Basics of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics (Qin Xuan, Xu Hongzhi)
More languages
More actions
Basics of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics | |
---|---|
Author | Qin Xuan, Xu Hongzhi |
Translated by | Yang Xu from Chinese |
Publisher | Canut International Publishers |
First published | 2018-01-15 |
Type | Book |
Source | https://archive.org/details/basics-of-the-theoretical-system-of-socialism-with-chinese-characteristics |
Acknowledgements
The book we present is written by the most prominent researchers of Marxism in China, and reviewed by Qin Xuan and Xu Zhihong the two se- nior scholars of Renmin University. In 14 chapters they have demonstrated the most important component parts of the CPC’s socialism building con- cept in the Chinese particlarity, which is a meta-system theory, with inter- related sub-theories. At the time when Deng Xiaoping proposed this new concept which emphasized Chinese particularity, he has added new mean- ings to it, when compared with Mao Zedong’s understanding of applying Marxism to Chinese conditions: he strived to thoroughly revise the preva- lent concepts of socialism building and open a new chapter in the history of socialist movement in regards, how to define and build socialism in China. It was a tremendously hard task, when the trials in the eastern European countries were still in development and exploration, especially when the Soviet model of socialism building established by Stalin was deemed as the only universally applicable one, except the Yugoslavian model. The CPC when choosing this term has given a clear signal that each socialist or com- munist party should better determine its own path in building socialism, and external interference wouldn’t be favorable.
The meta-theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics has been grad-
ually improved with the development of social practice and times, and is
still in development, but its essence and ultimate goal remain the same. It
has made great breakthroughs in the cognition of socialism and socialism
building and in the aspect of how socialism relates with capitalism and how
it step by step dialectically sublates it.
This academically processed but easily readable book will give the read-
er a comprehensive understanding of this theory and enable them to com-
pare the previous cognition of socialism and socialism building with the
current one.
Editor's Note
In 2007, the 17" National Congress of the Communist Party of China has made clear that our party will persist in following the important stra- i tegic thought of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the i ‘Three Represents’ and the Scientific Concept of Development which was formed by theoretical and practical innovation, generally referred to as the “Theoretical System of Chinese Socialism” and stressed: the report stated: “In contemporary China, to stay true to Marxism means to adhere [| to the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Since = the 17" National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the | CPC Central Committee has done a scientific deployment of how to cul- tivate the builders and successors who will hold high the cause of social- ism with Chinese characteristics and on how to use theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, to educate the leaders of the youth across the country. The high-level Office for The Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project pays meticulous and consistent efforts to prepare all kinds of cognitive learning materials, which will reflect and expound on the brand new academic achievements attained in the study of Chinese Marxism. Among them, the textbook “Mao Zedong Thought and The Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,” has been a unique work which has been highly praised by readers from all walks of people, promising young people including college students. By courtesy of the ministry of education, colleges and universities across the country have made great contributions and achievements in transform- ing the rich contents of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics into teaching materials, a part of which can be utilized in schools. This book—The Basics of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics—we present to readers was prepared by the most prominent scholars of the subject from the Marxism School of the Renmin University of China especially designed for college students. Throughout the writing and editing of this book, we have both enjoyed the advantage of certain comprehension basis, and a certain degree of difficulty, certain com- prehension basis as an advantage, firstly because we had already edited the “Introduction to Deng Xiaoping Theory”, “Introduction to the Important Thought of Three Represents”, since their publication in 2003, the titles were re-published for dozens of times, and the aggregate print of them has nearly reached 3 million, most of which have reached the readers. Secondly, the writers of this textbook are all in the front line of teaching and research, they have a certain degree of research accretion on the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and have abundant teaching experi- ence on the subject. Thirdly, the academic community has made abundant research on “Deng Xiaoping Theory”, and on the “Important Thought of Three Represents” and also on “The Scientific Concept of Development” and other major strategic thoughts, which are component parts of the theo- retical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and have produced numerous precious research results. These above favorable conditions have laid a virtuous foundation in the writing and editing of this book.
