Xin Xiangyang and Chen Zhigang: Profoundly Understanding the Party's Innovative Theories in the New Era
Since the 18th Party Congress, the Chinese communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have persisted in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of China’s traditional culture, thereby founding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism; it is the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in our times, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism. We must integrate the process of the historic achievements and transformations [1] in the cause of the Party and the state since the 18th Party Congress to profoundly study and comprehend the Party’s innovative theories in the New Era. We must strive to master the positions, viewpoints, and methods, as well as the underlying truths, academic logic, and philosophical underpinnings contained therein, and unswervingly arm our minds, guide our practice, and advance our work with the latest achievements of the Party’s innovative theories.
An Extensive and Profound Theoretical System
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era covers various fields including reform, development, and stability; domestic affairs, foreign policy, and national defense; and the governance of the Party, the state, and the military. It integrates Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism, while incorporating the best of China’s traditional culture and the outstanding achievements of human civilization. By coordinating the two overall situations—the domestic and the international—it systematically answers major questions of the era through a combination of theory and practice, deepening our understanding of the laws of Communist Party governance, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society with a brand-new perspective.
It provides a scientific answer to the question of the era: what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics should be upheld and developed in the New Era, and how should it be upheld and developed? The most defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and the greatest advantage of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC. The overall layout for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan (economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization construction), and the strategic layout is the Four Comprehensives (comprehensively building a modern socialist country, comprehensively deepening reform, comprehensively governing the country according to law, and comprehensively and strictly governing the Party). We must coordinate the promotion of the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" and the coordinated promotion of the "Four Comprehensives" strategic layout.
It provides a scientific answer to the question of the era: what kind of great modern socialist country should be built, and how should it be built? In upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, the general task is to realize socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. On the basis of having built a moderately prosperous society in all respects [2], we shall take a two-step approach to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of this century, advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of a massive population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development.
It provides a scientific answer to the question of the era: what kind of Marxist party capable of long-term governance should be built, and how should it be built? We must persist in and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership, adhere to the principle that the Party must supervise its own conduct and practice comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. We must comprehensively advance the Party’s political, ideological, organizational, and disciplinary construction, as well as the improvement of its work style, with institutional construction interwoven throughout. We must deeply advance the anti-corruption struggle, continuously improve the quality of Party building, and build the Party into a vibrant Marxist governing party that always stands at the forefront of the times, enjoys the wholehearted support of the people, has the courage for self-revolution, and can withstand all kinds of tests. We must lead the great social revolution with the Party’s great self-revolution.
The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century, adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, systematically summarized the core content of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era through the "Ten Clarifications" [3], demonstrating that this thought is a scientific system with rigorous logic, rich connotations, and profound breadth.
Deep and Enduring Sentiment for the People
Character for the people is the most distinctive quality of Marxism, and the people’s standpoint is our Party’s fundamental political standpoint. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era clarifies that the principal contradiction in Chinese society in the New Era is that between the people’s ever-growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. We must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, develop whole-process people’s democracy, and promote more obvious substantive progress in the well-rounded development of individuals and common prosperity for all, demonstrating a deep and enduring sentiment for the people.
Making the people’s aspiration for a better life our goal. When meeting Chinese and foreign journalists as the members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: "The people’s aspiration for a better life is what we must strive for." In the report to the 19th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The original aspiration and founding mission of Chinese communists is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation." At the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The state is the people, and the people are the state [4]. As we have fought to establish and maintain the state, we have in fact been fighting for the people’s support. The CPC has its roots in the people, its lifeblood in the people, and its strength in the people." These important discourses fundamentally answer the question of "for whom," vividly illustrating the fundamental standpoint of the Chinese communists and their fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly.
Upholding the historical materialist view that the masses are the true heroes. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The Chinese Dream is, in the final analysis, the dream of the people; it must be realized by relying closely on the people, and it must continuously bring benefits to the people." He further stated, "We must put the people's interests first. At no time and under no circumstances can our position of sharing the same breath and destiny with the masses change; our purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly must not be forgotten; and the historical materialist viewpoint that the masses are the true heroes must not be lost." "If we forget the people and detach ourselves from them, we will become water without a source or a tree without roots [5], and we will achieve nothing." These discourses fundamentally answer the question of "on whom to rely," fully reflecting that the people are the true heroes and the fundamental force determining the future and destiny of the Party and the country. We must rely on the people to create great historical undertakings.
Carrying out the mass line throughout all activities of governing the country. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In the past, present, and future, we must adhere to the principle of doing everything for the masses and relying on the masses in everything, coming from the masses and going to the masses, turning the Party's correct propositions into the conscious actions of the masses, and implementing the mass line in all activities of national governance." Since the 18th Party Congress, our Party has persisted in the mass line, leading the people forward by proposing and implementing correct theories, lines, principles, and policies. We perfect our policies and propositions based on the practical creations and developmental requirements of the people, and seek solutions to problems from among the masses, ensuring that decision-making and execution fully reflect the will of the people and effectively resolve their most immediate and practical interests.
