On 16 October 2022 and at the opening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist arty of China, its general secretary delivered a 72 page Working Report: 高举中国特色社会主义伟大旗帜 为全面建设社会主义现代化国家而团结奋斗: 在中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会上的报告 [Hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics Unite and struggle for the all-round construction of a modern socialist country: Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China].
The full text of the general secretary's work report (without comment) may be accessed here (in Chinese): 高举中国特色社会主义伟大旗帜 为全面建设社会主义现代化国家而团结奋斗: 在中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会上的报告 .
The shorter English translation (unofficial) is also circulating and may be accessed HERE. Commentary to follow. A brief taste follows below.
The Coalition for Peace & Ethics has undertaken a deep examination of the 20th National Congress and will make key documents and other resources available to those interested. Access the CPE 20th CPC Congress web resources here.
I. A New Frontier in Adapting Marxism to the Chinese Context
and the Needs of the Times
Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which our Party and
our country are founded and thrive. Our experience has taught us that, at the
fundamental level, we owe the success of our Party and socialism with
Chinese characteristics to the fact that Marxism works, particularly when it is
adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of our times. The sound
theoretical guidance of Marxism is the source from which our Party draws its
firm belief and conviction and which enables our Party to seize the historical
initiative.
Adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times is a
process of seeking, revealing, and applying truth. With new changes and
practical demands emerging both in and outside of China since the 18th
National Congress, there was an urgent need for us to provide in-depth
theoretical and practical answers to a series of epochal questions on the cause
of the Party and the country as well as the Party's governance of China.
With the courage to make theoretical explorations and innovations, our
Party has, from an entirely new perspective, deepened its understanding of
the laws that underlie governance by a communist party, the development of
socialism, and the evolution of human society. It has achieved major
theoretical innovations, which are encapsulated in the Thought on Socialism
with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The main elements of this theory
are summarized in the 10 affirmations, the 14 commitments, and the 13 areas
of achievement that were articulated at the 19th National Congress and the
Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Party Central Committee, all of which we
must adhere to over the long term and continue to enrich and develop.
Chinese Communists are keenly aware that only by integrating the basic
tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and fine traditional culture
and only by applying dialectical and historical materialism can we provide
correct answers to the major questions presented by the times and discovered
through practice and can we ensure that Marxism always retains its vigor and
vitality.
To uphold and develop Marxism, we must integrate it with China's
specific realities. Taking Marxism as our guide means applying its worldview
and methodology to solving problems in China· it does not mean memorizing
and reciting its specific conclusions and lines and still less does it mean mean
treating it as a rigid dogma. We must continue to free our minds, seek truth from facts, move with the times, and take a realistic and pragmatic approach.
We must base everything on actual conditions and focus on solving
real problems arising in or reform, opening up, and socialist modernization
endeavors in the new era, We must keep responding to the questions posed by China, by the world, by the people, and by the times· in doing so we
should find the right answers suited to the realities of China and the needs of our day, reach conclusions that are compatible with objective laws, and
develop new theories that are in step with the times, so as to provide better
guidance for China's practice.
To uphold and develop Marxism, we must integrate it with China's fine
traditional culture. Only by taking root in the rich historical and cultural soil
of th e country and the nation can the truth of Marxism flourish here. With a
history stretching back to antiquity, China's fine traditional culture is
extensive and profound; it is the crystallization of the wisdom of Chinese
civilization. Our traditional culture espouses many important principles and
concepts, including pursuing common good for all; regarding the people as
the foundation of the state; governing by virtue; discarding the outdated in
favor of the new; selecting officials on the basis of merit; promoting harmony
between humanity and nature; ceaselessly pursuing self-improvement;
embracing the world with virtue; acting in good faith and being friendly to
others; and fostering neighborliness. These maxims, which have taken shape
over centuries of work and life, reflect the Chinese people's way of viewing
the universe, the world, society, and morality and are highly consistent with
the propositions of scientific socialism.
We must stay confident in our history and culture, make the past serve
the present, and develop the new from the old. We must integrate the essence
of Marxism with the best of fine traditional Chinese culture and with the
common values that our people intuitively apply in their everyday lives. We
should keep endowing Marxist theory with distinctive Chinese features and
consolidating the historical basis and public support for adapting Marxism to
the Chinese context and the needs of our times. With this, we will ensure that
Marxism puts down deep roots in China.
