Gao Xiang: A Great Era of Carrying Forward the National Spirit
President Xi Jinping pointed out in his 2023 New Year Address: "Today's China is a China where the national spirit is continued." The national spirit manifests the fundamental values cultivated by a nation through long-term historical evolution; it is a solid and enduring cultural gene. The national spirit of the Chinese nation, formed in the long river of history with patriotism at its core, has a long lineage and remains evergreen. It has always been the spiritual force for our steady progress and the spiritual support for our unyielding and heroic struggle. Standing at a new historical starting point and facing a future full of hope and challenges, we must further cherish the historical inheritance of the national spirit.
The Inexhaustible Driving Force for Continuous Growth and Development
"How can the water in the pond be so clear? Because there is a source of fresh water flowing in." [1] The national spirit has always been the soul and essence of a national culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly noted: "Without the active guidance of advanced culture, without the immense enrichment of the people's spiritual world, and without the continuous strengthening of the national spiritual power, it is impossible for a country or a nation to stand among the nations of the world." The Chinese nation is an ancient and great nation of the world, having created a splendid civilization spanning over 5,000 years. It has given birth to a great national spirit encompassing patriotism, constant self-improvement, the people as the foundation of the state, discarding the old to establish the new, and the world belonging to the public. This spirit has inspired generations of Chinese sons and daughters to struggle tirelessly for the survival and development of the Chinese nation.
Patriotism is the core hallmark of the Chinese national spirit. The spirit of patriotism has flowed through the blood of the Chinese nation since ancient times. Throughout history, the national spirit has been passed down through generations. From Qu Yuan, Yue Fei, Wen Tianxiang, and Shi Kefa to Lin Zexu, Zhao Yiman, and Huang Jiguang, [2] generations of Chinese people have gone through fire and water for the country and sacrificed their lives for righteousness. "One heart for the China Dream, ten thousand years of the Xiaquan poem." [3] The patriotic sentiments of the Chinese people move heaven and earth and remain the most important spiritual force maintaining and inspiring the Chinese nation today.
Constant self-improvement is the internal engine of the Chinese national spirit. The Book of Changes (Zhou Yi) states: "As heaven’s movement is ever vigorous, so must a person of noble character ceaselessly strive for self-improvement." [4] Since antiquity, "deep distress inspires sages" [5] and "many hardships rejuvenate the nation." From Yu the Great taming the floods to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, no difficulties or obstacles have been able to stop the progress of the Chinese nation. Constant self-improvement has always supported the Chinese nation in creating miracle after miracle.
The people as the foundation of the state is the value position of the Chinese national spirit. The Book of Documents (Shangshu) contains the saying: "The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is solid, the state is at peace." Since then, this theory has been continuously enriched and developed, evolving into "minben" (people-oriented) thought. [6] Its core concept emphasizes the subjective status of the masses in the state. Its influence on state governance through successive dynasties has been profound, passing down through generations and remaining fresh over time.
Discarding the old to establish the new is the developmental logic of the Chinese national spirit. Advancing with the times and adapting to changes are the consistent and precious spiritual characters of the Chinese nation. The Book of Changes already contained the idea of "change and transformation." The "Treatise on Ritual and Music" in the Book of Han states: "If governance is conducted but not effectively practiced, in extreme cases it must be changed and reformed; only then can it be ordered." Innovation and the pursuit of change are important driving forces for the development of Chinese history.
The world belonging to the public is the ideal goal of the Chinese national spirit. The Chinese nation is one full of ideals and aspirations for the future. The formation of Chinese civilization underwent a developmental process from "a sky full of stars" to "a bright moon with few stars" and finally to "diversity within unity." [7] In the process of handling relations between different ethnic groups and countries, a broad mindset was gradually formed, characterized by "treating all people as kin and all things as one’s own" (minbao wuyu), "harmony among all nations," "being dear to the people and benevolent to neighbors," "inclusivity like the sea receiving a hundred rivers," and "great virtue carrying all things." This mindset is saturated with the ideal sentiment that "when the Great Way prevails, the world belongs to the public." [8]
The great national spirit has forged the unique character and mettle of the Chinese nation. It is an indispensable spiritual gene and intellectual resource and represents the confidence and momentum that has kept the Chinese nation walking firmly on its own historical path for thousands of years.
