Han Sheng and Wang Pengpeng: General Secretary Xi Jinping's Revelation of the Laws of Building a Leading Country in Education and His Original Contributions

The development and transformation of all things always follow certain laws. The laws governing the development of a powerful country in education are the essential and inevitable connections manifested by the internal elements of a "powerful country in education" and their related factors during the development process, as well as the inherent mechanisms and development trends of such construction. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has proposed a series of new thoughts, viewpoints, and judgments centered on issues such as educational reform and development. These have deepened our era-specific understanding of the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education, pointing the way for further advancing educational modernization and building a powerful country in education. In September 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the National Education Conference that "building a powerful country in education has been a cherished wish of the Chinese nation since modern times; it is a pioneering task, a solid foundation, and a strategic support for achieving the great cause of building a powerful country and national rejuvenation through the Chinese-path modernization." To achieve this strategic goal and advance educational modernization, we must profoundly study and grasp General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on education, revealing his new understanding and original contributions to the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education. This will consolidate and strengthen the ideological foundation for building a powerful country in education and further propel the reform and development of China's educational undertakings.

I. Foundational Interpretation of the Laws Governing the Development of a Powerful Country in Education

A "powerful country in education" refers to a nation possessing robust educational strength. This strength is not only leading in international comparisons but also serves as the inherent support for a nation to become a comprehensive world power. The laws governing the development of a powerful country in education reflect the universal and deep-seated connections existing within this process. These are the inevitable connections that continuously emerge during the transition from a "large country in education" to a "powerful country in education," encompassing the basic experience formed through the continuous cognition of educational phenomena and the resolution of more complex, deeper educational problems. On the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, to accelerate the construction of a powerful country in education, we need to understand and grasp the manifestation process, internal composition, and functional mechanisms of these laws. We must respect and consciously utilize these laws so that, by seizing the universal internal and external connections of this construction, we can better draw the grand blueprint for building a powerful country in education in the New Era.

(1) Manifestation of the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education Regarding their manifestation, these laws gradually emerge through the integrated action of the relatively independent social macro-system and the educational sub-system. They also manifest as higher-level contradictions become further highlighted after low-level contradictions in educational construction have been basically resolved. Like laws hidden within a process of motion waiting to be discovered and recognized, the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education only gradually reveal themselves when the objective historical process has developed to a certain stage and educational construction has reached a higher level and entered a more advanced phase. It is necessary to look through complex appearances to recognize and grasp the internal essence. As Lenin pointed out, "every historical period has its own laws." The different stages of moving from a large country in education toward a powerful one will manifest different laws of development. The reason laws have different forms of expression lies primarily in objective historical factors. Within the macro-social system, objective factors have a significant impact on these laws; whether it is the historical theme, the tasks of the era, cultural resources, or the material base, all affect the process of educational development. For example, when "saving the nation" ^[1] remained the primary task of the era, education could only serve the needs of the historical trend, leading and calling upon the masses to save the nation from peril; it could not develop beyond its historical stage. Within the micro-educational sub-system, objective factors also significantly impact whether the laws can manifest—be it core elements like educational carriers, models, and methods, or peripheral content like educational governance and evaluation. All of these influence how much of the law’s content is revealed and what form its action takes. In short, the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education are the stable, inevitable, and era-specific internal connections that further manifest during the objective process of education moving from "large" to "powerful." They are expressed through the realistic changes and integrated actions of various objective educational factors. This is especially true with changes in educational tools and methods brought about by the Internet of Wisdom (IoW) and Artificial Intelligence, which cause these laws to manifest at an accelerated pace due to changes in realistic objective conditions.

(2) Composition of the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education Regarding their composition, these laws primarily manifest as laws of development for educational elements, laws of interaction between educational elements, and laws of interaction between educational elements and the educational environment. They can be roughly divided into three levels: the Law of Elements, the Law of Relations, and the Law of Environment. At the level of the Law of Elements, although the four basic elements in educational activities—educators, learners, educational content, and educational materials—each have their unique modes of motion, they all exhibit certain stable and traceable inevitable connections. For instance, regarding the element of the "educator," the growth cycles and pedagogical practices of educators are concrete and vivid, reflecting the laws of educator growth and the laws of nurturing people. At the level of the Law of Relations, whether it is the unipolar relationship between educators or between learners; the bipolar relationship between educator and learner or educator and content; the tripolar relationship between educator, learner, and content; or even the complex intertwined multipolar relationships among various elements—their processes of change will all manifest general characteristics and follow certain laws. At the level of the Law of Environment, the international, cultural, and social environments all exert influence on the practice of educational construction and trigger corresponding changes in educational elements and relations. This manifests as laws of adaptation for educational elements and relations, laws of interaction between elements/relations and the environment, and laws of environmental promotion. In essence, the Law of Elements is the foundational component, the Law of Relations is the core component, and the Law of Environment is the important component; together, these three dimensions interpret the hierarchical composition of the laws of building a powerful country in education.

