In his important article, “Accelerating the Building of a Strong Cultural Nation,” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the most essential feature of the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics is to uphold the Party’s leadership. Upholding the Party’s leadership in cultural affairs is a major theoretical and practical proposition put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping on the basis of profound summarization of historical experience and keen insight into the general trends of contemporary development. It reflects a scientifically grounded grasp of the Party’s ideological work, embodies the core essence of Xi Jinping’s thought on culture, and represents an inevitable requirement for the Party’s mission and tasks in the new era and on the new journey regarding cultural development. A deep understanding and firm grasp of the strategic significance and value implications of the Party’s leadership in cultural affairs are of great contemporary importance for continuing to promote cultural prosperity and build a strong cultural nation from a new starting point, and for constantly enriching and developing a new form of human civilization.

1. Firmly uphold cultural confidence in safeguarding the soul vein and protecting the root vein.

Firm cultural confidence reflects our Party’s highly conscious commitment to consolidating cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “For any culture to stand firm and go far, it must possess guiding power, cohesive force, formative capacity, and radiating influence—and above all, it must have its own distinct subjectivity.” Cultural subjectivity is the fundamental foundation of cultural confidence; with cultural subjectivity, we gain a firm sense of self in cultural terms. Throughout its long history spanning five millennia, the Chinese nation has fully leveraged its cultural subjectivity, creating a splendid Chinese civilization characterized by unique ideas, wisdom, grandeur, and spiritual charm, thereby nurturing deep-seated confidence and pride among the descendants of Huaxia. Since modern times, with the introduction of Marxism into China, our Party has firmly grasped historical initiative, held high the banner of a national, scientific, and mass-oriented culture, and integrated the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities. By using Marxism to observe and interpret the times, the Chinese nation has moved from profound suffering toward a bright future of national rejuvenation. Since the advent of the new era, building on the magnificent 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization and the Communist Party of China’s over-a-century-long struggle, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the “Second Combination,” thus broadening the historical depth and cultural roots of China’s path. As a result, Chinese civilization has unleashed powerful spiritual strength. It is precisely by maintaining an unbroken cultural subjectivity and achieving spiritual independence and self-reliance that we have been able to uphold the theoretical brilliance of steadfastly adhering to the “soul and lifeline” of Marxism and the “roots and heritage” of China’s outstanding traditional culture. Only then has socialist culture with Chinese characteristics consistently reflected the spirit of the times, led contemporary trends, and demonstrated its distinctive cultural characteristics—characterized by active engagement with other civilizations around the world, mutual learning, drawing nourishment from them, and achieving mutual enrichment.

To firmly uphold cultural confidence, we must unswervingly follow our own path, build an independent knowledge system, and dispel the myth that “Westernization equals modernization.” Facts have proven that only by upholding the Party’s overall leadership, adhering to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strengthening mainstream ideological and public opinion can we effectively unite the people. Only by taking China as our perspective, viewing the times through a Chinese lens, and using China’s actual conditions as the starting point for research—thereby accelerating the development of China’s autonomous disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems—can we continuously foster a new-era socialist culture with Chinese characteristics that boasts powerful intellectual guidance, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, thus providing robust ideological guarantees for Chinese-style modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in response to global common challenges—from building a community with a shared future for mankind and fostering a new type of major-country relationship to promoting a correct view of justice and interests and a global governance philosophy of consultation, co-building, and shared benefits—all these Chinese propositions and solutions of global significance are expressions of the spiritual hallmarks and cultural essence of Chinese civilization. They all reflect a high degree of confidence in our own cultural ideals and values, as well as a profound belief in the vitality and creativity of our own culture, thereby breaking the previous situation on the global academic stage where Western voices and perspectives dominated and monopolized knowledge. In the future, we must more fully and vividly showcase Chinese discourse—and the ideological and spiritual strength behind it—to drive profound transformations in the global cultural communication landscape.

