Li Haiqing: "The Mission Calls for Responsibility, and the Mission Leads the Future"
Marxist technological thought provides a fundamental framework for scientifically understanding the essential attributes and socio-historical effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and for correctly managing the relationship between AI and ideological and political education. As a key driving force and strategic technology of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, AI profoundly affects the threefold socio-historical relationship between man and nature, man and man, and man and self, gradually evolving into a unity of "technical means," "infrastructure," and "civilizational marker." For ideological and political education, AI functions as an endogenous force embedded within and influencing the foundational basis, basic contradictions, and practical forms of such education. Promoting the deep integration of AI with ideological and political education is an intrinsic requirement and rational choice for following the laws of technological change and escaping the paradox of technical instrumentalism and the perils of technological domination. This integration deeply contains a symbiotic relationship and interactive logic of "technology-ideology/politics," manifested centrally in two interconnected and complementary processes and mechanisms: the "AI-ification of ideological-political work" and the "ideological-political orientation of AI."
As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, Xi Jinping explicitly proposed that the Communist Party of China (CPC) must "remain true to our original aspiration and founding mission" [1] and that "mission calls for responsibility, and mission leads the future." [2] These important expositions, along with the Party’s great journey and glorious achievements over more than a century, prove that the CPC is a paradigmatic Marxist mission-oriented party. In other words, the CPC exists precisely to undertake specific historical missions. This partisan quality is vividly reflected in Xi Jinping's important expositions on the historical mission of the CPC. In these expositions, Xi Jinping has highly refined and centrally summarized the multiple historical missions of the CPC and provided profound elaborations on how the Party is to realize these missions, thereby developing the theory of the Marxist mission-oriented party to a new height.
I. The ideological origins and background of Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the Party’s historical mission
Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the historical mission of the CPC take the basic Marxist viewpoints on the historical mission of the Communist Party as their theoretical foundation, utilize the value concepts of mission and responsibility in fine traditional Chinese culture as ideological resources, and inherit and develop the cognition and understanding of their own historical mission held by Chinese Communists throughout more than a century of history.
Based on historical materialism, Marx and Engels deeply analyzed the historical trends of capitalism and reached the classic conclusion that "the fall of the bourgeoisie and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable." [3] For the proletariat to overthrow capitalism, it must establish a party composed of advanced elements—the Communist Party. The leadership of the Communist Party transforms the workers' movement from spontaneous to conscious, and the proletariat from a "class in itself" to a "class for itself." Its historical mission is to organize the proletariat, overthrow bourgeois rule, gradually abolish private property, establish public ownership, and enter communist society on the basis of highly developed productive forces to realize the free and comprehensive development of every individual. Undertaking this mission is the historical basis for the Communist Party’s existence; the Party was born for this mission and lives because of it. It is in this sense that the Communist Party is regarded as a paradigmatic Marxist mission-oriented party.
Fine traditional Chinese culture contains prominent value concepts and ideal pursuits regarding mission and responsibility. Over thousands of years of development, Chinese culture has maintained a continuous lineage, and a cultural subjectivity has gradually formed. Various factors—including its status as a relative cultural high ground, the "Great Power" spatial environment presented by a vast territory and populous citizenry, and the survival conditions of the broad peasantry under agrarian economic conditions—led the nation’s cultural elite to gradually form value concepts and ideal pursuits such as "when the Great Way prevails, the world is shared by all" [4], "revering virtue and protecting the people" [5], "the people are the foundation of the state" [6], "a scholar must be resolute and broad-minded, for the burden is heavy and the road is long" [7], and "everyone bears responsibility for the rise and fall of the world" [8]. Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the historical mission of the CPC are also steeped in these concepts and ideals.
In the grand historical process of the Chinese revolution, construction, and reform, Chinese Communists have, on the one hand, persisted in the supreme mission of pursuing communism, and on the other hand, realized the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist party mission theory, explicitly declaring the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the Party's great historical mission. Here, the understanding of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation should not be simplified. It should be recognized that the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is also the process of China realizing modernization; in this regard, the mission of realizing national rejuvenation is also the mission of advancing modernization. Furthermore, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is divided into stages; the total mission of rejuvenation is differentiated into staged missions in different periods. For example, during the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the mission of realizing national rejuvenation was centrally manifested as the mission of striving for national independence and people's liberation. The theoretical reflections and practical explorations of the CPC regarding its own mission throughout the historical process have been inherited and greatly advanced by the Chinese Communists in the New Era.