The Towering Edifice of the National Spirit in the Decade of the New Era
Great struggles require a great national spirit, and a great national spirit forges great dreams. Since the day of its founding, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has shouldered the original aspiration and founding mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. Chinese Communists are the faithful inheritors and promoters of fine traditional Chinese culture. They have always attached great importance to the inheritance and development of the Chinese national spirit and have consistently persisted in using the power of Marxist truth to stimulate the contemporary vitality of the national spirit. They have continuously endowed the national spirit with new contemporary connotations, integrated it into the values and ideals of Chinese Communists, and nourished themselves with all the spiritual wealth created by the Chinese nation, allowing Chinese civilization to burst forth with powerful spiritual strength once again.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The reason our Party has remained in its prime after a century and continues to thrive despite many hardships is precisely because of that powerful spirit of revolution plus risk-taking." During the various historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, the Party has united and led the people of all ethnic groups to continuously enrich and develop the national spirit, endowing it with richer contemporary significance. In over a hundred years of struggle, we have formed a spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists with the Great Founding Spirit of the Party as its source. This includes the Jinggangshan Spirit, the Long March Spirit, the Yan'an Spirit, the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Spirit, the Lei Feng Spirit, the Jiao Yulu Spirit, the Red Flag Canal Spirit, the Flood Control Spirit, the Anti-SARS Spirit, the Earthquake Relief Spirit, the Poverty Alleviation Spirit, the Anti-Epidemic Spirit, and the Beijing Winter Olympics Spirit... This precious spiritual wealth transcends time and space and remains fresh. It encapsulates the firm ideals and beliefs, the fundamental purpose, and the fine style of work of the CPC. It condenses the great character of Chinese Communists—hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and pioneering spirit—and is deeply integrated into the blood of our Party, country, nation, and people, providing rich nourishment for establishing, flourishing, and strengthening the Party.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has stood at the historical coordinates of socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a New Era and the strategic height of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It has persisted in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China’s fine traditional culture. By carrying forward the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists rooted in the Great Founding Spirit of the Party, it has united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups to construct the edifice of the Chinese national spirit in the New Era.
On many important occasions, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important observations on inheriting and carrying forward the national spirit, emphasizing: "A nation’s deepest spiritual pursuit must undergo 'gene sequencing' within its continuously passed-down national spirit." "Only by not forgetting history can we open up the future; only by being good at inheritance can we be good at innovation... Only by persisting in moving from history toward the future and forging ahead by continuing the cultural bloodline of the nation can we successfully carry out today's cause." It is precisely in the close integration of history and reality, theory and practice, that the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their primary representative, established 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 the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in our time. It has greatly enriched and enhanced the national spirit centered on patriotism, and significantly replenished and developed the spirit of the times centered on reform and innovation. It opens new realms through inheritance and composes new chapters while upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, providing powerful spiritual resources, ideological guidance, and cultural nourishment for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the vitality, potential, and creativity of the Chinese nation have been continuously stimulated. The various undertakings of the Party and the state are flourishing, and Chinese civilization is becoming increasingly prosperous. In the great changes of the decade of the New Era, our Party and country have radiated an unprecedented spirit of historical initiative and historical creativity, and the edifice of the Chinese national spirit stands tall.
Promoting the Great National Spirit and Comprehensively Advancing the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
Great eras create great spirits, and great spirits drive great eras. Li Dazhao once said: "The path of history is not always smooth; sometimes it reaches a realm of difficulties and obstacles, which can only be overcome by relying on a robust spirit." Standing at the new historical starting point of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, we need all the more to continue the national spirit, firm up our historical confidence, strengthen our historical initiative, and transform the spirit of unity and struggle accumulated over more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization into a powerful force of millions of people as one, gathering the monumental strength to comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.