We have faced a certain degree of difficulty, firstly because the theoreti-
cal system of socialism with Chinese characteristics still encounters enrich-
ment and perfection. The academic circles have different understandings of
its theme, its historical starting point, main content and the logical structure
of this theoretical system. There still exist differences in the understanding
and interpretation of many major issues regarding it. Secondly, we have
encountered a considerable difficulties, as in the following, how to break
through the previous framework of Deng Xiaoping Theory and unify the
three strategic thoughts of —Deng Xiaoping Theory, Important Thought of
Three Represents, and The Scientific Concept of Development—and inte-
grate them into one and same book, because all the three not only represent
major theoretical achievements having their own unique characteristics,
but also have succession and development relations among them, besides
they follow the same strain and have included successive times character-
istics. Thirdly, since the 17 National Congress of the CPC, our party’s
understanding on the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese charac-
teristics was further deepened, and many new propositions have been put
forward. As Comrade Hu Jintao in his speech at the commemoration of the
90" anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, has put
forward and summarized a new conception of “the socialist system with
Chinese characteristics”, also the 6" Plenary Session of the 17" Central
Committee of the CPC put forward the proposition of “the path of socialist
cultural development with Chinese characteristics.” Regarding these new propositions, the academic community also lacks in-depth research, our un-
derstanding is not accurate, yet, which is also a major problem encountered
in the preparation of teaching materials. The textbook is the crystallization
of collective wisdom, including the designing of its outline, the final draft
to be published has been the result of collective deliberation.Scholars from
the School of Marxism ‘attached to Renmin University of China who have
contributed to this book include Prof. Xu Zhihong (edited Chapter II and
V), Prof. Qin Xuan (Chapter I and VID), Prof. Yang Fengcheng (Chapter XI
and XIV), Prof. Huang Jifeng (Chapter II and [X), Prof. Wang Xiangming
(Chapter VIII and X), Prof. Qi Pengfei (Chapter XII and XIII), Prof. Zhang
Xin (Chapter IV, and VI).
The book was finally reviewed. by Professor Xu Zhihong and Professor
Qin Xuan. We are grateful to Prof. He Yaomin, the President of the Renmin
University Press, and Prof. Zhou Weihua, the editor-in-chief of the Renmin
University Press, who have paid great attention to the to the compilation
and publication, and to Guo Xiaoming, the head of the public administra-
tion department, who has paid a lot of hard work for this book. Our starting
point and innermost desire has been preparing a comprehensive and ac-
curate book that will comprehensively and accurately reflect the theoreti-
cal system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Objectively speaking,
such a complex work can never be perfect, cannot avoid certain shortcom-
ings and deficiencies. We sincerely welcome criticism, from all quarters,
including all aspects, so that we can make it more perfect in future editions.
Formation and Development of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics
Social and historical conditions behind the formation of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics
First, the historical basis: evaluating the positive and negative aspects of socialist construction experiences
The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is formed and developed on the basis of the Party’s summarizing and absorb- ing the historical experience of our socialist development and drawing les- sons from other socialist countries. Since the beginning of the new period, our Party has attached great importance to the summary of historical expe- rience. In the 3 Plenary Session of the 11% CPC Central Committee, the Party seriously summed up the positive and negative experiences, drew lessons from the “Cultural Revolution”, restored the ideological line of Marxism, and resolutely made the major historical choice of transferring the work center of the Party and the state to the economic construction and carrying out the reform and opening up. The 6" Plenary Session of the 11" CPC Central Committee adopted The Resolution on Some Historical Issues of the Party Since the Founding of the PRC through which the Party conscientiously cleared up major historical rights and wrongs and adhered to and inherited all the positive achievements made by our Party in the practice of the long-term socialist construction, marking the completion of the Party’s bringing order out of chaos in the ideological line, political line and organizational line. In the process of reform and opening up and modernization construction, our Party earnestly draws lessons from other
countries, especially the Soviet union, eastern Europe and other socialist countries, which provides an important reference for the better develop- ment of the socialism with Chinese characteristics. As Deng Xiaoping said: if there was no profound summarization of historical experience and les- sons, “It would be impossible to formulate the ideological line, the basic line, politics, organizational lines and a series of policies we have estab- lished since the 3 Plenary Session of the 11% CPC Central Committee.”'
