Meng Xianli: The Scientific Nature and Multi-dimensional Perspectives of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture possesses a distinct scientific character. This scientific nature lies in its revelation of the essence and laws governing cultural construction and development in the New Era, as well as its address and resolution of the major epochal challenges facing cultural development in this period. The scientificity of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is manifested across multiple dimensions—its scientific thinking, methods, stance, attitude, and structure—deepening our Party’s understanding and mastery of the laws governing socialist cultural development, particularly those specific to Chinese-path socialist cultural construction. It provides a scientific guide for advancing cultural development in the New Era. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the development of Chinese-path socialist culture has achieved a series of new progressions, accomplishments, and breakthroughs; Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a scientific theoretical system proven by practice.

I. The Scientificity of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Lies in Its Revelation of the Essence and Laws of Cultural Development in the New Era

The scientific nature of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture lies in its thorough revelation of the essence of cultural development in the New Era, its mastery of the laws governing such development, and its response to the epochal challenges therein.

This scientificity is first evident in its revelation of the essence of cultural construction in the New Era: namely, that cultural development is a form of spiritual production rooted in and serving the New Era. This activity is determined by the practices of the New Era, driven by the people of the New Era, and in turn serves the practices of the New Era.

Marx argued: "The dissolution of a given form of consciousness was enough to cause a whole epoch to perish." While economic conditions are the base, the decisive role of the economic base does not preclude the superstructure from exerting a counter-reaction. The "various elements of the superstructure" also influence the course of history and, in many cases, determine the form of historical struggles. One might say that while cultural development is determined by the economic base, it also exerts a powerful counter-reaction upon it. The "culture" emphasized in Xi Jinping Thought on Culture focuses on the spiritual wealth created by the people; it refers to various spiritual phenomena, activities, and products relative to economy and politics, falling within the category of the superstructure. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Once advanced ideology and culture are mastered by the masses, they turn into a powerful material force; conversely, if backward and erroneous concepts are not eliminated, they become shackles on social progress." Entering the New Era, the principal contradiction in Chinese society has evolved ^[1]. We must base ourselves on this objective reality of the transformed principal contradiction and develop a Chinese-path socialist culture compatible with the New Era to meet the people's growing needs for a better spiritual life.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Chinese-path socialist culture is derived from the fine traditional Chinese culture nurtured by the over 5,000-year history of the Chinese nation's civilization; it is fused in the revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture created by the people under the Party’s leadership during the periods of revolution, construction, and reform; and it is rooted in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics." Undoubtedly, cultural development in the New Era requires inheritance, innovation, transformation, and continuous sublimation within the dialectical relationship between fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, providing a powerful spiritual impetus for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Simultaneously, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes that cultural development must be grounded in the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, stimulating the cultural innovative and creative vitality of the people, creating new glory for New Era culture, and thereby advancing the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics toward new victories.

The scientificity of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture also lies in its mastery of the laws of cultural development in the New Era.

The laws governing cultural development in the New Era are multi-layered and multifaceted, but the most fundamental law is to remain grounded in the New Era and its practices while persisting in the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics. Cultural construction in the New Era must be rooted in the New Era and adhere to the path of Chinese-path socialist cultural development—this profoundly answers the questions of which flag to raise and which path to follow, ensuring that cultural development moves steadily and far along a scientific and correct path. Specifically, this law is manifested in the guiding ideology, leadership, fundamental driving force, and evaluative standards of cultural construction.

First, cultural development in the New Era takes Marxism as its fundamental guiding ideology. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and country are founded and thrive." Only by adhering to Marxism, rooting ourselves in the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continuously promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture—while focusing on the inheritance of revolutionary culture and the sustained development of advanced socialist culture—can we truly advance cultural construction.

Second, the core leadership for cultural development in the New Era is the Communist Party of China. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Party's leadership must be comprehensive, systematic, and holistic," and it must be implemented across all aspects of the cause of the Party and the state. Cultural development is a key link in the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics; if the Party's leadership is absent or weakened, cultural construction will deviate from its socialist direction and its orientation of serving the people, thereby harming the cause of the Party and the state. Indubitably, the reason cultural development in the New Era can maintain its socialist direction and people-centered orientation without wavering is the fundamental leadership of the CPC. We must ensure the Party firmly holds the leadership over cultural work and strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work.

Finally, the people are both the primary driving force of cultural development and the subjects who enjoy and evaluate it. "The people are the creators of history and the creators of the times." The people are the founders of the New Era and, moreover, the builders of its culture. In the process of cultural construction, the people are always the subjects of development, playing the role of the primary motivator; divorced from the people, cultural development would lose its fundamental impetus. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture insists on the people's standpoint, emphasizing that the people are the subjective force of cultural development, as well as those entitled to its benefits and responsible for its evaluation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The people are the supreme adjudicators and final judges of our Party's work." Whether cultural development in the New Era is successful depends on whether the people are satisfied and happy, and whether it meets their rich spiritual needs.

