On July 1, 2021, the conference to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, and people of all ethnic groups and all walks of life participated in the grand event. Beijing News reporter Tao Ran photographed
Text | Zhu Feng is the Executive Dean of the School of International Relations of Nanjing University
Looking at the long journey, it is exactly a hundred years of style.
General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech at the meeting to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China is a great declaration of the centennial party to adhere to its original mission and undertake the great task of national rejuvenation, comprehensively review the magnificent course of our party in seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation over the past 100 years, and enthusiastically praise the magnificent epic poem written by our party leading the Chinese people.
The speech fully declared our party's ambition to lead the people to embark on the new road of "catching up with the examination" to achieve the goal of the second centenary struggle, demonstrated the bright prospects of the Chinese nation marching toward great rejuvenation with unstoppable steps, and was a program of action that scientifically guided our party, the state, and the nation in pioneering the great cause of the past, inspiring people and also urging people to forge ahead.
Carry forward the great spirit of party building
Overcoming difficulties continues to move from victory to victory
In the process of founding the Communist Party of China, Li Dazhao firmly believed in "the highest ideal in life, and is seeking the truth" and shouted "I am willing to be this vanguard, nine deaths without remorse, although tens of millions of people are going to die"; Deng Enming regarded death as a homecoming, "I will not hesitate to die first, and then frequently comfort Jiuquan"; He Shuheng single-mindedly serves the people, "Absolutely cannot be foolish and cowardly for the sake of a family to seek promotion and fortune"...
Countless revolutionary predecessors have gone forward to succeed each other, watered their ideals with their blood, defended their homeland with their lives, written a red chapter stirring in the wind and thunder, and interpreted them with practical actions: adhere to the truth, adhere to the ideal, practice the original intention, undertake the mission, not afraid of sacrifice, heroic struggle, loyalty to the party, and the great spirit of party building that does not live up to the people.
The spirit of party building embodies the party's firm conviction, fundamental purpose, and fine work style, embodies the great character of the Chinese communists in arduous struggle, sacrifice and dedication, and forges ahead in a pioneering spirit, contains our spiritual code of "where we come from and where we go," is our party's precious spiritual wealth, and is even more a powerful spiritual motive force that encourages and inspires the people of all nationalities throughout the country to forge ahead bravely and rainy.)
The great spirit of party building expresses that the CPC, as a Marxist political party that serves the people wholeheartedly, has always adhered to the original intention and mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese and the people, and seeking rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.
It is precisely through keeping in mind and practicing the great spirit of party building that our party can gradually develop and grow under such a weak and small situation, be reborn again and again in desperate circumstances in the midst of bloody storms, and be able to continuously move from victory to victory in overcoming difficulties.
Therefore, the Communist Party of China was able to unite and lead the people to achieve the great achievements of the new-democratic revolution, the socialist revolution and construction, the new great revolution of reform and opening up, and socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and the Chinese nation ushered in a great leap from standing up and getting rich to becoming strong.
The spirit of party building is a powerful spiritual motive force that encourages and inspires the people of all nationalities throughout the country to bravely advance. The picture shows the audience visiting in front of the historical group painting "Sunrise in the East - From Shikumen to Tiananmen" at a major memorial hall of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
The spirit of "catching up with the exam" has been passed on from generation to generation
The Chinese Communists have never stopped moving forward
On the eve of the victory of the national revolution, Mao Zedong for the first time put forward the historical proposition of "catching up with the examination." The CPC Central Committee held the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh CENTRAL Committee, and the Chinese Communists represented by Mao Zedong conscientiously resolved how to build an independent, democratic, and prosperous new China; how to maintain the party's advanced nature and purity after coming to power; and how to sublimate theory in revolutionary practice, forming the "Xibaipo Spirit."
"Catching up with the examination" vividly regards the practice of ruling the country as the people's "examination" for our party, endows it with rich and profound ideological connotations, runs through far-reaching political considerations for consolidating the party's ruling position and undertaking the historical mission of long-term ruling, and lays an important ideological foundation for our party to live up to the people's trust and is worthy of historical choice. The spirit of "catching up with the examination" has been passed down from generation to generation, and the chinese communists have never stopped the pace of "catching up with the examination," and the string of "catching up with the examination" has always been very tight and has not slackened in the slightest.
Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that "the 'catch-up examination' facing the party is far from over", and it is necessary to "always maintain the enterprising spirit of hard work and achievement, always maintain the party's advanced nature and purity, and answer the answer sheet of the new era with the soberness and firmness of 'catching up with the examination'". This is the inheritance and development of the spirit of "catching up with the examination". At present, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and the biggest test topic is to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
The boat to the middle of the stray is more urgent, and the road to the middle of the mountain is steeper. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is by no means something that can be achieved easily by beating a gong and a drum, and the "catching up with the examination" facing the party is far from over. The times are the people who produce the papers, the people are the people who read the papers, and our party is the people who answer the papers. Today's world is experiencing major changes unprecedented in a century, our country is in a critical period of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the mission before the Chinese communists is more glorious, the task is more arduous, the challenge is more severe, we must accurately identify changes, respond to changes scientifically, take the initiative to seek changes, always maintain the soberness and firmness of "catching up with the examination," and strive to write a more brilliant chapter on the road of the new Long March.
The hundred-year journey is magnificent, and the original intention of the hundred-year journey has lasted for a long time. On the road of "catching up with the examination", the true color is still the same, the original intention has not changed, and the "catching up with the examination" has been given a new connotation of the times. The opportunity of history needs to be grasped, and the glorious mission is waiting to be completed. On the way forward, only by always maintaining the soberness and firmness of "catching up with the examination" can we better keep the original intention and undertake the mission. The road to "catching up with the exam" is a relay run, which needs to be run with one stick after another, so we must rely on Chinese youth and Chinese teenagers!
Please rest assured that the strong country has me
Young people are the new force in this trend of endeavor
A generation has a generation's long march, and a generation has a generation's mission. "There is faith in the heart, and there is strength under the feet." Youth is a critical period for a person's growth and development, and it is particularly important to establish correct ideals and beliefs and value pursuits.
Li Dazhao exhorted the youth: The earth is a white head, and our people are still young, and with our youth, soften the white head of the earth, although it is still old. The beauty of youth is not idle and happy, but in full of enthusiasm and momentum, and young people always have the heart of struggle and move forward heroically.
Judging from the historical dimension, the ideals and beliefs, mental state, and comprehensive quality of the younger generation are related to whether the cause of the party and the state can be passed on from generation to generation and succeeded by others; from the perspective of time, young people are not only witnesses and participants in the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and marching toward the second centenary goal, but also the fresh force of struggle and the main body of benefit.
It is the responsibility of every generation of young people to let their youth shine brilliantly in their dedication to the country and the people. Young people have dreams, do not hesitate, and be pioneers, in order to cast a better self, but also to achieve "youth China".
Compared with the older generation, this generation of young people has enjoyed the dividends of reform and opening up since childhood, bid farewell to material poverty, stayed away from the lack of information, and thrived with the strength of the motherland, and the young people have more solid knowledge, a broader vision, and a broader world.
In the new era, Chinese young people should cherish this era, but also shoulder the mission of the times, experience in the course of responsibility, grow up in the course of responsibility, so that the newborn calves are not afraid of tigers, the more difficult and dangerous the more forward, the strong and courageous, become the most distinctive background of Chinese youth in the new era.
Young people should be patriotic guards. The core of the "May Fourth" spirit is patriotism, progress, democracy, and science, and patriotism has never been an empty slogan, but a responsibility that resonates in the heart. Young people must have patriotic aspirations, the soul of rejuvenating the country, and the courage to strengthen the country, so that patriotic feelings can be transformed into patriotic actions.
As Chen Duxiu said: "Youth is like the early spring, like the sun, like the budding of the hundred flowers, like the new hair of the sharp blade, and the most precious period of life." Youth is like a fresh and lively cell in society." Today is the era of "double creation", and young people should be the vanguard of "double creation" and strive to play a role as a fresh force in this trend of endeavor.
