People's Daily Commentary: Study Party History, Understand Theories, Do Practical Work and Make New Advances—Studying and Implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Speech at the Party History Study and Education Mobilization Meeting
We can grasp the essence of many problems by understanding where we came from and where we are going.
At a mobilization meeting on Party history learning and education, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that all Party members should learn about the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC), so as to understand the theories of the CPC, stay firm to our aspirations, carry forward the revolutionary spirits and guide our actions. Xi Jinping urged efforts from all Party members to study the Party's history, understand its theories, do practical work and make new advances, thus to embark on a new journey of fully building a modern socialist China in high spirit and to welcome the Party's centenary with outstanding achievements. To conduct Party history learning and education, we must learn and implement the spirit of important speeches made by General Secretary Xi Jinping, focus on key issues, raise explicit requirements, work for solid outcomes and draw wisdom and strength from the Party's glorious century-long struggle to move forward.
We should first learn the history if we are to obtain enlightment. To learn about the history of the Party requires us to further understand the laws and trends of history and to take the initiative in the cause of the Party and the country. History has its own laws, but it doesn't mean that people are passive in the course of history. In its century-long struggle, our Party has always made full use of the basic tenets of Marxism to grasp the general trend, handled the relationship between the world and China in a proper manner, and seized every historical opportunity. To conduct Party history learning and education, we should educate and guide all Party members to bear in mind the strategic landscape of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the once-in-a-century major shift in the world landscape. With a conception of macro-history, the Party is able to delve into the reasons for changes and the laws of history from the past, the current trend and the international situation, based on which flexible strategies and methods can be given, thus making our work more systematic, prescient and creative.
Guiding principles represent the spirit of a Party. To understand the Party's theories is to understand that Marxism is the truth and can be applied in practice. We should always align ourselves with the latest achievements of the Party's theoretical innovation and use them to guide practice and advance work. Our Party's history is a history of continuously adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and a history of theoretical explorations. To conduct Party history learning and education, we should educate and guide all Party members to learn how Marxism has profoundly changed China and the world through studying the extraordinary history of the Party. In particularly, the historic achievements and shifts in the cause of the Party and the country since the 18th CPC National Congress must be included in the education. All Party members should master the theoretical innovation of the Party in the new era, fully understand the scientific and truthful nature of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and have a good command of the Marxist stance, viewpoint and methodology in these theories, so as to strengthen the Party's political consciousness. Taking a clear-cut political stand as well as safeguarding the Party's unity and solidarity is the CPC's lifelines, and the key to its endeavors of building a large political party with a 100-year history and making historic achievements. We should closely follow the Party Central Committee and improve our political judgment, understanding and execution.
People represent the nation, and nation is made up of people. To do practical work requires us to deepen our understanding of the nature and purpose of the Party and to uphold the spirit of a Marxist political party. Throughout its 100-year history, the Party has been staying true to its original aspiration and founding mission, and it has been of one mind with the people, breathed the same breath as the people, and shared weal and woe with the people. Generation after generation of the Party members forged ahead with resolve. A series of great spirits came into being in this process, which have not only established a framework of the spirits of the CPC, but also provided abundant nourishment for the Party to thrive. To conduct Party history learning and education, we should educate and guide all Party members to keep in mind that the people come before all else and strive to help the people fulfill their desire for a better life. All Party members should carry forward the traditions from revolutionary times, maintain the brave spirit of the revolutionaries, and march toward a brand new journey. We should work to ensure that the gains of reform and development benefit all our people in a fairer way and that more notable and substantial progress will be made in achieving common prosperity for everyone. The Party should cement the unity of 1.4 billion Chinese people to create an unstoppable force to push forward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
To learn about the history is to embrace a better future. To break new ground requires us to further summarize the Party's past experiences so as to improve the ability to address risks and challenges. "Achieving national rejuvenation will be no walk in the park; it will take more than drum beating and gong clanging to get there," said General Secretary Xi Jinping. In order to better cope with all kinds of foreseeable and unforeseeable challenges in development, we need to gain inspiration from the history. The centenary of the CPC is a critical juncture for the Party to summarize historical experience and lessons and improve its capability. To conduct Party history learning and education, we need to educate and guide the Party to start with the great struggle with many new contemporary features. We should summarize and make use of the Party's abundant experience of responding to challenges in different historical periods, raise the awareness of struggle, enrich our experience, build our ability and improve the Party's capacity for governance.
From Shikumen on Xingye Road (site of the CPC's founding, Shanghai) to Tiananmen on Fuxing Road (Chang'an Avenue, Beijing), our Party has been fighting for the eternal wellbeing of the Chinese nation, and the centenary only ushers in the prime of life. Now we are standing on a new starting point and embarking on a new journey. To have a scientific understanding of the Party's historical mission in the new era and the historic juncture in China's development, we need to carefully review and must never forget our past and strive for a better future. We should continue to break new ground in fully building a modern socialist country in all respects and open up a new chapter for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.