Highly Effective and Powerful Practical Strength
Great eras produce great thoughts, and great thoughts lead great eras. Since the 18th Party Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has issued a series of major principles and policies, launched a series of major measures, advanced a series of major tasks, and overcome a series of major risks and challenges. It has solved many difficult problems that had long remained unresolved and accomplished many great things that were previously left undone. This has promoted historic achievements and transformations in the cause of the Party and the state. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has demonstrated immense power in guiding and advancing practice.
Upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership and implementing the strategic principle of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. Since the 18th Party Congress, the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee have been forcefully guaranteed. The system of Party leadership has been continuously improved, and the methods of leadership have become more scientific. The entire Party is more unified in thought, more united politically, and more consistent in action. The Party’s political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social appeal have been significantly enhanced. The roles of political guidance and guarantee in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party have been fully utilized. The Party’s ability to purify, improve, reform, and upgrade itself has been significantly increased. The situation of "loose, soft, and weak" Party governance has been fundamentally reversed. The anti-corruption struggle has achieved an overwhelming victory and has been comprehensively consolidated, leaving the Party stronger through this "revolutionary tempering."
Upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and promoting the modernization of China’s system and capacity for governance. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee determined the general objectives, strategic priorities, priorities, main directions, working mechanisms, promotion methods, timetable, and roadmap for comprehensively deepening reform. The Party has promoted reform with full force, achieving breakthroughs at multiple points and advancing steadily and deeply. From "laying the foundation and erecting the pillars" [6] to comprehensive advancement and "accumulating strength and momentum," and finally to systematic integration, synergy, and efficiency, the basic institutional framework in various fields has been essentially established. Historic changes, systematic reshaping, and holistic reconstruction have been achieved in many fields. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics has become more mature and stabilized, the modernization of the national governance system and capacity has been continuously improved, and the cause of the Party and the state has radiated new vigor and vitality.
Realizing the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled and solving the problem of absolute poverty that has plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years. China’s battle against poverty has achieved a complete victory, fulfilling the arduous task of eliminating absolute poverty and creating another miracle in human history that will shine in the annals of time. China’s economic strength, technological strength, comprehensive national strength, and the people’s living standards have jumped to new heights. China has become the world’s second-largest economy, the largest industrial nation, the largest trader in goods, and the holder of the largest foreign exchange reserves. China’s economy has embarked on a path of higher quality, more efficient, fairer, more sustainable, and more secure development.
Invaluable Original Contributions
Marxism has profoundly changed China, and China has also greatly enriched Marxism. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era clearly runs through with Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods, centrally embodying the theoretical character and spiritual essence of Marxism. It shines with the light of Marxist truth and has made original contributions to the development of Marxism.
In Marxist philosophy: It emphasizes that "problems are the expression of contradictions in things" and that "we must be adept at using the recognition and resolution of contradictions as a breakthrough to open up new situations in our work," thus enriching and developing the Marxist theory of contradictions. It emphasizes that "the systematic concept is a fundamental ideological and working method," coordinating development and security, and coordinating pandemic prevention and control with economic and social development, thus developing Marxist systems theory. It emphasizes that "historical development has its laws, but people are not completely passive within them"; one must grasp the laws and general trends of historical development, strengthen historical confidence, and take historical initiative, thus enriching the dialectical unity of historical regularity and subjective agency.
In Marxist political economy: It proposes the major theoretical viewpoint of strengthening the Party’s overall leadership over economic work, enriching the Marxist theory on the relationship between economy and politics. It proposes the people-centered development philosophy, enriching the theory on the essence of the socialist economy. It proposes the New Development Philosophy of innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing, enriching the theory on the principles of economic development. It proposes the major judgment that China’s economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development, enriching the understanding of economic development stages. It proposes the important idea of improving the socialist market economy system, enriching the theory of the market economy. It proposes the major policy of supply-side structural reform, enriching the theory on the relationship between production and need. It proposes the major strategy of constructing a new development pattern [7], enriching the theory of social reproduction. It proposes the important idea of promoting the healthy development of economic globalization, enriching the theory of the world economy.
In scientific socialism: It proposes that China has entered a new stage of development, enriching the theory of socialist developmental stages. It proposes that the principal contradiction in the New Era is that between the people’s ever-growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development, enriching the theory of contradictions in socialist society. It reveals the essence and characteristics of the new path of Chinese-path modernization and proposes the strategic deployment for building a great modern socialist country, enriching the theory of socialist modernization. It emphasizes strengthening the Party’s overall leadership and comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, innovatively developing the Marxist theory of party building.
The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee emphasized that the Party’s establishment of Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and the establishment of the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reflects the common aspirations of the entire Party, the military, and the people of all ethnic groups. It 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 the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must further study, understand, and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, more deeply recognize the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," firm up the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Upholds," striving in unity and moving forward with courage on the new journey of the New Era.