Better Upholding and Developing Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

To realize the party’s historical mission in the new era, we must:

• strengthen the “four self-confidences”
• unify the “four greatness”
• make overall plans to promote the overall layout of the “five-in-one”
• coordinate the promotion of the “four comprehensive” strategic layout
• realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in the great practice of better adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Section 1: Adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics is the fundamental direction of development and progress in contemporary China

Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only way to develop China, stabilize China, make China prosperous and prosperous, and also the only way to realize China’s modernization. Only by unswervingly adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics can we smoothly advance the process of China’s socialist modernization and constantly open up a new horizon for China’s development and progress.

1. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only way to realize socialist modernization

Modernization is the product of the development of human social productive forces to a certain stage, an important symbol of the progress of human social civilization, the embodiment of the law of the development of human society, and a worldwide historical process.

Modernization originated in Western capitalist countries and was led by the West for a long time, mainly due to the development of Western capitalism and the rise of the bourgeoisie, which gradually dominated and dominated the life of the state and society. It is precisely because the modernization process of human society first began in Western countries, so in a long historical period, modernization through the development of capitalism has become the choice of many countries.

The changes of times and history have made China choose a path of modernization different from that of Western countries, that is, to achieve modernization by taking the socialist road on the basis of the new democratic revolution. Before the Opium War, there was already a budding capitalism within Chinese society, and the invasion of Western powers pulled China into the world capitalist system and accelerated the growth of capitalist factors. However, the human invasion of Western countries is to extract resources by colonizing China, not to promote China’s modernization. In the face of the country’s internal and external troubles, some benevolent people who advocate following the example of Western countries have made attempts at modernization, but they have not succeeded.

When China’s social development was in a difficult situation, the victory of socialism in Russia made the advanced elements who were struggling to find a way out for China see new hope and gradually decided that China’s way out could only be socialism. After the founding of the Communist Party of China, it clearly put forward the idea of using socialism to save China, and explored and opened up a revolutionary road from new democracy to socialism. After the establishment of the socialist system, the Party finally created socialism with Chinese characteristics after long-term exploration, making the development of socialism in China and China’s modernization a closer integration cause and integration process.

The modernization goal of China’s socialist development and the socialist nature of China’s modernization have always been the political principles adhered to by the Communist Party of China. Comrade Mao Zedong clearly pointed out: “China’s future is to engage in socialism” and “only socialism can save China.” 1 He repeatedly stressed that one of the arduous historical tasks shouldered by the Communist Party of China is to build poor and backward China into a prosperous and powerful modern country. “We will definitely build a socialist country with modern industry, modern agriculture, and modern science and culture.”

Later, the Communist Party of China clearly put forward the goal and strategic concept of realizing the “four modernizations”, led the people to gradually establish an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system, laid an important material and technological foundation for promoting China’s modernization, and accumulated valuable experience in socialist construction.

In the process of creating socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Communist Party of China has continuously deepened its understanding and grasp of the law of organic unity between socialist development and modernization based on the new changes in the world and national conditions. Comrade Deng Xiaoping stressed: “Whether or not we can realize the four modernizations determines the fate of our country and the destiny of our nation.“2 “If you do not take the socialist road, China will have no future.” 3 Only by “building our country into a modern and powerful socialist country can we more effectively consolidate the socialist system.“4

Comrade Jiang Zemin proposed: “In the new situation, we attach greater importance to taking advantage of favorable international conditions and persistently opening up to the outside world in order to accelerate China’s socialist modernization drive.” 5 Comrade Hu Jintao stressed: “China’s socialist modernization drive is carried out on the basis of China’s specific national conditions and under the conditions of the development of the times, which requires us to profoundly understand and grasp both the general law of modernization and the general law of socialist modernization, as well as the special law of China’s socialist modernization.“6 Socialism with Chinese characteristics is not only a new way for China to adhere to and develop socialism, but also a new way for China to realize modernization. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, the party’s national congresses have gradually drawn up a grand blueprint for China’s realization of socialist modernization around the theme of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. Combining and unifying socialism with modernization is the great practice and great creation of the Communist Party of China in contemporary China and the world today.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics contains the basic principles of scientific socialism, contains the basic requirements of modernization, and embodies the particularity of China’s social development process. The reason why socialism with Chinese characteristics is groundbreaking is that it has always deployed and promoted socialist construction in accordance with the process and goals of China’s modernization, and has always planned the consolidation and development of the socialist system in China from the macro process of modernization.

Today’s China is approaching the center of the world stage, and has grown from a participant in economic globalization to an important force promoting the development of the world economy, and has changed from a catcher of the trend of the times to a leader of the trend of the times. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has profoundly influenced the world with its own development. Seventy years ago, China was still the object of slaughter, Chinese called the “sick man of East Asia”; 40 years ago, China had not yet got rid of poverty and the people had not yet solved the problem of food and clothing; and now, an increasingly prosperous China is rising, and the Chinese people are entering the world with a new image. The reason for this change boils down to the fact that the Communist Party of China has created, adhered to and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics. As Comrade Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “The direction determines the future, and the road determines the destiny.” If we want to take our destiny into our own hands, we must have the firmness of unchanging our will and the same way. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, the theme of all our party’s theories and practices has been to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics. In China, a large country with a history of more than 5,000 years of civilization and a population of more than 1.3 billion, there is no textbook that can be regarded as the golden rule, and there is no teacher who can command the Chinese people. “The road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a broad road for contemporary China to make great strides to catch up with the times and lead the development of the times, and we must unswervingly follow it.“1

2. Strengthen self-confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics

Socialism with Chinese characteristics includes four aspects: road, theory, system and culture. The road is the way to realization, theory is the guide to action, system is the fundamental guarantee, and culture is the spiritual force, these four aspects are unified in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics stems from the great achievements made in the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics and from the CPC’s firm belief in adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: “In today’s world, if any political party, country or nation can be confident, then the Communist Party of China, the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese nation have the most reason to be confident.“1 Adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics requires that Communist Party members, especially leading Party cadres, must be confident in their road, theory, system and culture.

Firm confidence in the road is because the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics has led China to achieve world-renowned achievements and opened up broad prospects for promoting China’s development and progress. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: “The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only way to realize China’s socialist modernization and create a better life for the people.”2 He also particularly emphasized: “The road determines destiny, how difficult it is to find a right path, we must unswervingly follow it.“3 The historical process of contemporary China has indisputably proved that the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is plausible, correct and good. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out that this path is neither “traditional” nor “foreign”, nor “Westernized”, but our “original.” In the new era, taking the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics has an incomparably broad stage, an incomparably profound historical heritage, and an incomparably strong determination to advance. We can neither follow the old road of closure and rigidity, nor can we follow the evil road of changing the banner and changing the banner, and we must unswervingly follow the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Strengthening theoretical self-confidence is because the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the correct theory to guide the Party and the people to continuously advance along the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and it is a scientific theory that stands at the forefront of the times and advances with the times. The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, composed of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thinking of “three represents”, the Scientific Outlook on Development and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, has written a new chapter in scientific socialism, condensed the wisdom and painstaking efforts of several generations of Chinese communists in uniting and leading the people in unremitting exploration, is the theoretical innovation achievement of the Communist Party of China in promoting the Sinicization of Marxism since the reform and opening up, is the most valuable political and spiritual wealth of the party, and is the common ideological basis for the people of all ethnic groups in the country to unite and struggle.