Zhong Zhenshan and Yang Lina: Profoundly Understanding the Power of Truth in the Fifth Volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China"
Volume V of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China (hereinafter "Volume V") proposes a series of original new concepts, ideas, and strategies for governance. It centrally demonstrates the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, providing scientific answers to the questions of China, the world, the people, and the times. Deeply grasping the power of truth in Volume V’s response to these "Four Questions" helps us to more comprehensively master the scientific system and practical power of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, promoting the deep and substantive study and implementation of this Thought.
Scientifically Answering the Question of China
Volume V includes a special discussion on "Fully Advancing the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation through Chinese-path Modernization." It proclaims the mission and tasks of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on the new journey in the New Era, scientifically plans the overall arrangements for advancing Chinese-path modernization, and provides a scientific answer to the "Question of China": namely, what kind of great modern socialist country to build and how to build it.
Volume V scientifically answers what kind of great modern socialist country should be built. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out: "Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China. It shares common features with the modernization processes of other countries, but more importantly, it has Chinese characteristics based on our own national conditions." Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization led by the CPC; it is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement [1] in harmony, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. Volume V profoundly elucidates the Chinese characteristics of Chinese-path modernization and sketches the grand blueprint for building a great modern socialist country in all respects.
Volume V scientifically answers how to build a great modern socialist country by making strategic arrangements for its full realization. It defines the major principles that must be firmly grasped and the several major relationships that must be properly handled on the road ahead. Regarding strategic arrangements, it clarifies a two-step approach: from 2020 to 2035, basically realizing socialist modernization; and from 2035 to the middle of this century, building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. Regarding major principles, it emphasizes the need to uphold and strengthen the Party's overall leadership, persist in the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, persist in comprehensively deepening reform, and persist in carrying forward the spirit of struggle [2]. Regarding major relationships, it emphasizes properly handling the relationships between top-level design and practical exploration, strategy and tactics, upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, efficiency and fairness, vitality and order, and self-reliance and strength versus opening up to the outside world. These important expositions provide the fundamental follow-through and guide for action for fully advancing the cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.
Scientifically Answering the Question of the World
Today's world is undergoing changes unseen in a century. Factors of instability, uncertainty, and insecurity are increasingly prominent, posing severe challenges to human survival and development. "What is wrong with the world, and what should we do?" This "Question of the World" urgently requires an answer. Volume V clearly provides the Chinese answer: building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Volume V scientifically answers what kind of community with a shared future for humanity to build. Faced with global challenges, no country can stand aloof or pursue "splendid isolation" [3]. All countries need to act with a spirit of responsibility, pulling together in the same boat to jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity. Volume V profoundly clarifies a series of new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments regarding this community. It actively promotes the common values of humanity—namely peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom. It promotes the building of a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, cleanliness, and beauty. It deepens and expands global partnerships based on equality, openness, and cooperation. It proposes building a China-Arab community with a shared future, a community of life on Earth, a China-Central Asia community with a shared future, and a Shanghai Cooperation Organization community with a shared future. These important expositions provide a scientific answer to the nature of this community and fully demonstrate the CPC's global vision, concern for the world, and international commitment.
Volume V scientifically answers how to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, based on global development trends and with far-sighted strategic vision and a broad mind that "encompasses a hundred rivers" [4], has charted a clear path. This involves implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative to build broad consensus and gather strength, injecting strong momentum into the community's construction. It involves building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation, and joining hands with all countries to advance modernization and achieve common prosperity. It involves adhering to a vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative into a new stage. Volume V provides Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for all countries to address common challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Scientifically Answering the Question of the People
Entering the New Era, the principal contradiction in Chinese society has evolved into the contradiction between the people’s ever-growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. Volume V profoundly elucidates the fundamental stance of the CPC in always putting the people first and its distinct character of governing for the people and relying on the people. It scientifically answers the "Question of the People": namely, what kind of ever-growing needs for a better life to satisfy and how to satisfy them.
