You Guozhen: Profoundly Grasping the Requirements of the Times for United Struggle, Creating New Great Cause Through New Endeavors
General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly noted in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that "unity and struggle are the recovery path through which the Chinese people have created historic achievements." In his 2023 New Year Address, General Secretary Xi Jinping further emphasized: "Tomorrow’s China will derive its strength from unity," and "When more than 1.4 billion Chinese people think with one mind and work toward the same goal, rowing the same boat through wind and waves and building a Great Wall of wills, there is no task we cannot accomplish and no hurdle we cannot clear." These important discourses profoundly elucidate the great significance of unity and struggle for the New Era and the new journey. They point out the direction and provide a fundamental template for our Party to unite and lead the people of all ethnic groups across the country in fulfilling the mission and task of advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization. The journey ahead is long, and struggle is the only way forward. Realizing the Second Centenary Goal [1] and the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a historical process that requires continuous unity and struggle. No matter how the clouds of change shift on the road ahead or how grave the situation becomes, as long as we profoundly grasp the requirements of the times for unity and struggle, row the same boat, and build a Great Wall of wills, we will surely be able to create new historic achievements through new struggle.
1. Unity and struggle are the only way to create historic achievements
Only a nation capable of unity and struggle has a future; only a political party capable of unity and struggle can remain invincible. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution [2], our Party successfully employed the "important magic weapon" of the united front, uniting and leading the Chinese people in bloody battles to establish the New China. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, our Party continuously consolidated the great unity of the people of all ethnic groups, realizing the great leap of a vast, populous, and "poor and blank" [3] Oriental power striding into a socialist society, and creating great achievements in socialist revolution and construction. During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, our Party persisted in the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, consolidated and developed the broadest possible patriotic united front, and mobilized the forces for common struggle to the maximum extent, advancing the great leap of the Chinese nation from standing up to becoming prosperous. Entering the New Era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the whole Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups in maintaining self-confidence and self-reliance, upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. The Party's unity and uniformity have reached a new height, the unity between the military and the people is as solid as a rock, and the morale of the people is concentrated and inspired like never before. The Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong. History and reality tell us that the broader the front of unity and the more people we unite, the stronger our force will be and the greater our certainty of victory.
Relying on unity and struggle, the Chinese people have completely cast off the fate of being bullied, oppressed, and enslaved, becoming the masters of their country, society, and their own destiny. Relying on unity and struggle, the Chinese nation has emerged from a profound crisis where its civilization could hardly be sustained, escaped the plight of decline, passivity, and constant bullying, and now stands towering in the East with a spirit of self-confidence, self-reliance, and prosperity. Relying on unity and struggle, we completed in just a few decades the industrialization process that took developed countries several centuries, creating the two major miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Relying on unity and struggle, we have effectively responded to the severe and complex international situation and the succession of massive risks faced in the New Era, successfully advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization, and providing a more complete institutional guarantee, a more solid material foundation, and more proactive spiritual strength for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. History and reality tell us that unity and struggle are the only way to create historic achievements, and unity and struggle will surely lead us from victory to new victory.
2. Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for unity and struggle
Unity must have a center of a circle; only by holding fast to the center can ten thousand hearts act as one. The fundamental reason why the Chinese people and the Chinese nation have been able to reverse their historical fate since modern times and achieve today’s tremendous success lies in the strong leadership of the CPC. Before the founding of the CPC, the Chinese people were in dire straits; the nation suffered humiliation, the people suffered misery, and civilization was shrouded in dust. Various political forces took the stage one after another, organizing various movements to save the nation from subjugation, but none could rescue the nation from its peril. After its founding, the CPC led the people in wave upon wave of struggle, overthrew the "three big mountains" [4] of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism, and completed the New Democratic Revolution. It then led the people in carrying out socialist revolution and construction and implementing reform and opening up, allowing the prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation to become bright. Entering the New Era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the people of all ethnic groups in working with one heart and forging ahead, pushing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into an irreversible historical process. History and reality tell us that Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for unity and struggle. Only by adhering to the leadership of the CPC can the unity and struggle of the Chinese people have a "backbone" [mainstay] and ensure the correct direction of progress.
As the leading force of Chinese-path modernization, the CPC possesses strong political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social mobilization capabilities. It has the ability to unite and mobilize the broadest possible masses to struggle for the realization of common goals. On the new journey, to profoundly grasp the requirements of the times for unity and struggle, we must unswervingly persist in and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership, deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," and become more conscious in upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s status as the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party, and more conscious in upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We must unswervingly maintain a high degree of consistency with the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in ideology, politics, and action. We must profoundly study and understand the core essence, rich connotations, and practical requirements of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, grasp the worldview and methodology that run through it, and educate and guide the people to firm up their faith in Marxism, their belief in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and their confidence in realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, thereby consolidating the common ideological foundation for the unity and struggle of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups. We must implement Party leadership in all fields, aspects, and links of the cause of the Party and the state, ensuring the Party can assemble the most majestic force to turn the blueprint for building a modern socialist country in all respects into reality step by step.
