Dong Xiaotong: Cultural Consciousness, Cultural Confidence, and Cultural Self-improvement: Three Perspectives for Understanding Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
The soul of a nation is transformed and cast through culture. Culture is the soul of a country and a ethnic group, providing indispensable spiritual support for national prosperity and strength, ethnic rejuvenation, and the people's happiness. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping—with a macroscopic historical vision, a firm cultural stance, and profound strategic considerations—sought to propose a series of original, timely, and guiding new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments regarding cultural construction in the New Era, forming Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. This important thought enriches and develops Marxist cultural theory, contains a dialectical logical system of "cultural self-awareness, cultural self-confidence, and cultural self-strengthening," and possesses distinct characteristics of systematization and theorization. Cultural self-awareness, cultural self-confidence, and cultural self-strengthening constitute an organic whole characterized by mutual penetration, mutual support, and mutual promotion. Exploring the relationship between these three elements and Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, as well as their internal logic and interactive associations, is of great significance for deeply studying and understanding Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and promoting the construction of a socialist cultural power.
I. Cultural Self-Awareness: The Logical Starting Point of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
Cultural self-awareness primarily refers to the cultural self-consciousness, self-awakening, and self-creation of a country or an ethnic group. Within the theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, cultural self-awareness is an important logical starting point and the theoretical prerequisite for answering a series of major questions, such as why cultural construction is emphasized in the New Era, what kind of culture should be built, and how to build it.
(1) Determining the "Weight" of Culture: Highly Affirming Cultural Value and Status
Cultural self-awareness is first manifested as a clear understanding of and high regard for the strategic position of culture within the overall cause of the Party and the state. This cognition is the soil in which cultural self-confidence germinates and the prerequisite for the smooth advancement of cultural self-strengthening. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has highly affirmed the important role of culture, noting: "When culture prospers, the nation’s fate prospers; when culture is strong, the ethnic group is strong. Without a high degree of cultural self-confidence and the prosperity of culture, there can be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." In 2020, at a symposium for representatives of experts in the fields of education, culture, health, and sports, Xi Jinping clearly stated: "Without the prosperity and development of socialist culture, there would be no socialist modernization." This important discourse closely links cultural prosperity and development with socialist modernization, highlighting the vital position of culture in the overall national development. On this basis, Xi Jinping further systematically explained the strategic value of culture from four dimensions, pointing out: culture is an important content in the coordinated promotion of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four Comprehensives; culture is an important fulcrum for promoting high-quality development; culture is an important factor in meeting the people's growing needs for a better life; and culture is an important source of strength for overcoming various risks and challenges on the road ahead. The "Four Importants" positioning regarding the strategic status of culture clarifies the inherent connection between culture and the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, anchoring strategic coordinates for cultural construction with a broader vision and deeper insight. This profound cognition of cultural value elevates culture to a vital position concerning the nation's modernization process and the great undertaking of ethnic rejuvenation, demonstrating the high degree of cultural self-awareness among Chinese Communists in the New Era.
(2) Grasping the "Lineage" of Culture: Accurately Mastering the Laws of Cultural Development
The development of culture has its own inherent laws. Only by accurately grasping these laws can we promote cultural construction along the correct direction. This is both an important manifestation of cultural self-awareness and the key to ensuring that cultural self-confidence remains firm and cultural self-strengthening remains enduring. The cultural self-awareness contained in Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is prominently expressed in the profound insight into the development laws of fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture. Regarding fine traditional Chinese culture, Xi Jinping has profoundly summarized its historical lineage, clarified its core connotations, and defined its contemporary value. At the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development held in June 2023, Xi Jinping summarized the five prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization: continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness, fully reflecting a profound mastery of the development laws of Chinese culture. Regarding revolutionary culture, Xi Jinping has deeply explained the logic, theory, and philosophy of passing down "red genes" and the "revolutionary torch" from generation to generation [1]. He profoundly noted: "We must deeply understand why the Communist Party of China 'can,' why Marxism 'works,' and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is 'good' from the Party's glorious achievements, arduous journey, historical experience, and fine traditions, and clarify the historical, theoretical, and practical logic therein." Regarding advanced socialist culture, Xi Jinping, with a profound and far-reaching strategic perspective, revealed the future direction and practical requirements. He emphasized the need to "uphold the fundamental system of Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological field, fully implement the thought on socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and develop a socialist culture that is national, scientific, and popular, oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future," profoundly pointing out the development laws of advanced socialist culture.
