Zhu Jidong and Xu Mohan: The Important Value and Significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture in the Process of Chinese Modernization
Chinese-path modernization is a modernization in which material and spiritual civilizations are coordinated. Cultural construction and the construction of spiritual civilization complement and reinforce one another; the modernization of culture is the top priority within the process of Chinese-path modernization. Therefore, the success or failure of cultural construction is the key factor determining the success or failure of Chinese-path modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, as well as ideological work, continuously opening up new vistas for our country's cultural construction and accumulating precious experience for the CPC’s cause of cultural construction. A series of important meetings convened in the New Era, such as the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work and the National Conference on Propaganda, Ideological, and Cultural Work, have made comprehensive arrangements for various fields including philosophy and the social sciences, ideological and political education, cultural inheritance and development, news and public opinion, internet information, and literature and art. These have established a general layout for the coordinated development of socialist cultural undertakings and cultural industries, organically integrating the Party’s various cultural tasks into the category of "Greater Cultural Work" (da wenhua gongzuo). At the National Conference on Propaganda, Ideological, and Cultural Work held in 2023, the CPC Central Committee formally proposed Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. This represents a critical juncture in the CPC’s cause of cultural construction and holds great significance for promoting socialist cultural construction. In the process of comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture not only provides powerful ideological and cultural support and guides the correct value orientation of Chinese-path modernization, but also strengthens the ideological safeguards and enhances the cultural development advantages of Chinese-path modernization. It has greatly promoted the sound and rapid development of Chinese-path modernization and holds significant epochal value and profound meaning for comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.
I. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture provides powerful ideological and cultural support for Chinese-path modernization: Providing rich cultural nourishment and cultivating deep cultural foundations
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the theoretical summation of the experience of the Party's cultural construction under the leadership of Xi Jinping since the 18th National Congress of the Party, and it serves as the guiding ideology for building a leading socialist cultural power on the new journey of the New Era.
"The prosperity of a country or a nation is always supported by the flourishing of its culture." [1] "A person cannot stand without spirit, and a country cannot be strong without spirit." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes the critical supporting role of culture in national construction and national rejuvenation; it is an important theoretical support for the construction of Chinese-path cultural modernization. Therefore, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, it is an inevitable choice on the new journey of the New Era to provide richer cultural nourishment, cultivate the deep cultural foundations of a great modern socialist power, and provide powerful ideological and cultural support for Chinese-path modernization by promoting cultural self-confidence and self-improvement.
Inheriting and developing fine traditional Chinese culture is an important aspect of promoting cultural self-confidence and self-improvement. Adhering to the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture is a consistently important principle of the CPC in the process of leading socialist cultural construction, and it is also an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to "establish historical thinking and pass on fine traditional Chinese culture." On the basis of the practice of socialist cultural construction in the New Era, Xi Jinping innovatively proposed the important thesis of the "Second Combination" [2], placing special emphasis on the fact that "to persist in and develop Marxism, it must be combined with fine traditional Chinese culture." Elevating the combination of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture to a level parallel with the combination of Marxism with China’s specific realities has further highlighted the important status of fine traditional Chinese culture. Researching Xi Jinping’s relevant discourses on socialist cultural construction reveals that he often admonishes us to focus on the study of Chinese history and the inheritance of fine traditional culture. He has emphasized: "Both history and reality show that a nation that has abandoned or betrayed its own history and culture cannot possibly develop, and is likely to play out a historical tragedy." This warns us to have full respect and affirmation for fine traditional Chinese culture, and to truly recognize the spiritual support and moral nourishment it provides to all people. Combining the basic principles of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture not only advances the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, but also promotes the further modernization of fine traditional Chinese culture. The new cultural form created by this combination can better adapt to the needs of building a leading socialist cultural power in the New Era and to the cultural development process of Chinese-path modernization.
