Wang Yongyou and Wei Mingyong: The Spiritual Power to Achieve the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation: Structure, Origins, and Dynamic Mechanisms
I. Introduction of the Issue
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized that “the period of the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ [1] is a critical stage for consolidating the foundation and exerting full force to basically realize socialist modernization.” For a country to achieve modernization and a nation to achieve great rejuvenation, it requires not only a strong material base but also the support of a powerful spiritual force. Rooted in the central task of advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization, the report to the 20th CPC National Congress explicitly proposed to “strengthen the spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” profoundly highlighting the vital role of spiritual force in advancing this cause.
Academic research regarding the spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has primarily focused on four aspects: First, defining its essential connotation. Scholars argue that spiritual force is the “subject’s active subjective reflection on practical activities and social existence,” embodying human spiritual self-confidence, self-awareness, and freedom; thus, the spiritual force for rejuvenation is the national self-affirmation and the overall mental state required for that process. Second, exploring its logic of generation. Academia generally approaches this from theoretical and practical dimensions: on one hand, emphasizing theoretical guidance by noting that “Marxism is the theoretical weapon for strengthening the people’s spiritual force”; on the other hand, emphasizing practical struggle, arguing that the Party’s century-long struggle has injected powerful spiritual force into the nation's rejuvenation. Third, analyzing specific sources. Starting from ideals, beliefs, and particular spirits, scholars argue that “the communist ideal is the powerful spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” while fully asserting the role of the spiritual lineage of Chinese Communists, such as the “Red Boat Spirit” [2]. Fourth, proposing practical paths. Starting from theoretical arming, cultural development, and the promotion of spirit, scholars contend that spiritual force originates in theoretical innovation. They argue for “focusing on strengthening the spiritual force for rejuvenation by building a leading culture power” and enhancing this force through the inheritance and promotion of spiritual traditions.
On the whole, current academic research on the spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is relatively thin, favoring discussions on essential connotations, logic of generation, and paths of promotion. Existing studies have not yet systematically analyzed the structure, roots, and kinetic mechanisms of this spiritual force. Clarifying these elements is the prerequisite for interpreting this force; it helps in better grasping its essential connotation and formative mechanism, thereby providing a more proactive spiritual force for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.
II. The Internal Structure of the Spiritual Force for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
Strengthening the spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a complex systemic project. It requires the coordinated efforts of diverse subjects, must meet the various needs of different subjects, and demands the effective operation of all internal elements to realize different systemic functions. To this end, an analysis of the internal structure of this complex system should be carried out from three dimensions: the subject, the driver, and the function.
(1) The Subject Dimension of the Spiritual Force for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
Humans possess the dual attributes of nature and spirit; while producing the material world in which they exist, they also produce their own spiritual world. The subjects of the spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are, in the final analysis, real human beings. This spiritual force is generally manifested across three levels: the individual, the group, and the nation. At the individual level, this force originates from the individual power of the Chinese people. Marx pointed out that “history is nothing but the activity of man pursuing his aims.” The subjects of socio-historical history are individuals engaged in real social production, which demonstrates the subjective status of the Chinese people in advancing the great cause of national rejuvenation. At the group level, this force is essentially the power of the masses. Man is the subject of social history, but individuals alone cannot create history. Marx opposed the heroic conception of history that unilaterally exaggerates individual roles, revealing the basic viewpoint that the masses create history. Therefore, only by condensing the individual power of the Chinese people into group power can a powerful spiritual synergy be formed. At the national level, this force is the power of the community of the Chinese nation. Our country is a unified multi-ethnic state, and we must “take the maintenance of national unity and ethnic solidarity as the highest interest of all ethnic groups.” The Marxist view on ethnicity advocates for the Great Union of nations, noting that “in the national struggles of the proletarians of the different countries, [the Communists] point out and bring to the front the common interests of the entire proletariat, independently of all nationality.” Only through the union of ethnic groups within a multi-ethnic state and the international union of nations between different states can a powerful force be formed to oppose the bourgeoisie. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Chinese civilization possesses outstanding unity... which determines that a strong and unified country is the foundation upon which the fate of all ethnic groups depends.” Therefore, only by forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and building a shared spiritual home for all ethnic groups can the spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation be formed.
