The Internal Logic and Basic Experience of the Communist Party of China in Establishing Cultural Confidence Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China: An Interview with Professor Zhang Ji of the School of Marxism at Hebei Normal University
Zhang Ji, male, born in 1956, is a native of Gaoqing, Shandong. He is a second-tier professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Marxism, Hebei Normal University, director of the Hebei Provincial Cultural Soft Power Research Base, and chief expert of the Great Wall Cultural Security Research Center, a new-type think tank in Hebei Province. He serves as an expert on the National Philosophy and Social Science Disciplinary Planning Review Group and is a recipient of the Special Government Allowance from the State Council. His primary research areas include Marxist cultural theory and the construction of cultural soft power. He has presided over and completed numerous projects for the National Social Science Fund and major commissioned projects for the Social Science Planning Office of the Central Publicity Department. He has published over 20 academic monographs and more than 100 academic papers in journals such as Marxist Studies, Contemporary World and Socialism, World Economics and Politics, and Modern International Relations. Over ten of his research achievements have won provincial-level first prizes and the "Five-One Project" Award [1].
Cultural confidence is the high degree of identification with and firm belief in one's own cultural ideals and cultural values held by a nation, a country, or a political party. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China (New China), the Communist Party of China (CPC), in the process of leading the people to explore the path of socialist modernization, has gradually established and strengthened its cultural confidence. The endogenous logic of the CPC's establishment of cultural confidence reflects the unity of theoretical, historical, and practical logic. It manifests not only the inheritance and promotion of Marxist cultural thought and fine traditional Chinese culture but also demonstrates the Party's firm belief in modern cultural innovation and development.
Since the founding of New China, the valuable experience of the CPC in establishing cultural confidence lies in promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture [2], stimulating the cultural innovative and creative vitality of the entire nation, and serving as the spiritual force for comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized that "we must enhance cultural confidence, develop advanced socialist culture, promote revolutionary culture, and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture" [3]. How should we grasp the profound connotation of cultural confidence in the New Era? How should we understand the endogenous logic through which the CPC has established cultural confidence since the founding of New China? How can we summarize the valuable experience of the CPC in this regard? Around this series of questions, we conducted an exclusive interview with Professor Zhang Ji.
I. The Connotation and Proposition of Cultural Confidence
Interviewer (▲): Professor Zhang, hello! Thank you for accepting our interview. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has mentioned cultural confidence on many occasions and has made a series of important expositions regarding why and how to remain confident in our culture. He has clarified the foundational and supportive role of cultural confidence in the cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. In your view, how should we better understand the scientific connotation of cultural confidence today?
Zhang Ji (●): In terms of its scholarly connotation, cultural confidence manifests as a high degree of unity among a state of mind, a spiritual state, value identification, spiritual temperament, and cultural character. It is the concentrated expression of a nation's, a country's, or a political party's confidence in its own cultural ideals and cultural values. The core content of cultural confidence includes: recognition of cultural values, self-awareness of cultural inheritance, and confidence in cultural development. Its basic connotation can be further specified as confidence in fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, as well as confidence in building a leading socialist cultural power.
Among the "Four Confidences" [4], cultural confidence is the more fundamental, broader, and more profound confidence. Confidence in our chosen path, theory, and system are all deeply embedded with elements of cultural confidence. Cultural confidence serves as the solid basis for confidence in our path, the deep root of confidence in our theory, and the profound basis for confidence in our system.
As a spiritual foundation, culture profoundly influences the depth of value identification. Culture is the spiritual hallmark formed by a nation during its long historical practice, encompassing elements such as values, modes of thinking, moral norms, and aesthetic tastes. Culture saturates the bloodline of a nation, shaping the cultural subjects' perception of the world and their identification with themselves. Culture possesses durability and contains the vitality that sustains national confidence. Chinese culture has lasted for thousands of years without interruption, constructing a unique system of civilization and providing the spiritual impetus for the reproduction, growth, and strength of the Chinese nation. This cultural continuity ensures that China's development path, theoretical innovations, and institutional constructions across different historical stages can be traced back to historical and cultural roots, thereby possessing intrinsic coherence and stability. One might say that culture is the source of cohesion and the basis of identity that reinforces national confidence.
