Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era: Connotation, Function and Guidelines

In the field of cultural development, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, centering on “stimulating the cultural creativity and innovation of the entire nation to flourish and develop socialist culture” and focusing on “developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era that possesses strong ideological guiding power, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence,” planned and deployed the goals, tasks, and practical measures for China’s cultural development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The plenary session prominently emphasized the important position of the expression “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” in the discourse system of cultural development, further clarifying the focus and developmental pursuit of contemporary Chinese cultural development. As a new concept with distinct characteristics of the times, “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” integrates the essence and core meaning of related expressions such as “advanced socialist culture” and “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics,” reflects the cultural needs and cultural foundation of Chinese-path modernization, and fully manifests the essential requirements and practical expectations of building a culturally strong country. Deeply grasping the conceptual connotation of “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” and exploring its functions and guidelines is not only necessary for us to further promote cultural development and achieve cultural prosperity, but also necessary for implementing the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC and supporting modernization through cultural development.

在文化建设领域，党的二十届四中全会围绕“激发全民族文化创新创造活力，繁荣发展社会主义文化”,聚焦“发展具有强大思想引领力、精神凝聚力、价值感召力、国际影响力的新时代中国特色社会主义文化”,规划部署中国“十五五”时期文化建设的目标任务和实践举措。全会突出强调“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”这一表述在文化建设话语体系中的重要地位，进一步明晰了当代中国文化建设的着力方向和发展追求。作为一个具有鲜明时代特征的新概念，“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”统揽“社会主义先进文化”“中国特色社会主义文化”等相关表述的精髓要义，反映中国式现代化的文化需要和文化依托，充分彰显了文化强国建设的本质要求和实践期待。深入把握“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”概念内涵，探析其功能和遵循，既是我们深入推进文化建设、实现文化繁荣发展的需要，也是贯彻落实党的二十届四中全会精神、以文化发展支撑现代化建设的需要。

I. The Rich Connotation of Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

一、新时代中国特色社会主义文化的丰富内涵

“Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” is derived from “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics,” and is a cultural expression that focuses on the New Era and is based on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era. In June 2023, Xi Jinping first proposed this concept at the Symposium on Cultural Heritage and Development. When discussing our new cultural mission in the New Era, he pointed out: “We must adhere to adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, inherit and develop the excellent traditional Chinese culture, promote the localization of foreign cultures, and continuously cultivate and create socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era.” Xi Jinping used the expression “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” again during the 17th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in October 2024. He emphasized: “We must anchor the strategic goal of building a culturally strong country by 2035, adhere to Marxism as the fundamental guiding ideology, be rooted in the profound and extensive Chinese civilization, conform to the trend of information technology development, continuously develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era that possesses strong ideological guiding power, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, continuously strengthen the people’s spiritual strength, and consolidate the cultural foundation for building a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Following this exposition, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC introduced the concept of “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” into the Party plenum document, solemnly proposing the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era as a guiding suggestion for formulating national economic and social development plans in the field of cultural development, which has very important theoretical significance and practical guiding significance.

“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”由“中国特色社会主义文化”引申而来，是聚焦新时代、立足新时代中国特色社会主义的文化表达。2023年6月，习近平在文化传承发展座谈会上最先提出这一概念。在论及我们在新时代新的文化使命时，他指出：“我们必须坚持马克思主义中国化时代化，传承发展中华优秀传统文化，促进外来文化本土化，不断培育和创造新时代中国特色社会主义文化。”习近平再一次使用“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”的表述，是在2024年10月中共二十届中央政治局第十七次集体学习时。他强调：“我们要锚定2035年建成文化强国的战略目标，坚持马克思主义这一根本指导思想，植根博大精深的中华文明，顺应信息技术发展潮流，不断发展具有强大思想引领力、精神凝聚力、价值感召力、国际影响力的新时代中国特色社会主义文化，不断增强人民精神力量，筑牢强国建设、民族复兴的文化根基。”党的二十届四中全会按照这一论述，在党的全会文件中引入“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”概念，将发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，作为在文化建设领域制定国民经济和社会发展规划的指导建议郑重提出，具有十分重要的理论意义和实践指导意义。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has comprehensively overseen reform, development

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央统揽改革发展稳定、内政外交国防、治党治国治军，促进党和国家事业全面发展进步；紧密结合新时代经济社会发展新情况和人民群众美好生活新期待，高度重视文化事业发展，深入推进文化建设，促进文化繁荣昌盛；不断总结文化建设实践经验，推进文化理论创新，提出一系列新思想新观点新论断，形成习近平文化思想。伴随着在文化领域中的实践推进和理论创新，中国共产党对文化建设的目标任务及实践路径，在思维上不断开拓，在认识上不断深化，在话语阐述上愈加丰富，形成诸多新的论述和新的表达。如“中华文明的现代形态”“我们这个时代的新文化”“有机统一的新的文化生命体”等。而从文化建设的动态进程看，则有“发展出中华文明的现代形态”“创造属于我们这个时代的新文化”“造就了一个有机统一的新的文化生命体”等论析。不止如此，与此相关的表述，还有“传承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化”“推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展”“传承弘扬革命文化”“构建起中国共产党人的精神谱系”等。

All these discursive expressions point to the current cultural construction, to the mission and tasks of cultural construction in contemporary China; they touch upon our cultural concerns and are linked to our cultural practices and cultural actions. These many modes of expression and narrative discourses can be described as the thinking representation of cultural tasks and cultural practices, as the conceptual presentation of cultural flourishing and development. This indicates that, on the one hand, our cultural construction has entered a new realm, and our thinking on culture has reached a new height, making new breakthroughs in cognition and new creations in expression an inevitability; on the other hand, precisely at the moment when the narrative presentation of culture and cultural construction exhibits diversity in expression and breadth in discourse, an internal demand for convergence in expression and coordination in understanding quietly emerges. That is to say, it also becomes an inevitability to further focus these closely linked yet individually emphasized expressions onto a discourse that is overarching and comprehensive, to refine a proposition that can gather the spiritual essence and task requirements of the existing multiple formulations, and to create a common concept that is closely tied to reality and reveals the core objectives and tasks. It is against this background that the formulation "socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era" emerged as the times require. The proposal of this concept possesses historical inevitability and logical rationality.

所有这些话语表达，都指向当前的文化建设，指向当代中国文化建设使命和文化建设任务，都触及我们的文化关注，联结着我们的文化实践与文化行为。这诸多表达方式和叙事话语，可谓文化任务、文化实践的思维表征，是文化繁荣发展的理念呈现。这表明，一方面，我们的文化建设已进入新境界，我们对文化的思考已经达到新高度，由此带来认知上的新突破和表达上的新创造也就成为一种必然；另一方面，恰是在对文化和文化建设的叙事呈现多样性述说、广泛性言谈之际，一种在表达上趋向收拢、在认识上走向统筹的内在要求也悄然生成。也就是说，将紧密联结且又各有侧重的诸多表达，进一步聚焦到具有统摄性、总揽性的话语上，提炼出一个能够集聚现有多种表述之精神实质和任务要求的命题，创设出一种紧扣现实并揭示核心目标任务的共同理念，同样成为一种必然。正是在这种背景下，“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”的提法应运而生。这一概念的提出，具有历史必然性和逻辑合理性。

In fact, since the Forum on Cultural Heritage and Development discussed the multiple expressions and multi-layered implications of culture, during the 17th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping focused his thinking on "socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era." [1]1 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, *The German Ideology* (1845-46), in *Marx & Engels Collected Works*, Vol. 5 (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1976), p. 36. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party further established the leading role and backbone function of "socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era" within the cultural discourse system, the mission of cultural development, and the tasks of cultural construction, thereby drawing together a series of discussions on culture and its objectives, on contemporary Chinese cultural construction and its development path, into the domain of "socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era" and "developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era." This shifts our understanding from expansion to concentration, from breadth to precision, from divergence to focus, embodying the deepening of thought and the elevation of cognition. As a new concept, "socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era" both condenses the essential meaning of "advanced socialist culture," "socialist culture with Chinese characteristics," and "the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization," encompasses the inherent requirements of promoting fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture under new historical conditions, and further manifests the contemporary style of being rooted in the New Era, rooted in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and rooted in the practice of Chinese-path modernization. It highlights a lofty realm of inheriting the past, focusing on the present, and facing the future, opening up new cultural practices and creating new cultural forms, and reveals its rich connotations and distinctive characteristics.