The power of the individual, the group, and the nation together constitute the spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and they act collectively upon the great practice of national rejuvenation. On one hand, they exhibit a relationship of quantitative accumulation, representing the different manifestations of this spiritual force at micro, meso, and macro levels. Among these, the individual is the most basic unit of the group and the nation; the group and the nation are aggregates of individuals, while the nation is a group with a broader scope. Without individuals, a group cannot form; if individuals cannot organize themselves into a group, their power cannot be sustained. On the other hand, there is a relationship of qualitative change between the power of the individual, the group, and the nation, reflecting the qualitative elevation of the spiritual force. They reach organic unity through the accumulation of power and achieve high cohesion through its superposition. Just as many drops of water form a stream and many streams converge into a sea, Great Rejuvenation has been the great dream sought by the Chinese people since modern times and is the common expectation of all ethnic groups. Only by pooling the trickling streams of individual power can the majestic spiritual might for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation be condensed.
(2) The Driver Dimension of the Spiritual Force for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
Need is the essential determinant of man. Marx pointed out: “Their needs are consequently their nature.” The material, psychological, and spiritual needs of the masses stimulate the powerful spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. First, this force originates from the material needs of the masses. Matter determines consciousness; only through the satisfaction of material needs to maintain physical existence can the spirit be carried and find the space to function. Marx noted: “In order to be able to ‘make history,’ men must be in a position to live.” Therefore, the primary premise of human history is the satisfaction of material life needs. Second, this force originates from the psychological needs of the masses. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows that, in addition to basic physiological needs, people have strong psychological needs for security, affection, and respect. Achieving national rejuvenation is not only a material need but also a psychological one. The Chinese people long for the Chinese nation to stand tall among the nations of the world through rejuvenation, constantly strengthening their ambition, backbone, and confidence [3] as Chinese people, thereby stimulating a powerful spiritual force. Third, this force originates from the spiritual needs of the masses. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that “the greatest difference between human society and the animal kingdom is that humans have spiritual needs.” Spiritual needs and material needs constitute the two basic levels of human needs, stimulating the continuous vitality of individuals in both spiritual and material production. The spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation profoundly embodies the tremendous creativity of the Chinese people within their subjective spiritual world, based on their own material, psychological, and spiritual needs.
Human needs are multi-layered and diverse; the material, psychological, and spiritual needs of the Chinese people are unified within the historical process of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. On one hand, the diversity of human needs persists through all stages of social development. In Marx's view, people live both for survival and for self-actualization. Their mode of production is not only an activity occurring with nature to maintain physical existence but also a social activity occurring during interaction with others for self-actualization. Thus, even in eras of extreme material scarcity, individuals have multiple psychological and spiritual needs such as security and socialization. On the other hand, human needs exhibit a hierarchy constrained by the stage of social development. In primitive society, the predicament of survival caused needs to be concentrated on a dependence on objects. With the development of productive forces and the resolution of the food and clothing problem, people paid more attention to psychological and spiritual enjoyment; individual needs gradually shifted toward higher-level psychological and spiritual needs. Furthermore, the same need will manifest at different levels in different historical stages; in higher social forms, individual material, psychological, and spiritual needs clearly have higher requirements. Marx linked individual needs to the development of productive forces and the evolution of human society—that is, people's needs are satisfied along with the development of productive forces. In this process, society progresses, and individuals gradually break free from external constraints, thereby achieving free and comprehensive development. Overall, the spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is stimulated through the continuous pursuit of satisfying material, psychological, and spiritual needs; the ongoing fulfillment of these needs is the source of the kinetic energy for this spiritual force.