2. Strengthen the cultural foundation by benefiting the people and winning their hearts.

Without a profoundly enriched spiritual world among the people and without a comprehensive system of cultural values that unites their hearts and minds, no modern nation or political party can exercise effective leadership. Only by achieving ideological and spiritual cohesion among the people and solidifying both the Party’s governing foundation and its mass base can we forge a powerful and enduring driving force for advancing Chinese-style modernization. At its core, modernization is about the modernization of people themselves. As China’s economic development enters a “new normal,” and reform enters a critical phase characterized by deep-seated challenges, the public’s demands in areas related to people’s livelihoods continue to grow, and their yearning for a better life has become even stronger. These aspirations encompass not only basic needs such as ensuring children receive proper care, students receive quality education, workers earn fair compensation, the sick receive adequate medical treatment, the elderly receive dignified care, everyone has decent housing, and the vulnerable receive necessary support—but also higher-level aspirations for democracy, the rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and environmental protection. Therefore, we not only need to enrich material living standards and raise the “happiness index,” but more importantly, we must unleash the innovative and creative vitality of the entire nation, pursue the meaning and value of life, and create a spiritual civilization that leads the times.

To fully harness the vital role of culture in national governance, we must always remain firmly grounded in the people’s standpoint, draw on their collective wisdom, and provide the masses with abundant spiritual nourishment. On the one hand, we should advance the development of public cultural infrastructure, creating and producing outstanding works that resonate with the people through rich emotions, beautiful melodies, and touching imagery, thereby providing society with firmer value guidelines and genuinely enhancing the people’s sense of participation and fulfillment in cultural development. On the other hand, we must respect the diverse cultural needs of the people, uphold and promote the integration of meeting those needs with strengthening the people’s spiritual vitality. We should embed socialist core values into the rule of law, social development, and daily life, continuously fostering a culture that is upward-looking and innovative by celebrating the light and expressing our ideals. Through the power of mainstream values that deeply touch people’s hearts, we can continually elevate the people’s ideological awareness, moral standards, and civilizational literacy. Cultural events popular among the masses—such as “Village Evenings,” “Village Basketball,” and “Su Super”—are prime examples of how we can tap into the vibrant cultural energy at the grassroots level, using narrative approaches that are both intimate and heartfelt to convey the cultural essence of Chinese-style modernization. These efforts promote the deeper and broader integration of culture and tourism, achieving an organic unity between identity and popularity, between commercial success and critical acclaim, and thus cultivating a social atmosphere characterized by integrity and positive energy. At the same time, leveraging the development and application of cutting-edge emerging technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the metaverse, we can explore new content and forms of cultural communication, continuously enhancing our capacity for cultural governance under informationized conditions. This will help foster cultural identification and resonance across multiple ethnic groups and regions, steadily strengthening mainstream public opinion and culture. As a result, the people can find spiritual enrichment and forge shared values through culturally diverse and accessible activities that appeal to both refined and popular tastes, continually consolidating the cultural centripetal force of the Chinese nation.

3. Strengthen cultural security by daring to engage in confrontations and bravely wielding the sword.

The world is undergoing a major transformation unseen in a century, and the global governance system is facing profound changes. The international situation is marked by significantly heightened instability and uncertainty. For decades, the U.S. and the West have long held “cultural hegemony,” using tactics such as orchestrating “color revolutions” in certain countries and regions to stir up emotions and fuel discontent, thereby sowing ideological chaos and channeling social risks into the political sphere, thus undermining the ruling foundations of these countries and regions. Around the world, tragedies caused by cultural infiltration—leading to internal turmoil, fragmentation, and the decline of nations and ethnic groups—are still unfolding relentlessly.

