Building a Socialist Cultural Power

Culture is the soul of a country and a nation. Culture rejuvenates the country and prosper, culture is strong, and the nation is strong. Without a high degree of cultural self-confidence and cultural prosperity, there will be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. "

Xi Jinping

To uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, we must strengthen cultural self-confidence, enhance cultural consciousness, achieve cultural self-improvement, adhere to the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, stimulate the vitality of national cultural innovation and creativity, and build a socialist cultural power.

Section 1: Strengthens cultural self-confidence

Cultural self-confidence is a country, nation and political party’s full affirmation of its own cultural value and firm belief in its own cultural vitality. Strengthening cultural self-confidence is a major issue that has a bearing on the rise and fall of national fortunes, cultural security, and national spiritual independence. Strengthening cultural self-confidence fully reflects the high degree of cultural consciousness and cultural responsibility of the Communist Party of China, and highlights the cultural foundation, cultural values and cultural ideals of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

1. cultural self-confidence is a more basic, broader, and deeper self-confidence

Comrade Xi Jinping stressed: “Cultural self-confidence is a more basic, broader and deeper self- confidence, and a more basic, deeper and more lasting force.“1 Strengthening self-confidence in the path, theory and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is, in the final analysis, to strengthen cultural self-confidence.

The reason why cultural self-confidence is more basic, broader and deeper lies in the fact that culture has strong permeability and persistence, is as ubiquitous and ever-present as air, and can profoundly affect tangible existence and tangible reality with invisible consciousness and intangible concepts, and profoundly affect social development and civilization progress, which is not only an important source of national cohesion and creativity, but also an important factor in the competition of comprehensive national strength.

First, from the perspective of the operation process of human society, culture is the soul. Human society is a pluralistic, complex, relatively independent and mutually complementary organism composed of political, economic, cultural and other systems. Regarding the different functions and interrelationships of various systems, Comrade Xi Jinping once quoted the metaphor of a philosopher to vividly point out: “Politics is the bone, the economy is the flesh and blood, and culture is the soul.“2 On August 12, 2005, Comrade Xi Jinping wrote in the article “Culture is the Soul” published in the “Zhijiang Xinyu” column of Zhejiang Daily: “The power of culture, or what we call cultural soft power that constitutes comprehensive competitiveness, is always. ‘It has quietly integrated people’s economic, political and social forces, and become a ‘booster’ for economic development, a ‘guiding light’ for political civilization, and a harmonious society’.3 The core function of culture is to provide a series of values to the whole society, so as to guide the direction, unite people’s hearts, and integrate society. In the same way, in the “four self-confidences” of road, theory, system and culture, …Culture that embodies values is undoubtedly the soul, while roads, theories, and systems are the expression of culture and the externalization of values. History has repeatedly proved that a nation that abandons or betrays its own history and culture is not only impossible to develop, but is also likely to stage one historical tragedy after another.

Especially if a big nation, such a big country, and such a big political party like ours are culturally passive and lose their independence, then the independence of the system and sovereignty will be drawn from the bottom. The tragic circumstances of modern times are vivid and we must remain vigilant.

Second, from the perspective of the pursuit of human social development, culture is an important goal of social civilization and progress. Culture, as the guidance of social development and the accumulation of historical civilization, is the universal need and ultimate pursuit of mankind, and solves the fundamental problems of the spiritual world such as “where does human beings come from and where they go.” People need to enlighten their minds, understand society, and gain ideological lessons through culture, as well as to delight their bodies and minds, cultivate their temperament, and obtain spiritual satisfaction and dependence through culture. Especially with the advancement of economic construction and the development of material civilization, people increasingly feel that the growth of 60% and the increase of material wealth are not the only goal of social development, let alone the highest goal. UNESCO has proposed that development should ultimately be defined by the concept of culture, and that the flourishing of culture is the highest goal of development. At present, China’s economic and social transformation is accelerating, and the tasks of humanistic care, psychological counseling and spiritual comfort are more heavy. Adhere to “cultural people” and “educate people with culture”, better use culture to warm the soul, relieve pressure, conserve life, better enrich people’s spiritual world, and become an important aspect to meet people’s needs for a better life.

