With the Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China scheduled to open on October 16, the party’s leading theoretical journal, Qiushi, has recently published an extract from an extremely important speech made by General Secretary Xi Jinping on January 5, 2018, at a seminar for new central committee members and other leading cadres.
Echoing the opening of Comrade Mao Zedong’s famous article, ‘Where do correct ideas come from?’, Comrade Xi asserts that, “Socialism with Chinese characteristics did not fall from the sky”, but rather is deeply rooted not simply in the four decades of ‘reform and opening up’, but in the whole history of the Chinese revolution and in the inheritance of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.
He goes on to explain that the socialist revolution constituted, “the most extensive and profound social transformation in the history of the Chinese nation.” After the establishment of the basic socialist system, the Party has, “made a long-term exploration of how to build socialism in China and has made important achievements as well as experienced serious twists and turns. The main problem here is that building socialism in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society like ours is an unprecedented undertaking, and there is no ready-made model to follow.”
Engels, he points out, noted that “‘the so-called ‘socialist society’ is not something that is set in stone, but should be seen, like any other social system, as a society that changes and reforms frequently.'” Socialism with Chinese characteristics has to be grasped, “in the course of the evolution of socialism in the world,” from Marx and Engels who turned socialism from an ideal into a science, to the October Revolution, which saw scientific socialism develop from theory to practice. Furthermore: “After the end of the Second World War, a number of socialist countries were born, especially our Party led the people to establish New China and the socialist system, which led scientific socialism from practice in one country to development in many countries. At that time, the socialist camp was flourishing, and together with the anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist struggles of Asian, African and Latin American countries, it formed a basically evenly matched pattern with the capitalist world, which is why Comrade Mao Zedong said that ‘the east wind overwhelmed the west wind.'”
However, historical development is full of twists and turns. Events in the late 1980s and early 1990s not only led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the East European socialist countries, they also, “brought a serious impact on the vast number of developing countries that aspired to socialism, and many of them were forced to take the path of copying the Western system.”
Noting that the previous year had seen the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution, Comrade Xi explained, “I mentioned this major historical event at the beginning of the second part of the 19th Party Congress report in order to declare the historical impact of the October Revolution on the birth and development of the Chinese Communist Party. As Lenin profoundly pointed out in commemorating the fourth anniversary of the October Revolution, ‘this first victory is not yet final,’ but ‘we have already begun this enterprise. It does not matter when and for what period the proletarians of which country will carry this cause to its conclusion. What is important is that the ice has been broken, the voyage has been opened, the way has been shown.'”
Therefore, Xi notes, “The success of scientific socialism in China is of great significance to Marxism and scientific socialism, and to socialism in the world.” It is conceivable, he continues, that if the leadership of the CPC and China’s socialist system had also collapsed, then the cause of socialism as a whole could have been plunged into darkness. As it is, “Socialism with Chinese characteristics is becoming the banner for the development of scientific socialism in the 21st century and the mainstay for the revitalization of socialism in the world.”
The Chinese leader also addresses the question of the CPC being both a “ruling party” and a “revolutionary party”. He explains that those who assert that the party has transitioned from a revolutionary party to a ruling party are mistaken. They are not two distinct things. “We are communists and revolutionaries and should not lose our revolutionary spirit,” Comrade Xi notes, and continues: “Our Party is a Marxist ruling party, but at the same time it is a Marxist revolutionary party, and we must maintain the same vigor, revolutionary enthusiasm, and desperate spirit as in the past during the revolutionary war and carry out the revolutionary work to the end.”
This document has yet to be officially published in English translation. What follows is a machine translation from the Chinese original, received from the Dongsheng news group. As a result, it may contain some minor inaccuracies and should not be considered definitive. However, we are reprinting it on account of its great importance, rich content and timeliness.
When I met with Chinese and foreign journalists after the First Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, I said that practice has proved that our Party is able to lead the people not only in a great social revolution, but also in a great self-revolution of the whole Party. Let me first make some comments from the perspective of social revolution.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era is the fruit of the great social revolution led by our Party and the continuation of the great social revolution led by our Party, and must be carried out consistently.
Both history and reality tell us that a social revolution often requires a long historical process to achieve ultimate victory. Only by looking back at the road taken, comparing the road of others, looking far ahead of the road, to figure out where we came from, where to go, many issues to see deep, accurate.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics did not fall from the sky, but came from the great practice of reform and opening up in the past 40 years, from the continuous exploration of the People’s Republic of China in the nearly 70 years since its establishment, from the 97 years of practice of our Party leading the people in the great social revolution, from the historical process of the Chinese nation from decline to prosperity in the modern era for more than 170 years, from the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years, and from the valuable achievements of the Party and the people after all the hardships and various costs. It is the valuable achievement of the Party and the people after a lot of hardships and at various costs. It is extremely dicult to get this result.