It can be said that the development and expansion of the socialist path with -
Chinese characteristics and the formation and development of the theoreti-
cal system of socialism with Chinese characteristics are inseparable from
our Party’s adeptness and efforts in summing up and absorbing the positive
and negative experiences.
Second, the basis of establishment: Basic national conditions of China in the primary stage of socialism
Accurately grasping the basic national conditions of the primary stage of socialism in China is the fundamental starting point for our Party to promote the theoretical innovation and formulate the correct line, guideline and policy. In the 13 CPC National Congress, the Party expounded the is- sue of the primary stage of socialism in a systematic way and emphasized the need to fully understand the long-term, arduous and complex nature of the socialist construction and to constantly enhance the consciousness of starting from the reality that China is in the primary stage of socialism. This issue was reiterated in the 14", 15" and 16 CPC National Congress which stressed that we should not proceed from the subjective wishes, from the various foreign modes, but from the biggest reality that China is in the primary stage of socialism in doing things, making decisions and thinking about issues.
It was further emphasized in the 17" CPC National Congress that the
basic national conditions of our country that it is still in the primary stage
of socialism and the principal contradiction between the increasing mate-
rial and cultural needs of the people and the backward social production
remain unchanged. We shall recognize this basic national condition, grasp
the phase characteristics of the century and new phase, and take it as the
fundamental basis of advancing the reform and planning the development.
It can be said that during the reform and opening up for more than 30 years,
our Party’s theory, line, guideline and policy are correct and play a huge
role in promoting the social development and progress in practice because
they are based on the realities of the primary stage of socialism and on the
sober understanding and accurate grasp of the basic national conditions and
stage characteristics of this primary stage.
Third, the realistic basis: the party leadership sets things right and starts the vivid practice of opening-up and modernization
Reform and opening up is the main theme of contemporary China, the only way to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and also the important foundation for the development of the theoretical system of so- cialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the reform and opening up for more than 30 years, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese char- acteristics has deepened and enriched with the deepening practice. From the rural reform to urban reform, from the economic system reform to various system reforms, from the establishment of the special economic zone and the opening of the coastal cities to the opening of the inland border cities, the cities along the river and the provincial capitals, from the proposal of the planned commodity economy to the establishment of the socialist market economy, from grasping the two links of material civilization and spiritual civilization to comprehensively promoting the modernization construction in accordance with the “Four-in-one” overall layout, and from strengthen- ing and improving the Party’s leadership to comprehensively promoting the new great project of the Party’s construction, our Party has continuously studied and resolved the new contradictions and problems in advancement and vested the new connotations of the age and practical requirements in the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It can be said that whenever the reform and opening up advances by one step, our Party’s understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics can be deepened and the enrichment and development of this theoretical system can be pro- moted. The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is vigorous because it is the scientific theory rooted in the great practice of the reform and opening up.
Fourth, the source of power was the rich and creative experience of the people
Insisting on summarizing experience and absorbing wisdom from the vivid practice of the people is an important way to develop the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Deng Xiaoping said that many things in the reform and opening up were put forward by the masses in practice and embodied the wisdom of the masses. Jiang Zemin said that a good solution does not fall from heaven nor is it inherent in our minds, in the final analysis correct theories come from the people’s practice of creat- ing history. Hu Jintao pointed out: “Respecting the people’s practice and drawing ideological nutrition from the people’s great creation and elevating it to a theoretical form are the inexhaustible sources of our party’s theoreti- cal innovation.”
Much of the experience in reform and innovation during the past more Section II than 30 years of reform and opening up has come from the grassroots level and the masses of people. Our Party has always been adhering to the Marxist ideological line “from the masses, to the masses”, enthusiastically support- ing, encouraging, protecting and guiding the great creation of the people, : and profoundly summing up the practical experience of the people, from : First, the preliminary exploration of the path of socialism with which the laws of the socialist modernization construction can be mastered : Chinese characteristics by the CPC
and the Marxist theoretical innovation can be constantly promoted. It can be said that the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is formed and developed due to our party’s effort to closely rely on the people, widely mobilize the people’s enthusiasm, initiative and creativity and gather strength and wisdom from the people.
