Li Jie: Building a Socialist Ideology with Strong Cohesion and Leadership
Ideological work is an extremely important task for the Party; it is the work of establishing a heart for the state and a soul for the nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his important instructions on public communication, cultural, and ideological work, emphasized the need to "focus on building a socialist ideology with powerful cohesive and guiding forces." To realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, it is necessary to give full play to the ideological guidance and cohesive strength of socialist ideology, and to better construct Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength. Deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, firmly grasping leadership over ideological work, and building a socialist ideology with powerful cohesive and guiding forces is a major proposition for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, as well as a strategic task that public communication, cultural, and ideological work must shoulder.
A Global and Fundamental Shift in China’s Ideological Landscape
Ideological work concerns what guiding thoughts and concepts are used to govern the Party, the state, and the military; what ideals and convictions are used to educate the people and unite their hearts; and what values are used to cultivate the youth and "foster virtue through education" [1]. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attaches great importance to ideological work, making important deployments on many directional and strategic issues in the ideological field, focusing on solving the problem of weakened Party leadership in the ideological sphere, and promoting the construction of a socialist ideology with powerful cohesive and guiding forces.
Since the start of the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attended two National Conferences on Public Communication and Ideological Work. He has presided over meetings and delivered a series of important speeches on literary and art work, the Party’s news and public opinion work, cybersecurity and informatization, philosophy and the social sciences, ideological and political work in universities, and cultural inheritance and development. He has clarified principled positions on a series of fundamental issues, cleared up theoretical confusion, and corrected the orientation of the work. Our Party has firmly grasped leadership over ideological work and clarified the mission and tasks of public communication and ideological work in the New Era: to lift the banner, pool the people’s strength, cultivate new generations, flourish culture, and present a good image. It has clarified the "Two Consolidations" as the fundamental task of public communication and ideological work—namely, consolidating the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological field and consolidating the common ideological foundation for the concerted struggle of the whole Party and the people of the whole country. It has established and persisted in the fundamental system of the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological field, improved the responsibility system for ideological work, and prompted the entire Party to take action in public communication and ideological work. It has promoted the use of the Party’s innovative theories to arm the whole Party, educate the people, and guide practice; deepened the research and construction of Marxist theory; advanced the construction of the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics; and constructed an independent Chinese knowledge system. It has promoted the integrated development of media to improve the spread, guidance, influence, and credibility of news and public opinion, taking a clear-cut stand against and resisting various erroneous views, sounding the "main theme" [2] and spreading "positive energy" throughout society.
In the New Era, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and through the thorough implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, our Party has "upheld the right while breaking the wrong" [3] and "expelled the murky to bring in the clear" [4]. This has fundamentally reversed the passive situation that once appeared in the ideological field. A global and fundamental shift has occurred in the situation of China’s ideological landscape: the cultural confidence of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups has been significantly strengthened; the cohesion and centripetal force of the entire society have been greatly enhanced; and a powerful spiritual force has been gathered to build a modern socialist country in all respects and comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Unceasingly Advancing the Sinicization and Modernization of Marxism
Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and country are founded and through which they thrive. Reviewing the great journey of China's revolution, construction, and reform, it is precisely because we have Marxism as our fundamental guiding ideology that we have been able to gather the will and strength of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups to overcome various difficulties and obstacles on the road ahead and march from victory to victory. Whether we can continuously enhance the cohesive and guiding forces of socialist ideology is closely related to whether we can advance the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism in step with the times. Our Party persists in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China’s fine traditional culture (the "Two Combinations" [5]), creating Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, forming Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, and consolidating the cultural subjectivty of the Chinese nation. To build a socialist ideology with powerful cohesive and guiding forces, we must unceasingly advance the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, consolidate the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological field, and consolidate the common ideological foundation for the concerted struggle of the whole Party and the people of the country, providing a strong ideological guarantee and powerful spiritual strength for opening up new prospects for the cause of the Party and the state.
We must unremittingly use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to "unite the heart and cast the soul" [6]. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism, 21st-century Marxism, and the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in our times. It has achieved a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and provided scientific ideological guidance for advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. To build a socialist ideology with powerful cohesive and guiding forces, the primary task is to strengthen theoretical armoring and persist in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to arm the whole Party and educate the people. We must comprehensively study and understand this Thought, mastering both its basic viewpoints and scientific system in a comprehensive and systematic way, while also grasping its worldview and methodology, and upholding and applying the positions, viewpoints, and methods that run through it. We must deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, focusing on the new cultural mission of continuing to promote cultural prosperity, building a leading cultural nation, and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation at a new historical starting point, putting effort into truly learning, truly understanding, truly believing, and truly applying, as well as into deepening, internalizing, and transforming these ideas.
