Zhang Shengen:The Adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese Context and the Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation

2021-10-14 17:01:52 | Author:Zhang Shengen | Source:The Literature of Chinese Communist Party, No.4, 2021

The Adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese Context

and the Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation*

 

Zhang Shengen

Director and Research Fellow of the No. 4 Research Department

of the Institute of Party History and Literature of

the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

 

In his speech at a ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly declared that: “Through the continued efforts of the whole Party and the entire nation, we have realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This means that we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China, and we are now marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.” Recalling the glorious course of the CPC's century-long struggle and the great achievements created by the Party for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out, " At the fundamental level, the capability of our Party and the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics are attributable to the fact that Marxism works."[1] This important statement gives us a profound inspiration.

 

I. Proposing to Adapt Marxism to the Chinese Context

 

If a nation wants to stand at the peak of science, it cannot be without theoretical thinking for a moment. To achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we also cannot be without theoretical thinking at any moment. Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology of our Party and country, the soul and banner of our Party, and a powerful ideological weapon for understanding the world, grasping the laws, pursuing the truth and transforming the world. The CPC adheres to the basic tenets of Marxism, seeks truth from facts, proceeds from Chinese reality, sizes up the general trend of the times, grasps the historical initiative, conducts painstaking exploration, and continuously promotes the modernization of Marxism, thus constantly opens up new realms of Marxism.

The history of China since modern times fully proves that without the guidance of advanced theories and new social forces capable of leading the transformation of Chinese society, the Chinese revolution would not have succeeded. The salvoes of the October Revolution brought China Marxism-Leninism. In the great awakening of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, and in the close combination of Marxism-Leninism and the Chinese workers' movement, the CPC was founded. From the moment it entered the political arena, the Party has adhered to the Marxist stance, view, and method, and consistently worked for the happiness of the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. From then on, the Chinese people have begun to change from being intellectually passive to being intellectually active, and the Chinese nation has begun to move, with difficulty but irreversibly, toward rejuvenation.

In the process of leading the revolution, construction and reform, our Party has made continuous and unremitting exploration of how to apply Marxism to the concrete practice in China. In October 1938, at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party, Mao Zedong proposed for the first time the project to "concretize Marxism in China."[2] After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong proposed that "the expression of the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism in practice should differ from country to country. In China, the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism should be combined with the revolutionary reality of China.”[3] Deng Xiaoping proposed, "We must integrate the universal truth of Marxism with the concrete realities of China, blaze a path of our own and build a socialism with Chinese characteristics—that is the basic conclusion we have reached after reviewing our long history.”[4] Jiang Zemin proposed, "Continuation is a prerequisite for innovation, and innovation is the best form of continuation. Only when we steadfastly act in this way, can theory truly answer the call of the times and praxis, and satisfy the requirement of keeping up with the times."[5] Hu Jintao proposes to "combine adherence to the basic tenets of Marxism with the adaption of Marxism to the Chinese context, arm the mind, guide practice and promote work with the Party's theoretical innovations, and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in ideology."[6]

Since the 18th Party Congress, facing the new situation and new tasks of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed that, "We should treat science with a scientific attitude, pursue truth with the spirit of truth, and constantly give Marxism a new connotation of our time."[7] We should "combine theory and practice, answer the questions posed by the times and the people, and dispel the mist clouding our practices and judgment, in an effort to adapt Marxism to China’s conditions, keep it up-to-date, enhance its popular appeal, and break new ground.”[8]

The adapting of Marxism to the Chinese context is a major task, and proposing to accomplish it required great courage, faces enormous pressure and tests. It is even less easy to use it successfully guide the Chinese revolution, construction and reform to victory success. The Chinese Communists have made it.

 

II. Fruitful Achievements in Adapting Marxism to the Chinese Context

 

The history of our Party is a history of constantly adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and a history of constantly promoting theoretical innovation and making theoretical creation.

The founding of the CPC in 1921 gave the Chinese people a backbone in their struggle for national independence, people's liberation, national prosperity and people's happiness. However, in a large, semi-colonial and semi-feudal Eastern country, the question of what kind of path it should choose to lead the Chinese revolution to victory became the primary issue. In its early stages, the CPC simply applied the general principles of Marxism-Leninism on proletarian revolution and copied the experience of the armed urban uprisings of the Russian October Revolution, leading the Chinese revolution to serious setbacks. From the mistakes of the revolutionary struggle, the Chinese Communists, such as Mao Zedong, profoundly realized that Marxism-Leninism could not be treated from a dogmatic point of view, and that Marxism must be adapted to the Chinese context by proceeding from reality. After unremitting exploration, the Chinese Communists creatively opened up the revolutionary road of surrounding the cities from the countryside and taking political power by armed force. After 28 years of battles, they won the new-democratic revolution and achieved national independence and people's liberation, which had been the dream of several generations of Chinese people.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communists, such as Mao Zedong, led the Chinese people to quickly heal the wounds of the war and restore the economy. They lost no time in proposing the general line of the transition period, creatively completing the transformation from the new-democratic revolution to the socialist revolution, enabling China, a large Eastern country accounting for one-fourth of the world's population, to enter a socialist society, achieving the most profound and greatest social transformation in Chinese history, and laying the fundamental political premise and institutional foundation for all development and progress in contemporary China.

In the practice of long-term struggle, the Chinese Communists, such as Mao Zedong, formed Mao Zedong Thought, a scientific guiding thought suitable for the Chinese situation, based on the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism. Mao Zedong Thought enriched and developed Marxism-Leninism with an original theory, and was the first major theoretical achievement of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context.