Fifth, the background: the profound changes in the international situation and the new trends in world development China has experienced a long process of exploration, choice and struggle before embarking on the socialist path
Since the 1970s, great changes have taken place in the whole world, and the intensity and profundity of these changes is far beyond the expectation. The most significant change is that peace and development have become the theme of the times, the trend of world multi-polarization and economic globalization has developed in an accelerating way, and the competition in the comprehensive national strength is becoming increasingly fierce. In particular, the new science and technology revolution and the following wide applications of the great science and technology discoveries and inventions have promoted the unprecedented profound changes in production mode, way of life and economic society all over the world and also unprecedented major changes in the global economic pattern, interest pattern and security pattern. In the face of such profound and major changes our Party should constantly emancipate the mind and vigorously promote theoretical innovation and then the new development of the cause so as to better solve the new issues and meet the new challenges raised by the times and usher in new situations for the development of the party and the people. It can be said that the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, including Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents”, the scientific outlook on development and other ma- jor strategic thoughts, is formed and developed on the basis of our Party’s effort to follow the world development trend, draw on the experience and lessons from the ups and downs of other countries and critically absorb all the civilization achievements created by human society.
Stages in the development of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics
First, the preliminary exploration of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics by the CPC
It is pointed out in the 17 CPC National Congress that the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the scientific theoreti- cal system that includes Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents”, the scientific outlook on development and other major strategic thoughts.
China has experienced a long process of exploration, choice and struggle before embarking on the socialist path. Since modern times, the Chinese nation has faced two historical tasks: one is to seek the national independence and people’s liberation; the other is to realize the national prosperity and mighty and people’s affluence. After the opium war, China was reduced to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country. In order to save the nation from peril, the Chinese people made a long-term exploration and strenuous struggle, including the Westernization Movement, the Hundred Days’ Reform, Taiping Rebellion led by Hong Xiuquan, the Boxer Rebellion and the Revolution of 1911 led by Sun Yat-sen, which all ended in failure. And the social nature of China as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society and the people’s miserable fate remain unchanged, for which a fundamental reason is that no scientific theoretical guidance is provided. The advanced Chinese have tried various ideological weapons in order to seek the way of saving the country and their people. After making the fierce struggle and difficult choices, Marxism gradually took root in Chinese society because of its popularity among the progressive youth and even the Chinese people. It is the history that has chosen Marxism and it is Marxism that has profoundly changed the fate of China. Mao Zedong points out that the Chinese people have turned from the passive status into the active status and created a new outlook of Chinese revolution since the introduction of Marxism-Leninism. Thanks to the guidance of Marxism, the repeated com- parison and profound thinking, and especially the influence of the Russian “October Revolution”, the advanced Chinese have made a clear choice of the scientific socialist path. The founding of the Communist Party of China in 1921 ushered in a new era of the Chinese revolution. At the begin- ning of the founding, our Party made it clear that the ultimate direction of the democratic revolution led by it is socialism. Under the leadership of the Party and Mao Zedong, our Party founded Mao Zedong Thought and Opened up a revolution path that was in line with the realities in China by combining the Marxism-Leninism and China’s realities and overcoming the erroneous tendency to dogmatize Marxism and sanctify the resolutions of the Communist International and the experience of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union that enjoyed great popularity at one time. After 28 years of arduous struggle, the Communist Party of China overthrew the three big mountains (imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism), won the New Democratic Revolution, and founded the New China, which indicated the realization of the national independence and people’s liberation that several generations of Chinese dreamed about since the modern times and the completion of the first historical task of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
During the 28 years between the founding of the New China and the end
of the “Cultural Revolution”, the Party’s first collective leadership, with
Mao Zedong as the core, led the whole party and people of all ethnic groups
throughout the country to rapidly heal the trauma of the war and restore
the national economy, and then to propose the general line in the transition
period, carry out the socialist transformation, and establish the basic sys-
tem of socialism without losing any time, resulting in the realization of the
most profound and greatest social transformation in China. However, how
to build socialism is a brand new exploration for our Party. Mao Zedong
said at that time that we should realize “the second combination” of the
basic principle of Marxism-Leninism and the concrete realities of China,
and find out the correct way of socialist construction in China. Some impor-
tant ideas on the socialist construction in China, concerning the economy,
politics, culture, national defense, diplomacy and other aspects, were put
forward in Mao Zedong’s Zen Major Relationships, Issues on Correctly
Handling the Contradictions among the People and other works, and the
documents of the 8 CPC National Congress, which marked the beginning
of our Party to independently explore the socialist construction path suit-
able for our country’s national conditions. Under the leadership of the Party
and Mao Zedong, China has gradually established an independent, rela-
tively complete industrial system and national economic system, and accu-
mulated important experience in socialist construction. As a new subject in
the Marxism and socialism development history, the socialist construction
in such a backward eastern country in China was doomed to experience
errors and setbacks, given the lack of regular understanding on how to com-
bine the socialist path with the national conditions and the influence of the
complex international environment at that time. These errors and setback
have left deep historical experience and lessons and China paid a huge price
for them.