(3) Mechanisms of the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education For laws to exert a practical effect, they must always be mediated by certain mechanisms. Just as the structure of a life form is defined by the translation rules of proteins, the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education are the "internal code" for what kind of powerful country in education will be built; they require certain intermediary mechanisms to exert their efficacy. The functioning of these laws is mediated by specific mechanisms at the national, social, and individual levels. These different levels of mechanisms are both components of the laws in a broad sense and exercise a critical influence on which aspects the laws act upon and what role they play. At the national level, mechanisms for the direction of schooling, the overarching leadership of the Party ^[2], and fundamental tasks function to provide orientation, tone, and form, stipulating what path the construction should take and what developmental goals should be achieved. At the social level, mechanisms for resource transformation, value leadership, and collaborative synergy function to empower, unite, and mold the soul ^[3], stipulating how to fully utilize cultural, technological, and other resources and how to converge various social forces. At the individual level, mechanisms for system integration, comprehensive education, and specialized education function to cultivate the self, establish virtue, and produce talent, stipulating how to cultivate people and what kind of people to cultivate.

(4) Efficacy of the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education Laws are the internal cause of the development and change of things; changes in form and content are fundamentally the exertion of a law’s practical efficacy. Regarding the practical efficacy of the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education: in the dimension of power, it is a "soft efficacy"; in the dimension of time, it is a "long-term efficacy"; and in the dimension of effect, it is a "growth power." Together, these dynamics constitute the supporting and driving force of construction. In the dimension of power, these laws differ from the efficacy of natural laws; they do not necessarily cause a certain change through a fixed causal relationship (such as molecules accelerating when heated). Instead, when these laws act, they work not only on individuals but on the entire social system; this efficacy is flexible, conductive, and procedural rather than coercive. In the dimension of time, the effect is not instantaneous but delayed, manifested in the continuous development of people and the dynamic strengthening of a nation's educational power, which may only fully manifest over a long period through a process of moving from the subtle to the obvious. In the dimension of effect, these laws ensure that the form of the "powerful country in education" is open and constructive rather than a mechanical one-to-one correspondence of cause and effect; it is the result of the integrated action of inevitable and contingent factors. That is to say, compared to laws with mechanical characteristics, these laws possess a degree of contingency and strong openness when acting upon realistic educational activities, giving rise to many creative construction results.

It must be said that regardless of the economic base or institutional conditions under which education is developed, there is a need to recognize the laws governing the development of a powerful country in education, so as to better "take the pulse" ^[4] and plan the layout while grasping these laws. Currently, China is in a critical period of moving from a large country in education to a powerful one. Many shortcomings need to be remedied, many weaknesses strengthened, and many prominent problems resolved. There is an urgent need to clarify the direction and define practices by revealing these laws. Therefore, by clarifying the content, composition, and functional mechanisms of these laws, we can profoundly understand why educational undertakings have reached their current level under specific conditions and how to move construction forward on a solid footing based on the existing foundation.