Culture plays a powerful role in gathering hearts and solidifying consensus. Shared cultural memories and value concepts can unite different groups, forming a sense of community for the Chinese nation. This cohesion is the foundation upon which confidence in our path, theory, and system can be widely accepted and practiced. Cultural confidence determines the stance and mindset of exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations. In the era of economic globalization, cultural confidence affects the attitude and manner in which a country dialogues with other civilizations. Firm cultural confidence enables us to absorb and draw on the outstanding achievements of other civilizations with an open and inclusive mind while upholding our own cultural stance. This posture is a manifestation of the confidence of a major power. In this sense, we can view cultural confidence as the spiritual backdrop, historical root, and source of value for confidence in our path, theory, and system. Cultural confidence fundamentally answers the questions: "Who are we, where did we come from, and where are we going?"
In February 2014, while presiding over the 13th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping used the concept of "cultural confidence" for the first time. In May 2016, in his important speech at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly discussed the characteristics and role of cultural confidence, stating that "cultural confidence is a more basic, deeper, and more lasting strength." In June 2016, while presiding over the 33rd collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, he placed cultural confidence alongside confidence in our path, theory, and system. In July 2016, at the rally marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, calling on the whole Party to "stay confident in our path, theory, system, and culture," emphasizing that "cultural confidence is the more fundamental, broader, and more profound confidence."
Over the 75 years since the founding of New China, the CPC has gradually established and enhanced cultural confidence in the process of leading the people to explore the path of socialist modernization. Cultural confidence is not only the inheritance and promotion of traditional culture but also a firm belief in modern cultural innovation and development. It centralizes the unique cultural charm and spiritual power formed by the Chinese nation over its long history and serves as an important driver for the continuous development of the country and the sustained progress of society.
II. The Endogenous Logic of the CPC’s Establishment of Cultural Confidence Since the Founding of New China
▲: Engels pointed out: "A nation that wants to stand at the highest peak of science cannot for a moment do without theoretical thinking." The establishment of cultural confidence cannot be separated from the guidance of scientific theory. Could you please discuss the theoretical logic of the CPC's establishment of cultural confidence since the founding of New China?
●: Since the founding of New China, the CPC has gradually established cultural confidence on the basis of inheriting Marxist cultural thought and fine traditional Chinese culture, and has continuously innovated and developed socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in accordance with the developments of the times.
First, Marxist cultural thought is the foundational theory for CPC members to establish cultural confidence. Marx, Engels, and Lenin formed the characteristics and developmental paths of Marxist culture through the process of building and developing proletarian and socialist culture. From classic works such as Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right: Introduction, The German Ideology, The Poverty of Philosophy, The Communist Manifesto, Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, Capital, What Is to Be Done?, On Proletarian Culture, and Our Revolution, we can discover the intellectual trajectory of their continuous exploration and gradual establishment of the cultural confidence and cultural subjectivity of Communists.
Marx and Engels' cultural thought can be summarized into three points. First, Marx and Engels advocated for a dialectical view of the relationship between culture and the economy, emphasizing the bidirectional interaction—the mutual penetration and intersection—between the two. In the Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, Marx pointed out: "The mode of production of material life conditions the general process of social, political and intellectual life. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness." Engels also noted: "Political, juridical, philosophical, religious, literary, artistic, etc., development is based on economic development. But all these react upon one another and also upon the economic basis." Second, Marx and Engels believed that proletarian culture is a powerful weapon for exposing and critiquing the essence of capitalism, serving as the "weapon of criticism" [5] guiding the proletarian revolution and its victory; culture can act as a material force, playing an irreplaceable role in concentrating the wisdom and strength of the proletariat, guiding proletarian production practice, and consolidating proletarian political power. Finally, Marx and Engels emphasized that human beings are the subjects of culture, and culture is the "accumulation and manifestation of the creations resulting from humans actively transforming the external objective world." In the process of using culture to cultivate people, humans achieve free and comprehensive development. This is the most distinct feature of the Marxist-Engelsian cultural outlook. Rooted in human subjectivity, they emphasized that the realization of the free and comprehensive development of the individual is the ultimate value of culture. In The Communist Manifesto, they proposed that "spiritual production" in communism involves "the most radical rupture with traditional property relations" and "the most radical rupture with traditional ideas," in order to realize "an association, in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all."