实际上，自文化传承发展座谈会论及文化的多种表达、多层意蕴后，在中共二十届中央政治局第十七次集体学习时，习近平就把思维的焦点投射到了“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”上。党的二十届四中全会进一步确立起“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”在文化话语体系、文化发展使命、文化建设任务中的主导地位和主干作用，使一系列关于文化及其目标追求、关于当代中国文化建设及其发展路径的论述，收拢到“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”“发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化”论域中，使我们的认识由铺展到集中、由宽泛到精确、由发散到聚焦，体现为思维的深化、认知的提升。作为一个新概念，“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”既凝结着“社会主义先进文化”“中国特色社会主义文化”“中国式现代化的文化形态”的精髓要义，囊括了在新的历史条件下弘扬中华优秀传统文化、革命文化、社会主义先进文化的内在要求，更展现出立足新时代、立足中国特色社会主义、立足中国式现代化实践的时代风范，彰显出承续过往、瞩目当下、面向未来，开辟新的文化实践、创造新的文化形态的高远境界，昭示出丰富内涵与鲜明特质。

First, the essential attribute of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is socialist culture and advanced socialist culture.

首先，新时代中国特色社会主义文化的本质属性，是社会主义文化和社会主义先进文化。

Culture is the product of human activity, a process of spiritual production and spiritual products formed on the basis of human social practice and the production of material goods. Culture always accompanies the social formation to which it belongs and is subject to, and is constrained by, many factors such as economics and politics. In the view of Marx and Engels, “The production of ideas, of conceptions, of consciousness, is at first directly interwoven with the material activity and the material intercourse of men, the language of real life. Conceiving, thinking, the mental intercourse of men, appear at this stage as the direct efflux of their material behaviour.” [1]1 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, *The German Ideology* (1845-46), in *Marx & Engels Collected Works*, Vol. 5 (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1976), p. 36. Therefore, “men, developing their material production and their material intercourse, alter, along with this their real existence, their thinking and the products of their thinking.” [2]2 Ibid., p. 37. That is to say, culture is necessarily linked to social existence and social institutions; its essential attributes are determined by the social formation to which it belongs, just as feudal society forms feudal culture, capitalist society forms capitalist culture, and socialist society forms socialist culture.

文化是人的活动的产物，是基于人类社会实践和物质资料生产而形成的精神生产过程和精神产品。文化总是与它所依存和归属的社会形态相伴随，并受制于经济、政治等诸多因素。在马克思、恩格斯看来，“思想、观念、意识的生产最初是直接与人们的物质活动，与人们的物质交往，与现实生活的语言交织在一起的。人们的想象、思维、精神交往在这里还是人们物质行动的直接产物”,因此，“发展着自己的物质生产和物质交往的人们，在改变自己的这个现实的同时也改变着自己的思维和思维的产物”。这就是说，文化必然与社会存在、社会制度相关联，其本质属性由它所依存和归属的社会形态所规定，正如封建社会形成封建文化、资本主义社会形成资本主义文化、社会主义社会形成社会主义文化那样。

In terms of the social formation to which it belongs, socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is socialist culture, the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As the “core” deeply rooted in culture, socialism and the system, path, and direction of development of socialism with Chinese characteristics determine the basic nature and fundamental attributes of culture. Socialist culture and advanced socialist culture, which are based on socialism, are adapted to the socialist system, the socialist path, and the socialist social formation, and are determined in essence, direction, and path by the latter. Mao Zedong pointed out during the period of the New Democratic Revolution: “We Chinese Communists have been fighting for the political and economic revolution of China, and also for the cultural revolution of China; the purpose of all this is to build a new society and a new state for the Chinese nation. In this new society and new state, there will be not only new politics and new economy, but also new culture.” [3]3 Mao Zedong, “On New Democracy” (1940), in *Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung*, Vol. II (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1965), p. 339. New politics, new economy, and new culture are inseparable and internally unified. After the founding of New China, Mao Zedong emphasized: “The policy of letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend is a policy for promoting the development of art and the progress of science, and a policy for promoting the flourishing of our socialist culture.” [4]4 Mao Zedong, “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People” (1957), in *Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung*, Vol. V (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1977), p. 408. This clearly revealed socialist culture. Socialist China must necessarily build socialist culture and develop advanced socialist culture. Building socialist culture and developing advanced socialist culture must also run through the entire process of the overall development of the socialist cause. Even if different historical periods, due to practical needs, put forward different cultural construction tasks and make different discursive expressions of the mission and pursuit of cultural development, this cannot and will not change the socialist nature of culture. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era closely adheres to the socialist system and the socialist path; it is a culture whose essential attributes are determined by socialism and which is endowed with advanced characteristics; it is the contemporary manifestation of socialist culture and advanced socialist culture. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era has not departed from the development track of socialist culture and advanced socialist culture; rather, it gathers the essence and inherent requirements of the latter within itself. In the process of closely integrating the needs of the times and actual conditions, it further confirms and highlights the superiority and advanced nature of socialist culture, enabling socialist culture and advanced socialist culture to bloom brilliantly in the New Era in a more enriched, perfected, and vibrant posture.

就所属的社会形态而言，新时代中国特色社会主义文化是社会主义文化，是中国特色社会主义的文化。作为深植于文化之中的“内核”,社会主义与中国特色社会主义的制度、道路和发展方向，决定着文化的基本性质和根本属性。立足社会主义的社会主义文化、社会主义先进文化，是与社会主义制度、社会主义道路、社会主义社会形态相适应，并被后者规定本质、决定方向、引领路径的文化。毛泽东在新民主主义革命时期就指出：“我们共产党人，多年以来，不但为中国的政治革命和经济革命而奋斗，而且为中国的文化革命而奋斗；一切这些的目的，在于建设一个中华民族的新社会和新国家。在这个新社会和新国家中，不但有新政治、新经济，而且有新文化。”新政治、新经济与新文化是不可分割、内在统一的。新中国成立后，毛泽东强调：“百花齐放、百家争鸣的方针，是促进艺术发展和科学进步的方针，是促进我国的社会主义文化繁荣的方针。”这就把社会主义文化明确揭示出来了。社会主义中国必然要建设社会主义文化，必然要发展社会主义先进文化。建设社会主义文化、发展社会主义先进文化，也必然贯通在社会主义事业整体发展进程中。即便在不同历史时期因现实需要而提出不同的文化建设任务，对文化事业发展的使命追求作出不同的话语表达，都不会改变也不能改变文化的社会主义性质。新时代中国特色社会主义文化紧扣社会主义制度和社会主义道路，是由社会主义规定本质属性、赋予先进特征的文化，是社会主义文化、社会主义先进文化的当代呈现。新时代中国特色社会主义文化没有脱离社会主义文化、社会主义先进文化的发展轨道，而是将后者的精髓要义和内在要求集于自身，在紧密结合时代需要和现实条件过程中，进一步确证并彰显着社会主义文化的优越性和先进性，使社会主义文化、社会主义先进文化以更为丰富完善、更加充满活力的姿态在新时代绚丽绽放。

Secondly, the practical foundation of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-path modernization.

