Shen Xiangping: Constructing a Strong Cultural Self in Contemporary China
Xi Jinping Thought on Culture takes the "Two Combinations" [1] as its core methodology to systematically answer the questions of the era within the cultural sphere, forming an essential chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era—the "Culture Chapter." Xi Jinping Thought on Culture not only regards culture as a living organism but also proposes the original concept of "cultural self" (文化自我), namely a "firm self in a cultural sense." Every state or nation as an entity possesses multiple facets—political, economic, cultural, and social—but culture is its "bloodline and soul." The cultural self is the core of a state or nation’s self-consciousness; it is the foundation of its existence, the driving force of its development, and the source of its confidence in facing the future. In this sense, the new cultural mission of the New Era—to promote cultural prosperity and build a leading cultural nation—is fundamentally about constructing a powerful cultural self for contemporary China. Put another way, building a powerful self in the cultural sense is the fundamental task of cultural construction in the New Era.
"A nation and a country must know who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. Once they have thought it through and gotten it right, they must move unswervingly toward their goal." The fate of culture (文运, wenyun) is entwined with the fate of the nation (国运, guoyun); the cultural pulse (文脉, wenmai) is linked to the national pulse. "Cultural self" refers to a system of subjective cultural identity formed by a nation through historical practice; it also encompasses core propositions such as "Who am I?", "Where did I come from?", and "Where am I going?" At the beginning of the New Era, following decades of rapid economic development under reform and opening up, China found itself in a world of unprecedented cultural turbulence. Issues such as the infiltration of Western ideology, the fragmentation of traditional value symbols, and a lack of momentum in modern cultural innovation became prominent. General Secretary Xi Jinping confronted these problems and challenges directly, proposing a series of new concepts, thoughts, and strategies. These effectively constitute a systematic discourse on the "five questions of identity" for contemporary China’s cultural self: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is my essence? How am I validated? This forms a complete logical system of "subjectivity (Who am I)—historicality (Where did I come from)—directionality (Where am I going)—essentiality (What is my essence)—practicality (How am I validated)." This system provides a systematic guide for action in building a powerful cultural self for contemporary China and offers a theoretical program for resolving the dilemma of the "cultural self" in a general sense.
I. "Who Am I": Exalting the Cultural Subjectivity of the Chinese Nation
"Who am I" is originally a philosophical question, particularly one pertaining to the philosophy of the human person. To ask "Who am I" is the awakening of human self-consciousness—that is, the self begins to take itself as an object, perceiving, reflecting upon, and confirming its own state of existence, mental activities, and its relationship with the world, especially with "the Other." This inquiry first implies self-knowledge (zizhi), which is an awakening at the cognitive level. "He who knows himself is enlightened" [2]—self-knowledge is the epistemological foundation of a clear self-consciousness. Second is self-awareness (zijue), which is the practical deepening of self-knowledge; on the basis of "knowing who one is," one "knows who one should strive to become." Therefore, self-awareness always implies active behavior driven by self-cognition. Finally, there is self-confidence (zixin), which is the trust and affirmation of one’s own identity and capabilities, strengthening the power of action through belief. Only after having self-knowledge, self-awareness, and self-confidence can one achieve self-reliance (zili). Self-reliance is the practical result of self-confidence, while self-strengthening (ziqiang) is the continuous upward spiritual momentum. "He who overcomes himself is powerful" [3]—the essence of self-overcoming is self-transcendence, which is realized through the practice of self-confidence, self-reliance, and self-strengthening on the basis of self-knowledge and self-awareness.
