Cultural Prosperity Is an Important Indicator of Chinese-Path Modernization

The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform and Promoting Chinese-Path Modernization (hereinafter referred to as the “Decision”) sets “focusing on building a socialist cultural power, upholding the fundamental system of Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological sphere, improving the institutional mechanisms for cultural undertakings and cultural industries, and promoting cultural prosperity” as an important goal of comprehensively deepening reform. Cultural prosperity and flourishing are an important indicator of Chinese-path modernization. In the process of Chinese-path modernization, promoting cultural prosperity and flourishing must take Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought as the guide, firmly grasp the “Chinese-path” mainline of modernization, enhance cultural confidence, strengthen cultural innovation, expand cultural influence, and realize the integrated development of modernization and socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.

《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》（以下简称《决定》），将“聚焦建设社会主义文化强国，坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度，健全文化事业、文化产业发展体制机制，推动文化繁荣”作为全面深化改革的重要目标。文化繁荣兴盛是中国式现代化的重要标识。在中国式现代化进程中，推动文化繁荣兴盛必须以习近平文化思想为指导，牢牢把握现代化的“中国式”主线，增强文化自信，加强文化创新，扩大文化影响力，实现现代化同中国特色社会主义文化的融合发展。

Providing Scientific Guidance for Cultural Prosperity

为文化繁荣提供科学指引

The 20th National Congress of the CPC established the central task of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, and the Decision further emphasizes that “the current and future period is a crucial period for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.” The profound changes in the domestic and international situation and the major historical-era issues facing Chinese-path modernization in the New Era have set new goals and new requirements for the guiding ideology and theoretical innovation in building a socialist cultural power. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought emerged from the grand era background of Chinese-path modernization entering the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As the cultural chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, it focuses on responding to and answering the questions of socialist cultural construction in the course of Chinese-path modernization. Therefore, Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought unfolds around the central task of Chinese-path modernization, is an important component of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics, provides a powerful ideological weapon and action guide for solving major theoretical and practical issues such as how to build a cultural power and what kind of cultural power to build, and offers scientific guidance for promoting cultural prosperity and flourishing.

党的二十大确立了以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的中心任务，《决定》进一步强调“当前和今后一个时期是以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期”。新时代中国式现代化面临的国内外大局的深刻变化与重大历史时代课题，对社会主义文化强国建设的指导思想与理论的创新发展提出了新目标和新要求。习近平文化思想产生于中国式现代化进入中国特色社会主义新时代这一宏大时代背景，作为习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的文化篇，着重回应和解答的是中国式现代化中的社会主义文化建设问题。因此，习近平文化思想围绕中国式现代化这个中心任务而展开，是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义文化思想的重要组成部分，为解决如何建设文化强国、建设什么样的文化强国等重大理论与实践问题提供了强大思想武器和行动指南，为推进文化繁荣兴盛提供了科学指引。

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Without the prosperity and development of socialist culture, there will be no socialist modernization.” On the basis of long-term exploration and practice, our Party has united and led the Chinese people to successfully advance and expand Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization in which material civilization and cultural-ethical progress are coordinated. It emphasizes both the great enrichment of material wealth and the great enrichment of spiritual wealth, and is committed to promoting the unity of the comprehensive enrichment of things and the comprehensive development of people. Setting “focusing on building a socialist cultural power” as a sub-field goal and task of further comprehensively deepening reform highlights the important role of building a cultural power in advancing Chinese-path modernization. The strength of a country or a nation is always supported by cultural prosperity. Culture is an important force for the survival and development of a nation; cultural prosperity is the spiritual support for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and is an intrinsic requirement of comprehensively building a socialist cultural power.

习近平总书记指出：“没有社会主义文化繁荣发展，就没有社会主义现代化。”在长期探索和实践的基础上，我们党团结带领中国人民成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化。中国式现代化是物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化，既强调物质财富的极大丰富，也强调精神财富的极大丰富，致力于促进物的全面丰富和人的全面发展相统一。把“聚焦建设社会主义文化强国”作为进一步全面深化改革的分领域目标任务，凸显了文化强国建设在推进中国式现代化中的重要作用。一个国家、一个民族的强盛总是以文化繁荣兴盛为支撑的。文化是民族生存与发展的重要力量，文化繁荣兴盛是实现中华民族伟大复兴的精神支撑，是全面建设社会主义文化强国的题中之义。

At the new historical starting point, building a socialist cultural power and promoting cultural prosperity is an arduous task. We must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought, ensure that further comprehensive deepening of reform proceeds steadily and orderly in the cultural field, promote cultural prosperity, and implement the construction of a socialist cultural power.