Our Party’s victory in the revolution and exploration of the socialist construction path in China under Mao Zedong’s leadership provided the fundamental political premise and institutional foundation for all the devel- opment and progress in contemporary China, and exerted a profound influ- ence on the opening up and emergence of the socialist path with Chinese characteristics. As indicated in the 17" CPC National Congress, we must always bear in mind that the great cause of reform and opening up is based on the valuable experience of the Party’s first collective leadership with Mao Zedong as the core in leading the whole Party and people of all eth- nic groups throughout the country to build the New China, make the great achievements in the socialist revolution and construction and explore the laws of socialist construction.
Second, The initial formation of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics
When the “Cultural Revolution” came to an end in 1976, what stood in front of our Party was the China with many things waiting to be done and an urgent problem about whether China continued adhering to the wrong line in the “Cultural Revolution” period or opened up a new path reflecting the trend of the times and the China’s conditions by getting rid of the “left- ist” ideological shackles. The 3 Plenary Session of the 11% CPC Central Committee held at the end of 1978 re-established the Party’s ideological line, political line and organization line, which brought order out of chaos in the guiding ideology and initiated a new exploration of socialist con- struction. It is in this session when the Party’s second central collective leadership with Deng Xiaoping as the core was formed, which marked the entry of our country into the new period of socialist modernization con- struction. In the new historical period, Deng Xiaoping was keenly aware that the Marxism we adhere to is the science and truth and that the social- ist system established in our country is a good system, but the question is: what is Marxism, how can we uphold Marxism what is socialism and how can we build socialism, of which our understanding was not completely clear enough in the past. Our experience is rich enough, but what matters most is to clarify this question. Hence, at the beginning of the new period, our party insisted on combining Marxism with China’s realities, and car- ried out the in-depth theoretical exploration on how to build socialism in economically and culturally backward countries like China, marking the initiation of the new course of localized Marxism in China. In September 1982, Deng Xiaoping made it clear in the opening speech of the 12% CPC National Congress that “we should take our own path and build socialism with Chinese characteristics”. The proposition of this important conclusion _ Points out the direction of our Party’s theoretical and practical exploration _ In the new period.
From 1978 to 1992, our Party, under Deng Xiaoping’s leadership, com- bined the basic principles of Marxism with the specific realities of China and the features of the times, put forward a series of creative ideas, and initially formed the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese charac- teristics. Deng Xiaoping, based on the new changes of the world situation,
clearly argued that “peace and development are two major problems of the .