The consciousness of contemporary China's cultural self follows this pattern. First, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of requirements to "explain clearly" and "recognize," which are actually demands to reach the cultural self-knowledge of the national self. For example, he requested that we "explain clearly the historical origins, developmental trajectory, and basic trends of fine traditional Chinese culture; explain clearly the unique creations, value concepts, and distinctive features of Chinese culture." He emphasized the need to "educate and guide the masses, especially the youth, to better recognize and identify with Chinese civilization," and to "educate and guide cadres and the masses, especially the youth, to recognize the historical sequence of the origins and development of Chinese civilization, its brilliant achievements, and its major contributions to human civilization." Second, General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to cultural awareness, noting that "the Communist Party of China is a party with a high degree of cultural awareness," and has always regarded "strengthening cultural awareness" as an important requirement for publicity, ideological, and cultural work. Finally, he emphasizes the extreme importance of firming up cultural confidence. He believes that "cultural confidence is the most basic, deepest, and most lasting force in the development of a country and a nation," and that "firming up cultural confidence is a major issue concerning the rise and fall of national fortunes, cultural security, and the independence of the national spirit." Firming up cultural confidence has become the primary observance and core principle of cultural construction in the New Era. "Must persist in self-confidence and self-reliance" has become one of the components of the worldview, methodology, and the stand, viewpoint, and method that run through Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Moreover, as seen in many discourses, the Party has led the people to "be self-confident and self-strengthening, uphold the fundamentals and break new ground, and coordinate the great struggle, great project, great cause, and great dream [4], creating the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era"; and "Chinese-path modernization requires not only a great abundance of material wealth but also a great abundance of spiritual wealth, and self-confidence and self-strengthening in thought and culture." In fact, building a leading cultural nation is the goal of self-strengthening for China's cultural self today, while cultural confidence is the prerequisite for self-reliance and self-strengthening. In this sense, "Who am I" is the overarching problem in building a powerful cultural self for contemporary China; "Where did I come from," "Where am I going," "What is my essence," and "How am I validated" are all specific elaborations of this overarching problem.
A basic conclusion of modern intellectual history, and particularly the history of philosophy, is that the core of self-consciousness lies in establishing subjectivity; only with subjectivity does one truly have self-consciousness. For a nation or state, cultural subjectivity is the foundation of cultural "self-consciousness." As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "With cultural subjectivity, one has a firm self in a cultural sense"; "cultural confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity," and cultural subjectivity is the "fundamental reliance" of cultural confidence. With cultural subjectivity, "the Communist Party of China has a powerful cultural force to lead the times, the Chinese nation and the Chinese people have a solid cultural foundation for national identity, and Chinese civilization has distinctive cultural characteristics for exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations in the world." In short, only with cultural subjectivity can contemporary China truly confirm "Who am I" in a cultural sense and strive to become the "self" as perceived by itself. Cultural subjectivity is the fundamental reliance of the cultural self and the most intrinsic goal-orientation for the development of the cultural self.
Regarding cultural subjectivity, General Secretary Xi Jinping has derived a regular understanding from the height of world history: "For any culture to stand firm and go far, and to have the power to lead, unite, mold, and radiate, it must have its own subjectivity." From the five-thousand-year history of the development of Chinese civilization, he reached a scientific conclusion: "Chinese civilization possesses a cultural subjectivity and vigorous vitality that allows it to develop itself, respond to challenges, and open up new vistas." From the perspective of firming up cultural confidence and adhering to the "Two Combinations" in the New Era, he elucidated a great achievement: the Party has led the people in establishing and consolidating cultural subjectivity in the modern sense. From the Party’s century-long struggle, especially the struggle in the New Era, he revealed three basic experiences for establishing cultural subjectivity: "This subjectivity was established on Chinese soil by the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people; it was established on the basis of the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, the inheritance of revolutionary culture, the development of advanced socialist culture, and the borrowing and absorption of all outstanding achievements of human civilization; it was established by combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture." From the perspective of the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, he pointed out a powerful manifestation of cultural subjectivity: "The creation of Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the most powerful manifestation of this cultural subjectivity."