Regarding the specific direction of the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, Xi Jinping formally proposed in the report to the 19th CPC National Congress the need to "adhere to creative transformation and innovative development." Subsequently, in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, he noted that "fine traditional Chinese culture has undergone creative transformation and innovative development, and cultural undertakings are increasingly prosperous," which both affirmed the great achievements of creative transformation and innovative development in the New Era and explained the important role of inheriting and developing fine traditional Chinese culture for cultural construction in the New Era. At the same time, Xi Jinping emphasized: "To carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture, it is necessary to handle well the relationship between inheritance and creative development, focusing on creative transformation and innovative development." Within this, the essence of "handling well the relationship between inheritance and creative development" is to use the basic principles of Marxism to transform fine traditional Chinese culture. This transformation is not about changing the "wrong" into the "right," but rather changing the "good" into the "useful." We must use the basic principles of Marxism as a powerful tool to transform fine traditional Chinese culture so that it adapts to the needs of socialist social reality. We must draw from fine traditional Chinese culture the ideological wisdom that is useful and applicable to socialist construction in the New Era, transforming it with Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods so that it serves socialist modernization and promotes the development process of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping emphasized: "The fact that the Chinese nation has continued to develop without interruption, enduring many setbacks yet constantly being reborn like a phoenix from the ashes, is inseparable from the powerful support of Chinese culture." Therefore, Xi Jinping’s thought on the "Second Combination," as one of the essential cores of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, is not only a theoretical and practical innovation regarding the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, but also a major theoretical innovation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. It represents another historic leap in the CPC’s theory of cultural construction and is an inevitable requirement for comprehensively advancing the construction of a strong country and the cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.
Furthermore, the prosperity and development of socialist cultural undertakings can not only promote cultural self-confidence and self-improvement to provide ideological and cultural support for Chinese-path modernization, but also enrich the spiritual and cultural life of the people, aid in the construction of spiritual civilization, and provide rich cultural nourishment for Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture contains relevant ideas about developing socialist cultural undertakings; these ideas guide the correct development direction of our country's socialist cultural undertakings and promote the vigorous development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries. Xi Jinping consistently adheres to the "Double Hundred" policy of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" in cultural construction, and the "Two Serves" direction of "serving the people and serving socialism." By insisting on the organic unity of these two, he has driven comprehensive and fundamental historical changes in China's cultural field. He simultaneously emphasized the "Double Hundred" policy and the "Two Serves" direction, pointing out that "we must adhere to the policy of letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" and that "if literature and art are to reflect the voices of the people, they must adhere to the fundamental direction of serving the people and serving socialism... Only by firmly establishing a Marxist view of literature and art and truly achieving a people-centered approach can literature and art exert their maximum positive energy." The "Double Hundred" policy creates a healthy political ecosystem for the cultural field, providing vast space for the development of cultural undertakings and industries in the New Era, and promoting the full development and prosperity of our country's cultural sector. The "Two Serves" direction effectively guarantees the correct developmental path for cultural undertakings, ensuring they do not veer off course or lose their way, and always serve socialism and the entire Chinese people to ensure that the Party does not change its nature and the "Red State" [3] does not change its color. Therefore, we must maintain the unity of the "Double Hundred" policy and the "Two Serves" direction and adhere to the correct guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture; this determines the fundamental direction of the future of China's cultural development and cultural modernization.
Building on the unity of the "Double Hundred" policy and the "Two Serves" direction, Xi Jinping proposed the important principle of a people-centered orientation in creative work for literature and art. In the report to the 19th CPC National Congress, he emphasized: "We must persist in serving the people and serving socialism, persist in letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend, and persist in creative transformation and innovative development, so as to constantly create new glories for Chinese culture." "Socialist literature and art are the literature and art of the people; we must persist in a people-centered orientation for creation and engage in literary and artistic creation worthy of the times by going deep into life and rooting ourselves among the people." This not only emphasizes that literary and artistic work must truly be people-centered, but also elucidates the question of how to achieve this. In the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, he further emphasized: "Prosper and develop cultural undertakings and cultural industries. Adhere to a people-centered orientation in creation, and launch more excellent works that strengthen the spiritual power of the people." Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the "Double Hundred" policy, the "Two Serves" direction, and the people-centered orientation in creation together, indicating that these three are a closely linked and unified whole. Only by unifying, adhering to, and implementing these three can we truly do a good job in cultural construction in the New Era and promote the building of a leading socialist cultural power. The guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture for China's cultural construction not only has epoch-making significance in the history of cultural construction in the People's Republic of China and the CPC, but also has great momentum in the historical process of China's modernization; it is the guiding ideology for Chinese-path cultural modernization.
II. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture leads the correct value orientation of Chinese-path modernization: Resisting erroneous values and breaking down value-based obstacles
Comprehensively advancing the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization requires a powerful material basis, and even more so a powerful spiritual and cultural force. One of the important missions of national cultural construction guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is to lead the correct value orientation of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping believes: "Values play a pivotal role in the culture of a given society; the influence of a culture is, first and foremost, the influence of its values." For a nation to stand at the forefront of the times, it must have the guidance of correct values. Only by occupying the commanding heights in the struggle over values and ideology can we truly achieve the unification of thought, strengthen confidence, and gather the majestic force of millions of people acting as one. At the same time, he pointed out: "The struggle over culture is, in essence, a struggle over values, a struggle for people's hearts, and a struggle over ideology. As the saying goes, 'Strength and weakness for a moment depend on force, but victory and defeat for a thousand years depend on reason' [4]. We must first fight the hard battle of the struggle over values." The success or failure of Chinese-path modernization is by no means a matter of "strength and weakness for a moment," but rather "victory and defeat for a thousand years." Therefore, consistently maintaining the correct value orientation is the key to comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization, and the correct value orientation of Chinese-path modernization must be led by Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.
As an open and continuously unfolding ideological system, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes the important role of the core socialist values. Based on the great practices of the New Era, it continuously summarizes and deepens the understanding and experience of building a system of core socialist values, strengthens confidence in our values, and has formed a correct and firm socialist value orientation under the leadership of the CPC. Chinese-path modernization is a socialist modernization led by the CPC; therefore, Chinese-path modernization must always adhere to the leadership of the Party and to the guidance of Marxism. This is the most fundamental direction of Chinese-path modernization and the most important principle of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.
The issue of "color revolutions" [5] is a matter that Xi Jinping has consistently focused on and remained vigilant against. He has pointed out: "Various hostile forces have long attempted to manufacture 'color revolutions' in our country, vainly plotting to subvert the leadership of the Communist Party of China and our country's socialist system. This is a realistic danger facing our state power security." The major problem we currently face is seizing the initiative in the ideological struggle under complex and sharp international and domestic environments, resolutely refuting erroneous trends of thought such as Western "universal values," [6] holding the line for national security, and persisting in the Party's leadership and the development of socialism. This is the bottom line for national development and state power security; it is also the correct direction that must be maintained to advance the process of Chinese-path modernization. In his report to the 20th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "build a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership" and "firmly grasp the Party's leadership over ideological work." Furthermore, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture explicitly proposes "Seven Focuses," [7] all of which are important measures regarding persisting in the Party’s leadership and adhering to Marxism as guidance; they also constitute vital content of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, an increasing number of people are internalizing persistence in the Party’s leadership and adherence to Marxism as guidance into conscious thought and action.
Since the start of the New Era, Xi Jinping has emphasized: "History tells us that only through exchange and mutual learning can a civilization be full of vitality." Therefore, we must continuously improve our country's national cultural soft power through exchange and mutual learning, resolutely oppose and thoroughly break the "Western-centrism of civilization," and transcend civilizational estrangement and conflict with civilizational exchange and mutual learning, thereby promoting the great development and prosperity of socialist culture. "We must never 'imitate others like the youth of Handan and lose our own way' [8]. What we are doing is the Sinicization of Marxism; we are building socialism with Chinese characteristics." This reminds us that we must never blindly trust or have a superstitious belief in the West. We must remain vigilant and guard against the penetration of values and ideology brought about by Western cultural infiltration during cultural construction, and firm up our cultural confidence, value confidence, and ideological confidence. To comprehensively promote the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, we must resolutely resist all erroneous values that oppose or deviate from socialism, and resolutely break down the value-based obstacles that constrain the smooth advancement of Chinese-path modernization.
