Wen Feihong: A Profound Understanding of the Theoretical Character of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the theoretical summation of the practical experience of cultural construction led by the Party in the New Era, and represents an enrichment and development of Marxist cultural theory. The formation and development of this important thought reflect General Secretary Xi Jinping’s profound insight into China’s cultural construction and his deep reflection on performing propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in the New Era. It showcases the brilliant theoretical character unique to the scientific theories of Marxism. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era and build a leading cultural power, the most fundamental requirement is to adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as a guide for action. Specifically, we must deeply understand and grasp the theoretical character of this important thought, persist in and apply the stances, viewpoints, and methods running through it, and fully demonstrate the transformative practical power of scientific theory.
Upholding the Unity of Upholding the Fundamentals and Breaking New Ground
Upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground (shouzheng chuangxin) is a distinct atmosphere of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, as well as a prominent hallmark of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. For propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, only by upholding the fundamentals can we avoid losing our selfhood and direction; only by breaking new ground can we grasp and lead the times. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture maintains a firm and clear-cut stance on major issues regarding which flag to raise, which path to follow, and what should serve as the guidance, the source, and the root [1] of China's cultural construction. It firmly upholds the "fundamentals" of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture, as well as the "fundamentals" of the precious experience accumulated by the Party through its long-term leadership of cultural construction. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that we must "hold high the banner of Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics," "regard the systematic mastery of basic Marxist theory as our primary skill," [2] "firmly adhere to the principle of Party spirit [3] and the Marxist view of news," and "adhere to the fundamental system of the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "fine traditional Chinese culture is our deepest cultural soft power and the fertile soil in which socialism with Chinese characteristics is rooted." He noted that we must "strengthen cultural self-confidence" and "exalt the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, while carefully protecting, promoting, and developing the treasures of Chinese civilization left behind through the vicissitudes of history." General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed: "In long-term practice, our Party's propaganda and ideological work has accumulated extremely rich experience. This experience was not easily won and is profoundly precious; it is an important observance for doing future work well and must be earnestly summarized and persisted over the long term."
Facing new changes in the global, national, and Party situation, as well as new circumstances and tasks in cultural construction, General Secretary Xi Jinping has followed the general trend of historical development, grasped the pulse of progress, and advanced with the times to propose a series of new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments. General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed and elaborated upon the "Two Combinations," [4] which expanded the developmental path for socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. He placed the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture in a prominent position, emphasizing the need to "strengthen the excavation and elucidation of fine traditional Chinese culture, so that the most basic cultural genes of the Chinese nation adapt to contemporary Chinese culture and coordinate with modern society," and "activate the vitality of fine traditional Chinese culture with the spirit of the times." On the new journey of the New Era, the environmental conditions facing propaganda, ideological, and cultural work have undergone major and profound changes. In particular, the rapid development of the internet has brought many new opportunities and challenges. General Secretary Xi Jinping has scientifically answered a series of major theoretical and practical questions regarding the development of cybersecurity and informatization, covering aspects such as strengthening Party leadership, building a leading power in cyberspace, winning the battle of online ideology, maintaining national cybersecurity, and building a community with a shared future in cyberspace. This has raised the Party’s understanding of the laws of cyber and information work to a completely new height. Furthermore, proceeding from a global and strategic height, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made systematic plans and deployments for innovation in concepts, methods, and grassroots work within propaganda, ideological, and cultural spheres, providing scientific guidance for these tasks on the new journey.
Upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground complement each other, reflecting the dialectical unity between change and constancy, inheritance and development, and principle and creativity. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and build a leading cultural power, we must both guard the "soul" and preserve the "root," adhering to the correct political direction, while also maintaining a strong spirit of innovation. We must dare to speak new words and deploy new tactics, striving to open up new horizons through new leaps in ideological understanding and new breakthroughs in measures and methods.
