The establishment of any kind of thought has its inherent theoretical logic. As the latest achievement of Marxism in China and a new action guide for the Communist Party of China (CPC) people, the Supreme Leader’s New Era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought is a scientific system integrating the times, originality and systematicness. Only by comprehensively and deeply grasping the scientific system of this thought can we better understand the basic outline and overall appearance of this thought, better understand the rich connotation and profound connotation of this thought, and better use this thought to guide the vivid practice of the development of the cause of the party and the state in the new era.
Investigating the historical process of the development of Marxism and its China-ization, summarizing the characteristics and laws of the Party’s ideological and theoretical construction, combining with the core contents of the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, especially the "Eight Clarities" and "Fourteen Persistences", starting from the perspective of focusing on reflecting the internal ideological and theoretical logic and the strategic leadership of the macro direction, we can deeply grasp the scientific system of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. We think we can think from the following major logical clues.
First, historical position and development stage — — Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.
Scientific theory and practical theory are the responses and answers to the problems of the times and the essence of the spirit of the times. Accurately grasping the characteristics of the times, historical orientation and development stage is the premise of the establishment and development of Marxist theory, the logical starting point of Marxism’s continuous opening up of new theoretical realm, and the basic symbol of Marxism’s continuous historical leap in China.
The Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era is the product of the times, which reflects the ideological creation of the Party and the people in line with the development of the times, and makes the Communist Party of China (CPC) people stand on the commanding heights of the times thought again and achieve a historic breakthrough in showing the leading power of Marxism in the times. To thoroughly expound the scientific system of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, we must first grasp the historical position and development stage of this thought.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, which is a new historical orientation of China’s development, and marks that the primary stage of socialism, which has experienced 40 years of reform and opening up, has entered a "new historical stage". Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s great political judgment of entering a new era was made by our party on the basis of scientifically grasping the trend of the times and major changes in the international situation, and scientifically grasping the profound changes in the world, national conditions and party conditions, and it has sufficient time, theoretical and practical basis.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s entry into a new era constitutes the logical starting point and argument basis for the supreme leader’s creation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. The change of historical position is a historical change that has a bearing on the overall situation. It endows the Party with new connotation of the times in its historical mission, theoretical follow-up, objectives and tasks, provides new coordinates and scientific basis for the Party Central Committee to govern the country, and puts forward new topics for the Party’s theoretical innovation. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core has carried out arduous theoretical exploration based on the new historical position and times coordinates, closely combined with the new times conditions and practical requirements, creatively put forward a series of original new ideas, new ideas and new strategies, and created a new realm of Marxism in China. Grasping this specific era background and development stage, we can deeply understand the characteristics, historical position and theoretical value of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era.
Second, the theme of the times and historical mission — — Adhere to and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Thought is the voice of the times. The ideological and theoretical system of Marxist political parties is the result of responding to the challenges of the times and solving the problems of the times, and also has a theoretical theme and central clue throughout. Marxism is a scientific theory to explore the road and prospect of the liberation of the proletariat and the masses of the people under the background of the increasingly serious economic crisis of early capitalism and the increasingly acute class contradictions. As far as the sinicization of Marxism is concerned, Mao Zedong Thought is a scientific theory to explore China’s revolution and construction under the background of the imperialist war and proletarian revolution in the first half of the 20th century. Since the reform and opening-up, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Theory of Three Represents and Scientific Outlook on Development have been scientific theories to answer such important questions as what socialism is, how to build socialism, what kind of party to build, how to build the party, what kind of development to achieve and how to develop it.
Adhering to and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the theme of all the theories and practices of our Party since the reform and opening up, the "general program" of the Party Central Committee governing the country with the Supreme Leader as the core, and the "general proposition" and "general clue" that runs through the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. Grasping this "general proposition" and "general clue" will grasp the outline of this scientific system, thus playing the role of opening up the outline.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, the situation at home and abroad has undergone major changes, and the cause of the party and the state has made historic achievements and changes, but the theme of our party’s theory and practice is still to uphold and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics; The ideological banner held high by our party is still the great banner of Socialism with Chinese characteristics; Our party’s theoretical mission is still to continue to write a new chapter in Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system around the theme of upholding and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics. Based on the new era, the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core systematically answered the important issue of what kind of Socialism with Chinese characteristics and how to adhere to and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era from the combination of theory and practice, deepened the understanding of communist party’s ruling law, socialist construction law and human social development law with a brand-new vision, and created the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era.
