Li Lei, Hu Haibo: The Fourfold Great Power of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought in Developing Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era
On October 28, 2024, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held its 17th collective study session on building a leading cultural power. During the session, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must anchor ourselves to the strategic goal of becoming a leading cultural power by 2035, adhere to Marxism as the fundamental guiding ideology, take root in the profound Chinese civilization, and adapt to the trends of information technology development. We must continuously develop New Era Chinese-path socialist culture with strong ideological leadership, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, while constantly strengthening the people's spiritual power and fortifying the cultural foundation for building a strong country and national rejuvenation." Thought is the precursor to action; theory is the guide for practice. To develop New Era Chinese-path socialist culture with strong ideological leadership, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, we must be guided by ideas possessing equally great power. This provides a key line of reasoning for us to deeply recognize and comprehensively grasp the great power of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Viewed historically, the Party’s innovative theories have always served as the compass for arming our minds, overcoming difficulties, and advancing our work. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is rich in connotation and profound in discourse; it addresses both the internal essence and its external application, manifesting a seamless integration of "substance and function" (tiyong) [1]. It holds immense guiding significance for developing New Era Chinese-path socialist culture. On the new journey of striving to build a socialist leading cultural power, faced with a complex and volatile international situation and arduous domestic cultural construction tasks, we must persevere in using Xi Jinping Thought on Culture to forge consensus and pool strength. We must implement the Party’s innovative theories in all aspects and throughout the entire process of Party and state work, constantly applying them to study new situations and solve new problems. Systematically organizing and examining the great power of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture from the perspective of developing New Era Chinese-path socialist culture not only helps us deeply learn and comprehend the logic, academic rationale, and philosophy contained within it, but also helps strengthen the confidence, determination, and persistence of the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups in building a socialist leading cultural power.
I. Holding the Banner and Steerng the Course: Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Possesses Powerful Ideological Leadership
A new era calls for new thoughts; new thoughts steer the new journey. "A nation that wants to stand at the highest peak of science cannot for a moment do without theoretical thinking." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture systematically answers fundamental questions regarding New Era cultural construction—such as which banner to hold, which path to take, which principles to uphold, what goals to achieve, and how to achieve them. It provides scientific guidance for inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture, an action guide for building a socialist leading cultural power, and a fundamental ritual to follow for the Party’s propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, centrally demonstrating its powerful ideological leadership.
(1) Providing Scientific Guidance for Inheriting Fine Traditional Chinese Culture
"Like every new theory, it had at the outset to link itself to the intellectual stack accumulated by its predecessors, however deeply its roots lay in material economic facts." Fine traditional Chinese culture is the crystallization of the wisdom and essence of Chinese civilization. It contains profound philosophical ideas, a rich humanistic spirit, and noble moral pursuits, centrally showcasing the five thousand years of wisdom, courage, and creativity of the Chinese nation. Consequently, it has become an indispensable part of the "intellectual stack" for contemporary Chinese cultural construction. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture takes the "Two Combinations" [2] as its fundamental principle, focusing on profoundly explaining the connotation and spirit of fine traditional Chinese culture, promoting its great wisdom, and carrying forward the spirit of patriotism, thereby providing scientific guidance for the contemporary inheritance of fine traditional Chinese culture.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture profoundly explains the connotation and spirit of fine traditional Chinese culture. "Fine traditional Chinese culture is the cultural root and lifeblood of the Chinese nation." Like the vast root system of a towering tree, it is deeply embedded in the fertile soil of the Chinese land. Over the long course of history, it has continuously drawn nourishment, not only allowing Chinese civilization to endure and thrive for thousands of years but also exerting a profound influence on contemporary China’s economic, political, and cultural development through its internal spirits such as "the unity of heaven and humanity" (tianren heyi) [3], "the doctrine of the mean" (zhongyong zhidao) [4], and "people-centeredness." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture promotes the great wisdom of fine traditional Chinese culture. In the process of forming this thought, General Secretary Xi Jinping has frequently cited the classics [5] to explain the historical and cultural traditions of the Chinese nation, highlighting its deepest spiritual pursuits and expressing his own identification with and reverence for fine traditional Chinese culture. This has not only enhanced the national identity and sense of pride among the people but has also presented unique Chinese concepts and values to other countries and nations. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture vigorously carries forward the spirit of patriotism. "The understanding and acceptance of the motherland's long history and profound culture are important conditions for the cultivation and development of patriotic feelings." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture advocates for the close integration of promoting patriotism with the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture. It can be said that fine traditional Chinese culture is the fertile soil that nurtures the patriotic sentiments of the sons and daughters of China, providing a wealth of vivid materials for promoting patriotism; conversely, patriotism is the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture, remaining fresh despite the passage of time. Therefore, promoting the spirit of patriotism has become an important path for inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture.
