Leading the Building of a Strong Cultural Country with the “Six Musts”

Culture concerns the foundation of the state and the fortunes of the nation. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed cultural development in a prominent position in the governance of the country, systematically answering, in both theory and practice, the major questions of what kind of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop in the New Era and how to uphold and develop it, thereby forming Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC put forward the “Six Musts” — must uphold a people-centered approach, must uphold self-confidence and self-reliance, must uphold upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, must uphold a problem-oriented approach, must uphold a systems perspective, and must uphold a global vision. These constitute the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and are the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods that run through Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and write a new chapter in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. On the new journey, deeply understanding the guiding role of the “Six Musts” in building a strong cultural country is of great significance for stimulating the cultural creativity and innovation of the entire nation and for prospering and developing socialist culture.

文化关乎国本、国运。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央把文化建设摆在治国理政的突出位置，从理论上、实践上系统回答了新时代坚持和发展什么样的中国特色社会主义文化、怎样坚持和发展中国特色社会主义文化的重大课题，形成了习近平文化思想。党的二十大报告提出“六个必须坚持”——必须坚持人民至上、必须坚持自信自立、必须坚持守正创新、必须坚持问题导向、必须坚持系统观念、必须坚持胸怀天下，是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论，是贯穿习近平文化思想、谱写马克思主义中国化时代化新篇章的立场观点方法。新征程上，深刻领悟“六个必须坚持”对文化强国建设的引领作用，对于激发全民族文化创新创造活力、繁荣发展社会主义文化具有重大意义。

Anchoring the Value Orientation of Cultural Development

锚定文化建设的价值旨归

Upholding the Party’s cultural leadership and adhering to a people-centered work orientation are intrinsically unified in essence, profoundly reflecting the fundamental stance of “must uphold a people-centered approach.” Upholding the Party’s cultural leadership concerns the future and destiny of the Party and the country and is an inherent requirement of upholding the Party’s overall leadership. The Communist Party of China is rooted in the people, its bloodline flows from the people, and serving the people wholeheartedly is the Party’s fundamental purpose. Upholding the Party’s leadership and adhering to the people’s stand have always advanced in the same direction. For over a hundred years, the Party has observed, interpreted, and led the times with Marxism, always pursuing the free and comprehensive development of individuals. It is precisely by firmly grasping cultural leadership and uniting the people closely together in thought and spirit that it has gathered the immense force for cultural development.

坚持党的文化领导权与坚持以人民为中心的工作导向，在本质上是内在统一的，深刻反映了“必须坚持人民至上”的根本立场。坚持党的文化领导权事关党和国家前途命运，是坚持党的全面领导的题中应有之义。中国共产党根基在人民、血脉在人民，全心全意为人民服务是党的根本宗旨，坚持党的领导与坚持人民立场始终同向同行。百余年来，党以马克思主义观察时代、解读时代、引领时代，始终追求人的自由全面发展，正是依靠牢牢掌握文化领导权，在思想精神上把人民紧紧团结在一起，才凝聚起文化建设的磅礴伟力。

The success or failure of cultural development hinges on whether it meets the spiritual and cultural needs of the people, strengthens their spiritual strength, enriches their spiritual world, and promotes the free and comprehensive development of individuals. Chinese civilization has always valued the strength and role of the masses; ideological traditions such as “the people are the most valuable” and “the people are the foundation of the state” all highlight the fundamental position of the people in the historical process. The Communist Party of China has elevated this ideological tradition into a people-centered view of cultural development, clarifying that cultural development is for the people, relies on the people, and its fruits are shared by the people. On the new journey, implementing a people-centered work orientation requires improving the modern public cultural service system, innovatively implementing cultural projects benefiting the people, promoting common prosperity in the people’s spiritual life, and taking the people’s recognition and satisfaction as the fundamental criterion for testing the effectiveness of cultural work.

