Research Update
10
Nov
Thoroughly Study and Implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era
On November 15, the People's Daily published an article titled "Advance the Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation on All Fronts through a Chinese Path to Modernization", which was jointly written by Zhang Donggang, Chairperson of the Council of Renmin University of China(RUC), and Lin Shangli, President of RUC.
Advance the Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation on All Fronts through a Chinese Path to Modernization
(Thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)
Core Contents
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has scientifically summarized the Chinese characteristics and essential requirements of Chinese modernization, which further enriches and develops the modernization theory. On the journey ahead, we must firmly adhere to five major principles, and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.
In the report of the 20th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "From this day forward, the central task of the Communist Party of China will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization." The report profoundly elaborates on the Chinese characteristics and essential requirements of Chinese modernization, as well as the major principles that we must stick to on the journey ahead. It draws a grand blueprint for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts. It charts the course for advancing the cause of the Party and the country on the new journey in the new era and serves as a guide for realizing the Second Centenary Goal. We should thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress to show a stronger sense of responsibility and greater endeavors in advancing Chinese modernization, and strive to open new chapters in building a modern socialist country in all respects.
Deeply Understand the Historical Logic in Chinese Modernization
Modernization is the historical trend of world development and a historical task that all countries are facing during their progress. After the Opium War in 1840, to save the nation from peril and pass on the Chinese civilization, the Chinese people and countless patriots with lofty ideals struggled to explore the road to modernization in various ways, but all failed.
The birth of the CPC is an epoch-making event. Since its establishment, our Party, taking Marxism as its guiding ideology, started, both in theory and practice, the exploration of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific conditions and fine traditional culture, and constantly adapted Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, thus providing sound ideological guidance for China's modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In the periods of revolution and socialist construction, our party creatively put forward the objectives and tasks of "Four Modernizations (the modernization of agriculture, industry, science and technology, and defense)". Guided by such objectives, we promoted socialist construction, developed original theories and saw great achievements, which laid a fundamental political and institutional foundation for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In the new period of reform and opening up, our Party adopted a three-step development strategy to realize socialist modernization by the middle of the 21st century, formulated and implemented the basic guidelines of "One Central Task (economic development), Two Basic Points (Four Cardinal Principles and the reform and opening-up policy)", and established the socialist market economy. Hence, China has more dynamic institutional underpinnings for pursuing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and more material foundations it needs for fast progress.
Entering the new era, based on the new starting point in history, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has pursued a strategy of national rejuvenation amid global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century, and made strategic plans for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. To achieve the above strategy, we have adopted a two-step strategic plan: §-Basically realize socialist modernization from 2020 through 2035 -Build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful from 2035 through the middle of this century. The 20th CPC National Congress provides a macro prospect on the two-step strategic plan and maps out the course towards building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. Based on our decades of exploration and practice since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, especially since the launch of reform and opening up in 1978, and the new breakthroughs made in theory and practice since the 18th National Congress, we have succeeded in advancing and expanding Chinese modernization. The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is now on an irreversible historical course.
Deeply Grasp the Chinese Characteristics and Essential Requirements of Chinese Modernization
Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. It contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context. To advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, we must grasp the Chinese characteristics of Chinese modernization.
Deeply understand and grasp that Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population. China is home to more than 1.4 billion people. We must plan our pathways of development and methods of advancement on such a huge population base. The task is of unparalleled difficulty and complexity throughout the history of human modernization. Our Party always bears China's conditions in mind as we address issues, make decisions, and take action. We neither pursue grandiose goals nor follow the beaten track. We stay patient in advancing the course of history and take steady and incremental steps to sustain progress, and widely inspire the people's motivation, initiative, and creativity in building China into a modern socialist country.
Deeply understand and grasp that Chinese modernization is the modernization of common prosperity for all. Modernization in western countries is capital-centered, which inevitably leads to polarization between the rich and the poor, and finally confrontation in society. Chinese modernization is socialist modernization, and achieving common prosperity is a defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The immutable goal of our modernization is to meet the people's aspirations for a better life. We are committed to maintaining and promoting social fairness and justice, bringing prosperity to all, and preventing polarization.
Deeply understand and grasp that Chinese modernization is the modernization of material and cultural-ethical advancement. The capital-centered modernization of the western countries easily caused the expansion of materialism but the vacuity of people's spiritual world. Material abundance and cultural-ethical enrichment are fundamental goals of socialist modernization. While continuing to consolidate the material foundation for modernization and improve the material conditions for people's well-being, we will strive to develop advanced socialist culture, foster strong ideals and faiths, and carry forward China's cultural heritage on our path to modernization. We will thus promote all-around material abundance and people's well-rounded development.
Deeply understand and grasp that Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. Humanity and nature make up a community of life. If we extract from nature without limit or inflict damage on it, we are bound to face its retaliation. Through the Chinese path to modernization, we are committed to sustainable development and the principles of prioritizing resource conservation and environmental protection and letting nature restore itself. We will protect nature and the environment as we do our own lives. We will continue to pursue a model of sound development featuring improved production, higher living standards, and healthy ecosystems to ensure the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.
Deeply understand and grasp that Chinese modernization is the modernization of peaceful development. Throughout the history of human modernization, some western countries realized the primitive accumulation of capital by colonial expansion and transfer the crisis they face during modernization through overseas wars. While Chinese modernization is dedicated to peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit. We strive to safeguard world peace and development as we pursue our own development, and we will make greater contributions to world peace and development through our own development, and make yet greater contributions to world peace and development.