Lenin's thought on proletarian cultural construction is mainly reflected in the idea of the proletarian party’s cultural hegemony and the development strategy for proletarian culture. First, Lenin proposed that we must adhere to the guidance of Marxist ideology, which is the fundamental principle for constructing proletarian culture. Second, Lenin emphasized that the proletariat must actively seize the achievements of science, technology, and art possessed by the bourgeoisie. Because in a society where the bourgeoisie is the ruling class, the proletariat often lacks the initiative in cultural and intellectual production; therefore, after the proletariat successfully seizes power, it must ensure it gains dominance in cultural construction. Finally, Lenin believed that the creation of proletarian culture is not isolated but "should be the logical development of the aggregate of knowledge which mankind has accumulated under the yoke of capitalist, landowner and bureaucratic society." By critically inheriting and promoting these achievements, the proletariat can better develop its own culture and make it a powerful force for social progress.
Lenin was well aware that securing cultural hegemony for the proletariat would take a longer period compared to the political and economic spheres. To this end, Lenin proposed three implementation plans of practical guiding significance. First, establishing proletarian culture must be based on the realization of proletarian cultural liberation. The primary task of cultural liberation begins with large-scale efforts to eliminate illiteracy; he also particularly emphasized the need to vigorously develop education and give play to the social role of the Russian intelligentsia, primarily teachers. Second, establishing proletarian culture requires conducting ideological and political education for the proletariat, shaping proletarian culture in terms of worldview, values, and class sentiment. Third, ensuring that the proletariat and the broad masses of the people are not only the creators of the socialist cultural cause but also the beneficiaries of various cultural achievements.
On the issue of cultural development, Lenin realized the importance of adhering to road confidence and respecting the laws of cultural construction. In the early days after the victory of the October Revolution, opportunists of the Second International denied the path of the October Revolution on the grounds that Russia did not possess the material and cultural conditions required to establish socialism. In response, Lenin refuted them, pointing out that although socialist material and cultural conditions are fundamental for establishing socialism, they are not the only conditions. In Lenin's view, initiating political and social transformations first—having the proletariat seize power and then carrying out cultural transformation and construction under the leadership of this power—does not violate the basic laws of world historical development. In his article "Our Revolution," Lenin asked rhetorically: "If a definite level of culture is required for the building of socialism... why cannot we begin by first achieving the prerequisites for that definite level of culture in a revolutionary way, and then, with the aid of the workers' and peasants' government and the Soviet system, proceed to overtake the other nations?" This undoubtedly reflects Lenin's high level of confidence in Russia's unique path of cultural development.
Furthermore, Lenin proposed that socialist cultural construction should respect the inherent laws governing cultural development. Although cultural construction is subordinate to the overall project of socialist construction, it possesses unique laws and requirements. It is a process of gradual progress and incremental deepening; one can neither ignore and avoid it, nor act with impatience and rashness. Lenin pointed out: "The completion of cultural tasks cannot be achieved as rapidly as political and military tasks... in the cultural sphere, it is impossible to achieve victory in such a short time," [6] and moreover, "in matters of culture, hurried aggressiveness is most harmful." [7]
Second, the achievements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in cultural construction are the direct source of the cultural confidence of Chinese Communists. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their primary representative, systematically summarized the experience of the victory of the Chinese revolution. They focused on discussing the important role of Marxism in enabling the Chinese people to move from spiritual passivity to initiative. By integrating Marxism with China's concrete reality, they made a holistic and systematic strategic layout for cultural construction. They firmly established and adhered to the fundamental guiding position of Marxism in cultural construction, inherited and carried forward the tradition of revolutionary culture, and transformed the fine traditional Chinese culture using the "method of ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign" [8]. They promoted cultural exchanges between China and the outside world, built advanced socialist culture, and opened a path for socialist cultural development with a brand-new spiritual outlook in contemporary China.
During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as their primary representative, profoundly summarized the experiences and lessons of cultural construction in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). They emphasized that strengthening the building of socialist spiritual civilization was a major strategic task. They not only continued to adhere to the "Double Hundred" policy [9] proposed by Mao Zedong but also promoted the "Two Serves" direction—"serving the people and serving socialism." They made systematic decisions and deployments for cultural work in various fields under the new situation of reform and opening up, and deeply discussed the relationship between the construction of material civilization and spiritual civilization. This led to the unprecedented development and expansion of cultural undertakings at that time, providing an important ideological foundation for the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups to maintain cultural subjectivity and unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics amidst the increasingly profound changes in the Party's conditions, the national context, and the international situation.
