Tongfang Academy
Micro Party Class · Issue 251
Embrace a new mission and build a modern civilization for the Chinese nation.
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” Currently, the entire Party is conducting a thematic education campaign to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic style and strengthening theoretical training are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides all its lawyers with learning opportunities in the form of micro-party classes, thereby enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
Cultivating a nation through culture and revitalizing the country through civilization—on this new journey toward building a strong nation and achieving national rejuvenation, we need more advanced civilizational guidance and richer cultural nourishment. President Xi pointed out: “Continuing to promote cultural prosperity, build a culturally strong nation, and construct a modern Chinese civilization at this new starting point is our new cultural mission in the new era.” Building a modern Chinese civilization is a magnificent undertaking for a country like ours, with a civilization history spanning over 5,000 years. It underscores our Party’s historical responsibility to reinvigorate Chinese civilization and create a new form of human civilization. We must deeply study and implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture, better shoulder our new cultural mission, and demonstrate new achievements and a fresh outlook in the great practice of building a modern Chinese civilization.
A thriving culture fosters a prosperous nation; a strong culture makes a nation strong. President Xi pointed out: “Building a modern Chinese civilization is an inevitable requirement for advancing Chinese-style modernization and an important component of socialist spiritual civilization.” The construction of a modern Chinese civilization will undoubtedly harness the power of culture to accelerate China’s modernization process, illuminate the path to national rejuvenation with the light of civilization, and create a new form of human civilization through cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
The intrinsic requirement for revitalizing and restoring the glory of Chinese civilization. Chinese culture boasts a long and profound history, and Chinese civilization is vast and profound, providing the Chinese nation with the deepest and most enduring source of strength for its development and progress. As we enter a new era, President Xi has highly affirmed the contemporary value of China’s outstanding traditional culture, placing the inheritance and promotion of this culture in a prominent position. This fully demonstrates our Party’s respectful inheritance of China’s outstanding traditional culture and our sense of responsibility and commitment to forging a new brilliance for Chinese civilization. Building a modern Chinese civilization means responding to the overarching trend of the Chinese nation’s journey from history toward the future, from tradition toward modernity, and from diversity toward unity—thereby unleashing new momentum for the development of Chinese civilization, activating its powerful vitality, and enabling it to radiate fresh vigor and dynamism.
The Inevitable Choice for Advancing Chinese-style Modernization. As a comprehensive social transformation, modernization necessarily involves an essential and critical task: the modernization and transformation of culture. Chinese-style modernization and the modern civilization of the Chinese nation have grown together, mutually reinforcing and advancing each other. President Xi pointed out: “Chinese-style modernization endows Chinese civilization with modern vitality, while Chinese civilization imbues Chinese-style modernization with profound cultural roots.” Chinese-style modernization is a modernization that coordinates material and spiritual civilizations. The modern civilization of the Chinese nation is inherently rooted in the process of Chinese-style modernization; it not only represents the value aspirations and civilizational achievements of Chinese-style modernization but also provides cultural support and civilizational guidance for it.
It is the rightful path to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. From ancient times to the present, the development and rise of all nations and ethnic groups have been underpinned by and driven forward through cultural innovation and civilizational progress. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the building of a modern Chinese civilization are an intrinsically unified and organic whole. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation necessarily entails the revitalization of Chinese civilization; thus, promoting civilizational transformation and constructing a modern Chinese civilization has become an historical inevitability for achieving national rejuvenation. By building a modern Chinese civilization, we can inject powerful spiritual impetus into the endeavor of building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation.
The objective necessity of creating a new form of human civilization. For a long time, Chinese civilization has engaged in mutual exchange and learning with other civilizations around the world, making outstanding contributions to the advancement of human civilization. Today, as our Party advances the great practice of Chinese-style modernization, we continuously promote civilizational renewal, civilizational progress, and civilizational leaps, thereby creating a brand-new form of human civilization that has greatly enriched the global garden of civilizations. In building a modern Chinese civilization, we must adopt an open and inclusive mindset—embracing all rivers and seas—to learn from and draw upon the finest achievements of human civilizations. We must use cultural exchanges to transcend civilizational divides, mutual learning among civilizations to overcome civilizational conflicts, and coexistence among civilizations to surmount the notion of civilizational superiority. Together with all progressive forces around the world, we should jointly create a brighter future for human civilization.
At a critical moment when the building of a strong nation and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are being vigorously advanced, President Xi has integrated the past and present, bridged China with the rest of the world, grounded himself in reality while looking ahead to the future, and put forward the epochal proposition of "building a modern civilization for the Chinese nation." This proposition is an important component of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought, rich in meaning and profound in implications.
A civilizational form rooted in the fertile soil of China. The world is home to a wide variety of civilizational forms, yet each civilization has its own ethnic carrier and generative agent. The unique cultural traditions and civilizational characteristics of the Chinese nation constitute the deep, fertile ground that ensures the continuous vitality of Chinese civilization—and also provide rich nourishment for building a modern Chinese civilization. The modern Chinese civilization is the continuation of more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization; it is the contemporary manifestation of this great civilization. To build a modern Chinese civilization means firmly upholding the standpoint of Chinese culture, consolidating cultural subjectivity, and profoundly grasping the distinctive features of Chinese civilization: its remarkable continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness. It also means actively promoting the rejuvenation and modern transformation of Chinese civilization, enabling the Chinese nation to achieve spiritual independence and self-reliance and truly stand tall among the nations of the world.