文化发展的成败得失，关键在于是否满足了人民的精神文化需要、增强了人民的精神力量、丰富了人民的精神世界、促进了人的自由全面发展。中华文明历来重视人民群众的力量和作用，“民为贵”“民惟邦本”等思想传统，无不彰显着人民在历史进程中的基础性地位。中国共产党将这一思想传统升华为以人民为中心的文化发展观，明确文化发展为了人民、依靠人民、成果由人民共享。新征程上贯彻以人民为中心的工作导向，要求健全现代公共文化服务体系，创新实施文化惠民工程，促进人民精神生活共同富裕，把人民认可、人民满意作为检验文化工作成效的根本标准。

Consolidating the Principal Foundation of Cultural Development

夯实文化发展的主体根基

Strengthening cultural confidence, consolidating the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, and promoting and practicing the core socialist values are the concentrated embodiment of “must uphold self-confidence and self-reliance” in building a strong cultural country. Self-confidence and self-reliance are rooted in the truth power of Marxist scientific theory, nurtured in the great practice led by the Communist Party of China with the people, and cultivated in the profound heritage of over five thousand years of Chinese civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that “cultural confidence is a more fundamental, broader, and deeper confidence.” Since the New Era, China’s cultural development has achieved historic accomplishments and undergone historic transformations, with the cultural creativity and innovation of the entire nation bursting forth. This has laid a solid foundation for strengthening cultural confidence and has further highlighted the urgent need to consolidate the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. With cultural subjectivity, there is a firm self in the cultural sense, providing a fundamental support for cultural autonomy, cultural independence, cultural confidence, and cultural self-strengthening.

坚定文化自信，巩固中华民族文化主体性，弘扬和践行社会主义核心价值观，是“必须坚持自信自立”在文化强国建设上的集中体现。自信自立植根于马克思主义科学理论的真理力量，孕育于中国共产党领导人民进行的伟大实践，涵养于中华文明五千多年的深厚底蕴。习近平总书记强调，“文化自信，是更基础、更广泛、更深厚的自信”。新时代以来，我国文化建设取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，全民族文化创新创造活力迸发，为坚定文化自信奠定了坚实基础，也进一步凸显了巩固中华民族文化主体性的迫切需要。有了文化主体性，就有了文化意义上坚定的自我，文化自主、文化自立、文化自信、文化自强就有了根本依托。

Promoting and practicing the core socialist values is a foundational project for persistently using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to consolidate souls and build unity. Advancing this project requires deepening the study, propaganda, and education of the Party’s innovative theories, continuously promoting the systematic and academic research and interpretation of the Party’s innovative theories, and, in the process of innovatively implementing the Marxist Theory Research and Development Project and accelerating the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, solidifying the foundation of ideological theory and ideals and beliefs. The vitality of the core socialist values lies in practice. To this end, ideological and political work should be strengthened and improved, the education of ideals and beliefs among young people should be strengthened, guiding them to personally feel the appeal of the core values in school education and social practice; urban and rural cultural-ethical progress should be promoted in a coordinated manner, transforming value concepts into daily rituals and social customs, transforming customs and habits, and raising the level of civility of all people and the degree of civilization of the entire society.

弘扬和践行社会主义核心价值观，是坚持不懈用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想凝心铸魂的基础工程。推进这一工程，必须深化党的创新理论学习和宣传教育，不断推进党的创新理论的体系化学理化研究阐释，在创新实施马克思主义理论研究和建设工程、加快构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系的过程中筑牢思想理论和理想信念基础。社会主义核心价值观的生命力在于实践，为此，应加强和改进思想政治工作，加强青少年理想信念教育，引导他们在学校教育和社会实践中切身感受核心价值观的感召力；统筹推进城乡精神文明建设，将价值观念转化为日常礼仪与社会风尚，成风化俗，提升全体人民的文明素养和全社会文明程度。