Upholding the Unity of Party Spirit and People-Centeredness
Propaganda, ideological, and cultural work is an integral part of the Party’s cause, and emphasizing Party spirit is an inevitable requirement for performing this work well. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The principle of Party spirit must not only be spoken of, but spoken of with perfect assurance; one cannot be evasive or sheepish about it." He added: "All work of the Party’s news and public opinion media must reflect the Party’s will, mirror the Party’s propositions, maintain the authority of the Party Central Committee, preserve the Party’s unity, and achieve a state of loving the Party, protecting the Party, and acting for the Party." Party management of propaganda, ideology, and the media is a crucial aspect of upholding Party leadership. We must "strengthen the Party's comprehensive leadership over propaganda and ideological work" and "firmly grasp the leadership, management, and discourse power [5] of ideological work in our own hands; it must never be allowed to fall into other hands at any time." These important discourses profoundly elucidate the extreme importance of strengthening the Party’s comprehensive leadership over cultural work and clarify the fundamental political guarantee for such work.
Whether in theoretical innovation, literary and artistic creation, the cultivation of spiritual civilization, [6] news and public opinion guidance, cybersecurity and informatization, or research in philosophy and social sciences, General Secretary Xi Jinping has consistently emphasized the need to "adhere to the principal position of the people," "establish a people-centered work orientation," and "always ensure that cultural construction focuses on and rests upon the people." News and public opinion work should "report more on the great struggles and vibrant lives of the masses, report more on the advanced models and touching deeds emerging among the people, enrich the spiritual world of the people, enhance their spiritual strength, and meet their spiritual needs." Literary and artistic work should "treat the people as the subjects of expression, as the connoisseurs and judges of aesthetics, and regard serving the people as the sacred duty of literary and artistic workers." We must "create and produce excellent works that the people love to see and hear, [7] allowing the people’s spiritual and cultural life to continuously reach new heights." Public cultural services should promote "standardization and equalization," improve "coverage and applicability," "innovatively implement cultural projects for the benefit of the people," and "enhance the people’s sense of cultural gain and happiness." The cybersecurity and informatization sector should "accelerate the popularization of information services, reduce application costs, and provide information services that the common people can use, afford, and use well." China's philosophy and social science workers "must adhere to the view that the people are the creators of history, establish the ideal of doing scholarship for the people, respect the people’s principal position, focus on the people’s practical creations, and consciously link personal academic pursuits closely with the development of the country and the nation, striving to produce research results that can withstand the test of practice, the people, and history."
In China, Party spirit and people-centeredness have always been consistent and unified; there is no Party spirit divorced from people-centeredness, nor is there people-centeredness divorced from Party spirit. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and build a leading cultural power, we must firmly adhere to the principle of Party spirit and the stance of the people without wavering. We must combine responsibility to the Party with responsibility to the people, combine serving the masses with educating and guiding them, and combine meeting the needs of the masses with improving their qualities, so as to better transform the Party’s theories, line, principles, and policies into the conscious actions of the masses.
Upholding the Unity of Systematicity and Openness
As we enter the New Era, the strategic global situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the global changes unseen in a century are intertwined and surging. Faced with arduous and heavy tasks of reform, development, and stability, the people’s ever-growing spiritual and cultural needs, the complex situation in the ideological field, and the rapid wave of informatization, we must provide a systematic answer to the "questions of the times": How should propaganda, ideological, and cultural work revolve around the center and serve the overall situation? How can we leverage our advantages and show potential to provide a strong ideological guarantee, powerful spiritual strength, and favorable cultural conditions for building a strong country and national rejuvenation? With a series of new ideas and viewpoints, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has profoundly answered these major questions regarding ideological and cultural construction and cultural prosperity in the New Era, writing a new chapter in Marxist cultural theory. Its content covers fundamental issues such as guiding ideology, fundamental principles, basic experience, missions and tasks, practical requirements, and supporting conditions. it spans ideological and theoretical construction, news and public opinion, literature and art publishing, cybersecurity and informatization, cultural inheritance and development, ideological and moral construction, the creation of spiritual civilization, and ideological and political work in universities. It includes both general policies and work requirements for specific fields; it provides both a roadmap and a task list. It integrates internal and external propaganda, coordinates online and offline activities, balances theory and public opinion, and aligns development with management, constituting a systematically complete, interconnected, and organically unified scientific system of thought.