Third, from the perspective of the Chinese nation’s own history, culture is an important support for national rejuvenation. Since ancient times, Chinese culture has formed a series of core values such as self-improvement, moral integrity, harmony and symbiosis, and poverty and change, which have provided rich nourishment for the Chinese nation’s continuous vitality and development, enabling the Chinese nation to overcome dangers again and again at critical junctures, phoenix nirvana, and rebirth from the ashes, and also enabling Chinese culture to be inclusive and inclusive in the face of foreign civilizations, and constantly enrich itself and develop itself. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, China is increasingly approaching the center of the world stage, and the Chinese nation is ushering in unprecedented bright prospects for great rejuvenation. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is inseparable from the prosperity of culture, which has increasingly become a supporting force for national rejuvenation. The prosperity of Chinese culture means that Chinese culture not only provides spiritual power and ideological wisdom for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to solving human problems. This kind of cultural self-confidence, which is based on more than 5,000 years of civilization inheritance, is undoubtedly incomparably deep and increasingly powerful.

2. we have enough confidence and sufficient reasons to strengthen cultural self-confidence

Cultural self-confidence in contemporary China is essentially self-confidence in the advanced socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out: “Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics originates from the excellent traditional Chinese culture nurtured by the civilization history of the Chinese nation for more than 5,000 years, is forged in the revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture created by the people under the leadership of the Party in revolution, construction and reform, and is rooted in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” 1 It contains sufficient confidence in cultural self-confidence, and the sufficient reason for cultural self-confidence is not only the foundation for our livelihood, but also the “needle of the sea god” for us to stand firm in the turbulence of world culture. First, socialist culture with Chinese characteristics originates from the excellent traditional Chinese culture. This is the deep foundation of our strong cultural confidence. The long-standing, broad and profound Chinese culture has accumulated the deepest spiritual pursuit of the Chinese nation, contains the most fundamental spiritual genes of the Chinese nation, represents the unique spiritual mark of the Chinese nation, not only provides rich nourishment for the continuous vitality and development of the Chinese nation, but also makes unique contributions to the progress of human civilization; it not only casts the glory of history, but also still shines with the light of the times today. Russell once said, “There are some things in China’s supreme ethical qualities that the modern world desperately needs.“2 “If it could be adopted by the whole world, there would surely be more joy and peace on earth than it does now.“3 Whether it is the “Chinese culture fever” in China or the “Chinese culture fever” and “Confucius fever” in the world, they all vividly show the important practical significance of China’s excellent traditional culture in today’s world. Second, the socialist culture with Chinese characteristics is forged in the revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture formed under the guidance of Marxism. This is the foundation of our cultural confidence. Marxism is the greatest achievement in the history of human thought, revealing the basic law of the development of human society and pointing out the correct direction for the construction of advanced socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.

Since its birth, the Communist Party of China has held high the great banner of Marxism, and in the process of integrating with China’s reality, it has continuously promoted the Sinicization of Marxism, forming a series of theoretical achievements of Mao Zedong Thought, 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, which have become the fundamental guidelines guiding the progress of Chinese culture. The Party has led the people to create a vigorous revolutionary culture and an advanced socialist culture with vigor in the course of revolution, construction and reform. These precious treasures, rich in the characteristics of the times, national characteristics and Chinese style, constantly realize the regeneration and regeneration of Chinese culture, vividly embody the great creative spirit of the Chinese communists and the Chinese people, and are a powerful spiritual force and common ideological foundation that inspires the whole party and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to forge ahead. Third, the socialist culture with Chinese characteristics is rooted in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is an inexhaustible source of our cultural confidence. Since the reform and opening up, the Party has united and led the people of all ethnic groups in the country to unswervingly promote the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, China’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, national defense strength and comprehensive national strength have entered the forefront of the world, scientific socialism has shown strong vitality in the 21st century, and the Chinese nation has stood tall in the east of the world with a brand-new posture. The practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics is advancing magnificently, providing a broader stage for the prosperity and development of culture, and also providing a major historical opportunity. As long as we base ourselves on China’s practice, carry out cultural creation in the great creation of the masses of the people, and achieve cultural progress in the progress of history, we will certainly be able to create a splendid culture worthy of history and the times.