Of course, while the aforementioned ideological origins of Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the Party’s historical mission are important, their proposal is, in a more direct and profound sense, based on the needs of the times in Chinese society and the developmental needs of the entire world. According to historical materialism, social consciousness is determined by social existence. Specifically, the interlocking, surging, and mutual influence of the "two overall situations"—the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world's once-in-a-century profound changes—serves as the background for the proposal of Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the historical mission of the CPC. "We must dialectically recognize and grasp the general domestic and international trends, and coordinate the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world's once-in-a-century profound changes." [9] The strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the domestic overall situation. In the New Era, on the one hand, the Chinese nation has begun to "grow strong," and the prospects for great rejuvenation have become clear. On the other hand, the new journey in the New Era faces severe problems and challenges, and the tasks in various fields are arduous and heavy. Historically speaking, problems after development are not fewer than those before development, but are even more numerous and complex. This means we must advance the comprehensive deepening of reform, the continuous transformation and upgrading of development modes, and the continuous improvement of governance modernization levels in the process of adapting to new trends, solving new problems, and responding to new challenges. The world's once-in-a-century profound changes include century-long shifts in the world economic landscape, international political landscape, global governance rules, the pattern of coexistence between the "two systems" (socialism and capitalism), and the pattern of human civilization, profoundly affecting the direction and process of human history. How the CPC positions its own role and function in these profound changes has become increasingly important and is attracting widespread attention. In the historical context of these two overall situations being simultaneously intertwined and mutually reinforcing, what should the CPC, as a Marxist mission-oriented party, do? What historical mission should it undertake? This has become a major question of strategic significance that the whole Party must think through deeply and answer clearly.
II. The threefold historical mission of the CPC as a Marxist mission-oriented party
Drawing on existing theoretical resources and combining them with new conditions of the era and world trends, Xi Jinping has centrally elaborated on the threefold historical mission of the CPC, greatly advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist party mission theory.
The first mission is to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Although the Communist Party, as a Marxist party, seeks to liberate all of humanity, as a party of a nation-state, it must first realize the liberation and development of its own country and the salvation and rejuvenation of its own nation. If one cannot "cultivate oneself in solitude" [10], one can hardly "benefit the whole world." Historically, national rejuvenation is not a new formulation, nor has it only become a hot topic in recent years. As early as the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, based on the need for national salvation, national rejuvenation became a powerful trend and movement. "Around the time of the War of Resistance, the concept of 'the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation' and related discourses spread like wildfire in society, finally becoming one of the most resonant political slogans and social discourses of the 1930s and 40s in China." [11] History ultimately proved that the CPC, rather than the Kuomintang or other political forces, necessarily became the pillar of the Chinese nation's salvation. If the discourse of national rejuvenation during the War of Resistance pointed toward national salvation, the discourse of national rejuvenation in the New Era points toward the tangible prosperity and strength of the Chinese nation.
In the discourse and narrative of the CPC, national rejuvenation has always been an important category marking the Party’s historical mission. Party leaders such as Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao have all expounded on this. Xi Jinping has provided more explicit, systematic, and rich expositions on national rejuvenation, further highlighting and strengthening the CPC's mission and responsibility as a Marxist mission-oriented party toward the national community. The connotation of national rejuvenation in the New Era is the country’s prosperity and strength, national rejuvenation, and the people’s happiness; rejuvenation is reflected in multiple fields and aspects; national rejuvenation is essentially the great rejuvenation of Chinese civilization, requiring the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture; the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation is the dream of every individual and must coalesce Chinese strength; the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation is a dream of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes, which is connected to the beautiful dreams of people in all countries and is a dream of dedication to the world; we must comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization under the leadership of the CPC. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is framed in comparison to Chinese history and the world historical landscape since modern times. Xi Jinping’s relevant expositions provide a clear spatial-temporal positioning for the development of the Chinese nation within a three-dimensional coordinate system of ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, allowing us to know where we come from and where we are going.