在新的历史起点上建设社会主义文化强国、推进文化繁荣兴盛是一项艰巨的任务。我们要坚持以习近平文化思想为引领，确保进一步全面深化改革在文化领域平稳有序推进，推动文化繁荣兴盛，把建设社会主义文化强国落到实处。

Enhancing Cultural Confidence

增强文化自信

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Without a high degree of cultural confidence, without cultural prosperity, there will be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Cultural confidence is the most fundamental, deepest, and most enduring force in the development of Chinese-path modernization. It is an inevitable requirement of continuously adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is a basic guarantee for promoting cultural prosperity.

习近平总书记指出：“没有高度的文化自信，没有文化的繁荣兴盛，就没有中华民族伟大复兴。”文化自信是中国式现代化发展过程中最基本、最深沉、最持久的力量，是在中国特色社会主义伟大实践中不断推进马克思主义中国化时代化的必然要求，是推进文化繁荣兴盛的基本保障。

First, enhancing cultural confidence requires strengthening the construction of core socialist values and firmly establishing the political attribute of cultural work. Values are the spiritual bond of a nation and play an extremely critical role in shaping the people’s cultural identity. First, we must cultivate and practice cultural consciousness of core socialist values. We should deeply explore the fine traditional Chinese values, endow them with contemporary value, and innovatively develop revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture. Second, we must cultivate and practice theoretical consciousness of core socialist values. We should uphold the fundamental system of Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological sphere, and establish the leading position of the socialist core value system and core socialist values in the ideological sphere. Third, we must cultivate and practice institutional consciousness of core socialist values. We should integrate core socialist values into constitutions, laws, regulations, rules, and policy systems, as well as into institutionalized moral systems such as professional ethics, social morality, family virtues, village regulations, and student codes, transforming core socialist values from ideological culture and conceptual culture into institutional culture and behavioral culture.

首先，增强文化自信，必须加强社会主义核心价值观建设，坚定文化工作的政治属性。价值观是民族的精神纽带，对于塑造人民的文化认同具有极其关键的作用。一要培育和践行对社会主义核心价值观的文化自觉。深入挖掘中华优秀传统价值观念，赋予中华优秀传统文化时代价值，创新发展革命文化和社会主义先进文化。二要培育和践行对社会主义核心价值观的理论自觉。坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度，确立社会主义核心价值体系与社会主义核心价值观在意识形态领域的引领地位。三要培育和践行对社会主义核心价值观的制度自觉。把社会主义核心价值观融入宪法法律、法规规章、政策制度建设之中，融入职业道德、社会公德、家庭美德、乡规民约、学生守则等制度化道德体系之中，将社会主义核心价值观从思想文化、观念文化转化为制度文化、行为文化。

Second, enhancing cultural confidence requires strengthening the construction of the Marxist theoretical discipline and accelerating the construction of a philosophical and social science system with Chinese characteristics. The Decision points out: “Innovate the Marxist theory research and construction project, implement the philosophical and social science innovation project, and build an independent knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social science.” First, we must firmly grasp the Party’s leadership over cultural work, implement the Party’s comprehensive leadership in all aspects and the entire process of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work—including theory and public opinion, culture and art, domestic and foreign propaganda, online and offline—ensuring that the Party plays the role of the core of leadership that commands the overall situation and coordinates all parties. Second, we must implement Marxism, especially Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, throughout all aspects and the entire process of the development of philosophy and social science, focus on promoting the construction of China’s independent knowledge system, and elevate Chinese experience into Chinese theory. Third, we must adhere to the direction of autonomous, contemporary, and systematic construction, build a discourse system with Chinese characteristics, and lay a solid discourse system and disciplinary foundation for advancing Chinese-path modernization and achieving cultural prosperity.