The cultural self of contemporary China is Chinese culture, but it is not the Chinese culture that existed "in itself" (自在, zizai) in the past; rather, it is a new cultural life-form (文化生命体) formed through "combination." Its core lies in cultural subjectivity. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, Chinese civilization and Chinese culture have always possessed cultural subjectivity. However, in modern times, the cultural life of the Chinese nation was once on the verge of extinction, and its national cultural subjectivity was nearly lost. It was the Communist Party of China that turned the spirit of the Chinese people from passive to active, led the people to rebuild cultural subjectivity in the modern sense, and consolidated this subjectivity through the "Two Combinations," especially the "Second Combination"—this itself is an important manifestation of "the Chinese nation possessing a cultural subjectivity that allows it to develop itself, respond to challenges, and open up new vistas." Precisely because of this, contemporary China has a firm self in the cultural sense. On one hand, cultural subjectivity is the cultural representation of the subjectivity of the Chinese nation; on the other hand, the subjectivity of the Chinese nation is the realistic manifestation of cultural subjectivity. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as the essence of the Chinese culture and the spirit of the times, centrally embodies contemporary China's cultural subjectivity. It also shows that China's cultural subjectivity today has three important dimensions: first, the "ideological soul" (思想灵魂), namely Marxism acting as the "soul-vein" (魂脉, hunmai) of the new cultural life-form, occupying the guiding position; second, the "historical foundation" (历史根基), namely fine traditional Chinese culture acting as the "root-vein" (根脉, genmai) of the new cultural life-form, embodying genetic inheritance; third, "realistic vitality" (现实活力), namely the contemporary practice that makes the "new quality" (新质, xinzhi) of the new cultural life-form realistically possible, which lies in innovation and creation.
Today, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, and "human civilization stands at a crossroads of where to go." In this context, "Western-centrism" has dealt a great blow to the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, seen in the infiltration of "universal values" and the commercialization of cultural symbols. In ideological, cultural, and artistic circles, phenomena such as "holding the foreign in high esteem," "taking the foreign as beautiful," and "blindly following the foreign"—trailing behind others and "imitating the frown of Xi Shi" [5]—along with a penchant for "de-ideologization," "de-valorization," "de-historicization," "de-Sinicization," and "de-mainstreaming," remain quite serious. General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly emphasized: "Exalting the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, and properly protecting, promoting, and developing the treasures of Chinese civilization left behind through vicissitudes, is the historical responsibility and sacred mission of contemporary Chinese Communists." We must "hold fast to the position of Chinese culture, refine and display the spiritual markers and cultural essence of Chinese civilization," enhance cultural awareness, and firm up cultural confidence. In short, knowing "Who am I" and always possessing a clear self-consciousness and high degree of self-identity in a cultural sense is the prerequisite for making the cultural self stronger.
It should be pointed out that the consciousness of contemporary China's cultural self is not only a core proposition in the cultural field, but also a key link in the overall strategy of building a powerful country. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture actually considers cultural subjectivity within the "Two Overarching Situations" (两个大局)—the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan," the "Four Comprehensives" strategic layout, and even the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world’s once-in-a-century profound changes. It emphasizes the systematic link between building a leading cultural nation and other national strategies such as becoming a leader in science and technology, talent, and manufacturing. Culture provides value guidance and spiritual momentum for scientific and technological innovation, and shapes the humanistic foundation and value coordinates for the growth of talent, while the development of technology and talent in turn feeds back into cultural creative transformation and international communication. This multi-dimensional synergistic relationship is the fundamental guarantee for the "firm self in a cultural sense" to take root and play a leading role.
II. "Where Did I Come From": Highlighting the Foundation of a Continuous Civilization
The self-awareness and self-identity of "who am I" are, in fact, a self understood through reflective activity, in which historical continuity plays a key role. That is to say, "who am I" is the overarching question, while "where do we come from" and "where are we going" both serve to explain this primary question. "Without understanding China from the seafaring depths of its long historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, impossible to understand modern China, and even more impossible to understand the China of the future." However, only by not forgetting the origins can we open up the future. The question of "where do we come from" is undoubtedly more foundational than the question of "where are we going"—"history is the root of reality; the today of any country comes from its yesterday. Only by understanding where a country came from can one understand why it is as it is today and not otherwise, and only then can one clarify where it will and will not go in the future"; "Contemporary China is the continuation and development of historical China, and contemporary Chinese ideology and culture are also the inheritance and sublimation of traditional Chinese ideology and culture." Chinese Communists are not historical nihilists [6] or cultural nihilists; rather, they consciously position themselves as the faithful inheritors and promoters of fine traditional Chinese culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized many times that "forgetting history means betrayal" and that one must not "forget one's ancestors" [7] or "belittle oneself." The purpose is to position "who am I" from the perspective of remembering "where we come from," always maintaining a clear and firm cultural self.
