The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a symposium on the morning of August 22 at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People to commemorate the 120th birth anniversary of Comrade Deng Xiaoping. Chinese President Xi Jinping made an important speech there.
Xi emphasised that Comrade Deng Xiaoping is recognised by the entire Party, the military, and the people of all ethnic groups across the country as an outstanding leader with high prestige, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist, diplomat, and a long-tested communist fighter. Deng was the core of the second generation of the Party’s central collective leadership, the chief architect of China’s socialist reform, opening up and modernisation, the trailblazer of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the principal creator of Deng Xiaoping Theory. He made significant contributions to world peace and development as a great internationalist. And he made outstanding contributions to the Party, the people, the country, the nation, and the world.
Xi further noted that Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s life was a glorious, fighting and extraordinary one. Deng made outstanding contributions to the Party-led causes of national independence and people’s liberation, and to the founding of the People’s Republic of China. He carried out highly effective work in establishing the socialist system and advancing socialist construction. After the end of the Cultural Revolution, as the core of the second generation of the Party’s central collective leadership, Deng led the Party and the people in achieving a historic shift, drove a new leap forward in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, broke new ground in socialist modernisation, set a right path for realising China’s complete reunification, firmly upheld the splendid banner of socialism, and successfully initiated socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Xi emphasised that Deng’s historical achievements are comprehensive and groundbreaking, with profound and lasting impact on both China and the world. Deng’s lifelong journey of struggle fully demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the lofty ideals of communism and the belief in socialism with Chinese characteristics, his deep love for the people, his adherence to the principle of seeking truth from facts, his political courage in continuous innovation, his far-sighted strategic thinking, and his broad-mindedness and selflessness.
Referring to Deng’s early life, Xi said that in the face of the profound national disasters of feudal rule and corruption, the invasion of Western powers, and the starvation and cold of the people, the young Deng Xiaoping actively participated in the mass struggle in his hometown, and later went to Europe to work and study, firmly chose Marxism, and joined the Communist Party of China.
An important section of Xi’s speech dealt with the events of 1989:
“Comrade Deng Xiaoping firmly defended the glorious banner of socialism. In the process of reform and opening up, he always took a clear-cut stand against bourgeois liberalisation. Against the backdrop of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, a serious political turmoil occurred in China at the turn of the spring and summer of 1989. At the critical moment, Comrade Deng Xiaoping led the party and the people to take a clear-cut stand against turmoil and resolutely defend the socialist state power, so that the party and the country withstood the severe test of dangerous winds and waves. After that, he profoundly summed up the lessons in the process of reform and opening up, and stressed the need to concentrate on party building, strengthen ideological and political work and education in fine traditions, improve the party’s leadership level and ruling ability, and ensure the stability of the red country. He admonished the people with a deafening voice: ‘Socialism in China cannot be changed. China will certainly follow the socialist road it has chosen to the end. No one can crush us.'”
Xi continued: “Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s historical exploits are all-round and groundbreaking, and their impact on China and the world is profound and long-term. In the course of his life’s struggle, he fully demonstrated his lofty character of incomparably firm belief in the lofty ideals of communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics, his great feelings of incomparable love for the people, the theoretical quality of always seeking truth from facts, the political courage to constantly blaze new trails, his far-sighted strategic thinking, and his frank and selfless broad-mindedness. His great historical exploits will always be remembered. His noble revolutionary demeanour will always be admired by us!”
He added: “Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, everything we have done is to fulfil the original mission of the party, to complete the unfinished business of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and other revolutionaries of the older generation, and to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics under the conditions of the new era. The times are constantly advancing, the cause is constantly developing, and theoretical and practical innovation cannot be stopped for a moment. Comrade Deng Xiaoping said: ‘China should have something new every year, and something new every day.’ It is the solemn historical responsibility of the contemporary Chinese Communists to constantly open up a new realm of Sinicisation and modernisation of Marxism. In the new era and new journey, we must adhere to integrity and innovation, never forget our ancestors, always take the right path, be good at breaking new paths, make the tree of theory evergreen and the tree of our cause evergreen, and constantly comfort the older generation of revolutionaries with new deeds and new achievements.”
Towards the end of his speech, he stated: “At this moment, I am reminded of two remarks made by Comrade Deng Xiaoping: First, ‘by the next century and 50 years, if we basically achieve modernisation, we can further assert the success of socialism.’ The second is that ‘by the middle of the next century, it will be able to approach the level of the developed countries in the world, and that will be the big change. At that time, the weight and role of Socialist China will be different, and we will be able to make greater contributions to humanity.'”
