Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.12, 2013

 

Mao Zedong is the Great Founder, Explorer and Pioneer of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

(Abstract)

 

Wang Weiguang

 

During the years of the Revolutionary Wars, Mao Zedong pointed out that the future of the Chinese revolution is to go through the New Democratic revolution uninterruptedly to enter the Socialist revolution and ultimately establish socialism and communism. With the establishment of New China, Mao Zedong set up and continuously perfected the socialist economic system and the corresponding political system, leading large-scale socialist economic, political, and cultural construction, laying the foundations for the systemic premises, intellectual safeguards and material basis of the socialist system with Chinese characteristic, and creating a favorable external environment for socialist construction. During this process, Mao Zedong created a series of original theoretical achievements in Chinese socialist construction, proposing the realization of the second combination of Marxist universal truths with Chinese practice, pursuing one's own path, and exploring the socialist construction road with Chinese characteristics suited to Chinese national conditions. This was Mao Zedong’s great theoretical contribution in the history of Chinese socialist development; it provided intellectual incubation and theoretical preparation for the second historical leap in the sinicization of Marxism, and was not only the historical and logical starting point of the development of the theory, path, and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also a guiding principle for Chinese revolution, construction and reform. Mao Zendong’s explorations left behind both successful experiences and lessons from failure, both of which have laid down valuable experiences and important inspirations for the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Therefore, whether from the point of view of historical practice or theoretical logic, Ma Zedong is the great founder, explorer and pioneer of the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.