The cultural and civilizational history of the Chinese nation has laid a profound foundation for the cultural self of contemporary China. Research results from major projects such as the Project to Trace the Origins of Chinese Civilization [8] have proven that the Chinese nation has a million-year history of humanity, a ten-thousand-year history of culture, and a history of civilization spanning more than five thousand years. "In the long-term process of cultural inheritance and development, as well as civilizational continuity and progress, the spiritual foundation, value base, and source of strength for the Chinese nation have been established and consolidated," which is to say, the cultural self of the Chinese nation has been truly established. The cultural self—namely Chinese culture—that we speak of today includes fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, among which revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture both trace their origins back to fine traditional Chinese culture. "Why has the Chinese nation been able to survive and thrive, pass on the flame, and develop tenaciously through the long river of history for thousands of years? A very important reason is that the Chinese nation possesses a spiritual pursuit, spiritual character, and spiritual lineage passed down in one continuous line," "the core content of which has already become the most fundamental cultural genes of the Chinese nation," rooted in the hearts of the Chinese people and subtly influencing their way of thinking and behaving. Within the "Big View of History" [9], this fine traditional Chinese culture is the crystallization of wisdom and the essence of Chinese civilization. "Chinese civilization is long-standing and profound; it is the unique spiritual identification of the Chinese nation and the foundation of contemporary Chinese culture." Outstanding characteristics such as continuity, innovation, unity, inclusivity, and peacefulness are the distinct marks that distinguish Chinese civilization from others. The core of these outstanding characteristics lies in the fact that, through its long evolution, Chinese civilization has "formed a unique value system, cultural connotation, and spiritual quality through which Chinese people view the world, society, and life. This is the fundamental feature that distinguishes us from other countries and nations."
Chinese culture and Chinese civilization are the common spiritual home of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. For thousands of years, through activities such as ancestral worship and grand ceremonies for the founding ancestors, the Chinese nation has strengthened the bond of blood and cultural inheritance, closely linking individuals with the national community. This practice is both a cultural confirmation of "the same roots and origins" and a collective response to "who am I"—namely, that we are all descendants of Yan and Huang [10] who jointly created Chinese civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "The history of China is a history of various ethnic groups blending and converging into a pluralistic and integrated Chinese nation, a history of all ethnic groups jointly creating, developing, and consolidating a unified and great motherland." Today, we also need to emphasize two points specifically: on the one hand, "The soul of a nation is transformed and cast by culture. Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same roots, origins, culture, and ethnicity; Chinese culture is the spiritual root and belonging for compatriots on both sides." A firm cultural self not only means identification with the pluralistic unity of the state but also implies support for the reunification of the motherland. On the other hand, Chinese civilization, as the foundation of contemporary Chinese culture, is also the "spiritual bond maintaining the unity of Chinese people worldwide."
Socialism with Chinese characteristics emerged from the more than 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization. It possesses an expansive and deep historical depth and a profound cultural foundation. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly noted: "Without the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization, where would 'Chinese characteristics' come from? And without these Chinese characteristics, how could we have the successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics we have today?" Socialism with Chinese characteristics is good because the Communist Party of China is capable, and because Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times [11] works. Chinese-path modernization is, in the final analysis, socialist modernization under the leadership of the CPC. The reason why Chinese-path modernization is "Chinese-style"—that is, the "Chinese characteristics" it possesses—fundamentally stems from the socialist system under CPC leadership and the theoretical guidance of Sinicized and modernized Marxism, but also from the fact that "Chinese civilization endows Chinese-path modernization with profound depth."