其次，新时代中国特色社会主义文化的实践基础，是中国特色社会主义和中国式现代化。

Related to the essential attributes indicated by socialist culture and advanced socialist culture, the practical foundation on which socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is based is the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the practice of Chinese-path modernization. The essential attributes of culture and its practical foundation are interconnected. Because “we can only know under the conditions of our epoch, and to the extent that these conditions allow.” [5]5 Frederick Engels, “Letter to Heinz Starkenburg” (1894), in *Marx & Engels Collected Works*, Vol. 50 (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 2004), p. 267. Culture built under socialist conditions must not only reflect the nature of socialism but also reflect socialist practice, especially the practical requirements and practical experience at specific stages of development. “Social life is essentially practical.” [6]6 Karl Marx, “Theses on Feuerbach” (1845), in *Marx & Engels Collected Works*, Vol. 5 (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1976), p. 4. “The question whether objective truth can be attributed to human thinking is not a question of theory but is a practical question. Man must prove the truth, i.e., the reality and power, the this-sidedness of his thinking in practice.” [7]7 Ibid., p. 3. The essential attributes of socialist culture are not an illusory, abstract existence; they must be manifested in the real, concrete process of practice. Socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-path modernization are both the real field of socialism, carrying and indicating the essence and characteristics of socialism; they also build the most solid and broadest practical platform for the socialist system and the socialist path, consolidating the deepest practical foundation for the construction and deepening development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era.

与社会主义文化、社会主义先进文化标示出的本质属性相联系，新时代中国特色社会主义文化立足的实践基础，是中国特色社会主义实践和中国式现代化实践。文化的本质属性与实践基础是相通的。因为“我们只能在我们时代的条件下去认识，而且这些条件达到什么程度，我们就认识到什么程度”。在社会主义条件下建设的文化，不仅要体现社会主义性质，还要反映社会主义实践，特别是在具体发展阶段上的实践要求与实践经验。“社会生活在本质上是实践的。”“人的思维是否具有客观的[gegenständliche]真理性，这不是一个理论的问题，而是一个实践的问题。人应该在实践中证明自己思维的真理性，即自己思维的现实性和力量，自己思维的此岸性。”社会主义文化的本质属性不是虚无缥缈的抽象存在，而必须在现实的、具体的实践进程中展现。中国特色社会主义、中国式现代化既是社会主义的现实场域，承载并标示着社会主义的本质与特征，还为社会主义制度、社会主义道路搭建起最坚固、最宽阔的实践平台，为新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设及其深化发展夯实了最为深厚的实践基础。

Every culture has a practical foundation; it must necessarily respond to the objective needs of practice, reveal the developmental logic of practice, reflect the experiential creations of practice, and provide spiritual momentum and cultural support for the further development of practice. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the most significant achievement of China since reform and opening up, and the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only way to achieve socialist modernization and create a better life for the people. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, taking the ongoing cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics as its deep support and the continuously deepening practice of Chinese-path modernization as its solid foundation, has already formed a vivid picture jointly painted by a grand cause, a magnificent practice, and a flourishing culture. It is precisely in the sense of the interweaving of cause, practice, and culture that we clearly see that socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era inherits the development direction and basic path of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, constructs the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization by condensing the practical nature, practical creation, and enhancing practical experience under new historical conditions, and supports the continuous advancement of Chinese-path modernization in depth and breadth. By comprehensively grasping socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-path modernization from the perspective of practical foundation, we are actually organically linking several aspects—socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization—helping us to truly grasp the dialectical unity relationship between them, which is both distinct and closely connected.

任何文化都有实践基础，都必然呼应实践的客观需要、揭示实践的发展逻辑、反映实践的经验创造，并为实践的进一步发展提供精神动能和文化支撑。中国特色社会主义是中国改革开放以来取得的最重大成果，中国特色社会主义道路是实现社会主义现代化、创造人民美好生活的必由之路。新时代中国特色社会主义文化以正在推进的中国特色社会主义事业为深厚依托，以不断深化的中国式现代化实践为坚实根基，已然构成一幅由宏大事业、壮阔实践、繁荣文化共同绘就的、栩栩如生的画卷。正是在事业、实践、文化相互交织的意义上，我们清晰地看到，新时代中国特色社会主义文化承续中国特色社会主义文化的发展方向和基本路径，以在新的历史条件下凝练实践本性、实践创造和提升实践经验的方式，构建起中国式现代化的文化形态，支撑着中国式现代化不断向深度和广度推进。我们以实践基础对中国特色社会主义、中国式现代化进行统筹把握，实际上是把新时代中国特色社会主义文化、中国特色社会主义文化、中国式现代化的文化形态几方面有机联结起来，助益我们真切把握它们之间既有所区别更紧密联通的辩证统一关系。

Finally, the historical juncture at which socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is situated is the New Era, the most critical period for building a culturally strong country.

最后，新时代中国特色社会主义文化所处的历史方位，是新时代，是文化强国建设最关键时期。

Any representation and conceptual expression of culture involves both connotation and extension, and both indicate the nature, characteristics, and historical orientation of that culture. The connotation and extension of a concept exist in relation to each other, while the nature, characteristics, and historical orientation of culture are interdependent and manifest together. Taking the extension of a concept, i.e., its scope of application, alone, some cultural expressions we have frequently used in the past differ in their starting points and time spans. Socialist culture and advanced socialist culture were conceived, born, and developed alongside socialist society, originating from the founding of New China and corresponding to a social formation; socialist culture with Chinese characteristics started from reform and opening up, a cultural existence that began to be built and developed after we embarked on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics; the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization points to the cultural needs and achievements of modernization, emphasizing the new cultural system to be constructed in the overall advancement of modernization. Differences in historical orientation and starting scope cannot obscure their essential consistency and substantive continuity. Comparatively speaking, socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is the latest cultural achievement and the most immediate cultural form. It is contained within the still-developing socialist culture, advanced socialist culture, socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization, while at the same time being highlighted and elevated from them, fully manifesting its unique strengths to become the most symbolic and most emblematic culture. It exists within the group yet stands out from it; it carries on the past while more fully displaying the style of the times. The concept of “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” has narrowed in extension but deepened in connotation. The deepened connotation includes not only the essence of socialism, the characteristics of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the foundation of Chinese-path modernization, but also directly reflects the construction and development requirements of the New Era, the cultural construction and cultural development requirements of the New Era, as well as the actual process, objective laws, and development trends of building a culturally strong country in the New Era.