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture answers and resolves the epochal question of "what kind of Chinese-path socialist culture to build in the New Era and how to build it." Surrounding this question, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture provides answers from various aspects, offering a scientific guide. Rooted in the New Era, at a new historical starting point, we must continue to promote cultural prosperity, build a leading cultural power, and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation—this clarifies the tasks and goals of cultural development. We must be firm in our cultural confidence, uphold openness and inclusiveness, and uphold the fundamentals and break new ground—this points to the principles that must be maintained. "Integrating the substance and its application" (míngtǐ dáyòng, tǐyòng guàntōng) ^[2] demonstrates the new thinking behind cultural development. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture also makes specific arrangements for specific fields, such as new plans for the development of philosophy and social sciences, new layouts for news and public opinion work, and new positioning for cultural undertakings and industries. It profoundly reveals the essence and laws of cultural development, answers major epochal questions, and deepens our Party's mastery of the laws of cultural construction. This is exactly where its scientificity lies.

II. The Multi-dimensional Directions of the Scientificity of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture reveals the essence and laws of cultural development and answers its epochal questions; its scientificity is manifested through multiple dimensions. It contains rich and profound scientific thinking, adopts the scientific method of seeking truth from facts, adheres to the scientific stance of putting the people first, maintains a scientific attitude of openness and inclusiveness, and possesses a rigorous and complete scientific structure. It is a scientific system of thought and theory.

1. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Contains Rich and Profound Scientific Thinking

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "One must be adept at using the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to clarify research directions and master scientific thinking." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture contains extremely rich scientific thinking—encompassing strategic, historical, and dialectical thinking, as well as systems thinking, innovative thinking, rule-of-law thinking, and bottom-line thinking. It persists in using scientific thinking to promote cultural prosperity and development.

The strategic thinking within Xi Jinping Thought on Culture refers to a way of thinking that, based on mastering the essence and laws of cultural construction, focuses on the overall situation and long-term goals of the New Era to make strategic decisions and deployments. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Strategic issues are fundamental issues for a political party and a country." We must "advance all work within the grasp of the overall strategic situation." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture uses strategic thinking to plan the top-level design of cultural development, clarifying strategic goals, grasping strategic priorities, and maintaining strategic resolve.

Historical thinking in Xi Jinping Thought on Culture refers to summarizing, analyzing, and grasping historical experience, laws, and lessons from a historical dimension, and excavating and utilizing past cultural achievements to build New Era culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "History, reality, and the future are interconnected," and "we must use history to illuminate reality and look to the future from afar." In the practical exploration of cultural development in the New Era, we must persist in analyzing problems with a historical perspective, fully studying and drawing lessons from historical experience, and following the historical logic of cultural development. We must respect the fine traditional culture accumulated over long history, promote the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture, and strive to create a brand-new future for cultural construction.

The dialectical thinking in Xi Jinping Thought on Culture refers to a way of thinking that uses materialist dialectics to correctly analyze, recognize, and grasp cultural development. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The deeper our cause develops, the more we must continuously enhance our dialectical thinking capacity." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture uses dialectical thinking to correctly handle the relationship between economic and cultural development, properly handle major relationships such as priority versus non-priority, the local versus the global, and the short-term versus the long-term, and dialectically grasp the relationship between cultural exchange and cultural security.

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture contains systems thinking. This refers to a way of thinking that views cultural development in the New Era as a system, focusing on the interconnections and interactions between the system and its elements, between elements themselves, and between the system and its environment, to accurately grasp the holism and interconnectedness of cultural development. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must persist in looking at problems with a perspective of interconnection and development, and enhance strategic and systems thinking." The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core uses systems thinking to accurately analyze and properly handle the relationships between elements in cultural development, such as the coordinated development of cultural industries and cultural undertakings, urban and rural culture, and the coordination between cultural departments and institutions.

The innovative thinking in Xi Jinping Thought on Culture refers to a way of thinking that uses unique perspectives and brand-new ideas to discover, analyze, and solve problems, thereby proposing a series of new viewpoints, ideas, and solutions for cultural development. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out:

"Innovation is the primary driving force leading development." Only by placing innovation in a position of primary importance and implementing it throughout the entire process of cultural construction and development in the New Era can we seize the "ox's nose" ^[3] of the overall situation. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continuously promoted cultural innovation, proposing a series of new thoughts, viewpoints, and measures. These include incorporating cultural confidence into the "Four Confidences," ^[4] putting forward the important judgment of the "Second Combination," ^[5] and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture uses innovative thinking to promote various aspects of innovation required for cultural prosperity, bringing cultural construction in the New Era to a new level. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture also contains rule-of-law thinking, emphasizing the use of such thinking to promote cultural legislation, law enforcement, and compliance, thereby forming a favorable legal environment for cultural development. Bottom-line thinking is another scientific mode of thought contained within Xi Jinping Thought on Culture; it emphasizes preventing problems before they occur ^[6] and anticipating the worst possible outcomes in cultural development, while remaining proactive and striving for the best results. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's work in publicity, ideology, and culture has made breakthrough progress. However, we must clearly recognize that many risks and challenges remain, especially risks to ideological security. Therefore, the bottom-line thinking within Xi Jinping Thought on Culture requires us to enhance our awareness of risk and potential hardships ^[7] to effectively prevent and resolve various potential crises.

2. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Adopts the Scientific Method of Seeking Truth from Facts

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that "seeking truth from facts" is both the "magic weapon" ^[8] for the CPC to lead the people to victory and "our Party's basic ideological method, work method, and leadership method." As a scientific theory, seeking truth from facts is the soul of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and the magic weapon for cultural development in the New Era.