III. "Where are we going": Clarifying the New Cultural Mission of the New Era
To "construct a powerful cultural self for contemporary China" is an imperative expression indicating that it must transcend descriptive accounts of the cultural status quo or historical reviews and enter the level of responding to the era and participating in the future. "Where are we going" is the more forward-looking and futuristic part of cultural self-awareness, signifying the direction, goals, tasks, and mission of cultural development. Where the cultural self of contemporary China is "going" is, simply put, a mission-based understanding of the ideal of the cultural self. If this mission were summarized in one sentence, it would be "to work together to create a new culture belonging to our era." Standing at the new starting point of the New Era, the primary task is to continue promoting cultural prosperity, actively developing a new culture that reflects the requirements of the times and possesses temporal characteristics, improving the level of social civility, and achieving the comprehensive prosperity of cultural undertakings and industries. Second is to clarify the goal of building a great socialist cultural power by 2035, marking the cultural coordinates and providing cultural support for the completion of a great modern socialist country. Finally, it is to "promote the renewed glory of Chinese civilization," achieving a second brilliance and sustainable development of Chinese civilization on the basis of its civilizational self-renewal, thereby anchoring the civilizational course and providing the civilizational foundation for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground is the core principle of the development of the cultural self. Direction determines principles, and principles guarantee direction. If clarifying "where we come from" is for the purpose of "clearing the source and rectifying the root" [12], then "where we are going" means upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. On the one hand, as General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, Chinese civilization itself possesses outstanding innovativeness, which is why it has stood tall in the world as the most prosperous and powerful civilizational entity for long periods of history. "The innovativeness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the enterprising spirit of the Chinese nation—upholding fundamentals without being archaic, and respecting the ancient without being reactionary." On the other hand, in contemporary China during the New Era, it has been clarified that we must adhere to the position, viewpoint, and method of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, treating it as an important principle for cultural inheritance and development. Specifically, through the "Second Integration" [13], we "use Marxism to activate the excellent factors within traditional Chinese culture and endow them with new connotations of the era, developing the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the New Era." In short, to ensure the correct direction of "where we are going," we must "persist in Sinicizing and modernizing Marxism, inherit and develop fine traditional Chinese culture, promote the localization of foreign cultures, and continuously nurture and create the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the New Era."
Developing the modern form of Chinese civilization is the objective content of the development of the cultural self. For over 5,000 years, Chinese civilization encountered the shock of Western modernization in modern times, which caused the "dusting over" of the civilization—a "great change unseen in several millennia" [14]. Today, we must continue the ancient Chinese civilization, but not through simple continuation. The culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era is a socialist culture that is oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future; it is national, scientific, and for the masses. Chinese-path modernization is the "broad road" [15] for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. It is precisely through the "Second Integration" that Marxism has activated the genes of Chinese civilization with the light of truth, "leading China into the modern world and promoting the vital renewal and modern transformation of Chinese civilization." The Chinese-path modernization advanced by the people under CPC leadership has endowed Chinese civilization with modern power. Simultaneously, the "Second Integration" has allowed the new culture formed through this "integration" to become the "cultural form of Chinese-path modernization." Just as Chinese-path modernization is the fundamental path to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, "building a cultural power is relevant to the overall situation of Chinese-path modernization, the great cause of national rejuvenation, and the enhancement of international competitiveness." Constructing a powerful cultural self for contemporary China means, on the basis of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, further developing the modern form of Chinese civilization, strengthening the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization, and building a cultural power, thereby solidifying the cultural foundation for national strength and rejuvenation.
