievements and shifts in the New Era—and utilized multiple dimensions such as theoretical logic and practical reality to provide an in-depth explanation of the historical inevitability of the "Two Establishments." The report is rich in historical material and possesses deep theoretical grounding, offering both historical clarity and an interaction between theory and practice. The report provides profound inspiration for scholars at the Institute of Marxism Studies to further research and interpret Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.