In the view of General Secretary Xi Jinping, one cannot approach problems or make decisions based solely on books and dogmas; one must proceed from reality. Relying only on books and dogmas leads to abstract metaphysics; in reality, cultural construction in the New Era is a continuous process of concrete practice. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is grounded in the changing facts of the New Era. Proceeding from the cultural needs and practices of the masses, it takes the greatest reality—the masses' cultural requirements and practices—as the starting point. Closely linking itself to the reality that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era and that the principal contradiction ^[9] in society has undergone a major shift, it clarifies the "Two Centenary Goals" ^[10] and the "New Three-Step" strategic goals ^[11]. It summarizes the practical experience of cultural development and provides scientific guidance for its further advancement. Thus, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is neither a rigid dogma nor a lifeless metaphysics, but a rich, vivid, and scientific system connected to reality.

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture accurately and scientifically grasps China's basic national conditions. Since the beginning of reform and opening up, China's economic development has made significant strides, but spiritual and cultural construction still lags slightly. First, China has a large population base of over 1.4 billion people; we must clearly recognize this reality and grasp the fact that the per capita acquisition of cultural resources remains at a relatively low level. Second, the foundation of China's cultural development is thin: the systems and mechanisms of cultural management are not yet sound, there are loopholes in the cultural market, and cultural infrastructure needs improvement. Finally, cultural development is unbalanced. Currently, the phenomenon of unbalanced and inadequate cultural development is quite evident; compared to cities, rural areas lag behind, and the central and western regions lag behind the eastern coastal regions.

Low per capita cultural resources, a thin foundation, and unbalanced, inadequate development constitute the greatest reality facing cultural construction in the New Era. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the "truth-seeking" result of being grounded in this reality. It is a scientific theory formed through the continuous exploration of the CPC and the people in the practice of cultural development, revealing the essence and internal laws of this process. Simultaneously, as a scientific theoretical system, it further provides a scientific guide for cultural construction in the New Era.

3. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Upholds the Scientific Stance of Putting the People First

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture clearly points out that the people are the subjects who build, enjoy, and judge culture in the New Era. It scientifically answers basic questions such as what kind of culture to build, how to build it, and for whom it is being built. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "The masses of the people are the subjective force of historical development and social progress." Cultural development in the New Era cannot be separated from the people as the subject. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture upholds the scientific stance of the primacy of the people, treating them as the subjects of cultural construction, enjoyment, and evaluation.

First, the people are the subjects of cultural construction. The people are the main force of cultural development; the flourishing of culture is inseparable from the people as the constructive subject. From a genetic perspective, most cultural and artistic forms such as songs, dances, and traditional operas originate from the folk and the creativity of the masses. Even Peking Opera, hailed as the "national quintessence" ^[12], is essentially a cultural fruit created by the masses. The cultural activities of the people can be divided into two categories: repetitive cultural activities and creative cultural activities. In repetitive activities, subjectivity is manifested as repetitive subjectivity; in creative activities, it is manifested as creative subjectivity. Repetitive cultural activity is a type of simple reproduction that reproduces existing cultural products according to their original forms. This is also a subjective activity of the people and a prerequisite for maintaining unity and relative stability with society. The creativity in creative activities is the unique human subjectivity manifested in the process of action. Engels believed that while animals collect, "man produces," which is the essential difference between humans and animals. The "production" Engels refers to here undoubtedly refers more to human creative production. Cultural activities in cultural development usually refer to creative production, highlighting human productivity. Productivity is not only the ability to use external forces but also the ability to burst forth and manifest the potential of those forces, creating both material and spiritual wealth. In the New Era, the basic criterion and primary task of cultural development is to sublate ^[13] repetitive cultural production in favor of creative cultural production, and to move from repetitive subjectivity to creative subjectivity—namely, to "stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation."

Second, the people are the subjects who enjoy culture in the New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that socialist culture must "meet the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture firmly upholds the scientific stance of the primacy of the people, maintaining that cultural development must rely on and be for the people, and its fruits must be shared by the people. Public cultural services are the basic way to realize, maintain, and develop the people's cultural rights and interests. Since entering the New Era, laws such as the Public Cultural Service Guarantee Law and the Public Library Law have been promulgated, and national standards for basic public services have been established. Governments at all levels have further refined service directories to protect basic cultural rights. Cultural centers, libraries, and comprehensive cultural stations now span every county and township, forming a service network that covers both urban and rural areas. Citizens can enjoy high-quality public cultural services in "urban studies" and "cultural stations" within their communities. Programs like "sending opera to the countryside," rural film projection projects, and the establishment of grassroots comprehensive cultural centers have made the spare time of the farming masses more diverse and positive. Cloud platforms for national public culture have enabled people in both urban and rural areas to enjoy digital cultural products simultaneously. Significant progress has been made in the standardization and equalization of public cultural services, vigorously promoting the process of "common prosperity" in people's spiritual lives.

Third, the people are the subjects who judge culture in the New Era. Since its founding, the CPC has always insisted on taking the people as the judging subject to "test the effectiveness of all our work." That socialist cultural development relies on the people, is for the people, has its fruits shared by the people, and its effectiveness judged by the people has always been the basic principle of China's cultural development. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that the creative activities of literary and art workers must be people-centered, and that "taking the people's satisfaction as the highest standard for testing art" is necessary to create excellent works that meet the people's needs and strengthen their spiritual power. The purpose of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is to meet the people's aspirations for a rich spiritual and cultural life. The level and achievements of cultural development in the New Era are judged by the people, who are most qualified to do so. In short, by upholding the scientific stance of the primacy of the people, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture scientifically solves the issues of the power source and evaluation mechanism for cultural development, highlighting the scientific charm of Marxism inherent in this thought.

4. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Upholds a Scientific Attitude of Openness and Inclusiveness

A key point in determining whether an ideological system is scientific is whether it is open and inclusive. "Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a continuously unfolding and open ideological system." It possesses an inherent attribute of openness and inclusiveness; based on the continuously developing practices of the New Era, it enriches and perfects itself with an "open" posture of advancing with the times. Simultaneously, it accepts and absorbs all advanced cultural development ideas and concepts from human society throughout history with an "inclusive" spirit.

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is an open ideological system. It is not a closed and rigid theoretical dogma, but a scientific theoretical system that continuously improves along with the development of the times and practice. Maintaining an open attitude is the prerequisite for a theoretical system to remain at the forefront of the times. Currently, the world situation faces many challenges and uncertainties, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is at a critical juncture. Cultural construction in the New Era faces new tasks. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture captures the basic laws of cultural development, creatively proposing a series of important propositions. Concepts such as the "Nine Persistences," "Fourteen Emphases," "Two Combinations," and "Seven Focuses" ^[14] provide a scientific guide for action. As practice deepens, this thought will continue to be enriched. Furthermore, openness means contact with the outside world and mutual learning. Cultural exchange is an important way to spread knowledge, values, and experience. Development cannot occur in isolation from the exchanges between different countries, nations, and civilizations. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Civilizations become colorful through exchange and rich through mutual learning." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture advocates for exchanges with advanced foreign cultures, drawing on positive and reasonable factors from other countries' cultural development to improve itself.

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is also an inclusive scientific ideological system. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized:

"Civilizations are inclusive; it is precisely through inclusiveness that human civilizations possess the driving force for exchange and mutual learning." Inclusiveness is a distinctive feature that differentiates Chinese civilization from others. Adhering to the inclusive values of "greatness lies in capacity" ^[15] and "harmony without uniformity" ^[16] found in fine traditional Chinese culture, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is also an inclusive system of scientific thought. It articulates the stance that all ethnic groups should respect one another, embracing diverse cultural customs, religious beliefs, and lifestyles to work together in building a global "garden of civilizations" characterized by shared prosperity. Since the start of the New Era, this inclusiveness has been vividly manifested in the exchanges, integration, and mutual learning between Chinese culture and other cultures. In such exchanges, General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently emphasized respecting the cultural differences of all countries, while fully drawing upon and absorbing all the outstanding cultural achievements of others, incorporating everything of value and learning from the strengths of all. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The reason Chinese culture is so diverse and profound lies in its inclusive characteristic of absorbing everything." In his view, the various ethnic groups living on the Chinese land collectively created Chinese culture; its profundity and its multifaceted external expressions are fundamentally rooted in its intrinsic attribute of inclusiveness. Currently, with the advancement of economic globalization and the deepening development of modernization, Chinese culture has been placed within the grand vista of world history. As a new cultural ideology formed to carry forward Chinese culture in the New Era, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture necessarily inherits this inclusive attribute. It is the vivid expression of Chinese culture in the New Era; inclusiveness is both a key attribute of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and a vivid manifestation of its scientific nature.

5. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Possesses a Rigorous and Complete Scientific Structure

The scientific nature of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is also clearly reflected in its rigorous and complete scientific structure. From the overarching guidance of its themes and main threads to the leading norms of its goals and principles, and down to the practical deployment in specific fields, the thought demonstrates a systematic scientific structure.

First, the overarching guidance of the themes and main threads.

The theme and main thread of "what kind of Chinese socialist culture should be built and developed in the New Era, and how to build and develop it" runs through and governs the entire content of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we must place cultural development in a prominent position within the overall work, and effectively grasp it with diligence." He emphasized that cultural development is undoubtedly key work for the new period—from the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" to the "Four Comprehensives," and from high-quality development to meeting the people's needs for a better life, culture is one of the most critical factors and a source of strength for successfully achieving the series of goals and tasks of the new period. Based on a full recognition of the importance of cultural development, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core carried out a top-level design for "what kind of Chinese socialist culture should be built and developed in the New Era," emphasizing that this process involves "promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, inheriting revolutionary culture, and developing advanced socialist culture." Having fully grasped the various aspects and elements of cultural development in the New Era, the Party Central Committee planned the layout for "how to build and develop" it. Since entering the New Era, the Party convened National Conferences on Propaganda and Ideological Work in 2013 and 2018, and further convened a National Conference on Propaganda, Ideological, and Cultural Work in 2023. The intentional addition of the word "Cultural" to the conference title highlights that the development of Chinese socialist culture in the New Era has been elevated to an even more prominent and vital position. At the 2013 conference, the extreme importance of ideological work was highlighted, clarifying the fundamental tasks, basic requirements, core principles, work orientation, and personnel cultivation for propaganda and ideological work in the New Era. Subsequently, at meetings such as the Symposium on Literature and Art, the Symposium on the Party's News and Public Opinion Work, and the Symposium on Cybersecurity and Informatization, the Party Central Committee made a series of deployments for specific fields of cultural development. At the 2018 National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping again made major deployments, proposing the "Nine Persists" ^[17] as principles for propaganda and ideological work. At the 2023 conference, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture was formally proposed and systematically expounded, identifying the primary political task, the new cultural mission, basic principles, and the "Seven Efforts" ^[18] requirements. This series of content, ranging from epistemology to methodology and from macro-level guidance to micro-level paths, showcases the theoretical innovations of the thought and highlights its distinctive feature of "understanding the essence to apply it practically, and unifying theory with practice" ^[19]. In short, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has deepened the regular understanding of cultural development in the New Era. The series of new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments it contains all revolve around the theme of building and developing Chinese socialist culture, which governs the entirety of the thought.

