Xing Yunwen: A Fundamental Measure to Advance Patriotism Education Through the Rule of Law
On January 1 of this year, the Patriotic Education Law of the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the "Patriotic Education Law") came into effect. This is the first law concerning patriotic education in our country’s history. The Patriotic Education Law is divided into five chapters and 40 articles, covering General Provisions, Duties and Tasks, Implementation Measures, Support and Protections, and Supplementary Provisions. It makes clear stipulations regarding the goals, content, subjects, objects, forms, carriers, support, and guarantees of patriotic education, providing the most authoritative legal basis for its promotion.
Elevating Patriotic Requirements to the National Will
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important expositions, issued a series of important instructions, and put forward a series of clear requirements centered on carrying forward the spirit of patriotism and developing patriotic education. He has profoundly elucidated the significant meaning, essential characteristics, distinct themes, and practical requirements of patriotism. This has pointed out the forward direction and provided the fundamental follow-through [1] for our profound understanding of why, what kind of, and how to deeply develop patriotic education in the New Era. The promulgation and implementation of the Patriotic Education Law serves to fix the practical experience of our Party in promoting patriotic education into a legislative form, elevating patriotic requirements to the national will, and utilizing the methods of the rule of law to promote and guarantee patriotic education in the New Era.
Patriotism is not only a basic moral requirement for citizens but also a civic duty prescribed by the Constitution. Promoting patriotic education through the rule of law reflects the spirit of the Constitution and is a common practice among major countries worldwide. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulates: "The state advocates the socialist core values and promotes the civic virtues of love for the motherland, for the people, for labor, for science and for socialism; it conducts education among the people in patriotism, collectivism, internationalism and communism." Article 2 of the Patriotic Education Law stipulates: "The state shall conduct patriotic education among all people to cultivate and enhance feelings for the Chinese nation and the great motherland, inherit the national spirit, strengthen the concept of the state, expand and unite all patriotic forces, and make patriotism a firm conviction, spiritual strength, and conscious action for all people." From the formulation and implementation of the National Flag Law in 1990 to the introduction of the National Anthem Law and the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs since the 18th CPC National Congress, all are directly related to patriotic education. Formulating the Patriotic Education Law based on the Constitution and forming a legal system for patriotic education with the Constitution at its core is both an inevitable requirement for perfecting the system of laws with Chinese characteristics under socialism, and an inevitable requirement for carrying forward the spirit of patriotism, gathering the spiritual strength to comprehensively build a modern socialist country through the power of the rule of law, and striving in unity for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Profoundly Recognizing the Distinct Themes of Patriotic Education
Since the beginning of the modern era, all the sacrifices and struggles of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation have been for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Entering the New Era, our Party takes the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the distinct theme of contemporary Chinese patriotism. The legislative purpose of the Patriotic Education Law is "to strengthen patriotic education in the New Era, inherit and carry forward the spirit of patriotism, and consolidate the majestic power to comprehensively build a modern socialist country and comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Article 3 of the Patriotic Education Law emphasizes: "Adhere to the unity of loving the country, loving the Party, and loving socialism; take the maintenance of national unity and ethnic solidarity as the focal point; and take the comprehensive building of a great modern socialist power and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as the distinct theme." Comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization is the central task of the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups on the new journey of the New Era, and it is also the most charismatic and persuasive patriotic action. Promoting patriotic education in the New Era is about awakening the historical consciousness of all Chinese people, stimulating the patriotic feelings of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad, and gathering the majestic power for building a strong country and national rejuvenation. The promulgation and implementation of the Patriotic Education Law is to elevate the unremitting pursuits of the Chinese people since the modern era, the firm propositions of the Chinese Communists in the New Era, and the common aspirations of hundreds of millions of Chinese people to the national will. Through patriotic education, people are guided to consciously become firm supporters of national unity and ethnic solidarity, and active promoters of national rejuvenation and the construction of a strong country, gathering every person's conscious action into the tide of the times to realize national rejuvenation.
