Adhering to the Requirements for the Education Campaign

Conducing theoretical study, strengthening Party consciousness, emphasizing practical work, and securing new achievements—these embody the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) consistent requirements to integrate knowledge with practice, theory with reality, and efforts to remold the subjective world with efforts to transform the objective world. Together, they constitute an interconnected and integrated whole and represent the general requirements that must be followed throughout this education campaign.

Conducting theoretical study to create stronger political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional identification with the Party’s new theory

If it is to remain at the forefront of the times, a nation cannot possibly manage without theoretical thought or guidance from the correct ideology. At the fundamental level, we owe the success of our Party and socialism with Chinese characteristics to the fact that Marxism works, particularly when it is adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Chinese Communists, with Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have integrated the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and the best of its traditional culture, thoroughly reviewed and fully applied the historical experience gained since the founding of the Party in 1921, and proceeded from new realities to put forward well-conceived answers to the questions concerning the present and future of China and its people and the wider world. In doing so, we have established Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, making a fresh breakthrough in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times. We have endeavored to use this new theory to arm ourselves intellectually, guide our practice, and advance our work. This has led to historic achievements and changes in the cause of the CPC and the country and set China on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country. We have succeeded in advancing and expanding Chinese modernization and created a new model of human progress. The Chinese nation has thus achieved a tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong and is now following an irreversible course toward rejuvenation. The fundamental reason for the great changes in the first decade of the new era that began in 2012 lies in General Secretary Xi Jinping’s direction and leadership at the core of the Party Central Committee and the Party as a whole and the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought.

As theoretical breakthroughs are made, our Party must equip itself with these latest achievements. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress in 2022 states that the Party must enhance cohesion and forge its soul with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It calls for the launch of theoretical study programs for Party members, especially leading officials at and above the county and equivalent levels. We must conduct theoretical study to gain a full understanding of Xi Jinping Thought. This means systematically grasping the basic standpoint and framework of this thought, understanding its worldview and methodology, and upholding and applying its stances, viewpoints, and methods, so as to steadily create stronger political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional identification with the Party’s new theory, truly master the essential skills of Marxism, and consciously use this thought to guide all aspects of our work.

Raising Party consciousness to preserve our political character as Communists

In 1938, Mao Zedong pointed out at the revolutionary base of Yan’an that “one must first learn a political orientation,” during a talk entitled “What to Learn at the Anti-Japanese Aggression Military and Political College.” Xi Jinping repeated this quote when illustrating how to learn from and carry forward the essence of the Yan’an spirit during his visit to the Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in 2022. Both past and present show that without in-depth and thorough theoretical study, we will lack the foundation for ensuring unity in thinking, and the unity and solidarity of our Party will thus be seriously undermined. At a work conference on this education campaign, General Secretary Xi said, “During this campaign, we should see that in-depth and concrete progress is made in promoting the study and implementation of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We should provide guidance to Party members and officials in maintaining firm ideals and convictions and improving their capacity for political judgment, thinking, and implementation. We should see that they strengthen consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; stay confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and uphold the General Secretary’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and uphold the Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership. This way, all Party members will become more purposeful in closely following the Party Central Committee in thinking, political stance, and action. It will ensure that all of us focus our energy and ingenuity on the same goals and work together to forge our Party into an invincible and unbreakable force.”

As the ancient saying goes, “Those who plant trees must cultivate the roots, and those who foster virtue must cultivate their minds.” Party consciousness is the cornerstone upon which all Party members establish themselves, their careers, their opinions, and their integrity. Just as moral conduct determines what type of person we are, Party consciousness decides what kind of Party member we are. Party consciousness does not automatically increase with length of service or with promotion to a higher post. It must be enhanced on an ongoing basis through tempering in the course of internal Party activities. Mao Zedong once mentioned the importance of Party consciousness. “We should,” he said, “conduct inspections among mid- to high-ranking officials. If officials have strong Party consciousness, the Party itself will be strong.” In 1941, the CPC Central Committee issued the Decision on Strengthening Party Consciousness, which stated, “The main task in strengthening the Party today is to require that all Party members, especially those in leadership positions, further strengthen their Party consciousness and put the interests of the Party as a whole above the interests of any individual member or any specific organization, so that the whole Party can be united as one.” In the new era, General Secretary Xi has attached great importance to the issue of Party consciousness. He has pointed out, “I often say that we need to cultivate the minds of Party members by integrating learning, thinking, and practice and ensuring unity between knowledge, conviction, and action. An important goal in all of this is to see that Party members and officials maintain firm ideals and convictions and enhance their Party consciousness.” He has also emphasized, “In enhancing Party consciousness, we must, first and foremost, maintain firm conviction in the noble ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”

