XI JINPING THOUGHT ON SOCIALISM WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS FOR A NEW ERA OPENS NEW HORIZON FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST MOVEMENT

LV WEIZHOU

Research Fellow and Deputy Chief-Editor, Chinese Social Sciences Magazine

The 19thNational Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC)established Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding ideology of the CPC, marking a new leap forward in synthesizing basic principles of Marxism with China’s concrete conditions. This Thought enriches and develops scientific socialism, the guiding ideology of the International Communist Movement. With brave new intellectual horizon, it deepens the understanding of the laws governing government by communist parties, construction of socialism and development of human society, occupying an important place of historical significance in the history of development of Marxism and the International Communist Movement.Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, socialism with Chinese characteristics has made great historical achievements, creating new splendor and helping open new vista for the International Communist Movement.

BUILD ON THEORIES OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIALISM, DISPLAY VITALITY OF GUIDING IDEOLOGY OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST MOVEMENT

Without the guidance and drive of with features of the times and concrete conditions of a given country.

As the most recent product of sinification of Marxism in the 21stcentury,Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has come into being in connection and interaction with history, theory, practice and institutions. It originates both from carrying forward and developing scientific socialism and from rethinking on and going beyond the old Soviet model of socialism. Not only does it accurately take the pulse the times, it is also based on a profound insight into national conditions of China. “It is the dialectical unity of the logic of scientific socialism and the logic of the development of history”. It is a scientific socialism that is rooted in the Chinese soil, reflecting the will of the Chinese people and meeting the needs of development and progress of China and the times.

In nutshell, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era enriches and develops scientific socialism as follows, first, in terms of methods, going by the basic requisite that all be “subject to historical change, consequent upon the change in historical conditions”, it systematically addresses the important question of an era of “what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics the new era requires theories for scientific socialism, it is impossible for the International Communist Movement to develop in a healthy way. Just as Lenin observed, “without a revolutionary theory, it is impossible to have a revolutionary movement”. The publication of the Communist Manifesto 170 years ago marked the theoretic development from Utopian socialism to scientific one, making clear direction for working people the world over and promoting workers movements in various countries. With a broad spread of theories for scientific socialism, the International Communist Movement has swept through various countries in the world. The 20thcentury witnessed both the splendid development of socialism from theory to institutions, from one country to a number of countries and the setbacks of a sea-change in Eastern Europe and disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Various systems of socialism with Chinese characteristics focus on guaranteeing the dominant role of the people, with realizing and protecting the fundamental interests of the people and maximizing their interests as the goal, thus well supported and received by the people. On February 13, 2018, days before the traditional Chinese festival the lunar New Year, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited Sichuan in an inspection tour, met both local off i cials and people from various ethnic groups, and sent his best New Year wishes to people of all ethnic groups in the country. (Photo: Xinhua News Agency)

The experience of International Communist Movement, both positive and negative, has enlightened people on two accounts: firstly, the basic principles of scientific socialism must not be casted aside and the far-reaching vision and ultimate goal of Communism must not be forgotten, and secondly,scientific socialism serves only as methodological guidance and needs to be applied and developed in combination us to uphold and develop, and what we should go about doing it” in context of the new situation arising from changes on the principal contradiction of the Chinese society and on the external environment in areas like theoretic sources, historical grounds, essential features,unique advantage and great vitality, and carries forward and develops Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development. Second, in terms of content, guided by Marxism, it sets on resolving concrete problems of China today, undertaking incisive theoretic analyses and providing scientific policy guidance on issues like the overarching plan, direction, model and driving force of development, and the strategic steps,external conditions and political guarantees, proceeding from the strategic plane of institutional design to ensure that the Chinese people of all ethnic groups share the results of development and the consolidation of the ruling position of the CPC. It has raised the understanding of scientific socialism to a new scientific high.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era covers all areas of reform, development and stability, of domestic policy,foreign policy and national defense and of governance of the Party, the country and the military. Not only does it uphold the basic principles of scientific socialism, it also adds on quite a few brave new contents in light of special features of the era and concrete conditions of China. Not only does it get rid of dogmatic understanding of basic principles of scientific socialism, it also resists erroneous proposition to cast away basic system of socialism. Particularly, it has to a large degree advanced scientific socialism and brought to a new high understanding of socialism in assessing the development stage of socialism, in understanding the essential features of socialism, in readjusting development strategy of socialism, in making clear about the principal contradiction of the Chinese society, in innovating on development concepts of socialism and in planning for coordinated socialist economic, political, cultural, social and ecological advancement. It is worth noting that this Thought is a new chapter of scientific socialism written by the Chinese communists at a new historical juncture, serving as guidance for action for the Chinese people in realizing national rejuvenation. It illustrates the great vitality of scientific socialism, the guiding ideology of the International Communist Movement.