Historical mission, closely linked with contemporary themes, is a natural extension and logical sublimation of the theme of the times. It is the inherent logic of the historical mission of the new era to closely follow the theme of Socialism with Chinese characteristics era and follow the road of Socialism with Chinese characteristics towards the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation in modern times, the historical mission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the new era and the strategic goal of the Party Central Committee in governing the country. Once established, the Communist Party of China (CPC) regarded communism as the highest ideal and ultimate goal of the Party, and made it his initial intention to seek happiness for the people of China and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. He resolutely shouldered the historical mission of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, United and led the people in arduous struggles, and wrote a magnificent epic that swallowed mountains and rivers.
To accomplish the historical mission of the new era, we must carry out great struggles, build great projects and advance great undertakings closely around the realization of great dreams. The "Four Greatness" are closely linked, interconnected and interacted, and are an organic whole, which is unified in the great practice of Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. The internal logic of "Four Greatness" is: great dream is the goal, great struggle is the driving force, great project is the guarantee, and great cause is the path. Among the "four greats", the new great project of party building plays a decisive role.
The "Four Greatness" is a major theoretical innovation, which not only puts forward new requirements for the party’s historical mission, but also further clarifies the party’s general plan for governing the country in the new era, the general blueprint for leading the overall situation, and the general coordinates of planning work, reflecting the high degree of unity of struggle goals, realization paths, forward momentum, historical inheritance, realistic tasks, and future direction, and the high degree of unity of the party’s future destiny, the country’s future destiny, and the people’s future destiny. He profoundly answered the important theoretical and practical questions of what is the historical mission of the party in the new era and how to realize it, which made our party’s understanding of its historical mission reach a new height.
Third, the most essential characteristics and political stance — — Adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adhere to the people as the center.
The most essential features, greatest advantages and political stance are fundamental, principled and overall, which not only embodies the stipulation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s quality, but also determines the direction, goal and value concept of adhering to and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics, and has a position of overall concern in the supreme leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. Therefore, to grasp the scientific system of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, we must fully understand the leading and leading role of the most essential characteristics, the greatest advantages and the political standpoint.
The most essential feature and the greatest advantage, that is, the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s leadership is the most essential feature of Socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest advantage of the Socialism with Chinese characteristics system. This includes that the Party is the highest political leading force in the country, upholding the Party’s leadership over all work, resolutely safeguarding the core position of the Party Central Committee and the whole Party, perfecting the system of upholding the Party’s overall leadership, and improving the Party’s ability and determination to take the direction, seek the overall situation, formulate policies and promote reform. The thought of the most essential feature and the greatest advantage profoundly reveals the internal unity relationship between the Party’s leadership and socialism, reflects the in-depth summary of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s laws, and has great theoretical innovation value in Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era, which is not only consistent with the general principles of scientific socialism, but also an innovative development of the essential connotation of socialism.
The people’s position is the fundamental political position of Marxism, and it is a remarkable sign that Marxist political parties are different from other political parties. Taking the people as the center is the fundamental position of upholding and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, a red line of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, and an inevitable requirement and logic for communist party to lead the country and govern the country. People-centered, running through all fields and the whole process of the Party Central Committee governing the country in the new era. For example, when talking about development issues, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader emphasized adhering to the people-centered development thinking; When it comes to comprehensively deepening reforms, it emphasizes adhering to the people-centered work orientation; When it comes to propaganda and ideological work, it emphasizes the establishment of people-centered public opinion orientation; When it comes to literary and artistic creation, it emphasizes the people-centered creative orientation; When it comes to the work of philosophy and social sciences, it emphasizes adhering to the people-centered research orientation; When participating in the tree planting activities in the capital, put forward the people-centered greening idea, and so on.
People-centered, not only points to China, but also embraces the world. The Communist Party of China (CPC) is a political party for the happiness of the people of China, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the cause of human progress. The Communist Party of China (CPC) always takes people’s yearning for a better life as its goal, and always takes making new and greater contributions to mankind as its mission. Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era emphasizes Do not forget your initiative mind, bearing in mind the mission, seeking happiness for the people, reviving the nation and making contributions to the world, which reflects the people’s stand, national ambition and world responsibility of contemporary the Communist Party of China (CPC) people.