The second mission is to make new and greater contributions to humanity. The CPC seeks happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, but also progress for humanity and the "Great Harmony" (Datong) for the world. This is determined both by the value concept of a Marxist mission-oriented party to liberate all humanity and realize communism, and by the ideal pursuit in Chinese culture of "benefiting the world" and "the world shared by all." In the history of the Party, several generations of the central collective leadership have emphasized the issue of China’s contribution to the world. Facing the world's once-in-a-century profound changes, Xi Jinping posed the question of the times: "What has happened to the world, and what should we do?" He further emphasized that "The Communist Party of China strives for the happiness of the Chinese people and also takes making contributions to all humanity as an important mission. We must coordinate the domestic and international overall situations, establish a broader world vision and more grand strategic ambitions, keep the motherland in mind while looking to the world, promote the construction of a new type of international relations, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity." [12] Xi Jinping proposed promoting the common values of humanity—peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom. He proposed establishing, upholding, and practicing the new development concept of innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing; a security concept that is common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable; a cooperation concept of openness, connectivity, mutual benefit, and win-win results; a civilizational concept of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness; and a global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. He has proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, dedicated to solving the global governance deficit, trust deficit, peace deficit, development deficit, and civilization deficit. These important expositions by Xi Jinping explicitly answer the major question of the times concerning the future and destiny of humanity—"What kind of world should we build and how should we build it?"—and explicitly answer the great mission and leading role played by the CPC as a Marxist mission-oriented party in this historical process.
A community with a shared future for humanity is, of course, not the "association of free individuals" of communism, but it can be regarded as the contemporary manifestation of the Marxist vision of an "association of free individuals." Under the world's once-in-a-century profound changes, the unsustainability of world history dominated by capital is increasingly evident, and the aspect of all humanity sharing a common destiny is increasingly apparent. The proposal and practice of the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity follow the inevitable trend of historical development. It will further break the unequal and dependent globalization pattern dominated by capital and promote the development of human history in a more just and reasonable direction. In this process, the CPC will also, to a greater extent, become a "world-historical" party, and the Marxist value orientation of changing the world will be more fully embodied in the CPC.
The triple mission is the realization of communism. As a Marxist party and the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the Communist Party of China (CPC) must consciously keep this ultimate mission in mind. On one hand, Xi Jinping emphasizes that the lofty ideal of communism must never be shaken. The realization of communism is dictated by the laws of development of human society; it is the great mission bestowed by human history upon the proletariat and its vanguard. In other words, this historical mission was not self-appointed by the proletariat and its vanguard, but is based on a profound understanding of and conscious adherence to the laws of social development. The Communist Party acts in accordance with historical laws, and its faith and actions embody historical necessity and progressiveness. In the words of Mao Zedong: "Our cause is just. A just cause is invulnerable to any enemy. ... Our goal must be attained. Our goal can certainly be attained." 17 It is precisely the faith in communism that allows Communists to firmly occupy the moral high ground of humanity. Regarding this, Xi Jinping has also clearly pointed out: "Firmness in ideals and convictions comes from firmness in ideological theory. Understanding the truth, mastering the truth, believing in the truth, and defending the truth are the spiritual prerequisites for firming up ideals and convictions. ... we are firm because what we pursue is the truth. We are firm because what we follow are the laws [of history]." 18
On the other hand, Xi Jinping points out that one cannot talk about faith and conviction in a vacuum; rather, the communist ideal and conviction must be integrated with what we are currently doing. The objective standard for measuring whether Party members and cadres possess the communist ideal is their concrete actions and practical performance. "Revolutionary ideals soar higher than the heavens. Without lofty ideals, one is not a qualified Communist Party member; yet if one talks about lofty ideals while being detached from practical work, one is also not a qualified Communist Party member." 19 This important discourse by Xi Jinping actually touches upon the question of how to understand the significance of the struggle of Communists. According to traditional understanding, the ultimate mission of Communists is the realization of communism, which is their sole objective; in this view, other efforts or activities during the process possess no independent or inherent meaning, as they all serve the realization of this goal and possess only instrumental or tactical value. In reality, such an understanding is not entirely accurate. The realization of communism is a long historical process that must pass through many historical stages. While the hard work of Communists in each historical stage certainly contributes to the eventual realization of communism, the resolution of the principal contradiction in each stage also possesses its own independent significance for that period. If, in each historical stage, the principal social contradiction is resolved, the phased goals are achieved, the needs of the people are met, and life becomes happier than before, then the struggle of Communists in that historical stage possesses great historical significance. "Every generation has its own Long March [13], and every generation must walk its own Long March well." 18 The above discourses by Xi Jinping expound upon the organic unity of the communist ideal and reality, and of the Party’s ultimate mission and its phased missions, thereby deepening our understanding of the significance of the struggle of Communists.