Activating the Driving Force of Cultural Inheritance

激活文化传承的动力源泉

Adhering to the “Two Integrations” and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture are the concentrated embodiment of “must uphold upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground” in building a strong cultural country. “Upholding fundamental principles” is the foundation, that is, adhering to the soul of Marxism and the roots of fine traditional Chinese culture, endowing Chinese culture with profound heritage and distinctive characteristics, enabling us to stand firm amidst the clash of world cultures. “Breaking new ground” is the direction, that is, based on the context of the New Era, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, endowing it with new contemporary connotations and modern forms of expression. Upholding fundamental principles provides the foundation for breaking new ground, and breaking new ground injects vitality into upholding fundamental principles; the two are dialectically unified and cannot be neglected.

坚持“两个结合”，推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，是“必须坚持守正创新”在文化强国建设上的集中体现。“守正”是根基，即坚守马克思主义魂脉、中华优秀传统文化根脉，赋予中华文化以深厚底蕴和鲜明特色，使我们在世界文化激荡中站稳脚跟。“创新”是方向，即立足新时代语境，推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，赋予其新的时代内涵和现代表达形式。守正为创新提供根基，创新为守正注入活力，二者辩证统一，须臾不可偏废。

The “Two Integrations” profoundly reveal that Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture are not isolated from each other but are mutually compatible and mutually reinforcing. This integration is not a simple physical superposition but a profound chemical reaction, the result of which is “making Marxism Chinese and making fine traditional Chinese culture modern,” thereby creating an organic and unified new cultural life form. Adhering to upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in building a strong cultural country requires us to correctly handle the relationship between cultural inheritance and development, accurately grasp the “change” and “unchanged” in cultural development, oppose both restorationism and nihilism, and insist on using Marxism as a guide for discernment and sublation, injecting continuous innovative momentum into building the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization.

“两个结合”深刻揭示了马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化并非彼此隔绝，而是相互契合、相互成就的。这一结合不是简单的物理叠加，而是深刻的化学反应，其结果是“让马克思主义成为中国的，中华优秀传统文化成为现代的”，由此造就出一个有机统一的新的文化生命体。在文化强国建设中坚持守正创新，要求我们正确处理文化传承与发展的关系，准确把握文化建设中的“变”与“不变”，既反对复古主义，也不能搞虚无主义，而要坚持以马克思主义为指导进行甄别、扬弃，为建设中国式现代化的文化形态注入源源不断的创新动能。

Building a Solid Barrier for Cultural Security

筑牢文化安全的坚实屏障

Mastering the dominant power of public opinion under the conditions of informatization, broadly consolidating social consensus, and effectively responding to risks and challenges in the ideological sphere are the concentrated embodiment of “must uphold a problem-oriented approach” in building a strong cultural country. “Problems are the maxim of the times.” Adhering to a problem-oriented approach is a basic requirement of Marxist epistemology and an important ideological method and working method of our Party. Currently, the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, accelerating in intensity. China’s cultural development faces unprecedented opportunities as well as extremely severe challenges. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “If we cannot pass the test of the internet

掌握信息化条件下舆论主导权、广泛凝聚社会共识，有效应对意识形态领域风险挑战，是“必须坚持问题导向”在文化强国建设上的集中体现。“问题是时代的格言”。坚持问题导向，是马克思主义认识论的基本要求，也是我们党重要的思想方法和工作方法。当前，世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，我国文化发展面临着前所未有的机遇，也面临着极为严峻的挑战。习近平总书记指出，“过不了互联网这一关，就过不了长期执政这一关”。随着全媒体时代的到来，舆论生态、媒体格局、传播方式发生深刻变革，互联网已成为意识形态斗争的主阵地、最前沿。各种错误思潮试图利用网络空间混淆视听，对国家文化安全造成现实冲击。

Adhering to a problem-oriented approach requires daring to face risks and being adept at solving difficult problems. At the practical level, it is necessary to persist in unifying the expression of the Party's propositions with the reflection of the people's voices, guiding people with correct public opinion, following the mass line well online, being adept at using the internet to understand public opinion and carry out work, promoting mainstream media to enhance their communication power, guidance power, influence, and credibility, and making the internet a new platform for communication and exchange with the masses. In terms of work requirements, we must strengthen our awareness of potential dangers, establish bottom-line thinking, and effectively prevent and defuse ideological risks; deeply study the laws of public opinion dissemination under information-based conditions, improve the capacity for comprehensive online governance, and create a clear and wholesome cyberspace; actively respond to cultural issues of common concern to the people, and promote cultural prosperity and development through continuously solving practical problems.

