General Secretary Xi Jinping stated, “Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.” The new form of human advancement created by Chinese modernization is a form of civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Communist Party of China (CPC) brings together the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and led them to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and promote coordinated development in every dimension of material, political, cultural and ethical, social, and ecological advancement, with a new form of human advancement created. The Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China states that one of the essential requirements of Chinese modernization is “creating a new form of human advancement”. On the new journey of building a great country and national rejuvenation, we should continue to enrich and develop the new form of human advancement while upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

We must firmly stay on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The CPC always holds high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It not only adheres to the basic principles of scientific socialism but also keeps endowing it with distinctive Chinese features and makes it more relevant in the new era. We must firmly stay on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and ensure that Chinese modernization and the new form of human advancement keep advancing in the right direction. Therefore, constant progress in enriching and developing a new form of human advancement requires drawing on country governance philosophy and thinking from China’s fine traditional culture, extensively learning from all excellent achievements of global civilizations. We must not return to the isolation and rigidity of the past, or veer off course by changing our nature or abandoning our system. We must firmly stay on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and continuously promote the coordinated development in every dimension of material, political, cultural and ethical, social, and ecological advancement.

We must adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. The CPC adheres to Marxism as the fundamental guiding ideology, constantly deepens its understanding of the natural laws governing the governance of the Communist Party and the development of socialism and human society, constantly opens a new frontier in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times and provides scientific guidance for advancing Chinese modernization and creating a new form of human advancement. Therefore, constant progress in enriching and developing a new form of human advancement requires integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional culture, applying dialectical and historical materialism, focusing on 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 in Party building, finding the right answers suited to the realities of China and the needs of the times, and drawing on excellent ideological and cultural resources from the “sum of all human knowledge” to innovate and develop the Party’s theories, thereby guiding the enrichment and development of the new form of human advancement.

We must uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The CPC upholds and improves the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, continuously advances the modernization of the national governance system and capacity and has formed a complete set of institutional systems, including the fundamental, basic and important systems of socialism with Chinese characteristics, to provide a strong institutional guarantee for the steady progress of Chinese modernization and the new form of human advancement. Therefore, constant progress in enriching and developing a new form of human advancement requires gaining a deep insight into the general trend of world development, accurately grasping the common aspirations of the people, deeply exploring the laws governing economic and social development, upholding and improving the fundamental, basic and important institutions that underpin the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, focusing on solidifying foundations, consolidating strengths and minimizing weaknesses, building a complete, sound, scientific, standardized and effective institutional system, and providing a Chinese solution to humanity’s exploration of a better social system.

We must develop a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. The CPC adheres to and develops a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, ignites the cultural creativity of the entire nation and provides a powerful spiritual force for advancing Chinese modernization and developing the new form of human advancement. Therefore, constant progress in enriching and developing a new form of human advancement requires developing a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, deeply understanding the prominent continuity, originality, uniformity, inclusivity and peaceful nature of Chinese civilization, having stronger cultural confidence, raising awareness in Chinese culture, following the approach of openness and inclusiveness, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, focusing on upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics, rallying public support, fostering a new generation of young people, developing Chinese culture and better presenting China to the world, developing a sound, people-oriented socialist culture for the Chinese nation that embraces modernization, the world and the future, and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.

The new form of human advancement is created by the people under the leadership of the Party through successes and setbacks. As the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Party’s leadership directly relates to the fundamental direction, future fate and ultimate success of Chinese modernization and the new form of human advancement. Only by strengthening and improving the Party’s leadership and fulfilling the Party’s core role of exercising overall leadership and coordinating the efforts of all sides can the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics be promoted to keep moving forward, Chinese modernization be ensured to have a promising future and the new form of human advancement be continuously enriched and developed, in a bid to make new and greater contributions to the human progress.

Original article published in People’s Daily on August 25, 2023