We must adhere to the "soul" and "roots" of theoretical innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The major proposition of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism itself determines that we must never abandon the soul-vein of Marxism, and we must never abandon the root-vein of China's fine traditional culture." Adhering to this soul and these roots is the foundation and prerequisite for theoretical innovation, as well as an important source of the cohesive and guiding power of socialist ideology. We must unswervingly adhere to Marxism as the foundation for the founding and flourishing of the Party and the country; we must never stop developing Marxism while rooted in the fertile soil of our own country's and nation's history and culture. We must strengthen historical and cultural confidence, persist in "making the past serve the present" and "weeding through the old to bring forth the new" [7]. Guided by Marxism, we must comprehensively mine the 5,000-year-old treasure house of Chinese civilization, use Marxism to activate the vital and excellent elements within China’s fine traditional culture and endow them with new connotations of the era. By injecting the great spirit and rich wisdom of the Chinese nation at a deeper level into Marxism, we can effectively bridge the essence of Marxist thought with the cream of China’s fine traditional culture, resulting in a "polymerization" into new theoretical advantages.
We must scientifically answer the new questions of the era in a timely manner. All epoch-making theories are products of satisfying the needs of their times. Socialist ideology forms its powerful cohesive and guiding forces precisely by demonstrating its explanatory and guiding power over reality. Against the background of the accelerating evolution and deep interaction of the "Two Overalls" [8], various fields such as China’s reform, development, and stability, internal and experimental affairs, national defense, and the governance of the Party, the state, and the military are all facing a series of major new questions. There is an urgent need for us to provide answers through the combination of theory and practice. We must firmly establish a "Big Picture View of History" [9], using a broader perspective and a more long-term vision to grasp the developmental veins and correct direction of world history. We must recognize the logic and general trends of China’s social development and the development of human society, grasp the historical evolution and practical requirements of Chinese-path modernization, and comprehensively and systematically put forward scientific concepts and effective countermeasures to solve realistic problems, allowing contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism to demonstrate a more powerful and persuasive strength of truth.
Providing a Strong Ideological Guarantee for Realizing the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
On the new journey in the New Era, facing the complex situation of reform, development, and stability, the diversity of social thoughts and consciousness, and the profound changes in the media landscape, we cannot relax our ideological work for even a moment while concentrating on economic construction. We must focus on building a socialist ideology with powerful cohesive and guiding forces to provide a strong ideological guarantee for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
We must persist in and strengthen the Party's overall leadership over ideological work, firmly grasping the power of leadership, management, and discourse in the ideological sphere. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Ideological work must take revolving around the center and serving the overall situation as its basic duty, keeping the overall situation in mind, grasping the general trend, focusing on major affairs, finding the right entry point and focus of work, and achieving planning according to the situation, moving in response to the situation, and acting in accordance with the situation." [10] The whole Party must fully recognize the complexity and long-term nature of the ideological struggle, strengthen "position consciousness" [11], strengthen the construction of ideological positions, and firmly grasp the power of leadership, management, and discourse. We must fully implement the responsibility system for ideological work, tighten the responsibility of Party committees at all levels, persist in the Party’s management of public communication, ideology, and media, and strengthen the construction and management of ideological positions. Ideological work must be carried out closely around the Party's central tasks and goals, centered on the practical problems of China's reform, opening up, and modernization, and on what we are currently doing. This will consolidate the common ideological foundation, tighten the common spiritual bond, promote the close unity of all people in thought and spirit, and better collect the majestic force to overcome difficulties and forge ahead.
We must persist in the fundamental system of the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological field. Institutional construction is global, stable, and long-term. Ensuring that the guiding status of Marxism is reflected in all undertakings of the Party and the state and consolidating the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological field requires strong institutional support and reliable institutional guarantees. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core emphasizes the fundamental system of the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological field and has made a series of major deployments. It has explicitly proposed improving the work system for arming the whole Party and educating the people with the Party’s innovative theories, perfecting learning systems at all levels such as the theoretical learning center groups of Party committees (Party leadership groups), establishing a system and mechanism for educating students "all-staff, all-process, and in all-directions" [12], and implementing the responsibility system for ideological work. We must continue to penetrate this fundamental system into all aspects of cultural construction, reflecting it in the adherence to the correct political direction, public opinion orientation, and value orientation. We must take a clear-cut stand against and resist various erroneous viewpoints, "clarifying the source and purifying the stream" [13], expelling the murky and bringing in the clear, and persevering in the education of ideals and convictions, so that all people are closely united in their ideals, convictions, value concepts, and moral standards.
We must strengthen cultural confidence and improve the level of ideological and moral standards of the entire nation. Cultural confidence is a more basic, broader, and deeper confidence. To build a socialist ideology with powerful cohesive and guiding forces, we must be confident in the path, theory, and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which in the final analysis means being confident in our culture. The culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics accumulates the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation, represents the unique spiritual identity of the Chinese nation, and is a powerful spiritual force for the Chinese people to march forward in victory. We must persist in the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, strengthen cultural confidence, and build a strong socialist cultural nation centered on lifting the banner, pooling the people's strength, cultivating new generations, flourishing culture, and presenting a good image, thereby enhancing the spiritual strength to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. To strengthen cultural confidence and better construct Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength, we must vigorously cultivate and practice Socialist Core Values and improve the level of ideological and moral standards of the entire nation. We must deeply carry out publicity and education on Socialist Core Values, carry forward the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists with the Great Founding Spirit of the Party as its source, and deepen education in patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, continuously strengthening the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must persist in the Marxist view of morality and the socialist view of morality, carry forward the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, and promote the construction of social morality, professional ethics, family virtues, and personal character, so that the social atmosphere is clean and upright, and our nation remains forever full of vitality and hope.