Deng Chundong: Writing a New Chapter in the Adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese Context and the Needs of the Times
The century of struggle by the Party demonstrates the vigorous vitality of Marxism. To take history as a mirror 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 combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture, and continue to write new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
Throughout its century-long struggle, our Party has continuously promoted the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture [1]. This has driven the modernization and Sinicization of Marxism to continuously achieve major new results, guiding the cause of China’s revolution, construction, and reform toward great new victories. General Secretary Xi Jinping, at the opening ceremony of a study session for provincial and ministerial-level leading officials on implementing the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, delivered an important speech emphasizing: why the Communist Party of China (CPC) is capable, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good, is ultimately 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 era, 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 emancipating 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, continue to use the "arrow" of Marxism to shoot the "target" [2] of China in the New Era, and persist in the "two combinations" 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. Linking theory with practice is the excellent academic style of Marxism, and advancing with the times is its distinct theoretical character. The CPC is a party that has the courage for, and is 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 reality, gained insights into the general 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 advancing the great social revolution. The scientific nature and truth of Marxism have been fully tested in China; its people-centered and practical nature has been fully implemented; and its openness and contemporaneous nature have been fully displayed. 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 summation of a series of original experiences accumulated through arduous exploration and great sacrifice, opened the correct revolutionary path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing political power by armed force, and created Mao Zedong Thought. This pointed out the correct direction for securing victory in the New Democratic Revolution [3]. 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, proposing a series of important ideas regarding socialist construction. Mao Zedong Thought is the creative application and development of Marxism-Leninism in China; it is a summation of the correct theoretical principles and experiences concerning China's revolution and construction that have been proven by practice. 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 in focusing on the fundamental question 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. They profoundly understood and answered 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, proceeding from new practices and the characteristics of the era, the Party persisted in and developed Marxism, forming the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, 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 combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the 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 summarized and fully utilized the historical experience since the founding of the Party, and, proceeding from new realities, 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 Party and the state in the New Era. He has proposed a series of original new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies for governing the country regarding major themes of the times, such as: what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics should be maintained and developed in the New Era and how to maintain and develop it; what kind of great modern socialist country should be built and how to build it; and what kind of long-term governing Marxist party should be built and how to build it. He is the primary founder of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This thought is contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism; it is 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 horizons 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 the fruits of its Sinicization, the Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong. 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 its development. 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. At the same time, 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, allowing the light of truth in Marxism to always shine and its power to be manifested.
We must persist in the basic tenets of Marxism. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Although Marxism was born more than a century and a half ago, history and reality have proven that it is a scientific theory; to this day, it still possesses powerful vitality." To develop Marxism, one must persist in Marxism. The history of our country's revolution, construction, and reform proves that the fundamental reason our Party has been able to unite and lead the people to overcome myriad difficulties and achieve victory under extremely difficult circumstances, to unite and organize such a large multi-ethnic developing country, to achieve great success in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to 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 for understanding and transforming the world, enabling China—this ancient eastern power—to create development miracles unprecedented in human history. Under the guidance of Marxism, our Party has united and led the people in opening a great path, creating a great cause, and achieving great success, demonstrating the power of Marxist 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 that investigation." Integration with reality and with the masses are the characteristics and advantages of the Chinese Communists in 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 advancing theoretical innovation and creation. Whether Marxism can play a role in practice depends on whether its basic tenets can be combined 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, constantly summarizing new experiences and providing timely answers to the "Questions of China, the World, the People, and the Times." [4] We have continuously promoted the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, using the scientific theories of Sinicized Marxism to lead great practice.
Opening new horizons 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 tasks for reform, development, and stability, the number of contradictions, risks, and challenges, and the magnitude of the tests of governance are all unprecedented. The profound changes of the world's "profound changes unseen in a century" [5] are also unprecedented, raising 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, continuously deepening our understanding of the laws of the Communist Party's governance, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society.
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 maintaining the basic tenets of Marxism, the basic principles of scientific socialism, and the worldview and methodology of dialectical and historical materialism. Simultaneously, it develops Marxism in step with the times, making continuous new theoretical creations in integration with new practices and offering 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 people of all ethnic groups to strive tirelessly for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Currently, we have embarked on a new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal of building a great 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, focus on what we are currently doing, and view the new opportunities and challenges of the new development stage with dialectical thinking. We must profoundly recognize the new characteristics and requirements brought about by the change in the principal contradiction in our society [6]. We must maintain problem-awareness, adhere to a problem-oriented approach, ground ourselves in the new development stage, implement the new development philosophy, construct the new development paradigm, and promote high-quality development. We must continue to tap into the essence of five thousand years of Chinese civilization, vigorously promote the fine traditional Chinese culture, and combine its essence with the Marxist standpoint, viewpoints, and methods to enrich and develop a Marxism that possesses more Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese flavor.