II. The Laws Governing the Development of a Powerful Country in Education as Revealed by General Secretary Xi Jinping

The construction of a powerful country in education is a fundamental aspect of Chinese-path modernization. it plays a key role in accelerating Chinese-path modernization in areas such as scientific and technological innovation, the supply of human resources, and the building of high-level teams of scientific and technological talent. Since the beginning of Reform and Opening-up, Deng Xiaoping proposed that "education must be oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future." Jiang Zemin continued to emphasize that "education is the foundation for projects of lasting importance," and that the reform and development of education must be accelerated. Hu Jintao explicitly put forward the concept of a "powerful country in education," noting the need to "accelerate the transition from a large country in education to a powerful country in education, and from a large country in human resources to a powerful country in human resources, making greater contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the progress of human civilization." It can be said that promoting educational construction and seriously summarizing the valuable experience of the development of China's educational undertakings has always been a historical tradition of Chinese Communists.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered many important speeches centered on building a powerful country in education, defining new positioning, proposing new judgments, and making new deployments. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on the basic connotation and practical path for building a powerful country in education were made in conjunction with new historical conditions. They further reveal the laws of such construction, especially by profoundly elucidating the new manifestations of these laws after social development has made significant progress and socialist education has achieved important epochal accomplishments. Specifically, these new expressions and contents further reveal the "Law of Subject" and "Law of Method" within the foundational "Law of Elements"; they reveal the "Law of Synergy" and "Law of Process" within the core "Law of Relations"; and they reveal the "Law of Characteristics," "Law of Innovation," and "Law of Openness" within the important "Law of Environment."

(1) The Law of Subject in the construction of a powerful country in education

Educators and the educated are the two primary subjects constituting the educational relationship and are critical dimensions reflecting the effectiveness of building a leading country in education. The ideal convictions and professional competence of teachers directly impact teaching quality, while the ability of the younger generation to achieve great things relates to the vivid practice of the Chinese Dream. Regarding these two key subjects, fundamental laws of development also manifest during the process of building a leading country in education.

First is the educator’s "Self-Cultivation and Cultivation of Others Law." Whether a society can foster qualified builders and successors depends critically on having good teachers; likewise, the actual effectiveness of developing a leading country in education hinges on possessing a cohort of excellent teachers. For educators to realize basic educational goals and ensure that educational activities achieve their intended effects, they must first become "good teachers satisfied by the Party and the people." This is an internal requirement for a high-quality, professionalized teaching force to support the cause of education. In the educational process, there are not only laws to follow for teachers to improve their own quality, but their methods of fostering students also possess certain regularities, manifested in a specific "Self-Cultivation and Cultivation of Others Law." Specifically, in self-cultivation, teachers should possess a sentiment of devotion to the country and the "greater self," a methodology of leading by example in speech and deed, and an attitude of "plowing and weeding" ^[5] through hard work. In cultivating others, they should possess the mindset of "teaching one how to fish" rather than just giving fish, a spirit of selfless dedication, and a breadth of vision that encompasses the whole world. By following this law, the vast number of teachers can continuously grow into "Grand Masters" ^[6] (dàxiānshēng) of teaching and nurturing in practice, further forging a high-level teaching force for the New Era.

Second is the "Growth Law" of the educated. Realizing the Chinese Dream depends on the younger generation and the youthful strength of "the waves behind driving the waves ahead" ^[7]. For the youth to grow into pillars of talent capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation, they must "continuously improve the quality and ability adapted to the development of the times and the requirements of the cause." They must work hard on firming up ideal convictions, deepening patriotic sentiments, strengthening moral cultivation, increasing knowledge and insight, fostering a spirit of struggle, and enhancing comprehensive quality, thereby growing into a "generation for a strong country" capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation.

Third is the "Interaction Law" between the educator and the educated. In educational activities, the educator and the educated are mutually subject and object, forming a composite relationship where they act upon one another, thus exhibiting stable and inevitable connections. The education of students by teachers, the imitation of teachers by students, mutual learning among students, and students surpassing their teachers are the basic behavioral manifestations of this subject-object relationship. To promote benign interaction between the educator and the educated, the educator must carry out teaching in a way suitable for the educated, while the educated must improve themselves through active agency.

(2) The Methodological Laws of Building a Leading Country in Education

Proper methods will yield twice the result with half the effort in building a leading country in education. At the National Education Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out the need to "correctly handle the major relationships between supporting national strategies and satisfying the needs of people's livelihoods, between knowledge learning and all-round development, between cultivating talent and meeting social needs, between regulation/order and stimulating vitality, and between being rooted in Chinese soil and drawing on international experience" (hereafter referred to as the "Five Major Relationships"). This laid the methodological foundation for building a leading country in education.

First, on the question of determining the orientation of development, stay committed to the unity of national accounts and people’s livelihoods. Education is a matter of great significance for both the state and the Party, as well as the root and foundation of people’s livelihoods. Whether education can support the strategic needs of modernization and whether it can satisfy basic livelihood needs are equally important; one cannot be emphasized at the expense of the other. Therefore, education must both accumulate strength for a modern powerful nation and satisfy the people’s demand for higher quality and more diverse education; this is the correct stance and pursuit.