(2) Providing an Action Guide for Building a Socialist Leading Cultural Power
"Culture is the soul of a country and a nation. If culture prospers, the country prospers; if culture is strong, the nation is strong." Building a socialist leading cultural power is both an inevitable requirement for advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization and a practical foundation for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. To this end, since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed cultural construction in a prominent position within the overall work of the Party and state, drawing up a grand blueprint for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Especially since the 20th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has gained deep insight into the general laws of human cultural evolution and development. Standing at the forefront of China’s cultural construction practice, he has proposed a series of new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments, providing an action guide for building a socialist leading cultural power.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture uses cultural confidence, openness and inclusiveness, and upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground as methodological supports to actively explore the practical path for building a socialist leading cultural power. Strengthening cultural confidence to achieve spiritual independence. "To strengthen cultural confidence is to persist in following our own path." Arguments that occasionally appeared in the Chinese cultural sphere—such as marginalizing Marxism, nihilating fine traditional Chinese culture, or merely "labeling" Chinese-path socialist culture—all stem from a lack of cultural confidence. Faced with this lack of confidence, we should actively establish a sense of spiritual independence in building a leading cultural power, swiftly reverse existing cognitive biases, and strongly criticize and resolutely resist thoughts and behaviors that trample upon our culture. Upholding openness and inclusiveness to nurture New Era Chinese-path socialist culture. "Openness and inclusiveness have always been the source of vitality for the development of civilizations." The history of human culture is a history of exchange and mutual learning between different cultures. In this sense, the development of New Era Chinese-path socialist culture cannot be separated from the world, and the flourishing of the forest of world cultures likewise cannot be separated from China. The magnificent horizon of New Era Chinese-path socialist culture benefits from the open posture and inclusive heart of fine traditional Chinese culture. In the process of building a leading cultural power, satisfying the people's spiritual and cultural needs domestically and carrying out cultural exchanges and cooperation internationally both require a "combination of Chinese and Western" approach and the integration of Chinese and foreign elements. Persisting in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground to create new glories for socialist culture. "For cultural construction, only by upholding the fundamentals can we avoid losing ourselves and our direction; only by breaking new ground can we grasp and lead the times." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture persists in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground within the "Two Combinations," achieving the connection between the essence of Marxist thought and the cream of fine traditional Chinese culture, thereby promoting the prosperity of New Era Chinese-path socialist culture.
(3) Providing a Fundamental Follow-through for the Party's Propaganda, Ideological, and Cultural Work
"Propaganda, ideological, and cultural work concerns the future and destiny of the Party, the long-term stability of the country, and national cohesion and centripetal force; it is an extremely important task." On the new journey of the New Era, the international balance of power is undergoing profound adjustments, and the challenges and risks China faces are becoming more complex. This dictates that the Party’s propaganda, ideological, and cultural work must exhibit a new outlook and new achievements under these new circumstances. The formal proposal of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture holds milestone significance in the history of the development of the Party's propaganda, ideological, and cultural undertakings. On one hand, it shines with the light of Marxist truth; on the other, it demonstrates the profound heritage of fine traditional Chinese culture. it is the theoretical summary of the practical experience of cultural construction led by the Party in the New Era, providing a fundamental follow-through for further improving propaganda, ideological, and cultural work.