对文化的任何表征和概念表达，都涉及内涵与外延两个方面，都标示着此种文化的性质、特征与历史方位。概念的内涵与外延相比较而存在，文化的性质特征与历史方位相依存而呈现。单就概念的外延即适用范围而言，我们此前经常使用的一些文化表述，在所指向的起始节点、时间跨度上是不同的。社会主义文化、社会主义先进文化是伴随着社会主义社会而孕育、诞生和发展的，是始自新中国成立、对应社会形态的文化形态；中国特色社会主义文化从改革开放起步，是我们走上中国特色社会主义道路之后开始建设、发展起来的文化存在；中国式现代化的文化形态则指向现代化的文化需要和文化成就，重在强调在现代化整体推进中要构建起的新的文化体系。历史方位及起始范围的不同，并不能淹没它们本质上的一致和内容上的贯通。比较而言，新时代中国特色社会主义文化是最新的文化成果，也是最为切近的文化样态，是被包容在仍处于发展中的社会主义文化、社会主义先进文化、中国特色社会主义文化、中国式现代化的文化形态之中，同时又从中被凸显提升出来、充分彰显其独特优长而成为最具象征意义和最具标识特征的文化。它在群体之中，又从群体中彰显；它承续以往，更著时代风采。“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”这一概念，在外延上收窄了，在内涵上却深化了。深化了的内涵，既包括社会主义本质、中国特色社会主义特征、中国式现代化基础，更直接反映着新时代的建设与发展要求、新时代的文化建设与文化发展要求以及新时代文化强国建设的现实进程、客观规律和发展趋向。

Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era and a culturally strong country are intrinsically unified; developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era and building a culturally strong country converge into the same practice and merge into the same process. When socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era set out, it was precisely the period when the construction of a culturally strong country was being advanced. In 2012, the 18th National Congress of the CPC [8]8 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in November 2012, marking the beginning of the New Era under Xi Jinping’s leadership. put forward the requirement to “solidly advance the construction of a socialist culturally strong country,” marking China’s formal establishment of the “culturally strong country” strategy; in 2017, the 19th National Congress of the CPC [9]9 The 19th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2017, where Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was enshrined in the Party Constitution. established “building a socialist culturally strong country” as the cultural construction goal of the New Era; in 2020, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC [10]10 The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC was held in October 2020, adopting proposals for the 14th Five-Year Plan. proposed the long-term goal of building a culturally strong country by 2035; on the basis of the 20th National Congress of the CPC [11]11 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022. in 2022 emphasizing the goal of “promoting cultural confidence and self-strengthening, and creating new brilliance in socialist culture,” the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [12]12 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC was held in 2025. in 2025 more closely linked “developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” with “solidly advancing the construction of a culturally strong country.” This historical process shows that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the process of the CPC leading the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era coincides precisely with the most important and most critical period in which we established the “culturally strong country” strategy and continuously deepened its implementation. Facing the strategic goal of building a culturally strong country by 2035, the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era will surely take more solid steps and achieve more fruitful results. It can be said that the construction of a culturally strong country, in the most direct and extremely distinct manner, marks the historical orientation of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era from a certain level, and reveals its distinctive characteristics from one perspective.

新时代中国特色社会主义文化与文化强国内在统一，发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化与文化强国建设汇入同一实践、融入同一进程。当新时代中国特色社会主义文化启程之时，恰是文化强国建设推进之期。2012年党的十八大提出“扎实推进社会主义文化强国建设”要求，标志着中国正式确立“文化强国”战略；2017年党的十九大将“建设社会主义文化强国”确立为新时代文化建设目标；2020年党的十九届五中全会提出，到2035年建成文化强国远景目标；在2022年党的二十大强调“推进文化自信自强，铸就社会主义文化新辉煌”目标的基础上，2025年党的二十届四中全会把“发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化”与“扎实推进文化强国建设”更紧密地联结在一起。这一历史进程表明，党的十八大以来，中国共产党领导发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化的过程，恰是我们确立“文化强国”战略并不断深化实施最为重要、最为关键的时期。面向2035年建成文化强国的战略目标，新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设必将迈出更为坚实的步伐、取得更为丰硕的成就。可以说，文化强国建设以最为直接且极为鲜明的方式，从一定层面上标注了新时代中国特色社会主义文化的历史方位，在一种视域中昭示了新时代中国特色社会主义文化的鲜明特质。

II. The Functions of Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

二、新时代中国特色社会主义文化的功能

Based on the present and taking an overall view of cultural undertakings, we can accurately judge and correctly grasp that “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” has become an iconic concept in the cultural field, occupying a prominent or even core position in culture, cultural construction, and discourse system construction; “developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” has become the fundamental task of cultural construction, possessing important functions of traction, guidance, and motivation in the development of cultural undertakings; using the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era to advance socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-path modernization has become an important force for achieving effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth of the economy, and for promoting the all-round development of people and common prosperity for all, during the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan [13]13 The 14th Five-Year Plan covers the years 2021–2025. and beyond.

立足当前，统揽文化事业发展，我们可以准确作出判断并予以正确把握，即“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”已成为文化领域中的标识概念，在有关文化、文化建设、话语体系构建中处于显著甚至核心地位；“发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化”已成为文化建设的根本任务，在文化事业发展中具有牵引、导向、激励重要功能；以发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化推进中国特色社会主义、推进中国式现代化，已成为“十五五”时期以至更长远阶段实现经济质的有效提升和量的合理增长，推动实现人的全面发展、全体人民共同富裕的重要力量。

The CPC has always attached great importance to the important position of culture. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Culture is an important force for the survival and development of a nation. Every leap forward in human society and every sublimation of human civilization is accompanied by the historical progress of culture.” [14]14 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Forum on Literature and Art Work” (2014). As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a New Era, in line with the coordinated development of material civilization and cultural-ethical progress, we must not only strengthen the material foundation of modernization and consolidate the material conditions for the people’s happy life, but also continuously enrich the people’s spiritual and cultural life and stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the entire nation. In this process, the function of culture is increasingly prominent, and culture plays an ever greater role in the overall cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. “In coordinating the advancement of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, culture is an important component; in promoting high-quality development, culture is an important fulcrum; in meeting the people’s growing needs for a better life, culture is an important factor; in overcoming various risks and challenges on the path forward, culture is an important source of strength.” [15]15 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work” (2018). The important position and role of culture mean that socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era must inevitably bear important missions and assume important functions, which in turn requires us to be courageous and enterprising. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era embodies the task requirements of contemporary Chinese cultural construction and gathers the functions and actions of contemporary Chinese cultural construction. In this regard, Xi Jinping’s concise revelation of “ideological guiding force, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence,” [16]16 Xi Jinping, “Report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC” (2022). as well as the emphatic highlighting by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, provide correct guidance and scientific direction for us to comprehensively grasp the characteristics, functions, and positioning of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, and to deeply understand the historical inevitability and practical necessity of developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era.

对于文化的重要地位，中国共产党历来高度重视。习近平指出：“文化是民族生存和发展的重要力量。人类社会每一次跃进，人类文明每一次升华，无不伴随着文化的历史性进步。”中国特色社会主义进入新时代，与物质文明和精神文明协调发展相适应，我们不仅要厚植现代化的物质基础、夯实人民幸福生活的物质条件，还要不断丰富人民精神文化生活、激发全民族文化创新创造活力。在这个过程中，文化的功能日渐突出，文化在中国特色社会主义事业全局中发挥着愈来愈大的作用。“统筹推进‘五位一体’总体布局、协调推进‘四个全面’战略布局，文化是重要内容；推动高质量发展，文化是重要支点；满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要，文化是重要因素；战胜前进道路上各种风险挑战，文化是重要力量源泉。”文化的重要地位与作用，意味着新时代中国特色社会主义文化必然要承载重要使命、担负重要功能，而这必然要求我们勇于担当、锐意进取。新时代中国特色社会主义文化凝结着当代中国文化建设的任务要求，集聚着当代中国文化建设的功能与作为。对此，习近平以“思想引领力、精神凝聚力、价值感召力、国际影响力”的凝练揭示，以及党的二十届四中全会的突出强调，为我们全面把握新时代中国特色社会主义文化的特征、功能、定位，深刻认识发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化的历史必然性和现实必要性，提供了正确指引和科学指导。

First, the ideological guiding force of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era.