(3) The Function Dimension of the Spiritual Force for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
The spiritual force for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a concentrated manifestation of human consciousness and ideas. From the perspective of its function and role, it is primarily reflected in providing powerful spiritual leadership, spiritual cohesion, spiritual creativity, and spiritual combat effectiveness for the cause of national rejuvenation. First, spiritual leadership is reflected in providing the fundamental sense of direction. An important reason why individuals alone cannot create history is the spontaneity of individual action; however, the spiritual force for rejuvenation is a mass power that follows historical laws and grasps historical trends, thus it can lead the entire Chinese people to consciously commit themselves to the historical cause of rejuvenation. Second, spiritual cohesion manifests as a spiritual bond for achieving rejuvenation, capable of condensing the power of all ethnic groups into a synergy and transforming individual power into a formidable spiritual kinetic energy for creating history. Third, spiritual creativity is the active capacity of the practicing subject to transform the subjective spiritual world. It is concentrated in the theoretical innovations of the Chinese people during the cause of rejuvenation and serves as an inexhaustible driver for a nation's development. It is through spiritual creativity that the CPC, in the historical process of leading the Chinese people toward rejuvenation, has integrated the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional culture, forming a series of innovative theoretical results of the Sinicization of Marxism. Fourth, spiritual combat effectiveness manifests as a powerful driving force; a nation can only move forward and be invincible if it possesses a strong spiritual force. For over a century, the CPC has attached great importance to the cultivation of spiritual combat effectiveness, insisting on "replenishing the spiritual calcium" [4] of Communists and constructing a spiritual lineage with the Great Founding Spirit of the Party as its source, continuously promoting the cause of the Party and the country to achieve historical achievements and undergo historical changes.
Spiritual leadership, cohesion, creativity, and combat effectiveness are both distinct and closely linked, profoundly embodying the powerful role of this spiritual force in the practice of national rejuvenation. On one hand, one must...
Understanding the "Four Forces" [5] on the basis of practice, the dialectical relationship between consciousness and matter provides us with the fundamental scale for grasping them. In his critique of idealism, Marx rejected the understanding of spirit (精神, jingshen) as a supernatural or surreal existence detached from substance, emphasizing instead that "consciousness is at the very beginning a social product, and remains so as long as men exist at all." At the same time, Marx affirmed the effect of spirit upon matter, arguing that "theory also becomes a material force as soon as it has gripped the masses." Therefore, while the leading force, cohesive force, creative force, and combat force of the spirit are subjective in content, they are objective in essence, profoundly reflecting the dialectical relationship of "matter generating spirit and spirit transforming into matter." Furthermore, from the perspective of the internal relations among the "Four Forces," a spiritual force can only form a powerful spiritual combat force if it possesses spiritual leading, cohesive, and creative forces. A spiritual force can only better exercise its leading role if it demonstrates its own cohesive, creative, and combat forces. A spiritual force can only play a role in unifying hearts and pooling strength if it possesses leading, creative, and combat forces. Only by possessing a spiritual creative force can a spiritual force continuously achieve self-breakthrough and transcendence, thereby maintaining its leading, cohesive, and combat forces in perpetuity. These four forces complement one another, becoming a shared spiritual strength for the realization of national rejuvenation and pushing the practice of the great cause of national rejuvenation toward new victories.
III. The Formative Roots of the Spiritual Strength for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
The spiritual strength for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the subjective and active reflection of the subjects of practice upon social existence. The formation of this strength possesses deep material, ideological, institutional, and cultural roots. To this end, an analysis of these formative roots must unfold across these four dimensions to scientifically grasp the mechanism by which this spiritual strength is generated.