坚持问题导向，就要敢于直面风险、善于破解难题。实践层面，要坚持把体现党的主张和反映人民心声统一起来，以正确舆论引导人，走好网上群众路线，善于运用网络了解民意、开展工作，推动主流媒体提升传播力、引导力、影响力、公信力，让互联网成为同群众交流沟通的新平台。工作要求上，增强忧患意识、树立底线思维，有效防范化解意识形态风险；深入研究信息化条件下的舆论传播规律，提高网络综合治理能力，营造清朗的网络空间；积极回应人民群众普遍关切的文化问题，在不断解决实际问题中推动文化繁荣发展。

Coordinate the overall pattern of cultural development

统筹文化发展的整体格局

Promoting the coordinated development of material civilization and cultural-ethical progress, and fostering the high-quality development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries, is the concentrated embodiment of “must adhere to a systems perspective” in building a cultural power. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a scientific system that is clear in principle and practical in application, with principle and application integrated. It profoundly reveals the dual role of culture within the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan: it is both a development domain parallel to the economy, politics, society, and ecological civilization, and an ideological spirit capable of connecting with and permeating all domains, organically coupling with other domains to jointly constitute a complete system of social development.

推动物质文明和精神文明协调发展，促进文化事业和文化产业高质量发展，是“必须坚持系统观念”在文化强国建设上的集中体现。习近平文化思想是一个明体达用、体用贯通的科学体系，深刻揭示出文化在“五位一体”总体布局中的双重角色：它既是一个与经济、政治、社会、生态文明相并列的发展领域，又是能够联系并渗透于各领域之中的思想精神，与其他领域有机耦合，共同构成社会发展的完整系统。

To flourish cultural undertakings, it is necessary to create a sound ecosystem, enhance original creative capacity, implement actions to improve the quality and efficiency of public cultural services, and construct a pattern of high-quality services; to develop cultural industries, it is necessary to advance the integration of culture and technology, cultivate new types of cultural business forms, promote deep integration of culture and tourism, and empower economic and social development through culture. The coordinated progress of both plays an important role in promoting economic and social development and enriching the people’s spiritual world. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, “When high-rise buildings stand everywhere across our land, the edifice of the Chinese national spirit should also stand tall.” This profoundly reveals the dialectical relationship between “filling the pocket” and “enriching the mind,” embodying the essential requirement of promoting comprehensive social progress and the all-round development of the individual. Adhering to a systems perspective requires overcoming one-sidedness and short-sighted behavior in cultural development, grasping the laws of cultural development from the perspective of overall interconnection, and continuously improving the systematic, holistic, and coordinated nature of cultural governance.

繁荣文化事业，需要营造良好生态，提升原创能力，实施公共文化服务提质增效行动，构建高质量服务格局；发展文化产业，需要推进文化和科技融合，发展新型文化业态，推进文旅深度融合，以文化赋能经济社会发展。二者协同并进，对于促进经济社会发展和丰富人民精神世界都具有重要作用。习近平总书记指出，“当高楼大厦在我国大地上遍地林立时，中华民族精神的大厦也应该巍然耸立”。这深刻揭示了“富口袋”与“富脑袋”的辩证关系，体现了促进社会全面进步和人的全面发展的本质要求。坚持系统观念，就要克服文化发展中的片面性和短视行为，从整体联系中把握文化发展规律，不断提高文化治理的系统性、整体性、协同性。

