19th CPC National Congress Perspectives
Themed the Two Centenary Goals (L) and “Innovation, Coordination, Green, Openness and Sharing,” the five major development concepts of China (R), the flower exhibits have been installed in Beijing until the end of October to greet the 19th CPC National Congress.
World governance anticipates Chinese solutions
The 19th CPC National Congress has opened in Beijing. The congress will be a landmark event at which China will respond to global issues while demonstrating its influence on and contribution to the world. On this auspicious occasion, the concept of a community of common destiny is the clear answer that CPC members and the Chinese nation have put forth on matters of world governance and the construction of a new global order.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Central Committee of the Party, with President Xi Jinping as the core, has been leading the people of all ethnic groups toward the goal of building a moderately prosperous society and the Two Centenary Goals: to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the Party celebrates its centenary in 2021 and to turn China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the time the People’s Republic of China celebrates its centenary in 2049.
At the same time, the balanced economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress and the coordinated implementation of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy—to achieve the strategic goals of comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, governing the country on the basis of the rule of law and enforcing strict Party discipline—have been promoted under the leadership of President Xi.
In the past five years, we have remained true to our mission and kept confident in the path we have chosen, the theory we have created, the system we have established and the culture we believe in. In this context, the world is calling for a Chinese voice and anticipating Chinese solutions on issues of world governance.
Liang Xiaobo, professor from the School of Humanities and Sciences at the National University of Defense Technology
Great theory still required for national governance
As President Xi Jinping has reiterated, the Communist Party of China places a high premium on the role of theory, stressing that theory and practice must come together as a unified system. This is the valuable experience gained from the past. Blending basic laws of Marxism with Chinese reality, the Party has formed a set of ideologies that has guided generations of its members toward success. In the New Era, great theory is still required to advance our cause and realize the Chinese Dream.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important speeches on the development and stability of reform, domestic and foreign affairs, national defense as well as Party building. Motivating the Party to continue strengthening people-oriented values, his speeches have crystallized into a series of new ideas and strategies for national governance, further expanding on the Party’s governing law: the law of socialist construction and human social development.
Chen Jing’an, deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences
Education in Marxist theory to be strengthened
Facing new situations, problems and practices, we need to be flexible and capable of adapting to the rapidly changing social reality. Meanwhile, education in Marxist theory should be strengthened. Concretely speaking, there are six noteworthy points. First of all, we need to continue to learn basic Marxist theory and understand it in a systematic way while resisting doctrinaire thinking and revisionism and equipping our minds with scientific theories. Second, the country should cultivate and fulfill the core socialist values. Third, we need to stay vigilant against various erroneous schools of thought, especially historical nihilism and populism. Fourth, the Party should guide the transmission of New Media values and give full play to their positive role. Fifth, the Party must continue to combat corruption and make it an institutional task. Sixth, the Party should make full use of the advantages of the socialist system to resolve the contradiction of development while highlighting the fairness and justice of the system.
Zhang Youkui, deputy dean of the School of Marxism at Xiamen University
Reinvigorating philosophy, social sciences
Philosophy and social sciences are important indicators of a country’s national strength and international competitiveness. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, a country’s development depends not only on natural sciences but also on philosophy and social sciences. The 19th CPC National Congress means that socialism with Chinese characteristics will enter into a new phase, which will give impetus to Chinese philosophy and social sciences. And based on systematic understanding, top-level design, development planning, the program implementation of philosophy and social sciences should be guided by the Party’s latest studies.
Chen Yugang, professor from the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University
Advent of the ‘new normal’
The Chinese economy has entered the phase of the “new normal.” This is a judgment based on the more than three decades that have passed since the reform and opening up. It is a determination that was made by precisely grasping Chinese conditions and future economic trends.
Under the guidance of the theoretical framework of the economic “new normal,” the Chinese economy has been forging ahead during the past five years with a moderately high growth rate, improving growth quality and optimizing economic structure. People’s incomes have generally grown in sync with the economy and China’s economy has accounted for more than 30 percent of global economic growth. To properly adapt to the “new normal,” China has also reformed its economy through a series of experiments. China’s supply-side structural reform has involved a series of measures, including cutting overcapacity, de-stocking excess inventory, deleveraging, reducing costs and strengthening weak areas. The government is expanding these reforms and they have played a crucial role in improving supply quality, optimizing the economic structure and fostering new growth drivers. In the context of economic globalization, China is climbing to the moderately high end of the global industrial and value chain. By promoting international cooperation capacity and encouraging the enterprises’ combined use of “going global” and “bringing in” strategy, China has won an advantageous position in the international division of labor. In addition, the “Belt and Road” initiative is contributing to an open world economy by building an open economic system as well as fostering international and domestic connectivity.
Xu Hongcai, deputy general economist from the China Center for International Economic Exchanges
Public cultural life benefits all
Culture is a nation’s soul. Socialist cultural development and cultural confidence are issues that pertain to China’s modernization, the realization of the Two Centenary Goals and the Chinese Dream, as well as its new interactive mode and status in the global pattern.
The Party and the government have placed great emphasis on culture’s integrated development with other sectors. They encourage the close relations between cultural development and the internet era, the intelligence era and social governance. In recent years, the cultural industry of China and its public cultural service sector has made substantial progress, providing a richer, higher-quality public cultural life that benefits all members of society. The socialist core values have been extensively spread and internalized in each field of national and social life at different levels. The refined legacy of traditional Chinese culture has been passed down and developed in the folk areas and education fields. The cultural foundations that serve the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics have been considerably consolidated.
In the future, the development of high-quality public cultural life will still be an important target.
Zhou Xiaomei, director of the Institute of Marxism at the Jilin Academy of Social Sciences
Telling good stories of traditional Chinese medicine
President Xi Jinping’s series of speeches about traditional Chinese medicine not only illuminates the future direction for the discipline but also strengthens the cultural confidence in the discipline.
Confidence in traditional Chinese medicine stems from the profundity of refined traditional Chinese culture. Embodying deep philosophical wisdom, traditional Chinese medicine reflects the core values, concepts and thinking mode of refined traditional Chinese culture.
Moreover, confidence in traditional Chinese medicine also originates from the past glory and historical legacy of the discipline itself. Containing the fitness regimen and health concepts as well as practical experience that have endured the test of thousands of years, it is a treasure of ancient Chinese science. Playing a vanguard role in the process of Chinese culture’s “going global,” traditional Chinese medicine is a key that unlocks traditional Chinese civilization. Therefore, telling good stories of traditional Chinese medicine can be a window that allows the world to become better acquainted with Chinese culture.
Zhang Zongming, director of the Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine