[Original] Tian Pengying: Theoretical Interpretation of Defending the "Two Establishes"
"The Party has established Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and established the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This reflects the common will of the Party, the military, and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, and is of decisive significance for advancing the cause of the Party and the country in the New Era and for cosmic importance in driving forward the historic process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." This represents a major historical contribution of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. However, how we are to deeply understand the "Two Establishments," how we are to resolutely defend the "Two Establishments," and how we are to take the "Two Establishments" as a political prerequisite to strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," [1] firm up the "Four Confidences," [2] and achieve the "Two Upholds"—all this likely requires a thorough explanation of the underlying logic, philosophy, and scholarly basis.
I. Shoring Up a Profound Understanding of the Scholarly Basis of the "Two Establishments"
The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee solemnly inscribed the "Two Establishments" into the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party’s Centennial Struggle. This is by no means a simple political judgment, much less the product of an individual's emotional impulse; rather, it is a political proposition with a profound scholarly basis in Marxism.
The "Two Establishments" are grounded in the Marxist historical materialism. Historical materialism asserts that the masses of the people create history, and therefore recognizes the immense role of leaders. This is the inherent dialectic of history. On one hand, historical materialism fully affirms that the masses are the creators of history, where countless individuals acting in concert drive the development of social history through a "parallelogram of forces." On the other hand, it firmly acknowledges that in the process of historical development, "each will contributes to the resultant force," and that "in every case one encounters a manifest authority." Lenin took the historical materialism of Marx and Engels—which acknowledges, affirms, asserts, and advocates for authority—and creatively applied it to the practice of revolutionary movements. He proposed the innovative theory that "in history, no class can attain a position of dominance if it does not push forward its own political leaders and vanguard representatives who are capable of organizing and leading the movement." Clearly, within the horizon of historical materialism, a leading core is both a leader of the people and a servant of the people; both a revolutionary and a theorist and statesman, thereby becoming a guide for social revolution.
The "Two Establishments" are grounded in the Marxist theory of Party building. Marxist historical materialism has been applied and developed in the great practice of Party building, where leaders and authority, functioning as a leading core, are regarded as the absolute force ensuring the organizational and political advantages of the proletariat. Marx pointed out that "every social epoch needs its great men, and when it does not find them, it invents them," fundamentally revealing the objective truth that "revolutionary activity can only exert its full power under conditions of centralization." Lenin went a step further to clarify: "To train a group of experienced and highly authoritative Party leaders is a long and difficult task. But without this, the dictatorship of the proletariat and its 'unity of will' will remain a mere phrase." Clearly, within the horizon of the Marxist theory of Party building, establishing the Party's leading core and safeguarding the political authority of its leader is a matter of historically necessary logic.
The "Two Establishments" are grounded in Sinicized Marxism. The Communist Party of China has combined the Marxist historical materialism and the theory of Party building with China’s specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture. It possesses a very clear understanding of the special importance of the Party’s political authority and political leaders throughout the more than 100-year history of revolution, construction, and reform. Mao Zedong pointed out: "All comrades of the Party must unite around the Central Committee; any act that undermines unity is a crime." "It is very important to implement unified [monistic] leadership; a leading core must be established." Deng Xiaoping said: "Any leadership collective must have a core; leadership without a core is unreliable." "The most critical thing is to have a united leading core. If we maintain this for fifty or sixty years, socialist China will be invincible."
As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping specifically emphasized that "upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is an important experience of our country's revolution, construction, and reform, and a major principle of Party building for a mature Marxist governing party." "Ensuring the unity and centralized, unified leadership of the Party is the lifeblood of the Party; it is the key to our Party's ability to become a century-old major party and create a century of great achievements." He regards effectively strengthening the "Four Consciousnesses," firming up the "Four Confidences," and achieving the "Two Upholds" as the "Top Priorities of the State" (guo zhi da zhe) [3].