Deng’s remark here about making greater contributions to humanity is derived from Mao Zedong’s 1956 article commemorating the 90th birthday of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen:
“Things are always progressing. It is only forty-five years since the Revolution of 1911, but the face of China has entirely changed. In another forty-five years, that is, by the year 2001, at the beginning of the 21st century, China will have undergone an even greater change. It will have become a powerful industrial socialist country. And that is as it should be. China is a land with an area of 9,600,000 square kilometres and a population of 600 million, and it ought to make a greater contribution to humanity. But for a long time in the past its contribution was far too small. For this we are regretful.”
We reproduce below a report on the symposium that was originally published by the Xinhua News Agency. We also carry the full text of the important speech of Xi Jinping. This was issued by Xinhua and published in Chinese in People’s Daily. It has been machine translated and lightly edited by us.
Xi urges advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics at symposium held to mark Deng Xiaoping’s 120th birth anniversary
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a symposium on the morning of Aug. 22 at the Great Hall of the People to commemorate the 120th birth anniversary of Comrade Deng Xiaoping. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), delivered an important speech. Xi emphasized that Comrade Deng Xiaoping is recognized by the entire Party, the military, and the people of all ethnic groups across the country as an outstanding leader with high prestige, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist, diplomat, and a long-tested communist fighter. Deng was the core of the second generation of the Party’s central collective leadership, the chief architect of China’s socialist reform, opening up and modernization, the trailblazer of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the principal creator of Deng Xiaoping Theory. He made significant contributions to world peace and development as a great internationalist. Deng made outstanding contributions to the Party, the people, the country, the nation, and the world. Deng’s achievements have been immortalized in history and will always inspire future generations.
The symposium was attended by members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi, as well as Vice President Han Zheng. The symposium was presided over by Cai Qi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
In his speech, Xi noted that Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s life was a glorious, fighting and extraordinary one. Deng made outstanding contributions to the Party-led causes of national independence and people’s liberation, and to the founding of the People’s Republic of China. He carried out highly effective work in establishing the socialist system and advancing socialist construction. After the end of the Cultural Revolution, as the core of the second generation of the Party’s central collective leadership, Deng led the Party and the people in achieving a historic shift, drove a new leap forward in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, broke new ground in socialist modernization, set a right path for realizing China’s complete reunification, firmly upheld the splendid banner of socialism, and successfully initiated socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Xi emphasized that Deng’s historical achievements are comprehensive and groundbreaking, with profound and lasting impact on both China and the world. Deng’s lifelong journey of struggle fully demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the lofty ideals of communism and the belief in socialism with Chinese characteristics, his deep love for the people, his adherence to the principle of seeking truth from facts, his political courage in continuous innovation, his far-sighted strategic thinking, and his broad-mindedness and selflessness. We will forever remember his great historical achievements and forever revere his noble revolutionary conduct.
Xi highlighted that the most important intellectual legacy left to us by Comrade Deng Xiaoping is Deng Xiaoping Theory, which he primarily developed. Deng Xiaoping Theory represents a significant milestone in the process of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. As we embark on a new journey of the new era, we must continue to thoroughly study and apply Deng Xiaoping Theory, fully and accurately grasp its scientific essence and core principles. This involves both adhering to the major conclusions, fundamental viewpoints, and correct propositions Deng Xiaoping made based on his understanding of the laws of socialism, and correctly grasping the theory’s core and essence in light of changing circumstances to solve contemporary problems. This ensures our unwavering commitment to truth and our consistent application of theory in practice.
We must always uphold Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, and fully implement the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It is essential to steadfastly maintain Marxism as our guiding principle and China’s fine traditional culture as our foundation, and learn from and absorb the outstanding achievements of human civilization. By continuously exploring truth and addressing the practical issues in advancing Chinese modernization, we can profoundly answer the questions posed by China, the world, the people, and the times. This will further advance the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, allowing the Marxism of contemporary China and of the 21st century to shine with even greater brilliance.
Xi emphasized that the best way to honor Comrade Deng Xiaoping is to continue advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics that he initiated. We must focus on the central task of building a great country and national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, carrying forward the legacy and striving for progress. It is essential to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, further deepen reforms comprehensively, and continuously provide robust momentum and institutional guarantees for Chinese modernization.
