Xu Lin:
Due to time constraints, we will only take one more question.
People's Daily:
General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed on many occasions the need to carry forward the revolutionary spirit, glorious traditions, and fine conduct of the CPC. What are the revolutionary spirit, glorious traditions, and fine conduct that the CPC has forged in its hundred years of history? What is the significance of carrying them forward into the new era? Thank you.
Qu Qingshan:
One of the purposes of launching a campaign on Party history learning and education is to further carry forward the revolutionary spirit, glorious traditions, and fine conduct of the CPC and to inspire Party officials and the general public to march toward a brand new journey in high spirit in the new era.
The CPC attaches great importance to the role of the revolutionary spirit. Comrade Mao Zedong once pointed out that man must have some inner force. General Secretary Xi Jinping has also emphasized on many occasions that for individuals, inner force is important, as it is for a nation. Over the past century, the CPC has united and led the people of all ethnic groups across the country to create not only enormous material wealth but also a great revolutionary spirit. The Research Institute of Party History and Documents of the CPC Central Committee has been working on a project that focuses on how the CPC spirit has evolved over time. According to incomplete statistics, there have been more than 90 different branches of revolutionary spirit forged and developed by the Party throughout different historical periods.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has talked about many types of revolutionary spirit. He has mentioned more than 40 kinds of revolutionary spirit, as well discussed and elaborated on more than 20 others, including the Red Boat Spirit, the spirit of Jinggang Mountains, the Long March spirit, the Yan'an spirit, the spirit of resisting aggression, the Xibaipo spirit, the spirit forged in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953), the spirit of the "Iron Man" Wang Jinxi, the spirit of Daqing, the spirit of Jiao Yulu, the spirit of Lei Feng, the spirit of Wang Jie, the spirit of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project, the spirit of the Special Administrative Region, the spirit of manned spaceflight, the spirit of quake relief, the spirit of model workers, the spirit of combating the COVID-19 epidemic, and the spirit of lunar exploration. At a grand gathering to mark the nation's poverty alleviation accomplishments and honor model poverty fighters on Feb. 25, General Secretary Xi Jinping also summarized how China has cultivated a spirit of poverty alleviation.
In the 1950s and 1960s, in order to change China's unfavorable situation in its oil industry, oil drilling workers at the time, as represented by Comrade Wang Jinxi, shouted slogans and made a vow: "I would give up 20 years of life so China can produce oil on its own land." The workers strove to "take off its oil-poor hat and cast it into the Pacific Ocean." In order to suppress a blowout at the oilfield, Wang Jinxi jumped into a mud pool and mixed the mud using his body, leading him to be hailed as the "Iron Man." Many people have seen the photo that captures that moment. We were moved, inspired, and encouraged by the spirit that the "Iron Man" Wang forged through his practical actions and noble qualities. He died at 47.
Since the founding of the CPC, the Party has always attached importance to cultivating fine traditions and conduct. At the seventh CPC National Congress in 1945, Comrade Mao Zedong put forward the three fine conducts of the Party. It was the first time that we had made such a summary. Later, these fine conducts were developed and enriched in practice and gradually forged into a series of glorious traditions for the Party such as staying loyal to the Party, seeking truth from facts, combining theory with practice, maintaining close contact with the people, conducting criticism and self-criticism, adhering to democratic centralism, maintaining modesty and prudence, being free from arrogance and impetuosity, working hard, staying pragmatic, and having the courage to fight and the mettle to win.
The revolutionary spirit and the glorious traditions and fine conduct of the CPC are precious to the spiritual wealth of the Party and the country. It is a comprehensive manifestation of the ideals and beliefs, moral character, work style, and morale of CPC members. It carries the original aspirations and mission of CPC members and inspires the entire Party and the country to bravely forge ahead. In the journey to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we are faced with many risks and challenges which require us to continue to carry forward the revolutionary spirit, glorious traditions, and fine conduct, as well as invigorate our fighting spirit and continue to create more brilliant achievements! Thank you!
Xu Lin:
The press conference is hereby concluded. Thank you, speakers and friends from the media. Thank you all.
Translated and edited by Zhang Liying, Zhang Junmian, Zhang Rui, Liu Qiang, Zhu Bochen, Chen Xia, Zhang Jiaqi, Gong Yingchun, Fan Junmei, Wang Yanfang, He Shan, Wang Yiming, Li Huiru, Huang Shan, Xu Xiaoxuan, Wang Qian, Wang Wei, Li Xiao, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.
