Gong Yun: The Great Transformation of the New Era Holds Landmark Significance in the History of the Chinese Nation's Development
Editor’s Note: Xi Jinping’s important speech at the specialized seminar for provincial and ministerial-level leading cadres, titled "Studying the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches, welcoming the 20th Party Congress," scientifically analyzed major international and domestic trends. It profoundly expounded upon the great transformations of the past five years and especially the ten years of the New Era, explored major theoretical and practical issues regarding the persistence and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and profoundly elucidated the major principles and action programs for the development of the Party and state’s undertakings in the coming period. To deeply study and comprehend the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech, this journal has specially invited experts and scholars in relevant fields to conduct an in-depth analysis and systematic exposition of the speech’s spirit. We hope this will assist our readers in correctly grasping the core tenets, spiritual essence, rich connotations, and practical requirements of the General Secretary’s speech.
In his important speech at the seminar, Xi Jinping pointed out that the great transformation of the New Era holds milestone significance in the history of the development of the Chinese nation. This major judgment profoundly reveals the great significance of the New Era within the longitudinal history of the Chinese nation.
The New Era is a continuation of the history of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) long-term struggle to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The theme of the CPC’s century of struggle has been the realization of this rejuvenation. The Chinese nation is an ancient and great nation that created a splendid civilization spanning over 5,000 years, making indelible contributions to the progress of human civilization. After the Opium War of 1840, due to the invasion of Western powers and the corruption of feudal rule, China gradually became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. The nation suffered humiliation, the people endured misery, and civilization was shrouded in dust [1]; the Chinese nation suffered unprecedented catastrophe. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the CPC, by opposing imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism, achieved national independence and people's liberation, creating the fundamental social conditions for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the CPC led the Chinese people in socialist revolution, realizing the transition from New Democracy to socialism, advancing socialist construction, and laying the fundamental political prerequisites and institutional foundations for rejuvenation. During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the CPC continued to explore the correct path for building socialism in China, liberating and developing the productive forces so that the people could escape poverty and become prosperous as quickly as possible, providing the institutional guarantee of new vitality and the material conditions for rapid development. Since the 18th Party Congress, the CPC has inaugurated the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieved the First Centenary Goal, realized a historical leap in the process of national rejuvenation, and embarked on a new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal [2], moving toward the grand objective of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. For 100 years, the CPC has led the Chinese people in unremitting struggle, opening the correct path for rejuvenation. It has realized China’s transformation from fragmentation and a "heap of loose sand" [3] to high unity and national solidarity; from being impoverished, weak, and "poor and blank" [4] to achieving moderate prosperity in all respects (xiaokang), prosperity, and strength; and from being passively attacked and bullied to being independent and firm in self-confidence. In just a few decades, China completed the industrialization process that took developed countries centuries to traverse, creating the "two miracles" of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters the New Era, the Chinese nation presents to the world a scene of flourishing prosperity, standing tall in the East.
The New Era marks the entry of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into an irreversible process. Achieving this rejuvenation has been the greatest dream of the Chinese nation in modern times. The New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics holds milestone significance within the 180-plus-year process of national rejuvenation. In the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—with great historical initiative, immense political courage, and a strong sense of responsibility—has coordinated the domestic and international situations, implemented the Party’s basic theory, line, and strategy, and overseen the "Great Struggle, Great Project, Great Cause, and Great Dream" [5]. This has ushered in a great leap for the Chinese nation: from falling behind the times, to catching up with the times, and finally to leading the times, creating a magnificent historical drama that "shook heaven and earth and moved the gods" [6]. The historical achievements and transformations in the undertakings of the Party and the state in the New Era have provided a more complete institutional guarantee, a more solid material foundation, and a more proactive spiritual force for national rejuvenation. Socialism with Chinese characteristics entering the New Era means that the Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong, marking the entry of national rejuvenation into the stage of comprehensive realization.
The New Era has opened a new epoch in the 5,000-plus-year development of Chinese civilization. How to eliminate poverty and enable the Chinese people to live a beautiful life of common prosperity has been a millennial dream of the Chinese nation. How to change the history of the minority oppressing the majority that has existed for thousands of years since the dissolution of primitive society, and instead realize the people's status as masters of the country, has been a goal pursued diligently for millennia. How to make greater contributions to human civilization is an important prerequisite for the Chinese nation to stand tall in the world. The New Era has made pioneering historical contributions to achieving these goals, realizing a "transformation of a thousand years."
The comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society (xiaokang) has realized the Chinese nation’s millennial dream of "xiaokang." In the New Era, the CPC led the Chinese people to win the battle against poverty, completely eliminating absolute poverty on the land of China. This completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and began the new journey toward common prosperity for all people. The Chinese nation has thus entered an era where food and clothing are no longer a concern, writing the most magnificent epic in the thousands of years of national history. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the CPC has united and led the people in creating great achievements in socialist revolution and construction, reform and opening up, and the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. On the basis of these achievements, the comprehensive building of a xiaokang society was completed, historically resolving the problem of absolute poverty. Enduring hunger and living in hardship—problems that plagued the Chinese people for millennia—have generally become a thing of the past, greatly enhancing the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security.
The advancement of whole-process people’s democracy has opened a new chapter of the people as masters of the country. Marx and Engels pointed out in the Communist Manifesto (1848): "The proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense majority." Once the working class obtains the power to rule, it must "substitute for [the old state power] a new and truly democratic state power." Realizing the people's status as masters of the country is the millennial political ideal of the Chinese nation and the original aspiration and founding mission to which the CPC remains unswervingly committed. Xi Jinping pointed out: "From the day of its founding, our Party has been committed to building a new society where the people are masters, putting forward propositions for the future national system and leading the people in the struggle for it." For a century, the CPC has always taken the realization of the people as masters as its own responsibility, holding high the banner of people's democracy. In a country with thousands of years of feudal history that became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society in modern times, it has realized the people's status as masters and advanced whole-process people’s democracy. Advancing whole-process people's democracy is a new proposition, concept, and deployment for promoting Chinese-path democracy after socialism with Chinese characteristics entered its new stage. It is a vivid practice in the development of contemporary Chinese democratic politics, providing practical guidance and theoretical direction for further advancing the construction of socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics.
The New Era has promoted the modernization of Chinese civilization and created a new form of human civilization. When culture flourishes, the country flourishes; when culture is strong, the nation is strong. Civilization is a prominent marker of a modernized country. The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is, in essence, the rejuvenation of Chinese civilization. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is a great cause of comprehensive development and progress; without the flourishing of socialist culture, there can be no socialist modernization. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Without the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization, where would 'Chinese characteristics' come from? If not for these characteristics, how could we have the successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics we have today? We must attach special importance to excavating the essence of the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization and combine the promotion of excellent traditional culture with Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods, unswervingly following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics." In the coordinated promotion of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four Comprehensives, culture is a vital component. In promoting high-quality development, culture is a key fulcrum. In meeting the people's increasing needs for a better life, culture is an essential factor. In overcoming various risks and challenges on the road ahead, culture is an important source of strength. Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era has achieved the creative development and innovative transformation of Chinese civilization, promoting the coordinated development of material, political, spiritual, social, and ecological civilizations, creating a new path of Chinese-path modernization and a new form of human civilization. The New Era has shaped a brand-new form of Chinese civilization—the civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics—and achieved the modernization of Chinese civilization. This era reflects both the reform and innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the inheritance of Chinese civilization, and moreover, a qualitative leap within that inheritance. It reflects both a lineage consistent with Marxism and the practical characteristics of the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture based on contemporary Chinese reality. Within the long arc and broad historical perspective of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era has achieved the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization. By following the historical, cultural, theoretical, institutional, and practical logic of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, it has realized both the manifestation of scientific socialism in the form of Chinese civilization and the leap of Chinese civilization transitioning into a socialist civilization.
On the new journey, we are closer to, and have more confidence and capability than at any period in history to achieve the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. At the same time, the whole Party must soberly recognize that this rejuvenation is by no means something that can be achieved "easily, with the beating of drums and gongs" [7]; there remain various predictable and unpredictable risks and challenges on the road ahead. We must soberly recognize that our country is still in, and will long remain in, the primary stage of socialism; our country remains the world’s largest developing nation, and the principal contradiction in our society is the contradiction between the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. The whole Party must keep in mind the fundamental question of "what the CPC is and what it wants to do," grasp the general trend of historical development, strengthen strategic confidence, maintain historical resolve, and exercise historical initiative. We must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, firm up our ideals and beliefs, keep our original aspiration and founding mission in mind, remain modest and prudent, guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and engage in "hard struggle" (jiānkǔ fèndòu). We must draw strength for advancement from great victories and learn historical lessons from detours and setbacks. We must not be cowed by any risks or confused by any interference, and never make "subversive errors" on fundamental issues. With the tenacity to "clasp the green mountain tightly and never let go" [8], we will strive to achieve our set goals. With the clear-headedness that "ninety miles is but half the way on a hundred-mile journey" [9], we will unremittingly advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and strive to write a brand-new chapter in the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country!