Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.4, 2017

 

Special Research of National Governance of the CPC Central Committee since the 18th CPC National Congress

(Abstract)

 

Shang Qingfei, Yan Shuhan, Zhu Guanglei and Zhang Wenxian

 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, sticking to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, leads the Party, the army and people inforging ahead with determination to realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. During this process, a series of new concepts, new ideas and new strategies of national governance has been put forth, which has brought about a new situation in the great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. As the demonstration of the outstanding theoretical and practical innovation of the CPC Central Committee, they not only represent the latest achievements of our Party in constantly developing Chinese Marxism in the 21st century by correctly grasping the reality in contemporary China and the times, but also are basic principles guiding the overall work both for the Party and the nation under the new historical conditions to win new victories in the new stage. To deepen our academic research in this field, the Editorial Office of Social Sciences in China has invited some scholars to make this discussion on paper. Shang Qingfei, Professor at the Department of Philosophy and the Center for Studies of Marxist Social Theory of Nanjing University, holds that the CPC Central Committee’s new concepts, new ideas and new strategies of governance of China have formed a system with a logical structure and rich connotations. This is because they have answered the questions of historical position and epoch features of the national governance practice in China. The formulation of the doctrine “new historical features” shows that, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has learned the precious experience of the Party in this respect, and has carried it forward; and it is a continuation and significant innovation and development of the theory of primary stage of socialism under new historical conditions; and it lays a historical foundation for the practice of national governance to be carried out scientifically. Yan Shuhan, Professor at the Teaching and Research Department of Scientific Socialism of the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC points out that in the course of leading the Party and people in opening a new chapter of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has formed a profound theoretical system of governance of China, and that the principal line of it is to stick to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, which is vividly embodied in four dimensions, i.e., basic principles and Chinese characteristics; historical conclusions and people’s choices; China miracle and ideological principles; and Chinese road and Chinese contributions. The CPC Central Committee’s principal ideas of governance of China represent a significant development of Marxism in contemporary China, and also an important contribution of the CPC and the Chinese people to the progress and development of mankind. Zhu Guanglei, Professor at the Zhou Enlai School of Government of Nankai University, suggests that one important task of the CPC Central Committee led by Comrade Xi Jinping in national governance is to successfully complete the transformation of governmental functions and to advance the national governance to a new level. In this context, it has added new and distinctive connotations of the times into the concept “governance,” giving birth to the CPC Central Committee’s new ideas of governance; at the same time, it has highlighted the fundamental significance of transforming government functions in giving impetus to the improvement of the government and completing the reform of administrative system. Therefore, it is of great importance both in theory and practice. Zhang Wenxian, Member of the Leading Party’s Group and Deputy Director of China Law Society and Chief Scientist of the Collaborative Innovation Center of Judicial Civilization stresses that, in the great practice of promoting rule of law in all respects and speeding up the construction of socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics and a socialist rule of law country, Comrade Xi Jinping has creatively developed the theory of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, forming the thought of rule of law, which has distinctive features of the times and of style, and is practice-oriented. According to Zhang, Xi’s theory has laid an ideological foundation for opening and sticking to the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, and also provided a theoretical guidance for promoting the rule of law in China. Xi’s ideas of rule of law are important theoretical achievements of the sinicization of Marxist philosophy of law, and also the latest theoretical achievements of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics. It epitomizes the theoretical innovation of the Party in the rule of law, and on the basis of it, innovations in institution and practice. It serves as a good example for inheriting tradition and making innovation in theoretical development.