From Marxist historical materialism to the Marxist theory of Party building, and onto the consistent propositions of Sinicized Marxism, we can see that defending the "Two Establishments" is an inherent requirement of Marxism. It is not some cult of personality, much less a form of personal superstition.
II. Profoundly Understanding the Timely Urgency of the "Two Establishments"
The "Two Establishments" not only possess a deep scholarly basis but are also major concerns for national development, social progress, and the people's happiness in the New Era.
The "Two Establishments" are urgently needed to coordinate the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world's once-in-a-century profound changes [4]. At present, the changes of the century and the pandemic of the century are intertwined, and the world is in a period of turbulent transformation. How to fulfill the historic mission, grasp the themes of the era, and remain committed to the great rejuvenation amidst the trends of these "Two Overalls" has become a major issue of global concern. The emergence of the "Two Establishments" in this era is a frontal response to the changes in the world, the era, and history. It demonstrates the logical necessity that the "Two Establishments" will guide the cause of the Party and the country toward a higher peak of Chinese development and toward a more civilized direction for human society. At a new historical starting point, the cause of the Party and the people requires a "stabilizing needle" (dinghai shenzhen) [5], and the cause of human progress requires a vanguard of the era. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continuously strengthened its own building and persisted in playing a flagship leading role. In responding to risks and challenges, daring to take responsibility, and broadly consolidating consensus, it has fully verified that a strong leading core and scientific theoretical guidance are capable of answering the call of the times.
The "Two Establishments" are urgently needed to coordinate the Great Struggle, Great Project, Great Cause, and Great Dream [6]. Ideals are ideals because they are lofty; national rejuvenation is great because it is arduous and extraordinary. Our Party solemnly and seriously adds the word "Great" before "Struggle," "Project," "Cause," and "Dream," which both indicates the loftiness of the ideals and implies the arduous nature of the task. In other words, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will definitely not be achieved by simply "beating drums and clanging gongs"; it will inevitably require responding to major challenges, major risks, major resistance, and major contradictions. Therefore, we must always maintain major strategic resolve amidst increasing uncertainty. As the saying goes, "Among ten thousand mountains towering, there must be a main peak." The "Two Establishments" provide protection for the coordination of the Great Struggle, Great Project, Great Cause, and Great Dream, thereby stimulating the epochal power of upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee.
The "Two Establishments" are urgently needed to coordinate the great self-revolution and social revolution. "To build socialism with Chinese characteristics well and successfully, we need a very long historical period. In this long historical process, ensuring that the Communist Party of China does not collapse and the Chinese socialist system does not fall is an extremely difficult and enormous risk and challenge." We must profoundly realize that the tests of governance, reform and opening up, the market economy, and the external environment facing the Party will exist over the long term; the dangers of mental inertia, lack of capacity, isolation from the masses, and passivity or corruption will also exist over the long term.
Once upon a time, how powerful were the Soviet Communist Party and the Soviet Union! Now they are already in a state where "one can no longer bear to look back at the old country under the moonlight" [7]. Therefore, we must dare to carry out a great self-revolution and use it to drive and lead the great social revolution. From self-revolution to social revolution, if we do not firmly defend the "Two Establishments," it is likely unimaginable that the former could drive and lead the latter.
III. Profoundly Grasping the Practical Choices of the "Two Establishments"
How to defend the "Two Establishments," how to test whether they are being defended, and how to allow the "Two Establishments" to achieve the organic unity of "internalizing in the heart and externalizing in action"—these are major political issues that must be properly resolved at present.
Resolute identification in thought. Intellectual identification is the basis and prerequisite for supporting and implementing the "Two Establishments." It requires us to always align ourselves with General Secretary Xi Jinping, to deeply study and understand Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and, on the basis of scientifically recognizing the essential connotation of the "Two Establishments," accurately grasping their historical positioning, and correctly understanding their era value, to identify in our thinking that General Secretary Xi Jinping, as a strong leading core, can lead the entire Party, the military, and the people of all ethnic groups to solve the fundamental problems of the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. It means identifying with the scientific, populist, contemporary, and practical nature of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thereby achieving resolute support for the "Two Establishments" in one's thought.
