Thirty-six Renowned Scholars Discuss the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China (CPC) is a Marxist political party formed through the integration of Marxism-Leninism with the Chinese workers' movement. Since its founding, the CPC has consistently prioritized ideological Party building ^[1], placing ideological construction at the forefront. This represents a creative application and development of Marxist theories on Party building. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution ^[2], Comrade Mao Zedong integrated the basic tenets of Marxism with the concrete realities of the Chinese revolution. He pointed out that since the Chinese proletariat was small in number but possessed a strong fighting spirit, while the peasantry and other petty bourgeoisie constituted the vast majority of the population, the Party must emphasize building itself ideologically. This ensured that members from non-proletarian backgrounds could first join the Party ideologically, thereby maintaining the Party's character as the vanguard of the proletariat.

Entering the period of socialist construction, especially since the reform and opening up, the CPC has continued to seek truth from facts and advance with the times. Based on the new changes in the global situation and the new tasks of China's development, it has continuously enriched the connotations of ideological Party building. In the New Era, the CPC Central Committee has further emphasized that "the strength of a Marxist party originates from the strength of its ideals and beliefs." By advocating for the study and implementation of the Party's innovative theories, the Party ensures that the entire membership maintains its original aspiration and founding mission. In the face of the complex "Four Tests" and "Four Dangers" ^[3], the Party has persisted in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, utilizing self-revolution to lead social revolution.

Ideological Party building is not a one-off endeavor but requires us to persist over the long term. This process involves the dialectical unification of ideological building and institutional Party governance. While we emphasize the guiding role of Marxism, we must also improve the Party's internal regulations and systems to ensure that our ideological advantages are transformed into organizational and governing strengths. To promote Chinese-path modernization, we must unswervingly strengthen the Party's centralized and unified leadership, uphold the fundamentals and break new ground, and ensure that the Party remains the strong core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.