In the 28 years before the founding of New China, our Party led the people in the New Democratic Revolution. After the founding of New China, our Party led the people to carry out the socialist revolution, completing the most extensive and profound social transformation in the history of the Chinese nation. After the establishment of China’s basic socialist system, our Party has made a long-term exploration of how to build socialism in China, and has made important achievements as well as experienced serious twists and turns. The main problem here is that building socialism in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society like ours is an unprecedented undertaking, and there is no ready-made model to follow.
Engels pointed out that “the so-called ‘socialist society’ is not something that is set in stone, but should be seen, like any other social system, as a society that changes and reforms frequently.” After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Party, reform and opening up is the continuation of the great social revolution carried out by our Party under the leadership of the people. Comrade Deng Xiaoping said, “Reform is China’s second revolution.” It has been 40 years since the reform and opening up, and we have been practicing and exploring. Under the premise of adhering to the leadership of the CPC and our socialist system, we have made a series of revolutionary changes in the road, theory, system and culture of socialism, opened up the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and made our development catch up with the times in a big step.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics was founded in the new period of reform and opening up, but to understand its formation and development, its historical inevitability and scientific truth, we should stretch the time scale and grasp it in the course of the evolution of socialism in the world. 170 years ago, Marx and Engels, on the basis of in-depth investigation and study of the basic contradictions of capitalist society, inherited and abandoned the ideas of Saint-Simon, Fourier and Owen. They put forward the materialistic view of history and the doctrine of surplus value, laid a scientific theoretical foundation for socialism, and founded scientific socialism, which led socialism from an ideal to a science. The combination of scientific socialism and the workers’ movement promoted the success of the October Revolution and the establishment of the world’s first socialist state, which led to the development of scientific socialism from theory to practice. After the end of the Second World War, a number of socialist countries were born, especially our Party led the people to establish New China and the socialist system, which led scientific socialism from practice in one country to development in many countries. At that time, the socialist camp was flourishing, and together with the anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist struggles of Asian, African and Latin American countries, it formed a basically evenly matched pattern with the capitalist world, which is why Comrade Mao Zedong said that “the east wind overwhelmed the west wind.
However, historical development is never straight, but full of twists and turns. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe not only led to the disappearance of the first socialist countries and the socialist countries in Eastern Europe, but also brought a serious impact on the vast number of developing countries that aspired to socialism, and many of them were forced to take the path of copying the Western system. Socialism in the world has suered a serious setback, as the saying goes, “All flowers are scarce for a while”. I have talked about the journey of socialism from empty thinking to science, from theory to practice, from one country to many countries. It is worth studying in depth.
Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. I mentioned this major historical event at the beginning of the second part of the 19th Party Congress report in order to declare the historical impact of the October Revolution on the birth and development of the Chinese Communist Party. As Lenin profoundly pointed out in commemorating the fourth anniversary of the October Revolution, “this first victory is not yet final,” but “we have already begun this enterprise. It does not matter when and for what period the proletarians of which country will carry this cause to its conclusion. What is important is that the ice has been broken, the voyage has been opened, the way has been shown”.
History always evolves according to its own logic. The great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics in China shows that socialism has not perished, nor will it perish, and that it is flourishing with vitality and vigor. The success of scientific socialism in China is of great significance to Marxism and scientific socialism, and to socialism in the world. It is conceivable that if socialism had not achieved the success in China today, if the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and our socialist system had also collapsed in the domino change of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Soviet Communist Party, and the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe, or had failed for other reasons, then the practice of socialism might again have to wander in the darkness for a long time, and again as a ghost, as Marx said wandering in the world.
The flag determines the direction and the road determines the destiny. If the road is wrong, we will not only fail to reach our goal, but may even interrupt the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The 19th Party Congress made a major political assertion that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and we must realize that this new era is a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics and not some other new era.
The most fundamental thing for the Party to achieve the Party’s historical mission in the new era in its new historical orientation is to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
According to statistics, more than 130 political parties in about 100 countries in the world still maintain the name of communist parties or adhere to their Marxist nature. The vast majority of developing countries cast an envious eye on China and have expressed their desire to learn from China’s experience in governance. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is becoming the banner for the development of scientific socialism in the 21st century and the mainstay for the revitalization of socialism in the world. Our Party has the responsibility, confidence and ability to make greater historical contributions to the new development of scientific socialism.
