[Study and implement the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee]
Zhang Laiming
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China’s Resolution on the Great Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party’s Hundred Years’ Struggle (hereinafter referred to as the Resolution) adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee systematically reviewed and summarized the glorious history of the new period of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, profoundly expounded the great achievements and great significance of the Party’s theoretical innovation in this historical period, and emphatically pointed out: "The Party leads and supports the discussion on the standard of truth, Adhering to and developing Marxism from the new practice and the characteristics of the times, scientifically answering a series of basic questions such as the development road, development stage, fundamental task, development motive force, development strategy, political guarantee, motherland reunification, diplomatic and international strategy, leading power and relying on power for building Socialism with Chinese characteristics, forming Socialism with Chinese characteristics theoretical system and realizing a new leap in the China of Marxism. " Learning and understanding the formation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system is of great significance to deeply understand the great achievements of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, the great course of Marxism in China, enhancing the self-confidence of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theory, and upholding and developing the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era.
1. Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system is a great achievement in the process of Marxism in China.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) is a Marxist political party that attaches great importance to and is good at theoretical innovation and has achieved fruitful results. As pointed out in the resolution of this plenary session, "The reason why the Party can lead the people to accomplish the arduous tasks that other political forces in China can’t accomplish in repeated explorations, setbacks and explorations lies in persisting in emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, seeking truth and being pragmatic, persisting in combining the basic principles of Marxism with the concrete reality of China, with the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and persisting in practice as the only criterion for testing truth, insisting on proceeding from reality and answering the times in time.
The Communist Party of China (CPC)’s theoretical innovation is a historical process that is constantly advancing and consciously adapting to the changes of historical tasks and the evolution of historical stages. During the period of new-democratic revolution and socialist revolution and construction, the Party carried out theoretical innovation and founded Mao Zedong Thought, which provided scientific guidance for the development of the cause of the Party and the people. In the new period of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, the Party has carried out theoretical innovation and formed Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system, which has provided scientific guidance for the development of the cause of the Party and the country in the new period. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. The Party has carried out theoretical innovation and created the Supreme Leader’s New Era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought, which has provided scientific guidance for the development of the cause of the Party and the country in the new era.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system, including Deng Xiaoping Theory, Theory of Three Represents and Scientific Outlook on Development, is the inheritance and development of Marxism–Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era is the inheritance and development of Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Theory of Three Represents and Scientific Outlook on Development, the latest achievement of China Marxism, the contemporary China Marxism and the 21st century Marxism, and the essence of Chinese culture and spirit. To accurately understand the important historical conclusion of the formation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system, we must put it in the historical process of our party’s theoretical innovation to understand and grasp, deeply understand the practical and theoretical sources of this theoretical system, and deeply understand the ins and outs, inheritance and development of this theoretical system.
2. The formation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system is a historical process of theoretical innovation.
A certain theory always adapts to certain practical requirements, and it must also mature with certain practical progress. Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system came into being to meet the practical requirements of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, and gradually formed in the practice of leading and summarizing reform, opening up and socialist modernization. Specifically, it has gone through three stages of development and created three theoretical achievements.
In the first stage, Deng Xiaoping Theory was founded. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the people of the Communist Party of China (CPC), with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as the main representative, United and led the whole party and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country, profoundly summed up the positive and negative experiences since the founding of New China, and around the fundamental issue of what socialism is and how to build socialism, learned from the historical experience of world socialism and founded Deng Xiaoping Theory, emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts. He made a historic decision to shift the work center of the Party and the state to economic construction and carry out reform and opening-up, profoundly revealed the essence of socialism, established the basic line for the primary stage of socialism, clearly put forward taking his own road and building Socialism with Chinese characteristics, scientifically answered a series of basic questions about building Socialism with Chinese characteristics, formulated a development strategy of three steps to basically realize socialist modernization by the middle of the 21st century, and successfully created Socialism with Chinese characteristics.
In the second stage, Theory of Three Represents was formed. After the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, the Communist Party of China (CPC) people, with Comrade Jiang Zemin as the main representative, United and led the whole party and people of all nationalities, adhered to the basic theory and line of the party, deepened their understanding of what socialism is, how to build socialism, what kind of party to build and how to build the party, and formed Theory of Three Represents. Defended Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the face of the severe test of the complicated situation at home and abroad and the serious twists and turns of world socialism, established the reform goal and basic framework of the socialist market economic system, established the basic economic system with public ownership as the main body and multiple ownership economies developing together in the primary stage of socialism and the distribution system with distribution according to work as the main body and multiple distribution modes coexisting, created a new situation of comprehensive reform and opening up, promoted the new great project of party building, and successfully pushed Socialism with Chinese characteristics into the 21st century.
