EP3-President Xi's Cultural Thought (Domain 1: Essential Elements & Key Characteristics)

To understand President Xi's Cultural Thought, it is important to first understand the highly powerful national ideology of China - Marxism.

Marxism is deeply rooted in China’s political ideology. It is the spiritual DNA of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In the early days of the founding of the CPC in 1921, the Party began to explore the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and cultural elements. The Sinicization of Marxism was proposed at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party in 1938 and became the foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It remains the core ideology and emblem of the Party. President Xi Jinping emphasized the significant role of Marxism in shaping the Party's ideology and the development of China on various occasions.

President Xi Jinping highlighted that Marxism should be well utilized to observe, grasp, and lead the era. And to ensure the vitality of Marxism, the Party shall continuously adapt, progress, as well as address the major questions raised by the transformative era.

“We deeply implement the people-centered development philosophy.” —President Xi Jinping

“We must uphold the supremacy of the people. Affinity with the people is the essential attribute of Marxism. The theory of the Communist Party of China is a theory that comes from the people, for the people, and benefits the people. The people's creative practice is an inexhaustible source of theoretical innovation. All theories distanced from the people are pale and weak, and all theories that do not benefit the people have no vitality. It is necessary for us to stand firm from the people's position, grasp people's wishes, respect people's creation, consolidate people's wisdom, and form a theory that is loved, recognized and owned by the people.” —President Xi Jinping

“Scientific socialism has radiated new vitality in China in the 21st century. Chinese-style modernization provides new options for mankind to achieve modernization.” —President Xi Jinping

President Xi Jinping places high emphasis in the mutually-reinforcing and synergistic relationship between theory (scientific reasoning) and practice (practical action) - thereby fostering China's societal advancement through the Party’s adherence to its original aspiration and mission of its founding spirit, complemented by continuous effort in truth exploration.

Karl Marx also once said:  Ideas could not be profitably studied in isolation, since they were an inseparable part of the activity of individuals and groups, and were literally  unintelligible unless seen as an aspect of the total activity of men. Theory must not be viewed as something distinct from practice.

President Xi's Cultural Thought is the ideological crystallization of Marxist cultural theory. Through inheriting, developing, enriching, nourishing and upgrading Marxist cultural theory, President Xi's Cultural Thought is a special cultural chapter of Chinese-style socialism in the new era.