History and reality both show that the disintegration of a political regime often begins in the ideological sphere. Once the ideological defense line is breached, it becomes exceedingly difficult to hold other lines of defense. To overcome the risks and challenges on our path forward and safeguard cultural security, the key lies in constantly keeping the ideological front firmly in mind, enhancing our capacity for risk anticipation, response, and handling, and maintaining strategic initiative. First, we must uphold both adherence to fundamentals and innovation. We must steadfastly uphold the fundamental institutional position of Marxism as the guiding ideology, holding fast to the “fundamentals” of Marxism and China’s outstanding traditional culture while creating the “new” through the sinicization and modernization of Marxism and the Party’s innovative theories. In doing so, we can ensure that Marxism remains vibrant and full of vitality, completely escaping the traps of Western discourse. By defining the Chinese path, interpreting the Chinese spirit, and shaping the Chinese image, we can forge a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership. Second, we must tell the China story well. Closely aligned with the goal of building a strategic communication system with distinctively Chinese characteristics, we should systematically articulate the historical experience, guiding principles, theoretical achievements, and development blueprint of China’s path toward modernization. By proactively setting the agenda, we can transform our advantages in path, system, and culture into strengths in international communication, actively fostering a favorable international public opinion environment and securing an international voice commensurate with our country’s comprehensive national strength and global standing. Through globalized, regionalized, and audience-specific communication strategies, we can achieve precise dissemination and, with our powerful cultural soft power, lay a solid foundation for cultural security. Third, we must strengthen the struggle over discourse. We must unite with just forces around the world, with particular emphasis on focusing on the internet—the primary battleground. Faced with misleading and highly harmful false narratives spread by the U.S. and Western countries—such as the “China threat theory,” the “China plunder theory,” the “China arrogance theory,” and the “China irresponsibility theory”—we must not only counter them precisely with a new style of discourse that is both principled and grounded in reality, but also employ skillful methods and even resort to legal means in conducting the international public opinion struggle.

4. Highlight the value of civilization through expanded exchanges and enhanced integration.

Civilizations may differ in their hues and splendor, but they are by no means superior or inferior to one another. The so-called “civilized” Western countries often present themselves as beacons of global civilization, equating certain specific values with “universal values.” This posture of “civilizational superiority” is riddled with arrogance and prejudice. Meanwhile, the pursuit of cultural uniqueness and diversity—rooted in equality and respect—has become a collective consensus, embraced not only by developed nations but also by a broad spectrum of developing countries. Adopting a more open attitude toward the world, continuously promoting mutual understanding and overcoming divisions and conflicts among various civilizations, and creating new forms of human civilization—this is the only path that can make our world more beautiful and people’s lives better.

Since the advent of a new era, in response to new cultural missions and global challenges, the Party has not only played a leading role in cultural development but also activated the cultural dissemination functions of various actors. By both “going out” and “going in,” it has promoted China’s cultural outreach to the world and enhanced the country’s soft power. By harnessing the power of civil society, China has engaged extensively in dialogues among world civilizations, fostering exchanges and interactions among different cultures. This has enabled Chinese culture to be translated into concrete perceptions, views, and attitudes toward specific scenarios and events, as well as into conscious and subconscious emotional awareness and self-awareness. As a result, Chinese culture has better integrated into everyday life, thereby solidifying the humanistic foundation of the community with a shared future for mankind. Earlier this year, a massive influx of American netizens onto Chinese social media platforms—and the ensuing “big reckoning” between Chinese and U.S. netizens—began to loosen the “information cocoons” that had long confined American users, gradually dissolving deeply entrenched stereotypes about China. Subsequently, the internet sensation “Jia Kang Ge,” during his visit to China, used authentic, unedited outdoor live streams to showcase both the profound ancient civilization of the Chinese nation and the vibrant, multifaceted culture of contemporary China. By proactively learning traditional Chinese medicine, Sichuan opera, and other time-honored cultural practices, and expressing himself with humor and wit, he discovered, experienced, and understood China in a fresh and engaging way, quickly becoming an internet sensation. The surge in online traffic, coupled with sustained offline follow-up efforts, has boosted consumption, stimulated the economy, driven cultural and tourism industries, and enhanced the value of urban brands. These mutually beneficial and two-way empowering dynamics have brought more dynamic cultural achievements onto the world stage, continuously strengthening the reach and influence of Chinese civilization.

In short, upholding the Party’s leadership over culture is the fundamental guarantee for building a strong socialist cultural nation. Only by firmly maintaining the Party’s cultural leadership—internalizing the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics into a shared set of values and ideological foundations for the entire nation, and externalizing it into a mighty driving force behind the nation’s rejuvenation—can we shoulder our new cultural mission, continuously create new glories in socialist culture, and enable the Chinese nation to stand tall among the world’s nations with an even more vigorous spirit.