Practice never ends, and thus theoretical development never ends. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a continuously unfolding and open system of thought. On the new journey of the New Era, we must consider how propaganda, ideological, and cultural work should focus on the "greatest politics" of advancing Chinese-path modernization; how it should center on the core task of economic construction and the primary task of high-quality development to better unify thinking and gather strength; how to continuously deepen theoretical arming, improve public opinion guidance, and innovate spiritual civilization construction; and how to promote cultural prosperity, enhance international communication effectiveness, and prevent and resolve ideological risks. All of this requires new practices and new answers, which in turn will form new theoretical achievements. Naturally, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture will continue to be enriched and developed as the times advance and practice deepens.
Being both systematically complete and open to development is a universal characteristic of scientific theory. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and build a leading cultural power, we must, on the one hand, strengthen systematic thinking and pay attention to grasping the scientific system and internal logic of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as a whole. On the other hand, we must adhere to the viewpoints of interconnectedness and development, basing our efforts on the new practices of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work to continuously summarize new experiences, make new generalizations, and form new understandings—thereby better applying, testing, and developing truth in practice.
Upholding the Unity of Epistemology and Methodology
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture embodies General Secretary Xi Jinping’s scientific judgment and strategic thinking regarding the status, role, situation, and tasks of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. These regular understandings derived from practice profoundly answer a series of major theoretical questions concerning the overall situation of socialist cultural construction with Chinese characteristics, marking a new height in our Party’s original contributions to Marxist cultural theory. Regarding the status and role of culture, General Secretary Xi Jinping—proceeding from the essential characteristics of socialism and the fundamental requirements of Chinese-path modernization, and standing at the philosophical height of the relationship between the economic base and the superstructure—has made scientific judgments: "Material poverty is not socialism, nor is spiritual vacuity socialism," "Chinese-path modernization is a modernization in which material civilization and spiritual civilization are coordinated," and "Without the inheritance and development of civilization, and without the promotion and prosperity of culture, there will be no realization of the Chinese Dream." When discussing the relationship between literature and art and the people, he emphasized that "the people need literature and art," "literature and art need the people," and "literature and art must love the people," clearly explaining the essence of socialist literature and art. Regarding the importance of the internet, he emphasized: "If we cannot pass the hurdle of the internet, we cannot pass the hurdle of long-term governance," and "To a certain extent, it can be said that those who win the network win the world." This has raised the understanding of the importance of online public opinion and the development of cybersecurity and informatization to an unprecedented height. these important discourses are insightful and profound, carrying significant guiding significance for scientifically understanding culture, grasping the situation, and enhancing the targeted effectiveness, sense of responsibility, and sense of mission in our work.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture not only profoundly elucidates "how to view" socialist cultural construction with Chinese characteristics, but also clearly puts forward "how to do" propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in the New Era in response to realistic problems, providing a "golden key" for solving practical issues. On how to perform news and public opinion work well, he emphasizes the "four firm adherences"; on how to construct philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, he emphasizes the "six natures" [8]; on how to perform cybersecurity and informatization work, he emphasizes grasping the dialectical relationship between safety and development, freedom and order, openness and autonomy, and management and service; on how to promote the reform and innovation of ideological and political theory courses, he proposes the "eight unities"; on how to perform ideological and political work in universities, he points out the need to "transform according to the matter, advance according to the time, and innovate according to the situation" [9]; on how to tell China’s story well, he emphasizes "speaking with facts, imagery, emotion, and reason"; and so forth. These important discourses contain both principled requirements and scientific methods, demonstrating a distinct practical orientation and problem awareness.
Understanding guides practice, and the scientific methods formed in practice in turn enrich and enhance understanding. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and build a leading cultural power, we must deeply grasp the theoretical significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and strive for new progress in ideological understanding. Simultaneously, we must profoundly grasp its practical value, mastering and applying the scientific methodology contained within it. By combining the subjective and the objective, and understanding with practice, we shall strive to promote propaganda, ideological, and cultural work to continuously create new atmospheres and write new chapters.