3. Condensing the powerful force of unity and struggle under the guidance of clear goals
Unity formed around clear goals of struggle is the most solid unity; struggle carried out by relying on close unity is the most powerful struggle. Since its founding, the CPC has inherited and carried forward the fine tradition of unity and struggle of the Chinese nation. It has proposed specific goals and tasks of unity and struggle based on the changes in the situation across different historical periods, uniting all forces that can be united, mobilizing all positive factors that can be mobilized, and continuously opening up new frontiers for unity and struggle. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, our Party called for "arousing the millions of workers and peasants to act with one heart," [5] actively promoted cooperation between the Kuomintang and the CPC, advocated the establishment of the Chinese People's United Front against Japanese Aggression, and fought bloody battles for national independence and people's liberation. After the founding of the New China, our Party specifically issued documents on strengthening Party unity, emphasizing the correct handling of contradictions among the people [6], calling for the unity of the people nationwide, striving for the support of all international friends, and struggling to build a great socialist country and to defend international peace and develop the cause of human progress. During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, our Party emphasized liberating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and uniting as one to look forward, calling for a courageous advance to build our country into a modern, powerful socialist country. Entering the New Era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core clearly proposed the goals for the New Era, pointed out the direction for struggle on the new journey, and strengthened the confidence of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation in realizing these great goals. History and reality tell us that it is precisely because the goals were clear that the people of all ethnic groups under the leadership of the CPC were able to unite closely and work together with one heart.
The 20th National Congress of the CPC profoundly analyzed the situation and challenges facing our country’s development, made comprehensive deployments for the goals, tasks, and major policies of the cause of the Party and the state for the next five years and beyond, pointed out the direction and established a guide for action, and drew a more beautiful blueprint. To profoundly grasp the requirements of the times for unity and struggle on the new journey, we must unify our thoughts and actions with the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, fully grasp the various strategic deployments made by the Congress, and deeply recognize the arduousness and complexity of the various goals and tasks for building a modern socialist country in all respects, while tangibly strengthening our consciousness and resolve in implementation. We must persist in the integration of study, thought, and application, and the unity of knowledge, belief, and action. Under the premise of grasping the general goals, directions, and requirements, we must refine each goal and task, produce targeted concrete implementation plans, and formulate clear timetables and "construction drawings." We must put the major policy decisions of the 20th National Congress into action and see results one step at a time, moving the historic cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation forward through closer unity and more tenacious struggle.
4. Persisting in continuous struggle without slackening
Entering the New Era, we are closer to, and have more confidence and capability than at any period in history to realize the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must persist in condensing the greatest synergy without negligence and persist in continuous struggle without slackening.
Currently, the world's once-in-a-century great changes are accelerating, and China is undergoing the most grand and unique practical innovation in human history. The weight of the tasks for reform, development, and stability, the number of contradictions, risks, and challenges, and the magnitude of the tests for governing the country are all unprecedented. To persist in continuous struggle without slackening, we must fully recognize the long-term, complex, and arduous nature of the Great Struggle [7]. We must firm up our will to struggle, discard all thoughts and behaviors that crave ease, avoid contradictions, or fear struggle, and face all risks and challenges from the economic, political, cultural, social, and natural spheres with a sense of "if not me, who?" and indomitable will. We must have the courage and skill to struggle, the courage and skill to take responsibility, strengthen our experience through struggle, and enhance our ability to struggle. We must make the first move and seize the initiative, attacking proactively in the face of opportunities, meeting difficulties head-on, responding actively to risks, and forging ahead toward the goal of national rejuvenation through tenacious struggle. We must maintain the revolutionary fighting spirit of arduous struggle, keeping the clarity of mind that "the last ten miles of a hundred-mile journey are the hardest," [8] maintaining the spiritual state that "success does not have to be attributed to me, but I must contribute to success," [9] and exercising the tenacity of "clinging to the green mountain and never letting go." [10] Following the strategic arrangements for the Second Centenary Goal, we must paint the blueprint to the end, work generation after generation, and with the posture and courage of a striver, clear away obstacles, innovate, and overcome all difficulties and challenges to continuously open up new horizons for the development of our cause.
We created a glorious history through unity and struggle, and we must rely on unity and struggle to open up a beautiful future. The closer we get to the goal, the more complex the situation becomes and the more arduous the tasks are. We must unite and struggle even more, gathering wisdom and strength from all quarters. On the new journey, to profoundly grasp the requirements of the times for unity and struggle, we must persist in great unity and great alliance, promoting harmony in political party relations, ethnic relations, religious relations, social strata relations, and relations between compatriots at home and abroad. we must continuously consolidate and develop the great unity of all ethnic groups, the great unity of the people across the country, and the great unity of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. We must forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, build a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation, and unite all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation under the Party's leadership into "a single piece of solid steel," forming a powerful force for common struggle. We must persist in the supremacy of the people, respect the people’s status as the principal subjects and their pioneering spirit, push the fruits of reform and development to benefit all people more extensively and fairly, promote tangible substantive progress in common prosperity, and continuously realize the people's aspirations for a better life through continuous struggle. We must firmly grasp the Party's leadership over ideological work, continue to do a good job in the publicity and education regarding the history of the Party, the New China, reform and opening up, the development of socialism, and the development of the Chinese nation. We must use socialist core values to condense the people's hearts and assemble their strength, carry forward the fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, and stimulate a powerful spiritual force for unity and struggle, creating a vivid situation where the whole Party and the entire society think with one mind and work toward the same goal.