There are many theoretical innovations in the report of the Supreme Leader General Secretary in The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, among which three innovations about new era, new ideas and new leap are particularly significant. The new era refers to "Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era", the new thought refers to "the formation of the supreme leader’s new era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought", and the new leap refers to "the Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up, becoming rich and becoming strong". The internal logic, scientific connotation and interrelation of these three theoretical innovations have become particularly important contents in learning and understanding the spirit of the 19th Party Congress.
First, the logical chain of Socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era
Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s great assertion that he has entered a new era contains such an inherent logic: the historic achievements in the development of the cause of the Party and the people have led to historic changes in the principal contradictions in our society, and the historic changes in the principal contradictions in our society have decided that Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core has United and led the people of all ethnic groups in China to achieve historic achievements and promote historic changes, which are mainly manifested in economic construction, comprehensively deepening reform, democracy and legal system construction, ideological and cultural construction, people’s life, ecological civilization construction, strengthening the army, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan work, all-round diplomatic layout, and comprehensively and strictly administering the party. These achievements are all-round and groundbreaking, and these changes are deep-seated and fundamental, which have a significant and far-reaching impact on the development of the cause of the party and the country. China’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, national defense strength and comprehensive national strength have entered the forefront of the world, China’s international status has been upgraded as never before, and the appearance of the party, the country and the Chinese nation has undergone unprecedented changes.
Historic achievements have been made in the development of the cause of the party and the people, which have caused historic changes in the main contradictions in our society. The main contradiction in our society has been transformed into the contradiction between the people’s growing need for a better life and the unbalanced development. The main contradiction of this society, the insufficient development imbalance is the main aspect of the contradiction. The original backward production situation in China has now been fundamentally changed, and the social production capacity has entered the forefront of the world in many aspects; The people’s growing needs in economy, politics, culture, society and ecology are the secondary aspects of contradictions, and the people’s growing needs for a better life have gone beyond the scope of the original material and cultural fields and become more extensive and diverse; Insufficient unbalanced development has become the main constraint to meet the people’s growing needs for a better life.
Contradiction is the driving force for the development and change of things, and the main contradiction plays a decisive role in the development of affairs. The historical changes in the main social contradictions in China have decided that Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, which is a new historical orientation for China’s development. To continue to develop the cause of the Party and the people, we must grasp the main contradictions and main aspects of contradictions in our society in the new era, and on the basis of continuing to promote development, focus on solving the problem of insufficient development imbalance, vigorously improve the quality and efficiency of development, better meet the people’s growing needs in economic, political, cultural, social and ecological aspects, and better promote the all-round development of people and social progress.
The logical chain for Socialism with Chinese characteristics to enter a new era is: historic achievements have been made in the cause of the party and the people — — Historical changes have taken place in the major social contradictions in China — — Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. The three are linked in sequence and interlocking.
Second, the compass to win the great victory of Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era
The era is the mother of ideas, practice is the source of theory, and the new era calls for new ideas. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with the Supreme Leader as the core has made great theoretical innovations and formed the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, centering on what kind of Socialism with Chinese characteristics and how to uphold and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era is the inheritance and development of Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Theory of Three Represents and Scientific Outlook on Development, the latest achievement of Marxism in China, the crystallization of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people, an important part of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system, and an action guide for the whole party and people to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. These five scientific connotations are the basic follow-up for us to learn and understand this new idea.
The Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the New Era is an important part of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s theoretical system. In the new era, we should adhere to the "14 basic strategies" to uphold and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics. Including: upholding the Party’s leadership over all work, taking the people as the center, deepening reform in an all-round way, adhering to the new development concept, upholding the people as masters of the country, upholding the rule of law in an all-round way, upholding the socialist core value system, safeguarding and improving people’s livelihood in development, upholding the harmonious coexistence between man and nature, upholding the overall national security concept, upholding the Party’s absolute leadership over the people’s army, upholding "one country, two systems" and promoting the reunification of the motherland, persisting in promoting the building of a community of human destiny, and persisting in comprehensiveness. These theoretical analysis and general plan guidance are helpful for us to better uphold and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era of supreme leader.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era is the latest achievement of Marxism in China, and its spiritual essence contains "eight explicits". First, about flags, general tasks and strategic arrangements. To uphold and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics clearly, the overall task is to realize socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. On the basis of building a well-off society in an all-round way, we will build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful socialist modernization power in two steps in the middle of this century. Second, about the principal contradiction and fundamental purpose. It is clear that the main contradiction in our society in the new era is the contradiction between the people’s growing need for a better life and the unbalanced development. We must adhere to the people-centered development thought and constantly promote the all-round development of people and the common prosperity of all people. Third, about the overall layout, strategic layout and four self-confidences. It is clear that the overall layout of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s career is "five in one" and the strategic layout is "four comprehensive", emphasizing firm road