The People's Republic of China is a socialist state led by the Communist Party of China; the fate of the motherland is inseparable from the fate of the Party and the fate of socialism. In contemporary China, the essence of patriotism is the high degree of unity between loving the country, loving the Party, and loving socialism. Article 6 of the Patriotic Education Law clearly stipulates the main content of patriotic education, covering nine aspects. Articles 7, 8, and 9 emphasize the current priorities of patriotic education from three aspects: casting the sense of community for the Chinese nation [2], inheriting and developing the fine traditional Chinese culture, and learning from and absorbing all the outstanding achievements of human civilization. The content of patriotic education is extremely rich, and the main thread running through it is the unity of loving the country, loving the Party, and loving socialism. Patriotic education in the New Era is about helping people sublimating natural and simple patriotic feelings into a rational patriotic consciousness, guiding people to continuously strengthen their confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture [3].
Constructing a Work Pattern for Patriotic Education Led by the Party
The vitality of law lies in its implementation. Article 4 of the Patriotic Education Law clearly states: "Patriotic education shall adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China and establish a work pattern characterized by unified leadership, coordinated management, participation by all parties, and joint promotion." Chapter II clarifies the responsibilities of central and local Party committee departments, enterprises, public institutions, and various mass organizations [4] in patriotic education. The key to managing China's affairs well lies in the Party. Patriotic education in the New Era must adhere to the leadership of the Party, giving play to the Party's leading core role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties. It must integrate patriotic education into the entire process of national education and the building of spiritual civilization [5], extending it to all aspects of social life, and constructing a work pattern where the whole of society coordinates the promotion of patriotic education.
The focus of patriotic education is on children and youth. Patriotic education must start with the young. Article 15 of the Patriotic Education Law stipulates: "The state shall incorporate patriotic education into the national education system. Schools of all levels and types shall integrate patriotic education into the entire process of school education, effectively manage and teach ideological and political theory courses, and integrate patriotic education content into various subjects and teaching materials." "Schools of all levels and types and other educational institutions shall establish a linkage mechanism for patriotic education-related courses in accordance with state regulations, determine the key content of patriotic education based on the characteristics of students in different age groups, adopt rich and appropriate teaching methods, and enhance the targeted nature, systemic nature, appeal, and influence of patriotic education." Article 17 stipulates: "Parents or other guardians of minors shall integrate love for the motherland into family education, support and cooperate with schools in carrying out patriotic education activities, and guide and encourage minors to participate in patriotic education social activities." The Patriotic Education Law clarifies the shared responsibilities of families, schools, and society in patriotic education, and puts forward specific requirements for patriotic education at different academic stages based on the growth patterns of youth, providing us with specific and actionable requirements for conducting patriotic education among young people.
Integrating patriotic education into all aspects of social life. Patriotic education can only fully play its role if it is integrated into people's social lives. Article 24 of the Patriotic Education Law stipulates: "Make full use of various types of patriotic education resources, platforms, and carriers to promote the effective implementation of patriotic education." Articles 25 to 32 provide clear directions on how various carriers and platforms should fulfill their patriotic education functions, such as utilizing "red resources" [6], giving play to the role of patriotic education bases and various venues, implementing the national system of medals and honors, utilizing various important festivals and anniversaries to conduct education, strengthening the content construction of news and media, and improving the construction of online patriotic content platforms. To correctly and effectively implement the Patriotic Education Law, we must create a good atmosphere for carrying forward the spirit of patriotism throughout society, allowing people to imperceptibly receive the influence and nourishment of patriotism in their social lives.
The whole of society must shoulder the responsibility for patriotic education. Promoting patriotic education requires mobilizing the strength of the entire society. The Patriotic Education Law clearly stipulates the responsibilities of different social subjects in patriotic education, fully reflecting the principle of classified guidance and effectively ensuring the targeted nature of patriotic education. At the same time, the Patriotic Education Law explicitly stipulates that any citizen or organization should carry forward the spirit of patriotism and consciously safeguard national security, honor, and interests. They must not engage in behaviors such as damaging the national image, desecrating heroic deeds, glorifying foreign aggression, or damaging patriotic education facilities. Violators shall bear corresponding legal responsibilities, and corresponding legal consequences are stipulated, providing a powerful guarantee for patriotic education through the compulsory force of law.