(3) Clarifying the "Responsibility" of Culture: Clearly Proposing the Cultural Mission of Chinese Communists
Cultural self-awareness is not only a consciousness at the cognitive level but also manifests as a sense of responsibility at the practical level. As early as 2014, Xi Jinping took a clear-cut stand against various fallacies existing in society regarding the cultural mission of Communists and erroneous arguments concerning fine traditional Chinese culture, reflecting a high degree of cultural self-awareness. He pointed out that Chinese Communists "are not historical nihilists [2], nor are they cultural nihilists; they cannot forget their ancestors [3] or belittle themselves." This viewpoint was further enriched and developed in the report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017, expanding into: "Since the day of its founding, the Communist Party of China has been an active leader and practitioner of China's advanced culture, as well as a faithful inheritor and promoter of fine traditional Chinese culture." This discourse clearly defines the dual role of Chinese Communists in cultural construction, providing a fundamental follow-up for practicing the cultural mission. In June 2023, at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, Xi Jinping formally proposed that continuing to promote cultural prosperity and building a cultural power from a new starting point is our "new cultural mission in the New Era." This high degree of self-awareness in practicing the new cultural mission demonstrates the cultural sentiment and value ideals of the Communist Party of China in "not forgetting the origin while opening up the future."
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture begins precisely from this logical starting point of cultural self-awareness, laying the cognitive foundation for the generation of cultural self-confidence and providing the practical prerequisite for the advancement of cultural self-strengthening; conversely, the enhancement of cultural self-confidence and the effectiveness of cultural self-strengthening further deepen the degree of cultural self-awareness.
II. Cultural Self-Confidence: The Spiritual Fulcrum of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
Cultural self-confidence is an important theoretical innovation made by Xi Jinping. He was the first to list cultural self-confidence alongside confidence in our path, theory, and system, enriching and expanding the "Three Confidences" of socialism with Chinese characteristics into the "Four Confidences." Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the important status of cultural self-confidence, noting: "Cultural self-confidence is a more fundamental, broader, and deeper confidence," and is "the most basic, deepest, and most enduring force in the development of a country and an ethnic group." The proposal of cultural self-confidence has generated a deep sense of identity and belief among the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups at the spiritual level, allowing socialism with Chinese characteristics to gain more nourishment through culture, its most basic, deepest, and most enduring force. This confidence is built upon a profound historical foundation, scientific theoretical support, and fruitful practical achievements, possessing a solid generative root.
(1) From a historical perspective, the "root and lineage" of fine traditional Chinese culture imparts the deepest spiritual genes to cultural self-confidence
Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: "Traditional Chinese culture is the cultural root and lineage of the Chinese nation." With its thousands of years of development, profound ideological connotations, and enduring contemporary value, fine traditional Chinese culture provides inexhaustible spiritual nourishment for cultural self-confidence.
On one hand, Chinese civilization is the only civilization in the world that has never been interrupted and continues to this day. This unique historical characteristic provides a solid spiritual foundation for cultural self-confidence. Xi Jinping noted: "Chinese civilization has continued for more than 5,000 years without interruption. In its long process of evolution, it has formed a unique value system, cultural connotation, and spiritual quality for how Chinese people view the world, society, and life. This is the fundamental characteristic that distinguishes us from other countries and ethnic groups, and it has forged the cultural self-confidence of the Chinese nation in drawing on the strengths of others." A strong sense of cultural identity and belonging enables the Chinese nation to uphold its cultural stance and maintain its ethnic character regardless of how many hardships it endures, providing the deepest spiritual support for cultural self-confidence. On the other hand, the rich ideological concepts, humanistic spirit, and moral standards contained in fine traditional Chinese culture constitute the basic spiritual core of cultural self-confidence. At the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, Xi Jinping detailed many important elements in fine traditional Chinese culture, such as "the social ideal of the world belonging to all (Tianxia wei gong) and Great Unity (Datong), the governance philosophy of the people as the foundation of the state and governing with virtue, the tradition of a unified state with diversity held together (Jiuzhou gongguan), and the patriotic sentiment of self-cultivation, family harmony, state governance, and bringing peace to the world (Xiu qi zhi ping) while taking responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation." These important elements have not only profoundly influenced the development process of the Chinese nation and shaped its spiritual character but also provided useful references for solving common problems faced by contemporary humanity. As Xi Jinping pointed out, "Fine traditional Chinese culture is a prominent advantage of the Chinese nation" and "is the solid foundation for us to stand firm amidst the turbulence of world cultures."