contemporary world”, and that it was one of the three tasks in the new pe-
riod to oppose hegemonism and safeguard world peace; he also emphasized -
that we must insist on the basic line that takes the economic construction as
the center and upholds the Four Cardinal Principles and reform and opening
up, and establish the modernized socialist country of prosperity, democ-
racy and civilization by “three steps”, given China’s national condition that
China is and will be in the primary stage of socialism in the long run when
the essential task is to develop the productivity; he also underscored that
science and technology are the primary productive force and their modern-
ization is the key to realizing the modernization of China, considering their
new development situation in the world; that we should develop the social-
ist democracy and construct the socialist legal system because there would
be no socialism nor the socialist modernization if no democracy exists, and
that we should grasp both the material and spiritual civilization with equal
importance attached to each because the good development of the two is
the real socialism with Chinese characteristics, since the socialism is the
requirement of the society with an all-around development; that the social-
ism can also adopt the market economy since both the plan and the market
are the means rather than the essential difference between socialism and
capitalism, according to the development law of the world economy and
China’s realities; that we should construct a modern, strong and regular-
ized revolutionary army and unswervingly take the path of fewer but bet-
ter troops with Chinese characteristics, given the new requirements of the
world military reform; that we should combine the Marxist theory of the
state with the concrete realities of China, and propose solving the problems
of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in accordance with the concept of “One
Country, Two Systems”; that the key to China’s problems is the Party and
we should thus concentrate on Party’s construction and make our Party a
Marxist one with fighting capacity and a strong core that leads the whole
nation in constructing the socialist modernization, according to the change
of the Party’s historical orientation.
In the 13 CPC National Congress held in 1987, the theory of the primary
stage of socialism was expounded in a systematic way, the Party’s basic line
in this stage was proposed, the modernization goal of “being prosperous,
democratic and civilized” was established, and the development strategy
of realizing the modernization by three steps until the middle of the 21*
century was formulated. It was clearly indicated in this congress that the
combination of Marxism with China’s practice experienced two great leaps.
The first one occurred in the period of the new democratic revolution when
the Chinese communists finally found the revolutionary path with Chinese
characteristics and led the revolution to victory due to the repeatedly ex-
ploration and the summary of experience in the successes and failures. The
second one occurred when the Chinese communists began to find a way to
build socialism with Chinese characteristics after the 3°? Plenary Session
of the 11% CPC Central Committee by summing up the positive and nega-
tive experience during the past more than 30 years since the founding of
China and studying the international experience and world situation, which
opened up a new stage of socialist construction. In the report of the 13°
CPC National Congress, the new theoretical ideas proposed by our Party
in the process of paving the socialist path with Chinese characteristics are
reduced into 12 articles which constitute the outline and mark the initial for-
mation of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Deng Xiaoping made a southern speech in 1992 in which he summed up a series of major issues concerning the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and proposed that the basic line should be kept for a hundred years, the criteria for judging all aspects of work should be “Three Favorables”, and that the essence of socialism is to liberate and develop the productive forces, eliminate exploitation and polarization between the rich and poor, and finally achieve the common prosperity. This speech boosted the ideological emancipation of the whole Party and Chinese people and ad- vanced the cause of reform and opening up. In 1992, the 14" CPC National Congress made a summary of the new idea of the theoretical innovations of our Party during the period when Deng Xiaoping reigned, which was called “Deng Xiaoping’s theory of building socialism with Chinese characteris- tics”. In 1997, the 15" CPC National Congress made a further summary and discussion on it and named it “Deng Xiaoping Theory”, which was included into the Party Constitution as the guiding ideology.
Third, the further development of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics
Socialism encountered unprecedented sharp challenges in the world after the 13" CPC National Congress: the drastic changes in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. These events that shocked the world are the most serious and profound cri- ses when socialism turned from the theory into practice. The same situation happened domestically in the course of reform and development: political turmoil occurred; the economy was overheated and had to be improved and rectified; in terms of the system reform, no significant breakthrough Was made in state-owned enterprises, and a dual system existed for a long Socialism encountered unprecedented sharp challenges in the world after the 13" CPC National Congress: the drastic changes in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. These events that shocked the world are the most serious and profound cri- ses when socialism turned from the theory into practice. The same situation happened domestically in the course of reform and development: political turmoil occurred; the economy was overheated and had to be improved and rectified; in terms of the system reform, no significant breakthrough Was made in state-owned enterprises, and a dual system existed for a long
time with serious contradictions and loopholes due to the lagging reform in the state tax system, financial system and price system. The whole situa- tion was rather grim. In June 1989, the 4% Plenary Session of the 13" CPC Central Committee elected Jiang Zemin as the General Secretary of the Central Committee, and formed the third CPC collective leadership with
Jiang Zemin as the core. However, it became quite urgent for this new lead- .
ership to figure out how to continue promoting the socialist cause with
Chinese characteristics according to the new changes of the world, China.
and the Communist Party.