Leading the progress of human civilization is an important mission for the development of contemporary China's cultural self. The development of the cultural self must be realized in a larger field where many "others" are present. The powerful cultural self that contemporary China seeks to construct is "the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the New Era, possessing strong ideological leadership, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence." First, in the dimension of subject construction, the cultural self must face the world and go out into the world, enhancing its own power of communication, influence, and appeal. Through artistic creation, academic innovation, and international exchange, it must shape a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China, allowing Chinese culture to win the respect and identification of people worldwide. Second, in the dimension of mutual learning between civilizations, the cultural self must adhere to a global vision [16], promoting civilizational exchanges characterized by equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness. At the crossroads of where human civilization is going, we must promote the harmonious coexistence of civilizations and lead the trend of human progress by promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity and advocating the common values of humanity. Finally, in the dimension of value contribution, the cultural self reveals China's unique value system by promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese civilization, promoting the coexistence and shared prosperity of global multiculturalism.
IV. "What is the essence": Revealing the Essential Characteristics of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics
Essence refers to the inherent attributes of a thing that distinguish it from others, and the core prescriptions that constitute its fundamental existence. The core prescription and most essential mark that distinguishes contemporary China's cultural self from other cultures or "cultural others" is that it is not of any other nature, such as capitalist or feudal, nor is it a socialist culture in a general sense; rather, it is a culture of the nature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. CPC leadership is the most essential characteristic of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest advantage of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics; therefore, it is also the fundamental prescription of contemporary China's cultural self. It is under the leadership of the CPC that contemporary China has realized the "Two Integrations," formed a new cultural lifeform, acquired the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization and the modern form of Chinese civilization, and created a new form of human civilization. The CPC "has always stood at the forefront of the times, leading cultural development and progress, and leading the people on a path of cultural development for socialism with Chinese characteristics. The most essential characteristic of this path is the persistence of the Party’s leadership."
The cultural self of contemporary China is, in essence, the deep fusion of Marxism and Chinese civilization. Contemporary Chinese culture is a new cultural lifeform, the result of the CPC combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture. In this process, on the premise of mutual compatibility, the basic tenets of Marxism and the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture have become integrated—that is, "the core of Marxist thought is integrated with the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture and with the common values that the masses use daily without realizing it." [17] This makes Marxism Chinese, while fine traditional Chinese culture replenishes the cultural life of Marxism. Marxism provides fine traditional Chinese culture with the scientific method for "modern transformation," making it modern. In the new cultural lifeform, Marxism is the "soul-line" (hunmai), and fine traditional Chinese culture is the "root-line" (genmai). Together, the soul-line and the root-line constitute the "lifeline" (mingmai) of the new cultural lifeform. This lifeline plays a decisive, core, and key role in the development and strengthening of contemporary China's cultural self. To sever it would be to commit a "subversive error"; to depart from it would mean that the cultural self of contemporary China would cease to exist.
The core of contemporary China’s cultural self is Chinese values. The heart of culture is value, and Chinese values constitute the value system that embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Chinese cultural self. Within this, the socialist core values serve as the value guidance for the cultural self. The national-level value pursuits of prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony are the value objectives of contemporary China; the social value orientations of freedom, equality, justice, and the rule of law are the value yardsticks by which contemporary China promotes social progress; and the individual citizen’s value criteria of patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendship are the value norms for contemporary China’s pursuit of well-rounded human development. The common values of humanity represent the fundamental value observance for contemporary China. These common values—peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom—are the shared value pursuits of people across all countries, representing the greatest common denominator and value consensus among diverse global values, and forming the value core for building a community with a shared future for humanity. These common values have been revealed and distilled into a self-conscious form by China and are being practiced in an exemplary manner within China. Putting the people first is the most fundamental value prescription of contemporary China. The reason contemporary China can take the socialist core values as its guidance and consciously observe the common values of humanity as its fundamental baseline is that contemporary China is a socialist China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and because the CPC persists in the most fundamental value prescription of putting the people first.
