Editor’s note: This is the fourth part of a series on the historical document the CPC passed in the sixth plenary session of its 19th Central Committee.
A political party needs to establish its own set of theories, which are arguably more powerful than a set of generalized political theories, to win people over and lead party members effectively. As a collective organization, a political party also needs a leadership core to unite party members and facilitate effective decision-making.
Changes in actual situations and undertakings constantly bring new challenges for the ruling party, and the Party’s theories must be enhanced and advance with the times so that they can effectively guide new endeavors
It is an extremely demanding job for the Communist Party of China to effectively lead an organization of 95 million members and manage a large country of 1.4 billion people for a long time, which is a huge challenge to the Party’s cohesion, leadership and decisiveness. The Party has succeeded in growing strong, seizing State power and putting the country on a path of prosperity. It owes all of its success to two determining factors — a set of mature theories and a strong leadership core.
The benchmark of a mature political party is the maturity of its political theories. When the CPC adopted Marxism in its early years, it did not fully appreciate that even the best theories must be applied in a way that dovetail with the country’s actual situation. As a result, the Party made detours at great cost. Empirical facts have proved that only by adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China’s actual situation can mature political theories emerge and China’s problems be solved.
This realization has given rise to the Sinicization of Marxism, resulting in Mao Zedong’s strategy of “seizing the State power by encircling the cities from the rural areas”, as well as Deng Xiaoping’s strategy of refocusing on economic development by leveraging reform and opening-up.
Theories are the fruits of practical experience. They come from experience and provide guidance to future endeavors, forming a mutually reinforcing cycle. Changes in actual situations and undertakings constantly bring new challenges for the ruling party, and the Party’s theories must be enhanced and advance with the times so that they can effectively guide new endeavors. From Mao Zedong Thought to Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Party has, through practical experience, continuously expanded and strengthened its theories.
Each of these theories, the fruits of the Party’s collective wisdom, has a principal founder. Xi Jinping is the principal founder of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, featuring a plethora of original ideas, novel thoughts and new strategies for governing the country, which are summed up in 10 fundamental principles in the CPC’s latest resolution. These include identifying the principal contradictions facing Chinese society in the new era; establishing the goals and procedures for building China into a modern socialist country; promoting balanced and simultaneous economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress; modernizing China’s system and capacity for governance; tackling corruption; facilitating the establishment of a community with a shared future for mankind; etc.
Empirical facts since the 18th National Congress of the CPC show that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the latest theoretical innovation of the Party after gaining a deeper understanding of the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and is the embodiment of Marxism in modern China. It gives answers to the new questions that have emerged in the new era, and provides effective guidance for advancing the cause of the Party and the country under the current conditions.
The Party needs a leader, just as an orchestra needs a conductor. The leader, as the Party leadership core, is the one who makes the final decision, a practice required by the principle of democratic centralism practiced by the CPC. Only by having a well-respected leader at the helm can the whole Party work together, harness full strength, know where to go and get things done.
The resolution stated that “the Party has established Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and defined the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This reflects the common will of the Party, the armed forces, and Chinese people of all ethnic groups, and is of decisive significance for advancing the cause of the Party and the country in the new era and for driving forward the historic process of national rejuvenation.” The establishment of a new theory and the leadership core is an indicator of the Party’s growing maturity and capability.
The author is a veteran current affairs commentator.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.