Fourth, the development concept and governance layout — — Adhere to the new development concept and thoroughly implement the two major layouts of "five in one" and "four comprehensive".
The viewpoint of development is the fundamental viewpoint of Marxism. Planning and leading development is the primary task of the Marxist ruling party; What kind of development concept and governance layout to plan and lead development is closely related to whether the party’s historical mission can be successfully realized and the future and destiny of socialism. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core has focused on realizing the historical mission of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, innovating the development concept, clarifying the development layout, and leading the historical changes in China’s overall development. This has also become the basic connection point between Tao and Shu in Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era.
Idea is the forerunner of action. On the "development concept", General Secretary of the Supreme Leader emphasized that development is the basis and key to solving all problems in China, and development must be scientific, and people-centered development ideas must be adhered to, and innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development ideas must be unswervingly implemented. As the basic strategy of adhering to and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the new development concept has expanded the connotation of development in an all-round way with the characteristics of the new era, and raised the thought and theory of development to a new height. The new development concept is rich in connotation, innovation is the first driving force to lead development, coordination is the inherent requirement of sustained and healthy development, green is the necessary condition for sustainable development, openness is the only way for the country to prosper and develop, and sharing is the essential requirement of Socialism with Chinese characteristics. The development concepts of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing are interconnected and promote each other, and they are a collection with internal relations.
The new development concept embodies our party’s profound insight and scientific grasp of the basic characteristics of the new development stage, which indicates that our party’s understanding of the law of economic and social development has reached a new height and is an important follow that China’s economic and social development must adhere to for a long time. The new development concept is the main content of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s economic thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era, which has deepened and expanded our Party’s understanding of the law of economic development in Socialism with Chinese characteristics and written a new chapter in Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s political economy.
On the "governance layout", General Secretary of the Supreme Leader focused on the Chinese dream of building a well-off society in an all-round way, realizing socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, adhered to the methodology of overall promotion and key breakthroughs, and formulated the "five in one" overall layout and the "four comprehensive" strategic layout, which not only focused on the overall situation of work, but also highlighted strategic priorities, and answered the questions about the construction layout of the new era from a point-to-point combination. The overall layout of the "five in one" involves economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, ecological civilization construction and other aspects. It is the overall layout of the Party Central Committee in governing the country and answering the question of "governance layout" in the new era. The "four comprehensive" strategic layout involves four key tasks: building a well-off society in an all-round way, deepening reform in an all-round way, governing the country according to law in an all-round way, and strictly administering the party in an all-round way. It is "the main contradiction that must be solved in the current development of the cause of the party and the state" and the strategic focus of the Party Central Committee in governing the country. The "four comprehensive" strategic layout has both strategic objectives and strategic measures, and each "comprehensive" is of great strategic significance. It is the general strategy of our party in governing the country under the new situation and is related to the long-term development of the party and the country.
Fifth, strategic objectives and strategic steps — — Build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful socialist modernization power in two steps.
In terms of strategic objectives, the general task of the new era is to realize socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Around this strategic goal, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China made a "two-step" new strategic arrangement for China’s socialist modernization in the new era, that is, on the basis of building a well-off society in an all-round way in 2020, socialist modernization will be basically realized by 2035, and a powerful, prosperous, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful socialist modernization country will be built by the middle of this century. This "two-step" strategic arrangement shows that our party has deepened its understanding of the laws of socialist construction, which is of great significance.
First, the "two-step" strategic arrangement is the deepening and refinement of the "three-step" strategic planning. At the beginning of reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping and the CPC Central Committee put forward the development strategy of "three steps". In the middle and late 1990s, after the overall well-off society was realized, the CPC Central Committee put forward a "new three-step" development strategy. Whether it is "the third step" or "the new three steps", there is no detail about how to take the third step after 2020, because it is too early, and it is impossible and necessary to plan it too early. Since entering the new era, the situation is obviously different. The time node of 2020 is getting closer and closer, and how to take the third step after 2020 needs to be further clarified and refined. Therefore, the report of the 19th National Congress puts forward that "two steps" is a new strategic arrangement that conforms to the development trend of China.
