Cheng Enfu and Sun Shaoyong: Continuously Opening Up New Realms in the Sinicization of Marxism
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his important speech at the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China: "By looking to history, we can create the future. We must continue to advance the Sinicization of Marxism." Our Party's history is a history of continuously advancing the Sinicization of Marxism. For a hundred years, in the process of continuously promoting the Sinicization of Marxism, our Party has allowed Marxism to forever shine with the brilliance of truth and more fully manifest the power of truth, guiding us well on the path of struggle in the past. To walk the path of advancement ahead well, we must continue to promote the Sinicization of Marxism and constantly open up new frontiers for the Sinicized Marxism.
Continuously Promoting Theoretical Innovation and Theoretical Creation
The history of the Communist Party of China is a history of continuously promoting theoretical innovation and theoretical creation. A fundamental reason why the Communist Party of China is "capable" [1] lies in the fact that our Party has always emphasized and continuously promoted the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, creatively applying and developing Marxism.
After the Opium War of 1840, China gradually became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society; the country suffered humiliation, the people suffered hardships, and civilization was shrouded in dust. The Chinese nation underwent an unprecedented catastrophe. To save the nation from peril, the Chinese people rose up in resistance, and people of vision and integrity cried out and campaigned. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, the Hundred Days' Reform [2], the Yihetuan Movement [3], and the Revolution of 1911 arose in succession, and various plans to save the country were introduced one after another, but all ended in failure and none changed the social nature of old China. The salvos of the October Revolution brought Marxism-Leninism to China. This was like a glimmer of dawn in the darkness, pointing out the direction for advanced Chinese elements who were struggling to find a way to save the country and its people. The Communist Party of China emerged as the times required. Since its founding, our Party has always adhered to Marxism as its guide, remained firm in its faith in socialism and communism, and attached great importance and commitment to integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture. It has persisted in liberating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and being realistic and pragmatic [4], continuously promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. It is precisely in the historical process of continuously promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism that our Party has gained insight into the general trends of the era, grasped historical initiative, and continuously advanced the Great Social Revolution, leading the people of all ethnic groups across the country to struggle tenaciously and work hard, overcoming all kinds of difficulties and obstacles, and promoting revolution, construction, and reform to move from victory to victory.
In the process of continuously promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, our Party has endowed Marxism with distinct Chinese characteristics, national characteristics, and temporal characteristics. In 1938, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party: "Make Marxism concrete in China, making its every manifestation contain indispensable Chinese characteristics; that is to say, apply it according to China’s characteristics." Marxism is a scientific theory, a theory of the people, a theory of practice, and an open theory that is constantly developing; its scientific, popular, practical, and open nature is built on the basis of objective reality and objective laws. Only by adhering to a problem-oriented approach and localizing and concretizing Marxism under certain historical conditions can the role of Marxism be brought into full play and the power of truth be allowed to burst forth. In the long-term practice of revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has insisted that for every step the Party’s cause develops, the Party’s theoretical innovation moves forward one step; for every step the Party’s theoretical innovation moves forward, the Party’s theoretical armament follows one step behind. It has continuously promoted historical leaps in the Sinicization of Marxism, founding Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory, forming the Theory of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, and founding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, providing scientific theoretical guidance for the development of the cause of the Party and the people and continuously endowing Marxism with new connotations of the times.
Letting Scientific Socialism Radiate Great Vitality in Contemporary China
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Socialism with Chinese characteristics not only adheres to the basic principles of scientific socialism but also endows them with distinct Chinese characteristics according to the conditions of the times." In the historical process of promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, our Party has always unified the basic principles of scientific socialism with China’s specific realities, letting scientific socialism radiate great vitality in contemporary China.
The basic principles of scientific socialism are the theoretical foundation and ideological source of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and are unshakeable principles for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. From the perspective of the relationship between the general and the particular, scientific socialism reveals the universal laws of the development of human society, while socialism with Chinese characteristics is the specific form of the development of scientific socialism in China, and is an act of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground regarding the basic principles of scientific socialism. Integrating the basic principles of scientific socialism with our country’s specific realities to form a Marxism that solves Chinese problems and a socialism that suits Chinese realities is an important experience our Party gained in uniting and leading the people to achieve great successes in the cause of revolution, construction, and reform. Comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "In practicing socialism, China emphasizes having Chinese characteristics. We firmly believe in Marxism, but Marxism must be integrated with Chinese reality. Only Marxism integrated with Chinese reality is the true Marxism we need." Socialism with Chinese characteristics was produced in the process of promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, and is the theme of all the Party’s theory and practice since the beginning of reform and opening up.