其次，增强文化自信，必须加强马克思主义理论学科建设，加快构建中国特色哲学社会科学体系。《决定》指出：“创新马克思主义理论研究和建设工程，实施哲学社会科学创新工程，构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系。”一要牢牢把握党对文化工作的领导权，要把党的全面领导贯彻体现到理论舆论、文化文艺、内宣外宣、网上网下等宣传思想文化工作的各方面和全过程，确保充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用。二要将马克思主义特别是中国化时代化的马克思主义贯彻到哲学社会科学发展的全方位、全过程，着力推动中国自主知识体系建构，将中国经验上升为中国理论。三要坚持自主化、时代化、系统化的构建方向，构建具有中国特色的话语体系，为推进中国式现代化、实现文化的繁荣兴盛打下坚实的话语体系和学科基础。

Strengthening Cultural Innovation

加强文化创新

Innovation is the essential characteristic and lifeblood of culture. The Decision points out: “Accelerate adaptation to the new situation of rapid development of information technology, cultivate and form a large-scale team of outstanding cultural talent, and stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation.” The current era is one in which practice is constantly being promoted through great changes. In the process of Chinese-path modernization, promoting cultural innovation is an inevitable requirement for adhering to the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics and for promoting the integrated development of fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture.

创新是文化的本质特征和生命所在。《决定》指出：“加快适应信息技术迅猛发展新形势，培育形成规模宏大的优秀文化人才队伍，激发全民族文化创新创造活力。”当今时代是一个在伟大变革中不断推动实践创新的时代，在中国式现代化进程中推动文化创新是坚持中国特色社会主义文化发展道路，以及推动中华优秀传统文化、革命文化和社会主义先进文化一体化发展的必然要求。

First, strengthening cultural innovation requires focusing on the construction of innovative talent and talent teams. Cultivating talent is the starting point and foothold of cultural work. The Decision emphasizes: “Implement a more active, more open, and more effective talent policy, improve the talent self-cultivation mechanism, accelerate the construction of a national high-level talent highland and a platform for attracting and gathering talent.” In the New Era, the fields covered by Chinese-path modernization are unprecedentedly broad, and the demand for high-quality talent in various fields and aspects is increasingly urgent. On the one hand, after more than 40 years of reform and opening up, China has cultivated a large-scale talent team through a scientific, systematic, and comprehensive talent strategy, achieving fruitful results in rejuvenating the country through science and education and building a talent-strong country. On the other hand, facing the new situation in which comprehensive deepening of reform has entered a critical period and deep-water zone, and facing the new demands of domestic and international industrial structure adjustment, China still needs to adjust its talent strategy in a timely manner, promote structural reform of the talent team, and implement socialist cultural education with Chinese characteristics in all aspects and the entire process of talent cultivation. To this end, we must deeply address the fundamental issues of what kind of people to cultivate, for whom to cultivate, and how to cultivate, and independently cultivate a team of innovative talents with excellent political quality, outstanding innovation ability, and significant competitive advantages.

首先，加强文化创新必须注重创新型人才和人才队伍建设。培养人才是文化工作的出发点和立足点。《决定》强调：“实施更加积极、更加开放、更加有效的人才政策，完善人才自主培养机制，加快建设国家高水平人才高地和吸引集聚人才平台。”新时代，中国式现代化涉及的领域空前广泛，对各领域、各方面的高素质人才需求愈发急迫。一方面，经过改革开放40余年的努力，我国通过实行科学、系统、全面的人才战略培育了一支规模宏大的人才队伍，科教兴国、人才强国建设成果丰硕。另一方面，面对全面深化改革进入攻坚期、深水区的新形势，面对国内国外产业结构调整的新需求，我国依然需要适时调整人才战略、推进人才队伍结构性改革，将中国特色社会主义文化教育贯彻到人才培养的全方面、全过程。为此，我们要深入解决培养什么人、为谁培养人、怎么培养人的根本性问题，自主培养一支政治素质过硬、创新能力突出、竞争优势显著的创新型人才队伍。