第一，新时代中国特色社会主义文化的思想引领力。

The power of ideological guidance points toward a common ideal and belief, focusing on maintaining theoretical clarity and firmness. In a given cultural system, ideology is the soul of culture and the most core part of the cultural structure. Every kind of culture carries and reflects specific ideological concepts, which determine the nature of the culture and become an important criterion for measuring the quality of a culture. The power of ideological guidance of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era comes from the scientific worldview and methodology of Marxism, from the innovative theoretical achievements of the Communist Party of China, and from Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. “Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for building the Party and the country. To deviate from or abandon Marxism, our Party would lose its soul and direction.” [17]17 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Ceremony Commemorating the 95th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China” (1 July 2016). Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the Marxism of contemporary China and the Marxism of the 21st century, the essence of the times of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit, and has achieved a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era must not only adhere to the guidance of scientific theory but also place scientific theory in a core and soul position. Only in this way can it have the power of ideological guidance and fully exert the power of ideological guidance. The power of ideological guidance of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era must be realized by cultivating and consolidating a common ideal and belief, and advanced by strengthening theoretical arming, enhancing theoretical thinking, and guiding practical development. To this end, in the process of theoretical arming and cultural education, we must guide the masses to correctly understand objective things and their laws of development, establish their scientific cognition of society, life, and the world, promote the formation of stable modes of thinking, draw correct conclusions of understanding, and facilitate the formation of a correct worldview, outlook on life, and value system; we must deepen the understanding and systematically grasp scientific theory, strengthen education in ideals and beliefs, guide people to enhance their confidence in the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strengthen the masses’ pursuit of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization; we must transform the scientific worldview and methodology into a powerful ideological weapon for the masses to understand and transform the world, integrate the Party’s innovative theory into social life and social practice, and, on the basis of always maintaining theoretical clarity and firm will, be guided by firmly established ideals and beliefs to march toward a bright future.

思想引领力指向共同理想信念，着重就保持理论上的清晰与坚定而言。在一定的文化体系中，思想是文化的灵魂，是文化结构中最内核的部分。任何一种文化都承载并反映着特定的思想观念，这种思想观念决定着文化的性质，成为衡量一种文化之优劣高低的重要标准。新时代中国特色社会主义文化的思想引领力，来自马克思主义科学的世界观方法论，来自中国共产党的创新理论成果，来自习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想。“马克思主义是我们立党立国的根本指导思想。背离或放弃马克思主义，我们党就会失去灵魂、迷失方向。”习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想是当代中国马克思主义、21世纪马克思主义，是中华文化和中国精神的时代精华，实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。新时代中国特色社会主义文化既要坚持科学理论指导，更要将科学理论置于核心地位、灵魂地位。惟其如此，才有思想引领力，才能充分发挥思想引领力。新时代中国特色社会主义文化的思想引领力，要通过培育和筑牢共同理想信念来实现，通过加强理论武装、提升理论思维、指导实践发展来推进。为此，我们在理论武装和文化育人过程中，必须引领人民群众正确认识客观事物及其发展规律，确立起他们对社会、人生、世界的科学认知，促使他们形成稳定的思维方式，得出正确的认识结论，促进正确世界观、人生观、价值观的形成；必须深化理解和系统把握科学理论，强化理想信念教育，引导人们增进对中国特色社会主义事业发展的信心，坚定人民群众对以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的追求；必须将科学世界观方法论转化为人民群众认识世界、改造世界的强大思想武器，将党的创新理论融入社会生活和社会实践，在始终保持理论清晰与意志坚定的基础上，以牢固确立起的理想信念为引领，奔赴美好的未来。

Second, the spiritual cohesion of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era.

第二，新时代中国特色社会主义文化的精神凝聚力。

Spiritual cohesion points toward cultural identity and consensus, focusing on enhancing national spirit and cultural confidence. Humans are a unity of body and spirit; society is an organic combination of material life and spiritual life. For both individuals and the whole society, the state and expression of the spirit and spiritual level are of paramount importance. Engels pointed out: “Everything that drives people to engage in activity must pass through their brains,” “the influence of the external world on people is expressed in their brains, reflected in their brains, and becomes feelings, thoughts, motives, will, in short, becomes ‘ideal intentions’ and in this form becomes ‘ideal forces’.” [18]18 Friedrich Engels, *Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy* (1886). People need a bit of spirit, and what is more important than individual spirit is to condense everyone’s spirit together, forming a unified will and common pursuit, forming a national spirit and national spirit that is united as one and indestructible. Only when a nation stands firm and stable in spirit can it stand undaunted and at the forefront in the torrent of history. The spiritual cohesion of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is to actively promote the people’s identification with national ideals, national beliefs, the spirit of national rule of law, and moral standards; it is to form a nationwide consensus at the level of national culture, national spirit, and the goal of national rejuvenation, thereby condensing a mighty force of unity of purpose. To this end, we must vigorously promote the national spirit with patriotism at its core and the spirit of the times with reform and innovation at its core, and intensify efforts to build cultural-ethical progress; we must continue the Chinese cultural lineage through creative transformation and innovative development, elevate the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, and further enhance cultural confidence; we must focus on people and land on people, meet the diverse, multi-level, and multi-faceted spiritual and cultural needs of the masses, enhance the capacity to supply cultural services and cultural products, and closely link the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era with the enhancement of spiritual cohesion.

精神凝聚力指向文化认同共识，着重就增强民族精神与文化自信而言。人是肉体与精神的统一体，社会是物质生活与精神生活的有机结合体。无论对个人还是整个社会，精神和精神层面的状态与表现都是至关重要的。恩格斯指出：“推动人去从事活动的一切，都要通过人的头脑”,“外部世界对人的影响表现在人的头脑中，反映在人的头脑中，成为感觉、思想、动机、意志，总之，成为‘理想的意图’并且以这种形态变成‘理想的力量’”。人是要有一点精神的，而比个人精神更为重要的，是将每个人的精神凝聚起来，形成统一的意志和共同的追求，形成万众一心、坚不可摧的国家精神、民族精神。唯有精神上站得住、站得稳，一个民族才能在历史洪流中屹立不倒、挺立潮头。新时代中国特色社会主义文化的精神凝聚力，是要积极推进国家理想、国家信仰、国家法治精神和道德准则的人民认同，是要在民族文化、民族精神、民族复兴目标层面形成全民共识，由此凝聚起同心同德的磅礴力量。为此，我们要大力发扬以爱国主义为核心的民族精神和以改革创新为核心的时代精神，加大精神文明建设力度；要在创造性转化和创新性发展中赓续中华文脉，高扬中华民族的文化主体性，进一步增强文化上的自信；要着眼于人、落脚于人，满足人民群众多样化、多层次、多方面的精神文化需求，提升文化服务和文化产品供给能力，使发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化与增强精神凝聚力紧密联结在一起。

Third, the value appeal of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era.

