Wu Degang: The Major Contributions of the 20th National Congress of the CPC to World Socialism
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress: "Scientific socialism is full of vitality in 21st-century China. Chinese-path modernization offers humanity a new choice for achieving modernization. The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people have provided more and better Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength to help solve shared problems facing humanity, making new and greater contributions to the noble cause of human peace and development!" This assertion highly summarizes and profoundly explains the major contributions of the CPC in the New Era and the 20th National Congress to world development and world socialism.
I. The 20th National Congress has established a new milestone for scientific socialism with brand-new scientific theoretical contributions
Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which we carry out the building and rejuvenation of our Party and our country. For over 100 years, the CPC has remained committed to continuously advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, using Sinicized and modernized Marxist theory to guide the great practices of revolution, construction, reform, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
During the period of the New Democratic Revolution [1], Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, integrated the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism with China’s specific realities. They blazed the correct revolutionary path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing political power by armed force, created Mao Zedong Thought, and pointed out the correct direction for securing victory in the New Democratic Revolution. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, carried out a "second integration" [2] of the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism with China’s specific realities. They proposed a series of important ideas regarding socialist construction, providing scientific guidance for the development of the cause of the Party and the people. During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, Chinese Communists, with Comrades Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao as their chief representatives, focused closely on a series of major issues concerning the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics. They successively created Deng Xiaoping Theory, formed the Theory of Three Represents, formed the Scientific Outlook on Development, and successfully initiated, upheld, and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Since the 18th National Congress, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era. Facing new changes in the internal and external situation and new requirements for practice, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have persisted in integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China’s fine traditional culture [3]. Proceeding from new realities, they created Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Comrade Xi Jinping has undertaken profound reflection and a scientific assessment of a series of major theoretical and practical issues concerning the development of the cause of the Party and the country and the Party's governance of the country. He has proposed a series of original new concepts, ideas, and strategies regarding major questions of the times—such as what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics we should uphold and develop in the New Era and how to uphold and develop it; what kind of great modern socialist country we should build and how to build it; and what kind of long-term governing Marxist party we should build and how to build it. He has put forward many landmark, leading new ideas, viewpoints, and assertions in various fields such as Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism. He has scientifically answered the "Questions of China, the World, the People, and the Times" [4] and is the principal founder of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has deepened our understanding of the laws of governance by a Communist party, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society with a brand-new perspective. It has enriched and developed Marxism and, through vivid practice and innovative theory, achieved a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. As the 20th National Congress pointed out: "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism. It embodies the best of Chinese culture and the spirit of our times."
Reviewing the 500-year arduous journey of world socialism through wind and rain, and looking back at the twists and turns of the Chinese Communists' century-long effort to advance the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, practice tells us that why the CPC works and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good is, in the final analysis, because Marxism works, and particularly because Sinicized and modernized Marxism works. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era profoundly summarizes the great practices of the New Era. It scientifically answers many major theoretical and practical problems that classical Marxist writers did not discuss, that our predecessors never encountered, and that other socialist countries and even Western developed countries have been unable to solve. This has given contemporary scientific socialism distinct Chinese characteristics and opened up new horizons for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Its powerful ideological leadership, theoretical appeal, and historical penetration have established a new milestone for scientific socialism, endowed scientific socialism with brand-new connotations of the times, and demonstrated the latest creative developments in scientific socialist theory. The newly revised Constitution of the Communist Party of China at the 20th National Congress further incorporated the new developments of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We firmly believe this will surely have profound world-historical significance.
II. The 20th National Congress proposed advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization, further enabling socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era to radiate the vigorous vitality of scientific socialism and opening new horizons for socialism with Chinese characteristics
Direction determines the path, and the path determines destiny. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the dialectical unity of the theoretical logic of scientific socialism and the historical logic of China’s social development. It is scientific socialism rooted in Chinese soil, reflecting the will of the Chinese people, and adapting to the requirements of the development and progress of China and the times." For over 100 years, the CPC has always remained committed to the ideals and convictions of communism and socialism. Always proceeding from our national conditions, the Party has united and led the Chinese people through bloody battles and unyielding perseverance, self-reliance and hard work, emancipating the mind and forging ahead, and maintaining self-confidence and self-reliance while upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. It has explored and formed a correct path consistent with China’s reality, opening up the path of New Democratic Revolution, the path of socialist revolution, the path of socialist construction, and the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It has created great achievements in the New Democratic Revolution, the socialist revolution and construction, reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, and further, the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.