EMBARK ON NEW JOURNEY TO BUILD SOCIALISM, DISPLAY SUPERIORITY OF SOCIALIST SYSTEM

Against the defects of capitalist system, classical authors of Marxism expounded on comparative advantage of socialist system and came up with a magnificent blueprint for an ideal society in the future. However, socialism in practice did not prevail in the developed countries as Marx and Engels had expected but rather established itself in some of the backward countries in economic and cultural terms. How to build socialism, how to govern a socialist society and how to improve the socialist system, all this has naturally become an entirely new important subject.

By the late 1970s, the CPC resolutely adopted the policy of reform and openup, successfully blazing a new trail of socialism with Chinese characteristics and steadily solving the problem of feeding and clothing a population of more than one billion. Into the 21stcentury, taking problem-based approach,the CPC has applied basic principles of Marxism to exploring various theoretic and practical issues in face of the country. Particularly since the 18thCPC National Congress, the Central Committee of the Party with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core has accurately grasped the megatrend of the world and China’s development in the new phase and new century, actively lived up to the new expectations of the people for a better life and put forward a series of new concepts, new thinking and new strategies that are forward-looking, innovative and of strategic importance. It has come up with a series of important policy guidelines, producing a series of major policy measures and successfully advancing a series of important work, which has facilitated historical changes in the cause of the Party and the country and made historical achievements in reform and open-up and in socialist modernization. Under the circumstances of piling global issues, China’s GDP has grown at a rate of 7.2% on average, surpassing RMB 80 trillion and contributing more than 30% to the world’s annual growth rate on average. The mileage of China’s high speed railway exceeds 22000 kilometers, ranking number one of the world. China’s state foreign currency reserves surpass US$ 3 trillion, continuing to take the first place of the world.

The development results above attribute inseparably to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and to the superiority of socialist system with Chinese characteristics. “The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics provides the institutional guarantee for progress and development in contemporary China. It is an advanced system with distinctive Chinese characteristics, obvious institutional advantages and strong self-improvement ability.”

Not only has Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era brought vigor and vitality to theories of scientific socialism in the 21stcentury, it also underscores the superiority of socialist system, which boils down to the following.

First of all, it calls for perseverance with a people-centered approach without deviation, setting great store by the principal status of the people and their creativity. Since its founding, the CPC has made it its fundamental purpose to serve the people. All institutions of socialism with Chinese characteristics,be it the fundamental political system of the people’s congresses, or the fundamental economic system with public ownership as the mainstay in codevelopment with multiple ownership sectors, or the distribution system with to each according to one’s work as the mainstay in coexistence with multiple forms of distribution, are aimed at ensuring the principal status of the people and upholding their fundamental interest and as such are supported and concurred by the people. It is a solemn commitment of the CPC that “no one should be missed out in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and no one should be left behind on the road to common prosperity”,which once again underlines the original aspiration and mission of the Party in seeking happiness for the Chinese people.