(1) The Material Roots of the Spiritual Strength for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
Social existence determines social consciousness, and the economic base determines the superstructure. The level of socio-economic development fundamentally determines the presence and intensity of the spiritual strength for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; a powerful spiritual combat force can only be formed with a solid material foundation. Marx pointed out: "Mankind thus inevitably sets itself only such tasks as it is able to solve... the task itself arises only when the material conditions for its solution are already present or at least in the course of formation." The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC explicitly proposed the epochal task of "strengthening the spiritual strength for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," precisely based on the solid material foundation laid by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC through a century of struggle. Since the reform and opening up, the CPC has led the people in creating a miracle of rapid economic development. The country's economic strength has increased significantly, achieving the great success of moving from subsistence to a "moderately prosperous society in all respects" (xiaokang). This represents a grand transition from lagging behind the times to catching up with the times, and ultimately to gradually leading the times. It marks a great leap from "standing up" and "growing rich" to "becoming strong." The standard of living and comprehensive national strength have continuously improved, creating the Chinese-path modernization and a new form of human civilization. This solid material and economic foundation has created the preconditions and provided the fundamental guarantee for condensing the spiritual strength to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, enabling the Chinese people to be "closer to, more confident in, and more capable of achieving the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any time in history."
Social consciousness reacts upon social existence, and the superstructure reacts upon the economic base. The dialectical movement between matter and spirit always presents a developmental trend of: "material foundation → spiritual strength → a more solid material foundation → a more powerful spiritual strength." On the one hand, creating more abundant material wealth is inherent to the meaning of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In Marx and Engels' description of the future communist society, the most important feature is the full flow of material wealth. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "To realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, material wealth must be extremely abundant, and spiritual wealth must also be extremely abundant." On the other hand, a solid material foundation is the fundamental guarantee for a powerful spiritual strength. To enhance the spiritual strength for rejuvenation, we must continuously form a more solid material foundation through practice. With the realization of the First Centenary Goal [6], the Party’s leadership has become even stronger, the Chinese people more united, and the sense of community for the Chinese nation has been continuously forged. Spiritual strength has burst forth. Consequently, the 20th National Congress issued the great call to "strive in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts," meaning we will further consolidate the material foundation and stimulate even more powerful spiritual strength.
(2) The Ideological Roots of the Spiritual Strength for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
Spiritual strength is the concentrated manifestation of people's thoughts and concepts. The Party's scientific theory, as the crystallization of the wisdom and experience of the people led by the Party in practice, is a crucial ideological root of the spiritual strength for rejuvenation and possesses a powerful spiritual leading force. For over a century, the CPC has continuously advanced the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, forming a series of innovative theoretical results and enriching the treasury of the Party's scientific theory. First, the Party’s innovative theories unify people's understanding, which profoundly influences the correct direction of spiritual strength. "Without revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement." Second, since its founding, the CPC has remained true to its original aspiration and founding mission—to seek happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the nation. Centering on the historical theme of national rejuvenation, it uses innovative theory to guide the masses and condense their spiritual strength. Third, the Party’s innovative theories are thorough theories proven by practice and suited to China's conditions; thus, they can correctly guide the great practice of rejuvenation. In Marx's view, for theory to be transformed into a material force, it must first be grasped by the masses, and if a theory is "radical" (going to the root), it can convince people. In exploring the path of Chinese revolution and construction, we also experienced errors at the ideological and theoretical levels; because erroneous theories could not correctly guide practice, they were ultimately abandoned by the masses. Conversely, the Party's innovative theories have developed through struggles against various erroneous ideas, guided the great practices of revolution, construction, and reform, and achieved world-renowned successes. Ultimately, they gained the resolute support and high recognition of the masses, becoming the ideological basis for the conscious condensation of the spiritual strength for national rejuvenation.