After the 4" Plenary Session of the 13% CPC Central Committee, the
Communist Party of China with Jiang Zemin as the main representative con-
tinued promoting the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics
by putting forward a series of new ideas and new statements, and enriched
and developed the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteris-
tics. Confronted with the austere political situation at home and abroad and
the arduous task of the reform and development in the late 1980s and early
1990s, this new leadership stressed clearly that the lines and basic policies
formulated since the 3" Plenary Session of the 11 CPC Central Committee
should be maintained steadfastly and implemented comprehensively. Jiang
Zemin pointed out that building socialism with Chinese characteristics was
“a major project”, of which the basic ideas and principles have been es-
tablished by Deng Xiaoping, and our task was to continue implementing
this project in a good way. In this process, Jiang Zemin also proposed a
series of innovative ideas, which are mainly manifested in the following
7 aspects. Firstly, he argued that the goal of economic system reform was
to establish the socialist market economy system and that the combination
of socialism with market economy was a great innovation, according to
Deng Xiaoping’s important view that “socialism can also adopt the mar-
ket economy”. Secondly, the basic economic system that public ownership
plays the leading role and diverse forms of ownership develop side by side,
the distribution system with distribution according to work being the main
form and the multiple ways of distribution co-existing, and the basic po-
litical system should be adhered to and improved, according to the basic
principles of Marxism and the national conditions of China in the primary
stage of socialism. Thirdly, he, combining the issue of development with
the nature and power-exercising philosophy of our Party, made it clear that
development was the first task of our Party in governing and rejuvenating
the country, and that the advanced nature of our Party and the superior-
ity of the socialist system should be put into practice to develop advanced
productive forces, advanced culture, to realize the fundamental interests
of the majority of the people, and to promote the all-round social progress
and human development. Fourthly, the strategy of rejuvenating the country
through science and education, the strategy of sustainable development, and the opening-up strategy that combines “bringing in” with “going out” should be vigorously implemented, the new path of industrialization should be taken, and the rational layout and coordinated development of regional economy should be promoted. Fifthly, he stressed that according to the de- velopment and changes’ of the situation at home and abroad at the turn of the century, our Party should strengthen its construction under the new his- torical conditions, insist on examining itself according to the requirement of the times, improve itself at the spirit of reform, earnestly work out the two major historical problems of how to improve the Party’s leadership and governance capability and its ability to resist corruption and risk, compre- hensively promote the Party construction—-a new great project—so as to make it the Marxist political party that is utterly consolidated ideologically, politically, and organizationally, always ahead of the times, and can with- stand all kinds of risks and lead the whole nation in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Sixthly, the national defense and army construction should be strengthened and the military reform with Chinese characteristics should be advanced in addition to the main tasks of developing the market economy and keeping the Party’s advanced nature, according to the new situation of the army and national defense construction in the new period. At last, the world multi-polarization and democratization of international relations should be boosted according to the new world situation after the cold war.
This new collective leadership with Jiang Zemin as the core adhered to
the reform and opening up, kept pace with the times, led the whole Party
and the people of all ethnic groups in the whole country through the po-
litical storm, economic risks and other ordeals at home and abroad, and
founded the important thought of “Three Represents” on the basis of a pro-
found and accurate understanding of the situation changes of the world,
China, and the Party. This important thought is a significant part of the
theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the 16%
CPC National Congress in 2002, the Party summed up the basic experience
of our Party in leading people to build socialism with Chinese characteris-
tics since reform and opening up, especially the 4 Plenary Session of the
13" Central Committee, expounded the fundamental requirements of the
important thought of “Three Represents”, explicitly proposed the Party’s
goal and guidelines and policies in various aspects in the first 20 years of
the new century, and made a comprehensive deployment of the socialist
economy, politics, culture, and Party building with Chinese characteristics,
and other work. It is in this congress when the important thought of “Three
Represents” was established along with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong
Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory as the guiding ideology that our Party must adhere to for a long time, another time when our Party’s guiding ideology advanced with the times.