Secondly, it stands for unswerving adherence to the leadership of the Party,enhancing overall Party leadership and scientific decision making. It is the key to running the country well to ensure the Party role of core leadership in providing overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all involved. The leadership of the CPC is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the greatest strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is precisely because the Party has all along conducted strict self-governance and consistently improved its capacity in chartering the way forward, exercising overall planning, putting forward strategy, working out policy and advancing the reform that it is capable of leading the Chinese people to continuously make great accomplishments. Since the 18thCPC National Congress, the Party role of core leadership has kept enhancing, which provides even more forceful guarantee for completing the construction of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Third, it demands strengthening the ideals and conviction of all Party members and combining the practice of shared ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics with firming up and further building the ideal of Communism.Ever since its founding, the CPC has taken it for its noble ideal to strive for socialism and communism. The ideals and conviction of Chinese Communists are based on scientific truth of Marxism.It is the unique political strength and even more so the salient political character of the CPC to firm up and build on its belief in Marxism. Belief in Marxism and the ideal of communism is the moral anchor of Chinese Communists,their source of strength in overcoming all difficulties and the goal of heroic struggle by Chinese Communists generation upon generation.

As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era, a new blueprint for endeavor is in place for a two-step approach centering on the objectives of completing the construction of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and building a strong modernized socialist country, namely to basically realize socialist modernization from 2020 to 2035 and to develop China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful from 2035 to the middle of the 21stcentury. The beginning of a new journey to build a great socialist country under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era will surely further underscore the superiority of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics blazes a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization

STEER COURSE FOR NEW ERA OF SOCIALISM WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS, OPEN NEW HORIZON FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST MOVEMENT

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, contemporary China has written a new glorious epic of the Chinese nation never pausing in pursuit of progress with indomitable drive. Not only has it brought vigor and vitality to scientific socialism in China, an area of 9.6 million square kilometers, it also enables the Chinese nation that has seen hardships and adversity to ride on the progressing tide of the times and to welcome the prospects of rejuvenation.Not only that, it has also increased the influence of the concept of socialism on contemporary human civilization,providing it with a brand new alternative of concepts, institutions, road and development model for the future. As the Report to the 19thCPC National Congress observed, socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era“means that scientific socialism is full of vitality in 21stcentury China, and that the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics is now flying high and proud for all to see”.

Not only does the socialist China today annotate the importance and necessity for socialism to turn from single model to diversified development,offering an new option for mankind in exploring for a better social system,it has also changed the imbalance of forces between contemporary socialism and capitalism, giving hope to people for resurgence of world socialism in the 21stcentury. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,today’s China opens new vista for the International Communist Movement by launching a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

First of all, as the largest socialist country of the world today, China has held the ground for scientific socialism and taken a successful development path with unique features, which inspires communist parties and Left forces in other countries, injecting vitality to the International Communist Movement in the 21stcentury. As an important integral part of the International Communist Movement, socialism with Chinese characteristics becomes the starting point for the International Communist Movement to bottom out and rejuvenate, playing a demonstrative role of developing socialism.

Secondly, as socialism with Chinese characteristics keeps developing, it blazes a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization,offering an empirical blueprint for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence. Many socialist countries and developing countries have taken the social development model and theoretic guiding ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics as a referent paradigm in their exploration for a development path with their own special features. As the editor of Diario La República of Uruguay points out, “China’s development results have firmed up Uruguay’s confidence in independent development, as the country demonstrates to people the practicability of an alternative road to modernization.”

Third, riding on the tide of the times for peace, development and win-win cooperation, socialism with Chinese characteristics has put up the proposition of building a community with a shard future for mankind, which embodies China’s mindfulness of the world and mantle of leadership as a major country in combining its own development with the common development of the world. Putting into practice the concept of community with a shared future for mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative has been approbated and responded by over a hundred countries and international organizations. China: the Era of Xi Jinping, a TV documentary produced in the United Kingdom that interprets China’s development path and development concepts and their revelation to the rest of the world by interviewing several internationally celebrated experts, speaks highly of China’s institutional strength.

At present, the CPC and socialist China, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, are writing a new chapter in the annals of the noble ideal of communism and moving forward on a grand socialist road. It is anticipated that the completion of building China into a great modern socialist country by the middle of the 21stcentury will necessarily bring even greater vitality to scientific socialism and facilitate an overall rejuvenation of the International Communist Movement.