We must prioritize high-quality development as the primary task, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, and advance the coordinated implementation of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy. We must move faster to build a modernized economy, work toward greater self-reliance in the science and technology sector, vigorously develop advanced socialist culture, and boost material and cultural-ethical advancement and harmony between humanity and nature.
We must adhere to the principle of putting people first, develop whole-process people’s democracy, build a higher level of the rule of law in China, and ensure that development is accompanied by the safeguarding and improvement of people’s livelihoods, thus making substantial progress toward common prosperity for all. We should also promote high-standard opening up to the outside world, steadily expand institutional openness, boost high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and balance openness with security to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
We must unswervingly advance the full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, improve the system for Party self-discipline, and resolutely win the tough and protracted battle against corruption. This ensures that the Party will never change its nature, its conviction, or its character, and it is always the firm core leadership guiding the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Xi noted that realizing China’s complete reunification has long been the aspiration of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and other members of the older generation of revolutionaries, a common will of Chinese people both at home and overseas, and an unstoppable historical trend. We should fully, faithfully, and resolutely implement the policy of “one country, two systems,” under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy. We should support and promote the further integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the country’s overall development, enabling them to achieve better development. We should resolutely implement the Party’s overall policy framework for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, adhere to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and oppose “Taiwan independence” to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Xi said.
Xi stressed that China has always been a staunch force for world peace. We should always uphold peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, advance the building of a human community with a shared future, and champion humanity’s shared values. We should implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, take an active role in the reform and development of the global governance system, and create new opportunities for the world with new progress in advancing Chinese modernization, Xi said.
While presiding over the meeting, Cai Qi said that General Secretary Xi’s important speech profoundly reviewed the glorious, fighting, and great life of Comrade Deng Xiaoping. Xi’s speech lauded the great historical achievements of Deng in leading the CPC and the Chinese people to usher in the new period of reform and opening up, and socialist modernization, in initiating socialism with Chinese characteristics, and in establishing Deng Xiaoping Theory. Xi’s speech emphasized the need to faithfully study and apply Deng Xiaoping Theory, to learn from Deng’s noble revolutionary demeanor, and to carry forward the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics that Deng initiated. The speech is insightful, profound, and of political, ideological and theoretical significance. It is of great importance to guiding the Party to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics under new conditions in the new era. We should earnestly study, grasp, and thoroughly implement Xi’s speech, and jointly strive to build a strong country and realize national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.
At the symposium, Qu Qingshan, president of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, Miao Hua, a member of the CMC and director of the Political Work Department of the CMC, and Wang Xiaohui, secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPC, delivered speeches in turn.
Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in Beijing, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, as well as relevant leading officials from the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the CMC attended the symposium.
Also in attendance were leading officials from relevant central authorities, the Beijing municipal government and the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPC, representatives of central committees of non-CPC parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation, relatives of Deng Xiaoping, his former staff and representatives from his hometown, and participants of a national academic seminar to commemorate the 120th birth anniversary of Deng Xiaoping.
Speech at a forum to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s birth
Comrades and friends,
Today, we are solemnly gathered here to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of our beloved Comrade Deng Xiaoping.
Comrade Deng Xiaoping was an outstanding leader of high prestige recognised by the whole party, the whole army, and the people of all nationalities in the country, a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, statesman, military strategist, and diplomat, a time-tested communist fighter, the core of the party’s second-generation central leadership collective, the chief architect of China’s socialist reform, opening up, and modernisation, the pioneer of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the main founder of Deng Xiaoping Theory, and a great internationalist who made major contributions to world peace and development.
Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s life was a glorious life, a life of fighting, and a great life, and he made outstanding contributions to the party, the people, the country, the nation, and the world.
Comrade Deng Xiaoping was born in Guang’an County, Sichuan Province. In the face of the profound national disasters of feudal rule and corruption, the invasion of Western powers, and the starvation and cold of the people, the young Deng Xiaoping actively participated in the mass struggle in his hometown, and later went to Europe to work and study, firmly chose Marxism, and joined the Communist Party of China.