A civilizational form belonging to socialism. The modern Chinese civilization is a civilization founded on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, fully embodying the distinctive features and advantages of socialism and fundamentally different from capitalist civilization. Capitalist civilization is a civilizational form dominated by capital groups, upholding the primacy of capital and placing profit above all else—a form that finds it exceedingly difficult to overcome its inherent tendencies toward the law of the jungle, polarization between rich and poor, and hegemonic power politics. In contrast, socialist civilization is a civilizational form that firmly safeguards the people’s position as the masters of history and consistently puts the interests of the people first; it represents the most advanced and scientifically grounded civilizational form humanity has yet seen in its social development. To build the modern Chinese civilization means adhering to the guiding principles of Marxist theory, continuously promoting the sinicization and modernization of Marxism, vigorously developing a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and fully demonstrating the advanced essence of scientific socialism.
A civilizational form integrated into Chinese-style modernization. Chinese-style modernization serves as the practical arena for building a modern Chinese civilization. The construction of a modern Chinese civilization and the advancement of Chinese-style modernization proceed in the same direction and advance together. Looking back at modern and contemporary history, China’s pursuit of modernization has always been intertwined with and mutually overlapping the modernization of Chinese civilization. Today, the modern Chinese civilization we are building is one that is unified with the goal of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. It will continue to develop along with the ongoing advancement of Chinese-style modernization, enrich itself as we comprehensively build a modern socialist country, and surely flourish alongside the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
A civilizational form that aligns with the direction of human societal development. Chinese-style modernization presents a new vision for human civilization and embodies the path forward for the advancement of human civilization. “One flower blooming alone does not make spring; when myriad flowers bloom together, the garden is filled with spring.” The modern Chinese civilization we are building upholds a civilizational outlook characterized by equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness, and promotes shared values for all humanity. It not only benefits the Chinese people but also fosters common development worldwide. Together with the international community, we will ensure that the global garden of civilizations bursts into vibrant colors and thrives with vitality. Throughout history, the Chinese nation has created a splendid civilization with profound roots and far-reaching influence on the world. In the present and future, it will surely continue to forge a modern civilization that leads the times and brings benefits to all humankind.
The soul of a nation is shaped and forged through culture. Throughout its long and magnificent history, the Chinese nation has created for humanity a rich cultural heritage and a splendid tapestry of civilization. “The best way to inherit our history is to create new history; the greatest tribute we can pay to human civilization is to forge a new form of human civilization.” On this new journey ahead, we must deeply study and implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture, consciously shoulder our new cultural mission, actively engage in the vibrant practice of building a modern Chinese civilization, and strive to create a new culture that belongs uniquely to our era.
Uphold the Party’s leadership in cultural affairs. As a faithful inheritor and active promoter of China’s outstanding traditional culture, the Communist Party of China shoulders the historical responsibility and contemporary mission of guiding the construction of a modern Chinese civilization. At present, as different ideologies and cultures engage in mutual exchange, integration, and confrontation, and as social thought trends become increasingly diverse and ever-changing, the struggle and contestation in the ideological sphere sometimes reach a particularly sharp intensity. Under these circumstances, it is even more crucial to firmly uphold the Party’s leadership in cultural affairs, strengthen our cultural confidence and self-reliance, and consolidate the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. We must uphold the Party’s overall leadership and unswervingly implement and carry out the Party’s leadership in every field, aspect, and link of the construction of a modern Chinese civilization.
Uphold the “two combinations.” Combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China’s outstanding traditional culture represents a profound grasp of the laws governing the development of Chinese civilization and is the only path forward for building a modern Chinese civilization. Marxism, with its light of truth, has reactivated the genetic code of Chinese civilization, enabling Marxism to become distinctly Chinese and outstanding traditional Chinese culture to become thoroughly modern. The new culture forged through this “combination” will thus become the cultural form of Chinese-style modernization. In building a modern Chinese civilization, we must never deviate from Marxism—the soul and lifeline—and we must never stray from China’s outstanding traditional culture—the cultural root.
Uphold cultural confidence, openness and inclusiveness, and adherence to fundamentals while fostering innovation. Only with confidence can we become strong; only a nation with cultural confidence can stand firm, remain stable, and go far. On the path ahead, we must firmly uphold our cultural confidence, stay committed to following our own path, summarize China’s experiences using Chinese principles, elevate these experiences into Chinese theories, and achieve spiritual independence and self-reliance. We must embrace openness and inclusiveness, proactively learn from and draw on all outstanding achievements of human civilization, and cultivate and create more cultural products that blend the ancient and the modern, and integrate Eastern and Western cultures. We must adhere to the principle of upholding fundamentals while fostering innovation: under the guidance of Marxism, truly make good use of the past for the present, adapt foreign ideas to Chinese contexts, adopt a dialectical approach to selection and rejection, and constantly renew and rejuvenate our culture, thus carrying forward the historical cultural heritage and composing a brilliant chapter for the contemporary era.
We must uphold creative transformation and innovative development. Adhering to creative transformation and innovative development is a vital pathway for ensuring that China’s outstanding traditional culture continues to thrive with enduring vitality. As President Xi pointed out: “We should harness innovation to inject new momentum into the development of civilization, to invigorate the ever-flowing source of civilizational progress, and continuously create cultural achievements that transcend time and space while possessing timeless appeal.” To achieve this, we need to delve deeply into the outstanding genes and contemporary value of Chinese traditional culture, reawaken its vitality, unleash its creativity, and promote its adaptation to contemporary China, its harmonious integration with modern society, and its seamless blending with contemporary cultural realities—thereby forging a new, organically unified cultural entity that will infuse robust spiritual impetus and inexhaustible intellectual vitality into the building of a modern Chinese civilization.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 250: Always Maintain a High Degree of Political Sensitivity
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Tongfang Academy Micro-Party Class, Issue 249: Accelerate the Development of the Rule-of-Law System and Capacity Building for Foreign-Related Affairs