To have political resolve and firm Party consciousness, we must have a solid grasp of theory. In order to grow strong, Party members and officials must arm themselves with Marxist theories. Xi Jinping Thought sets out not only important ideas for the Party’s national governance, but also requirements for Party members in terms of political character, values, ethics, and conduct. Raising Party consciousness means that we must use this thought to remold our subjective world and fully grasp its requirements for maintaining firm ideals and convictions, expanding intellectual horizons, strengthening Party commitment, and ultimately preserving the political character of Communists.

Emphasizing practical work to make new progress and breakthroughs in advancing Chinese modernization

The value of theory lies in its ability to guide practice, and the power of theory to persuade and inspire fundamentally stems from the power of truth demonstrated in the course of guiding practice. In China, we have won the largest battle against poverty in history, recording a miraculous achievement for the ages. We have clinched a major and decisive victory in our fight against Covid-19, securing yet another miraculous achievement by emerging from the pandemic largely unscathed as a populous country. We have brought about miracles of economic growth and long-term social stability, which are still continuing. During the extraordinary first decade of the new era since 2012, we have witnessed the transformation of pure theory into material strength. We have continued to equip the whole Party with the latest theoretical achievements by enabling Xi Jinping Thought to take root and flourish across China, resulting in historic achievements and changes in the cause of the Party and the country.

Great thinking lights the path to progress, and great endeavors illustrate the immense power of thought. Studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought will be essential if we are to forge new horizons for our new journey in the new era. At present, China is faced with new strategic opportunities, tasks, and requirements and a new strategic stage and landscape in development. Amid accelerating rate of change on a scale unseen in a century, and as we advance a great cause such as has never been attempted before, only by arming our minds with well-founded theories will we be able to hold firm in our ideals and convictions and seize the historical initiative. In emphasizing practical work, we must consciously apply Xi Jinping Thought. This means using it to transform the objective world and advance our cause, to observe, understand, and steer the trends of the times, to proactively identify, adapt to, and steer changes, to address various issues arising in economic and social development and the project of Party development, and to prevent and defuse major risks. By doing so, we will deliver new advancements and breakthroughs in promoting Chinese modernization.

Securing new achievements and striving to deliver results that stand the test of time and win the people’s approval

In an important address at the First Session of the 14th National People’s Congress in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in March 2023, Xi Jinping declared, “From now until the middle of the century, the central task of the Party and all Chinese people is to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts. The baton of this central task has now been passed on to our generation.” His call to forge ahead on the new journey and contribute to the success of the new era was met with thunderous applause from the audience.

A great cause starts out as a dream but becomes reality through hard work. The tremendous changes in the first decade of the new era have been possible because the entire Party and all the Chinese people have met challenges head-on, poured hard work and dedication into all endeavors, and dared to forge a brighter future filled with greater promise and opportunity. Contemporary China is undergoing one of the greatest and most unique processes of innovation in practice ever seen in history; our push to advance national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization is a pioneering undertaking without precedent. On the road ahead, we will inevitably encounter many new issues never seen before, difficulties and obstacles of all kinds, and high winds, choppy waters, and even dangerous storms that will put us to the test. Xi Jinping has said, “Modernization does not just fall into our lap. It is the result of hard work and of seizing the initiative.” To secure new achievements on the new journey, we must draw the wisdom and strength from Xi Jinping Thought, master the methods of leadership, thinking, and working embodied in this thought, improve our ability to fulfill duties and functions, pool strength for promoting development, work persistently to ensure implementation, and make contributions based on our own posts. If we do so, we will deliver concrete achievements that stand the test of time and win the approval of the people.  

(Originally appeared in Qiushi Journal, Chinese edition, No. 9, 2023)