In the third stage, Scientific Outlook on Development was formed. After the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the people of the Communist Party of China (CPC), with Comrade Hu Jintao as the main representative, United and led the whole party and people of all ethnic groups to promote practical innovation, theoretical innovation and institutional innovation in the process of building a well-off society in an all-round way, deeply understood and answered major issues such as what kind of development and how to achieve it under the new situation, and formed Scientific Outlook on Development. They seized the important strategic opportunity period, concentrated on construction and devoted themselves to development. Emphasis is placed on people-oriented, comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development, efforts are made to safeguard and improve people’s livelihood, promote social fairness and justice, and promote the construction of the Party’s ruling ability and advanced nature, thus successfully upholding and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics under the new situation.
The formation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system has achieved a new leap in the sinicization of Marxism, deepened our party’s understanding of the laws governing communist party, socialist construction and the development of human society, provided a strong ideological guarantee and theoretical arm for the whole party and the people of all ethnic groups in China, and enriched the theoretical treasure house of Marxism. In January 2013, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out in his speech at the opening ceremony of the seminar on studying and implementing the spirit of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a newly-appointed member and alternate member of the Central Committee: "If we understand the tortuous history of socialist development in the world and China, we must strengthen our ideals and beliefs and persist in taking Deng Xiaoping Theory, ‘ Theory of Three Represents ’ Guided by important thoughts and Scientific Outlook on Development, we should cherish, always adhere to and constantly develop the Socialism with Chinese characteristics Road, Socialism with Chinese characteristics Theory System and Socialism with Chinese characteristics System. "
3. Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system is a scientific theoretical system that originates from practice, guides practice and is tested by practice.
The source and value of theory lies in practice, and the foundation and purpose of theoretical innovation lies in practical innovation. Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system can be formed because of the call of the great practice of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, and through the summary of the great practice of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, including the summary of positive and negative experiences. Deng Xiaoping Theory was founded in this way, and so were Theory of Three Represents and Scientific Outlook on Development. Without the magnificent reform, opening up and socialist modernization, and without the creative historical activities of the Party and the people, it is impossible to form Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system. Therefore, Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system is the result of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s practice and the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Party and the people.
The value of theory lies in its application. The value of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system is ultimately reflected in leading the development of the cause of the party and the country. Looking back at history, China’s reform, opening up and socialist modernization have made great achievements that have attracted worldwide attention. As far as reform and opening up are concerned, China’s reform has taken the lead in implementing the household contract responsibility system in rural areas, and gradually turned to the urban economic system reform and spread it out in an all-round way, establishing the reform direction of the socialist market economy, giving full play to the basic role of the market in resource allocation to a greater extent, and upholding and improving the basic economic system and distribution system. The Party resolutely promotes the reform of the economic system, and at the same time carries out the system reform in political, cultural, social and other fields, promotes the reform of the Party’s construction system, and constantly forms and develops a vibrant system and mechanism that conforms to the national conditions of contemporary China. The Party has established opening to the outside world as a basic national policy, from setting up special economic zones such as Shenzhen, developing and opening Pudong, promoting the opening of coastal areas along the Yangtze River and inland central cities to joining the World Trade Organization, and from "bringing in" to "going out", making full use of both international and domestic markets and resources. After continuous reform and opening up, China has achieved a historic transformation from a highly centralized planned economy system to a dynamic socialist market economy system, and from a closed and semi-closed to an all-round opening. As far as socialist modernization is concerned, the party insists on taking economic construction as the center and development as the last word, and puts forward that science and technology are the primary productive forces.We will implement major strategies such as rejuvenating the country through science and education, sustainable development and strengthening the country through talents, promote the development of the western region, revitalize the old industrial bases in Northeast China, promote the rise of the central region, support the eastern region to take the lead in development, promote the coordinated development of urban and rural areas and regions, promote the reform and development of state-owned enterprises, encourage and support the development of non-public economy, accelerate the transformation of economic development mode, strengthen the protection of ecological environment, promote sustained and rapid economic development, and greatly enhance the overall national strength. The Party adheres to the organic unity of the leadership of the Party, the people being the masters of the country and governing the country according to law, develops socialist democratic politics, builds socialist political civilization, actively and steadily advances the reform of political system, adheres to the combination of governing the country according to law and governing the country by virtue, formulates a new constitution, builds a socialist country ruled by law, forms a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, respects and safeguards human rights, and consolidates and develops the broadest patriotic United front. The party strengthens the education of ideals and beliefs, promotes the construction of socialist core value system, builds socialist spiritual civilization, develops advanced socialist culture, and promotes the great development and prosperity of socialist culture. The Party has accelerated social construction focusing on improving people’s livelihood, improved people’s lives, abolished agricultural taxes, and constantly promoted education, income from labor, medical care for the sick, a sense of security for the elderly, and housing to promote social harmony and stability. The Party puts forward the general goal of building a powerful modernized and regularized revolutionary army, focusing on winning local wars under the conditions of informationization, promoting military reform with China characteristics and taking the road of elite soldiers with China characteristics.All the achievements in reform, opening up and socialist modernization have been made under the guidance of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system.