If we do not forget our original intention and keep our mission in mind, we should not forget that we are communists and revolutionaries and should not lose our revolutionary spirit. Some people say that our party has now changed from a “revolutionary party” to a “ruling party”. This statement is inaccurate. The ocial formulation of our Party is that, through revolution, construction and reform, our Party has changed from a Party that led the people in their struggle to seize national power to a Party that leads the people to take control of national power and rule for a long time; from a Party that led national construction under external blockade and planned economy to a Party that led national construction under the conditions of opening up to the outside world and developing a socialist market economy. This does not distinguish between the “revolutionary party” and the “ruling party”, and does not treat revolution and ruling as two distinct things. According to Marxism, social revolution is based on the contradictory movement of the productive forces and relations of production, and is not only a social movement to break down the old political superstructure, but also a new social construction movement. Our Party is a Marxist ruling party, but at the same time it is a Marxist revolutionary party, and we must maintain the same vigor, revolutionary enthusiasm, and desperate spirit as in the past during the revolutionary war, and carry out the revolutionary work to the end. These words were spoken by Comrade Mao Zedong. Comrade Deng Xiaoping, Comrade Jiang Zemin and Comrade Hu Jintao have all said this many times, and I have also said this many times.
When I met with Chinese and foreign journalists after the First Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, I said that the Chinese Communist Party was determined to make a thousand years of greatness for the Chinese nation, and that a hundred years was just the right time to be in its prime. At the same time, I said this with a deep sense of worry. From our history, dynasties existed for more than 400 years in the Xia Dynasty, 600 years in the Shang Dynasty, 300 years in the Western Zhou Dynasty, 500 years in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, 215 years in the Western Han Dynasty, 195 years in the Eastern Han Dynasty, 290 years in the Tang Dynasty, 277 years in the Ming Dynasty, 268 years in the Qing Dynasty, 15 years in the Qin Dynasty, 61 years in the Three Kingdoms, 167 years in the Northern Song Dynasty, 153 years in the Southern Song Dynasty, 90 years in the Yuan Dynasty, 38 years in the Republic of China, and other small dynasties There are countless blips and dynasties. The Qin Dynasty, Northern Song Dynasty, and Yuan Dynasty were all once unbeatable powers, but soon fell into disrepair. Those longer dynasties were also corrupt, socially unstable, discontented and rebellious, and many of them were left to languish and die. This shows that after a regime is established, it is not easy to maintain prosperity and long-lasting peace. Without self-reflection, vigilance, and eort, even the most powerful regimes can come to the end of the road.
It is now 97 years since the founding of our Party and 69 years since the founding of New China. The Soviet Communist Party has existed for 86 years, and the Soviet Union for 74 years. Our Party’s history exceeds that of the Soviet Communist Party, and our Party has not held national power for as long as the Soviet Union. By the middle of this century, the history of our Party will be close to 130 years, and the history of New China will reach 100 years. Comrade Deng Xiaoping said, “The consolidation and development of the socialist system will require a long historical stage, and it will take several generations, a dozen generations, or even dozens of generations of our people to struggle persistently and diligently.” How many years is that? It has to be calculated in terms of millenniums. This means that it will take a long historical period for us to build socialism with Chinese characteristics well and into. In this long historical process, it is an extremely dicult and risky challenge to ensure that the Chinese Communist Party does not collapse and the Chinese socialist system does not fall. Once upon a time, the Soviet Communist Party was so strong, the Soviet Union was so powerful, but now it has long been “the old country can not look back at the bright moon”. A generation does the work of a generation, but without historical perspective, without a long-term vision, also can not do the things of the moment.
Yesterday’s success does not mean that the future can always be successful, the past does not mean that the future can always be brilliant. The times are the questionnaire, we are the answerer, the people are the reader. To achieve the prosperity of the party and the country, long-term stability, the party comrades must maintain the revolutionary spirit, revolutionary spirit, the courage to continue the great social revolution that our party has led the people for 97 years, never because of victory and pride, never because of achievements and slack, never because of diculties and retreat, and strive to make socialism with Chinese characteristics to show a more powerful and more convincing power of truth.
This is part of the speech made by General Secretary Xi Jinping on January 5, 2018, at a seminar on studying and implementing Xi Jinping’s Socialist Thought with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the 19th Party Congress for members, alternate members and major leading cadres at the provincial and ministerial levels who are newly admitted to the Central Committee.
I am from Vancouver, Canada and i wanted to say that Scientific Socialism is no different than other important phases of Humanity that has been happening throughout History. The Industrial Revolution started in England in the 18 century and it continued for a couple of hundred years with other countries of Europe participating in it. It had its ups and downs and it took time and patience for it to be made perfect.The process is still going on.The same with Socialism. It is better now than it was in the 1920s and 30s. In China a lot of progress has been made with regard to Socialism in the last couple of decades and the process continues.