Among the three aforementioned historical missions, national rejuvenation is the foundation; both making new and greater contributions to humanity and the realization of communism must rely on the realization of national rejuvenation. This is because if a nation cannot even achieve its own rejuvenation, it is out of the question for it to shoulder a grander and more long-term historical mission. With national rejuvenation as the foundation, making new and greater contributions to humanity can be viewed as the spatial expansion of the Party’s mission, while the realization of communism can be viewed as its temporal extension. What runs through these three missions is the unchanging original aspiration of the CPC to serve the people. "The people" here refers not only to the Chinese people but also to the people of the world. By maintaining a global vision and building a community with a shared future for humanity, the CPC naturally commits itself to benefiting the people of the world. The original aspiration for the people coalesces into a mission during the historical process, and the realization of the mission in history manifests that original aspiration; the original aspiration and the founding mission are both distinct and internally unified.
III. Historical Mission and the Adherence to and Strengthening of Party Leadership in the New Era
In the New Era, the CPC forges ahead shouldering its great historical mission. In carrying such a great mission, the Party’s leadership status becomes extremely important; if the Party's leadership is not upheld, strengthened, and improved, the realization of the historical mission would be out of the question. Regarding the leadership status of the CPC, a major original contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is to elevate Party leadership to the level of being the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This has greatly advanced our understanding of the Party’s leadership status and role, and profoundly deepened our grasp of the essential characteristics of socialism with Chinese characteristics. "The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics; the CPC is the highest force for political leadership in the country and the fundamental guarantee for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." 20 "Party, government, military, society, and education; east, west, south, north, and center—the Party leads everything... Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing all work of the Party and the state well; it is the bedrock of our country’s political stability, economic development, ethnic unity, and social stability, and must never be shaken in the slightest." 20 Why is it said that Party leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics? This is because socialism with Chinese characteristics was initiated during a great historical turning point and has been developed and advanced through the process of solving difficult problems and challenges. Whether in its initiation, formation, development, or advancement, the CPC has always played the core leadership role of overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties. Without the outstanding leadership of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics could not have achieved its historic accomplishments, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation could not have entered an irreversible historical process, and scientific socialism would not have radiated such powerful vitality in the world today following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe [14]. Fundamentally, Party leadership is the most internal and fundamental core element of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and is the factor that most determines its existence, nature, and developmental orientation. Party leadership is pivotal, fundamental, decisive, and central to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Clearly proposing that Party leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics demonstrates that our Party has profoundly recognized the key role it plays in the process of China’s modernization and national rejuvenation. It shows the Party’s conscious sense of responsibility and inherent sense of mission regarding leading the people of the whole country in the great struggle [15] with many new historical features to realize the historical mission of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. Particularly standing at the present and looking toward the future, as China’s modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation enter a critical period, the governing capacity and leadership level of the CPC—as the highest force for political leadership—become increasingly crucial to whether the glorious chapter of socialism with Chinese characteristics can continue to be written. Under these circumstances, emphasizing its own leadership as the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics also demonstrates the Party’s strong self-confidence in continuing to tackle challenges, create new glories, and fulfill its mission. This is because a party without strong self-confidence would be unable to clarify its role and emphasize its responsibilities and mission to make such a major judgment when faced with severe and complex problems and challenges. This major judgment is, in fact, a public declaration: the CPC was capable in the past, is capable now, and will certainly be capable in the future; socialism with Chinese characteristics was good in the past, is good now, and will certainly be good in the future; the goals of building a strong country and national rejuvenation will certainly be achieved; and the Party’s historical mission will certainly be fulfilled. The CPC is confident because it is capable, and this strong confidence of the Party will further inspire the masses to have the confidence and courage to undertake great endeavors.
