Deng Chundong: Writing a New Chapter in the Adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese Context and the Needs of the Times
The century-long struggle of the Party demonstrates the formidable vitality of Marxism. To learn from history and create the future, we must persist in using the standpoint, viewpoints, and methods of Marxism to observe, grasp, and lead the times. We must continue to promote the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture, and continue to write new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
In its century-long course of struggle, our Party has continuously promoted the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture, pushing for new and major achievements in the Sinicization of Marxism and guiding the cause of Chinese revolution, construction, and reform toward new and great victories. At the opening ceremony of a seminar for provincial and ministerial-level leading officials to study and implement the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech emphasizing: why the Communist Party of China is capable and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good is, in the final analysis, because Marxism works. The reason Marxism works lies in the Party’s continuous promotion of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and its use to guide practice. We must accurately grasp the general trends of the times, have the courage to stand at the forefront of human development, listen to the voices of the people, and respond to realistic needs. We must persist in liberating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. We should better unify the persistence in Marxism with the development of Marxism, use the "arrow" [1] of Marxism to shoot the "target" of China in the New Era, and continue to write new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
Continuously Promoting the Sinicization and Modernization of Marxism to Guide Practice
Marxism is not a dogma, but a scientific guide to action. Integrating theory with practice is the excellent academic style of Marxism, and advancing with the times is its distinct theoretical character. The Communist Party of China is a party courageous in, and adept at, theoretical innovation. In the historical process of revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has adhered to the basic tenets of Marxism, persisted in seeking truth from facts, proceeded from China's realities, gained insight into the trends of the times, grasped historical initiative, conducted arduous explorations, and continuously promoted the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism to guide the Chinese people in continuously advancing the great social revolution. The scientific and truthful nature of Marxism has been fully tested in China; its people-oriented and practical nature has been fully implemented; its openness and contemporary nature have been fully demonstrated; and Marxism has radiated powerful vitality on the land of China.
During the revolutionary struggle, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, integrated the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism with China's specific realities. They reached a theoretical synthesis of the series of original experiences accumulated through arduous exploration and great sacrifice, opened the correct revolutionary road of encircling the cities from the rural areas and seizing political power by armed force, and created Mao Zedong Thought, which pointed out the correct direction for the victory of the New Democratic Revolution [2]. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, enriched and developed Mao Zedong Thought in light of new realities, putting forward a series of important ideas regarding socialist construction. Mao Zedong Thought is the creative application and development of Marxism-Leninism in China; it is the correct theoretical principle and summary of experience regarding the Chinese revolution and construction as proven by practice, and it represents the first historic leap in the Sinicization of Marxism.
During the period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as their chief representative, united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country in focusing on the fundamental questions of what socialism is and how to build it, creating Deng Xiaoping Theory. The Chinese Communists, with Comrade Jiang Zemin as their chief representative, adhered to the Party's basic theory and line, deepened the understanding of what socialism is and how to build it, and what kind of party to build and how to build it, forming the Theory of Three Represents. The Chinese Communists, with Comrade Hu Jintao as their chief representative, promoted innovation in practice, theory, and institutions during the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, profoundly understanding and answering major questions such as what kind of development to achieve and how to develop under new circumstances, forming the Scientific Outlook on Development. During this period, the Party persisted in and developed Marxism based on new practices and features of the era, forming the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and achieving a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era. The Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have persisted in integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture. They have adhered to Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, profoundly summarizing and fully utilizing the historical experience since the founding of the Party. Proceeding from new realities, they created Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping has conducted profound reflections and scientific judgments on a series of major theoretical and practical issues concerning the development of the cause of the Party and the country in the New Era. Regarding the major themes of the era—such as what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop and how to do so, what kind of great modern socialist country to build and how to do so, and what kind of long-term governing Marxist party to build and how to do so—he has put forward a series of original new concepts, new thoughts, and new strategies for governance. He is the primary founder of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This thought is contemporary Chinese Marxism, 21st-century Marxism, and the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in our times, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism.
Our Party continuously promotes the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, constantly opening new frontiers for Marxism, providing scientific theoretical guidance for the development of the cause of the Party and the people, and making major original contributions to the enrichment and development of Marxism. Under the scientific guidance of Marxism and its Sinicized achievements, the Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong, and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process.