Fine traditional Chinese culture, which accumulates the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation, has become the spiritual root and lineage of cultural self-confidence. The conscious inheritance and promotion of fine traditional Chinese culture are themselves manifestations of cultural self-awareness. When we use cultural self-confidence as a driving force to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, we further advance cultural self-strengthening.
(2) From a theoretical perspective, the "soul and lineage" of Marxism constructs the most scientific truth-based support for cultural self-confidence
The generation and consolidation of cultural self-confidence are inseparable from the guidance of scientific theory. Marxism and its theoretical achievements in Sinicization and modernization provide powerful truth-based support and directional guidance for cultural self-confidence, ensuring it is built on a scientific theoretical foundation.
On one hand, Marxism is a scientific worldview and methodology that reveals the universal laws of nature and human social development, providing scientific guidance for our correct understanding of the essence and development laws of culture. For example, the Marxist theory on the dialectical relationship between social existence and social consciousness provides a scientific basis for recognizing the important value of culture; the view that the masses are the subjects of cultural creation provides a scientific basis for correctly identifying the service objects and the forces culture relies on; and the methodology of cultural inheritance and innovation provides a basis for promoting cultural construction. On the other hand, the formation and development of the theoretical achievements of Marxist Sinicization and modernization provide strong support for cultural self-confidence. "Since the Chinese people learned Marxism-Leninism, they have moved from being passive to being active in spirit." Advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is a process of pursuing, revealing, and practicing truth. Since its founding, the CPC has always insisted on combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture, constantly advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, forming a series of theoretical innovation achievements, and continuously driving the cause forward with new spiritual and cultural awakenings, new theoretical creations, and new achievements in cultural construction.
The truthful attributes of Marxism and its Sinicized and modernized theoretical achievements allow cultural self-confidence to break free from subjective conjecture and blind worship, establishing it upon rational cognition and scientific guidance, thereby enhancing its firmness and endurance. The recognition and identification with the truthful attributes of Marxism and its Sinicized fruits is an expression of cultural self-awareness. When we consciously use the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to analyze cultural phenomena and guide cultural construction, we are practicing cultural self-strengthening while further verifying the power of Marxist truth in practice, thereby consolidating cultural self-confidence and deepening cultural self-awareness.
(3) From a practical perspective, the historical achievements and transformations in cultural construction in the New Era provide the most powerful realistic basis for cultural self-confidence
Cultural self-confidence is not an abstract spiritual concept but a rational belief built on the foundation of practice. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, cultural construction in our country has achieved historical success and undergone historical transformation, providing the most direct realistic support and adding the most powerful realistic footnotes to cultural self-confidence.
The brilliant achievements of cultural construction in the New Era can be summarized by their most significant aspects: First, a comprehensive and fundamental shift has occurred in the landscape of the ideological field. Ideological work is an extremely important task for the Party, bearing upon the long-term stability of the state as well as national cohesion and centripetal force. Since the start of the New Era, the Party has established and adhered to the fundamental system of maintaining the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field, maintained a firm grasp on the leadership of ideological work, and vigorously cultivated and practiced the socialist core values, thereby consolidating the common ideological foundation upon which the Party and the people of all ethnic groups strive in unity. Second, cultural undertakings and cultural industries have flourished. Regarding cultural undertakings, the public cultural service system has been increasingly perfected, grassroots cultural activities have developed vigorously, and the basic cultural rights and interests of the masses have been effectively guaranteed. Regarding cultural industries, their scale has continued to expand, their structure has been continuously optimized, and new business forms and models have constantly emerged, becoming an important growth point for the national economy. Third, international cultural influence has risen significantly. Since the start of the New Era, the Party has attached great importance to international communication work, innovating concepts, content, and forms of communication to tell China's story well and spread China's voice well, resulting in a marked increase in national soft power.