The creation and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics has creatively explored and answered a series of major theoretical and practical questions, such as what Marxism is and how to treat it, and what socialism is and how to build it. Since reform and opening up, our Party has continuously summarized successful experiences, adhered to the correct direction of progress, and unswervingly promoted the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. It has opened up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, formed the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, established the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and developed the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, opening up vast prospects for promoting China’s development and progress. Our country’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national strength have increased significantly; our international status has risen unprecedentedly; the people’s lives have leaped from insufficient food and clothing to moderate prosperity in all respects, historically solving the problem of absolute poverty. We are now marching with high spirits toward the Second Centenary Goal [5] of building a powerful socialized modern country in all respects.
The great creations and achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics in theory and practice have profoundly changed China and also profoundly influenced the world, demonstrating the strong vitality of scientific socialism, manifesting the power of Marxist truth, and endowing Marxism with brand-new connotations of the times. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core systematically answered the major question of the times—what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to adhere to and develop in the New Era and how to adhere to and develop it—from a combination of theory and practice, founding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has written a new chapter in the Party’s theoretical innovation, achieved a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism, and guided the cause of the Party and the state to achieve historical achievements and undergo historical transformations.
Persisting in Using Marxism to Observe, Grasp, and Lead the Times
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and country are founded; it is the soul and the banner of our Party." On the new journey to create a beautiful future and strive to realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must continue to promote the Sinicization of Marxism, persist in using Marxism to observe, grasp, and lead the times, and continuously develop contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism.
We must persist in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to arm our minds, guide our practice, and promote our work. Marxism is the "root" of the towering tree of the continuous development of the cause of our Party and people, and the "source" of the ten-thousand-mile river of the continuous advancement of our Party and people. To persist in using Marxism to observe, grasp, and lead the times, we must always adhere to the fundamental guiding position of Marxism. In contemporary China, adhering to and developing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era means truly adhering to and developing Marxism. We must regard the systematic mastery of Marxist theory as our "house-keeping skill" [6], and take the in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our primary political task. We must study the original texts, study with questions in mind, and study in connection with reality, accurately grasping its theoretical, historical, and practical logic, and deeply understanding its essence, historical position, and great significance. We must organically unify "learning, understanding, and doing," adhere to and develop Marxism in the process of solving practical problems, and unremittingly use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to arm our minds, guide our practice, and promote our work.
We must continuously promote theoretical innovation based on practice. Marxism is not a discipline for the study, but was founded to change the historical destiny of the people; it was formed in the people’s practice of seeking liberation and is enriched and developed in that same practice, providing a powerful spiritual force for the people to understand and transform the world. To persist in using Marxism to observe, grasp, and lead the times, we must adhere to the principle of linking theory with practice, continuously make new theoretical creations in combination with new practices, and ensure that theory "comes from practice and goes to practice." We must both test and develop truth in practice and promote new practical developments and transformations through theoretical innovation. On the basis of practice, we should unremittingly explore new topics of temporal development, answer major questions of the times, enhance the forward-looking and predictive nature of theory, better transform scientific theory into material force, and manifest the power of Marxist truth in the unification of reflecting the times, emphasizing practicality, and grasping laws.
We must use the power of Marxist truth to activate Chinese civilization. The Chinese nation has a long history of civilization spanning more than 5,000 years, creating a broad and profound fine traditional Chinese culture that subtly influences people’s ways of thinking and behaving. It has provided rich nourishment for the continuous growth of the Chinese nation and fertile soil for Marxism to take root, blossom, and bear fruit in China. Marxism is compatible and interconnected with fine traditional Chinese culture. For example, there are points of convergence between the traditional Chinese ideal of a "Great Unity society" [7] and the lofty ideals of socialism and communism, and between Confucian ideas on statecraft [8], the unity of knowledge and action, and practicing what one preaches, and the Marxist view of practice. To persist in using Marxism to observe, grasp, and lead the times, we need to vigorously inherit and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture, promote its creative transformation and innovative development, better integrate China’s historical experience, national wisdom, and national spirit into Marxism, and allow fine traditional Chinese culture to demonstrate new contemporary elegance, so that Marxism can radiate an even more dazzling light of truth.