Strengthening Party leadership is the primary issue concerning the success or failure of the Party’s propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture insists on the simultaneous advancement of "establishing the new and breaking the old" (li po bing ju), and "promoting the pure and washing away the muddy" (ji zhuo yang qing). It proposes the major task of firmly grasping leadership over ideological work, focusing on solving the problem of weakened Party leadership in the ideological sphere. This has brought about a comprehensive and fundamental change in the situation of China's ideological field and has driven a series of historical achievements in the Party’s propaganda, ideological, and cultural undertakings in the New Era. The key to the Party’s propaganda, ideological, and cultural work lies in the construction of a cadre and talent team. "Party committees (Party leadership groups) at all levels must carry the responsibility of doing a good job in propaganda, ideological, and cultural work on their shoulders, ensuring that the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and arrangements for cultural construction are implemented." Therefore, the main comrades in charge of Party committees at all levels should take Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as their guide, actively shoulder their responsibilities, integrate various forces and resources, and combine propaganda, ideological, and cultural work with work in other areas to build a "Greater Propaganda" (da xuanchuan) framework that covers the entire Party and society. Prospering and developing cultural undertakings and cultural industries is an important part of the Party’s propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. Currently, digital technology is developing rapidly, profoundly changing human production and life, and has become the "greatest increment" (zui da zeng liang) [6] for the high-quality development of cultural undertakings and industries. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture "conforms to the development trends of digital industrialization and industrial digitization," proposing to use cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence as core technological supports to promote the deep integration of "Digital + Culture." This aims to realize the innovative development of new cultural business formats and models, comprehensively improve the quality of cultural products and services, and better satisfy the high-quality cultural needs of the people, thereby opening a new chapter for the Party’s propaganda, ideological, and cultural work.
II. United Endeavor: Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Possesses Powerful Spiritual Cohesion
Culture unites people’s hearts, and unity is strength. Currently, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core is forging ahead with courage, mapping out strategic measures to further comprehensively deepen reform. The breadth of fields covered, the depth of changes involved, and the complexity of the struggle are all unprecedented. Consequently, there is an even greater need to broadly build ideological consensus. Based on this, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We relied on the united struggle of the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to create great achievements that will go down in history, and we must also rely on the united struggle of the people of all ethnic groups to write new chapters of glory." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has consolidated the common ideological foundation for the united struggle of the people of all ethnic groups, fortified the solid groundwork for forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation, and established the principles for stimulating the cultural innovation and creativity of the entire nation, centrally demonstrating its powerful spiritual cohesion.
(1) Consolidating the Common Ideological Foundation for the United Struggle of the People of All Ethnic Groups
The Chinese nation is a big family composed of fifty-six ethnic groups. Unity and mutual assistance among all ethnic groups are important guarantees for our cause. The premise of ethnic unity is identification; unity without identification is like a tree without roots or water without a source. Therefore, we must "strengthen ethnic unity and continuously increase the identification of the masses of all ethnic groups with the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture maintains the highest interests of the Chinese nation through these "Five Identifications," starting from five key points—state, nation, culture, political party, and social model—to construct the core concept of ethnic unity. This helps to broadly gather social consensus and consolidate the common ideological foundation for the united struggle of the country's people of all ethnic groups.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture profoundly explains...