Different values determine different directions and paths for modernization. The difference in value orientation between socialism and capitalism is the fundamental distinction between Chinese-path modernization and Western modernization. The direction and path of modernization under the dominance of capitalist values follow a development model where politics, the economy, and even human beings are subject to the control of capital. This leads to the exposure of capital's pursuit of profit maximization in every detail of the modernization process, resulting in human alienation and a series of irreconcilable contradictions within the Western modernization process. In contrast to Western modernization, Chinese-path modernization persists in the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method. It follows a socialist direction and path under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adheres to a people-centered value orientation, takes the needs of all-around human development as its ultimate concern, and thereby promotes such development. Therefore, we must persist in the value guidance provided by Xi Jinping Thought on Culture for Chinese-path modernization and maintain the basic stance of always struggling against Western capitalist values.
On the new journey in the New Era, peace and development are the main themes. The primary form of struggle in today's society is no longer armed struggle but the contest of values and ideological struggle; the ultimate goal of this struggle is to win the hearts and minds of the people. Xi Jinping has always had the courage to confront the contradictions and problems accumulated over a long period in the ideological and cultural spheres, and he clearly recognized the grim reality prior to the 18th CPC National Congress where "many people within the Party and society were deeply worried about the future of the Party and the country." At the First Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, he emphasized the need to enhance the spirit of struggle: "History has repeatedly proven that if we seek security through struggle, security will survive; if we seek security through compromise, security will perish. If we seek development through struggle, development will flourish; if we seek development through compromise, development will decline." This warns us that even in an era of peaceful development, the spirit of struggle still plays an important role in the process of advancing Chinese-path modernization. Furthermore, he pointed out: "Advancing Chinese-path modernization is an unprecedented and pioneering undertaking. It will inevitably encounter various predictable and unpredictable risks, challenges, difficulties, and even stormy seas. We must enhance our sense of potential danger, persist in bottom-line thinking, stay alert to dangers in times of peace, prepare for rainy days, be brave and skillful in struggle, and open up new horizons for the cause through tenacious struggle."
In the historical process of advancing Chinese-path modernization, Xi Jinping has placed greater emphasis on the extreme importance of being brave and skillful in struggle. This courage and skill in struggle are among the most important essences of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. We must prevent and resolve various risks and challenges faced in the process of Chinese-path modernization through these qualities, especially risks and challenges in the ideological, cultural, and ideological spheres. Moreover, being brave and skillful in struggle must be integrated throughout the entire process and different aspects of Chinese-path modernization. Thus, the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture for Chinese-path modernization is primarily located in cultural construction, but it is not limited to it. It exerts a value-leading role for the development of all fields of Chinese-path modernization, providing a correct direction of values for its comprehensive advancement and demonstrating a value confidence stronger than that of capitalism.
III. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Strengthens the Ideological Safeguards of Chinese-Path Modernization: Engaging in Simultaneous Construction and Deconstruction to Maintain Security and Ensure the Correct Direction and Path
The comprehensive advancement of Chinese-path modernization is carried out within an open international environment. Internationally, certain Western countries—represented by the United States—have long conducted ideological infiltration and "peaceful evolution" [9] against China. In recent years especially, they have launched one ideological offensive, encirclement, and even "suppression" after another against China. Domestically, reactionary, decadent, and backward feudal and capitalist ideologies resurfaced and ran rampant on several occasions after the Reform and Opening-up. Some corrupt and degenerate elements within the Party not only engaged in financial embezzlement but also stood in opposition to Marxism, communism, and socialism politically and ideologically. Furthermore, various hostile forces inside and outside the Party, and at home and abroad, have colluded and coordinated with each other. These circumstances dictate that maintaining ideological security is the key and top priority for comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization. On the new journey in the New Era, we must not only seize strategic opportunities but also respond to various risks and challenges—especially ideological ones—to ensure the steady progress of the cause of Chinese-path modernization.
