Dai Lixing: Making the Study of Party History a Compulsory Course
The Party's history is the most vivid and persuasive textbook. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that we must "consolidate and expand the achievements of Party history study and education, establish regular and long-term institutional mechanisms, and educate and guide the broad masses of Party members and cadres to treat the study and application of Party history as a lifelong compulsory course, continuously strengthening historical confidence, enhancing political consciousness, carrying forward the great founding spirit of the Party, and forging ahead on the new journey and making contributions in the New Era with full confidence." Grounded in the new stage of development, we must fully recognize the profound significance of mastering this compulsory course of Party history, firming up our ideals and convictions and practicing our original aspiration and founding mission through the process of study, reflection, practice, and realization [1], while drawing the strength to forge ahead from the Party's glorious history.
From the perspective of the Party's history, the key to the Party’s ability to grow into a Marxist party with unified thought, a consolidated organization, and consistent action lies in having a strong leadership core and the guidance of scientific theory. Through the in-depth study of Party history, we must further and profoundly understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments.
Establishing the Party’s leadership core is an important sign of the Party’s move toward maturity. Guided by scientific theory, it serves as an important guarantee for the Party’s unity and its possession of powerful combat effectiveness. For instance, the Zunyi Conference in 1935 [2] de facto established Comrade Mao Zedong’s leadership position in the Party Central Committee and the Red Army, marking the beginning of the formation of the first generation of the Party’s collective central leadership with Comrade Mao Zedong as the core. In 1945, the Seventh National Congress of the Party established Mao Zedong Thought as the Party's guiding ideology, enabling the entire Party to achieve unprecedented unity and solidarity ideologically, politically, and organizationally, which greatly promoted the development of the Party’s cause.
Since the 18th National Congress [3], the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—possessing a great spirit of historical initiative, immense political courage, and a strong sense of responsibility—has coordinated the two overall situations of domestic and international affairs. It has implemented the Party’s basic theory, basic line, and basic strategy, while overseeing the Great Struggle, Great Project, Great Cause, and Great Dream [4]. By adhering to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, it has pushed the cause of the Party and the state to achieve historical achievements and undergo historical transformations. Xi Jinping Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism, 21st-century Marxism, and the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in our times, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism. The Party's establishment of Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position in the Party Central Committee and the entire Party, and the establishment of the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reflects the common aspirations of the entire Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country. This is of decisive significance for the development of the cause of the Party and the state in the New Era and for the historical process of advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must profoundly understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, resolutely achieve the Two Upholds, resolutely execute the various systems of the Party and the state, and resolutely implement the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee.
Faith and conviction are of vital importance at all times. Studying and applying Party history plays a crucial role in strengthening Party spirit cultivation, transforming one's subjective world, and firming up ideals and convictions.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that "firming up ideals and convictions is a lifelong task that requires constant cultivation and practice; one must believe for a lifetime and guard it for a lifetime." The Party's history tells us that without a vast number of Chinese sons and daughters with firm communist ideals, there would be no Communist Party of China, no New China, and no development or progress in China today. To develop our country even better, we likewise cannot do without the power of ideals and convictions. In the New Era, the most important aspect of firming up faith and conviction is to strengthen the Four Confidences—confidence in our path, theory, system, and culture—concerning socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Party's century of struggle and its great achievements are the solid foundation for strengthening the Four Confidences. We must, by studying the century of Party history well, grasp the laws of historical development, firm up the Four Confidences, carry forward the great founding spirit of the Party, and forever maintain the political character of Communists, delivering an excellent performance in the new "test of the times" [5].
The history of the Communist Party of China is a history of practicing the Party's original aspiration and founding mission. To strengthen Party spirit cultivation, we must integrate the compulsory and lifelong course of studying and applying Party history into daily life and routine work. Party members and cadres must, through studying and comprehending the historical significance and experience of the Party's century of struggle, allow the original aspiration and founding mission to truly take root deep in their hearts and practice them with unwavering resolve. They should transform the results of their study into practical actions of serving the people whole-heartedly, combining the study and application of Party history with the effective implementation of the Party's mass line in the New Era. This involves focusing on solving the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems that concern the immediate interests of the people.
The purpose of study lies in application. For Party members and cadres, studying and applying Party history also helps in recognizing the laws of historical development and continuously enhancing the will and ability to engage in the Great Struggle.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "We look back at history not to seek solace from success, nor to rest on our laurels or find excuses to avoid the difficulties and problems we face today, but to summarize historical experience, grasp historical laws, and enhance the courage and strength to forge ahead." Our Party was born at a time of internal turmoil and external aggression for the country and peril for the nation. Through the arduous tests of practice, it forged the character and quality of not fearing risks, not fearing strong enemies, and daring to struggle and win. Today, we are closer to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any period in history, and we have more confidence and capability than ever before to achieve this goal. To better respond to various foreseeable and unpredictable risks and challenges on the road ahead, we must gain inspiration from history and extract "magic weapons" [6] for defeating the enemy from historical experience. In the new journey, we must coordinate the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world's once-in-a-century profound changes, and be brave in carrying out a Great Struggle with many new historical characteristics. This requires us to summarize and apply the rich experience of the Party in successfully responding to risks and challenges in different historical periods, daring to struggle and being adept at struggle, while continuously enhancing the awareness of struggle, enriching struggle experience, and improving struggle capabilities.
The history of the Party’s struggle is also a magnificent chapter cast by the loyalty and responsibility of the broad masses of Party members. We must learn from the spirit of loyalty and dedication of the older generation of revolutionaries and advanced models, continuously improving our courage and ability to dare to take responsibility, be good at taking responsibility, and be capable of taking responsibility. With a never-failing mental state and an indomitable fighting spirit, we will contribute wisdom and strength to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
(The author is a researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)