A Summary of the Development Course of the Basic Issues of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

Rui SU

College of Marxism, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China

Abstract Socialism with Chinese characteristics is a great cause without experience for reference. Under the general theme of adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics are specifically composed of three aspects: the ruling construction of the Communist Party of China, the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the development of human society. In the process of realizing the great leap of the Chinese nation to stand up, become rich, and become strong, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping, have relayed to explore the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics over the past 70 years, and constantly deepen their understanding of the laws governing the construction of the ruling party, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society.

Key words Socialism with Chinese characteristics, Basic issues, Development course, Great leap

1 Introduction

Socialism with Chinese characteristics is a banner, road, system and cause, it is a simple word, but the connotation is extremely rich. In his speech at the opening ceremony of the spring term of the Central Party School on March 1, 2008, Xi Jinping clearly pointed out that, "To build and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, the most fundamental thing is to clearly understand and scientifically answer the three basic questions: What is socialism? How to build socialism, how to build the party? How to develop?"[1].

Founding, creating, upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics is not only a great chapter, but also a great cause. Horizontally, it is a systematic project, and vertically, it is also a relay project. Therefore, these basic issues inevitably need to be explored from generation to generation. In the process of realizing the great leap of the Chinese nation to stand up, become rich and become strong, the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics have also shown an extraordinary course of development.

2 The course of development

As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the ceremony of awarding national medals and honorary titles on September 29, 2019, "All great achievements are the result of continuous struggle, and all great undertakings need to be promoted in the course of carrying forward the past and opening up the future."[2]Socialism with Chinese characteristics is such a great achievement and great cause.

2.1 The great leap of standing upDuring the period of new democratic revolution, socialist revolution and socialist construction, under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong thought, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Comrade Mao Zedong, led the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to think about standing up and what kind of party to be built around the core task of how to "stand up", to think about standing up and how to build the party. They put forward the important ideas and practical methods of strengthening the construction of the ruling party, such as the "two musts", enhancement of close relations between the party and the masses, and opposing privilege. They thought about standing up and what kind of socialism to be built, how to stand up and how to build socialism, put forward the socialist development goals and steps, and put forward the ideas and practical methods of socialist construction, such as dealing with the ten major relations in the process of socialist construction. They thought about standing up and what kind of development to be achieved, how to stand up and how to develop, and put forward the ideas and practical methods of promoting and realizing the development of human society, such as "the purpose of development is to improve the lives of the masses".

After the bloody struggle of the new democratic revolution, the new China stood up. After the socialist revolution, socialism stood up in China. Through the arduous exploration of socialist construction, the Chinese people, society, science and technology, and diplomacy stood up. The most important thing is that it laid the foundation for later prosperity, provided positive and negative experience, and became a direct source.

2.2 A great leap forward in getting richIn the new period of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong thought, especially under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "three represents" and the scientific concept of development, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, led the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country around the core task of "getting rich" to think about how to get rich and what kind of party to be built, and thought about getting rich and how to build the party.

Deng Xiaoping Theory puts forward a series of important ideas and practical methods to strengthen the construction of the ruling party, such as "building our party into a Marxist party with combat effectiveness and a strong core leading the people of the whole country in the construction of socialist material and spiritual civilization"[3]. The important thought of "three represents" puts forward the important ideas and practical methods of strengthening the construction of the ruling party, such as "two major historical topics" and "two vanguards". The scientific concept of development puts forward the important ideas and practical methods of strengthening the construction of the ruling party of Marxism, such as "building the party into the Marxist ruling party for the public and being in power for the people, seeking truth, pragmatism, reform and innovation, hard struggle, integrity, vitality, unity and harmony" and "building a learning-oriented, service-oriented and innovative Marxist ruling party". They thought about getting rich and what kind of socialism to be built and how to build socialism. Deng Xiaoping Theory puts forward the ideas and practical methods of socialist construction, such as the essence and principles of socialism. The important thought of "three represents" puts forward the ideas and practical methods of socialist construction, such as promoting the socialist market economic system. The scientific concept of development puts forward the ideas and practical methods of socialist construction, such as "social harmony is the essential attribute of socialism with Chinese characteristics"[6]. They thought about getting rich and what kind of development to be achieved, and how to get rich and how to develop. Deng Xiaoping Theory puts forward the ideas and practical methods of promoting and realizing the development of human society, such as "relying on one’s own development" and "faster development". The important thought of "three represents" puts forward the thought and practical methods of promoting and realizing the development of human society, such as "taking development as the first important task for the party to govern and rejuvenate the country". The scientific concept of development puts forward the ideas and practical methods of promoting and realizing the development of human society, such as "attaching importance to the development of people’s livelihood" and "comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development".

After more than 30 years of keeping a low profile and striving for development, and after more than 30 years of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, China has become the largest party with the largest number of party members in the world and the second largest economy in the world. The exploration in the new period has accumulated wealth, strength and experience for the later prosperity.