Second, the "two-step" strategic arrangement is an upgraded version of the "three-step" strategic objectives and tasks. According to the "three-step" strategic plan, our development goal is to basically realize modernization in the middle of this century. Now we propose to basically realize modernization in 2035 and build a socialist modernization power in an all-round way in the middle of this century. Compared with the "three-step" strategic planning, the "two-step" strategic arrangement has the following advantages: first, the goal is advanced; second, the task is aggravated. This is not only a quantitative improvement, but also a qualitative leap. In particular, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China expanded its goal from "a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized and harmonious socialist modern country" to "a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful socialist modern power", which is consistent with the overall layout of the "five in one" cause of Socialism with Chinese characteristics and embodies the organic unity of great cause and great dream. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China made this strategic arrangement for upgrading the objectives and tasks. First, we have made great achievements in decades of development, and we have a solid foundation and conditions for achieving the grand objectives and tasks. Second, because the long-term trend of China’s development will not change, we have the foundation, confidence and ability to take on greater pressure and upgrade the objectives and tasks.
Third, this phased and step-by-step reform method has been consistently adhered to by our party since the reform and opening up, from the "old three steps" to the "new three steps" to the current "two steps". Staged, step by step, steady and steady, not aggressive, not impatient, can be stable and far-reaching. In particular, when the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China made a "two-step" strategic arrangement, it made a principled plan for development goals and did not put forward specific numerical indicators, which fully reflected our party’s profound understanding and grasp of the new characteristics of economic and social development in the new era.
Sixth, the basic ideas and macro deployment in various fields — — In the new era, the party’s major policies and decision-making arrangements for governing the country are implemented in all aspects.
The overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform in the new era is to improve and develop the Socialism with Chinese characteristics system and promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. The national governance system and governance capacity are the concentrated expression of a country’s system and its implementation capacity. Promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity is an inevitable requirement for perfecting and developing Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s system, and it is also the proper meaning of building a socialist modern power.
In the economic field, it is necessary to speed up the transformation of economic development mode, build a modern economic system and achieve high-quality economic development. In particular, it is necessary to deepen the supply-side structural reform, accelerate the construction of an innovative country, implement the strategy of rural revitalization, implement the strategy of coordinated regional development, accelerate the improvement of the socialist market economic system, and promote the formation of a new pattern of all-round opening up.
In the political field, it is necessary to improve the institutional system in which the people are the masters of the country, develop socialist democratic politics, and promote the institutionalization, standardization and proceduralization of socialist democratic politics. In particular, we should adhere to the organic unity of the Party’s leadership, the people being the masters of the country and governing the country according to law, strengthen the system guarantee of the people being the masters of the country, give full play to the important role of socialist deliberative democracy, comprehensively promote the rule of law, accelerate the construction of the rule of law system in Socialism with Chinese characteristics, deepen the reform of institutions and administrative systems, and consolidate and develop the patriotic United front.
In the field of culture, we should strengthen cultural self-confidence and promote the great development and prosperity of socialist culture. In particular, we should firmly grasp the leadership of ideological work, pay attention to cohesion with socialist core values, strengthen ideological and moral construction, prosper and develop socialist literature and art, promote the development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries, accelerate the construction of philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics, and strive to improve the right to speak internationally.
In the social field, it is necessary to improve the level of safeguarding and improving people’s livelihood, and strengthen and innovate social governance. In particular, we should give priority to the development of education, improve the quality of employment and people’s income level, strengthen the construction of social security system, resolutely win the battle against poverty, implement the strategy of healthy China, and create a social governance pattern of co-construction, co-governance and sharing.
In the ecological field, we should speed up the reform of the ecological civilization system and build a beautiful China. In particular, it is necessary to promote green development, focus on solving outstanding environmental problems, increase the protection of ecosystems, and reform the ecological environment supervision system.
In the field of reunification of the motherland, we must adhere to "one country, two systems" and promote the complete reunification of the motherland. It is necessary to promote the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong and Macao. Realizing the complete reunification of the motherland is the fundamental interest of the Chinese nation and the inevitable requirement for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and will never tolerate the recurrence of the historical tragedy of national division.
Seventh, strategic guarantee and external conditions — — Adhere to the overall national security concept, adhere to the road of strengthening the army with China characteristics, and adhere to the road of peaceful development.