Facing China and the world in the 21st century, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Jiang Zemin as their primary representative, solemnly declared that the CPC always represents the fundamental goal of the development of China’s advanced culture, making major developments and innovations in Marxist cultural theory and CPC cultural thought. The Chinese Communists, with Comrade Hu Jintao as their primary representative, expanded the vision and layout of the governing party in examining cultural value and modes of cultural development. They formed a people-centered concept of cultural development and historically proposed the major cultural propositions of the socialist core value system and the cultivation of core values. They emphasized the continuous enhancement of cultural soft power and cultural vitality, sounding the clarion call of the era to move from a large cultural country to a strong cultural power.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has clarified the guiding ideology, principles, goals, tasks, and strategic measures for cultural construction in the New Era, providing the fundamental follow [10] for our cultural work. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed "continuing to promote cultural prosperity and building a cultural power from a new starting point," emphasizing the need to "work together to create a new culture belonging to our era." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has not only achieved innovations and breakthroughs in cultural theoretical viewpoints but has also made clear deployments and requirements for the layout of cultural work. It explicates the core issues of cultural construction while achieving an organic integration of theory and practice, clearly outlining the roadmap and task list for cultural construction in the New Era. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture provides a powerful and solid ideological weapon for the CPC to shoulder its new cultural mission.
Third, the fine traditional Chinese culture is the excellent cultural gene of the CPC's cultural confidence. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Communist Party of China is both a firm believer and practitioner of Marxism, and a loyal heir and promoter of fine traditional Chinese culture." Fine traditional Chinese culture has nourished the thoughts and spirit of Chinese Communists, and Chinese civilization has endowed the CPC's cultural confidence with deep foundations. It can be said that the CPC’s cultural confidence is deeply rooted in fine traditional Chinese culture. "'The Two Combinations' link the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics with the more than five thousand years of history of Chinese civilization, providing solid historical legitimacy and cultural rationality for the Chinese path." Guided by the scientific methodology of "the Two Combinations," we must fully excavate the excellent genes of Chinese culture.
Interviewer (▲): The founding of New China began a new historical journey for our country to seek self-strengthening development and achieve national rejuvenation. Please talk about the historical logic of the CPC's establishment of cultural confidence since the founding of New China.
Zhang Ji (●): After the founding of New China, the CPC led the people of all ethnic groups through three historical periods: the period of socialist revolution and construction, the new period of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, and the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. During these periods, the Party proposed many policy propositions for cultural construction and explored many practical methods. The sublimation of the cultural spirit of Chinese Communists has undergone a process from cultural consciousness and cultural self-reliance to cultural autonomy, cultural self-strengthenng, and finally cultural confidence. This process explores the evolutionary trajectory of the CPC's cultural confidence from the perspective of historical development, suggesting that we must develop and innovate Chinese culture through the deepening of "the Two Combinations," and analyze the historical experience of building cultural confidence from the perspective of historical reflection.
During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party's exploration and development of socialist culture centered on the core characteristic of using the methods of criticism and emulation to transform and promote cultural self-reliance and confidence, establishing the important status of cultural subjectivity.
From the day of its founding, the CPC took the construction of a new Chinese national culture—one that is "national, scientific, and popular"—as its mission with a high degree of cultural consciousness and confidence. Throughout its century-long struggle, it has inherited and carried forward the extensive and profound fine traditional Chinese culture, created a stirring revolutionary culture, and a vibrant advanced socialist culture. As early as 1940, Mao Zedong pointed out: "We want to transform a China which is politically oppressed and economically exploited into a China which is politically free and economically prosperous; we also want to transform a China which is ignorant and backward under the sway of the old culture into a China which is enlightened and progressive under the sway of a new culture." Chinese Communists have always clearly recognized that for a country or nation to achieve self-reliance and self-strengthening, cultural confidence is the foundation. A high degree of cultural confidence not only determines the prosperity and development of culture itself but also concerns the rise and fall of the national fortune and the fate of the nation. After the founding of New China, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their primary representative, actively explored new paths for cultural construction with a high degree of cultural consciousness and confidence, creating a brand-new socialist culture belonging to the masses in Chinese history. The consolidation of the new regime and the promotion of the Party's own cultural concepts and ideas nationwide provided the nurturing soil for cultural confidence.