Second, the leading norms of goals and principles.

"To continue promoting cultural prosperity, building a leading cultural power, and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation at a new starting point is our new cultural mission in the New Era." This points out the objectives and tasks for China's cultural development and leads the way forward. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture also proposes the primary principles for this development. First, cultural confidence is the source of resilience. Cultural prosperity cannot exist without cultural confidence, nor can the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is the fundamental principle and the very bedrock for building culture in the New Era. Second, cultural development must uphold openness and inclusiveness. Chinese civilization has always maintained a "global vision" ^[20], treating different civilizations with openness and absorbing the outstanding achievements of all human civilizations. Since the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee has led the people in actively spreading China's voice, telling China's stories, and explaining Chinese concepts. It has profoundly expounded on building a community with a shared future for humanity, proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, promoted the common values of humanity, and advocated for a new pattern of civilizational development characterized by mutual respect and exchange. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is itself an open and inclusive system that will continue to be enriched and perfected as the era and practice evolve. Third, development must adhere to upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. "Upholding the fundamentals" means staying true to the truth and the right path—specifically, "upholding the fundamental system involving the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field, upholding the fundamental requirements of the 'Two Combinations', and upholding the CPC's cultural leadership and the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation." "Breaking new ground" means standing upon the needs and problems of new practices in the New Era to continuously emancipate the mind, seek truth from facts, and proactively innovate in ideas, content, mechanisms, and forms. This stimulates the cultural creative vitality of the entire nation, truly "making the past serve the present and foreign things serve China" ^[21], and "bringing forth the new from the old." Upholding the fundamentals ensures the correct path is followed, while breaking new ground provides inexhaustible momentum; the two are dialectically unified and complementary.

Finally, the practical deployment in specific fields.

Cultural development in the New Era is a vast and complex systematic project. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture provides specific planning for various fields. First, it provides important instructions for ideological work. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Ideological work is an extremely important task for the Party." From the historical coordinates of the New Era, he emphasized building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership, further consolidating the guiding position of Marxism, and implementing the Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory. It is necessary to promote "mainstream melodies" and positive energy, shaping a new pattern of mainstream public opinion. We must grasp deep historical foundations while remaining rooted in current realities to speed up the construction of a Chinese discourse system, telling China's stories and spreading China's voice well. Second, it sets new requirements for the Party's news and public opinion work. At the 2016 symposium, the most critical point made was to "firmly adhere to the Marxist view of news." He pointed out that this view is the soul of such work; without it, news and public opinion cannot play a correct guiding role in society. Third, it points out new directions for cybersecurity and informatization. He emphasized: "We must keenly seize the historical opportunity of informational development... and give play to its leading role in economic and social development." This involves strengthening the Party Central Committee's centralized leadership over "cyberspace affairs" (网信), improving comprehensive governance of the internet, and breaking through core key technologies. If core technologies are controlled by others, one loses the initiative. Therefore, we must persist in self-reliance and independent innovation. Finally, it sets new expectations for philosophy and social sciences. The fundamental sign distinguishing contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from others is "adhering to the guidance of Marxism." These fields must possess a critical spirit. As tools for understanding and transforming the world, they must be "grounded" (接地气) and capable of explaining real social problems. "A country without prosperous philosophy and social sciences cannot stand at the forefront of the world." Thus, the General Secretary expects workers in these fields to be rooted in China while learning from abroad, digging into history while grasping the present and facing the future, to speed up the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Furthermore, he has set new requirements for literature and art, clarified pursuits for cultural industries, and provided instructions for enhancing international communication capacity. These deployments provide a scientific guide for construction in specific cultural fields.

III. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a Scientific Theoretical System Proven by Practice

Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, Chinese socialist culture has further flourished in the New Era. New breakthroughs have been made in building a leading cultural power, the people's sense of cultural fulfillment and the level of civilization in society have significantly improved, and China's cultural soft power and international influence have been markedly enhanced. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a scientific system proven by practice.