Second, strengthening cultural innovation requires continuously meeting the spiritual and cultural needs of the people. In 1845, Marx first proposed the concept of “spiritual production” in The Holy Family: “In the sphere of direct material production... the same is true even of spiritual production. If I want to act rationally, in determining the scale, structure, and plan of a certain spiritual work, must I not consider the time necessary for producing that work?” At that time, Marx understood spiritual production as a production activity whose product is spiritual works, and it was regarded as one of the basic forms of human social production. The imbalance caused by the rapid development of the material world and the relative poverty of the people’s spiritual world is an important feature of China’s current social development and an important issue that urgently needs to be resolved in the process of Chinese-path modernization. Enriching the people’s spiritual and cultural life is an important goal of Chinese-path modernization, and promoting cultural innovation is a necessary measure to strengthen spiritual and cultural construction and meet the people’s needs for a better life. To this end, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The people are the source of creation; only by rooting in the people can creation obtain an inexhaustible source.” Cultural innovation should be guided by better meeting the people’s personalized and diversified spiritual and cultural needs, adhere to the dual approach of technological innovation and institutional mechanism innovation, continuously generate new spiritual and cultural needs, protect the people’s cultural rights and interests, lead the development of cultural undertakings and the transformation of cultural industries, and promote cultural prosperity.

其次，加强文化创新必须不断满足人民群众的精神文化需求。1845年，马克思在《神圣家族》中首次提出“精神生产”的概念，他指出：“在直接的物质生产领域……甚至精神生产也是如此。如果我想合理地行动，在确定某种精神作品的规模、结构和计划时，难道我不必考虑生产该作品所必需的时间吗？”此时，马克思所理解的精神生产是以精神作品为产物的生产活动，并被归结为人类社会生产的基本形式之一。物质世界的迅速发展与人民精神世界的相对贫乏所产生的不平衡性是我国当前社会发展的重要特征，也是中国式现代化进程中亟须解决的重要问题。丰富人民精神文化生活是中国式现代化的重要目标，推进文化创新是加强精神文化建设、满足人民群众美好生活需要的必要举措。为此，习近平总书记强调：“人民是创作的源头活水，只有扎根人民，创作才能获得取之不尽、用之不竭的源泉。”文化创新要以更好地满足人民群众个性化、多元化的精神文化需求为导向，坚持技术创新和体制机制创新双管齐下，不断催生新的精神文化需求，保障人民群众的文化权益，引领文化事业发展和文化产业变革，推进文化繁荣兴盛。

Expanding Cultural Influence

扩大文化影响力

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “A nation without spiritual strength cannot stand on its own; a cause without cultural support cannot last long.” Material civilization and cultural-ethical progress are two sides of modernization; cultural prosperity is the spiritual support for advancing Chinese-path modernization, reflecting the important role of culture in building consensus and shaping values. Today, the world is facing changes unseen in a century. To stand firm in the turbulent world cultural currents and to solve a series of new situations and new problems emerging in the process of modernization, it is necessary to expand cultural influence, tell China’s story well, and spread China’s voice well.

习近平总书记指出：“一个没有精神力量的民族难以自立自强，一项没有文化支撑的事业难以持续长久。”物质文明和精神文明是现代化的一体两面，文化繁荣兴盛是推进中国式现代化的精神支撑，体现了文化在凝聚共识、塑造价值等方面的重要作用。当今世界面临百年未有之大变局，要在风云激荡的世界文化浪潮中站稳脚跟，解决现代化进程中出现的一系列新状况、新问题，必须扩大文化影响力，讲好中国故事，传播好中国声音。

We need to enhance national cultural soft power. A strong cultural soft power is an objective reflection of comprehensive national strength and a basic prerequisite for grasping the initiative in international cultural competition and promoting cultural prosperity. First, we must use Chinese principles to summarize Chinese experience well. Chinese principles are the result of the joint deduction and interaction of the logic of Marxism, the logic of the development of Chinese culture, and the logic of China’s practical development. To use Chinese principles well, we must base ourselves on the great historical and contemporary practice of the Chinese nation, and organically unify the promotion of fine traditional Chinese culture with the development of contemporary culture. To summarize Chinese experience well, we must summarize the historical experience of the Chinese nation’s continuous vitality for thousands of years, the struggle experience of the Chinese people for national independence and people’s liberation in modern times, and the era experience of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party in revolution, construction, and reform, and use these experiences to guide the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Second, we must use Chinese discourse to tell China’s story well. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Accelerate the construction of Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative system, tell China’s story well, spread China’s voice well, and present a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China.” Chinese civilization is long-standing, splendid, and has made important contributions to the progress and development of human civilization, deeply influencing other countries in history. Today, in the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Chinese culture is exerting a positive influence on countries around the world, especially developing countries, through the Belt and Road Initiative and the Maritime Silk Road, promoting a new process of human civilization. Therefore, we must base ourselves on the land of China, tell China’s story well, shape more cultural images of China recognized by the world, strive to present a vivid and three-dimensional China, and write a new chapter for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