Young people are in the golden period of life, the ideological realm should also be in the golden period, in different positions to contribute to society, "as long as you can cultivate a flower, you may wish to do decaying grass." A person who only cares for himself is not enough to become a great instrument, on the contrary, dedicating youth to the motherland and the people, contributing to the public interest, as a model of dedication, will reveal an impressive "head" among young people.
Young people must also be the role models of civilization. With the most active, most active and most vigorous force, take the lead in carrying forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture, take the lead in practicing the core values of socialism, take the lead in pursuing goodness and beauty, and lead the new wind. The fiery youth should be the youth of civilization, and the youth of civilization should be the beautiful image of youth. Young people cannot be spectators in the trend of the times, let alone pass by in the rivers of years, so that they can be worthy of this era.
The original heart is like a rock, the drumming is the right time; the mission is on the shoulders, and it is even more necessary to raise the sails. We know that there is still a long way to go, and we are full of confidence and strength to win. Thousands of mountains and rivers have passed at the foot, and the wind and rain will set off again. Young people should face the sea and step on the waves with the determination of "the wind and rain do not move like a mountain", the tenacity of "the more difficult and dangerous the more forward", and the passion of "now taking a step from the beginning", face the sea, step on the waves, exert force from the real place, and use struggle to make a sound.
On May 4, 2021, in the National Flag Square, a major memorial of the Communist Party of China, young people participating in the "May Fourth" theme rally took a group photo of themselves. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
Peaceful development is mutually beneficial and win-win
Walk on your own path with your head held high
Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Chinese people have embarked on a successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In terms of foreign relations, we have also always adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace, taken the path of peaceful development, pursued a strategy of mutual benefit and win-win opening up, firmly upheld the basic norms governing international relations, safeguarded international fairness and justice, conformed to the trend of the times of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, and took our own road well, handled our own affairs well, and sought well-being for our own country and even the people of all countries.
However, some Western countries, relying on their scientific and technological and economic advantages, have spared no effort to export their value concepts and institutional models while exporting capital, and have carried out "color revolutions" in some areas, resulting in many countries successively falling into the quagmire of political civil strife and economic stagnation.
"Western countries often can't resist the impulse to play the role of a teacher in front of China and China's leaders, and this good teacher often stems from arrogance and thus hits a wall." Perhaps, Western countries should put their bodies at ease and let fair competition play a role. Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt's words at that time expressed the eternal truth of the international community.
The interests and goals of any country and its guarantee mission are strategic tasks of the state apparatus and state forces as a whole, with internal logic and mutual coherence, coordination and mutual support. Behind diplomatic action, it needs the guarantee and support of strong and multifaceted national and social forces.
Diplomacy has its own fields of work and objects, as well as its own scientific planning and career requirements. The discussion and judgment of diplomatic work is not just a simple "soft and hard", let alone a simple breeze or a criticism, but according to specific diplomatic issues, in terms of reasonable means and benefits, short-term and long-term balance, must be through multi-level, multi-channel, all-round perspective, in order to analyze, judge and design the professional work and national actions.
Chinese society's understanding of diplomacy is often characterized by diversity. But judging diplomacy is not a clear talk, not a slogan, still less a show of determination. Only by establishing and cultivating an objective, accurate, scientific and comprehensive international consciousness and world vision, understanding and clarifying China's strategic goal of continuously achieving the rise of a great power, and scientifically using the knowledge system, can we be calm, fair and rational in judging China's diplomacy.
Major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics is based on the theoretical system of Xi Jinping's diplomatic thought and theory as the core content and continues to develop and improve. As a major achievement in the construction of China's diplomatic theory, Xi Jinping Diplomatic Thought has a systematic, complete and scientific theoretical system, which guides China's diplomacy to continuous victory and has an ever-expanding international influence.
Under the guidance of this diplomatic concept of equal treatment and mutually beneficial cooperation, China has never imposed its own institutional model, development path and values on other countries. China has chosen to follow its own path, and there is no textbook that can be enshrined as a golden rule, let alone a teacher who commands the Chinese people. The fate of China's development and progress will be firmly in the hands of the Chinese people themselves, and they will stride forward on the road they have chosen!
Beijing News special writer | Zhu Feng (Executive Dean, School of International Relations, Nanjing University)
Edit | He Rui
Proofreading | Janin