Since the 18th National Congress, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Party Central Committee has adopted a series of strategic measures, promoted a series of transformative practices, achieved a series of breakthrough advances, and obtained a series of landmark results. It has solved many difficult problems that remained unresolved for a long time, accomplished many major tasks concerning long-term interests, and the Party has withstood the tests of risks and challenges from politics, economy, ideology, and the natural world. It has completed the historic task of poverty alleviation and the comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society, achieved the First Centenary Goal, promoted historic achievements and shifts in the cause of the Party and the country, propelled our country onto a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, and opened up new horizons for socialism with Chinese characteristics. Over the past 10 years of the New Era, the Party has led the people of all ethnic groups nationwide to "roll up our sleeves and get to work" [5], achieving a historic leap in China's economic strength. The GDP has grown from 54 trillion yuan to 114 trillion yuan, and the proportion of China's economy in the world economy has reached 18.5%, remaining firmly in second place. From 2013 to 2021, China’s average contribution to world economic growth exceeded 30%, ranking first in the world. In these 10 years, we won the largest-scale battle against poverty in human history. All 832 impoverished counties nationwide were lifted out of poverty, and nearly 100 million rural poor were relocated from poverty. We historically resolved the problem of absolute poverty that had plagued the Chinese nation for thousands of years, making a major contribution to the global cause of poverty reduction.
The great transformations, immense successes, and brilliant achievements of the New Era's first decade were won through the hard work and practical efforts of the Party leading the people of all ethnic groups to overcome myriad difficulties. The facts profoundly prove that socialism with Chinese characteristics is the crystallization of great practice rooted in Chinese soil. They signal to the world that "scientific socialism is full of vitality in 21st-century China" and that "socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only path to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The success of scientific socialism in China is of immense significance for Marxism, for scientific socialism, and for world socialism." The success of socialism with Chinese characteristics has not only profoundly changed China but also profoundly changed the trends and landscape of world development. It has expanded the pathways for developing countries toward modernization and provided a brand-new choice for those countries and nations in the world that wish to speed up their development while maintaining their independence. The great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics in China demonstrates that socialism has not perished, nor will it perish; rather, it radiates vigorous vitality. The success of socialism with Chinese characteristics announces the obsolescence of the "Marxism is obsolete" theory, the end of the "end of socialism" theory, and the collapse of the "China collapse" theory propagated by Western scholars after the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe [6]. It allows Marxism to appear before the world with a brand-new image, causing a major shift in the historical evolution and competition between the two ideologies and social systems of socialism and capitalism on a global scale—a shift in favor of socialism.
Modernization is the common pursuit of people all over the world, as well as the goal that the Chinese people have diligently pursued in modern times. The 20th National Congress proposed advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization, expanding the pathways for developing countries toward modernization. Looking at the globe, China has completed in decades the industrialization process that took developed countries centuries, creating the twin miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. As the world's largest developing country, the practice of Chinese-path modernization is invaluable. Moving toward the future, the practice and experience of Chinese-path modernization will surely continue to provide more choices and make greater contributions to human modernization.
III. The 20th National Congress has held high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics and will surely promote socialism with Chinese characteristics to become the main pillar for the revitalization of world socialism
The banner is of paramount importance; the banner determines the direction. The 20th National Congress took "holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics" as the leading theme of the congress, declaring to the world: On the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and marching toward the Second Centenary Goal, the CPC will continue to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, unite and lead the Chinese people in carrying forward the cause and forging ahead into the future, advance socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era with a spirit of proactive enterprise, and continuously win new victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Engels once said: "So-called 'socialist society' is not something immutable. Like all other social formulations, it should be viewed as a society that is constantly changing and reforming." By examining the 500-year history of socialist thought, we can more clearly see the trajectory of the development of Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics, recognize more fully the historical necessity and scientific truth of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and understand more profoundly that socialism with Chinese characteristics originated from scientific socialism, yet is a "new version" of scientific socialism that contains content for the New Era.