The rich connotations of the "Five Identifications" [7] clearly propose the methods and paths for their enhancement. Identification with the motherland manifests the active cognition and affection of various ethnic groups toward the state to which they belong; it is a psychological process emphasizing a sense of belonging. To this end, we must guide people of all ethnic groups to maintain a firm stance on major issues of principle, such as national unity, enhance their confidence in the country's future development, and take a clear-cut stand in safeguarding national interests and the dignity of the motherland. Identification with the Chinese nation is the key factor in sustaining the collective existence of all ethnic groups; it is the common national consciousness condensed through the formation and development of each ethnic group. The Chinese nation was jointly created by all its groups; thus, people of all ethnicities should establish a "pluralistic integration" [8] view of the nation, pool their efforts in equality and harmony, and "hold together as tightly as pomegranate seeds." Identification with Chinese culture is a vital link in the socialization of all ethnic groups and a cognitive judgment regarding whether one belongs to a specific cultural collective. We should deeply mine the ideological resources within fine traditional Chinese culture that promote cultural identification and construct a discourse system and effective carriers that demonstrate the commonality of Chinese culture from multiple perspectives and all dimensions. Identification with the Communist Party of China (CPC) is the identification of all ethnic groups with the Party's faith, philosophy, and policies; it is a relatively stable psychological tendency and value judgment. This is where the common interests of all ethnic groups reside and constitutes the political bottom line for all people. Identification with socialism with Chinese characteristics is the identification with the "dialectical unity of the theoretical logic of scientific socialism and the historical logic of Chinese social development." Socialism with Chinese characteristics is a fundamental achievement attained by the Party and the people through arduous struggle; it is a scientific socialism rooted in Chinese soil that reflects the will of the people and should naturally command the identification of all ethnic groups.
(2) Consolidating the solid foundation for forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation
In Marx's view, Eastern societies, represented by China, achieved centralization very early on and gave full play to their role as an "aggregate unity" [9]: "The irrigation canals, which played a very important role among the Asiatic peoples, as well as means of communication, etc., thus appear as the work of the higher unity." Currently, although the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process, our nation's ethnic work still faces many new situations and challenges. In response, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that we must take forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main line of the Party's ethnic work in the New Era, "guiding people of all ethnic groups to firmly establish the community concept of sharing weal and woe, honor and disgrace, life and death, and a common destiny," thereby gathering the majestic strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture focuses on the practical need to strengthen and improve ethnic work, consolidating the solid foundation for forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture attaches great importance to the dialectical unity between the material and the spiritual; achieving their coordinated development is the basis and prerequisite for forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation. On the one hand, forging this sense of community must resolve material issues. Marx fully examined the issue of community from the perspectives of labor, capital, and wages, believing that under the conditions of capitalist world history, it is no longer possible for humans to exist independently of the community, and that "the relationship of private property remains the relationship of the community to the world of things." One could say that economic development is the primary task and the "master key" to solving various problems in ethnic minority areas. The economic interconnectedness and common development of all ethnic groups provide a powerful impetus for forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation. To this end, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the task of building a unified economy for the Chinese nation, requiring all ethnic groups to "always maintain economic ties of mutual assistance and mutual benefit" to promote the development of the community of the Chinese nation. On the other hand, forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation must resolve spiritual issues. Although Marx admitted that "consciousness is nothing but the theoretical form of that which has its living form in the real community and social being," he also pointed out that in certain circumstances, development in the spiritual realm may be disproportionate to the development of material life. Therefore, economic development does not mean that the sense of community for the Chinese nation will be forged automatically. It is in this sense that General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the value of culture in forging this sense of community, noting that we must "focus on building a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation to provide strong spiritual and cultural support for advancing the construction of the community of the Chinese nation."
(3) Establishing principles to stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation
"It is just in his work upon the objective world, therefore, that man first really proves himself to be a species-being." In Marx's view, innovation, as a uniquely human capacity for activity, manifests the essential difference between humans and animals. Therefore, innovation and creativity are the lifeblood of culture and the source of vitality for cultural prosperity. History and reality have repeatedly proven that the Chinese nation is a nation with powerful cultural creativity. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture deeply insights into the era's trends in the renewal and development of human civilization and the innovative and creative talent of the Chinese nation. It has opened up new heights in Chinese-characteristic cultural thinking within the dialectical unity of tradition and modernity, established a series of principles to stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation, and gathered the ideological synergy for building a culturally strong country, allowing the source of momentum for the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era to flow fully.