Second, on the question of how to cultivate people, stay committed to the unity of knowledge learning and all-round development. Modernization requires not only talent with abundant knowledge but, more importantly, talent with excellent comprehensive quality. Therefore, knowledge must serve as the foundation for individual growth, but it is even more vital to promote the all-round development of every person in "morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetic appreciation, and labor skills" ^[8].

Third, on the question of how to exert the functions of education, stay committed to the unity of cultivating talent and serving society. The level and quality of talent cultivation are manifestations of educational functions, fundamentally aimed at solving practical problems and satisfying social development needs. Thus, by being problem-oriented and conditioned by the times, we can improve the targeting and adaptation of talent cultivation, effectively exerting the social function of education and enhancing the social service capacity of talent.

Fourth, on the question of the pace for promoting educational reform, stay committed to the unity of vitality and order. Building a leading country in education requires both sufficient drive and full vitality, as well as stable order. Thus, constructing a high-quality educational system that is "vibrant but not chaotic, active yet orderly" is the reform orientation.

Fifth, on the question of autonomy and openness, stay committed to the unity of Chinese solutions and world experience. Running schools in China must be rooted in Chinese soil and conform to specific realities, while also actively drawing on international experience. Only then can we develop modern education with Chinese characteristics and world-class standards.

(3) The Coordination Law of Building a Leading Country in Education

A leading country in education is a vital aspect of a modern powerful nation. Examining its development law through the lens of systems theory inevitably reveals a coordination law. In the coordination between a modern powerful nation and a leading country in education, the two are dynamically adapted; in the coordination between a leading country in education and the goals of a "leading country in science and technology" and a "leading country in talent," they resonate at the same frequency; in the coordination among various levels and types of education, they are integrated and balanced.

First, the coordination between a modern powerful nation and a leading country in education uses the strategic goals of the former to pull the construction of the latter, achieving dynamic adaptation. A modern powerful nation is defined by comprehensive strength, encompassing all aspects of modernization—not only as a manufacturing powerhouse, a space power, and a transportation power but also as an education power. The core function of building a leading country in education is "supporting and leading Chinese-path modernization," adapting to its stages, goals, and demands, advancing steadily in a socialist direction, and persisting in development according to Chinese characteristics.

Second, the coordination between a leading country in education, a leading country in science and technology, and a leading country in talent shows that these three aspects are internally consistent and resonate at the same frequency. "In the current era, talent is the primary resource, science and technology are the primary productive forces, and innovation is the primary driver." Building a leading country in education constitutes the organic unity and coordinated advancement of these three, representing a vivid practice of comprehensive reform tasks.

Third, the coordination among various levels and types of education involves the organic coordination of all fields and links. Whether it is the connection and complementarity between basic education, vocational education, and higher education; the cooperation and intercommunication between ideological-moral education, cultural-knowledge education, and social practice; or the integration and mutual promotion between the discipline system, teaching system, textbook system, and management system—all are organic components that fulfill the important functions of educating people through the "full staff, full process, and all dimensions" ^[9].

(4) The Process Law of Building a Leading Country in Education

Building a leading country in education cannot be achieved overnight; it grows through encountering and overcoming various risks and challenges, following a developmental process from old to new and from small to large. Therefore, in practice, one must not be impatient for success but should assess the situation, "push the boat with the current" ^[10], and advance this historic cause with an appropriate rhythm.

First is the process law of leaping from a "large country in education" to a "leading country in education." According to estimates by the National Institute of Education Sciences, China's current "Education Power Index" ranks 23rd globally, up 26 places from 2012, making it the fastest-improving country. From the perspective of the time spent to achieve this, China's transformation from a country of mass illiteracy to a large education country and then toward a leading education country has spanned several decades. Developing from an upper-middle level to the world's forefront remains an arduous task that requires a long time cycle.

Second is the process law of talent cultivation. The fundamental purpose of building a leading country in education is to foster builders and successors for the socialist cause. Whether developing education that accompanies a person throughout their life or cultivating generation after generation of successors, it is a massive project with a long way to go. Influencing the values, mental outlook, and behavioral orientations of a generation of youth also requires a long-term process.

