Jiang Hui: Continuously Writing New Chapters in the Adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese Context and the Needs of the Times
To continuously write new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, we must persist in applying dialectical materialism and historical materialism. We must combine the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture; we must grasp the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and adhere to and apply the stances, viewpoints, and methods that permeate it.
Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which we establish and prosper both our Party and our country. Continuously writing new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is the solemn historical responsibility of contemporary Chinese Communists. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC: "Practice tells us that why the Communist Party of China works, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good, is ultimately because Marxism works, and particularly when Marxism is Sinicized and modernized." The important expositions of General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly clarify the great significance and inevitable requirements of continuously opening new horizons in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Only by combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture, and by persisting in the use of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, can we correctly answer the major questions posed by the times and practice, and maintain the vigorous vitality and robust strength of Marxism.
Persist in Applying Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The scientific and revolutionary nature of Marxist theory stems from the scientific worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism. It provides us with a powerful ideological weapon for understanding and transforming the world, and points out the correct direction forward for world socialism." Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has persisted in applying dialectical materialism and historical materialism. With a brand-new perspective, it has deepened its understanding of the laws of governance by a Communist Party, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society. This has resulted in major theoretical innovation, centrally embodied in 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 era, representing a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. This scientific thought persists in using dialectical materialism to observe and solve Chinese problems. It emphasizes learning and mastering the principle that the world is a unity of matter and that matter determines consciousness; it insists on formulating policies and promoting work based on objective reality. It emphasizes mastering the basic principles of the movement of contradictions [1] in things, continuously strengthening "problem-consciousness" (wèntí yìshí), and actively facing and resolving contradictions encountered in the march forward. It emphasizes mastering the fundamental methods of materialist dialectics, continuously enhancing the capacity for dialectical thinking, and improving the ability to manage complex situations and handle complex problems. It emphasizes mastering the principles of the dialectical relationship between knowledge and practice, adhering to the viewpoint that practice comes first, and continuously promoting theoretical innovation based on practice. This scientific thought also persists in using historical materialism to observe and solve Chinese problems, emphasizing the method of analyzing basic social contradictions to deeply understand the importance and urgency of comprehensively deepening reform. It emphasizes the viewpoint that material production is the basis of social life to accurately grasp the major relationships in comprehensively deepening reform. It emphasizes the viewpoint that the masses are the creators of history, relying closely on the people to advance reform, and so forth.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era persists in using dialectical materialism and historical materialism to research and solve Chinese problems. It scientifically answers the "Questions of China, the World, the People, and the Times." In guiding the great practice of the New Era, it has enriched and developed Marxism, opening new horizons for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. In contemporary China, to persist in and develop Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is to truly persist in and develop Marxism.
Combine the Basic Tenets of Marxism with China’s Specific Realities and Fine Traditional Chinese Culture
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is based on Chinese reality and rooted in Chinese soil. It proposes a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies for state governance, leading the cause of the Party and the country to achieve historical achievements and undergo historical transformations. With major original contributions, rich theoretical connotations, high cultural self-confidence, powerful practical force, and distinct theoretical characteristics, it has achieved a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. It has become a glorious paradigm of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must persist in liberating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. We must better unify the persistence in Marxism with the development of Marxism, and continue to use the 'arrow' of Marxism to shoot at the 'target' of China in the New Era [2]. We must continue to promote the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture, so that Marxism displays more Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese demeanor, continuing to write new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism." Marxism profoundly reveals the general laws of the development of human society and is the scientific truth for people to understand and transform the world. At the same time, this scientific theory has not exhausted truth; rather, it has opened the path toward truth. It is precisely along this path that our Party has combined the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture, continuously promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era applies the basic tenets of Marxism to analyze and solve a series of major theoretical and practical problems facing the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. By continuously promoting theoretical and practical innovation, it has expanded the connotations and pathways of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, making major original contributions to the enrichment and development of Marxism.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era integrates the ideological essence of Marxism with the finest of fine traditional Chinese culture and the common values that the masses "use daily without realizing" [3]. It continuously endows scientific theory with distinct Chinese characteristics and consolidates the historical and mass foundations for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, allowing Marxism to take firm root in China. In promoting the combination of Marxist tenets with fine traditional Chinese culture, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era inherits the unique genes of Chinese culture and civilization. It promotes the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, activating its vitality with the spirit of the times. This provides the ideological strength for "strengthening the foundation and cultivating the soul" (gùběn péiyuán, lìgēn zhùhún) [4] in the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, injects a more proactive spiritual force for enhancing national self-confidence and self-reliance, and makes a world-wide contribution to the progress of human civilization.