Demonstrating China’s Responsibility in Mutual Learning Among Civilizations

彰显文明互鉴的中国担当

Deepening mutual learning among civilizations, promoting the common values of all humanity, building a community with a shared future for mankind, and creating a new form of human civilization are the concentrated embodiment of “must adhere to a global vision” in building a cultural power. Adhering to a global vision reflects the world-mindedness and global perspective of Chinese Communists, crystallizing our Party’s profound reflection on and responsible commitment to the development and progress of human civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, “jointly advocating respect for the diversity of world civilizations, jointly advocating the promotion of the common values of all humanity, jointly advocating the importance of civilizational heritage and innovation, and jointly advocating the strengthening of international people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation,” aiming to enrich the garden of world civilizations. We must both draw on and absorb all outstanding achievements of human civilization with a broad mind as vast as the ocean that admits all rivers, allowing the world’s fine civilizational achievements to take root and flourish on Chinese soil; and also promote Chinese culture to better reach the world, accelerate the construction of Chinese discourse and narrative systems, tell China’s stories well, and spread China’s voice well, presenting to the world a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China, injecting profound and lasting cultural strength into promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

深化文明交流互鉴、弘扬全人类共同价值、构建人类命运共同体、创造人类文明新形态，是“必须坚持胸怀天下”在文化强国建设上的集中体现。坚持胸怀天下，体现了中国共产党人的天下情怀和世界眼光，凝结着我们党对人类文明发展进步的深刻思考和责任担当。习近平总书记提出全球文明倡议，“共同倡导尊重世界文明多样性，共同倡导弘扬全人类共同价值，共同倡导重视文明传承和创新，共同倡导加强国际人文交流合作”，旨在繁荣世界文明百花园。我们既要以海纳百川的宽阔胸襟借鉴吸收人类一切优秀文明成果，让世界优秀文明成果在中国大地上生根发芽；也要推动中华文化更好走向世界，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，向世界展示可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象，为推动构建人类命运共同体注入深厚持久的文化力量。

Chinese-path modernization has created a new form of human civilization, breaking the myth that “modernization equals Westernization,” providing a new choice different from the Western model for humanity to achieve modernization, and offering important insights for solving common problems facing humanity. Civilizations become colorful through exchange, and civilizations become rich through mutual learning. This world-mindedness marks the transcendence of Chinese Communists’ thinking on cultural development beyond the narrow nation-state perspective of the West, contemplating the future of human civilization with deeper concern, embodying the wisdom of Chinese civilization’s “harmony in diversity” and “beauty in diversity,” and demonstrating China’s mission and responsibility to make new and greater contributions to human progress.

中国式现代化创造了人类文明新形态，打破了“现代化=西方化”的迷思，为人类实现现代化提供了不同于西方模式的新选择，为破解人类面临的共同问题提供了重要启示。文明因交流而多彩，文明因互鉴而丰富。这种天下情怀，标志着中国共产党人的文化发展思考超越了西方狭隘的民族国家视野，以更深切的关怀思考人类文明的未来，体现了中华文明“和而不同”“美美与共”的智慧，彰显了中国为人类进步作出新的更大贡献的使命担当。

The “Six Musts” are interconnected and internally unified, running through all the theory and practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Standing at the new historical starting point of the 15th Five-Year Plan, we must lead the building of a cultural power with the “Six Musts,” and use the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization to provide more proactive and stronger spiritual strength for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

“六个必须坚持”相互联系、内在统一，贯穿习近平文化思想的全部理论与实践。站在“十五五”开局新的历史起点，我们要以“六个必须坚持”引领文化强国建设，以中国式现代化的文化形态为实现中华民族伟大复兴提供更为主动、更为强大的精神力量。

(Authors: Zhou Dan and Zhao Ruize, respectively a researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and an editor at the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者：周丹、赵瑞泽，分别系中国社会科学院习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员、中国社会科学院哲学研究所编辑）