In 1927, Comrade Deng Xiaoping returned from the Soviet Union to participate in the struggle for the new democratic revolution led by the party. He successively led the launch of the Baise Uprising and the Longzhou Uprising, established the Zuojiang Revolutionary Base Area, participated in the relevant work of the Central Revolutionary Base Area, and personally experienced the Long March and the Zunyi Conference. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, together with Liu Bocheng, Chen Yi and other comrades, he successively opened up the Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan anti-Japanese base areas, led his troops to leap thousands of miles into the Dabie Mountains, organised and implemented the Huaihai Campaign and the River Crossing Campaign, and made outstanding contributions to the cause of national independence and people’s liberation under the leadership of the party and the establishment of New China.
At the beginning of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Comrade Deng Xiaoping served as the principal responsible person of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Together with Comrades Liu Bocheng and He Long, he led his troops to liberate the great southwest, led the building of political power, participated in the work of leading the march into Tibet and the peaceful liberation of Tibet, and brought about earth-shaking changes in the southwest region.
After July 1952, Comrade Deng Xiaoping served as Secretary General of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China. At the First Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC Central Committee in 1956, he was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, becoming an important member of the first generation of the party’s central leadership collective with Comrade Mao Zedong as the core. In the following 10 years, he was responsible for a large part of the daily work of the Party Central Committee, put forward many correct propositions and carried out fruitful work for the establishment of the socialist system and socialist construction, and for the strengthening and improvement of Party building. Soon after the Cultural Revolution began, he was wrongly criticised and struggled against, and was stripped of all his positions. In 1973, he resumed his work. In 1975, he began to preside over the daily work of the party, the state, and the army, and, in order to reverse the serious chaos caused by the ‘Cultural Revolution’, he carried out a comprehensive rectification in a big way, and waged a-for-tat struggle against the ‘Gang of Four’. Soon, he was wrongly removed and criticised again, but he remained unswervingly committed to communism and socialism.
After the end of the ‘Cultural Revolution’, Comrade Deng Xiaoping, as the core of the party’s second-generation central leadership collective, led the party and the people to successfully usher in a new period of China’s reform, opening up, and socialist modernisation, and to create socialism with Chinese characteristics.
- Comrade Deng Xiaoping led a great historical turning point. Shortly after the end of the ‘Cultural Revolution’, Comrade Deng Xiaoping resumed his old post. At the important historical juncture when the party and the country were facing the question of where to go, he stressed that seeking truth from facts, the mass line, and independence are the quintessence of Mao Zedong Thought, took a clear-cut stand against the erroneous viewpoint of ‘two whatevers’, led and supported the discussion on the issue of the criterion of truth, promoted the rectification of chaos in all quarters, and called on the whole party and the people of the whole country to unite and look forward. Under his guidance, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee re-established the ideological line of emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, stopped using the erroneous formulation of ‘taking class struggle as the key link’, and made the historic decision to shift the focus of the work of the party and the state to economic construction and to carry out reform and opening up, thus bringing about a great turning point of far-reaching significance in the party’s history.
- Comrade Deng Xiaoping promoted a new leap forward in the Sinicisation of Marxism. He led the whole party to profoundly sum up the positive and negative experiences since the founding of New China, constantly promote theoretical innovations, and put forward many major ideas of pioneering significance. Under his auspices, the Sixth Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee adopted the ‘Resolution on Several Issues in the Party’s History Since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China’, which correctly appraised Comrade Mao Zedong’s historical status and the scientific system of Mao Zedong Thought, completely negated the erroneous practice and theory of the ‘Cultural Revolution’, stressed the need to uphold and develop Mao Zedong Thought, and set the correct direction for the development of the party and the country. At the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, he clearly proposed to “take our own road and build socialism with Chinese characteristics.” According to Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s thought, the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China systematically expounded the theory of the primary stage of socialism and completely summarised the party’s basic line in the primary stage of socialism. The 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China put forward Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s theory on building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The 15th CPC National Congress established Deng Xiaoping Theory as the party’s guiding ideology. Deng Xiaoping Theory profoundly answered the fundamental question of what socialism is and how to build it, profoundly revealed the essence of socialism, provided a guide for action for China’s reform, opening up, and socialist modernisation, and is the foundation of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
- Comrade Deng Xiaoping led the party and the people to open up a new situation in socialist modernisation. He clearly put forward the ideas of “building a moderately prosperous society” and “embarking on a Chinese-style road to modernisation” and guided our party in formulating a “three-step” development strategy for modernisation. He led our party to carry out structural reforms in all aspects in a timely and resolute manner, and bravely opened the door to opening up to the outside world. He pointed out that science and technology are the primary productive forces, advocated respect for knowledge and talent, and promoted the development of education, science, and culture. He attached importance to the building of democracy and the legal system and promoted the reform of the party and state leadership system and institutional reform. He stressed the need to build the people’s army into a powerful, modernised, and regularised revolutionary army and take the road of elite troops with Chinese characteristics. He clearly pointed out that peace and development are the two major issues in the contemporary world and led our party to readjust its foreign policies in various fields in a timely manner, thus creating a favourable external environment for reform, opening up, and socialist modernisation. Under his guidance and promotion, China has opened a new situation of leaping from relatively backward productive forces to rapid economic development, and the people’s living standards have leaped from insufficient food and clothing to being overall well-off.