The development of practice never ends, and the promotion of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism also knows no end. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era fully demonstrates the scientific and truthful nature, the people-oriented and practical nature, and the open and contemporary nature of Marxism. It is filled with a rich Chinese flavor, deep Chinese sentiment, and a noble national soul. It centrally embodies the profound grasp of the laws of Marxist development by Chinese Communists in the New Era, pointing out the way forward and providing the fundamental compliance for further combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture.
Continuously Promote Theoretical Innovation Based on Practice
To continuously write new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, we must grasp the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must adhere to and apply the stances, viewpoints, and methods that permeate it. We must focus on solving the practical problems of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization in the New Era, making correct answers that conform to China’s reality and the requirements of the times, reaching scientific understandings that conform to objective laws, and forming theoretical results that advance with the times to better guide China's practice.
We must persist in putting the people first. Any theory that is divorced from the people is pale and weak, and any theory that does not benefit the people lacks vitality. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era persists in being people-centered; it is a scientific theory for the people and for the benefit of the people. To continuously promote theoretical innovation based on practice, we must persist in putting the people first, maintain a firm people’s stance, grasp the people’s aspirations, respect the people’s creativity, and concentrate the people’s wisdom to form a theory that is loved, recognized, and possessed by the people.
We must persist in self-confidence and self-reliance. There has never been a textbook or a ready-made answer for the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to move from the profound suffering of modern times toward the bright prospects of great rejuvenation. The successful path of the Party’s century-long struggle was explored and opened by the Party leading the people independently. The Chinese chapters of Marxism were practiced by Chinese Communists relying on their own strength. A fundamental point running through this is that China's problems must be based on China's basic national conditions and answered by the Chinese people themselves. To continuously promote theoretical innovation based on practice, we must persist in self-confidence and self-reliance, using Chinese theory to interpret Chinese practice and using Chinese practice to sublimate Chinese theory.
We must persist in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era persists in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, making a series of original contributions to Marxist philosophy, Marxist political economy, and scientific socialism, thus opening new horizons in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. To continuously promote theoretical innovation based on practice, we must persist in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, treat science with a scientific attitude, pursue truth with the spirit of truth, and treat all new things with great enthusiasm. We must continuously expand the breadth and depth of our understanding, dare to say new things that our predecessors did not say, dare to do things that our predecessors did not do, and guide new practices with new theories.
We must persist in being problem-oriented. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Persistence in being problem-oriented is a distinct characteristic of Marxism. Problems are the starting point of innovation and its source of power." Only by listening to the voice of the times, responding to the call of the times, and earnestly researching and solving major and urgent problems can we truly grasp the pulse of history, find the laws of development, and promote theoretical innovation. To continuously promote theoretical innovation based on practice, we must focus on new problems encountered in practice, deep-seated problems in reform, development, and stability, the "urgent, difficult, and anxious" (jí nán chóu pàn) problems of the masses, major problems in the changing international situation, and prominent problems facing Party building, continuously putting forward new concepts, new ideas, and new methods that truly solve problems.
We must persist in a systems concept. The systems concept is an important category of Marxist epistemology and methodology, and a basic ideological and working method for a Marxist political party. To continuously promote theoretical innovation based on practice, we must persist in the systems concept, continuously improving our capacity for strategic thinking, historical thinking, dialectical thinking, systems thinking, innovative thinking, rule-of-law thinking, and bottom-line thinking. This provides scientific ideological methods for forward-looking thinking, holistic planning, and the comprehensive advancement of the various undertakings of the Party and the state.
We must persist in maintaining a global perspective. The Communist Party of China is a party that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and a party that struggles for the cause of human progress. It has always taken making new and greater contributions to humanity as its mission, always marching hand-in-hand with all progressive forces in the world. To continuously promote theoretical innovation based on practice, we must persist in maintaining a global perspective, expand our world vision, profoundly insight into the trends of human development and progress, actively respond to the universal concerns of people in all countries, and contribute to solving the common problems facing humanity. With a broad mind that "absorbs all rivers" (hǎinàbǎichuān), we should learn from and absorb all the excellent achievements of human civilization to promote the building of a better world.