The comprehensive advancement of Chinese-path modernization cannot succeed without strong ideological safeguards. One of the important values and meanings of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is that it strengthens the ideological safeguards for Chinese-path modernization, providing scientific theoretical guidance and strong ideological guarantees for comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. Facing a complex ideological environment, Xi Jinping clearly emphasized as early as 2013 that "ideological work is an extremely important task for the Party." This significant judgment clarified the vital position of ideological work among the various tasks of the Party. Subsequently, he further emphasized: "Ideological work is the task of 'establishing the heart' for the country and 'forging the soul' for the nation." Thus, he guided the entire Party, the entire army, and the people of all ethnic groups to deeply understand the extremely important and close relationship between ideological work and the Party, the state, and the nation, while also emphasizing the important role that successfully conducting ideological work plays in maintaining national security and advancing Chinese-path modernization.
The Party's propaganda, ideological, and cultural work under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has, at its core, the building of a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership. "Ideology concerns the banner, the path, and national political security." Ideological security is not only a vital component of national political security but also an important guarantee for realizing Chinese-path modernization. Whether ideological security can be maintained determines the success or failure of Chinese-path modernization. "Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a continuously unfolding and open system of thought that will surely be enriched and developed as practice deepens." In its essence, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is ideological thought. The profound understanding of ideological construction contained within it has also been enriched and developed as practice has deepened.
In the great struggle of the New Era, Xi Jinping has come to understand more deeply the extreme importance of cultural and ideological construction in building a modern socialist country. In his report to the 19th CPC National Congress, he emphasized: "Culture is the soul of a country and a nation. If culture prospers, the country prospers; if culture is strong, the nation is strong." This emphasizes that cultural construction is an important cornerstone for building a great modern socialist country and is a heavy responsibility of the times that we can and must complete on the new journey in the New Era. Confronting numerous ideological risks and challenges from inside and outside the Party and the country, Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important speeches, published articles, and issued many important instructions and directives on doing a good job in ideological and propaganda/cultural work in the New Era. He has resolutely corrected erroneous thoughts, understandings, and practices, awakening the entire Party to the high degree of importance of this work and elevating that importance to an unprecedented new height.
He emphasized the extreme importance of ideological work from the height of state power security, pointing out its vital position within overall national security: "To control the power to lead online ideology is to guard the country's sovereignty and state power." He specifically analyzed the importance, complexity, and difficulty of the struggle over online ideology to warn the entire Party, causing them to deeply recognize this through a series of requirements and deployments and to take active movement. In 2014, the Central Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization was officially established with Xi Jinping as its head, marking cybersecurity as an important component of China's national security. All of this reminds the entire Party that the internet is the main channel and battlefield through which capitalist countries—represented by the United States—conduct ideological infiltration and "peaceful evolution" against socialist countries. It is the main front and the very forefront of ideological struggle in the New Era. We must value the struggle over online ideology from the heights of state power security and political security, taking ideological and cultural security as important components of maintaining national security, with the whole Party and the whole people working together to manage ideological work.
Xi Jinping has not only emphasized the importance of national cultural and ideological security and heightened the Party's attention to these tasks, but has also sounded the alarm regarding the erroneous thoughts and understandings of some Party members and officials. From explicitly stating in 2014 that "it is absolutely not permitted to sing a different tune from the Central Committee, and it is absolutely not permitted to eat the Communist Party's food while smashing the Communist Party's bowl," [10] to emphasizing in 2015 that "various hostile forces have long attempted to manufacture 'color revolutions' in our country... This is a realistic danger facing our state power security," these were warnings he gave targeting the issues of political sensitivity and responsibility among Party and government officials, as well as the phenomenon of erroneous trends of thought spreading on major ideological issues. Under Xi Jinping's high degree of attention and repeated emphasis, our Party's ideological work has continuously made breakthroughs, reversing the dangerous situation of chaos that once existed in the ideological sphere prior to the 18th CPC National Congress. In his report to the 19th CPC National Congress, he affirmed: "Major progress has been made in ideological and cultural construction." But he also reminded the entire Party to deeply realize that "struggle in the ideological sphere remains complex, and national security faces new situations."