1. The people's sense of cultural fulfillment has increased, and common prosperity in spiritual life is steadily progressing

Since the start of the New Era, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the Party Central Committee has remained firm in the scientific standpoint of being "people-centered." It has taken multiple measures to solve the problem of unbalanced and inadequate cultural development, continuously meeting the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs. This has greatly enhanced the people's sense of cultural fulfillment and happiness, while common prosperity in spiritual life is steadily advancing.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out:

"Material abundance and spiritual richness are fundamental requirements of socialist modernization." The better life pursued and longed for by the masses includes not only a beautiful and affluent material life but also a rich and colorful spiritual life. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "The people’s demand for spiritual and cultural life exists at every moment." We must seek every possible way to resolve the problems of inadequacy and imbalance in cultural development, create high-quality spiritual and cultural products, and continuously meet the people’s ever-growing spiritual and cultural needs. Entering the New Era, the imbalance and inadequacy in the supply of high-quality spiritual and cultural products became the primary factor constraining the people's growing spiritual and cultural demands. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The principal contradiction in our country's cultural supply is no longer a question of whether there is a shortage or whether it is sufficient, but a question of whether it is good enough and refined enough." It is evident that high-quality and balanced cultural development is an inevitable requirement for resolving the contradiction between the supply and demand of spiritual and cultural products and for better satisfying the people's ever-growing spiritual and cultural needs. Therefore, since the start of the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized the need to continuously deepen supply-side structural reform in the cultural field. This involves closely integrating high-quality cultural development with the satisfaction of the people’s growing spiritual and cultural needs. Efforts are made to cultivate new types of cultural business formats during the process of achieving high-quality cultural development, constructing an efficient supply system for spiritual and cultural products with an optimized structure to continuously meet the multi-level and diverse cultural needs of the masses. Meanwhile, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has emphasized promoting the standardization and equalization of public cultural services. By constructing a series of major cultural facilities and cultural centers, as well as rural cultural auditoriums ^[22], public libraries, and cultural stations at the grassroots level, the different spiritual and cultural needs of the masses have been met in a targeted and layered manner. Particular attention has been paid to the spiritual and cultural needs of specific groups; for example, by organizing series of cultural activities for children, promoting the operation of women’s cultural workshops, and building community activity areas for the elderly and rural cultural auditoriums, richer and more diverse cultural services have been provided for specific groups such as children, women, the elderly, and farmers.

Since the New Era began, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has not only continued to promote common prosperity in the material life of all people but has also placed the implementation of "spiritual common prosperity" for all in a more prominent position as an important task. By guiding advantaged regions and groups to explore more diverse cultural products and further improving incentive mechanisms, the effect of those who become "spiritually wealthy first" leading those who lag behind ^[23] has been enhanced. This has vigorously promoted cultural coordination and cooperation between the eastern and western regions, facilitated the alignment of cultural resources between more developed and less developed areas, and promoted the sharing of achievements in cultural construction, thereby further advancing common prosperity in the spiritual life of all people.

2. Socialist core values are deeply rooted in people’s hearts, and the level of civilization in the whole of society has improved.

In the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly required: "Extensively practice socialist core values." Since the New Era, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the Party Central Committee has attached great importance to cultivating and carrying forward socialist core values. These values have gradually taken root in the hearts of the people, the moral caliber and level of citizens have continuously improved, and the level of civilization across the whole of society has been further raised.

Core values constitute the deep inner core of a culture. Socialist core values are the heart and soul of Chinese-path socialist culture, determining the direction and height of cultural construction and development in the New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly and explicitly required that efforts be focused on cultivating and practicing socialist core values; to this end, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee specifically issued the Opinions on Cultivating and Practicing Socialist Core Values. These effective deployments by the Party Central Committee identified the direction and provided a framework for the extensive cultivation and practice of these values. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must effectively integrate socialist core values into all aspects of social life." Through measures such as educational guidance, public opinion propaganda, cultural immersion, and institutional guarantees, socialist core values have gradually entered people's hearts, becoming internalized in mind and externalized in action by the masses. First, red resources ^[24] have been fully utilized to deeply carry out education on socialist core values. During the cultural development of the New Era, red resources nationwide have been deeply excavated and utilized. By combining red resources with tourism, leisure, and entertainment—and employing various forms such as art, competitions, and participatory activities—red resources have been "made to come alive." These resources have been used to conduct vivid patriotic and revolutionary tradition education for Party members and cadres, especially for the youth, fully carrying forward the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists ^[25] with the Great Founding Spirit of the Party as its source. Second, education in ideals and convictions has been maintained without letup. General Secretary Xi Jinping issued important instructions on "Four Histories" education ^[26], continuously promoting publicity and education regarding the history of the Party, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, and the history of socialist development. This guides Party members, cadres, and the masses to understand history so as to love the Party and the country, ensuring that their faith in Marxism, their ideal of Communism, and their shared ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics are continuously consolidated. Third, emphasis has been placed on implementing the role of socialist core values in "molding the soul and cultivating the person" (zhuhun yuren) ^[27]. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continuously improved the system of ideological and political education, promoting the integrated construction of ideological and political education across primary schools, secondary schools, and universities. A group of key Marxist Academies has been successively established in universities nationwide to promote the education and training of ideological and political talent, strengthening the implementation of socialist core values in molding souls and cultivating people. Finally, the Party has persisted in combining the law-based governance of the country with virtue-based governance, continuously integrating socialist core values into China's legal construction, social development, and the daily lives of the people.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must improve the people’s ideological awareness, moral standards, and civilized literacy, and raise the level of civilization of the whole of society." Since the New Era began, the project for civic morality construction has made new progress. Traditional Chinese virtues have been further promoted, and the masses not only identify with but also actively practice these virtues. New achievements have been made in the construction of families, family education, and family traditions (jiafeng) ^[28], with excellent family traditions constantly forming and expanding their sphere of social influence. The ideological and moral construction of minors has been continuously strengthened and improved, with a series of relevant laws and regulations promulgated to further consolidate this work. Simultaneously, the Party has actively promoted the synchronized cultivation of civilization, civilized practice, and the creation of civilization in both urban and rural areas. This has redressed shortcomings in rural spiritual civilization construction, promoted the integrated development of urban and rural spiritual civilization, and shaped a new appearance for urban and rural areas in the New Era. Since the start of the New Era, the Party Central Committee has established and improved the system of merit, honors, and awards of the Party and the state, leveraging the leading spiritual role and exemplary influence of role models. This has fostered an atmosphere throughout society of "looking to the virtuous for emulation" ^[29] and striving to be vanguards, further raising the level of civilization in society.