2.3 A great leap forward in getting strongIn the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "three represents" and the scientific concept of development, especially under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as the main representative, are leading the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country around the core task of how to be powerful, and thinking about what kind of party to be built, and how to build the party. They put forward a series of important ideas and practical methods to strengthen the construction of the ruling party, such as "building the party into a Marxist ruling party that is always in the forefront of the times, wholeheartedly supported by the people, brave in self-revolution, able to withstand all kinds of winds and waves, and full of vitality" and "honest cadres, incorruptible government, and clean and just politics". They thought about getting powerful and what kind of socialism to be built and how to build socialism, and put forward the ideas and practical methods of socialist construction, such as "the leadership of the Communist Party of China as the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics". They thought about getting powerful and what kind of development to be realized and how to develop, and put forward the ideas and practical methods to promote and realize the development of human society, such as "innovation, coordination, green, openness, sharing", "people-centered" and "high-quality development".

Through comprehensive construction, scientific development, overall promotion, and building a community with a shared future for mankind, this will help to realize the third great leap forward in the new era to make the party strong, socialism strong, and the development of human society strong.

3 Realistic inspiration

The development process of the theory and practice of the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics is both brilliant and magnificent. At the end of the study, it puts forward three fundamental principles for exploring the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

3.1 To study the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, we must deeply implement the basic theories, especially Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new eraThe party’s basic theory is guided by Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "three represents", the scientific concept of development, and Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. The Communist Party of China has always attached great importance to theoretical construction and theoretical guidance. Today, the primary political task of mastering the party’s basic theory is to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. In daily work, life and study, in the process of promoting the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics and realizing the strengthening of the Chinese nation, we should consciously arm our minds, guide practice, and promote work with Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

3.2 To study the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, we must accurately grasp the basic national conditions of the primary stage of socialism and unswervingly adhere to the party’s basic line"One center, two basic points" are not only the party’s basic line, but also the lifeline of the party and the country. Adhering to the party’s basic line is the most reliable guarantee so that our cause can withstand the test of risks and realize Chinese dream smoothly.

In the new era, in the process of promoting the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must unswervingly adhere to the party’s basic line. The key is that first, we must always take economic construction as the central task and unify one center and two basic points in the great practice of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and we must never waver at any time. Second, we must firmly grasp the basic national conditions that our country is in and will be in the primary stage of socialism for a long time, and firmly grasp that the principal contradiction in our society has been transformed into a contradiction between the people’s growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development.

For the transformation of the principal contradiction in our society, it is necessary to grasp the dialectical relationship between "changing" and "unchanged". What is changing is the principal contradiction of our society in the new era, and what is unchanged is that the primary stage of socialism is still our "greatest reality" and "greatest national conditions". By constantly exploring and answering the basic questions of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we will gradually eliminate imbalances and inadequate factors, and gradually realize the new pursuit of the people’s needs for a better life.

In accordance with the requirements of the new era, we should firmly adhere to the party’s basic line, strive to promote China’s high-quality economic development, better solve various problems in our society, and better realize the all-round development of various undertakings. We will better explore the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

3.3 To study the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, we must resolutely implement the basic strategyThe 19th CPC National Congress put forward the "14 principles" of upholding the party’s leadership over all work, taking the people as the center, comprehensively deepening reform, and adhering to the new concept of development as the basic strategy for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

The basic strategy is rich in content and effective in methods, including upholding the overall leadership of the party and administering the party strictly in an all-round way, including the "five in one" and "four comprehensive" needed for socialist construction, the building of national defense and the army, the maintenance of national security, "one country, two systems" and the reunification of the motherland, and foreign strategies, including the new development concept needed for the development of human society and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. It can be said that from the combination of theory and practice, it has profoundly answered the major questions of the times on how to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. This also profoundly answers the basic question of how to continue to promote socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

There are 14 basic strategies, each of which has strong realistic pertinence and guidance. In line with our practical work, we should comprehensively implement the party’s basic strategy, continue to put forward new basic strategies and improve existing basic strategies in practice, ensure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and win the great victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

4 Conclusion

In his speech at the meeting celebrating the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up on December 18, 2018, Xi Jinping pointed out that the original theoretical achievements and great achievements made by the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Comrade Mao Zedong, in the socialist revolution and construction, have provided valuable experience, theoretical preparation and material basis for creating socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new historical period.

After the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Comrade Deng Xiaoping, scientifically answered a series of basic questions on building socialism with Chinese characteristics and successfully created socialism with Chinese characteristics. After the fourth plenary session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Comrade Jiang Zemin, deepened their understanding of what socialism is, how to build socialism, what kind of party to be built, and how to build the party, and successfully pushed socialism with Chinese characteristics into the 21st century. After the 16th CPC National Congress, the Chinese Communists, mainly represented by Comrade Hu Jintao, profoundly understood and answered such major questions as what kind of development to be realized and how to develop under the new situation, and successfully adhered to and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics at a new historical starting point. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has led the whole party and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to profoundly answer the question on what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to be upheld and developed in the new era and how to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics[7].

By unremittingly exploring the theory and practice of the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Chinese Communists have continuously deepened their understanding of the laws governing the construction of the ruling party, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society.

In short, the purpose of studying the development process of the basic issues of socialism with Chinese characteristics is to learn from history, learn wisdom from history, master laws, grasp the path, better move forward, and open up the future.