Wang Yingjie: The "Uniqueness" Emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping
"Unique" (独一无二) refers to that which is one of a kind, with no other like it; it is a metaphor for that which is most prominent or extremely rare, possessing no comparable or identical counterpart. The Chinese nation is a unique, big family of multi-ethnic unity and integration; Chinese culture possesses unique concepts, wisdom, character, and charm; the Communist Party of China (CPC) is the world's unique and largest Marxist governing party; and the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics has achieved a unique and monumental success on the global stage. In the New Era, Chinese Communists, characterized by a unique spiritual temperament, have rooted themselves in the Chinese land while looking toward the future of humanity. They unswervingly advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization, thereby creating a new form of human civilization. To deeply study General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on being "unique" is of great practical significance for strengthening our historical confidence, enhancing our historical initiative [1], fully exerting our own unique advantages, and joining hands to create a better future for humanity on the new journey of the New Era.
On September 7, 2013, during a speech at Nazarbayev University, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the Silk Road Economic Belt inhabits a total population of nearly 3 billion, representing a market scale and potential that is unique. There is immense potential for cooperation among all nations in the fields of trade and investment. The Silk Road Economic Belt connects the Asia-Pacific economic circle to the east and the European economic circle to the west, and is considered the longest and most potential-laden economic corridor in the world. Jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt makes the economic ties between Eurasian countries closer, mutual cooperation deeper, and development space broader; it is a grand undertaking that benefits the people of all countries along the route. Less than a month later, on October 3, 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the initiative to jointly build the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" in Indonesia. Over the past nine years, moving from concept to action and from the bold strokes of "grand sketches" to the meticulous details of "fine brushwork" [2], the "Belt and Road" is becoming a road of peace, prosperity, openness, green development, innovation, and civilization that benefits the people of countries along its path. The joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has become a widely welcomed international public good and platform for international cooperation.
On January 5, 2018, in a speech at the opening ceremony of a study session for newly elected members and alternate members of the Central Committee, as well as provincial and ministerial-level leading officials, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that China has formed a unified multi-ethnic state with a population of over 1.3 billion that is highly united in spirit and culture, which is unique in the world. China's history, spanning several millennia to the present day without interruption, has formed a uniquely characterized, profound, and extensive system of values and civilization, which is unique in the world. China has formed socialism with Chinese characteristics—which suits our national realities and conforms to the characteristics of the times—and has achieved great success, which is unique in the world. China has formed the Communist Party of China—which serves the people whole-heartedly, possesses over 89 million members, and is tightly organized—holding long-term governance in China, which is unique in the world. Behind these four "uniques" lies the immense centripetal force and cohesion inherent in Chinese culture. Common values, a shared sense of home and country [3], and common spiritual pursuits pervade the Chinese land and run through the entire Chinese nation. It is through these "commonalities" that we have the big family of China’s multi-ethnic harmony and integration, the continuous and flourishing vitality of the Chinese nation, and the political situation of solidarity and unity in Chinese society. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is an unprecedented and great undertaking, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is by no means something that can be achieved easily by simply "beating drums and gongs" [4]. Today, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. Our country's development has entered a period where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. To meet these challenges and fight the "winds and waves," we must first unite and coalesce the entire society, ensuring that the 56 ethnic groups of China "hold together as tightly as pomegranate seeds," transforming the sense of community for the Chinese nation into a tectonic force for national rejuvenation. The Party is the core of leadership for all our undertakings. As the ancients said, "The six directions share the same customs, and the nine provinces follow a unified system" (六合同风，九州共贯) [5]. In contemporary China, without the leadership of the Party, this would be impossible. Persistent adherence to the Party’s overall leadership is the inevitable path to upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. On the new journey of the New Era, the whole Party must adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving the people whole-heartedly, always maintaining flesh-and-blood ties with the masses, always accepting their criticism and supervision, and always breathing the same air, sharing the same fate, and linking hearts with the people. We must continuously consolidate the great unity of all ethnic groups across the country, strengthen the great unity of all Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and create a powerful synergy to realize the Chinese Dream with one heart.