- Comrade Deng Xiaoping established the correct path for realising the complete reunification of the motherland. Focusing on the fundamental, whole, and long-term interests of the Chinese nation, he gave full consideration to history and the current situation, creatively put forward the great concept of ‘one country, two systems’, and opened up a new path for realising the complete reunification of the motherland by peaceful means. Under the guidance of this great idea, the Chinese government has resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macao, washing away the century-old humiliation of the Chinese nation. In view of the plot to split China, he stressed that we must not give up settling the Taiwan issue by non-peaceful means and put forward the correct policy for settling the Taiwan issue. We have strengthened cross-strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, resolutely opposed and curbed the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces, and firmly grasped the leading power and initiative in the development of cross-strait relations.
- Comrade Deng Xiaoping firmly defended the glorious banner of socialism. In the process of reform and opening up, he always took a clear-cut stand against bourgeois liberalisation. Against the backdrop of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, a serious political turmoil occurred in China at the turn of the spring and summer of 1989. At the critical moment, Comrade Deng Xiaoping led the party and the people to take a clear-cut stand against turmoil and resolutely defend the socialist state power, so that the party and the country withstood the severe test of dangerous winds and waves. After that, he profoundly summed up the lessons in the process of reform and opening up, and stressed the need to concentrate on party building, strengthen ideological and political work and education in fine traditions, improve the party’s leadership level and ruling ability, and ensure the stability of the red country. He admonished the people with a deafening voice: “Socialism in China cannot be changed. China will certainly follow the socialist road it has chosen to the end. No one can crush us.”
Comrades and friends!
Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s historical exploits are all-round and groundbreaking, and their impact on China and the world is profound and long-term. In the course of his life’s struggle, he fully demonstrated his lofty character of incomparably firm belief in the lofty ideals of communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics, his great feelings of incomparable love for the people, the theoretical quality of always seeking truth from facts, the political courage to constantly blaze new trails, his far-sighted strategic thinking, and his frank and selfless broad-mindedness. His great historical exploits will always be remembered. His noble revolutionary demeanour will always be admired by us!
Comrades and friends!
The most important ideological wealth left to us by Comrade Deng Xiaoping is Deng Xiaoping Theory, which was founded by Comrade Deng Xiaoping. Deng Xiaoping Theory is an important milestone in the Sinicisation of Marxism and the modernisation of the times. Establishing Deng Xiaoping Theory as the guiding ideology of the party and the state is an unshakeable conclusion drawn by the party and the people from history and reality.
In the new era and new journey, we must continue to study and apply Deng Xiaoping Theory in depth and fully and accurately understand its scientific connotation and core essence. For example, Comrade Deng Xiaoping stressed that the party’s basic line should be maintained for 100 years, and it is necessary to unify the adherence to economic construction as the central task, the four cardinal principles, and reform and opening up in the entire process of socialist modernisation. To emancipate the mind is to seek truth from facts, to make thinking consistent with reality, and to make subjectivity and objectivity consistent. Deepening the reform of the leadership system of the Party and the state is not to change the socialist system and weaken the leadership of the Party, but to better demonstrate the advantages of the socialist system and strengthen and improve the leadership of the Party. Democratic centralism is the most convenient and rational system, and it is necessary to vigorously carry forward intra-party democracy and people’s democracy, and at the same time there must be correct centralisation, the whole party must have a core, and the party Central Committee must have authority. Planning and the market are both economic instruments that can be used as long as they are beneficial to the development of productive forces. We must adhere to independence and self-reliance, and at the same time, we must not close ourselves off and be blindly xenophobic, but must open up to the outside world. It is necessary to encourage some regions and some people to get rich first, so that the first rich can lead the latter to become rich, and finally realise the common prosperity of all the people, and we must not engage in polarisation. It is necessary to insist on grasping both material civilisation and spiritual civilisation with both hands, and both hands should be firm. We must be bold and steady in carrying out reform, and we must properly handle the relationship between reform, development, and stability, and stability must override everything. The key to running China’s affairs well lies in the party, and it is necessary to grasp reform and opening up with one hand and punish corruption with the other. These important ideas and theses are full of materialist dialectics, embody the overall vision and strategic vision, grasp the main contradictions and main aspects of contradictions, and demonstrate the distinctive style and unique charm of Deng Xiaoping Theory. Only by taking these important ideas and theories into account, paying attention to grasping them as a whole and dialectically, knowing their meaning and reasoning, and knowing their nature and why they are true, can we correctly use them to guide practice. If we neglect one or the other it will easily lead to deviations in practice and even mistakes in principle and direction. Our party has had such a lesson in history and we must profoundly learn from it.