The people's centeredness is a distinct main line running through Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. "The people are the mother of literature and art." The masses are the creators of both social material wealth and spiritual wealth. The production and life practices of the masses are full of "raw materials" for literary and artistic creation, providing beneficial nourishment for reaching new heights [10] of literature and art in the New Era. Therefore, only by going deep among the masses and learning from the people can literary and art workers truly feel the inspiring changes in our country's culture and collect colorful materials from the lives of the masses, giving literary and artistic creation profound power and meaningful charm. Deepening the reform of the cultural system and mechanisms is a powerful manifestation of the innovative thinking and reform logic of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. In his speech at the second plenary session of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping listed "deepening the reform of the cultural system and mechanisms" as a major measure for further comprehensively deepening reform, striving to eliminate existing institutional and mechanistic obstacles in the process of China's cultural construction, and accelerating the improvement of cultural management systems and production/operation mechanisms conducive to stimulating vitality. He took stimulating the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation as a vital link in deepening the reform of the cultural system and mechanisms to provide a strong institutional guarantee. Actively creating a favorable cultural ecosystem is an important condition for producing and creating high-quality cultural products, and it is also an inherent requirement of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture in promoting the primary source-cleansing [11] of China's cultural construction. Regarding this, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: We must "actively create a favorable cultural ecosystem, fully develop academic democracy and artistic democracy, support writers, artists, and experts and scholars in taking root in life and devoting themselves to creation, and promote the continuous bursting forth of cultural innovation and creativity."
III. Casting the Roots and Establishing the Soul: Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Possesses Powerful Value Appeal
"Theory becomes a material force as soon as it has gripped the masses... Theory is capable of gripping the masses as soon as it becomes radical, and it becomes radical as soon as it goes to the root of the matter." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture "inherits the basic stance, scientific methods, and fundamental views of Marxism regarding culture." It is a new chapter of the times for Marxist cultural theory, marking that our Party's understanding of the laws governing the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics has reached a new height. It has withstood the test of history, practice, and the people, and is a scientific theoretical system. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture arms the whole Party with Marxism and its Sinicized innovative theories, enhances the cultural confidence of the Chinese people with fine traditional Chinese culture, and casts the soul and nurtures people [12] by cultivating and practicing Socialist Core Values. It maintains the unity of thought, will, and action of the entire Party, strengthens the cultural confidence of the Chinese people amidst the turbulence of world cultures, and highlights the value significance of enlightening the mind and nurturing the heart, as well as fostering virtue and nurturing people, centrally demonstrating its powerful value appeal.
(1) Arming the whole Party with Marxism and its Sinicized innovative theories
"To forge an 'indestructible golden body' [13], one must arm the mind with scientific theory." Emphasizing the strengthening of the Party through theory is a distinct feature and glorious tradition of Marxist parties. As early as 1875, Engels realized the importance of arming the German Social Democratic Party with Marxist theory, pointing out that "the various absurdities... and the total ignorance of socialist literature... are effective means of completely destroying the theoretical superiority of the German movement up to now." One important reason why the CPC has been able to continuously grow through hardships and difficulties is its consistent emphasis on strengthening the Party through theory. To this end, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made important instructions many times, incorporating "arming the whole Party with the Party's innovative theories" as the primary political task in propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, maintaining the unity of thought, will, and action of the entire Party through the results of Marxism and its Sinicized innovative theories.
Arming the whole Party with Marxism and its Sinicized innovative theories is a major theoretical theme of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. On the one hand, "earnest study of Marxist theory is our 'house-keeping skill' [14] for doing all work well." Marxism profoundly reveals the laws of human social development, scientifically answers the question of where human society is headed, and provides the CPC with a powerful ideological weapon for understanding and transforming the world, thus becoming the fundamental guiding ideology for our Party and country. Over the past century, the scientific nature and truth of Marxism have been fully tested in socialist China and have long since become the indestructible spiritual pillar of every Communist. As firm believers and practitioners of Marxism, the CPC must naturally study Marxist theory earnestly. On the other hand, "there is no end to the development of practice, and there is no end to our recognition of truth and theoretical innovation." Marxism is not a dogma but a constantly developing, open theory. Precisely because it possesses distinct openness, Marxism can maintain its theoretical vitality and continuously explore new topics raised by the development of the times. Over the past century, the CPC has persisted in combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific reality and has continuously promoted the development of Marxism's Sinicization and modernization. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the theoretical achievement of our Party's unification of persisting in Marxism and developing Marxism. It must be implemented in all aspects and the entire process of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, driving the whole Party to work with one heart and one mind to strive to write a new chapter in the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics on the new journey.
