The United Front Is a Powerful Magic Weapon for Rallying People’s Support and Pooling Strength

The united front is a broad political alliance led by the Communist Party of China, and it is the political advantage and strategic policy of the CPC for rallying people’s support and pooling strength. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Whether the people support

统一战线是中国共产党领导的广泛政治联盟，是中国共产党凝聚人心、汇聚力量的政治优势和战略方针。习近平总书记指出：“人心向背、力量对比是决定党和人民事业成败的关键，是最大的政治。统战工作的本质要求是大团结大联合，解决的就是人心和力量问题。”《中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议》把“坚持统一战线”作为党百年奋斗的历史经验之一，强调“党始终坚持大团结大联合，团结一切可以团结的力量，调动一切可以调动的积极因素，促进政党关系、民族关系、宗教关系、阶层关系、海内外同胞关系和谐，最大限度凝聚起共同奋斗的力量”。《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》提出，“完善大统战工作格局，巩固和发展最广泛的爱国统一战线”。新时代新征程，继续充分发挥统一战线凝聚人心、汇聚力量的重要作用，不断增进海内外全体中华儿女团结奋斗的政治共识，进一步提升大团结大联合的质量与效能，对全面建设社会主义现代化国家、实现中华民族伟大复兴具有重要的历史和现实意义。

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In its more than one hundred years of struggle, the Communist Party of China has always placed the united front in an important position, continuously consolidating and developing the broadest possible united front, uniting all forces that can be united, mobilizing all positive factors that can be mobilized, and rallying the greatest strength for common struggle to the maximum extent. In the different historical periods of China’s revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has always adhered to the guidance of the Marxist theory on the united front, successively establishing the National Revolutionary United Front, the Worker-Peasant Democratic United Front, the Anti-Japanese National United Front, the People’s Democratic United Front, and the Patriotic United Front in the new period, which played an important role in winning the victory of the New Democratic Revolution, advancing the socialist revolution and construction, and opening up a new situation in reform and opening up and socialist modernization.

在百余年奋斗历程中，中国共产党始终把统一战线摆在重要位置，不断巩固和发展最广泛的统一战线，团结一切可以团结的力量，调动一切可以调动的积极因素，最大限度凝聚起共同奋斗的力量。在我国革命、建设、改革不同历史时期，我们党始终坚持以马克思主义关于统一战线的理论为指导，先后建立了国民革命联合战线、工农民主统一战线、抗日民族统一战线、人民民主统一战线、新时期爱国统一战线，为夺取新民主主义革命胜利、推进社会主义革命和建设、开创改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新局面发挥了重要作用。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, based on the historical experience of the united front and in light of the profound changes in the situation and tasks of the New Era, has accurately grasped the historical orientation and important mission of the patriotic united front in the New Era, forming Xi Jinping’s important thought on united front work in the New Era, which provides the fundamental guidance for doing a good job of united front work in the New Era. Our Party has coordinated the strategic overall plan for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world, made comprehensive arrangements for united front work from the strategic height of governing the country, and promoted historic achievements in united front work. The connotation of the patriotic united front in the New Era is richer than ever before, the fields it covers are broader than ever before, and the objects of unity and alliance are more diverse than ever before, which opens up broad space for it to play its important role of rallying people’s support and pooling strength. Against this background, how to better gather the mighty force for building a strong country and national rejuvenation, and continuously meet the people’s aspiration for a better life, is a major issue that must be seriously addressed on the new journey of the New Era. In July 2022, at the Central Conference on United Front Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The united front is an important magic weapon for the Party to defeat the enemy and govern the country and rejuvenate the nation, and an important magic weapon for uniting all Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; it must be upheld for a long time.” In October 2022, at the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping further emphasized: “Popular support is the greatest politics, and the united front is a powerful magic weapon for rallying people’s support and pooling strength. We will improve the grand united front work framework, uphold broad unity and broad alliance, and mobilize all Chinese sons and daughters to think and work together around the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” This important exposition positions the united front’s role of rallying people’s support and pooling strength as a “powerful magic weapon,” further highlighting the important strategic position of the united front in the overall cause of the Party and the state, and pointing out the direction and focus for doing a good job of united front work in the New Era. The united front must give full play to its role of coordinating relations, resolving contradictions, rallying people’s support, and pooling strength, continue to uphold broad unity and broad alliance, unite the broad masses of the people to strive together, and ensure social harmony, stability, and lasting peace and order in our country.