第三，新时代中国特色社会主义文化的价值感召力。

Value appeal points toward the standpoint of value judgment, focusing on the shaping of values and adherence to values. Values are people’s basic evaluation and overall view of objective things; value appeal is the ability of a subject to persuade, guide, and influence value objects with its own values. Values can be divided into advanced and backward, correct and erroneous, positive and negative. Value appeal generally refers to the activity of using advanced, correct, and positive values to influence, change, and replace backward, erroneous, and negative values. The 18th National Congress of the CPC proposed: “Advocate prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony; advocate freedom, equality, justice, and the rule of law; advocate patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness; actively cultivate and practice the core socialist values.” [19]19 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in November 2012. The 24-character formulation of the core socialist values was officially presented in the congress report. In the system of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, the core socialist values are an important component; developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era must take cultivating and practicing the core socialist values as an important task. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The history of human social development shows that for a nation or a country, the most enduring and deepest force is the core values commonly recognized by the whole society. Core values carry the spiritual pursuit of a nation or a country and embody the value standards by which a society judges right and wrong.” [20]20 Xi Jinping, “Speech at a Study Session on the Implementation of the Spirit of the 18th National Congress of the CPC Attended by Provincial and Ministerial-Level Leading Cadres” (13 February 2014). The core socialist values are the concentrated expression of the contemporary Chinese spirit and the ideological and moral foundation for condensing Chinese strength. Building core values with strong appeal concerns social harmony and stability and the long-term peace and order of the country. To this end, we must “closely focus on building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership, adhere to the guidance of the core socialist values, continuously construct the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength, and develop and strengthen mainstream values, mainstream public opinion, and mainstream culture”; [21]21 Xi Jinping, “Report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC” (16 October 2022). through education and guidance, public opinion propaganda, cultural edification, practice cultivation, institutional guarantees, etc., we must make the core socialist values internalized as the spiritual pursuit of the masses and externalized as their conscious actions.

价值感召力指向价值评判立场，着重就价值观塑造与价值观遵循而言。价值观是人对客观事物的基本评价和总体看法，价值感召力是主体以自身的价值观去说服、引导和感化价值对象的能力。价值观有先进与落后、正确与错误、积极与消极之分，价值感召一般是指以先进、正确、积极的价值观去影响、改变、替代落后、错误、消极价值观的活动。党的十八大提出：“倡导富强、民主、文明、和谐，倡导自由、平等、公正、法治，倡导爱国、敬业、诚信、友善，积极培育和践行社会主义核心价值观。”在新时代中国特色社会主义文化体系中，社会主义核心价值观是重要组成部分；发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，必须把培育和践行社会主义核心价值观作为重要任务。习近平指出：“人类社会发展的历史表明，对一个民族、一个国家来说，最持久、最深层的力量是全社会共同认可的核心价值观。核心价值观，承载着一个民族、一个国家的精神追求，体现着一个社会评判是非曲直的价值标准。”社会主义核心价值观是当代中国精神的集中体现，是凝聚中国力量的思想道德基础。构建具有强大感召力的核心价值观，事关社会和谐稳定、国家长治久安。为此，我们要“紧紧围绕建设具有强大凝聚力和引领力的社会主义意识形态，坚持以社会主义核心价值观为引领，不断构筑中国精神、中国价值、中国力量，发展壮大主流价值、主流舆论、主流文化”；要通过教育引导、舆论宣传、文化熏陶、实践养成、制度保障等，使社会主义核心价值观内化为人民群众的精神追求，外化为他们的自觉行动。

Fourth, the international influence of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era.

第四，新时代中国特色社会主义文化的国际影响力。

International influence points to external exchange and mutual learning, with emphasis on manifesting one’s own advantages and distinctive features. A nation’s international cultural influence is the actual impact it exerts on the international environment through cultural interaction, an important manifestation of national culture’s role in the international arena, and an objective presentation of national soft power. Chinese civilization is not isolated; it needs to maintain vigorous vitality by learning from the strengths of other cultures. Chinese civilization is not static; it needs to constantly renew and surpass itself through exchange and mutual learning. Neither the cultural nihilism that denies oneself nor the cultural conservatism that regards oneself as supreme can give birth to a cultural form with strong leading power and influence. Only by actively absorbing all beneficial and excellent cultural achievements of humanity can a national culture be sustained and continuously strengthened. Xi Jinping points out: “Chinese civilization is an open system formed through constant exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations, and it has been renewed through the ages by drawing on the strengths of others.” [22]22 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations,” May 15, 2019. We must deepen cultural exchange and mutual learning, continuously enhance the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization, and promote Chinese civilization’s better integration into the world. We must both adhere to the stance of Chinese civilization, refine and present its spiritual symbols and cultural essence, accelerate the construction of Chinese discourse and narrative systems, tell China’s stories well, disseminate China’s voice well, and present a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China, and also strengthen the capacity for international communication, comprehensively enhance the effectiveness of international communication, and form an international discourse power commensurate with China’s comprehensive national strength and international status. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era must be rooted in the foundation of Chinese civilization, inherit the essence of national culture, adhere to the Marxist ideological foundation and the fundamental stance of socialism, actively reflect the innovative achievements and rich experience of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and China’s modernization, and display incomparable unique charm and cultural allure in the complex situation of exchange and contention among different civilizations. It must comprehensively enhance the communication effectiveness of Chinese civilization, further strengthen cultural international influence, and strive to make greater cultural contributions to human development and progress.

国际影响力指向对外交流互鉴，着重就彰显自身优势和鲜明特征而言。文化的国际影响力，是一个国家通过文化互动对国际环境施加的实际影响，是国家文化在国际环境中产生作用的重要表现，是国家软实力的客观呈现。中华文明不是孤立的，需要在同其他文化取长补短中保持旺盛生命力；中华文明不是静态的，需要在交流互鉴中不断进行自我更新、自我超越。无论是自我否定的文化虚无主义，还是唯我独尊的文化保守主义，都孕育不出具有强大引领力和影响力的文化形态。只有积极吸收人类一切有益的优秀文化成果，才能保持民族文化绵延承续、不断强盛。习近平指出：“中华文明是在同其他文明不断交流互鉴中形成的开放体系，在兼收并蓄中历久弥新。”我们要深化文明交流互鉴，不断增强中华文明传播力影响力，推动中华文明更好走向世界，既要坚守中华文明立场，提炼展示中华文明的精神标识和文化精髓，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，又要加强国际传播能力建设，全面提升国际传播效能，形成同中国综合国力和国际地位相匹配的国际话语权。新时代中国特色社会主义文化要立足中华文明根基，传承民族文化精髓，坚守马克思主义思想基础和社会主义根本立场，积极反映中国特色社会主义事业与中国现代化建设的创新成果和丰富经验，在不同文明交流激荡的复杂局面中，展现不可比拟的独有风采和文化魅力；要全面提升中华文明传播效能，进一步增强文化国际影响力，着力为人类发展进步作出更大的文化贡献。

The ideological leading power, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, from the functional level, reveal a series of issues such as why to develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, how to develop it, and in what direction to develop it. They demonstrate the important roles of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era in theoretical soul-forging, spiritual guidance, cultural support, value shaping, behavioral motivation, and psychological correction, as well as its spillover effects in going abroad, exchanging and learning, influencing the world, spreading positive energy, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Although the four functional roles of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era each have their own emphasis and different significance, they are closely linked and interact with each other, forming a unified whole, combining forces, and acting as a collective power. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is standing at the commanding heights of the times, fully exerting its ideological leading power, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, promoting contemporary Chinese cultural construction to leap to a new level and enter a new realm.