On September 10, 2018, in a speech at the National Education Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that every student is a unique individual with different endowments, talents, hobbies, and specialties. We must not focus only on high-achieving students, causing many others to be ignored or forgotten, and preventing them from experiencing the achievements of learning and the joy of growth, leading to a loss of confidence. We must respect, understand, trust, and inspire students, treating them fairly and justly, believing that every student is a moldable talent, and excelling at discovering the "shining points" and specialties of every student. Education is a matter of great importance to the State and the Party. Focusing on cultivating socialist builders and successors with an all-round development in morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetic grounding, and hard work, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed deepening the reform of the educational system, improving the mechanism for fostering virtue through education (立德树人) [6], and reversing unscientific educational evaluation orientations. How a student is cultivated depends on what yardstick is used to measure them and what perspective is used to discover them. We must resolutely overcome the "chronic diseases" of over-reliance on scores, enrollment rates, diplomas, papers, and titles (唯分数、唯升学、唯文凭、唯论文、唯帽子) [7]. We must follow the laws of educational development, the laws of teaching and mentoring, and the laws of student growth, respecting students' individuality and differences, innovating educational and teaching methods, and better stimulating the potential of every student. “Where the sun's rays do not reach / Youth naturally comes of its own accord / The moss flower is as small as a grain of rice / Yet it learns to bloom like a peony.” [8] This poem by the Qing Dynasty poet Yuan Mei is deeply moving and inspires us: the gaze of education should not always be fixed on the dazzling peonies in the garden but should be directed more toward the inconspicuous moss flowers in the corner. Treating students fairly and justly, so that every child can grow up happily and become a useful talent, is an intrinsic requirement of educational equity.
On October 9, 2019, in a meeting with then-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that China and Pakistan are unique all-weather strategic cooperative partners. No matter how the international and regional situations change, the China-Pakistan friendship remains unbreakable and rock-solid, and China-Pakistan cooperation always maintains vigorous vitality, continuously expanding and deepening. On September 13, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping published a signed article in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda titled "Building on the Past to Create a Brighter Future for China-Kazakhstan Relations," pointing out that over the past 30 years, China-Kazakhstan relations have strode forward, progressing from good-neighborly friendship to a strategic partnership, and then to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership. This has established a unique bilateral relationship positioning, creating a new type of state-to-state relations characterized by mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in times of difficulty, and mutual benefit. Now, China-Pakistan and China-Kazakhstan relations have become models of China’s peripheral diplomacy and models in global international relations. China always adheres to the foreign policy goals of maintaining world peace and promoting common development, and is committed to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. China insists on developing friendly cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence [9], promoting the building of a new type of international relations [10], deepening and expanding equal, open, and cooperative global partnerships, and committing to expanding the convergence of interests with all countries. Building a community with a shared future for humanity is the future for people of all countries. "All living things grow together without harming one another; ways are followed in parallel without interfering with one another" (万物并育而不相害，道并行而不相悖) [11]. On the new journey, we must always promote the common values of humanity, maintain world peace, promote world development, and continuously drive the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. Today's world faces unprecedented challenges; the future and destiny of humanity are held and decided by the people of all countries. As long as we follow the "Great Way" together, all nations can live in harmony, achieve win-win cooperation, and join hands to create a beautiful future for the world.
From January 18 to 19, 2021, while inspecting Beijing and Hebei, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the renovation and construction of venues for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics integrated many Chinese elements, reflecting our cultural confidence. We must not only host a grand Winter Olympic games but also host them with distinctive features, splendor, and uniqueness. China successfully hosted the Winter Olympics, presenting a splendid, extraordinary, and excellent games to the world and fully fulfilling its solemn commitment to the international community. Venues such as "Snow Ruyi," "Snow Dragon," and the "Snow Great Wall" [12] demonstrated China’s cultural heritage and witnessed winter athletes achieving great success; the Winter Olympics mascot "Bing Dwen Dwen" highlighted the clever combination of tradition and fashion and was widely welcomed... The mutual brilliance of Chinese culture and ice and snow elements reflected the beauty of nature, humanity, and sports, interpreting the credible, lovable, and respectable image of China in the New Era. The successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics promoted exchange and mutual learning between different civilizations, played an important role in promoting global solidarity, cooperation, and overcoming difficulties together, and brought confidence and hope to a turbulent world, sending out the strong call of the times to "Together for a Shared Future."