The achievements of cultural construction in the New Era have added a stronger sense of confidence to our firm cultural confidence and constitute a vivid manifestation of cultural confidence in the realm of practice. It is precisely under the inspiration of this conviction in firming up cultural confidence that the cause of the Party and the state has gained a more resolute ideological guarantee and a more powerful spiritual strength.
In summary, within the theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, cultural confidence serves as an important spiritual fulcrum. Cultural confidence takes cultural self-awareness as its cognitive foundation and cultural self-strengthening as its practical orientation, playing a crucial role in bridging the two. At the same time, cultural confidence is not unidirectionally driven by cultural self-awareness or exerted toward cultural self-strengthening; rather, the firmness of cultural confidence can deepen cultural self-awareness, while the realization of cultural self-strengthening can in turn consolidate cultural confidence, achieving mutual promotion and mutual influence.
III. Cultural Self-Strengthening: The Directional Anchor of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture
Cultural self-strengthening [4] primarily refers to a country or a nation achieving "becoming strong" in the cultural sphere on the basis of upholding its own cultural subjectivity. The proposal of the goals and tasks of "cultural self-strengthening" has marked the cultural coordinates and anchored the civilizational course for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. From the 18th Party Congress proposing to "solidly advance the construction of a socialist cultural power," to the 19th Party Congress proposing to "firm up cultural confidence and promote the flourishing and prosperity of socialist culture," to the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee proposing to "build a cultural power" by 2035, and finally to the 20th Party Congress proposing the strategic task to "advance cultural confidence and self-strengthening and create new brilliance for socialist culture," the blueprint for a cultural power has become increasingly clear. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee [5] made further deployments for "solidly advancing the construction of a cultural power" during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, putting forward specific requirements from perspectives such as "promoting and practicing socialist core values" and "vigorously fostering the prosperity of cultural undertakings." This reflects the Party's continuous deepening of its understanding of the goals and tasks of cultural construction and its attainment of new heights in grasping the laws of cultural construction.
An in-depth understanding of the theoretical connotations and practical requirements of "cultural self-strengthening" requires a grasp of both the "self" and the "strengthening" aspects.
(1) The "Self" in Cultural Self-Strengthening
Cultural self-strengthening is, first of all, about the "self"—that is, grounding oneself in one’s own roots and upholding one’s identity. It is the concentrated expression of cultural self-awareness and cultural confidence, and the prerequisite and foundation for achieving "strength."
On one hand, the "self" in cultural self-strengthening emphasizes maintaining and consolidating cultural subjectivity. "For any culture to stand firm and go far, and to possess the power to lead, cohesive power, the power to shape, and the power of radiation, it must have its own subjectivity." Chinese civilization itself "possesses cultural subjectivity and vigorous vitality characterized by self-development, responding to challenges, and opening new chapters." Facing the drastic social changes since the beginning of the modern era, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people in continuing the Chinese cultural lineage through arduous protection and tireless exploration, establishing and consolidating our cultural subjectivity on the land of China. With cultural subjectivity comes a firm self in a cultural sense. With cultural subjectivity, "the Communist Party of China possesses a powerful cultural force to lead the times, the Chinese nation and the Chinese people possess a solid cultural foundation for national identity, and Chinese civilization possesses distinct cultural characteristics for exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations in the world." Currently, against the backdrop of increasingly fierce international competition, the cultural narrative of Western-centrism still attempts to dissolve the cultural subjectivity of other countries through various means. If cultural subjectivity is lost, even if there is some development in cultural forms, it remains difficult to escape a status of spiritual dependency and nearly impossible to truly "become strong" in culture. Therefore, to achieve cultural self-strengthening, we must first persist in and consolidate our cultural subjectivity.