(2) Enhancing the cultural confidence of the Chinese people with fine traditional Chinese culture
"The fine traditional Chinese culture nurtured in over 5,000 years of civilization... embodies the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation and represents its unique spiritual identity." Fine traditional Chinese culture constitutes the ideological and spiritual core of our people in the New Era and is the rational cognitive root for the masses' certainty in their own cultural value and vitality. It is evident that fine traditional Chinese culture is not only an important component of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics but also the vital cornerstone for the Chinese people to remain firm in their cultural confidence amidst the turbulence of world cultures. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture clarifies the strategic status of fine traditional Chinese culture, taking it as the support and foothold for enhancing the cultural confidence of the Chinese people, and further elucidates the powerful confidence and practical paths for doing so.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture takes fine traditional Chinese culture as the profound foundation for enhancing the cultural confidence of the Chinese people. Cultural confidence is closely linked to the historical and cultural traditions of a country or nation. Fine traditional Chinese culture possesses a character that is inclusive like the sea embracing all rivers [15], a sentiment of watching out for and helping one another, and a peace-loving nature. It is precisely because of this that Chinese civilization has been able to continue to this day after experiencing countless tribulations, laying a solid historical foundation for the cultural confidence of the Chinese people today.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture takes the combination of Marxism with China’s fine traditional culture as the powerful source of confidence for strengthening the cultural self-confidence of the Chinese people. "Why is the Communist Party of China successful? Why is socialism with Chinese characteristics good? Ultimately, it is because Marxism works!" The century-long history of the CPC’s struggle has proven the scientific nature and advanced character of Marxism. Marxism is capable of activating the excellent elements within traditional Chinese culture and endowing them with new connotations for the era; this is our greatest source of confidence in strengthening the cultural self-confidence of the Chinese people through the "integration" of Marxism and fine traditional culture. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture takes the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional culture as the practical path for strengthening cultural self-confidence. The times are evolving, and society is progressing. Fine traditional culture must change according to the times and circumstances, adapting to contemporary culture and coordinating with modern society. Therefore, if we wish to use fine traditional culture to bolster the people's cultural self-confidence, we must subject it to creative transformation and innovative development, providing the fundamental momentum for strengthening cultural self-confidence through multi-channel and diversified forms of innovative expression.
(3) Soul-Building and Person-Cultivation through Fostering and Practicing Socialist Core Values
Every era has its own spirit, and every era has its own values. "For a nation or a country, the most enduring and deepest force is the core values commonly recognized by the whole of society." Socialist core values constitute the kernel of the socialist core value system, centrally embodying the essential attributes of socialism and representing the common value pursuits of all Chinese people. General Secretary Xi Jinping accurately summarized the basic content of socialist core values with 24 characters—"prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony; freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law; patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendship"—and further proposed the task and requirement of "soul-building and person-cultivation through socialist core values." Fostering and practicing socialist core values to build the soul and cultivate the person is a foundational and principled component of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, profoundly highlighting its value and significance in enlightening the mind, nourishing the heart, and establishing virtue through education [16].