Third is the process law of goal realization. Our established struggle goal of becoming a leading country in education by 2035 is adapted to the macro-planning of the modernization process and China’s foreseeable economic growth; it is a step-by-step process. By then, under the Party’s comprehensive leadership over education, the leading country in education we build will be one of high quality, broad recognition, and strong practical utility.

(5) The Characteristic Law of Building a Leading Country in Education

The leading country in education we aim to build is a socialist leading country in education with Chinese characteristics. These "Chinese characteristics" are reflected in four aspects: the uniqueness of the leading force, the direction of school operation, cultural inheritance, and ideological and political education. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Without characteristics, following others' footsteps and merely imitating them will not lead to success." Practice has proven that the more we run education with Chinese characteristics, the more we can satisfy the people's needs and promote high-quality educational development.

First is the characteristic law of the leading force. "Strengthening the Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing educational work well." The field of education is a strong fortress for upholding the Party’s leadership, a point that must never be shaken. Specifically, upholding the Party's political leadership ensures the correct direction for running schools; upholding the Party's ideological leadership involves advancing the "Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project."

Second is the characteristic law of the direction of school operation. Persisting in the socialist direction of school operation is the distinct "background color" of China’s construction of a leading country in education, which helps develop an educational cause that both fits national conditions and reflects the characteristics of the times.

Third is the characteristic law of cultural inheritance. Education is a vital way to inherit national cultural traditions and develop Chinese civilization. Specifically, it means passing down the most fundamental cultural genes of the Chinese nation, the excellent traditional Chinese cultural genes, and the "red genes" ^[11] from generation to generation through the educational process.

Fourth is the characteristic law of ideological and political education. The construction of "Ideological and Political Theory Courses" (sīzhèngkè) is the top priority of the Party's leadership in educational work. We must advance the construction of these courses in tandem with arming the Party with its "innovative theories," continuously creating a new situation for ideological and political education in the New Era.

(6) The Innovation Law of Building a Leading Country in Education

In the process of educational reform and development, transitioning from small to large and from large to strong hinges on innovation. This means promoting educational innovation in all aspects through a synthesis of ancient and modern, and a blending of Chinese and foreign, thereby enhancing educational strength and comprehensive national power.

First is the innovation law of educational forms and content. As science and technology advance rapidly, educational reform and innovation must follow suit. Applying modern information technologies such as the internet, cloud computing, and big data to the educational process can promote the formation of a superior educational environment and create smarter teaching methods. Particularly with the rise of generative AI, "deeply exploring thoughts and measures for educational innovation under the conditions of rapid AI development" will be the main direction for the next step of educational reform.

Second is the innovation law of the educational knowledge system. The strength of a leading country in education lies not only in "hard power" but also in "soft power," namely possessing advanced educational concepts and an independent knowledge system. Therefore, by proposing subjective and original theoretical viewpoints based on fundamental educational realities and constructing an independent Chinese knowledge system for philosophy and social sciences, the construction of our leading country in education can continuously manifest its own advantages and uniqueness.

Third is the innovation law of educational outcomes. What kind of educational outcomes a country's system can produce is a basic indicator of its strength and level. Therefore, by nurturing a group of world-class research institutions, research universities, and innovative enterprises, and producing a series of major original scientific results, we can forge the scientific and technological support for a leading country in education and make significant contributions to promoting scientific innovation and improving national innovation capacity.

(7) The Openness Law of Building a Leading Country in Education

Education is a vital force promoting the progress of human civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "In the contemporary era, the destinies of people from all countries are more closely linked. Youth around the world should establish a global perspective and enhance their consciousness of cooperation through education, so as to jointly create a beautiful future for human society." Therefore, strengthening educational exchange and cooperation is a requirement of both the Law of Cooperation and Opening and the Law of Civilizational Openness. First is the Law of Cooperation and Opening in the construction of a leading country in education. Through educational exchange activities, not only can the people of various nations deepen their understanding and enhance friendship, but countries can also learn from and emulate one another, reaching high-level comprehensive strategic partnerships and writing new chapters of friendly cooperation. Second is the Law of Civilizational Openness in the construction of a leading country in education. Civilizations do not evolve in isolation, and education is precisely an important method for promoting cultural transmission and people-to-people exchanges. Foreign youth come to understand Chinese civilization during their exchanges and studies in China, while also bringing the unique characteristics of their own civilizations to China. In this way, youth from all nations can better establish a global perspective, strengthen their civilizational self-awareness, and facilitate broader and deeper cultural exchanges, thereby jointly creating a beautiful future for the development of civilization.