On the other hand, the "self" in cultural self-strengthening emphasizes adhering to independence and self-reliance. First, we must persist in taking our own path. Independence and self-reliance are important principles for our Party and our country. Cultural self-strengthening must follow its own path; we can neither take the old path of being closed and rigid, nor the crooked path of changing flags and banners [6], and even less can we mechanically copy the paths of other countries. China's problems must be answered by the Chinese people themselves, proceeding from China's basic national conditions. This spirit of independent exploration and this firm determination to follow our own path are the true essence of our Party’s continuous awakening from setbacks and its continuous movement from victory to victory. To achieve cultural self-strengthening, we must unswervingly follow our own path and place the development of the country and the nation on the basis of our own strength. Second, we must persist in spiritual independence and self-reliance. "Spirit is the soul upon which a nation relies for its long-term survival; only by reaching a certain spiritual height can a nation stand tall and forge ahead in the torrent of history." This requires us to uphold the standpoint of Chinese culture, resolutely oppose "venerating the foreign" and "taking the foreign as beauty," and remain constantly vigilant against "de-ideologization," "de-Sinicization," and "de-mainstreamization." We must base ourselves on the great historical and contemporary practices of the Chinese nation, summarize Chinese experience using Chinese logic, and elevate Chinese experience into Chinese theory to achieve spiritual independence and self-reliance. Only with spiritual independence and self-reliance can we gain a firm foothold amidst the turbulence of world cultures and achieve cultural self-strengthening in the true sense.
(2) The "Strengthening" in Cultural Self-Strengthening
If the "self" in cultural self-strengthening emphasizes cultural subjectivity and independence, then the "strengthening" emphasizes the enhancement of strength and widespread recognition. This is both the target orientation of cultural self-awareness and cultural confidence, and a process that will further reinforce them. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee explicitly proposed the core goal of building a cultural power: "developing a New Era socialist culture with Chinese characteristics that possesses powerful ideological leadership, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence." This set the yardstick and direction for "strength" in cultural self-strengthening.
Powerful ideological leadership essentially concerns the question of "what flag to fly and what path to take." Powerful ideological leadership ensures that cultural development always moves forward in the correct direction. Xi Jinping emphasized: "Thought is power. For a nation to stand at the forefront of the times, it cannot for one moment be without theoretical thinking, nor for one moment be without the guidance of thought." Marxism is the root of our Party and our country's foundation and prosperity. Adhering to the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field determines the nature and development direction of our culture and is the fundamental guarantee for promoting cultural self-strengthening along the correct path. The ideological leadership of New Era socialist culture with Chinese characteristics is centrally embodied in the power of truth and the practical value of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must persist in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide, and use the worldview and methodology of this thought to observe, interpret, and lead the times. We must persist in "combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with China's fine traditional culture," continuously promoting the Party’s theoretical innovation, and using a developing Marxism to guide the continuously developing New Era socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.
Powerful spiritual cohesion essentially concerns the question of "gathering the people's hearts and pooling the people's strength." Powerful spiritual cohesion can cause the people of all ethnic groups to converge in heart and rely on one another in spirit, making culture a spiritual bond for striving in unity and building dreams together. Marxism holds that the essence of man is the ensemble of all social relations, and culture is precisely the important carrier for maintaining social connections and condensing spiritual will. The Chinese nation has always possessed the community concepts of "the world as one family" and "all nations in harmony." Over the long course of history, these concepts have accumulated into a powerful national cohesion. We must persist in using Chinese culture—this shared spiritual home—to nourish the soul and consolidate our foundations, stimulating a sense of community in which the whole nation shares weal and woe, honor and disgrace. This ensures that all people are closely united in their ideals, convictions, value concepts, and moral outlooks, pooling the will and strength of all people to form a powerful synergy where "those whose superiors and inferiors desire the same thing shall be victorious" [7].
Powerful value appeal essentially concerns the question of "cultivating people through culture and educating people through literature." Powerful value appeal can promote a society that strives for the good and the kind, ensuring that mainstream values penetrate deep into the hearts of the people, making culture a spiritual banner that nurtures virtue and leads social trends. Values and culture are interdependent. The appeal of culture does not stem from forced indoctrination, but from the attraction and infectiousness of value concepts, achieving "convincing people through reason" and "winning people over through virtue." The socialist core values are the concentrated expression of the contemporary Chinese spirit and the ideological and moral foundation for condensing China's strength. They determine the level of social civilization and the moral character of citizens, and serve as the fundamental guide for leading the value orientation of cultural self-strengthening. We must lead cultural construction with socialist core values, integrating them into social development and daily life, allowing culture to play its role in nourishing the mind and cultivating temperament, thereby transforming correct value concepts into social consensus and elevating them into conscious action.