Volume V scientifically answers what kind of ever-growing needs for a better life are to be satisfied. Materially, the people are no longer satisfied with basic food and clothing but pursue high-quality, personalized consumption and have higher requirements for product quality, safety, and design. Politically, they look forward to broader democratic participation, more channels to express their demands, and fuller rights to information, participation, expression, and supervision, effectively safeguarding their political rights. Culturally, they yearn for more diverse cultural products and services and pursue high-level spiritual nourishment. Socially, they expect a fair and just social environment with equal opportunities and rights in employment, education, and healthcare. Ecologically, the demand for fresh air, clean water, and a beautiful environment is increasingly strong, with the expectation of living in a beautiful home with blue skies, green land, and clear water.
Volume V scientifically answers how to satisfy the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life. In economic construction, this involves developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions, achieving high-quality development, and creating more high-quality products and services that meet the people's needs. In political construction, it involves developing whole-process people's democracy, improving the institutional system through which the people run the country, and expanding orderly political participation. In cultural construction, it involves developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and enriching the supply of cultural products. In social construction, it involves implementing the people-centered development philosophy, placing the promotion of common prosperity for all in a more prominent position, equalizing basic public services such as employment, education, and healthcare, and continuously translating the fruits of development into quality of life. In ecological civilization construction, it involves firmly establishing and practicing the concept that "clear waters and green mountains are invaluable assets," promoting the continuous improvement of the ecological environment to meet the people's growing needs for a beautiful environment.
Scientifically Answering the Question of the Times
Volume V includes a special discussion on "Upholding and Strengthening the Centralized and Unified Leadership of the Party Central Committee and Carrying the Party's Self-Revolution Through to the End." This demonstrates the firm determination of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to advance the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. It explains the practical path of leading a great social revolution through a great self-revolution, scientifically answering the "Question of the Times": namely, what kind of long-term governing Marxist party to build and how to build it.
Volume V scientifically answers what kind of long-term governing Marxist party should be built. The CPC is a Marxist party with firm ideals and beliefs that remains true to its original aspiration and founding mission—namely, seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It gathers immense strength through lofty ideals. The CPC is a Marxist party brave enough to engage in self-revolution and maintain its advanced nature and purity. It actively conducts criticism and self-criticism, dares to face its own problems, and maintains its vitality. The CPC is a Marxist party with a tight organization and strict discipline. It has built an organizational system that links the top and bottom with effective execution, ensuring the entire Party moves forward with a unified will, unified action, and in step through "iron discipline." The CPC is a Marxist party that always stands at the forefront of the times and leads their development. It grasps historical initiative, conforms to the trends of the times, continuously promotes theoretical innovation, and leads the people of all ethnic groups in creating new historical achievements.
Volume V scientifically answers how to build a long-term governing Marxist party. Since the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken a long-term perspective, assessed the situation, and found the "second answer" to escaping the historical cycle of rise and fall [5]: self-revolution. The Party's self-revolution is always a work in progress. With the courage to "turn the blade inward" and "scrape the bone to treat the poison" [6], the Party continuously examines its own problems, clears away viruses that erode its healthy body, and enhances its capacity for self-purification, self-perfection, self-renewal, and self-improvement. It bravely faces the "four tests" and resolutely overcomes the "four dangers" [7], tempering itself into a stronger and more powerful Marxist governing party. Comprehensively and strictly governing the Party is always a work in progress. This involves improving the system for comprehensive and strict governance, maintaining a strict tone, strict measures, and a strict atmosphere over the long term, and building a long-term mechanism so that officials do not dare, are not able, and have no desire to be corrupt. This ensures the Party never changes its nature, its conviction, or its character, and remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Volume V provides scientific answers to the questions of China, the world, the people, and the times by promoting Chinese-path modernization, building a community with a shared future for humanity, adhering to the people-centered development philosophy, and advancing the Party's self-revolution. These "Four Questions" are interconnected and organically unified. They profoundly answer the major contemporary task of "what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop and how to uphold and develop it," providing a scientific guide and program of action for writing a new chapter in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics on the new journey in the New Era.