In terms of security, we should adhere to the overall national security concept, improve the national security system, strengthen national security capacity building, and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. The overall concept of national security scientifically answers a series of basic questions about how China, a big developing socialist country, maintains and shapes national security, which indicates that our party’s understanding of the basic laws of national security has reached a new height. Comprehensively implementing the overall national security concept and safeguarding national security in key areas are the main positions and battlefields. We should take ensuring political security as the primary task and safeguard homeland security, economic security, social security, network security and external security.
In terms of military security, we should 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, providing strategic support for realizing the goal of "two hundred years" and realizing the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must fully implement the supreme leader’s thought of strengthening the army, implement the military strategic policy under the new situation, build a powerful modern army, navy, air force, rocket army and strategic support force, build a strong and efficient theater joint operational command organization, build a modern operational system with China characteristics, and take on the mission and task entrusted by the party and the people in the new era.
In the international environment, we should develop China’s diplomacy as a big country, promote the construction of new international relations, promote the building of a community of human destiny, provide China’s plan for solving the development deficit, governance deficit, peace deficit and civilization deficit faced by mankind, and contribute China’s wisdom. Adhere to the path of peaceful development, unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with other countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and unswervingly advocate the concept of win-win cooperation; Committed to building a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, tolerance, cleanliness and beauty; Actively develop global partnership and expand the intersection of interests with other countries; Adhere to the basic national policy of opening to the outside world, persist in opening the country to construction, and actively promote the "Belt and Road" international cooperation; Adhering to the concept of global governance, we advocate the democratization of international relations and actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system.
Eighth, the key and decisive force — — Adhere to the requirements of strictly administering the party in an all-round way and build the party stronger.
The key to China’s success lies in the Party. To realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the new great project of party building plays a decisive role. Strike while the iron is hot. We must persist in closely integrating the party’s overall leadership with the strict administration of the party in an all-round way, build the party stronger and ensure that the party always becomes the core of strong leadership.
Being brave in self-revolution is the most distinctive character of our party and the greatest advantage of our party. If the Party wants to unite and lead the people in the great struggle, advance the great cause and realize the great dream, it must carry forward the spirit of self-revolution, dare to face up to problems, dare to cut the bones and heal the wounds, dare to break the wrists of strong men, eliminate all factors that damage the Party’s advanced nature and purity, eliminate all viruses that erode the Party’s healthy body, and constantly enhance its ability of self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation and self-improvement.
Implement the general requirements of party building in the new era, uphold and strengthen the overall leadership of the party, adhere to the party’s management of the party, strictly manage the party in an all-round way, take the building of the party’s long-term ruling ability, advanced nature and purity as the main line, take the party’s political construction as the guide, take the firm ideals and beliefs as the foundation, focus on mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the whole party, and comprehensively promote the party’s political construction, ideological construction, organizational construction, work style construction and discipline construction. We should run the system construction through it, deepen the anti-corruption struggle, continuously improve the quality of Party building, and build the Party into a Marxist ruling party that is always in the forefront of the times, wholeheartedly supported by the people, brave in self-revolution, able to withstand all kinds of storms and tests, and full of vitality. The general requirements of party building in the new era have made top-level design and strategic deployment for promoting the new great project of party building, which indicates that our party’s understanding of the law of party building has reached a new height.
Party building in the new era always requires highlighting the leading position of political construction in party building. It is the fundamental requirement of our party as a Marxist political party to speak politics clearly. The political construction of the party is the fundamental construction of the party and determines the direction and effect of the party’s construction. We must firmly implement the party’s political line, strictly abide by political discipline and rules, and maintain a high degree of consistency with the CPC Central Committee in political stance, direction, principles and road.
The style of work is related to the life and death of the party. It is necessary to completely purify the political ecology within the Party, resolutely correct all kinds of unhealthy tendencies, punish corruption with a zero-tolerance attitude, maintain a high-pressure situation, deepen the treatment of both the symptoms and the root causes, promote the overwhelming situation of the anti-corruption struggle to be transformed into an overwhelming victory, form an institutional mechanism that does not dare to rot, cannot rot and does not want to rot, ensure the integrity of cadres, clean government and clear politics, and always maintain the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the people.
(Author: New Era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought Research Center, the supreme leader of the Central Party School: Zhen Zhanmin, Niu Pioneer, Chen Shuguang, Li Haiqing)