III. The Original Contributions of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Revealment of the Laws of Constructing a Leading Country in Education

The manifestation of the laws governing the construction of a leading country in education is a process; the journey from preliminary manifestation to full manifestation requires certain objective conditions as support. Therefore, the revelation of these laws is not a once-and-for-all endeavor ^[12], but requires following the changes of the times and using scientific theoretical thinking and dialectical analytical methods to recognize and summarize these laws effectively. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s new revealment of these laws represents a rational analysis of new educational phenomena, a profound understanding of new educational relationships, and a deep dissection of the new educational environment at a new stage of modernization; it constitutes a major original contribution. This original content not only forms a relatively comprehensive theoretical system but was also derived by approaching and solving problems in the construction of a leading country in education with a scientific methodology, possessing immense practical guiding significance for promoting educational modernization.

(1) A New Revealment of the Internal Connections within the Laws of Constructing a Leading Country in Education

The laws of constructing a leading country in education possess complex internal connections. Presenting these connections by "stripping the silk from the cocoon" ^[13] amidst the representations of the evolutionary process requires a continuous process of new induction. Revolving around the three basic clues of "what it is," "why do it," and "how to do it," General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on building a leading country in education have further revealed the essential, stable, and inevitable connections contained therein. First is the new revealment surrounding the clue of "what kind of leading country in education to build," proposing that the leading country in education to be completed is one possessing "six major characteristics." Laws are the internal connections that determine the inevitable trend of a thing's development; the development of a leading country in education is likewise determined by its inherent laws. General Secretary Xi Jinping has revealed the inevitable trend of this development, pointing out that "the leading country in education we are to build is a socialist leading country in education with Chinese characteristics, which should possess powerful capacity for ideological and political leadership, talent competitiveness, scientific and technological support, livelihood security, social synergy, and international influence." This clarifies the basic direction of Chinese-path modernization in education. Second is the new revealment surrounding the clue of "why we must build a leading country in education," emphasizing a grasp of the "three major attributes" ^[14] of education. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s revealment of the political, people-centered, and strategic attributes of education fully illustrates the importance of building a leading country in education; this recognizes the decisive significance of education for the well-rounded development of the individual and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation from the unity of historical depth and the height of the era. Among these, the political attribute is the directional command for construction, requiring adherence to the Party’s leadership, the socialist direction of schooling, and the path of socialist educational development with Chinese characteristics. The people-centered attribute is the value orientation, requiring a commitment to providing education that satisfies the people. The strategic attribute is the grand layout, requiring the maintenance of a systems concept ^[15] to continuously advance comprehensive educational reform. Third is the new revealment surrounding the clue of "how to build a leading country in education," proposing the "five major relationships" ^[16] that must be attended to. These "five major relationships" scientifically answer how to handle the five pairs of most fundamental and important relationships in the process of educational reform and development, constituting the methodological foundation for building a leading country in education. They provide the focal points for implementing the practical requirements of construction and serve as the ideological weapon for accelerating the construction of a leading country in education now and in the future.

(2) A New Understanding of the Epochal Expressions of the Laws of Constructing a Leading Country in Education