After the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping continued to attach high importance to ideological work. At the 2018 National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work, he pointed out: "In practice, we have continuously deepened our understanding of the laws governing propaganda and ideological work, and proposed a series of new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments; this is to persist in the Party's leadership over ideological work." Under Xi Jinping's consistent emphasis, warnings, and personal command, and through the joint efforts of the entire Party, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress explicitly stated that "the situation in the ideological sphere has undergone a comprehensive and fundamental change." This is a full affirmation and great commendation of the major achievements made in China's ideological sphere since the 18th CPC National Congress. This great achievement provides strong ideological safeguards for the process of Chinese-path modernization and is the key to ensuring that the cause of Chinese-path modernization always advances victoriously along the correct direction.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the ideological work of the Party and state and the work of propaganda, ideology, and culture have been complementary, closely intertwined, highly overlapping, and deeply integrated. The formal proposal of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a major event for propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, as well as for ideological work itself. Xi Jinping, in an important instruction on propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, emphasized:
"Publicity, ideological, and cultural work [11] concerns the future and destiny of the Party, the long-term stability of the state, and the cohesion and centripetal force of the nation; it is an extremely important undertaking." In this recent important instruction, Xi Jinping explicitly proposed the major requirements of the "Seven Stresses" [12]: "stressing the strengthening of the Party’s leadership over publicity, ideological, and cultural work; stressing the development of a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership; stressing the cultivation and practice of Core Socialist Values; stressing the improvement of the communication, guidance, influence, and credibility of news and public opinion; stressing the preservation of the Chinese cultural lineage and the promotion of the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture; stressing the promotion of the prosperity and development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries; and stressing the strengthening of international communication capacity and the promotion of exchange and mutual learning among civilizations." These "Seven Stresses" essentially focus on ideology. The first four, in particular, constitute direct and important deployments for work in the ideological field and possess significant guiding significance for ideological work. By "stressing the strengthening of the Party’s leadership over publicity, ideological, and cultural work," we firmly grasp the power of leadership, management, and discourse in ideological work. This is key to resisting the ideological penetration and suppression by the West, responding to complex and sharp ideological struggles, and preventing and resolving risks and challenges in the ideological field. By "stressing the development of a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership," we construct a robust ideological discourse system for the New Era to better unify the thinking of the entire Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups nationwide. By "stressing the cultivation and practice of Core Socialist Values," we coalesce the common value pursuits of all people, forming a majestic force that reflects the will of the people, unites their hearts, and gathers their strength. By "stressing the improvement of the communication, guidance, influence, and credibility of news and public opinion," we ensure the correct political direction and orientation of public opinion, further firming up ideological self-confidence and achieving ideological self-reliance. The "Seven Stresses" involve multiple aspects such as ideological security, ideological struggle, ideological construction, the orientation of social public opinion, cultural self-confidence and self-reliance, and telling China's story well. The goal is to maintain the security of socialist ideology and strengthen the ideological guarantees for the process of Chinese-path modernization.
Ideology not only determines a country's direction of cultural progress and development path but also determines the country's overall direction of progress and development path. In the process of Chinese-path modernization, we face complex international and domestic situations and urgent new tasks. This requires our Party to always adhere to the correct ideological direction and path, persist in the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture over cultural and ideological construction, and take multiple measures to handle ideological work in the New Era. We must firmly grasp the power of leadership, management, and discourse in ideological work, take effective and powerful measures to strengthen the ideological guarantees for Chinese-path modernization, and further firm up ideological self-confidence and advance ideological self-reliance. This provides a strong ideological guarantee and powerful spiritual strength for the great cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.