In its 500 years, world socialism has gone through a historical process from utopian to scientific, from theory to practice, from practice in one country to development in multiple countries, and from suffering severe setbacks to gradually emerging from a low ebb toward revitalization. In the late 1980s and early 1990s...
In the early 1990s, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the collapse of the CPSU, and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe [7], the first socialist state and the socialist countries of Eastern Europe ceased to exist. World socialism entered a low ebb. This not only dealt a severe blow to the vast number of developing countries yearning for socialism but also resulted in many developing countries being forced onto the path of mechanically copying Western institutional models. World socialism suffered serious setbacks. For decades, Chinese Communists have remained firmly convinced that "as long as Chinese socialism does not fall, socialism will always hold its ground in the world." With firm and persistent struggle and extraordinary achievements, socialism with Chinese characteristics has reversed the downward trend of the world socialist movement, stabilized the ship of world socialism, and strengthened the faith of communists worldwide in Marxism and their conviction in socialism.
Entering the New Era, through the great practice of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, we have promoted the coordinated development of material, political, spiritual, social, and ecological civilizations. We have successfully blazed a Chinese-path modernization, created a new form of human civilization [8], written a new chapter in the world socialist movement, and successfully pushed scientific socialism into a new stage. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is becoming the banner for the development of 21st-century scientific socialism and the mainstay [9] for the revitalization of world socialism."
IV. The Communist Party of China and Chinese Communists, who "maintain a global vision," are radiating an unprecedented spirit of historical initiative and historical creativity. They will surely make greater contributions to solving the common problems facing humanity and lead a new era of human civilizational development.
For more than 100 years, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has been committed to the eternal cause of the Chinese nation and the noble cause of human peace and development. The victory of the New Democratic Revolution [10] greatly changed the world political landscape and encouraged the struggles for liberation by oppressed nations and peoples throughout the world. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the most extensive and profound social transformation in Chinese history was realized, solemnly declaring to the world that the Chinese people are not only good at destroying an old world but also at building a new one. During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, our Party faced international tempests and firmly continued to advance on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, promoting the realization of the great leap of the Chinese nation from standing up to becoming prosperous.
As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we have continuously enriched and developed the new form of human civilization. We have actively promoted the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, striving to contribute Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength toward solving major human problems and building a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, and clean beauty.
Looking to the future, the changes of the world, of our times, and of history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. The peace deficit, development deficit, security deficit, and governance deficit are continuously increasing. Human society faces complex and arduous challenges, and the world once again stands at a crossroads of history. Facing the "question of the times"—"What is wrong with the world, and what should we do?"—the report to the 20th CPC National Congress further clearly declared that Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that unswervingly follows the path of peaceful development. It further expounded the CPC's proposition to "promote world peace and development and a community with a shared future for humanity." A series of concepts, propositions, and solutions reflecting Chinese positions, Chinese wisdom, and Chinese values—such as the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, the Belt and Road Initiative, the building of a new type of international relations, and the global governance outlook of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits—have provided ideas for solving the major problems facing all of humanity, cracked the difficult problems for a confused and perplexed world, and become an important force for promoting human development and progress.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "No matter the winds or rains, humanity must always move forward." The 1.4 billion Chinese people, who love peace and are led by the CPC with its global vision, are radiating an unprecedented spirit of historical initiative and historical creativity. They will surely contribute more wisdom and strength to the progress of human civilization and push the wheels of history toward a bright future. We firmly believe that under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, socialist China will surely stand loftier in the East, and socialism with Chinese characteristics will surely lead the cause of world socialism toward continuous revitalization!
(This article is the speech delivered by Wu Degang—President of the China Society for the History of the International Communist Movement and former Vice President of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee—at the "Seminar on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress" held on October 25, 2022. The seminar was jointly organized by the Institute of Party History and Literature, the Chinese Society of CPC History, the China Institute of CPC Literature Research, the China Society for CPC Historical Figures Research, the China Society for Mao Zedong Poetry Research, the China Society for Marx-Engels Research, and the China Society for the History of the International Communist Movement.)
Web Editor: Lian Yu Source: Party Literature (Dang de Wenxian), Issue 6, 2022.