The main measures taken by the Party during this period were: First, through the implementation of land reform and a series of socio-economic reform measures, it laid a solid foundation for the popular identification with socialist culture and ideology, providing a fundamental institutional basis for the Party’s cultural confidence. Second, it established a series of cultural, propaganda, and educational institutions and improved institutional mechanisms to consolidate socialist ideology and strengthen cultural confidence. Third, by carrying out Marxist theoretical study, guiding the ideological transformation of intellectuals, and leading the critique of erroneous cultural ideas, it ensured that socialist ideology was widely disseminated and accepted within a short period, uniting the strength of the people of all ethnic groups. Fourth, it proposed the basic principle for cultural construction of "making the past serve the present and foreign things serve China," and on this basis, further proposed the policy of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" to promote the prosperity of literature, art, and academic development. This greatly stimulated the creative enthusiasm of cultural and art workers, leading to a vibrant scene in the cultural and artistic circles, the creation of a large number of excellent works, and the enrichment of the spiritual and cultural life of the masses. However, cultural construction during this stage was not all smooth sailing and also took some detours.
During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the Party’s exploration and development of socialist culture was characterized by promoting cultural autonomy and confidence through "constructive" reforms, clarifying the forward direction for cultural subjectivity.
Since the beginning of reform and opening up, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as their primary representative, led the Chinese people in developing cultural undertakings. Deng Xiaoping proposed and actively promoted strategic measures for the building of spiritual civilization, aiming to promote the rapid development of material civilization alongside the comprehensive enhancement of spiritual civilization. In his congratulatory speech at the Fourth Congress of Chinese Writers and Artists, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "While building a high level of material civilization, we must raise the scientific and cultural level of the whole nation, develop a noble and rich cultural life, and build a high level of socialist spiritual civilization." Based on a comprehensive consideration of national development, Deng Xiaoping profoundly recognized that social development depends on the "twin-wheel drive" of material and spiritual civilization; without a high level of spiritual civilization, the goals of socialist modernization cannot be realized.
Facing complex international situations such as the drastic changes in Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Jiang Zemin as their primary representative, reflected deeply on the future of cultural undertakings. They emphasized that "socialist culture with Chinese characteristics is an important force for uniting and inspiring the people of all ethnic groups, and an important sign of comprehensive national strength," requiring further strengthening of cultural autonomy, construction, and reform.
Entering the 21st century, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Hu Jintao as their primary representative, pushed the construction of cultural confidence to a new stage of development. They took a series of measures to inherit and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture and promote modern cultural innovation.
As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the Party has promoted cultural confidence through "integrative" innovation, thereby pushing the development of cultural subjectivity to greater depths. It has "revolved around the tasks of upholding banners, pooling public support, cultivating new generations, flourishing culture, and presenting a positive image to build a strong socialist cultural power," [11] achieving the comprehensive integration of cultural confidence and cultural subjectivity with the cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Interviewer (▲): Indeed, the establishment of the CPC's cultural confidence has undergone a long process of exploration. Cultural confidence is both precipitated in history and manifested in reality. Standing at the New Era and the new journey, how should we understand the realistic logic of the Party’s establishment of cultural confidence?
Zhang Ji (●): In the great process of uniting and leading the people in actively promoting Chinese-path modernization, our Party faces "two overall situations": one is the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the other is the world's once-in-a-century great changes. Today, the international security situation is extremely grim, and international political struggles are intensifying. Meanwhile, the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation presents new characteristics—economic transformation is at a critical period, and social development stands at a brand-new starting point.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the Party has proposed strategic strategies for carrying forward fine traditional Chinese culture, strengthening cultural innovative development, enhancing cultural soft power, and increasing the international communication capacity and influence of Chinese culture. These strategies have not only been fully expounded in theory but also effectively implemented in practice, reflecting the close integration of theory and practice. At the same time, these strategies emphasize the mutual verification of "what ought to be" (yingshan) and "what is" (shiran)—that is, the mutual support and promotion between ideal goals and actual operations. Furthermore, these strategies reflect the alignment between top-level design and grassroots implementation, ensuring the smooth realization of strategic goals.
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has made many major original contributions to Marxist cultural theory, mainly including: a new summarization of the primary goals of cultural construction for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, proposing the building of a cultural power and emphasizing "working together to create a new culture belonging to our era"; a new interpretation of the spiritual driving force for cultural construction in the New Era, explicitly proposing to "strengthen cultural confidence"; new requirements for the institutional guarantee of cultural construction in the New Era, explicitly proposing "establishing the fundamental system for the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field"; a new expansion of the important methods for cultural construction in the New Era, explicitly proposing the "Second Combination"; and a new exploration of the global vision of cultural construction in the New Era, explicitly proposing the "Global Civilization Initiative." Strengthening cultural confidence is one of the core tenets of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, which has greatly advanced the CPC's building of cultural confidence.