3. Cultural undertakings and cultural industries are flourishing, and cultural soft power has significantly increased.

Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of cultural undertakings (wenhua shiye) ^[30] and cultural industries (wenhua chanye). It has successively formulated a series of outlines and plans, ranging from the Ministry of Culture’s 12th Five-Year Plan for Cultural Reform and Development and the Ministry of Culture’s 12th Five-Year Plan for Doubling the Cultural Industry, to the National Outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan for Cultural Development and Reform and the Implementation Scheme for Cultural and Tourism Upgrading Projects during the 13th Five-Year Plan, and further to the 14th Five-Year Plan for Cultural Development, the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Cultural Industries, and the 14th Five-Year Plan for Cultural and Tourism Development. All of these have scientifically planned and deployed the development of cultural undertakings and industries in the New Era. Together, they have greatly enhanced China's cultural soft power.

Cultural undertakings possess the greatest breadth and universality; their prosperity and development are of extraordinary significance for the enhancement of national cultural soft power. "Developing cultural undertakings is the basic path to satisfying the people’s spiritual and cultural needs and guaranteeing their cultural rights." Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the people in continuing to promote the flourishing of cultural undertakings. First, support for public cultural undertakings has been further strengthened. Support for major news media and social science research institutions has increased, with expanded budget appropriations and various forms of supporting assistance. A series of high-level major cultural projects have been approved and implemented, and the protection of excellent folk arts and important cultural heritage has proceeded smoothly under vigorous support. The project to census Chinese cultural resources has been implemented in an orderly manner, the cultural relics resource management system and the national cultural resource database have been established, and archaeological excavations and the utilization of cultural relics have been further strengthened, improving the level of protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage. Second, the modern public cultural service system has been further improved. The Party has actively promoted the system of centralized and branch libraries and cultural stations at the county level, strengthened the management of comprehensive cultural stations in townships, and improved the network of grassroots public cultural facilities. The level of free access to public cultural facilities has been raised, and the innovative development of National Public Cultural Service System Demonstration Zones has been promoted, enhancing the quality and efficiency of public cultural services. Attention has been paid to the exemplary role of the "Qunxing Award" ^[31], and mass cultural activities have been extensively carried out during traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival. Meanwhile, the "Internet + Public Culture" model has been promoted, with coordinated efforts to advance the construction of smart libraries and public cultural cloud service systems, accelerating the construction of public digital culture. Third, the legal and regulatory protection for cultural undertakings has been further perfected. Since entering the New Era, the Party and the state have strengthened legislation and regulations related to cultural undertakings. In 2016, the Public Cultural Service Guarantee Law of the People's Republic of China was passed, providing a strong guarantee for the basic public cultural rights of both urban and rural populations. In 2021, the Opinions on Further Strengthening the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage were issued. The introduction of these regulations further standardized and strengthened the protection of intangible cultural heritage. In 2023, the Opinions on Strengthening Coordination and Cooperation in Prosecutorial Public Interest Litigation to Legally Protect and Inherit Urban and Rural Historical and Cultural Heritage were issued, further advancing this work. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, China's cultural undertakings have flourished, better satisfying the multi-level, differentiated, and diverse spiritual and cultural needs of the masses. The cultural literacy and talents of the people have also significantly improved, providing a powerful impetus for the enhancement of China's cultural soft power.

The cultural industry is hailed as...

The "sunrise industries" of the 21st century. Since the start of the New Era, the core role of cultural industries in enhancing our country’s cultural soft power has become increasingly prominent. These industries have become an important engine for promoting the structural transformation and upgrading of the economy and achieving high-quality development; they also serve as a key mechanism for safeguarding the people’s cultural rights and interests and satisfying their rich spiritual and cultural needs. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture, China's cultural industries have achieved high-quality development and significant progress. First, the modern cultural industrial system has been further established and perfected. In the New Era, China's cultural industrial structure has been optimized and upgraded, the digital cultural industry has accelerated its development, and new digital business forms have continuously emerged, promoting the diversification of the supply of digital cultural products. Cultural industries in regional, urban, and rural areas have further developed in a coordinated manner, forming cultural industry clusters such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-City Economic Circle. This has advanced the planning and construction of National Cultural Industry Innovation Experimental Zones. At the same time, rural characteristic cultural industries have been vigorously developed, and the forms of inter-regional cultural industrial cooperation have become more diverse. Concurrently, cultural consumption has reached new heights. On one hand, the consumption environment and facilities have been improved and the rights of consumers protected; on the other hand, the construction of demonstration cities and regional culture and tourism cities has been promoted, embedding cultural consumption into various consumer venues and cultivating new consumption growth points through activities such as "consumption months." Second, the modern culture and tourism market system has been further improved, promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism. We must "persist in shaping tourism through culture and highlighting culture through tourism ^[32], promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism." Since the 18th Party Congress, the modern culture and tourism market system has been further refined, stimulating the vitality of various market entities and continuously expanding their scale. A new type of regulatory system has been constructed, industry management and services have been strengthened, and the "Measures for the Administration of Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement in the Cultural Market" has been promulgated. This has deepened the reform of comprehensive law enforcement in the cultural market and promoted the construction of a "Peaceful Cultural Market." At the same time, the substance of tourism has been continuously elevated. By deeply mining cultural and relic resources, tourism products have been cultivated and tourism standards raised, forming a uniquely charming Chinese cultural tourism experience. Relying on tourism as a vehicle, culture is effectively disseminated. Specifically, by leveraging tourism's wide coverage and utilizing various related media, we have extensively disseminated and promoted fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made strategic deployments and formulated scientific development paths for cultural industries, guiding their high-quality development in the New Era and greatly enhancing the nation’s cultural soft power.