The contemporary Chinese cultural self is a cultural self at the height of principle. While the construction of contemporary China’s cultural self certainly pursues strength—with the goal of building a leading cultural power [18] in the near term—it is fundamentally different from the cultural construction of general nations, particularly Western ones. Marx once proposed a "solution" and a practical task regarding Germany: to achieve a "practice à la hauteur des principes [at the height of principles], that is, a revolution which will raise Germany not only to the official level of modern nations, but to the human height that will be the immediate future of these nations." This "human height," which Western modern states have not yet reached but which constitutes their "immediate future," is the level of the human being, ultimately realized as the free and well-rounded development of the individual. The greatest defect of Western modernization is its capital-centric nature, which "sees objects but not people." In the process of advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization, China has made it clear that the essence of modernization is the modernization of the human being. China consciously persists in putting the people first and remains people-centered, highlighting the populist nature of modernization. Simultaneously, the human being is understood as an "active, well-rounded person, rather than a rigid, 'one-dimensional' person." Common prosperity for all people includes not only material prosperity but also spiritual-cultural prosperity. The coordination of material and spiritual-cultural civilizations means both the great enrichment of material wealth and the great enrichment of spiritual wealth, achieving self-confidence and self-reliance in thought and culture. This ensures that all people always possess the ideological foundation for unity and struggle, the initiative for pioneering and enterprise, and healthy, upward value pursuits. The ultimate goal of building material and spiritual-cultural civilizations is to promote well-rounded human development. As the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization and the modern form of Chinese civilization, the contemporary Chinese cultural self is precisely where the consciousness-core of this "practice at the height of principle" resides.
V. "How to Corroborate": Delineating the Practical Path for Constructing the Self
The construction of a cultural self emphasizes building and practice; that is, the process of self-corroboration. Self-corroboration means making oneself into the self of one's own self-understanding through practice. General Secretary Xi Jinping once proposed the "7+1" core practical requirements. The "7" refers to the "Seven Focuses" [19], namely: focusing on strengthening the Party's leadership over ideological, clinical, and cultural work; focusing on building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and guidance; focusing on cultivating and practicing socialist core values; focusing on improving the reach, guidance, influence, and credibility of news and public opinion; focusing on continuing the Chinese cultural lineage and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development [20] of fine traditional Chinese culture; focusing on promoting the prosperity of cultural undertakings and cultural industries; and focusing on strengthening international communication capacity and promoting mutual learning between civilizations. The "1" refers to "forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation." This provides a systematic program of action and a roadmap for how contemporary China corroborates its cultural self and builds a leading cultural power. To deeply grasp General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions, the primary task of self-corroboration is to unswervingly follow the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, "focusing closely on building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and guidance, persisting in taking socialist core values as the lead, and constantly constructing the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength to develop and strengthen mainstream values, mainstream public opinion, and mainstream culture." Under this premise, four points are particularly vital.
First, enhancing Chinese cultural identity to build a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation. The premise and foundation for constructing a powerful cultural self is that every "small self" (individual) within the ethnic groups and state can coalesce and identify with the "great self" of the nation and state. This is especially important for China as a multi-ethnic country. "Cultural identity is the deepest level of identity; it is the root of national unity and the soul of national harmony." "Unity in diversity" [21] is China's historical experience, its realistic structure, and its unique advantage. When national unity is achieved on the basis of cultural identity, state identity gains a solid foundation and emotional bond, allowing this competitive advantage to be maintained and expanded on the international stage.
Second, adapting to the development of information technology to stimulate the cultural innovation and creative vitality of the entire nation. The corroboration of a national cultural self is first an internal corroboration—whether it can provide cultural support and guidance for building a great modern power and provide spiritual strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The vitality of culture lies in innovation and creation. We must make the stimulation of innovative and creative vitality the center of deepening the reform of cultural systems and mechanisms. In particular, from the strategic height of the warning that "if we cannot pass the test of the Internet, we cannot pass the test of long-term governance," we must value the mutual promotion of culture and technology. We must explore effective mechanisms for the integration of culture with technologies such as the Internet and generative AI, using Internet-thinking and information technology to improve the processes of cultural creation and production. This will achieve the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction, converting the advantage of cultural resources into an advantage for cultural development. While we missed the opportunities of the Industrial Revolution several times due to various historical reasons, in the current wave of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, China is not only deeply involved but is shifting toward leading development. If we can mine and stimulate the inherent cultural innovation and creative vitality with a high degree of historical initiative, we can inject powerful momentum into the development of the Chinese cultural self.