3. achieve cultural self-improvement in strengthening cultural self-confidence

Strengthening cultural self-confidence cannot stop at sitting and talking, but must be reflected in cultural self-improvement actions. As a major civilized country, a large developing country, a major socialist country and a responsible country, China should base itself on its own reality, correctly view its own culture, correctly treat the culture of others, follow its own path of cultural development, and build a cultural power with strong attraction and influence, strong vitality and creativity, and strong strength and competitiveness. In the practice of promoting cultural development, the most important thing is to do: China Aerospace Studies Institute 256 Translation published Fall 2023Basic Issues of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era “Do not forget the original, absorb outsiders, face the future, better build the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, Chinese strength, and provide the people with a spiritual bow.”1 Stick to the original. The culture of any country has its own traditions and inherent roots. Abandoning tradition and losing the root is tantamount to cutting off one’s own spiritual lifeline, losing the characteristics of culture, and cultural self-improvement will become a source of water and a tree without roots. For China today, the excellent traditional Chinese culture with a long history, Marxism as the guiding ideology of the Party and the state, the revolutionary culture and the advanced socialist culture created by the Party and the people are the “originals” of Chinese culture We must unswervingly adhere to and carry forward it with the times, so that it can benefit the present and future generations. Those practices such as forgetting one’s ancestors, flouting traditions, bidding farewell to revolution, evading the sublime, dissolving classics, and engaging in historical nihilism are very harmful. Of course, we must not forget that the original is by no means self-isolation and drawing the ground as a prison, but we must base ourselves on new practices, conform to the trend of the times, push the old into the new, keep the right and bring out the new, scientifically sort out, carefully extract, innovate and create, and constantly carry forward. Persisting in not forgetting the original is the conclusion of history and the inevitability of reality. In the new era, only by not forgetting our roots can we distinguish between the mainstream and the tributaries, distinguish between the advanced and the backward, distinguish the positive from the negative, effectively lead various social ideological trends, resist the influence of decadent culture, and constantly consolidate the common ideological foundation of the whole party and the people of the whole country in unity and struggle. Insist on absorbing outsiders. No culture can be isolated and needs to be nourished from other cultures. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: “China should absorb a large number of foreign progressive cultures as raw materials for its own cultural food.” 2 What kind of attitude to treat foreign culture tests a country’s cultural self-confidence. The more confident you are, the more you can treat foreign cultures with a positive attitude, and the more you can enrich and develop through interaction and exchanges with foreign cultures. Extensively absorbing and integrating all outstanding foreign cultural achievements is an inevitable requirement for promoting the prosperity of Chinese culture and realizing cultural self-improvement. The reason why Chinese culture is enduring, enduring, and timeless is that it has a tradition of openness, inclusiveness and inclusiveness. Openness and inclusiveness are not blind respect for the outside world, and inclusiveness is not all according to the order.

We must adhere to mutual respect, equal treatment, the beauty of beauty, beauty and commonality, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual learning, keep pace with the times, innovate and develop, and constantly deepen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. The culture of every country has its own soil for survival, and Nagisa6 has its own conditions for functioning. Without certain historical conditions and social environment, the value and role of culture will inevitably change. At the same time, foreign cultures are also diverse, varied, good and bad, and coexist. In dealing with foreign cultures, we must have analysis, comparison, and discrimination, so as to make dialectical choices and choose the good and follow the good. If it is not identified, good or bad, or even the dregs and garbage are introduced as treasures, the harm will be endless. The attitude of “total rejection” or “taking everything as it gets” towards Western culture is undesirable. To absorb foreign culture, it is important to focus on me and use it for me, focus on realizing sinicization and localization, and make it blossom and bear fruit on Chinese soil through transformation and reconstruction. Insist on facing the future. Any living culture is subject to future scrutiny and testing. Today’s world is undergoing major changes unprecedented in a century, and to build a socialist cultural power, we must take a long-term view, take precautions and seize opportunities with forward-looking vision and thinking. On the one hand, it is necessary to gain insight into the general trend of world development. With the improvement of China’s comprehensive national strength and international status, the world pays more attention to China and the trend of China’s cultural development. What is more worthy of attention is that the new round of scientific and technological revolution has brought profound changes in the communication pattern, and the Internet has become the biggest variable in cultural development. Whoever masters the Internet will grasp the initiative of the times; Whoever takes the lead in the development of online culture will be able to occupy the commanding heights of culture. As of March 2020, the scale of China’s Internet users has reached more than 900 million, ranking first in the world. This provides favorable conditions for us to expand the influence of Chinese culture and build a cultural power. On the other hand, after more than 40 years of reform and opening up, we have successfully embarked on a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which has provided a strong guarantee for the prosperity and development of culture. In particular, with the deepening of the reform of China’s cultural system, the further emancipation of cultural productive forces, the rapid development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries, the prosperity of the cultural market, and the unprecedented abundance and variety of cultural products. This is an important resource and precious wealth for building a culturally strong country. We must base ourselves on the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, firmly grasp the general trend of world development, conform to the trend of the information era, carry out new cultural creation, and realize cultural self-improvement.