Deng Xiaoping Theory, like the theories of other Marxist classic writers, is fundamentally used to guide practice over a long period of time because of its basic principles and the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint and method that run through it. We must at all times creatively study and apply Deng Xiaoping Theory in close connection with reality, and not only uphold the major conclusions, basic viewpoints, and correct propositions put forward by Comrade Deng Xiaoping on the basis of the understanding of the laws of socialism, but also be good at correctly grasping the essence of the theory in light of the ever-changing situation, so as to solve practical problems, and ensure that we do not waver in upholding the truth and do not deviate from guiding practice.
Comprehensively promoting Chinese-style modernisation has opened up a broad space for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and also provided a rich soil for the Party’s theoretical innovation in the new era and new journey. We must always adhere to Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thinking of the “Three Represents” and the Scientific Outlook on Development, comprehensively implement the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, always adhere to the soul of Marxism and the root of China’s excellent traditional culture, be good at learning from and absorbing all the outstanding achievements of civilisation in human society, constantly explore the truth, deeply study the practical issues of promoting Chinese-style modernisation, and profoundly answer the questions of China, the world, the people and the times. We will continue to promote the Sinicisation and modernisation of Marxism, so that contemporary Chinese Marxism and Marxism in the 21st century will shine with a more brilliant light of truth!
Comrades and friends!
The best way to commemorate Comrade Deng Xiaoping is to continue to push forward the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics that he pioneered. We must closely focus on the central task of comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernisation, carry forward the past and forge ahead into the future.
It is necessary to persist in upholding integrity and innovation, and further deepen reform in an all-round way. We must thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, anchor the overall goal of continuing to improve and develop the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and promoting the modernisation of the national governance system and governance capacity, take the reform of the economic system as the traction, coordinate and promote reforms in all fields and aspects, resolutely eliminate the ideological concepts, institutional mechanisms and shortcomings that hinder the promotion of Chinese-style modernisation, and continue to provide strong impetus and institutional guarantees for Chinese-style modernisation. It is necessary to adhere to the unity of integrity and innovation, unswervingly change what should be changed, and not change what should not be changed. It is necessary to pay more attention to system integration, pay more attention to highlighting key points, pay more attention to the effectiveness of reform, and grasp the implementation of reform in the spirit of getting it done.
It is necessary to firmly grasp the primary task of high-quality development and comprehensively promote Chinese-style modernisation. We must completely, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development concept, and coordinate and promote the overall layout of the “five-in-one” and the “four comprehensive” strategic layout. Efforts will be made to build a unified national market, solidly promote new industrialisation, informatisation, urbanisation, and agricultural modernisation, comprehensively promote rural revitalisation, promote regional coordinated development, and accelerate the construction of a modern economic system. It is necessary to strengthen the support of education, science and technology, and talents, promote high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and develop new productive forces in accordance with local conditions. It is necessary to vigorously develop the advanced socialist culture, firmly follow the path of civilised development with production development, an affluent life, and good ecology, and form a good situation in which material civilisation and spiritual civilisation are coordinated and people and nature coexist in harmony.
We must uphold the supremacy of the people and solidly promote common prosperity. We need to develop whole-process people’s democracy, build a higher level of rule of law in China, and constantly improve the social fairness guarantee system with fair rights, fair opportunities, and fair rules as the main content, so as to fully stimulate the historical initiative and historical creative spirit of all the people. It is necessary to persist in ensuring and improving people’s livelihood in the process of development, improve the basic public service system, strive to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas, regional disparities, and income disparities, and promote the common prosperity of all people to continuously make more obvious and substantive progress.