Since Party leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and since the realization of the Party’s historical mission requires adhering to and strengthening Party leadership, the Party must effectively improve its own building, adhere to the principle that the Party must supervise itself, and comprehensively and strictly govern the Party. In the 1939 Inaugural Issue of "The Communist," Mao Zedong called Party building the "great project"; Xi Jinping refers to Party building in the New Era as the "new great project" of the New Era. This "new great project" is necessary, on the one hand, due to the nature of the CPC as a Marxist mission-oriented political party: to fulfill its great mission, the Party itself must be unified in thought, pure in purpose, and always possess advanced nature, purity, and strong organizational capacity. If problems arise in Party building—if ideology within the Party becomes muddled, discipline slackens, work styles dissipate, or its advanced nature and purity cannot be maintained—the Party will be unable to realize its historical mission, will cease to be a Marxist mission-oriented political party, and will degenerate. On the other hand, it is determined by the internal and external situation facing the Party. Under the conditions of long-term governance, factors that weaken the Party’s advanced nature and damage its purity exist at all times, and dangers that run counter to the original aspiration and founding mission or shake the Party’s foundation exist everywhere. The "Four Tests" and "Four Dangers" [16] are long-term in nature. Based on this, to effectively play its role as the core of leadership and effectively practice its historical mission, the CPC must have the courage to practice self-revolution, and must comprehensively and strictly govern the Party while pushing it toward deeper levels. "In the New Era, our Party must drive the great social revolution led by the Party through the Party’s self-revolution." 13 Whether self-revolution can be continuously and effectively advanced concerns the nature and purpose of the Party, concerns whether the Party can escape the historical cycle of rise and fall [17], and concerns the ultimate realization of the Party’s historical mission. Of course, self-revolution does not rely solely on the Party itself; rather, it requires giving full play to the combined forces of two subjects—the masses and the Party—and is advanced by strengthening both the Party’s internal self-supervision and the supervision of the people.
IV. The Correct Path for Realizing the Historical Mission
To realize its great historical mission, the CPC must find and firmly adhere to a correct path that conforms to China’s national conditions. The question of the "path" is paramount and fundamental. As a large country with a population of over 1.4 billion, China’s national conditions are so complex and its volume so massive that if its direction on the path forward ever wavers, not only will its goals remain unachieved, but it might even move in the opposite direction (literally: "heading south while the destination is north" [18]) and commit errors of a subversive nature. An important element of Xi Jinping’s discourse on the Party’s historical mission is the explicit point that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only correct path for realizing national rejuvenation. The reason why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good, and why the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only correct path, is rooted in profound historical, theoretical, and practical logic.