confidence, theoretical confidence, institutional confidence and cultural confidence. Fourth, on the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform. Clear is to improve and develop the Socialism with Chinese characteristics system, and promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Fifth, on comprehensively promoting the overall goal of governing the country according to law. To be clear is to build a legal system in Socialism with Chinese characteristics and a socialist country ruled by law. Sixth, on the building of the people’s army.It is clear that the party’s goal of strengthening the army in the new era is to build a people’s army that listens to the party’s command, can win battles and has a good style of work, and build the people’s army into a world-class army. Seventh, the diplomacy of a big country with China characteristics. It is clear that it is necessary to promote the building of new international relations and the building of a community of human destiny. Eighth, on political guarantee and party building. It is clear that the most essential feature of Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s leadership, the greatest advantage of Socialism with Chinese characteristics system is the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s leadership, and the party is the highest political leadership force. It puts forward the general requirements for party building in the new era and highlights the important position of political construction in party building. Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era is the "compass" to win the great victory of Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
The above five points focus on clarifying what new ideas are, 14 strategies focus on what new ideas should adhere to, and 8 requirements answer what new ideas should be clear in the new era. These are the important contents of studying, understanding and implementing the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, and the guiding ideology for building a well-off society in an all-round way and winning the great victory of Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
Third, the trilogy to realize the historical mission of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation
Once established, the Communist Party of China (CPC) will shoulder the historical mission of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation without hesitation. Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s entry into a new era means that the Chinese nation, which has suffered a lot in modern times, has ushered in a great leap from standing up, becoming rich and becoming strong. In the struggle of nearly a hundred years, the Chinese nation has stood up, achieved prosperity and ushered in strength.
Take the first leap and stand up. To realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must overthrow the three great mountains of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism that are pressing on the people of China. Our Party United and led the people to adhere to the principle of seeking truth from facts, the mass line and independence, found the correct revolutionary road of encircling cities with rural areas and seizing political power by armed forces, completed the new-democratic revolution and established the People’s Republic of China (PRC). To realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must establish an advanced social system that conforms to China’s reality. Our Party United and led the people to complete the socialist revolution of "one modernization and three reforms", established the basic socialist system, promoted socialist construction, completed the most extensive and profound social changes in the history of the Chinese nation, and laid a fundamental political premise and institutional foundation for all development and progress in contemporary China. Through the revolution and construction from 1921 to 1978, the Chinese nation made a great leap to stand up.
The second leap, to achieve wealth. To realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must conform to the trend of the times, the wishes of the people, and be brave in reform and opening up. Our party unites and leads the people to carry out the new great revolution of reform and opening up, resolutely gets rid of all outdated ideological concepts and institutional mechanisms, constantly promotes the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, opens up the Socialism with Chinese characteristics road, adheres to the basic line of the primary stage of socialism, and puts forward the "three-step" development strategy, which solves the problem of people’s food and clothing and realizes the overall well-off life of the people. In the struggle to build a well-off society in an all-round way and build a socialist modern power in an all-round way, China’s economic, scientific and technological and national defense strength are comprehensive. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the theme of the whole theory and practice of the Party since the reform and opening-up, and it is the fundamental achievement that the Party and the people have made through untold hardships and paid a huge price. Through the reform and opening up from 1978 to 2012, the Chinese nation achieved a great leap forward in getting rich.
The third leap, ushered in strong. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, historic achievements and changes have taken place in the development of the cause of the Party and the country. It is a strategic arrangement for the development of Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era to build a well-off society in an all-round way, to basically realize modernization, and then to build a socialist modernization power in an all-round way. The strategic arrangement is actually divided into three stages. In the first stage, from 2012 to 2020, we will build a well-off society in an all-round way and achieve the goal of the first century, so that building a well-off society in an all-round way will be recognized by the people and stand the test of history. In the second stage, from 2020 to 2035, on the basis of building a well-off society in an all-round way, we will struggle for another 15 years and basically realize socialist modernization. In the third stage, from 2035 to the middle of this century, on the basis of basically realizing modernization, we will strive for another 15 years to build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful socialist modernization power and realize the goal of the second century. By then, China’s material civilization, political civilization, spiritual civilization, social civilization and ecological civilization will be improved in an all-round way, the national governance system and governance capacity will be modernized, and China will become a country with leading comprehensive national strength and international influence. From 2012 to 2049, Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era embarked on a new journey of building a socialist modern power in an all-round way according to the strategic arrangement of three stages of development, and the Chinese nation ushered in a great leap forward.
The Chinese nation has made three great leaps to stand up, get rich and get strong, which constitutes a trilogy to realize the historical mission of the party and writes a magnificent epic of swallowing mountains and rivers.
To sum up, the new era, new ideas and new leaps have systematically answered the basic questions such as where, how and where to go. The new era theory has determined the new historical orientation of China’s development, the new ideological theory is the action guide for the whole party and people to strive for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the new leap theory has planned the strategic arrangement for Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s development in the new era. On the road of seeking happiness for the people of China and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, these three new theories will show powerful and convincing truth power.
(Chen Zonghai Author: Professor, School of Marxism, Beijing Institute of Technology)