IV. Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture Enhances the Cultural Development Advantages of Chinese-path Modernization: Benefiting the People through Multiple Measures and Highlighting Self-Reliance on the Global Stage
As the latest achievement in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist cultural theory, the connotations of Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture are rich and its expositions are profoundly deep. It is a theoretical synthesis of the Party's experience in leading cultural construction in the New Era and possesses significant guiding significance for advancing the cultural construction of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture is rooted in practice—coming from practice and returning to practice. It is not only capable of answering realistic questions in the construction of Chinese-path cultural modernization but also capable of leading the high-quality development of socialist cultural construction. China's cultural construction must revolve around the great cause of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. One of its important missions is to provide favorable cultural conditions for the development of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture can effectively enhance the cultural development advantages of Chinese-path modernization, truly realizing a Chinese-path modernization in which material and spiritual civilizations are coordinated.
Enriching the people's spiritual world is one of the essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping has always focused on the spiritual and cultural needs of the masses, emphasizing the importance of enriching the people's spiritual world for advancing Chinese-path modernization. Social progress includes not only the growth of material wealth but also the growth of spiritual wealth; the well-rounded development of individuals pursued by Marx includes not only material-level development but also the rich development of the spiritual dimension. Xi Jinping once emphasized that "the development of the individual takes spiritual culture as its core," and explicitly pointed out that "human beings are, in essence, cultural beings... humanity pursues not only material conditions and economic indicators but also a 'happiness index'; not only the harmony of the natural ecosystem but also the harmony of the 'spiritual ecosystem.'" This is a direct inheritance of Marxist ideas regarding the well-rounded development of the individual. Regarding the essence and composition of the spiritual world, the ultimate task and goal of enriching the people's spiritual world is to firm up the people's ideals and convictions, improve their abilities, qualities, and moral cultivation, and elevate their spiritual realm. Since the beginning of Reform and Opening-up, and especially in the New Era, the masses' demand for spiritual life has grown daily; the masses pay more attention to spiritual enjoyment in the cultural, entertainment, artistic, and even academic and theoretical fields. Xi Jinping emphasized: "The people need literature and art... To satisfy the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs, we must handle cultural construction well and increase the society's spiritual and cultural wealth." Later, he further emphasized: "Developing cultural undertakings is the basic path to satisfying the people's spiritual and cultural needs and guaranteeing the people's cultural rights... allowing the people to enjoy a more substantial, richer, and higher-quality spiritual and cultural life." All of this reflects the high importance Xi Jinping attaches to enriching the people's spiritual world. It has also greatly promoted the idea that work related to enriching the people's spiritual world must adhere to a people-centered orientation for work and creation. Correspondingly, cultural high-quality development has become a conscious action for more and more people, and the emergence of numerous excellent literary and artistic works reflects the cultural development advantages in socialist modernization.
In the New Era, the cause of publicity, ideology, and culture has flourished, and various learning activities have extensively covered all aspects of social life, providing excellent support for the construction of Chinese-path modernization. In response to the learning needs of the masses, public spaces such as community libraries have been established across the country. Reading, as one of the important ways to enrich the people's spiritual world, helps people expand their knowledge, enhance their thinking abilities, broaden their mindsets, and improve their emotional experiences and quality of life. Furthermore, the education on the "Four Histories" [13] has also taken deep root in people's hearts. By understanding historical events, historical culture, and historical laws, people have not only increased their interest in learning historical facts and culture but have also formed a deeper understanding of current society and culture. At the same time, lectures and seminars in various industries and fields have significantly increased. This not only promotes the exchange of the latest ideological achievements but also helps people understand the frontiers of academic dynamics, the latest research results, and technological developments. These learning activities can firm up people's ideals and convictions and expand their way of thinking while building bridges for mutual learning across different fields, allowing people to better understand our culture and history while improving their cultural literacy and appreciation. The continuously enriching variety of learning activities has led to a positive social trend of being earnest and eager to learn, raised the knowledge and cultural level as well as the ideological and moral quality of the whole people, and further firmed up our historical confidence and national confidence.