Fostering and practicing socialist core values for soul-building and person-cultivation is an inevitable requirement for better meeting the people’s growing spiritual and cultural needs. Today, as social trends of thought fluctuate and the values of the masses become increasingly diverse, the role of socialist core values in guiding and integrating social concepts has become more evident. They help construct a value system recognized by the vast majority and assist the masses in making correct value judgments and choices during social transformation and rapid change. In using socialist core values for soul-building and person-cultivation, we must grasp the key link. "The value orientation of the youth determines the value orientation of the entire society in the future. As youth are in the period of forming and establishing their values, it is crucial to manage value cultivation during this stage." The adolescent stage is the critical "jointing and earring" [17] period of life. We must persist in using socialist core values to guide the intellectual education and moral development of young students, ensuring they "fasten the first button" [18] of life correctly in terms of their ideals, beliefs, value orientations, and sense of mission. Fostering and practicing socialist core values must be rooted in practice. "For a value system to truly play its role, it must be integrated into social life, allowing people to perceive and comprehend it through practice." If socialist core values are to truly play their role in soul-building and person-cultivation, they must be linked to people's production and life practices. Only in this way can their basic content be transformed into conscious action and social norms, thereby becoming the basic followed principles for people's daily work and lives.
IV. Bearing the Whole World in Mind: Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Possesses Powerful International Influence
Great practice gives birth to great thought; great thought leads great practice. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emerged from the practice of building a culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, while also examining the cultural challenges commonly faced by the people of the world from a broad theoretical perspective. Consequently, it has not only become the guiding ideology for cultural construction in contemporary China but has also contributed Chinese wisdom to global cultural construction and the development of human civilization. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has opened up a new realm for cultural construction in socialist countries, empowered a new form of modern civilization for developing countries, and proposed the Global Civilization Initiative to promote the progress of human civilization, centrally demonstrating its powerful international influence.
(1) Opening a New Realm of Cultural Construction in Socialist Countries
Culture is a more enduring and profound force for a country in shaping its own development path and future destiny. In today's world, the trends of cultural pluralism and diverse development have become further accentuated. Global culture exhibits dialogue, exchange, and mutual learning, but also contradictions, conflicts, and confrontations, presenting a landscape where cooperation and competition, as well as mutual reference and contestation, coexist. Cultural construction in socialist countries faces unprecedented strategic opportunities, yet the problems to be solved are more intricate than ever. Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with a high degree of cultural subjectivity and a strong spirit of historical initiative, has creatively formed Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, comprehensively advancing the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics and historically opening a new realm for cultural construction in socialist countries.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has elevated the theoretical thinking of cultural construction in socialist countries. "If a nation wants to stand at the forefront of the times, it cannot for a moment be without theoretical thinking, nor can it for a moment be without the guidance of thought." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture contains the general laws governing cultural construction in socialist countries. Through the "Two Combinations," it maintains the vigorous vitality and exuberant energy of Marxism, while simultaneously opening up a vast space for innovation in cultural construction. On a higher plane of theoretical thinking, it provides the "ultimate magic weapon" for the cultural construction of socialist countries. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has shaped the contemporary aura of cultural construction in socialist countries. Theory must keep pace with the times to demonstrate the powerful force of truth. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture inherits and innovates Marxist cultural theory while endowing it with richer contemporary connotations. It strives to transform the theoretical advantages of Marxism into a winning position in cultural construction. In practice, it has driven cultural construction in socialist countries to listen to the voice of the era, respond to its call, and keep pace with its progress. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has constructed a brand-new pattern for cultural construction in socialist countries. The pattern of cultural construction profoundly reflects the position of culture within the overall social structure. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture reveals the important role of culture in governance, requiring that cultural construction be placed in a prominent position within the overall work of the Party and the state. This provides a strong ideological guarantee, powerful spiritual strength, and favorable cultural conditions for the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country, constructing a new pattern of socialist cultural construction characterized by self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-reliance.
(2) Empowering a New Form of Modern Civilization for Developing Countries
"The era of civilization is such a stage of social development in which the division of labor, the exchange between individuals arising from it, and commodity production, which combines both, have attained full development and completely changed the whole of the preceding society." From this, we can see that civilization originates from human creative activity; it is through continuous creation that humanity bade farewell to the ages of ignorance and barbarism and welcomed the dawn of the era of civilization. In this regard, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The best inheritance of history is to create new history; the greatest tribute to human civilization is to create a new form of human civilization." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture vividly interprets the brand-new form of human civilization created by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for countries around the world, especially developing countries, to move toward a better future together.