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央立足统一战线的历史经验，根据新时代形势任务的深刻变化，准确把握新时代爱国统一战线的历史方位和重要使命，形成了习近平总书记关于做好新时代党的统一战线工作的重要思想，为做好新时代统战工作提供了根本遵循。我们党统筹中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局，从治国理政的战略高度对统战工作作出全面部署，推动统战工作取得历史性成就。新时代爱国统一战线的内涵比以往任何时候都更丰富，涵盖领域比以往任何时候都更广泛，团结联合的对象比以往任何时候都更多元，这为其发挥凝聚人心汇聚力量的重要作用开辟了广阔空间。在此背景下，如何更好地凝聚起强国建设、民族复兴的磅礴力量，不断满足人民对美好生活的向往，是新时代新征程上必须认真解决的一个重大课题。2022年7月，习近平总书记在中央统战工作会议上指出：“统一战线是党克敌制胜、执政兴国的重要法宝，是团结海内外全体中华儿女实现中华民族伟大复兴的重要法宝，必须长期坚持。”2022年10月，习近平总书记在党的二十大上进一步强调：“人心是最大的政治，统一战线是凝聚人心、汇聚力量的强大法宝。完善大统战工作格局，坚持大团结大联合，动员全体中华儿女围绕实现中华民族伟大复兴中国梦一起来想、一起来干。”这一重要论述把统一战线凝心聚力的作用定位为“强大法宝”，进一步凸显了统一战线在党和国家事业全局中的重要战略地位，为做好新时代党的统一战线工作指明了方向和重点。统一战线必须充分发挥协调关系、化解矛盾、凝聚人心、汇聚力量的作用，继续坚持大团结大联合，团结广大人民一道共同奋斗，确保我国社会和谐稳定与长治久安。

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Although the specific objects of the Party’s united front in different historical periods are different, its essential requirement of broad unity and broad alliance has never changed. It has always been an important component of the Party’s general line and general policy, playing the role of rallying people’s support and pooling strength around the Party’s central tasks in each period. This huge political advantage of the united front enables our Party, no matter how difficult and arduous the historical conditions, to unite all forces that can be united, mobilize all positive factors, and provide a solid foundation of popular support and strong strength support for the victorious advancement of the cause of the Party and the people.

党的统一战线在不同历史时期团结联合的具体对象虽然不同，但其大团结大联合的本质要求从未改变，始终作为党的总路线总政策的重要组成部分，围绕党在各个时期的中心任务发挥凝心聚力的作用。统一战线的这一巨大政治优势，使我们党无论在任何艰难困苦的历史条件下，都能够团结一切可以团结的力量，调动一切积极因素，为党和人民事业的胜利推进提供坚实人心基础和强大力量支持。

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Unity is a powerful force for overcoming all difficulties and an important guarantee for rallying people’s support and accomplishing great undertakings.” “The united front was born because of unity and thrives by relying on unity. Promoting the great unity of all Chinese sons and daughters is the historical responsibility of the patriotic united front in the New Era.” These important expositions fully reflect the extreme importance of unity, not only revealing the essential requirement and goal orientation of the united front, but also clarifying the practical path for the united front to rally people’s support and pool strength. In the New Era, the historical orientation in which our country is located and the internal and external situations it faces have undergone great changes. It faces more complex, deeper, and broader new situations and new problems, and shoulders a more magnificent, heavier, and more arduous historical mission. Therefore, we need broad support more than in any previous period, and we need to rally the people of all ethnic groups across the country and all Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad through the broadest possible patriotic united front, to strive together toward a common goal. How to better play the role of the united front, expand the scope of unity, and gather positive energy is an important issue that must be answered well. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The unity pursued by the united front is broad unity, and also strong unity; it is unity that advances along the correct political direction and toward a common goal.” The patriotic united front in the New Era must rally people’s support and pool strength under the banner of patriotism and socialism, find the greatest common divisor and draw the largest concentric circle. The broad unity and broad alliance it seeks to achieve have both requirements in scope, that is, a broader scope of unity and more people united, and requirements in quality, that is, greater strength of unity, deeper degree, and stronger cohesion.

习近平总书记指出：“团结是战胜一切困难的强大力量，是凝聚人心、成就伟业的重要保证。”“统一战线因团结而生，靠团结而兴。促进中华儿女大团结，是新时代爱国统一战线的历史责任。”这些重要论述充分体现了团结的极端重要性，不仅揭示了统一战线的本质要求和目标指向，而且明确了统一战线凝聚人心汇聚力量的实践路径。新时代我国所处的历史方位、面对的内外形势都发生了很大变化，面临着更复杂、更深刻、更广泛的新情况新问题，肩负着更宏伟、更繁重、更艰巨的历史使命，因此我们比以往任何时期都更需要广泛支持，更需要通过最广泛的爱国统一战线把全国各族人民和海内外中华儿女凝聚起来，朝着共同目标团结奋进。如何更好发挥统一战线作用，扩大团结面，凝聚正能量，是必须回答好的一个重要课题。习近平总书记强调：“统一战线追求的团结，是广泛的团结，也是坚强的团结，是沿着正确政治方向、向着共同目标前进的团结。”新时代爱国统一战线要在爱国主义和社会主义的旗帜下凝聚人心和力量，找到最大公约数、画出最大同心圆，其所要实现的大团结大联合，既有范围上的要求，即团结面更宽、团结的人更多，也有质量上的要求，即团结的力度更大、程度更深、凝聚力更强。