需要提升国家文化软实力。强大的文化软实力是综合国力的客观反映，是在国际文化竞争中掌握主动权、推进文化繁荣兴盛的基本前提。一要用中国道理总结好中国经验。中国道理是马克思主义逻辑、中华文化发展逻辑和中国实践发展逻辑共同演绎和作用的结果。用好中国道理，就要立足中华民族伟大历史实践和当代实践，把弘扬中华优秀传统文化和发展现实文化有机统一起来。总结好中国经验，就要总结好中华民族延续千年生生不息的历史经验、近代以来中国人民争取民族独立和人民解放的奋斗经验，以及中国共产党领导人民进行革命、建设、改革的时代经验，并运用这些经验指导中国特色社会主义伟大实践。二要用中国话语讲好中国故事。习近平总书记指出，“加快构建中国话语和中国叙事体系，讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音，展现可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象”。中华文明源远流长、灿烂辉煌，对人类文明的进步与发展有过重要贡献，历史上曾经深深地影响到其他国家。今天，在中华民族伟大复兴的进程中，中华文化正通过“一带一路”和“海上丝绸之路”对世界各国特别是广大发展中国家产生积极影响，推动人类文明新进程。所以，要立足中国大地，讲好中国故事，塑造更多为世界所认知的中华文化形象，努力展示一个生动立体的中国，为推动构建人类命运共同体谱写新篇章。

We need to strengthen the construction of international discourse power. International discourse power reflects the international communication capacity and effectiveness of China’s culture, thereby generating cultural appeal. First, we must innovate narrative styles and depict the “Chinese image” from multiple angles in a three-dimensional way. In the construction of the international communication system, three-dimensional and vivid sound transmission is more appealing and infectious. Safety, friendliness, and beauty—these daily realities that seem most ordinary to Chinese people—have become the traffic password for the “China Travel” tag on TikTok. Because, through these real records and narratives on TikTok, overseas young people are getting to know China from different perspectives, and many foreigners speak up for China. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate multi-level and multi-dimensional discourse forces into the strategic layout of international communication, create more communication products that start from small entry points, tell stories with a common touch, and conform to the acceptance habits of foreign audiences, thereby depicting a more complete and vivid “Chinese image.” Second, we must empower communication with digital intelligence and accurately spread “China’s propositions” in multiple aspects. Today’s society has entered the digital intelligence era. The subjects of international communication have gradually shifted from a single entity to multiple entities, from official communication to public participation. In foreign communication work, based on the actual differences in the attributes of different media and the differences in audiences in different regions, and based on the grand perspectives of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and Chinese-path modernization, we must use digital intelligence technology to empower, innovate communication means, and gain the lead and initiative with differentiated communication, ensuring that “China’s propositions” are accurately and effectively disseminated.

需要加强国际话语权建设。国际话语权体现了我国文化的国际传播能力与国际传播效能并以此产生文化吸引力。一要创新叙事风格，多方位立体刻画“中国形象”。在国际传播体系构建中，立体生动的声音传播更具亲和力与感染力。安全、友好、美丽，这些在中国人看起来至为日常的生活现实，却成为TikTok（国外抖音）的China Travel标签中的流量密码。因为，通过TikTok上这些真实的记录和讲述，海外年轻人正以不同的视角了解中国，很多外国人为中国发声。所以，有必要将多层次多维度的话语力量融入国际传播的战略布局中，创造更多从小切口着眼、贴民心地讲述、符合国外受众接受习惯的传播精品，以此刻画更加完整、生动的“中国形象”。二要数智赋能传播、多方面精准传播“中国主张”。当今社会已经进入数智时代，国际传播的主体从一元逐渐向多元转变，从官方传播逐步拓展为全民参与。在对外传播工作中，要根据不同媒体的属性、不同地区受众的差异等实际，立足共建“一带一路”推动构建人类命运共同体、中国式现代化建设等宏大视域，运用数智技术赋能、创新传播手段，并以差异化传播占得先机、赢得主动，确保“中国主张”精准有效地传播。

(The author is Secretary of the Party Committee of Nanchang University and Researcher of the Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics at Nanchang University)

（作者系南昌大学党委书记、南昌大学中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心研究员）

Online Editor: Hui Hui

网络编辑：慧慧