Style and Formatting Guidelines
The organic integration of "upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground" (shouzheng chuangxin) [1] constitutes a distinctive character and prominent advantage of the development of Marxism in contemporary China. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Party center with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has coordinated the overall strategy for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation within the context of world changes unseen in a century [2]. By adhering to the spirit of "seeking truth from facts" and "advancing with the times," the Party has profoundly responded to the major questions of the era: "What kind of Marxism should we persist in and develop in the New Era, and how should we persist in and develop it?" This process has led to the formation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism. This great theoretical innovation process vividly embodies the dialectical unity between "upholding the fundamentals" (shouzheng) and "breaking new ground" (chuangxin).
In the advancement of Chinese-path modernization, upholding the fundamentals is the premise and foundation. The "fundamentals" (zheng) we uphold are the basic tenets of Marxism, the shared ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the leadership of the CPC, and the fine traditional Chinese culture. If we deviate from these fundamentals, we would lose our soul and direction, potentially committing "subversive errors" [3]. On the other hand, breaking new ground is the impetus and path. Only by breaking new ground can we respond to the changing conditions of the productive forces and relations of production, solve new problems in the economic base and superstructure, and maintain the vigorous vitality of Marxism. In the New Era, the CPC’s emphasis on "self-revolution" and "comprehensively and strictly governing the Party" is precisely an act of breaking new ground in Party building based on upholding the Party’s nature and purpose, ensuring that the socialist cause remains rock-solid while constantly renewing itself.
To persist over the long term in the organic unity of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, we must deepen our understanding of the laws of human social development and the laws of socialist construction. We must anchor our efforts in the primary stage of socialism [4] while striving toward the goal of common prosperity. This requires us to continuously optimize the political ecosystem and implement the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four Comprehensives. Only by doing so can we ensure that Chinese-path modernization neither follows the old path of closed and rigid stagnation nor the crooked path of changing flags and banners [5], but instead moves steadily forward along the correct socialist track.