Upholding great unity and great solidarity is an important guarantee for the united front to rally people’s support and pool their strength. To do united front work well, it is necessary to broadly unite forces outside the Party, extensively befriend and deepen friendships with non-Party figures, win the support of non-Party personages, and strive together with all sectors of society with one heart and one mind. The “five relations” in the united front cover important areas in the overall work of the Party and the state. Promoting harmony in Party-to-Party relations, ethnic relations, religious relations, class-stratum relations, and relations among compatriots at home and overseas can effectively regulate the country’s political relations, enhance national cohesion, improve the efficacy of national governance, and create a political situation of stability and unity. It is necessary to adhere to the principle of long-term coexistence, mutual oversight, treating each other with all sincerity, and sharing honor and disgrace, uphold, develop, and improve China’s new type of Party system, give full play to the political advantages of this system, further strengthen unity and cooperation with democratic parties and non-Party personages, and support democratic parties in better performing their functions in accordance with the requirements of socialist参政党 with Chinese characteristics. It is necessary to make forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation the main line of the Party’s ethnic work in the New Era and the main line of all work in ethnic regions, adhere to the path of solving ethnic problems with Chinese characteristics, continuously consolidate and develop socialist ethnic relations of equality, unity, mutual assistance, and harmony, comprehensively advance the cause of ethnic unity and progress, and promote the close-knit unity of all ethnic groups like pomegranate seeds, so that they work together in unity and strive together for common prosperity and development. It is necessary to adhere to the direction of the Sinicization of religions in China, actively guide religions to adapt to socialist society, and give full play to the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting China’s economic and social development. It is necessary to do a good job of ideological and political guidance for non-Party intellectuals and people in new social strata, give full play to their positive role in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, build a new type of cordial and clean relationship between government and business, and promote the healthy development of the non-public sector of the economy and the healthy growth of those working in it. It is necessary to give play to the role of united front work in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan and overseas in winning people over, continuously develop and strengthen the patriotic forces that love Hong Kong and Macao, and ensure the steady and sustained practice of “one country, two systems”; conscientiously implement the Party’s overall policy for resolving the Taiwan issue in the New Era, develop and strengthen the patriotic, pro-unification forces in Taiwan, and advance the complete reunification of the motherland; and, centering on rallying people’s support and pooling their strength to share in the dream of national rejuvenation, actively guide overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives to devote themselves to the motherland’s modernization and the great cause of peaceful reunification. Promoting harmony in the “five relations” is conducive to continuously consolidating and developing the great unity of all ethnic groups, the great unity of the entire people, and the great unity of all Chinese sons and daughters, forming a vivid situation in which everyone thinks with one mind and exerts their strength in one direction.

坚持大团结大联合是统一战线凝聚人心汇聚力量的重要保障。做好统一战线工作，必须广泛团结党外力量，广交深交党外朋友，赢得党外人士支持，与社会各界勠力同心、共同奋斗。统一战线中的“五大关系”，涵盖了党和国家工作全局中的重要领域。促进政党关系、民族关系、宗教关系、阶层关系、海内外同胞关系和谐，能够有效调节国家政治关系，增强民族凝聚力，提升国家治理效能，形成安定团结的政治局面。必须坚持长期共存、互相监督、肝胆相照、荣辱与共的方针，坚持好发展好完善好中国新型政党制度，充分发挥这一制度的政治优势，进一步加强同民主党派和无党派人士的团结合作，支持民主党派按照中国特色社会主义参政党的要求更好地履行职能。必须把铸牢中华民族共同体意识作为新时代党的民族工作的主线、作为民族地区各项工作的主线，坚持走中国特色解决民族问题的道路，不断巩固和发展平等团结互助和谐的社会主义民族关系，全面推进民族团结进步事业，促进各民族像石榴籽一样紧紧抱在一起，共同团结奋斗、共同繁荣发展。必须坚持我国宗教中国化方向，积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应，充分发挥宗教界人士和信教群众在促进我国经济社会发展中的积极作用。必须做好党外知识分子和新的社会阶层人士思想政治引领工作，充分发挥他们在中国特色社会主义事业中的积极作用，构建亲清新型政商关系，促进非公有制经济健康发展和非公有制经济人士健康成长。必须发挥港澳台和海外统战工作争取人心的作用，不断发展壮大爱国爱港爱澳力量，确保“一国两制”实践行稳致远；认真贯彻新时代党解决台湾问题的总体方略，发展壮大台湾爱国统一力量，推进祖国完全统一；围绕凝聚人心汇聚力量同圆共享中国梦，积极引导海外侨胞和归侨侨眷致力于祖国现代化建设与和平统一大业。促进“五大关系”和谐，有利于不断巩固和发展各民族大团结、全国人民大团结、全体中华儿女大团结，形成心往一处想、劲往一处使的生动局面。