Laws are the internal reasons why things continuously develop and display new countenances, and the new situation of the educational cause is precisely the new form of action manifested by the laws of constructing a leading country in education under new historical conditions. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that "in the New Era, the educational cause has achieved historical achievements and undergone foundational changes, and the construction of a leading country in education has taken solid strides." This summarizes the new developments and achievements of the socialist educational cause with Chinese characteristics—namely, a new understanding of how these laws express themselves in our epoch. First, under the comprehensive effect of these laws, China has built the world’s largest educational system of high quality. In 2023, China had 498,300 schools of various levels and types, with 291 million students in formal education and 18.9178 million full-time teachers. Regarding preschool education, by the end of 2023, the gross enrollment rate reached 91.1%; in basic education, 2,895 counties nationwide fully achieved basic balanced development in compulsory education; in higher education, the 2023 enrollment rate reached 60.2%. Second, under the long-term effect of these laws, the political ecosystem of education has undergone a major transformation. The "Double Reduction" ^[17] is a basic policy formulated after we gained a profound understanding of the laws of educational development; it has facilitated the basic formation of an examination and enrollment model characterized by classified examinations, comprehensive evaluation, and diverse recruitment, promoting individual growth, talent cultivation, and national progress. Third, under the systemic effect of these laws, China will become an important world education center with powerful influence. Through doing a good job of "bringing in" and "going out," China has signed agreements on mutual recognition of academic degrees and diplomas with 59 countries and regions. The National Smart Education Platform has provided services to over 10 million overseas users in more than 200 countries, deepening the opening-up of education. It should be said that the laws of constructing a leading country in education will both manifest in new educational phenomena and act upon educational activities to cause continuous change; therefore, maintaining a developmental outlook and an epochal perspective is an inevitable requirement for further grasping the forms in which these laws are expressed.

(3) A New Elucidation of the Realization Path for the Laws of Constructing a Leading Country in Education

Regarding how to better recognize and apply these laws to better realize the basic goal of building a leading country in education while riding the great historical trend, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important deployments, issuing the call to "stride solidly toward the strategic goal of building a leading country in education," clarifying the construction blueprint for the next steps. First is to grasp and apply the Law of the Subject, cultivating and creating a high-level teaching workforce for the New Era, and nurturing socialist builders and successors with an all-round development in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education. This requires implementing actions to strengthen the teaching force through the "soul-casting" ^[18] of the spirit of educators, creating high-quality platforms for young students to exert their talents, and giving full play to the proactive roles of both teachers and students as subjects. Second is to grasp and apply the Law of Method, handling the series of major relationships in construction. This requires using good methods and being capable of using them when dealing with complex and thorny problems of educational reform, so that the educational cause achieves its intended reform effects. Third is to grasp and apply the Law of Synergy, coordinately advancing the integrated reform of the systems and mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent. This requires taking national strategic needs as the guide, integrally advancing educational development, technological innovation, and talent cultivation, "emphasizing the deepening of comprehensive educational reform, the reform of the scientific and technological system, and the reform of the systems and mechanisms for talent development, so as to enhance the overall efficiency of the national innovation system." Fourth is to grasp and apply the Law of Process, promoting the multi-dimensional and multi-level high-quality development of public educational services. This requires always adhering to a people-centered approach, treating education as a "matter of great importance for the state and the Party," so that the achievements of educational reform and development benefit all people more extensively and fairly. Fifth is to grasp and apply the Law of Characteristics, solidly implementing the project of "fostering virtue through education" ^[19] in the New Era. This requires unswervingly using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to cast the soul and educate people, while continuously strengthening and improving school ideological and political education. Sixth is to grasp and apply the Law of Innovation, accelerating the construction of a high-quality education system. This requires promptly applying scientific and technological achievements to education at all levels, categories, and forms, to fulfill education's basic function of meeting the needs of economic and social transformation. Seventh is to grasp and apply the Law of Opening, deeply promoting high-level opening-up of education to the outside world. This requires expanding international academic exchanges and cooperation in educational research, actively participating in global education governance, and contributing more Chinese strength to the development of the global educational cause.

IV. Conclusion

To deeply implement the strategic deployment of the 20th Party Congress regarding accelerating the construction of a leading country in education, in January 2025, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Outline of the Plan for Building a Leading Country in Education (2024–2035), which clearly states the goal is to achieve important phased results in construction by 2027. Only by deeply implementing this strategic deployment on the basis of following the laws of constructing a leading country in education can we seize the initiative through respecting these laws and achieve success through using them well. These laws manifest dynamically and progressively alongside the conditions of the times and the development of the educational cause; thus, using scientific methods of thinking to analyze new educational phenomena and summarize new educational laws is a developmental theoretical task. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on education are the latest achievements of the theory of socialist education with Chinese characteristics. Under new historical conditions, they reveal, and provide a comprehensive, systemic, and in-depth elucidation of, the laws of constructing a leading country in education, constituting major original contributions. This helps provide ideological guidance for advancing educational modernization and building a leading country in education, and helps clarify work ideas for the broad mass of educators, so as to complete various goals and tasks of educational development through active initiative and solid work.