Gao Xiang: Run the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Well in Accordance with the Requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee
New Eras give birth to new ideas, and new ideas guide new journeys. At this critical historical juncture of embarking on the new journey of building a powerful country and national rejuvenation, the in-depth launch of the thematic education campaign for studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a major deployment made by the Party Central Committee to fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and to mobilize all Party comrades to unite and struggle to complete the Party’s central tasks. It is a major deployment to further advance the new great project of Party building in the New Era, and it possesses significant political importance and profound historical significance for unifying the entire Party's thoughts, resolving prominent problems within the Party, always maintaining the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the masses, and promoting the development of the cause of the Party and the state. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the working conference of the thematic education campaign profoundly expounded on the great significance, objective requirements, and key measures for carrying out this thematic education from the strategic height of the overall development of the cause of the Party and the state in the New Era. It is a programmatic Marxist document that points out the way forward, establishes a guide for action, and provides the fundamental compliance for the entire Party to carry out thematic education.
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is a theoretical stronghold of Marxism, an ideological reservoir [1] serving the decision-making of the Party Central Committee and the state, the highest academic institution for research in Chinese philosophy and social sciences, and a national comprehensive research center for philosophy and social sciences. It bears the heavy responsibility of providing theoretical preparation and academic support for comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. As one of the first units to carry out thematic education, we must march in the front and set an example in studying and implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches. We must go deep and solid in comprehensively studying, grasping, and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, transforming the results of our study into a powerful force for accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and running CASS well in accordance with the requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee.
I. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a Glorious Exemplar of Upholding and Developing Marxism
If a nation is to stand at the forefront of the times, it cannot for a moment be without theoretical thinking, nor for a moment without the guidance of correct thought. Since its birth, Marxism, with the radiance of its truth, has illuminated the path of mankind’s exploration of historical laws and the quest for its own liberation. It has provided us with a powerful ideological weapon for understanding the world, grasping laws, pursuing truth, and transforming the world. It provides the fundamental worldview and methodology for our research and mastery of every discipline and field within the philosophy and social sciences. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Marxism is a continuously developing and open theory; only through indigenization can it take root, and only by staying abreast of the times can it be full of vitality.” Unifying the upholding of Marxism with the development of Marxism is the secret to Marxism’s everlasting vigor and vitality.
Reviewing the century-long journey of struggle, our Party has always persisted in applying the basic principles of Marxism to resolve practical problems in various historical periods, vividly embodying the theoretical character and spiritual essence of Marxism. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has persisted in combining the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China’s fine traditional culture (the "Two Combinations") [2]. It created Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, putting forward a series of original new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies for governing the country. It systematically answered a series of major questions of the times concerning the future and destiny of the cause of the Party and the state, as well as the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It has enriched and developed Marxism with brand-new ideological content, forming a systematic and scientific theoretical system. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism, twenty-first-century Marxism, and the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in our times, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era stands at the commanding heights of truth and morality. By integrating new eras and practices to create new theories, it has deepened our understanding of the laws of the Communist Party's governance, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society with an entirely new vision. It is the most realistic and vivid Marxism in the world today. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups nationwide. With rock-solid strategic resolve and a pioneering and innovative spirit, they have pushed the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics to achieve world-renowned great achievements, fully demonstrating the practical power of Sinicized Marxism. As the cause of the Party and the state continues to advance, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era profoundly changes China and influences the world. It provides Chinese wisdom for promoting world peace, development, and progress, and contributes Chinese solutions and Chinese strength for responding to and resolving the complex contradictions and severe challenges faced in the process of contemporary global development. It holds high the glorious banner of Marxism in contemporary China and in the world of the twenty-first century.
Marxism is not a ready-made dogma but a starting point for further research and a method for use in such research. Practice has proven that only by taking root in the fertile soil of one’s own country and national history and culture can the tree of Marxist truth have deep roots and luxuriant leaves. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “China’s fine traditional culture is the ‘root’ of our Party’s innovative theories; the fundamental path for us to promote the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is the ‘Two Combinations.’” In the historical process of promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has persisted in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, "making the past serve the present" (gǔ wéi jīn yòng) [3]. It has deeply excavated the values and spiritual identifiers within China’s fine traditional culture, activated the vitality of China’s fine traditional culture with the spirit of the times, and promoted the creative transformation and innovative development of China’s fine traditional culture. This has won unprecedented historical initiative, ideological consensus, and spiritual strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is both based on the China of reality and rooted in the China of history. Taking Chinese civilization as its source of living water, it draws rich philosophical thoughts, humanistic spirit, value concepts, moral standards, and historical wisdom from the accumulation of over 5,000 years of civilization. It connects the essence of Marxist thought with the cream of China’s fine traditional culture, enabling socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese civilization to deeply integrate at the levels of institutional culture and spiritual concepts, achieving the continuous inheritance, promotion, and glorification of China’s fine traditional culture.
II. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the Banner and Soul of Philosophy and Social Sciences with Chinese Characteristics
Philosophy and social sciences possess distinct ideological attributes; they must adhere to the correct political direction and academic orientation. Persistent guidance by Marxism is the fundamental hallmark distinguishing contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from others, and it must be upheld with a clear-cut stand. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a glorious exemplar of upholding and developing Marxism. It has made many major fundamental innovations in Marxist philosophy, Marxist political economy, and scientific socialism, making pioneering, comprehensive, and historical contributions to the great development of Marxism in the current era. Taking this Thought as guidance is the most prominent characteristic of the times and the most distinct theoretical quality of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Constructing philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics must consciously integrate Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era throughout the entire process of research and teaching, transforming it into clear theoretical self-awareness, firm political conviction, and scientific methods of thinking.
Every river ten thousand miles long has a source, and every tree a thousand feet high has roots. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences took the entry of Marxism into our country as their starting point and have gradually developed under the guidance of Marxism.” That our philosophy and social sciences persist in being guided by Marxism is a necessity and a prescription bestowed by the course of our country’s development in modern times; it is the inevitable outcome of the development of Chinese culture since the May Fourth Movement [4]. In the modern era, following the invasion of Western powers, our country gradually fell into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal state. Countless people of noble ideals searched bitterly for a remedy to save the nation from subjugation, attempting to use various "isms" and doctrines to study and resolve China’s problems, but all ended in failure. What truly rewrote the map of Chinese theoretical academia and the process of development was the spread of Marxism in China and the birth of the Communist Party of China. Early leaders of the CPC spread and studied Marxism, engaged in polemics with various anti-Marxist trends of thought, and advocated using Marxism to guide the transformation of Chinese society, laying a solid ideological and theoretical foundation for contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences. For Chinese philosophy and social sciences to persist in being guided by Marxism is to truly uphold the people's standpoint, the scientific spirit, and scientific methods; it is to truly grasp the development trends and future direction of Chinese academia. Inspired by the scientific truth of Marxism, the vast number of scholars have consciously used Marxism to carry out academic research and devoted themselves to the cause of contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences, manifesting the great trend of historical development.
Persisting in the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the fundamental guarantee that the cause of Chinese philosophy and social sciences will always advance in the correct direction. Why the CPC is capable, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good, boils down to the fact that Marxism works—specifically, Sinicized and modernized Marxism works. The fundamental reason why Marxism shows such strong vitality in China is that our Party treats science with a scientific attitude and pursues truth in the spirit of truth, unifying the upholding of Marxism with the development of Marxism, and continuously promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. In contemporary China, to uphold and develop Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is to truly uphold and develop Marxism. In the New Era and on the new journey, the cause of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics must always persist in taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its banner and soul. With the purpose of serving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must scientifically answer the questions of China, the questions of the world, the questions of the people, and the questions of the times, continuously promoting the prosperity and development of the cause of philosophy and social sciences in the New Era.
III. Leading the High-Quality Development of Philosophy and Social Sciences with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era possesses a distinct practical character. The entire purpose of studying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era lies in its application—in turning this Thought into a powerful ideological weapon for transforming the subjective and objective worlds. We must consciously practice Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and firmly grasp the general requirements of the thematic education: “study the thought, strengthen Party spirit, emphasize practice, and establish new merits.” We must focus closely on the core task of “running CASS well in accordance with the requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee.” We must draw the wisdom and strength for forging ahead from the Party’s innovative theories, master the leadership methods, ideological methods, and work methods contained therein, and effectively improve our work ability and capacity for struggle. We must transform the results of our study into practical actions to promote the high-quality development of philosophy and social sciences, into a profound understanding of the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," and into the mission-driven responsibility of consciously practicing the "Two Upholds."
We must maintain a clear-cut stand on politics. CASS is a political organ whose central work is scientific research; its political attribute is its primary attribute. We must at all times maintain a high degree of political sensitivity [5], and from the height of the future and destiny of the cause of the Party and the state, the height of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the height of comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must regard supporting the "Two Establishments" and achieving the "Two Upholds" as the highest political principle and fundamental political rule, traversing every aspect of the entire process of philosophy and social science work. We must always place the Party’s political building in the primary position, continuously improve our political judgment, political understanding, and political execution, and continuously strengthen our ideological, political, and behavioral consciousness in supporting, trusting, being loyal to, and defending the Core. We must ensure that at all times and under all circumstances, we maintain a high degree of alignment with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. In the face of major issues of right and wrong, we must always maintain a clear head, a firm stand, and a clear-cut banner. We must focus on improving the mechanisms for implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and the major decision-making deployments of the Party Central Committee. We must strictly implement the system of requesting instructions and reporting on major matters, and integrate political standards and requirements into the construction of academic strongholds, the introduction and cultivation of talent, and the implementation of innovation projects, ensuring that all work centered on research always moves forward steadily and reaches far along the correct direction.