Powerful international influence essentially concerns the question of "displaying the national image and connecting the hearts of the people." Powerful international influence relates not only to China’s status in the global cultural landscape but also to the quality of a great modern socialist power. International influence is primarily reflected in the communication capacity, degree of recognition, and weight of discourse of a culture on the international stage; specifically, it is manifested in the ability and level of Chinese culture and Chinese civilization to go global. The enhancement of international influence is not cultural export or civilizational conquest, but is based on exchange and mutual learning among diverse civilizations, realizing a civilizational vision where "each appreciates its own beauty, and then appreciates the beauty of others, so that all beauties are shared in harmony" [8]. We must strengthen the building of international communication capacity, accelerate the construction of a Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative system, and improve our ability and level in telling China's story well. We must persuade people with facts, move them with emotions, and influence them with reason, enhancing the international community's knowledge and recognition of China, and striving to provide a Chinese solution for deepening global civilizational exchange and mutual learning and promoting the common progress of human civilization.
As seen from the above, "self" and "strength" are dialectically unified; they are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, together constituting a complete system of cultural self-strengthening. Within the theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, cultural self-strengthening is an important directional anchor. Cultural self-strengthening takes cultural self-awareness as its cognitive foundation and cultural confidence as its spiritual power, serving as the logical extension and practical destination of both. Meanwhile, the advancement of cultural self-strengthening in turn deepens cultural self-awareness and consolidates cultural confidence.
IV. Conclusion
The three important concepts of "cultural self-awareness," "cultural confidence," and "cultural self-strengthening" contained within Xi Jinping Thought on Culture are not a simple linear progression, but rather an interactive, related, and dynamically developing organic whole.
From the perspective of their generative mechanism: Cultural self-awareness is the cognitive prerequisite for nourishing cultural confidence and achieving cultural self-strengthening. Only by deeply understanding the value and status of culture, accurately grasping the laws of cultural development, and steadfastly practicing the cultural mission can we cultivate a rational and firm cultural confidence and realize cultural self-strengthening. Cultural confidence bi-directionally links cultural self-awareness and cultural self-strengthening; it is the sublimation of cultural self-awareness and injects powerful spiritual impetus into cultural self-strengthening. Only by possessing a strong sense of identity, pride, and confidence in one’s own culture can the cultural innovation and creative vitality of the entire nation be stimulated, pushing cultural self-strengthening from concept to practice. Cultural self-strengthening is the practical unfolding and target direction of cultural self-awareness and cultural confidence; it is the test of the scientific nature of cultural self-awareness's cognition, and the manifestation of cultural confidence in the realm of practice.
From the perspective of their interaction: The deepening of cultural self-awareness can promote the enhancement of cultural confidence, while the enhancement of cultural confidence can improve the initiative and depth of cultural self-awareness. The consolidation of cultural confidence can inject impetus into cultural self-strengthening, while the advancement of cultural self-strengthening can further strengthen the foundation and vitality of cultural confidence, promoting its sublimation into a more lasting spiritual force. The elevation of cultural self-awareness can point out the correct direction for cultural self-strengthening, while the achievements of cultural self-strengthening can drive cultural self-awareness to evolve toward deeper levels.
Cultural awareness, cultural confidence, and cultural self-strengthening are highly unified in their pursuit of values and mutually reinforcing in their ideological content, together constituting an indivisible, organic whole. On the new journey of the New Era, we must further and profoundly study and comprehend Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. We must use cultural awareness to fortify our ideological foundations, use cultural confidence to stimulate spiritual momentum, and use cultural self-strengthening to realize our developmental goals, thereby collectively forging new glories for socialist culture.
About the Author: Dong Xiaotong is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee.
Source: Literature of the Communist Party of China [9], Issue 6, 2025. Editor: Huihui.