The 20th CPC National Congress scientifically summarized the essential requirements of Chinese modernization as follows: upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics, pursuing high-quality development, developing whole-process people's democracy, enriching the people's cultural lives, achieving common prosperity for all, promoting harmony between humanity and nature, building a human community with a shared future, and creating a new form of human advancement. These requirements cover such respects as leadership force, direction and path, development model, democratic politics, intellectual culture, social fairness, ecological civilization, global governance, and public civility. They come from our Party's profound review of the historical experience of China and the world. They are the crystallization of thinking that is formed as we have deeper insights in theory, more mature in strategy, and more experienced in practice during our decades of exploration on how to accelerate the process of modernization in China, such a major country in the east, which further enriches and develops the modernization theory.
Firmly Adhere to the Major Principle of Advancing the Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation on All Fronts Through a Chinese Path to Modernization
The cause of the Party and the people is advancing when resolving problems, meeting challenges, and defusing risks. The 20th CPC National Congress establishes five major principles which must be firmly adhered to on the journey ahead, in terms of leadership core, development model, fundamental stance, basic driver and civility. The five major principles provide fundamental guidance for us on unhurried and effective responses to risks and tests, and on advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.
Upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership. The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The report of the 20th CPC National Congress stated that "Our Party has a pivotal role in building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and in advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts." It has been demonstrated both in history and reality that without the CPC, there would be no PRC, neither Chinese modernization nor the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. On the journey ahead, we must resolutely safeguard the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership and ensure that Party leadership is exercised in all aspects and every stage of the endeavors of the Party and the country. This will ensure that our socialist modernization advances along the right path. We must persevere with full and rigorous self-governance, and continue to advance the great new project of Party building in the new era. Being tempered in revolution, our party keeps growing better at providing political leadership, giving theoretical guidance, organizing the people, and inspiring society. This will ensure that the Party has the political cohesion and confidence in our development to inspire the people to move forward in unity, and the forming of a mighty force to overcome all difficulties with one heart and one mind.
Following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Our direction determines our path, and our path determines our future. All nations that have succeeded in development and revitalization have found the road suited to their own conditions. It has been fully proved that by taking the correct approach in light of the Chinese context, the Party and the people will have an incomparably broad stage, an incomparably deep and historic culture, and an incomparably firm resolve to forge ahead. Building socialism with Chinese characteristics is the path we must take to realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must continue to pursue economic development as our central task, uphold the Four Cardinal Principles, and remain committed to reform and opening up, and stay independent and self-reliant. We must keep to our path and not sway in our commitment. We must not return to the isolation and rigidity of the past, or veer off course by changing our nature or abandoning our system. We must develop our country and our nation with our own strength, and we must maintain a firm grasp on the future of China's development and progress.
Applying a people-centered development philosophy. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We will only have the right view of development and modernization if we follow a people-centered approach, insisting that development is for the people, reliant on the people, and that its fruits should be shared by the people." The Party has in the people its roots, its lifeblood, and its source of strength. The people are the greatest source of confidence for the Party in governing and rejuvenating the country. On a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects, we must do everything within our capacity to resolve the most practical problems that are of the greatest and most direct concern to the people. We must ensure and improve the people's well-being in the course of pursuing development, achieve solid progress in promoting common prosperity and work tirelessly to ensure that development is for the people and reliant on the people and that its fruits are shared by the people. We must do a better job to make the gains of modernization benefit all our people fairly.
Remaining committed to deepening reform and opening up. Reform and opening up is a major reason why the CPC and the people have been able to catch up with the times at such an extraordinary pace, and the crucial choice that has determined the fate of China today. To advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, we must remain committed to deepening reform and opening up. We should improve our strategic perspective and historical, dialectical, and systematic thinking systematically based on innovation, rule of law and principles. We must uphold the Party's leadership and respect the pioneering spirit of the people, integrate the top-level design with the approach of "crossing the river by feeling the stones", solve various problems for a specific target, and facilitate the mutual enhancement of pilot program and comprehensive implementation to ensure the reform is more systematic, holistic, and coordinated. We must work hard to remove deep-seated institutional barriers so as to fully tap into the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics and continuously imbue our socialist modernization endeavors with fresh dynamism and vitality. We must do better in translating our country's institutional strengths into effective governance.
Carrying forward our fighting spirit. Society is advancing among the contradictions. When there are contradictions, there will be struggles. Having the courage to fight and the fortitude to win is what has made our Party invincible. At present, momentous changes not seen in a century are accelerating across the world, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change. Therefore, we will inevitably meet more intricate risks and tests, even dangerous storms, in advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. Various "black swan" and "gray rhino" events may occur at any time. We must be soberly aware that our great struggles on the journey ahead are long-lasting, difficult, and complex. We should carry forward our fighting spirit, strengthen the will to fight, and enhance the capacity to grapple with tough challenges. From fighting, we realize solidarity and unity, and pursue cooperation for mutual benefits. We must meet obstacles and difficulties ahead on, and dig deep to surmount the difficulties and challenges on the journey ahead. Let us harness our indomitable fighting spirit to open up new horizons for our cause.
(The article was originally published in the 9th edition of the People's Daily on November 15, 2022. The two authors are the Chairperson of the Council of RUC and the President of RUC.)