Third, enhancing national cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture through openness and inclusiveness. The corroboration of a national cultural self also requires external corroboration. Cultural soft power and influence are important components of comprehensive national strength. Currently, as the "changes unseen in a century" accelerate, the competition for cultural influence between nations becomes increasingly fierce. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, as a responsible major power, we must more proactively promote Chinese propositions, spread Chinese culture, and showcase China's image, thereby fulfilling the important mission of leading the progress of human civilization. In the current communication landscape where the "West is strong and we are weak," we must adhere to the construction principle of "putting ourselves first." While explaining the underlying logic, academic principles, and philosophy to build an autonomous knowledge system, we must accelerate the construction of a Chinese discourse and narrative system. We should increase the overall coordination of external communication, innovatively carry out online external communication, and build a multi-channel, multi-dimensional external communication landscape. At the same time, openness and inclusiveness are the source of power for the development of civilizations. We must uphold openness and inclusiveness, "proactively learning from and drawing on all fine achievements of human civilization," and eventually resolve the "dispute between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the Western" [22] to create a batch of cultural achievements that fuse the ancient and modern and bridge China and the world.
Fourth, the construction of the cultural self must always focus on and land upon the human being. "Theory is capable of gripping the masses as soon as it demonstrates ad hominem [to the person], and it demonstrates ad hominem as soon as it becomes radical. To be radical is to grasp the root of the matter. But, for man, the root is man himself." Culture is the unity of "humanizing" (shaping the world) and "cultivating the human" (shaping the self); its core is the person. The construction of a cultural self must take root in the people, serve the people, meet the growing spiritual and cultural needs of the masses, and stimulate the cultural creative vitality of the entire nation, letting the people become the creators, beneficiaries, and judges of culture. On one hand, the "strength" of a "leading cultural power" must ultimately be reflected in the ideological realm, spiritual state, and cultural cultivation of the people. The corroboration of the contemporary Chinese cultural self must ultimately land on its populist nature—meeting the diverse, multi-level, and multi-faceted spiritual and cultural needs of the people, improving the supply capacity of cultural services and products, and enhancing the people's sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security. We must value the role of culture in "nurturing the mind and temperament" [23] and cultivating the high-spirited temperament of the entire nation. On the other hand, the core of cultural creation is the person. The self-corroboration of the contemporary Chinese cultural self depends on "building a large-scale, well-structured, and innovative high-level team of cultural talents."
Conclusion
Faced with the "Question of the World" and the "Question of the Times"—namely, "What is wrong with the world, and what should we do?"—General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "To answer this question, we must first clarify a most fundamental issue: where did we come from, where are we now, and where are we going?" The same is true for building a powerful contemporary Chinese cultural self. Only by starting from the fundamental issues of the cultural self can we grasp the essentials and achieve more with less. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture has systemic and programmatic guiding significance for building a powerful contemporary Chinese cultural self. Its profound expositions on cultural subjectivity, historical roots, modern direction, essential prescriptions, and practical verification together constitute a systemic framework and practical logic for cultural self-construction. At the same time, we must soberly recognize that building a powerful contemporary Chinese cultural self is a long-term, systemic project. It requires the establishment and improvement of long-term mechanisms—including institutional guarantees, policy support, talent cultivation, and evaluation systems—to push practical paths toward effectiveness. We must continuously enhance the cohesion and guidance of the cultural self, ensure its continuous consolidation and sublimation in dynamic development, and ultimately realize the mission-goal of a leading cultural power in the New Era with high quality. Through the "Two Combinations," we will continuously promote cultural self-revolution and development, contributing Chinese wisdom and intellectual strength to the progress of human civilization.