Resolute support in emotion. Emotional support is a complex process of transforming the "Two Establishments" from cognition into loyal faith. We should, from the perspective of a "Big View of History" (da lishi guan), profoundly sense that the "Two Establishments" are a distinctive feature and notable advantage of a Marxist party in strengthening its political building. We must clarify their major significance for continuing the century-long journey of struggle, writing a new historical chapter of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and continuously opening new realms for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, thereby appreciating General Secretary Xi Jinping’s strong sense of mission and responsibility. From an era-based perspective that combines the "Big Era" and the "Small Era," and within the historical scene of coordinating the "Two Overalls," we must profoundly recognize that the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, in the process of continuous theoretical and practical innovation, has used practical actions to abide by the "devotion to the people" (chizi qinghuai) embodied in the principle that "the mountains and rivers are the people, and the people are the mountains and rivers" [8]; the "devotion to home and country" (jiaguo qinghuai) that leads national development and social progress; and the "devotion to the world" (tianxia qinghuai) that seeks the Great Unity (Datong) [9] for the world. In doing so, we will always remain closely attached and connected to the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in our emotions.
Resolute safeguarding in politics. Political safeguarding is an important indicator of political judgment, political understanding, and political execution, and thus of defending the "Two Establishments." This requires efforts in systematicity, comprehensiveness, and scientific rigor, so that the Party's leadership system can be continuously improved, and so that supporting and implementing the "Two Establishments" can be practiced authentically and effectively at the levels of institutions, principles, and procedures. The political ecosystem is an important political field related to whether the "Two Establishments" can be better implemented. The whole Party must enhance its political resolve. By innovating models of political life and leveraging the subtle, transformative role of political culture, we can nourish the political ecosystem and truly make supporting the "Two Establishments" and achieving the "Two Upholds" the highest political principle and fundamental political rule.
Resolute obedience in organization. Organizational obedience is the transformed form of continuously strengthening the "Four Consciousnesses," firming up the "Four Confidences," and achieving the "Two Upholds." This requires maintaining a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in political stance, political direction, political principles, and political path. It means being able to consciously and proactively uphold, defend, and be loyal to the core, and putting into practice the important principle that "the Party exercises centralized and unified leadership, maintains the authority of the Central Committee, and ensures that the Party always oversees the overall situation and coordinates all parties." This allows the "magnet" effect of the "Two Establishments" to be exerted, gathering a monumental force of one heart and one mind to forge ahead in the New Era and embark on a new journey. Ultimately, this transforms the "Two Establishments" into a loyal faith in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, a firm belief in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and a strong confidence in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Resolute following in action. Conscious action can transform the "Two Establishments" from the abstract into the concrete. The secret to strengthening conscious action lies in truly following the scientific guidance of the "Two Establishments," persisting in being the same outside as inside and uniting knowledge with action. We must translate the "Two Establishments" into our daily words and deeds, aligning our ideals and beliefs with the Party through personal practice, matching our specific work to the standards sets by the Party, and thinking and acting from the perspective of the overall situation of the Party and the country. We must unswervingly align ourselves with the Party Central Committee and with General Secretary Xi Jinping. This requires the comprehensive implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, consciously treating it as the scientific worldview and methodology for arming the mind, guiding practice, and promoting work, thereby becoming loyal practitioners of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
In short, the scholarly basis for the "Two Establishments" is scientific and profound, and the practical need for the "Two Establishments" is major and urgent. We must, from the broad perspective of the history of the Communist Party of China, the history of the New China, the history of reform and opening up, the history of socialist development, and the history of the development of the Chinese nation, profoundly understand the "Two Establishments," resolutely defend them, and resolutely achieve the "Two Upholds." We must struggle unremittingly to build our country into a great modern socialist power and realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.