After the downfall the Gang of Four, officials and the people strongly demanded to correct the mistakes of the Cultural Revolution in order to enable the Party and the country to regain their strength from the crisis. In addition, the world economy was developing rapidly, science and technology were advancing day by day, and China had yet to develop all of its sectors. At this time, the Chinese Communists, such as Deng Xiaoping, scientifically evaluated Mao Zedong and Mao Zedong Thought, thoroughly rejected the erroneous theory and practice of "taking class struggle as the key link." They profoundly summarized the positive and negative experiences of China's socialist construction, and drew on the historical experience of world socialism. They created Deng Xiaoping Theory. They made the historic decision of shifting the focus of the work of the Party and the state to economic development and carried out reform and opening up. They profoundly revealed the essence of socialism and established the basic line of the primary stage of socialism. They categorically proposed to follow China’s own path and build socialism with Chinese characteristics. They scientifically answered a series of basic questions of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, successfully created socialism with Chinese characteristics, and started the new process of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context.

After the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, the international situation changed. Especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when political turmoil occurred at home, and internationally, when Eastern Europe underwent drastic changes and the Soviet Union disintegrated, the Party and the country were at a major historical juncture for determining their future. The Chinese Communists, such as Jiang Zemin, deepened their understanding of what socialism is, how to build it, what kind of Party China should build, and how to build it. They created the Theory of Three Represents. They successfully advanced socialism with Chinese characteristics into the 21st century by establishing the reform objectives and basic framework of the socialist market economy, the basic economic system and distribution system for the primary stage of socialism, creating a new phase in comprehensive reform and opening up, and promoting the great new project to strengthen the Party.

As we entered the new century, the international landscape was evolving at an accelerated pace and the competition in composite national strength was more intense than ever. In the face of the profound changes in the world, in China and in the Party, after the 16th National Party Congress, the Chinese Communists, such as Hu Jintao, profoundly understood and answered the major questions of what kind of development China should pursue and how to develop in a new context in accordance with the new development requirements. They created the Scientific Outlook on Development. They emphasized people-oriented, comprehensive and coordinated and sustainable development. They proposed to build a socialist harmonious society. They focused on safeguarding and improving people's lives. They promoted social fairness and justice. They promoted the building of a harmonious world. They strove to improve the Party's governing capacity and advanced nature. They thus successfully upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new context.

Since the 18th National Party Congress, the CPC, such as Xi Jinping, has united and led the Party and the Chinese people in making overall plans for the great struggle, the great project, the great cause and the great dream. Their answer has been a systematic combination of theory and practice and has addressed what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics the new era requires us to uphold and develop, and how we should go about doing it. They have created Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They have ensured coordinated implementation of the five-sphere integrated plan and the four-pronged comprehensive strategy. They have strengthened overall Party leadership. They have upheld and improved the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. They have made efforts to modernize China’s system and capacity for national governance. They have ensured that the Party, the country, the people, the military and the Chinese nation undergo unprecedented changes. The Chinese nation, which since modern times began had endured so much for so long, has achieved a tremendous transformation: it has stood up, grown rich, and is becoming strong; it has come to embrace the brilliant prospects of rejuvenation.

 

III. Further Adapting Marxism to the Chinese Context

to Realize National Rejuvenation

 

The extent to which theories are realized always depends on the extent to which needs are met. Looking back, the CPC has been able to lead the Chinese revolution, construction and reform in making great achievements. Important reasons for this are that major theoretical achievements have been made in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, and that the Party has always worked to strengthen the Party intellectually theoretically and enable the Party, to always maintain a unified thought, firm will, coordinated action, strong fighting force.

Today, the formidable tasks of reform, development and stability, the quantity and degree of problems, risks, and challenges, and the tests for governance of the country are all unprecedented. o win the competitive edge, seize the initiative, and secure our future, we must keep improving our ability to apply Marxism to analyze and resolve practical problems and our ability to utilize scientific theories to guide us in addressing major challenges, withstanding major risks, overcoming major obstacles, and resolving major problems. In this way, we can reflect on and deal with a range of major issues facing China’s future development from a broader and longer-term perspective, and strengthen belief in Marxism and the ideals of communism.

On a new journey toward realizing the second centenary goal, we must make great progress in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. We must continue to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with the concrete reality of China and with the excellent traditional Chinese culture. We must observe the times, grasp the times and lead the times with Marxism, continue to develop Marxism in contemporary Chinese and in the 21st century and make unremitting efforts to achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The research on the basic theory of Marxism, the international communist movement and the theory and practice of world socialism is one of the main responsibilities of my institute. Guided by the guiding principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at a ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC, we should continue to utilize our strengths in Marxist theory research and research on major issues of world socialism, produce more and better results, carefully plan the direction of development, and strive to break new ground.

 



* Speech at a conference on Xi Jinping’s major speech  marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China,  held in Beijing on July 3, 2021, by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Communist Party of China Literature Research  Association of China, the Chinese Society for the Study of the Communist Party of China History Figures, the Chinese Society for the Study of Mao Zedong's Poetry, the  Chinese Society for the Study of Marx and Engels, the Chinese Society for the History of the International Communist Movement.  First published in The Literature of Chinese Communist Party, No.4, 2021.

[1] Xi Jinping, Speech at a Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China, Beijing: People's Publishing House, 2021, p. 13.

[2] Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Beijing: People's Publishing House, 1991, vol. II, p. 534.

[3] Collected Works of Mao Zedong, Beijing: People's Publishing House, vol. VII, 1999, p. 78.

[4] Selected Words of Deng Xiaoping, Beijing: People's Publishing House, vol. III, 1993, p. 3.

[5] Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Beijing: People's Publishing House, 2006, vol. III, p. 327.

[6] Selected Works of Hu Jintao, Beijing: People's Publishing House, 2016, vol. III, p. 59.

[7] People's Daily, April 25, 2018.

[8] People's Daily, December 19, 2018.