Regarding historical logic, the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is not a copy-paste or mechanical transplantation of other countries' developmental paths. Rather, it was gradually explored and formed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) during the process of historical development through liberating the mind and seeking truth from facts—integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture, and continuously summarizing the historical experience of China’s modernization while learning from the experiences and lessons of other nations’ modernization. Since the beginning of the modern era [19], various domestic classes and groups pursued explorations of China’s modernization to varying degrees and scopes—such as the Westernization Faction [20], the bourgeois reformists [21], the bourgeois revolutionaries [22], and the Kuomintang (KMT) ruling clique. However, none found a successful path to modernization; facts have proven that their exploratory paths were dead ends. After the founding of New China, our Party began a new exploration based on national independence and people's liberation, yet for a period of time, it did not break free from the shackles of the Soviet model due to various objective and subjective reasons. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee [23], our Party summarized historical experience, re-established the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, and emphasized the necessity of proceeding from our own reality to forge a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The establishment of the ideological line of seeking truth from facts was extremely critical for the formation and development of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only by seeking truth from facts can we liberate the mind, break through the previous rigid and dogmatic shackles, truly ground our starting point for problem-solving in reality, realize the inheritance of fine traditional culture, and objectively evaluate, reference, and absorb the developmental and construction experiences of other countries. The above discussion is intended to show that the opening of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics was no easy feat, but rather the result of continuous trial and error, exploration, and innovation by various political forces in modern China. It is the choice of history and the choice of the people; it conforms to the laws of development of Chinese society and possesses an inherent logic of growth and a necessity of emergence and development. "The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the broad road [24] for creating a better life for the people and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. ... As long as we follow neither the old path of closed-fisted rigidity nor the evil path of changing flags and banners [25]—and unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics—we will surely be able to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful." [27] (P98) The historical logic of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is reflected not only in the fact that its formation was a choice of history characterized by historical necessity, but also in its practical and open nature—it is a path that advances with the times and undergoes constant self-improvement. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, based on theoretical innovation and practical exploration in the New Era, the connotation and extension of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics have been innovatively enriched and developed. The "Ten Clarifications," the "Fourteen Commitments," and the "Achievements in Thirteen Areas" proposed in the Party's Third Historical Resolution [26] all represent the further enrichment and development of this path's connotation and extension. Such continuous enrichment and development ensure that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics does not stagnate or become rigid, allowing it to effectively adapt to the new situations of the times and the new changes in the needs of the masses, thereby exhibiting exuberant vitality.
Regarding theoretical logic, the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics firmly adheres to the basic principles of scientific socialism while continuously promoting the Sinicization and modernization of these principles. The basic principles of scientific socialism emphasize the leadership of the Marxist party, the liberation and development of productive forces, the free and well-rounded development of individuals, the idea that socialism is a society of development and reform, and the world-historical nature of communism—all of which embody the scientific truth of Marxism. These basic principles are all clearly reflected in the stipulations of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics "not only persists in taking economic construction as the center, but also comprehensively promotes economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization construction, as well as construction in other areas; it not only adheres to the Four Cardinal Principles but also persists in reform and opening up; it not only continuously liberates and develops the social productive forces, but also gradually achieves common prosperity for all people and promotes the well-rounded development of the person." [25] (P9) From the above important expositions by Xi Jinping, it can be seen that so-called socialism with Chinese characteristics is scientific socialism with Chinese characteristics that embodies the features of the era; its connotation is systematic and scientific, and its direction is clear and correct. The firm adherence of socialism with Chinese characteristics to the basic principles of scientific socialism fully refutes the absurd argument that socialism with Chinese characteristics is not socialism, but rather some form of capitalism. The success of socialism with Chinese characteristics has re-proven the truth of Marxism and the truth of scientific socialism; it also inspires us to think deeply about exactly how we should understand and apply the basic tenets of Marxism and the basic principles of scientific socialism.
Regarding practical logic, socialism with Chinese characteristics has achieved world-renowned and great achievements, creating the "twin miracles" of rapid economic development and long-term social stability—seldom seen in the world—and writing a great legend of catching up with and leading the times. This has not only deeply changed China but also greatly changed the world. "Today's China is closer to the center of the world stage than ever before, closer to realizing the dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than ever before. Countries around the world are sharing the dividends of China's peaceful development like never before, and global governance is drawing momentum for progress from China's practice like never before. The Chinese nation has always possessed the breadth of mind to 'benefit the world' [27]. The development of China in the New Era demonstrates the CPC's concern for humanity to the world. The historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation increasingly demonstrates its world significance that transcends time and space, and countries around the world can appreciate the practical value of the 'China solution' and 'China wisdom' from China's exploration of modernization." [28] (P169) Practice eloquently proves the superiority of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and proves that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the post-requisite path for the CPC to fulfill its historical mission. Xi Jinping's incisive explanation of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics has further deepened our understanding of the superiority and historical significance of the Chinese path, providing a fundamental guideline for examining, understanding, and further strengthening our confidence in the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
(About the Author: Li Haiqing, Vice Dean of the School of Marxism at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance), Professor and Doctoral Supervisor.)
Online Editor: Tong Xin Source: Studies in Marxism Theoretical Disciplines, Issue 2, 2025.