We must place greater emphasis on promoting the spirit of great creativity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Life never favors those who follow the beaten track and are satisfied with the status quo, nor does it wait for those who are idle and lack the will to progress; instead, it leaves more opportunities for those who are good at and courageous in innovation." "Only the reformers advance, only the innovators are strong, and only those who reform and innovate prevail." The Chinese people have reached today by relying on a spirit of creativity, and they must rely on it to move toward the future. On the new journey to achieve success in the New Era, we need to vigorously promote the spirit of great creativity and continuously advance theoretical, practical, institutional, cultural, and other forms of innovation. This will provide more perfect institutional guarantees, a more solid material foundation, and more proactive spiritual strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
We must place greater emphasis on promoting the spirit of great struggle. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The fundamental reason a nation is great is that it never gives up, never retreats, and never stops in the face of any difficulty or risk, but struggles unyieldingly for its own future and destiny." The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is definitely not something that can be achieved easily by simply beating drums and clanging gongs. At present, the global changes unseen in a century are accelerating, and the domestic tasks of reform, development, and stability are arduous and heavy. Advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization has a bright future but a long way to go. The more we develop and grow, the greater the resistance and pressure we will encounter, and the more risks and challenges we will face, necessitating even more arduous and difficult efforts. To forge ahead on the new journey, we need to carry forward the spirit of struggle characterized by "daring to command the sun and moon to bring a new day," [9] handling our own affairs well and struggling tirelessly for the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
We must place greater emphasis on promoting the spirit of great unity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "If more than 1.4 billion Chinese people think together and work together, pulling together in the same boat like a fortress of narrowed wills, there is no task that cannot be accomplished and no hurdle that cannot be overcome." Those with common desires will prevail, and those in the same boat will flourish. Practice has repeatedly proven that as long as the whole Party marches in step and remains unified, and as long as we continuously consolidate and develop the great unity of all ethnic groups, the great unity of the people of the whole country, and the great unity of all Chinese sons and daughters, and forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, we will be invincible and able to overcome all hardships, obstacles, and powerful enemies. On the new journey, the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups need to unite like "a solid piece of steel" under the Party's banner. We must take the Party's banner as our banner, the Party's direction as our direction, and the Party's will as our will. At all times and under all circumstances, we must maintain a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We must profoundly understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, strengthen the Four Consciousnesses, firm up the Four Confidences, achieve the Two Upholds, and consciously use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to solidify the soul and pool the strength of the nation.
We must place greater emphasis on promoting the spirit of great dreams. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Chinese people are a people with a spirit of great dreams." A great dream is a goal for struggle and a spiritual pillar, as well as a powerful force inspiring people to move forward. Since the dawn of modern times, achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has been the common aspiration and expectation of all Chinese sons and daughters. Currently, the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country has entered a critical period of starting out, where we will inevitably encounter various foreseeable and unforeseen risks and challenges. The more difficulties there are, the more we need the spirit of great dreams to illuminate the journey of national rejuvenation; the more challenges there are, the more we need the spirit of great dreams to guide the course. To forge ahead on the new journey, all Chinese sons and daughters, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, must always carry forward the spirit of great dreams—daring to dream, courageous in pursuing dreams, and diligent in realizing dreams.
"A scholar must be broad-minded and resolute, for the burden is heavy and the road is long." [10] Today's China is in a magnificent historical era. The 20th National Congress of the CPC has drawn a grand blueprint for comprehensively building a modern socialist country and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, clarifying the goals and tasks for the cause of the Party and the state on the new journey in the New Era. Standing at a new historical starting point, we must unite closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, persist in taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide, and in the great practice of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, unswervingly continue the great national spirit to provide an inexhaustible spiritual driving force for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
(The author is the President and Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)