The times are the mother of thought, and practice is the source of theory. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in the face of a global trend of intense ideological and cultural exchanges and profound changes in social thought and values in China, the Party Central Committee—with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core—has placed propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in a position of great importance in state governance and administration. It has set the guiding banner, defined the strategic direction, traced the origins, upheld the fundamental principles while fostering innovation, and thus propelled the cause of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in the new era to achieve historic accomplishments. Throughout this historical process, General Secretary Xi Jinping has presided over a series of important meetings, delivered a series of significant speeches, and issued a series of important instructions. He has put forward a host of new ideas, new perspectives, and new judgments on cultural development in the new era, thereby forming Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture. This important thought represents a theoretical summation of the Party’s practical experience in leading cultural development in the new era. It holds immense significance for enriching and developing Marxist cultural theory, inheriting and promoting China’s outstanding traditional culture, and advancing the development and progress of human civilization.

Made original contributions to the enrichment and development of Marxist cultural theory.

The Communist Party of China is a political party armed with Marxism. The cultural development under the Party’s leadership must unswervingly be guided by a theory of culture rooted in Chinese context and adapted to the times—Marxist cultural theory that has been Sinicized and modernized. Xi Jinping’s thought on culture adheres to the standpoint, viewpoint, and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, profoundly addressing fundamental questions such as what banner to raise, which path to take, which principles to uphold, and what goals to achieve in China’s cultural development in the new era, thereby opening up a new realm for Marxist cultural theory.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has placed cultural confidence alongside confidence in the path, theoretical confidence, and institutional confidence as the “four confidences” of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He has also elevated culture to a key component of the coordinated advancement of the “five-sphere integrated plan” and the “four-pronged strategic layout.” By placing particular emphasis on the profound significance of cultural development, he has enriched and developed the historical materialist principle that the superstructure exerts a reverse effect on the economic base. Xi Jinping’s thought on culture regards upholding and strengthening the Party’s comprehensive leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work as an essential component, clearly affirming such important principles as Party management of propaganda, Party management of ideology, and Party management of media. This thought provides a clear political guarantee for doing well in propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, and further enriches and develops Marx and Engels’ theory that “the class which dominates the material means of production also dominates the spiritual means of production.” Xi Jinping’s thought on culture firmly grasps the people-centered nature—the essential attribute of Marxism—and consistently puts the people first, keeping everything in service of the people. It runs through a distinct guiding thread centered on the people, emphasizing “ensuring that the people enjoy a more fulfilling, richer, and higher-quality spiritual and cultural life,” and stressing “promoting the common prosperity of the people’s spiritual lives.” Moreover, it offers a systematic exposition on the questions of “for whom, relying on whom, and who I am” across all aspects of work—including philosophy and social sciences, literary and artistic endeavors, public cultural services, and cultural industry development—thus fully unleashing the cultural innovation and creative vitality of the masses and providing an inexhaustible source of momentum for cultural development.

Made historic contributions to the inheritance and development of China’s outstanding traditional culture.

The outstanding traditional Chinese culture is the crystallization of wisdom and the essence of Chinese civilization. It is the root and soul of the Chinese nation, and serves as the solid foundation that enables us to stand firm amid the vigorous currents of global cultural exchange. Faced with a world undergoing a transformation of unprecedented magnitude in a century, and confronted with the mission of fully advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization, we increasingly need to harness our robust cultural strength to rally powerful forces for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation.

The Communist Party of China is both a firm believer in and active practitioner of Marxism, as well as a loyal inheritor and promoter of China’s outstanding traditional culture. As the cultural component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Xi Jinping’s cultural thought not only upholds the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s outstanding traditional culture, drawing upon the ideological essence and moral core of this rich cultural heritage, but also emphasizes “focusing on carrying forward the Chinese cultural heritage and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of China’s outstanding traditional culture.” Under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought, the vitality of China’s outstanding traditional culture has been invigorated by the spirit of the times. The most fundamental cultural genes of the Chinese nation have become more compatible with contemporary China, more harmonious with modern society, and more deeply integrated with contemporary culture. The cultural ethos—spanning time and space, transcending national borders, possessing enduring appeal, and embodying contemporary value—has been vigorously promoted. At the same time, the spiritual hallmarks and cultural essence of Chinese civilization have been better refined and showcased, which not only helps to build a Chinese discourse and narrative system, and to better construct the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength, but also facilitates deeper exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, thereby enabling Chinese culture to better reach out to the world. Today, China’s outstanding traditional culture is undergoing creative transformation and innovative development, firmly establishing the cultural identity of China as one that can stand tall and go far, and continuously enhancing its guiding power, cohesive force, shaping power, and radiating influence.

Made a global contribution to advancing human civilization.

Culture is both national and global in nature. The Chinese nation is one of the world’s oldest and greatest civilizations, having created a splendid civilization that has endured for over 5,000 years and made indelible contributions to the progress of human civilization. Yet, after the Opium War in 1840, due to the aggression of Western powers and the corruption of feudal rule, China gradually became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. The country suffered humiliation, its people endured hardship, and its civilization was tarnished. As a result, the Chinese nation—experiencing unprecedented calamities—fell dramatically behind the times. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have achieved great accomplishments in the new democratic revolution, in the socialist revolution and construction, in reform and opening-up and socialist modernization, and in socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. These achievements not only continuously restore the glory of Chinese civilization but also make worldwide contributions to the advancement of human civilization.

Today, the world is undergoing transformations—transformations in the global landscape, in our times, and in history—on a scale unprecedented in human history. Once again, humanity finds itself at a critical juncture in history. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has upheld the fine tradition of “achieving personal success and then benefiting all under heaven.” As the Chinese civilization once again shines with renewed vigor in our era, what contributions can it make to the advancement of human civilization? General Secretary Xi Jinping’s thought on culture provides a timely answer. Grounded in the outstanding inclusiveness and peaceful nature of Chinese civilization, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes promoting common values shared by all humanity and implementing the Global Civilization Initiative; he stresses respecting the diversity of world civilizations, using cultural exchanges to transcend civilizational divides, mutual learning among civilizations to overcome civilizational conflicts, and coexistence among civilizations to transcend the notion of civilizational superiority, thus jointly addressing various global challenges. He also underscores that civilizations become richer through exchange and more vibrant through mutual learning, and calls for fostering greater cultural exchanges and mutual learning to enrich the global garden of civilizations. These important ideas, viewed from a global perspective and driven by a desire for peace, offer Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for tackling common global challenges. They play a crucial leading role in creating a new form of human civilization and in further enriching the global garden of civilizations.