Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era
Today, as China is undergoing extensive and profound social changes, it is also engaging in reform and innovation unique in human history. On the basis of its tremendous achievements since 1949, particularly since the late 1970s, China now stands at a new starting point, and Chinese socialism has entered a new era. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was created and has developed in the course as the Chinese nation rose up, became prosperous, and grew strong.
Since the Party's 18th National Congress in 2012, the Central Committee with Xi Jinping (b. 1953) at its core has put forward a number of new concepts, new visions, and new strategies for governance and shown how socialism with Chinese characteristics should develop in the new era, thus giving shape to the thought.
The thought was first summarized at the Party's 19th National Congress in 2017, established as a long-term guiding thought of the CPC, and written into the Party's Constitution as an updated guiding thought. In March 2018 at the First Session of the 13th NPC, it was written into the Constitution of the PRC, thus turning the Party's guiding thought into that of the state and updating both.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era encompasses the overall goal, overarching task, overall plan, overall strategy, modes and driving forces of development, external conditions, and political guarantees. It provides theoretical analysis of and policy guidance to the economy, politics, rule of law, science and technology, culture, education, wellbeing, ethnic affairs, religious affairs, society, ecological conservation, national security, defense and the military, "one country, two systems" and China's reunification, the united front, foreign affairs, and Party development. The core of the thought is upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era makes the following eight priorities clear:
– It makes clear that the overarching task of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics is to realize socialist modernization and national rejuvenation, and that, on the basis of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, a two-step approach should be taken to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of the century.
– It makes clear that the principal problem facing Chinese society in the new era is unbalanced and inadequate development holding back the people's ever-growing desire for a better life. We must therefore continue commitment to our people-centered philosophy of development and work to promote well-rounded human development and common prosperity for everyone.
– It makes clear that the overall plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics is the Five-sphere Integrated Plan, and the overall strategy is the Four-pronged Comprehensive Strategy. It highlights the importance of fostering stronger confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
– It makes clear that the overall goal of continuing reform in every field is to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernize China's system and capacity for governance.
– It makes clear that the overall goal of comprehensively advancing law-based governance is to establish a system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and build a country of socialist rule of law.
– It makes clear that the Party's goal of building a strong military in the new era is to build the people's armed forces into world-class forces that obey the Party's command, are able to fight and win, and maintain excellent conduct.
– It makes clear that major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics aims to foster a new form of international relations and build a community with a shared future for humanity.
– It makes clear that the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China; the greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China; the Party is the paramount force for political leadership. It sets forth the general requirements for strengthening the Party in the new era and underlines the importance of the political element in internal governance of the Party.
The thought also emphasizes 14 points:
•Ensuring Party leadership over all work,
•Committing to a people-centered approach,
•Continuing to deepen reform in all respects,
•Adopting a new concept for development,
•Committing to the people's role as the masters of the country,
•Ensuring every dimension of governance is law-based,
•Upholding core socialist values,
•Ensuring and improving living standards through development,
•Ensuring harmony between human and nature,
•Pursuing a holistic approach to national security,
•Upholding absolute Party leadership over the people's armed forces,
•Upholding the principle of "one country, two systems" and promoting national reunification,
•Promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and
•Exercising full and strict self-governance of the Party.
The above eight priorities and 14 points are an integrated whole that sums up the CPC's experience in developing Chinese socialism. They mark a new height of the central leadership's understanding of the Party's governance, Chinese socialism, and social evolution.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era builds on and further enriches Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. It represents the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and encapsulates the practical experience and collective wisdom of the CPC and the Chinese people. It is an important component of the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and serves as the guide for promoting socialism in the new era and as an action program for all CPC members and the Chinese people as they strive to achieve national rejuvenation.
习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想
当代中国正经历着历史上最为广泛而深刻的社会变革，也正在进行着人类历史上最为宏大而独特的实践创新。在新中国成立以来特别是改革开放以来取得的重大成就基础上，中国发展站到了新的历史起点上，中国特色社会主义进入新时代。习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，正是在中华民族迎来从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃中创立并不断丰富发展的。
2012年中共十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的中共中央在系统回答“新时代坚持和发展什么样的中国特色社会主义”这一重大时代课题中，提出一系列治国理政新理念新思想新战略，形成了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想。2017年10月，中共十九大概括和提出了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，将其确立为中国共产党必须长期坚持的指导思想并写进党章，实现了党的指导思想的与时俱进。2018年3月，十三届全国人大一次会议将习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想载入宪法，实现了从党的指导思想向国家指导思想的转化，实现了国家指导思想的与时俱进。
习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想内涵十分丰富，包括新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的总目标、总任务、总体布局、战略布局和发展方式、发展动力、战略步骤、外部条件、政治保证等方面的基本问题，并根据新的实践对经济、政治、法治、科技、文化、教育、民生、民族、宗教、社会、生态文明、国家安全、国防和军队、“一国两制”和祖国统一、统一战线、外交、党的建设等各方面作出理论分析和政策指导。习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的核心要义是坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，核心内容是中共十九大报告概括的“八个明确”和“十四个坚持”。
“八个明确”，就是明确坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，总任务是实现社会主义现代化和中华民族伟大复兴，在全面建成小康社会的基础上，分两步走在本世纪中叶建成富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国；明确新时代我国社会主要矛盾是人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾，必须坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，不断促进人的全面发展、全体人民共同富裕；明确中国特色社会主义事业总体布局是“五位一体”、战略布局是“四个全面”，强调坚定道路自信、理论自信、制度自信、文化自信；明确全面深化改革总目标是完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化；明确全面推进依法治国总目标是建设中国特色社会主义法治体系、建设社会主义法治国家；明确党在新时代的强军目标是建设一支听党指挥、能打胜仗、作风优良的人民军队，把人民军队建设成为世界一流军队；明确中国特色大国外交要推动构建新型国际关系，推动构建人类命运共同体；明确中国特色社会主义最本质的特征是中国共产党领导，中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势是中国共产党领导，党是最高政治领导力量，提出新时代党的建设总要求，突出政治建设在党的建设中的重要地位。
“十四个坚持”，就是坚持党对一切工作的领导，坚持以人民为中心，坚持全面深化改革，坚持新发展理念，坚持人民当家作主，坚持全面依法治国，坚持社会主义核心价值体系，坚持在发展中保障和改善民生，坚持人与自然和谐，坚持总体国家安全观，坚持党对人民军队的绝对领导，坚持“一国两制”和推进祖国统一，坚持推动构建人类命运共同体，坚持全面从严治党。
“八个明确”和“十四个坚持”有机融合、有机统一，凝结着中国共产党坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的宝贵经验，反映了以习近平同志为核心的中共中央对中国特色社会主义规律性认识的深化、拓展、升华，体现了理论与实际相结合、认识论和方法论相统一的鲜明特色，使中国共产党对共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律、人类社会发展规律的认识达到了新高度。
习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想是对马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想、科学发展观的继承和发展，是马克思主义中国化最新成果，是中国共产党和中国人民实践经验和集体智慧的结晶，是中国特色社会主义理论体系的重要组成部分，是新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义、推进中国特色社会主义事业的基本遵循，是为实现中华民族伟大复兴而奋斗的行动指南。