Unifying the Persistence in Marxism with the Development of Marxism
Over the past century, our Party has unified the persistence in Marxism with the development of Marxism. We have always unswervingly adhered to the basic tenets of Marxism, taking it as a powerful ideological weapon for understanding the world, grasping laws, seeking truth, and transforming the world. Simultaneously, based on the realities of China’s revolution, construction, and reform, we have creatively solved our own problems, continuously promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism so that it always shines with the light of truth and demonstrates the power of truth.
We must persist in the basic tenets of Marxism. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Although Marxism was born more than a century and a half ago, both history and reality have proven that it is a scientific theory and still possesses formidable vitality today." To develop Marxism, one must persist in Marxism. The history of our country’s revolution, construction, and reform proves that the fundamental reason why our Party could lead the people to overcome myriad dangers and achieve victory under extremely difficult circumstances, why it could unite and organize such a large multi-ethnic developing country, why it could achieve great success in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and why it can maintain strong cohesion and combat effectiveness, is that our Party has always persisted in taking Marxism as its guide. Marxism has provided our Party with a scientific worldview and methodology, as well as a powerful ideological weapon to understand and transform the world, enabling China—this ancient Oriental power—to create a development miracle unprecedented in human history. Under the guidance of Marxism, our Party has led the people in opening a great path, creating a great cause, and achieving great success, demonstrating the power of Marxism in both truth and practice, and providing a profound interpretation of why Marxism works.
We must persist in advancing with the times to enrich and develop Marxism. Engels emphasized: "Marx's whole way of thinking is not a doctrine but a method. It does not provide ready-made dogmas, but points of departure for further investigation and the method for such investigation." Integrating with reality and integrating with the masses are the characteristics and advantages of Chinese Communists using Marxism to solve Chinese problems. The history of our Party is a history of continuously promoting the Sinicization of Marxism and a history of continuously promoting theoretical innovation and creation. Whether Marxism can play its role in practice depends on whether the basic tenets of Marxism can be integrated with China's specific realities and the characteristics of the times. Over the past century, our Party has applied the scientific principles, spirit, and methods of Marxism to solve practical problems in various historical periods, continuously summarizing new experiences and providing timely answers to the questions of China, the world, the people, and the times. We have led great practice with the scientific theories of Sinicized Marxism, allowing the light of truth in Marxism to shine brightly in China.
Opening New Frontiers for Contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-Century Marxism
Contemporary China is undergoing the most grand and unique practical innovation in human history. The weight of reform, development, and stability tasks, the number of contradictions, risks, and challenges, and the magnitude of the tests of governance are all unprecedented. The profound changes in the global changes unseen in a century [3] are also unprecedented, posing a large number of theoretical and practical issues that urgently need to be answered. We must persist in using the Marxist standpoint, viewpoints, and methods to observe, grasp, and lead the times. We must continuously deepen our understanding of the laws of the Communist Party’s governance, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of human social development, and continuously open new frontiers for contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism.
In contemporary China, to persist in and develop Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is to truly persist in and develop Marxism. This Thought is the important theoretical crystallization of the historic achievements and changes since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, achieving a historic leap and creative sublimation of the Sinicization of Marxism. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era consistently adheres to Marxism, always upholding the basic tenets of Marxism, the basic principles of scientific socialism, and the application of the dialectical and historical materialist worldview and methodology. Simultaneously, it develops Marxism with the times, continuously making new theoretical creations in light of new practices and producing many major innovations in the principles of Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism. It is the ideological foundation for uniting the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups for the unremitting struggle to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; it is the theoretical guidance and directional lead for the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and must be firmly upheld and moves fully implemented.
At present, we have embarked on a new journey toward the second centenary goal [4] of building a modern socialist country in all respects. We must persist in taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide, profoundly grasp the practical problems of contemporary China, and focus on what we are currently doing. We must view the new opportunities and challenges in the new development stage with dialectical thinking, profoundly understand the new features and requirements brought about by the change in the principal contradiction in Chinese society [5], and persist in problem-awareness and a problem-oriented approach. We must ground our efforts in the new development stage, implement the new development philosophy, build a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development. We must continuously study new situations and solve new problems, persevering in promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism on this new journey. We must continue to tap into the essence of five thousand years of Chinese civilization, vigorously promote fine traditional Chinese culture, and combine its essence with Marxist standpoints, viewpoints, and methods. This will enrich and develop a Marxism that possesses more Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese gravitas, allowing the light of Marxist truth to continue illuminating our path forward.