Fourth, opening of the new realm in the development of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics
Since the 16 CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with _ Hu Jintao as its General Secretary, guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory and
the important thought of “Three Represents”, followed the development
and changes of the situation at home and abroad, carried forward the spirit
of seeking truth and forging ahead, continued promoting the theoretical and
practical innovation, and proposed a series of important theoretical ideas,
strategic thoughts and work arrangement and formed the newest achieve-
ments of the socialist theoretical system with Chinese characteristics in the
course of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.
In the new stage of the new century, our Party, starting from the history
and the times, the basic national conditions of China at the primary stage,
the stage characteristics and practice of China’s development, the world
development trend, the development experience of foreign countries, and
the new development requirements, puts forward a series of ideas, such as
being people-oriented, realizing the comprehensive, coordinated and sus-
tainable development, building the harmonious socialist society, the new
socialist countryside, the innovation-driven country, the socialist core val-
ues system, and the socialist concept of honor and disgrace, and boosting
the construction of a harmonious world, which together answered such ba-
sic questions as what socialism is and how to build it. Facing the opportuni-
ties and challenges in the 21* century, our Party has made it clear that the
construction of its advanced nature is the essence of the Marxist party to
survive, develop and expand. As a result, the Party’s governing capacity
and advanced nature construction should be taken as the main line of the
Party’s construction, the great new project that should be comprehensively
promoted at the spirit of the reform and innovation, so as to make the Party
always the arduous, honest, clean, energetic, united and harmonious ruling
party of Marxism built for the public and exercising state power for the
people, and seeking truth and being pragmatic. Centering on this goal, the
CPC Central Committee has put forward a series of important new ideas on
strengthening and improving the Party’s construction in the new stage of
the new century. Centering on the central issue of development, our Party
has made a creative exploration of what development is, why and how to
develop, for whom the development is, on whom the development depends,
who is to share the development achievements and other major issues, and
emphasized the correct understanding and proper treatment of the major
relations related to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, so
as to strive for scientific, harmonious and peaceful development. In the
17* CPC National Congress, the historical status and background, scientific connotation, spiritual essence and fundamental requirements of the scien- tific outlook on development were profoundly elaborated and taken as an important guideline for China’s economic and social development and a major strategic thought that has to be adhered to and carried out for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Since the founding of the New China, especially the reform and opening
up, our Party’s theories and practices have been centering on the theme of
socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is during the process of the re-
form and opening up when the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese
characteristics was formed and developed. Deng Xiaoping Theory, “Three
Represents” and the scientific outlook on development, formed in different
periods, focused on exploring and answering the new contradictions and
new problems encountered at different periods and different stages, and
made their unique contributions to both theoretical innovation and theoreti-
cal development. They are interconnected and progressive layer by layer,
reflecting the inherent consistency of the scientific system, stage achieve-
ments and developmental requirements of our Party’s theoretical innova-
tion achievements since the new period. They were summarized as “the
theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics” in the 17%
CPC National Congress, which marks the further maturity of the theory
and practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
In 2011, when commemorating the 90" anniversary of the founding of
the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao further pointed out: “We have
embarked on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, formed
a system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics and estab-
lished a socialist system with Chinese characteristics. These achievements
made over 90 years of endeavors, innovation, and enrichment, should be
valued, upheld on a long-term basis and continuously built upon by our
Party and people.” In this speech Comrade Hu Jintao, for the first time
used the term of theoretical socialist system with Chinese characteristics”
into the overall! framework of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which
has further deepened our Party ‘s understanding of Socialism with Chinese
Characteristics.’
In 1990, when commemorating the 90" anniversary of the founding of
the Communist Party of China, Hu Jintao further pointed out: “We have
embarked on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, formed
a system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics and estab-
lished a socialist system with Chinese characteristics. These achievements
made over 90 years of endeavors, innovation, and enrichment, should be
3 See Hu Jintao, “Speech at the 90" Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese Communist Party”, Beijing, People's Publishing House, 2011.
valued, upheld on a long-term basis and continuously built upon by our Party and people.” In this speech Comrade Hu Jintao, for the first time used the term of “theoretical socialist system with Chinese characteristics” into the overall framework of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which has further deepened our Party ‘s understanding of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.