Just as there are no bounds to practice, there is no end to theoretical
innovation. It is the solemn historical responsibility of today's Chinese
Communists to continue opening new chapters in adapting Marxism to the
Chinese context and the needs of the times. To keep advancing theoretical
innovation on the basis of practical experience, we must, first of all, gain a
d and of the worldview and methodology of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and adhere to and make good use of its stances, viewpoints, and methods.
- We must put tlzepeoplefirst. People-centeredness is an essential attribute
of Marxism. Our Party's theories are from the people, for the people, and
beneficial to the people. The people's creative practices are the inexhaustible
source of our theoretical innovations. Theories that are detached from the
people will be feeble and ineffective, and theories that cannot deliver for the
people will be stale and lifeless. We must stand firmly with the people,
respond to their wishes, respect their creativity, and pool their wisdom to
develop theories that they like, accept, and adopt and that become powerful
tools guiding them in understanding and changing the world.
- We must maintain self-confidence and stand on our own feet. There has
never been an instruction manual or ready-made solution for the Chinese
people and the Chinese nation to turn to as they fought to end the great
sufferings endured since the advent of modern times and have moved on
toward the bright future of rejuvenation. The Party has led the people in
independently blazing the path to success over the past century, and the
success of Marxism in China has been realized by Chinese Communists
through our own endeavors. One point underpinning these successes is that
China's issues must be dealt with by Chinese people in light of the Chinese
context. We must remain firm in our conviction in Marxism and socialism
with Chinese characteristics and strengthen our confidence in the path, theory,
system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. With a stronger
sense of historical responsibility and creativity, we should make greater
contributions to the development of Marxism. We should never act blindly
without assessing how conditions have evolved or allow ourselves to become
ossified or closed off, nor should we mechanically imitate others or
indiscriminately absorb foreign ideas.
-We must uphold fundamental principles and break new ground. We are
advancing a great cause that none have attempted before. Only by upholding
fundamental principles can we avoid losing our bearings or making
catastrophic mistakes. Only by breaking new ground can we meet the call of
the day and shape the trends of our times. We should approach Marxism with
a respect for science and in the spirit of seeking truth. We must never waver
in upholding the basic tenets of Marxism, the overall leadership of the Party,
and socialism with Chinese characteristics. We should keep pace with the
times and adapt to the evolution of practice. We should approach each and
every new thing with great enthusiasm and never stop broadening and
deepening our understanding of the world. We must dare to say what has
never been said and do what has never been done, and we must use new
theory to guide new practice.
- We must adopt a problem-oriented approach. Problems represent the voice of the times. The fundamental task of theory is to respond to problems and
provide guidance for finding solutions The problems we face today are
considerably more complex, and resolving them has become much more
difficult. This presents a completely new challenge for theoretical innovation.
We must be more conscious of problems, especially new problems that are
discovered through practice, deep-seated problems affecting reform,
development, and stability, pressing concerns of the people, major issues in
the evolving global landscape, and prominent issues we face in Party building.
We should keep developing new thinking, new approaches, and new ways to
effectively resolve problems.
- We must apply systems thinking. All things are interconnected and
interdependent. We must view them with the understanding that they are
universally connected, part of a complete system, and constantly evolving if
we are to grasp the laws governing their development.
As a major developing country, China is still in the primary stage of
socialism and is going through an extensive and profound social
transformation. A small move made to advance reform and development or
to adjust interests may affect the bigger picture. We should be able to see the
present from a historical perspective, look beyond the surface to get to the
crux of issues, and properly manage the relationships between overall and
local interests, between the present and the future, between macro and micro
concerns, between primary and secondary issues, and between the special
and the ordinary. We should improve our ability to adopt a strategic
perspective and apply a historical, dialectical, and systematic approach to
thinking; we should get better at thinking creatively, thinking in terms of the
rule of law, and considering worst-case scenarios. By doing so, we can
develop a well-conceived approach to planning and advancing the endeavors
of the Party and the country on all fronts in a forward-looking and holistic
manner.
- We must maintain a global vision. The Communist Party of China is
dedicated to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for
the Chinese nation. It is also dedicated to human progress and world
harmony. We should expand our global vision and develop keen insight into
the trends of human development and progress, respond to the general
concerns of people of all countries, and play our part in resolving the common
issues facing humankind. With an open mind, we should draw inspiration
from all of human civilization's outstanding achievements and work to build
an even better world.
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