III. Basic Experiences of the CPC in Establishing Cultural Confidence Since the Founding of New China
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “To strengthen culture confidence is to persist in following one’s own path. The primary task in strengthening culture confidence is to ground ourselves in the great historical and contemporary practices of the Chinese nation, use Chinese logic to summarize Chinese experience, and elevate Chinese experience into Chinese theory. We must neither blindly follow various dogmas nor mechanically copy foreign theories, but rather achieve spiritual independence and autonomy.” ② What do you consider to be the primary experience of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in establishing culture confidence since the founding of the People's Republic?
●: The primary experience is persisting in the Party’s comprehensive leadership over socialist cultural development. Since the founding of the New China, the Party has firmly grasped the power of cultural leadership and leadership over ideological work. Taking the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method as its fundamental guide, the Party has guided cultural development with the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, activated the vitality of cultural construction through the power of truth, and ensured the correct direction of socialist cultural development. The Party’s leadership is manifested in every process, field, and aspect of socialist cultural development. Persisting in the Party’s leadership provides a fundamental guarantee for the construction of culture confidence; this point is of paramount importance.
First, the Party’s comprehensive leadership over socialist cultural development is manifested in giving full play to the Party’s political leadership, which solves the problem of the leading force in building a leading cultural power. The CPC not only manages the top-level design, long-term planning, and practical deployment for building a leading cultural power but also plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the prosperity and development of socialist culture. Second, the Party’s comprehensive leadership is manifested in giving full play to the Party’s ideological guidance, which solves the problem of the theoretical guide in building a leading cultural power. By persisting in the guiding position of Marxism and continuously promoting theoretical innovation, a solid theoretical foundation is provided for culture confidence. Third, the Party’s comprehensive leadership is manifested in giving full play to the Party’s organizational power over the masses, which solves the problem of the subjective foundation [12] in building a leading cultural power. By extensively mobilizing and organizing the masses, they become active participants and practitioners in building culture confidence. Finally, the Party’s comprehensive leadership is manifested in giving full play to the Party’s social appeal, which solves the problem of social mobilization. Through broad propaganda and education, the cultural creative vitality of the entire society is stimulated, forming a powerful social force to promote culture confidence. The Party's comprehensive leadership is the fundamental guarantee for the continuous pioneering and innovation of socialist culture in the New China, and it is also the important ensurence that we unswervingly follow the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics.
▲: What do you think the CPC needs to pay special attention to in the process of exploring the path of Chinese cultural development?
●: The question of the path of cultural development inherently contains an inquiry into where culture is heading and a reflection on how culture develops. At any historical stage, the culture confidence of a country and a nation is closely linked to the clarity, depth, and thoroughness of its understanding of its cultural development path. Developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and building a leading socialist cultural power hinges on persisting in the guiding position of Marxism and the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics.
One crucial issue is how to resist the impact and infiltration of erroneous trends of thought. Since the founding of New China, and particularly since the reform and opening up, China’s economic strength has grown continuously, its international influence has risen, and the independence of the Chinese nation’s spiritual world has strengthened. However, we also face the impact and infiltration of erroneous trends of thought stemming from different value systems and positions. These impacts and infiltrations pose challenges to Chinese culture, tangibly or intangibly eroding the cultural identity of the Chinese people. The CPC has always persisted in the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, maintained the culture confidence of the Chinese nation, resisted erroneous trends of thought, responded to the challenges and erosion of cultural hegemony, and resolved crises of cultural identity.
In summarizing the experience of the CPC in gradually establishing culture confidence by exploring the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, we must attach great importance to the construction of cultural subjectivity [13] as an important foundation of culture confidence. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the construction of cultural subjectivity, emphasizing that “culture confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity,” ① and “with cultural subjectivity, we have a firm sense of self in a cultural sense, and culture confidence has a fundamental reliance.” ② It is precisely this self-identity and self-expression, deeply rooted in the soil of the national spirit, that has forged our profound understanding and sense of pride in our own culture. Cultural subjectivity reflects a country’s and a nation’s self-awareness of its own culture and its initiative in cultural creation. It is an important source of culture confidence, providing ideological, spiritual, and practical support.