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People’s support is the greatest political asset, and consensus is the driving force for progress. One of the important tasks of united front work is to build consensus. As China’s social structure undergoes profound changes and values become increasingly diverse, to achieve great unity and great solidarity, it is necessary to place greater emphasis on ideological guidance and consensus building.

人心是最大的政治，共识是奋进的动力。统战工作的重要任务之一就是凝聚共识。随着我国社会结构深刻变化、价值观念日益多样，要实现大团结大联合，必须更加注重思想引领和凝聚共识。

Unity and struggle require a center; only by holding fast to the center can the multitude be of one heart. Unity and struggle require ideological guidance; only by unifying thought can steps be taken in unison. To do united front work well in the New Era, it is necessary to properly handle the relationship between holding fast to the center and expanding consensus. So-called holding fast to the center means strengthening the Party’s central position in this concentric circle, ensuring that the Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates all parties in united front work, and ensuring that the Party’s line, principles, policies, decisions, and deployments are fully implemented. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “As long as we hold fast to the political bottom line as the center, the longer the radius of inclusive diversity, the larger the concentric circle we can draw.” The Communist Party of China has always adhered to its original aspiration and founding mission, insisted on putting the people first and being people-centered, and is committed to realizing the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people. It is necessary to uphold the Party’s leadership, strengthen ideological guidance, ensure that the situation of great unity and great solidarity develops in the correct political direction, fully promote democracy, respect and tolerate differences, and through extensive consultation, enable the broad membership of the united front to more universally identify with the Party’s propositions and more consciously rally around the Party.

团结奋斗要有圆心，固守圆心才能万众一心；团结奋斗要有思想引领，统一思想才能步调一致。做好新时代统一战线工作，必须把握好固守圆心与扩大共识的关系。所谓固守圆心，就是强化党在这一同心圆中的圆心地位，确保党在统战工作中总揽全局、协调各方，确保党的路线方针政策和决策部署得到全面贯彻执行。习近平总书记指出：“只要我们把政治底线这个圆心固守住，包容的多样性半径越长，画出的同心圆就越大。”中国共产党始终坚守初心使命，坚持人民至上、以人民为中心，致力于实现最广大人民的根本利益。要坚持党的领导，加强思想引领，确保大团结大联合局面沿着正确政治方向发展，充分发扬民主、尊重包容差异，通过广泛协商使统一战线广大成员更加普遍地认同党的主张，更加自觉地团结在党的周围。

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “The united front is a unity of unity and diversity

习近平总书记强调，“统一战线是一致性和多样性的统一体，只有一致性、没有多样性，或者只有多样性、没有一致性，都不能建立和发展统一战线”。这就要求我们正确处理一致性和多样性的关系，坚持一致性与多样性的统一，找到最大公约数，画出最大同心圆。一方面，要不断巩固共同的思想政治基础，在已有政治共识的基础上推动形成新的共识。广大统一战线成员的共识，主要表现为共同的思想政治基础，即坚持中国共产党领导，坚持中国特色社会主义，拥护祖国完全统一，共同致力于中华民族伟大复兴等。新时代爱国统一战线的一个鲜明特征，就是在一致性不断增强的基础上多样性显著发展，统一战线的内部构成更加复杂多样，统战工作覆盖范围更宽更细。这一特征使得巩固共同思想政治基础更加迫切，凝聚共识的工作更加繁重。如互联网的飞速发展，使得统一战线的社会基础和工作对象更加多样化，工作领域和工作内容更加广泛，需要不断改进和创新统战工作的方式方法，筑牢网上网下同心圆，凝聚起全社会的共识。习近平总书记指出，“不同地方、不同阶层、不同领域、不同方面，大家会有不同想法。那就要考虑，哪些是可以‘求同’的？哪些是可以经过做工作形成或转化为共识的？哪些是可以继续‘存异’的？把最大公约数找出来，在改革开放上形成聚焦，做事就能事半而功倍”。在此过程中，加强和改进人民政协工作十分重要，应充分发挥其专门协商机构的作用，在共同思想政治基础上化解矛盾和凝聚共识，真正发挥统一战线凝聚人心汇聚力量的强大法宝作用。

(Author: Jiang Rui, Professor at the United Front Research Center of Shandong University)

（作者：蒋锐，系山东大学统一战线研究中心教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