Practice is the only criterion for testing truth. The great practice and achievements of reform, opening up and socialist modernization fully prove that Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system is a scientific theoretical system and a valuable achievement of Marxism in China. It can be said that without Socialism with Chinese characteristics Theory, there would be no great achievements in reform, opening up and socialist modernization.
4. The Supreme Leader’s New Era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought is the inheritance and development of Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Theory of Three Represents and Scientific Outlook on Development.
History is always moving forward. Over the past century, the Party has led the people to win the great victory of the new-democratic revolution, complete the socialist revolution and promote socialist construction, carry out reform, opening up and socialist modernization, and usher in a new era in Socialism with Chinese characteristics. From the new era to the new era, from Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system to the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. This is an important aspect of the party leading the people to push forward the history, and it is an important embodiment of the victory of the cause of the party and the people.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s new era is a new era created on the basis of past struggles, which embodies a series of pioneering and innovative achievements. Innovation includes theoretical innovation, practical innovation, institutional innovation, cultural innovation and other aspects of innovation, which naturally includes theoretical innovation on the basis of adhering to Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system. The Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the New Era is the latest achievement of the Party’s theoretical innovation and Marxism in China. Its practical source is the great practice of Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and its theoretical sources are Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Theory of Three Represents and Scientific Outlook on Development.
Comrade Supreme Leader has made profound thinking and scientific judgment on a series of major theoretical and practical issues related to the development of the cause of the Party and the state in the new era, and made suggestions on what kind of Socialism with Chinese characteristics to adhere to and develop in the new era, how to adhere to and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics, what kind of socialist modernization power to build and how to build a socialist modernization power, What kind of long-term ruling Marxist political party to build, how to build a long-term ruling Marxist political party and other major issues of the times, and put forward a series of original new ideas, new ideas and new strategies for governing the country, which are the main founders of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. The Party’s establishment of the core position of the Party Central Committee and the whole Party, and the guiding position of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era reflect the common aspiration of the whole Party, the whole army and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country, which is of decisive significance to the development of the cause of the Party and the country in the new era and the historical process of promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
A great contribution of the Resolution is to make a new systematic summary of the supreme leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era on the basis of reviewing the historic achievements and changes in the cause of the Party and the state since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China: it is clear that the most essential feature of Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s leadership, the greatest advantage of the Socialism with Chinese characteristics system is the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s leadership, and the Communist Party of China (CPC) is the highest political leadership, and the whole party must strengthen "four consciousnesses", strengthen "four self-confidences" and achieve "two safeguards"; Clearly adhering to and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics, the overall task is to realize socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. On the basis of building a well-off society in an all-round way, we will build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful socialist modernization power in the middle of this century in two steps, and promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese modernization; It is clear that the main contradiction in China’s society in the new era is the contradiction between the people’s growing need for a better life and the unbalanced development. We must adhere to the people-centered development idea, develop people’s democracy throughout the process, and promote the all-round development of people and the common prosperity of all people to achieve more obvious substantive progress; It is clear that the overall layout of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s cause is the five-in-one of economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction and ecological civilization construction.The strategic layout is to build a socialist modern country in an all-round way, deepen reform in an all-round way, govern the country according to law in an all-round way, and strictly manage the party in an all-round way. It is clear that the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform is to improve and develop the Socialism with Chinese characteristics system and promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity; It is clear that the overall goal of comprehensively promoting the rule of law is to build a legal system in Socialism with Chinese characteristics and a socialist country ruled by law; It is clear that we must adhere to and improve the basic socialist economic system, make the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources, give better play to the role of the government, grasp the new stage of development, implement the new development concept of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern with the domestic big cycle as the main body and the domestic and international double cycles promoting each other, and promote high-quality development, overall development and security; It is clear that the party’s goal of strengthening the army in the new era is to build a people’s army that listens to the party’s command, can win battles and has a good style of work, and build the people’s army into a world-class army; It is clear that the diplomacy of a big country with China characteristics should serve the national rejuvenation, promote human progress, promote the construction of new international relations, and promote the building of a community of human destiny; Clarify the strategic policy of strictly administering the party in an all-round way, put forward the general requirements for party building in the new era, comprehensively promote the party’s political construction, ideological construction, organizational construction, work style construction and discipline construction, run through the system construction, deepen the anti-corruption struggle, implement the political responsibility of managing the party and leading the great social revolution with great self-revolution. These strategic ideas and innovative ideas,It is a great achievement of the Party’s deepening understanding of the law of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s construction and theoretical innovation.
The resolution emphasizes that "the whole party must adhere to Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, ‘ Theory of Three Represents ’ Important Thought, Scientific Outlook on Development, fully implement the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, observe, grasp and lead the times with Marxist standpoints, viewpoints and methods, and constantly deepen the understanding of communist party’s ruling law, socialist construction law and human social development law. " This is the scientific application of historical experience and the fundamental requirement for creating the future. In accordance with this fundamental requirement, we should learn from history, create the future, work hard and forge ahead bravely, and make unremitting efforts to achieve the goal of the second century and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Guangming Daily (November 24, 2021, 06 edition)