Since the New Era, the art and entertainment industries have developed rapidly. The masses' artistic and entertainment activities have quickly increased and become continuously enriched. The appreciation, participation, and enjoyment of art are no longer limited to a few but have integrated into the daily lives of the masses. People frequently visit cinemas, theaters, and concert halls to watch movies, plays, dramas, and musicals, or gain a deep understanding of a field, region, or art form by visiting museums and art exhibitions; they can even use their leisure time to cultivate and develop an artistic hobby. Film, drama, and theater allow people to understand different stories and cultures, improving their ability to appreciate and express themselves. Museums and art exhibitions display various cultures, histories, and arts, allowing people to better understand the world, different lifestyles, and different artistic schools, deepening their understanding of beauty and love of art, thereby cultivating their temperament and stimulating their creativity and imagination. At the same time, more participatory artistic and entertainment activities have entered people's daily lives, such as painting, handicrafts, music, dance, and yoga. These activities help people express emotions, demonstrate creativity, and improve their aesthetic and appreciation abilities. The prosperous development of the art and entertainment industries has enriched the daily lives of the masses and avoided the one-sided development of the individual, thereby transcending and eliminating alienation [14], achieving the free and well-rounded development of the individual, and reaching a balance between human natural and social attributes, as well as material and spiritual needs. In addition, organizing and carrying out different types of volunteer activities is also an effective way to build spiritual civilization. By participating in volunteer activities, people can actively participate in social development and public welfare undertakings, gain a deeper understanding of social problems, and make their own contributions to others and society. Volunteer activities can not only improve people's comprehensive qualities and abilities and enhance their sense of social responsibility and collective consciousness but can also promote social stability and harmony on a holistic social level, powerfully driving social development.
The fact that Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture enhances the cultural development advantages of Chinese-path modernization is reflected not only domestically but also internationally. To build a community with a shared future for humanity, we must, under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture, enhance our ability to safeguard national cultural security and ideological security. We must adhere to the principles of "centering on our own needs," "making foreign things serve China" [15], and "inclusivity," further strengthening the exchange and integration of Chinese and foreign cultures, and advancing the construction of international communication capacity. On the basis of promoting fine traditional Chinese culture to "go global," we must be brave and skilled in promoting revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture to "go global," thereby driving Chinese culture as a whole toward the world and winning the recognition, study, and faith of more and more people. At the same time, we should adopt various flexible forms, methods, and means to tell the stories of China, the Communist Party of China, the New China, and the community with a shared future for humanity. This will better present a true, multi-dimensional, and panoramic China, strive to demonstrate a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China, and strive to make Chinese culture possess strong attraction, influence, and appeal in the world, truly transforming China's development advantages into advantages in discourse, culture, civilization, and ideology.
On the new journey in the New Era, all fields in China are in a stage of rapid development. This requires that spiritual civilization continues to be coordinated and deeply integrated with material civilization, forming a powerful synergy. Therefore, on the basis of the achievements attained at the current stage, we must continue to take Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture as our guide, further improve the cultural construction work in the process of Chinese-path modernization, promote the people's spiritual life to a new level, and support the practical process of Chinese-path modernization to comprehensively advance the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. In conclusion, Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture is the persistence, inheritance, development, and innovation of the achievements of the Sinicization of Marxist cultural theory. It is a scientific summary of the experience of cultural construction in the New Era, having accumulated precious ideological achievements and experiential wisdom for the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. It has promoted the cultural construction of Chinese-path modernization and the entire process of Chinese-path modernization, writing a new chapter in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist cultural construction theory. On the new journey of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, and in the struggle to build a community with a shared future for humanity, cultural construction will occupy an even more important position. Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Culture will demonstrate even more important epochal value and profound significance in the exploration of the theory and practice of Chinese-path modernization.