To enhance this spiritual strength, we must persist in the guidance of the scientific theory of Marxism and solidify the ideological foundation of the masses. Marxism provides us with a scientific worldview and methodology for understanding and transforming the world. Only by adhering to it can we firmly grasp the initiative in the development of the Party and the country’s undertakings. At the same time, no scientific theory can exhaust the truth; it can only continuously open the path to truth through practice. Marxism can only correctly reflect changing objective existence and lead the cause of rejuvenation to new victories if it innovates in practice. In the historical process of building a modern socialist country in all respects, we can only consolidate the ideological foundation of the masses and condense a powerful spiritual strength by unswervingly upholding the guiding position of Marxism and continuously breaking new ground in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
(3) The Institutional Roots of the Spiritual Strength for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
The scientific, progressive, and superior nature of a social system is a crucial factor in whether the spiritual strength for national rejuvenation can be formed. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as an advanced system proven by practice, is the important institutional root of this strength and can exert a powerful spiritual cohesive effect. Looking at the historical development of Chinese civilization, the Chinese people have conducted deep explorations of ancient institutional civilizations. Every prosperous dynasty (盛世, shengshi) possessed the advantages of a national institutional system. For example, Shang Yang's reforms [7] established the county system, laying the foundation for a strong Qin state; Dong Zhongshu's reforms [8] "proscribed the hundred schools of thought and honored only Confucianism," thereby consolidating the "Great Unity" (大一统, da yitong) during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Historical systems such as the abdication system, the enfeoffment system, the commandery-county system, and the province system regulated administrative behavior and social order, maintained the operation of state power, and played important roles in social stability, civilization, and economic development. Under the conditions of their time, these systems were progressive and provide historical experience for contemporary governance.
Regarding the institutional practices of socialism and capitalism in the modern world, Western capitalist countries follow an institutional logic dominated by capital. They cannot escape "objective dependence" to achieve "free individuality," nor can they overcome the contradiction between the private ownership of the means of production and socialized large-scale production. Thus, when facing sudden public social crises, Western states under the capitalist system do not initially commit to solving the problem, but rather treat it as a tool for political struggle. This exposes the serious flaws of the multi-party system, characterized by different parties shirking responsibility and low efficiency. In contrast, the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is rooted in the basic principles of scientific socialism and China’s long history of civilization. It absorbs valuable governance experience from all times and places, demonstrating immense institutional advantages and governance efficacy in reaching social consensus, integrating social thought, and condensing social forces.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the fundamental institutional guarantee for development and progress in contemporary China." In terms of institutional philosophy, it consistently upholds the people-centered nature of its value position—this is the logical prerequisite for condensing spiritual strength. For a social system to play a cohesive role, it must first be widely recognized by all members of society to establish its legitimacy. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics persists in a people-centered value position, fully protecting the fundamental interests of the masses, and has won their heartfelt support. In terms of institutional design, it consistently manifests the scientific nature of national governance, which is key to condensing spiritual strength. As the Party's understanding of institutional building deepens, the entire system—comprised of fundamental, basic, and important institutions—has become increasingly perfected, covering economy, politics, culture, society, ecology, and all aspects of people's lives. The "Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Upholding and Improving the System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Advancing the Modernization of China's System and Capacity for Governance," adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee, systematically summarized the significant advantages of this system. In terms of implementation, it possesses operational feasibility, ensuring that the spiritual strength for rejuvenation moves from "what ought to be" (yingran) to "what is" (shiran). The vitality of a system lies in its implementation. Any system that is difficult to execute is merely a scrap of paper. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics fits China's national conditions and can efficiently allocate resources and mobilize the enthusiasm of the people, manifesting the significant advantage of "concentrating resources to accomplish large undertakings."