Developing countries creating a new form of modern civilization should adhere to a people-centered approach. The masses are the subjective force of historical development and social progress; the ultimate goal of a new form of human civilization is to achieve the free and comprehensive development of individuals. To this end, developing countries should actively avoid the flaws of Western civilization's capital-centered approach, adhere to the principal status of the people, and strive to add a new "people-first" base color to the map of world civilization. Developing countries creating a new form of modern civilization should strive to achieve common prosperity. Both modern sociological theory and research results from development economics show that effectively controlling polarization is not only a necessary condition for developing countries to achieve social stability and harmony but also the key to leaping over the "middle-income trap" and entering the ranks of developed countries. Developing countries should take common prosperity as both the goal and the means of creating a new form of modern civilization, focusing on solving the problem of income distribution that Western civilization finds difficult to resolve. Developing countries creating a new form of modern civilization should promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. "Nature is the foundation for the existence and development of human society, and the relationship between man and nature is also an eternal theme of human society." However, the increasingly serious ecological crisis has become a major obstacle to the progress of contemporary human civilization. Particularly for developing countries, they often sacrifice one for the other when handling the relationship between economic development and environmental protection. "We, with flesh, blood and brain, belong to nature, and exist in its midst." Respecting and protecting nature is an inescapable historical mission for humanity. Therefore, developing countries should persist in "taking a path of civilized development characterized by developed production, affluent life, and sound ecology," allowing a beautiful ecological environment to become a growth point for economic development.
(3) Proposing the Global Civilization Initiative to Promote the Progress of Human Civilization
In today's world, the destinies and social development of all countries are increasingly interconnected, gradually becoming "a community with a shared future where everyone shares in honor and loss." Therefore, only by strengthening exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations and living in harmony can we achieve the "Great Unity" (Datong) [19] where "all things grow together without harming one another, and paths run parallel without crossing," and make the garden of world civilizations full of the breath of spring. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is deeply rooted in the concept of "all-under-heaven" (Tianxia) [20] found in fine traditional Chinese culture. It proposes the Global Civilization Initiative, centered on the "Four Common Advocacies," vividly demonstrating the broad-mindedness of "when the Great Way prevails, the world is shared by all." This fully manifests its international influence in gathering the forces of civilization to promote the common progress, prosperity, and development of human civilization.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture advocates respecting the diversity of world civilizations, "treating the achievements of civilizations created by the people of all countries with an open and inclusive theoretical mind," and promoting exchange and mutual learning between different civilizations. Civilizations exist because of their diversity; respecting the diversity of world civilizations is a basic norm of a civilized society. "The civilization of every country and nation is rooted in the soil of its own country and nation, and has its own characteristics, strengths, and advantages." Only by actively maintaining the diversity of world civilizations can there be the possibility of mutual exchange, learning, and reference between different civilizations. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture advocates promoting the common values of humanity, highlighting the "greatest common denominator" between different civilizations. General Secretary Xi Jinping used "peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom" to highly summarize the common aspirations of people in all countries for a better life, outlining a concentric circle of values that transcends differences and disagreements, injecting powerful spiritual momentum into the development of human civilization in the right direction. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture advocates for the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, pointing out the ideological and cultural resources required for the development of human civilization. "Every civilization continues the spiritual lineage of a country and a nation; it needs both to be passed down from generation to generation and to kept safe, and even more, it needs to advance with the times and be brave in innovation." The progress of human civilization signifies not only economic takeoff and technological shifts but also development at the cultural level. Therefore, humanity needs to enhance its own cultural depth through the inheritance and innovation of civilization, allowing the excellent traditional cultures of all nations to play their due roles. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture advocates strengthening international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, promoting the construction of a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations. Currently, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. All countries should break down barriers to cultural exchange with a broad mind that "encompasses all rivers," persist in deepening exchange and mutual learning, build platforms for cooperation, and inject deep and lasting strength into the building of a community with a shared future for humanity through practical actions.