▲: In May 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the working conference for the "staying true to our original aspiration and founding mission" [14] theme education: “The people are the greatest source of confidence for our Party’s governance, the solid foundation of our Republic, and the fundamental basis for strengthening the Party and rejuvenating the country. Our Party comes from the people, was born for the people, and thrives because of the people; it must always remain heart-to-heart with the people, share weal and woe with them, and struggle together in unity.” ③ Please discuss how the establishment of the CPC’s culture confidence since the founding of New China reflects the important idea of being “people-centered.”
●: Since the founding of New China, the CPC has always insisted on the principal status of the masses in cultural development. Socialist cultural development focuses on serving and relying on the broad masses, which is a clear answer to the fundamental question of “for whom and on whom to rely” in the CPC's philosophy of governance. Realizing the people’s aspiration for a better life has always been the value goal of the Party’s governance and constitutes the value orientation for enhancing culture confidence. After the founding of New China, the Party placed the protection of the people’s fundamental interests in the most fundamental and important position, integrating this protection with socialist cultural undertakings and taking it as the purpose of building socialist culture confidence. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the Party persisted in the people-centered development philosophy, emphasizing that in the historical process of advancing Chinese-path modernization, the masses constitute not only the principal force of socialist modernization but also the decisive factor in promoting cultural progress.
▲: Please discuss the core concepts and scientific methods used by the CPC to establish culture confidence since the founding of New China.
●: Persisting in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground is the core concept for the CPC in establishing culture confidence since the founding of the New China.
Innovation and creation are the practical drivers of Chinese-path modernization. Innovation is the source of life for the development of human civilization. From the perspective of the particularity of the development of Chinese civilization, innovation is an inevitable requirement for Chinese-path modernization. In the process of Chinese-path modernization, the CPC has led the people in all-dimensional, wide-ranging, and deep-level cultural innovation. It has further deepened the theoretical interpretation of the development and laws of Chinese-path modernization, proposed symbolic concepts, original categories, and theoretical propositions under the theoretical framework of culture confidence and cultural subjectivity, and further deepened the academic exploration of the origin and development of Chinese civilization. Closely centering on the advancement of Chinese-path modernization, the Party has further comprehensively deepened reform, persisted in and improved the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and promoted the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, providing a solid institutional guarantee for Chinese-path modernization. It has promoted the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, stimulated the cultural innovation and creativity of the entire nation, and cultivated the deep cultural heritage for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Persisting in the “Two Combinations” [15] is an important scientific method through which the CPC has established culture confidence since the founding of New China. The “Two Combinations” represent the mutual fitting and achievement of the “soul-vein” [16] and “root-vein” of cultural construction for Chinese-path modernization through practical exploration and theoretical creation. The “first combination” integrates the soul-vein of Marxism into the theoretical foundation, solving the practical problems of Chinese-path modernization and continuously deepening the Party's understanding of the laws of modernization and the laws of the development of human civilization. The “second combination” deeply roots the fine traditional Chinese culture as the “root-vein” into the cultural foundation, elaborating the theory of Chinese-path modernization guided by Marxism and revealing the laws of modernization with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese flair. Through the deep integration of the soul-vein and root-vein, the “Two Combinations” fortify the foundation of culture confidence.
The “second combination” is both a profound theoretical summary of our Party’s successful practice of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and a profound grasp of the laws of the development of Chinese civilization. First, the proposal of the “second combination” stems from the internal need for the modernization of fine traditional Chinese culture. Marxism plays a triple role in the modern transformation of fine traditional Chinese culture: pointing the direction, providing the method, and clarifying the thinking. Second, the “second combination” is a fundamental requirement for the Sinicized Marxism, highlighting the role and function of fine traditional Chinese culture as the cultural bedrock for the innovative development of Marxism within Chinese-path modernization.
To deeply understand the organic connection between the construction of culture confidence and fine traditional Chinese culture, we must deeply explore why fine traditional Chinese culture can radiate unique charm and what value genes it contains that are worth excavating and interpreting. At the same time, we should think deeply about which value contents can undergo creative transformation and innovative development to become a powerful driving force for social progress and national development.
▲: In Marx's view, “problems are the slogans of the times.” ① What problems and challenges do you believe have been encountered in the process of building culture confidence in China, and what experiences have been formed in responding to them?