(4) The Cultural Roots of the Spiritual Strength for Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
Culture is the soul of a nation and a people. The five thousand years of Chinese civilization, fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture provide essential spiritual and cultural nourishment for the spiritual strength needed to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, injecting powerful spiritual creativity into national renewal. Fine traditional Chinese culture is the spiritual root and pulse of the Chinese nation; gestated within the five-thousand-year developmental history of the Chinese civilization, it profoundly embodies the ethical concepts and spiritual value pursuits of the Chinese people, containing rich wisdom regarding state governance and personal conduct. Revolutionary culture is the unique spiritual identifier of the Chinese nation, formed during the great struggles led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) as the Chinese people resisted foreign aggression and sought national independence and liberation. In the historical process of pursuing national rejuvenation since the beginning of the modern era, the CPC led the Chinese people in cultivating precious revolutionary spirits and cultural traditions, forming the spiritual lineage of individual Chinese Communists with the Great Founding Spirit of the Party [9] as its source, providing us with formidable spiritual strength to overcome risks and challenges on the road ahead. Advanced socialist culture is formed through the great practice of the CPC leading the Chinese people in advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It possesses distinct characteristics of the times and is a vivid manifestation of the great creative spirit of the Chinese Communists and the Chinese people, inspiring the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups to forge ahead. Fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture are the vital sources for strengthening cultural confidence and stimulating the cultural creative vitality of all ethnic groups; they constitute the essential cultural foundation for the spiritual strength to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Cultural confidence is the most fundamental, deepest, and most enduring force in the development of a country and a nation. Therefore, we must enhance the spiritual strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by strengthening cultural confidence. We must promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, adhering to the principle of cultural construction that integrates the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture. We must persist in the direction of cultural development "serving the people and serving socialism," and uphold the policy of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend" [10] to promote the prosperity of fine traditional Chinese culture. We must inherit and carry forward revolutionary culture. The Party’s century-long history of revolutionary struggle has tempered the great spirit of the Chinese nation and birthed its revolutionary traditions; through this inheritance, we enhance our confidence and courage to dare to struggle, face difficulties head-on, and march forward with fortitude. We must develop advanced socialist culture, promote and practice the Core Socialist Values, and carry forward the national spirit centered on patriotism and the spirit of the times centered on reform and innovation. We must more forcefully advance cultural construction for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, uphold the fundamentals and break new ground, remain open and inclusive, and build a strong socialist culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the development and prosperity of Chinese culture as a condition." Only by continuously promoting the development of fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, and by enriching the spiritual world of the people while constructing Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength, can we effectively enhance the spiritual force for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
IV. The Dynamic Mechanisms for Enhancing the Spiritual Strength to Realize the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
To stimulate the original spiritual strength of individuals, groups, and the Chinese nation as a whole, to ensure a continuous outpouring of spiritual energy from the masses, and to constantly enhance the spiritual force for national rejuvenation, we require correct guidance, effective incentives, and vigorous publicity. We must construct a dynamic mechanism for enhancing this spiritual strength and promote the coordinated and efficient operation of its various components.
(1) The Guidance-Driven Mechanism for Enhancing Spiritual Strength The guidance-driven mechanism starts from the generation of spiritual strength for national rejuvenation, guiding the spiritual value pursuits and material interest needs of different subjects toward practical actions for rejuvenation, thereby stimulating the inherent, original spiritual strength of the subjects.
Interests and needs reflect the purposes and motives of individual action. Marx pointed out: "Everything for which people struggle is related to their interests." Therefore, the drive of interest-based needs becomes an important mechanism for stimulating the original spiritual strength of the Chinese people. Only by guiding the masses to transform the motivation for satisfying their own interests into practical actions for rejuvenation can we stimulate a powerful spiritual force. On one hand, we must focus on where people's needs lie and clarify how to guide them. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the needs of the masses have shifted from "ever-growing material and cultural needs" to the "ever-growing need for a better life" [11], placing higher demands on both material living standards and spiritual-cultural life. This suggests that we must not only satisfy material needs—guaranteeing and improving livelihoods through high-quality development and focusing on solving the urgent anxieties of the masses—but also satisfy their spiritual value pursuits, solidly promoting common prosperity in spiritual life. On the other hand, we must uphold the CPC’s position as the leadership core in the cause of national rejuvenation and clarify who provides the guidance. Since the dawn of the modern era, countless people with lofty ideals explored recipes for saving the country; various "isms" and groups took the historical stage, but none succeeded. Once the CPC was founded, it established the guiding position of Marxism, and "the Chinese people passed from being passive to being active in spirit." Meanwhile, through a century of struggle, the Party fundamentally changed the fate of the Chinese people. The CPC is not only the leading force but also the vital spiritual pillar, providing the internal support and the directional guidance for this spiritual strength. History fully demonstrates that without the Communist Party, there would be no New China and no national rejuvenation. Only by adhering to Party leadership and scientifically grasping the material and spiritual needs of the people can we achieve a "resonance at the same frequency" between individual needs and the collective value pursuit of the nation.