We must continuously and profoundly research and interpret Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Constantly composing new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is a solemn historical responsibility of contemporary Chinese Communists, and an obligatory, significant historical mission for philosophy and social science workers in the New Era. Continuously deepening the holistic, systematic, and theoretical research and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is an inescapable political task and responsibility for the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). We must focus closely on the comprehensive implementation of the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, centering on the core tenets, spiritual essence, rich connotations, and practical requirements of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. By establishing major specialized research projects, improving methods of organizing scientific research, and coordinating joint assaults on major projects, we will strengthen the systematized research and theoretical interpretation of this Thought.
We must effectively enhance our capacity to serve the overall work of the Party and the state. CASS is a philosophy and social science research institution under the direct leadership of the Party Central Committee; serving the Party Central Committee is our natural duty and primary vocation. We must take the research and answering of major theoretical and practical questions concerning China’s reform, development, and stability during the new journey of the New Era as our main direction of attack. We must closely integrate philosophy and social science research with the resolution of practical problems in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, striving to provide active responses to the questions of the times. We must focus on fields such as Chinese-path modernization, the promotion of high-quality development, the advancement of the rule of law in China, the building of a culturally powerful nation, the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity, and the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road," actively organizing and conducting forward-looking, targeted, and reserve research. We must create an upgraded version of the Innovation Project, emphasizing political, quality, and efficiency orientations. We must actively guide researchers to pay attention to the "Top Priorities of the Nation" [6], moving beyond solipsistic research that "ignores the poverty and distress of the four seas while spending all day lecturing on the subtle mysteries of the mind" [7]. We should more consciously carry out in-depth research around major issues that have significance for leading epochal change, social development, and civilizational progress.
We must construct an independent knowledge system for China. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The acceleration of building a philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics ultimately rests on the construction of an independent knowledge system for China." We must strive to promote theoretical and academic innovation that takes Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its fundamental guide. We must more consciously apply the positions, viewpoints, and methods running through it to carry out academic research and promote the construction of disciplinary systems, ensuring that theoretical and academic innovation has direction, principles, and rules. We must adhere to the principle of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend," encouraging scholars to explore boldly, supporting and protecting the formation and development of schools of thought, supporting the exchange and honing of different academic viewpoints and schools, and supporting well-reasoned criticism and mutual criticism. In particular, we must encourage Chinese scholars to go global, engage in dialogue and exchange with the international academic community, and clearly and loudly project the voice of Chinese academia. We will increase continuous investment in basic theoretical research, promoting high-level research results in foundational disciplines such as literature, history, and philosophy, and urging application-oriented disciplines like economics, law, and sociology to accelerate the formation of a basic theoretical system guided by Marxism with distinct Chinese characteristics. We must break down barriers between disciplinary fields, pay close attention to the latest trends in the technological revolution and epochal changes, and foster new academic growth and innovation points around emerging internet technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and quantum computing. With a more active sense of historical responsibility and creative spirit, we will continuously promote innovation in knowledge, theory, and method, producing a batch of exquisite masterpieces representing the highest level of philosophy and social science in our country, making new contributions to the accelerated construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics.
We must build a team of philosophy and social science talents characterized by loyalty, integrity, and a sense of responsibility. Talent is the primary resource for philosophy and social sciences and the primary driving force for the development of CASS. From the political height of ensuring there are successors to philosophy and social sciences, we must clearly adhere to the principle of the Party managing talent. We will strengthen the political and practical training of various talents, especially young ones, and enhance the political guidance of the philosophy and social science talent pool through specialized work, temporary assignments [8], and rotation exchanges. We will implement a mentorship system for young scholars, strengthen training in the history of Marxist scholarship, promote academic inheritance and innovation, and help young scholars grow better and faster. We will deeply implement the philosophy and social science talent project, align with the developmental needs of the "Three Major Systems" [9] of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and establish and improve mechanisms for the scientific classification, identification, and cultivation of talent. We will strive to create a favorable environment for talent growth and continuously cultivate and expand the ranks of philosophy and social science personnel.
(The author is the President and Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)