4. New breakthroughs in cultural exchange and development, with the international influence of Chinese culture strengthened. A diverse culture begins with exchange. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Culture becomes colorful through exchange" ^[33]. The process of cultural exchange is one of mutual influence and progress between cultures; it promotes both China's cultural development and the collective progress of world culture. Since the New Era, under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture, China has consistently upheld a scientific attitude of openness and inclusiveness, strengthening Chinese-foreign cultural exchanges and multi-level civilizational dialogues. New breakthroughs have been achieved in cultural exchange, and the international influence of Chinese culture has been greatly strengthened.

Since the New Era, the forms and paths of China's cultural exchanges have become increasingly diverse and rich, retaining traditional methods while pioneering new ones. First, cultural diplomacy has been vigorously promoted. Since the 18th Party Congress, major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has written a magnificent new chapter, and the unique charm of Chinese culture has been powerfully manifested. In the New Era, cultural exchange and cooperation between China and other countries, governments, and international organizations have continuously deepened. In particular, relying on multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as BRICS, the G20, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), China has actively initiated and participated in the "World Great Rivers Civilizations Forum" and the "Ancient Civilizations Forum," strengthening the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and other world civilizations. At the same time, relying on the "Belt and Road," China has promoted high-quality tourism and cultural exchange cooperation with participating countries—establishing international alliances for theaters, arts festivals, libraries, museums, and art galleries. Major themed festivals such as the Silk Road International Arts Festival, the Maritime Silk Road International Arts Festival, and the "Silk Road International Tourism Festival—Dunhuang Tour" have been held on a large scale. Since entering the New Era, China has not only strengthened cultural cooperation with developing countries but also enhanced cooperation with international organizations such as UNESCO and the UN Tourism Organization, deeply participating in the formulation of international cultural rules. Second, multi-level people-to-people cultural exchanges have been promoted. When attending the BRICS Leaders’ Xiamen Summit, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "the relationship between nations lies in the affinity between their peoples" ^[34], and all countries should "commit to promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges." In the New Era, non-governmental cultural exchange activities between China and other countries have flourished, with foundations, enterprises, and industry associations playing a leading role. For example, the China Huaxia Cultural Heritage Foundation has actively functioned as a non-governmental diplomatic ambassador, organizing international cultural activities that showcase intangible cultural heritage with "Oriental charm"—such as Chinese painting, kites, and paper-cutting—allowing Chinese culture to reach the world. Large numbers of international students have also taken up the mission of being a "fresh force" for non-governmental diplomacy. The non-governmental activities they organize, such as the Sino-French Cultural Forum, International Think Tank Forums, and the "21st Century China Forum," have made important contributions to mutual learning between Chinese and foreign cultures. Unquestionably, the series of cultural exchange activities led by the Chinese government continues to play a mainstay role in the mutual learning of civilizations. In the New Era, we continue to host "China Culture Years," "China Culture Festivals," and "China Art Festivals" in various countries, as well as holding activities like the "Meet in Beijing" International Arts Festival and the China Shanghai International Arts Festival. We have vigorously promoted cultural brand activities like "Happy Chinese New Year" and "Cultural China," attracting widespread participation from foreign publics. Additionally, many Chinese cities rely on activities such as "East Asian Cultural Capitals" and "Sister Cities" to conduct extensive and in-depth cultural cooperation with cities in other countries. Third, China’s international communication capacity has been improved. "Strengthening the construction of international communication capacity" will undoubtedly help enhance the reach and influence of Chinese culture, thereby forming an international discourse power compatible with China's comprehensive national strength and international status. In the New Era, China focuses on telling China's story well and making China's voice heard, accelerating the construction of a Chinese discourse and narrative system. China continues to optimize the global layout of overseas Chinese Cultural Centers, giving full play to their role in promoting Chinese culture. Meanwhile, Chinese media organizations such as the China Media Group (CMG) and Xinhua News Agency have gradually registered and verified accounts on overseas social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. By operating these accounts, they continuously create "hot spots" for Chinese culture, strengthen the promotion of Chinese culture abroad, and effectively enhance its international influence.

The most important and critical standard for verifying whether an intellectual theory is scientific is the test of practice. The series of new breakthroughs and achievements in China's cultural construction and development in the New Era powerfully prove that Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture is a scientific theoretical system that has been tested by practice.