It is necessary to promote high-level opening up to the outside world and safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests. We need to implement a more proactive strategy of opening-up, optimise the layout of regional opening-up, steadily expand institutional opening-up, promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and continuously expand the breadth and depth of Chinese-style modernisation through peaceful development and win-win cooperation. It is necessary to implement the overall concept of national security, coordinate opening up and security, and enhance the ability to safeguard national security in the course of opening up to the outside world.
It is necessary to unswervingly promote the comprehensive and strict management of the party and forge a stronger and more powerful Marxist ruling party. We must keep in mind that the comprehensive and strict governance of the party is always developing, and the party’s self-revolution is always developing, always maintain the sobriety and firmness of rushing for the examination, implement the general requirements of party building in the new era, and further promote the new great project of party building in the new era. We must persist in guiding all aspects of Party building and the Party’s political construction, improve the system of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, resolutely win the battle against corruption, and constantly promote the Party’s self-purification, self-improvement, and self-innovation, so as to ensure that the Party will never change its quality, colour, or taste, and always become a strong leadership core for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Comrades and Friends!
The people’s army is the great wall of steel of the party and the country. We must implement the idea of strengthening the army in the new era, uphold the party’s absolute leadership over the people’s army, comprehensively strengthen military governance, further promote the modernisation of national defence and the army, achieve the goal set for the centenary of the founding of the army as scheduled, accelerate the building of the people’s army into a world-class army, continuously improve the people’s army’s strategic ability to defend national sovereignty, security and development interests, and effectively fulfil the mission and tasks of the people’s army in the new era.
Realising the complete reunification of the motherland is the long-cherished wish of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and other revolutionaries of the older generation, the common aspiration of the Chinese people at home and abroad, and an irresistible historical trend. We must continue to comprehensively, accurately and unswervingly implement the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”, “Macao people governing Macao”, and a high degree of autonomy, and support and promote the further integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the overall development of the country and achieve better development. We must unswervingly implement the party’s overall strategy for resolving the Taiwan issue in the new era, adhere to the one-China principle and the “consensus of ’92”, promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, unswervingly oppose “Taiwan independence”, and defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any forces and acts that split the motherland and any foreign interference that undermines the process of China’s reunification will certainly be met with a head-on blow from the Chinese people!
China is a staunch force for world peace. We need to always hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, promote the common values of all humanity, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative, actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system, and continue to provide new opportunities for the world with new progress in Chinese-style modernisation.
Comrades and friends!
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, everything we have done is to fulfil the original mission of the party, to complete the unfinished business of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and other revolutionaries of the older generation, and to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics under the conditions of the new era. The times are constantly advancing, the cause is constantly developing, and theoretical and practical innovation cannot be stopped for a moment. Comrade Deng Xiaoping said: “China should have something new every year, and something new every day.” It is the solemn historical responsibility of the contemporary Chinese Communists to constantly open up a new realm of Sinicisation and modernisation of Marxism. In the new era and new journey, we must adhere to integrity and innovation, never forget our ancestors, always take the right path, be good at breaking new paths, make the tree of theory evergreen and the tree of our cause evergreen, and constantly comfort the older generation of revolutionaries with new deeds and new achievements.
Comrades and friends!
At this moment, I am reminded of two remarks made by Comrade Deng Xiaoping: First, “by the next century and 50 years, if we basically achieve modernisation, we can further assert the success of socialism.” The second is that “by the middle of the next century, it will be able to approach the level of the developed countries in the world, and that will be the big change. At that time, the weight and role of Socialist China will be different, and we will be able to make greater contributions to humanity.”
At present, there are only a little more than 10 years to achieve the basic goal of modernisation that we have set, and it is only more than 20 years to achieve the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in an all-round way. Time is running out, urging people to forge ahead. We must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, gather the majestic strength of hundreds of millions of people, never forget our original aspirations, keep our mission firmly in mind, forge ahead, work in unity, and continue to write a magnificent chapter in comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernisation, and strive to make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of human peace and development!
One thought on “Xi: Deng Xiaoping was a great Marxist, strategist, diplomat, and long-tested communist fighter”