(2) The Incentive-Driven Mechanism for Enhancing Spiritual Strength The incentive-driven mechanism focuses on the mobilization of spiritual strength, using the ideals and pursuits of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation to inspire different subjects to actively and consciously devote themselves to the grand practice of national renewal, thereby stimulating the latent, deep-layer spiritual strength of the subjects.
Ideals and pursuits represent a subject's tireless yearning for future development, reflecting the gap between the current state and the goal. Only with lofty ideals can a person achieve better self-development, and only with such goals can a nation clarify its direction. The realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese people in modern times. This ideal guides the direction of the people's struggle and inspires them to consciously join the fervent practice of rejuvenation. On one hand, based on our national conditions, we must formulate goals and tasks for different periods in a planned, phased manner, using the realization of stage-specific goals to boost morale and enhance confidence. Looking back at history, through the bloody battles of the New Democratic Revolution, the Party created the social conditions for rejuvenation; through the arduous exploration of socialist revolution and construction, it laid the political and institutional foundations; and through the unremitting struggle of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, it provided the institutional guarantee and material conditions for rapid development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, "the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with great historical initiative, immense political courage, and a strong sense of responsibility," has promoted the flourishing cause of the Party and state. As stage-specific tasks are achieved, the confidence and determination of the Chinese people become firmer. On the other hand, we must use the lofty ideal of Communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics to inspire the masses. Currently, these two ideals are unified in the historical task of national rejuvenation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that we must "profoundly understand the dialectical relationship between the lofty ideal of Communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics"; we cannot talk about the lofty ideal in a vacuum, nor can we discard it. Communism embodies the objective laws of historical development, while socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only path to national rejuvenation.
(3) The Publicity-Driven Mechanism for Enhancing Spiritual Strength The publicity-driven mechanism focuses on the "supply" of spiritual strength, educating different subjects with the original aspiration and founding mission of seeking happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the nation, thereby creating a powerful climate of public opinion for united struggle.
Publicity (or "propaganda" [12]) possesses important functions of incentive, inspiration, and guidance. Classical Marxist theorists attached great importance to this work. Marx and Engels emphasized that "the Communists never cease, for a single minute, to instill into the working class the clearest possible recognition of the hostile antagonism between bourgeoisie and proletariat." Lenin pointed out: "The workers... could not have the Social-Democratic consciousness. It would have to be brought to them from without." Based on this powerful influence over the individual, publicity has become an important mechanism for enhancing spiritual strength. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "Doing a good job in the Party's news and public opinion work and creating a favorable environment is a major event in state governance." Through continuous "positive energy" publicity, we consolidate the ideological foundation for the common struggle of the whole Party and nation. On one hand, we must enhance the rational cognition of the masses regarding the Party and government. We must let the people know what the Party has done and intends to do for them. Through publicity, we help the masses understand why the Communist Party "can" (is capable), why socialism with Chinese characteristics "is good," and why Marxism and its Sinicized and modernized versions "work" (are effective), thereby strengthening people's identification with and confidence in the Party, the system, and the theory. On the other hand, we must create a powerful atmosphere of public opinion for unremitting struggle. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized, publicity and ideological work must "consolidate and expand the mainstream ideology and public opinion." We must use publicity to make the masses realize that the Chinese Dream for national rejuvenation is intertwined with each person's dream for happiness, planting the seeds of rejuvenation deep in every heart.