Better Upholding and Developing Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

The “eight clear” and “Fourteen Persistences” constitute the core essence of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

1. The “Eight Clear” are the action guide for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics

The core content of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the “Eight Clear” It is clear that the general task of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics is to realize socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and on the basis of building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way, we should take two steps to build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist country by the middle of this century; make it clear that the main contradiction in our society in the new era is the contradiction between the people’s growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. Common prosperity for all the people; it is clear that the overall layout of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics is “five-in-one” and the strategic layout is “four comprehensive”, emphasizing firm confidence in the road, theory, system and culture; it is clear that the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform is to improve and develop the socialist system with Chinese characteristics 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 socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics. Build a socialist country ruled by law; make it clear that the party’s goal of strengthening the army in the new era is to build a force that obeys the party’s command and can win battles. It is clear that the people’s army with excellent work style will build the people’s army into a world-class army; it is clear that the diplomacy of major countries with Chinese characteristics should promote the construction of a new type of international relations and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind; it is clear that the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the party is the highest political leading force, put forward the general requirements for party building in the new era, and highlight the important position of political construction in party building.

These “Eight Definites” scientifically expounded a series of basic issues on adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and provided ideological guidance for the party and the people to better adhere to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics. First, it clarifies the general task for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. This general task is to realize socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and build a modern and powerful socialist country.

Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and building a modern and powerful socialist country is a great goal established by the Communist Party of China. The Chinese Communists have worked hard for a century and successfully opened up a path of socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics that is different from the West. Standing at a new height in the overall development of the cause of the party and the country, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China formulated a grand blueprint for building a modern and powerful socialist country in an all- round way, and made brand-new strategic arrangements for realizing the “two centenary goals”: by 2020, build a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way; basically realize socialist modernization by 2035; and build a modern and powerful socialist country by 2050 to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This strategic arrangement is not only inspiring and urging people to forge ahead, but also scientific, rational and in line with reality, and is a powerful spiritual driving force that inspires the Chinese communists and Chinese people to continue to struggle for a better life. Second, for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, it has clarified the fundamental strategic arrangements formulated for accomplishing the overall tasks and achieving the overall goals, which must be based on an accurate judgment of the reality of national development and the main contradictions in our society. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly pointed out that the main contradiction in our society has been transformed into a contradiction between the people’s growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. This transformation of the main contradiction in society reflects the tremendous progress of China’s social development and the new changes in stages of development, reflects the new requirements for the development of the cause of the party and the country, and is an important basis for determining the strategic deployment of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Only by clarifying this main contradiction can we grasp the overall situation of development and clarify the direction, tasks and key points of development. Third, it has clarified a new layout for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Based on the new historical orientation, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era clearly points out that the overall layout for promoting the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era is “five-in-one” and the strategic layout is “four comprehensive.” The overall layout of the “five-in-one” clarifies the overall deployment for promoting national modernization in the new era, that is, the comprehensive advancement of economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction and ecological civilization construction. The “four comprehensive” strategic layout has clarified the important aspects that have overall driving and leading significance in the development of the party and the country in the new era, that is, comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, comprehensively deepening reform, comprehensively governing the country according to law, and comprehensively administering the party strictly. Promote the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in an overall layout, and take the strategic layout as the strategic goal and strategic measure of all work;

It has established the strategic direction, key areas and main targets for the development of the cause of the party and the country in the new era, made top-level design and strategic deployment for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and also provided more scientific layout arrangements.

Fourth, it has defined new requirements for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed that the overall goal of China’s comprehensive deepening reform is to improve and develop the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. This is to continuously promote the maturity and improvement of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics by comprehensively deepening reform, improving the system and updating the institutional mechanism, and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. On the basis of summing up China’s historical experience, especially the lessons learned from the governance of socialist countries, Comrade Xi Jinping stressed that “the national governance system and governance capacity are a concentrated embodiment of a country’s system and system implementation ability.” 1 This important thesis shows that through comprehensively deepening reform, improving and developing the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, it provides an endogenous driving force and institutional guarantee for promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, and promotes the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity to prepare supporting forces and innovative ways for the improvement and development of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Fifth, it clarifies the guarantee of the rule of law for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era clearly states that the overall goal of comprehensively promoting the rule of law is to build a socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics and a socialist country under the rule of law. “Law is the most important instrument of governance, and the rule of law is an important support for the national governance system and governance capacity. Comprehensively promoting the rule of law is the fundamental requirement for solving a series of major problems facing the development of the cause of the party and the country, liberating and enhancing social vitality, promoting social fairness and justice, maintaining social harmony and stability, and ensuring the long-term peace and stability of the party and the country. In order to promote the sustained and healthy development of China’s economy and society and continuously open up broader development prospects for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must comprehensively promote the construction of a socialist country under the rule of law and provide institutionalized solutions to these problems from the perspective of the rule of law.” 2 Governing the country according to law in an all-round way is a strategy for governing the country, an essential requirement and important guarantee for socialism with Chinese characteristics, and a profound revolution in national governance.

We must adhere to the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics with the Constitution as the core, and better play the role of the rule of law as a guarantee for solidifying the foundation, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term.

6. The strategic support for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. A strong country must strengthen its military. Comprehensively promoting the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, adhering to the road of strengthening the military with Chinese characteristics, and building a world-class army are not only important tasks for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also an important foundation and strategic support for safeguarding the stable development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the face of the requirements of the times to strengthen the country and the army, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has formed Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the army around the major issue of “what kind of strong people’s army to build in the new era and how to build a strong people’s army.” Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Army profoundly grasps the new requirements for national defense and army building put forward by the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and clarifies that the party’s goal of strengthening the army in the new era is to build a people’s army that obeys the command of the party, can win battles and has excellent work style, and builds the people’s army into a world-class army, providing a strong guarantee for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Seventh, it clarifies the diplomatic goal for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has focused on the development trend of human society, continued to answer major issues related to national development and the future and destiny of mankind, such as “what kind of world to build and how to build this world”, put forward the proposition of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and included “persisting in promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind” into the basic strategy of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, so as to achieve the common development of human society. Continued prosperity has charted a new blueprint and provided Chinese solutions to the complex problems facing humanity. Promoting the construction of a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation as the core is a strategic choice made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core based on the development trend of the times and the fundamental interests of our country, which has created a more favorable international environment for maintaining and extending the period of important strategic opportunities for China’s development, and for promoting the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and realizing the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Eighth, it has clearly defined the political guarantee for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and the environment facing China’s development has become more complicated.

New changes have taken place in the international balance of forces, domestic reform has entered the deep water area, and the task of comprehensively administering the party strictly remains arduous. It is clear that the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China, which provides a strong political guarantee for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics under complex historical conditions. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, based on historical experience and practical requirements, further clearly emphasizes the party’s core position and leading role in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and provides a fundamental political guarantee for the new victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Based on the new historical orientation and historical starting point, these “Eight Definites” form a systematic, complete and logical scientific theoretical system, which concentrates on the new development of Marxism in contemporary China and the 21st century.