●: The main problem encountered in the process of building culture confidence in China is how to resolve the contradictions inherent in the coexistence of pluralistic cultures. The coexistence of Western culture, traditional culture, modern culture, mainstream culture, popular culture, and internet culture constitutes the cultural landscape of the New Era. In a process of development that seeks common ground while reserving differences, the interaction between these diverse cultures inevitably produces many contradictions and problems. For example, in the process of transforming from traditional to modern culture, the erosion of modernity has caused the loss of the traditional humanistic spirit to a certain extent; yet simultaneously, the development of modern society urgently and strongly calls for a high degree of humanistic spirit. Furthermore, the development of internet information technology has facilitated the creation of virtual spaces, triggering cultural security issues characterized by digitalization. In the practice of leading the people in socialist modernization, the CPC must both remain firm in culture confidence and pay attention to resolving the contradictions brought about by the coexistence of pluralistic cultures.
In addition, in the current process of building culture confidence, we must remain vigilant and seriously face certain abnormal or irrational cultural psychological phenomena. First is the coexistence of cultural conceit and cultural inferiority complexes, which pose a challenge to the construction of culture confidence. Second is the prevalence of New Cultural Conservatism and historical nihilism [17], which interfere with the healthy development of culture confidence. Third is the phenomenon of indifference toward national cultural identity, which may adversely affect the formation and inheritance of culture confidence. These problems require our deep analysis and proper handling to ensure that the construction of culture confidence proceeds in the right direction.
▲: The problems you just mentioned mainly occur domestically. What problems have been encountered at the international level regarding our construction of culture confidence, and what experiences have been formed?
●: At the international level, we need to actively respond to economic globalization and the resulting international cultural competition. With the deep development of economic globalization, cultural exchange and integration across the globe have greatly promoted the progress of human civilization, but have also triggered fierce international competition between cultures. It can be said that culture has become an important field for the balance of power and competition among countries. Many countries regard culture as a strategic resource, striving to draw strength from it and actively positioning themselves in the cultural field to gain the initiative in international competition. Issues such as cultural nationality, national cultural identity, the struggle for cultural discourse power in international competition, and the prevention of culture confidence from turning into complacency and conceit all need to be taken seriously and addressed in the current process of cultural construction. In response to these problems, the CPC has proposed active theoretical propositions and strategies, namely maintaining exchanges and mutual learning with other civilizations of the world and striving to expand the reach and influence of Chinese culture. The CPC advocates treating all cultures in the world with an attitude of equality, respect, and inclusiveness, and encourages an open mind to face and accept different cultures, thereby promoting mutual understanding and harmonious coexistence between different cultures.
▲: Finally, focusing on the relationship between material civilization and spiritual civilization, could you discuss the experience formed by the CPC in establishing culture confidence?
●: The most important experience in this regard is the adherence to the coordinated development of material and cultural-ethical civilization [18]. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a system of modern culture characterized by comprehensive development, embodying the socialist ideal of holistic progress. Since the founding of New China, and especially since the beginning of Reform and Opening-up [19], the Communist Party of China (CPC) has consistently emphasized that material civilization and cultural-ethical civilization are two essential pillars for building a culturally powerful country. They must be coordinated and develop in tandem to strengthen cultural confidence and enhance both the hard and soft power of a culturally powerful country. On one hand, we must consolidate and bolster the material foundation of Chinese-path modernization. By promoting a better alignment between the relations of production and the productive forces, the superstructure and the economic base, and national governance and social development, we provide the driving force for building a culturally powerful country. On the other hand, we need to enhance the spiritual power of this construction. Closely centering on our new cultural mission [20], we must build a socialist ideology with potent cohesive and guiding force. By promoting the prosperity and development of cultural industries and public cultural services, we will further increase the influence of Chinese culture.
In summary, since the founding of New China, the CPC has gradually established and reinforced cultural confidence through the process of leading the people in exploring the path of socialist modernization. The CPC’s journey of establishing cultural confidence is not only an inheritance and promotion of Marxist cultural thought and fine traditional Chinese culture but also an embodiment of a firm conviction in the innovative development of modern culture. The fundamental experience gained by the CPC in establishing cultural confidence is vital for promoting the creative transformation and innovative development [21] of fine traditional Chinese culture in the New Era. Seriously summarizing these valuable experiences will surely stimulate the cultural innovation and creative vitality of the entire nation, leading to the creation of new cultural glories.