新时代中国特色社会主义文化的思想引领力、精神凝聚力、价值感召力、国际影响力，从功能层面昭示了为什么发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化、如何发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化、朝什么方向发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化等一系列问题，展现出新时代中国特色社会主义文化在理论铸魂、精神牵引、文化支撑、价值塑造、行为激励、心理矫治等方面的重要作用，展现出它走出国门、交流互鉴、影响世界、传播正能量、构建人类命运共同体的外溢效应。新时代中国特色社会主义文化的四方面功能作用，虽各有侧重和具有不同意义，但却紧密联结、互为作用，构成一个统一整体，形成合力、共为力量。新时代中国特色社会主义文化正站在时代的制高点上，充分发挥思想引领力、精神凝聚力、价值感召力、国际影响力，推动当代中国文化建设跃上新台阶、进入新境界。

III. Guidelines for Developing Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

三、发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化的遵循

In accordance with the requirements of the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [23]23 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in July 2024, focused on further deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization., focusing on the fundamental task of developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, we must, on the basis of deeply grasping the connotation and function of the concept of “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era,” strive to transform strategic planning into concrete practice, translate conceptual understanding into practical action, and earnestly implement the implementation of the spirit of the plenary session. “Recognize the regularity of the world, find correct theory, for the sake of effectively guiding practice and transforming the world.” [24]24 Mao Zedong, “On Practice,” July 1937. If gathering and focusing multi-level discursive expressions such as “socialist culture,” “advanced socialist culture,” “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics,” “cultural form of Chinese-path modernization,” “modern form of Chinese civilization,” “new culture of our era,” and “organically unified new cultural life form” onto “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” represents a deepening of understanding and an overarching of thinking regarding the mission, tasks, and development laws of contemporary Chinese cultural construction, then gathering and projecting the deployment requirements at the practical level, such as “developing advanced socialist culture,” “developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics,” “creating a new culture belonging to our era,” and “creating an organically unified new cultural life form,” onto “developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era” represents a condensation of action direction and an overall command of operational practice regarding the work priorities and promotion content of contemporary Chinese cultural construction. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era and implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC in practice, we must adhere to a series of Party and state policies in cultural construction, adhere to proceeding from the fundamental tasks and concrete realities of cultural construction, creatively advance the building of a cultural power, and creatively prosper and develop socialist culture.

按照党的二十届四中全会精神要求，聚焦发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化这一根本任务，我们要在深刻把握“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”这一概念的内涵、功能的基础上，着力将战略规划转化为具体实践，将理念认识付诸现实行动，切实抓好全会精神的贯彻落实。“认识世界的规律性，找到正确的理论，为着有效的指导实践，改造世界。”如果说将“社会主义文化”“社会主义先进文化”“中国特色社会主义文化”“中国式现代化的文化形态”“中华文明的现代形态”“我们这个时代的新文化”“有机统一的新的文化生命体”等多层面话语表达收拢聚焦到“新时代中国特色社会主义文化”上，是对当代中国文化建设使命任务、发展规律在认识上的深化、思维上的统揽，那么，将“发展社会主义先进文化”“发展有中国特色社会主义文化”“创造属于我们这个时代的新文化”“造就了一个有机统一的新的文化生命体”等在践行层面上的部署要求，收揽投射到“发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化”上，则是对当代中国文化建设工作重点、推进内容在行动方向上的凝练、践行操作上的总领。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，在实践中贯彻落实党的二十届四中全会精神，务必要坚持党和国家在文化建设方面的一系列方针政策，坚持从文化建设根本任务和具体实际出发，创造性地推进文化强国建设，创造性地繁荣发展社会主义文化。

First, we must grasp the guiding principles. The guiding principles for cultural construction in the New Era are the “three adherences” emphasized by the 19th and 20th National Congresses of the CPC [25]25 The 19th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2017; the 20th National Congress was held in October 2022., namely, “adhering to serving the people and serving socialism, adhering to letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend, and adhering to creative transformation and innovative development.” [26]26 These “three adherences” were formally articulated as guiding principles for cultural development in the reports of the 19th and 20th National Congresses of the CPC. The “three adherences” are a summary of the practical experience of China’s cultural construction and are the guiding principles for further advancing cultural construction. Adhering to serving the people and serving socialism clarifies the service objects and value stance of culture, is a declaration of nature and a requirement of norms for China’s cultural construction, and is the fundamental guarantee for cultural construction to advance on the correct path and in the correct direction. Adhering to letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend focuses on the development of literature and art and the progress of social sciences, strives to provide a relaxed and free environment for innovation and creation, and promotes the development of artistic forms and the establishment of academic schools. Adhering to creative transformation and innovative development is based on the inheritance and promotion of fine traditional Chinese culture and existing civilizational achievements, aids the maintenance and nourishment of the national cultural lineage, and promotes the realization of the contemporary value of Chinese culture. The “three adherences” clarify the bottom line of cultural construction, strive to stimulate internal vitality, bridge history and reality, and provide fundamental guidelines, scientific methods, and a profound perspective for the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, only by adhering to serving the people and serving socialism can we stay on the right path and the great road, correctly grasp our own actions, and move toward a bright future. Only by adhering to letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend can we activate the innovation environment, promote academic democracy, and encourage different academic viewpoints and different schools of style to learn from each other and engage in equal discussion. Only by adhering to creative transformation and innovative development can we transform the content and forms of expression of existing culture, endow them with new contemporary connotations and modern forms of expression, take innovation as the driving force, and carry out comprehensive improvement on the basis of inheritance.

一要把握指导方针。新时代文化建设的指导方针，是党的十九大、二十大强调的“三个坚持”,即“坚持为人民服务、为社会主义服务，坚持百花齐放、百家争鸣，坚持创造性转化、创新性发展”。“三个坚持”是中国文化建设实践的经验总结，是进一步推进文化建设的指导方针。坚持为人民服务、为社会主义服务，明确了文化的服务对象和价值立场，是中国文化建设的性质昭示和准则要求，是文化建设在正确道路上沿着正确方向前进的根本保障；坚持百花齐放、百家争鸣，着眼于文学艺术发展和社会科学进步，力求提供宽松自由的创新创造环境，促进艺术形式发展和学派观点建树；坚持创造性转化、创新性发展，立足对中华优秀传统文化和既有文明成果的传承与弘扬，助益民族文脉的通达养护，推动中华文化实现当代价值。“三个坚持”明晰文化建设的底线，着力激发内在活力，嫁接历史与现实，为新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设提供了根本遵循、科学方法和深邃视域。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，唯有坚持为人民服务、为社会主义服务，才能身处正道、走上大道，正确把握自身作为，走向光明的未来；唯有坚持百花齐放、百家争鸣，才能活化创新环境、发扬学术民主，促进不同学术观点、不同风格学派相互切磋、平等讨论；唯有坚持创造性转化、创新性发展，才能对已有文化的内容和表现形式加以改造，赋予其新的时代内涵和现代表达形式，以创新为驱动，在继承基础上进行全面提升。

Second, we must adhere to basic principles. The guiding principles and basic principles of cultural construction are interconnected, even identical. To distinguish them from guiding principles, we may treat certain overarching and fundamental requirements for advancing cultural construction as basic principles for explanation. For example, Xi Jinping emphasized three points at the Symposium on Cultural Heritage Development: firm cultural confidence, upholding openness and inclusiveness, and adhering to integrity and innovation. [27]27 The Symposium on Cultural Heritage Development (文化传承发展座谈会) was held in Beijing on June 2, 2023, where Xi Jinping delivered a speech outlining key principles for cultural work. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, we must have firm cultural confidence. “Cultural confidence is a more fundamental, broader, and deeper confidence, a more basic, more profound, and more enduring force. Firm cultural confidence is a major issue concerning the rise and fall of national fortunes, cultural security, and the independence of the national spirit.” Without cultural confidence, there is no spiritual initiative, and the spirit of pursuing lofty goals is lost, making it impossible to establish an advanced culture that leads the way. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, we must base ourselves on firm cultural confidence, uphold an attitude and breadth of openness and inclusiveness, strengthen foreign cultural exchanges and mutual learning among ethnic groups, adhere to integrity and innovation, and strive to achieve an organic combination of constancy and change, inheritance and development, not forgetting the past and opening up the future. Integrity and innovation are not only basic principles of cultural construction but also effective methods and scientific paths for promoting cultural development and progress. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, we must combine integrity and innovation well, opening up new paths and yielding new results in integrity and innovation. “Integrity means upholding the fundamental system of Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological domain, upholding the fundamental requirements of the ‘Two Integrations,’ [28]28 The “Two Integrations” (两个结合) refers to the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the excellent traditional Chinese culture, a formulation introduced by Xi Jinping. and upholding the cultural leadership of the Communist Party of China and the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. Innovation means creating new ideas, new discourse, new mechanisms, and new forms, truly making the past serve the present, making foreign things serve China, making dialectical choices, and discarding the old to bring forth the new under the guidance of Marxism, achieving an organic connection between tradition and modernity.” Integrity and innovation are dialectically unified; integrity is the premise and foundation of innovation, and innovation is the purpose and path of integrity. In the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, we must firmly stand on the ground of cultural confidence, openness and inclusiveness, and integrity and innovation, and take new solid steps forward.

二要坚持基本原则。文化建设的指导方针与基本原则是相通的，甚至是一致的。与指导方针有所区分，可把推进文化建设的一些总体性、根本性要求，视为基本原则加以说明，如习近平在文化传承发展座谈会上着重强调的三点：坚定文化自信、秉持开放包容、坚持守正创新。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，必须坚定文化自信。“文化自信，是更基础、更广泛、更深厚的自信，是更基本、更深沉、更持久的力量。坚定文化自信，是事关国运兴衰、事关文化安全、事关民族精神独立性的大问题。”缺乏文化自信，就没有精神上的主动，就会失去追求高远的精气神，建立走在前列的先进文化也就无从谈起。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，必须以坚定文化自信为基础，秉持开放包容的姿态与胸襟，加强对外文化交流与民族间的互学互鉴，坚持守正创新，努力实现常与变、传承与发展、不忘本来与开辟未来的有机结合。守正创新既是文化建设的基本原则，也是推动文化发展进步的有效方式和科学路径。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，要把守正与创新结合好，在守正创新上开辟出新的道路、结出新的成果。“守正，守的是马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度，守的是‘两个结合’的根本要求，守的是中国共产党的文化领导权和中华民族的文化主体性。创新，创的是新思路、新话语、新机制、新形式，要在马克思主义指导下真正做到古为今用、洋为中用、辩证取舍、推陈出新，实现传统与现代的有机衔接。”守正与创新辩证统一，守正是创新的前提和基础，创新是守正的目的和路径。新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设，务必要在文化自信、开放包容、守正创新上站稳脚跟，迈出新的坚实步伐。

Third, we must connect the ancient and the modern, China and foreign countries. The generation, continuation, and functioning of any culture are not isolated or closed; they inevitably have close or loose connections with cultural forms before and after, and around them. Apart from its close ties with the “advanced socialist culture,” “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics,” and “cultural form of Chinese-path modernization” that coexist and mutually include each other in the same period, from a broader background and wider perspective, socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is also situated in the cultural connection of “ancient and modern, China and foreign countries.” The so-called connection between ancient and modern culture focuses on diachronic evolution and development, especially the excellent traditional Chinese culture that exists as the “root vein.” “The excellent traditional Chinese culture is the spiritual lifeline of the Chinese nation, an important source for cultivating core socialist values, and also a solid foundation for us to stand firm in the world’s cultural turmoil.” As the cultural gene of the Chinese nation, the excellent traditional Chinese culture has taken root in the hearts of the Chinese people, subtly influencing their ways of thinking and behavior. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, we must clarify our own source, clarify our own lineage, draw sufficient nourishment from the deep cultural “root vein,” and establish our own historical position in the process of past, present, and future. The so-called connection between Chinese and foreign cultures focuses on synchronic cultural existence, referring to exchanges and mutual learning with the cultures of other countries and nations. “Exchange and mutual learning are the essential requirements of civilization development, and also an important driving force for promoting the progress of human civilization and world peace and development.” Harmony in diversity and seeking common ground while reserving differences are the basic principles for the occurrence and development of all things, and also the basic laws of the spread and development of human civilization. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, we must promote a view of civilization based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness. Only through sincere communication, enhancing understanding, and deepening friendship can we transcend cultural estrangement with cultural exchange, transcend cultural conflict with cultural mutual learning, and continuously push the world forward in the direction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

三要联通古今中外。任何文化的生成、存续并发挥作用，都不是孤立的、封闭的，都必然与前后左右的文化样态发生或紧密或松散的关联。新时代中国特色社会主义文化除了与同期存在并互为包容的“社会主义先进文化”“中国特色社会主义文化”“中国式现代化的文化形态”联系紧密之外，从远背景和宽视域来看，它还处在“古今中外”的文化联通之中。所谓古今文化联通，着重于历时性的演进与发展，尤其是作为“根脉”存在的中华优秀传统文化。“中华优秀传统文化是中华民族的精神命脉，是涵养社会主义核心价值观的重要源泉，也是我们在世界文化激荡中站稳脚跟的坚实根基。”作为中华民族的文化基因，中华优秀传统文化已经植根于中国人内心，潜移默化地影响着中国人的思想方式和行为方式。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，必须明确自身源头所在，明确自身源流一脉，从深厚文化“根脉”中汲取充足养料，在过去、现在、未来进程中确立自身的历史方位。所谓中外文化联通，则是着重于共时性的文化存在，指与其他国家、民族的文化进行交流互鉴。“交流互鉴是文明发展的本质要求，也是推动人类文明进步和世界和平和发展的重要动力。”和而不同、求同存异，是一切事物发生发展的基本遵循，也是人类文明传播和发展的基本规律。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，必须弘扬平等、互鉴、对话、包容的文明观。只有通过真诚沟通，增进了解，加深友谊，才能以文明交流超越文明隔阂，以文明互鉴超越文明冲突，推动世界朝着命运共同体的方向不断前进。

Fourth, we must highlight work priorities. Developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for a New Era is an inevitable requirement for building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, a practical need for advancing Chinese-path modernization, and the only way to build a culturally strong country. “Building a culturally strong country concerns the overall situation of Chinese-path modernization, the great cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the enhancement of international competitiveness.” We must adhere to Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological domain, take the Party’s innovative theories, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as the guide for action, and deepen the promotion of the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the excellent traditional Chinese culture; we must follow the strategic guidance and direction of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, [29]29 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC ( and implement the Party’s and the state’s deployment requirements for prospering and developing culture in all aspects and the entire process of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work. To this end, we must vigorously promote and practice core socialist values, insist on using core socialist values to forge souls and educate people, deepen education in patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, and promote the normalization and institutionalization of ideal and belief education; we must vigorously prosper cultural undertakings, improve the ability to guide mainstream public opinion, enhance the country’s cultural soft power, strengthen the people’s spiritual strength, create a good cultural ecology, and promote the comprehensive development of people; we must accelerate the development of the cultural industry, improve cultural economic policies, deepen the reform of the cultural system, improve the cultural industry system and market system, improve the modern public cultural service system, promote the integration of culture and technology, promote the digital-intelligent empowerment and information transformation of cultural construction, and produce more excellent cultural products, cultural carriers, and cultural services; we must continuously enhance the dissemination power and influence of Chinese civilization, conform to the requirements of the times, tell China’s stories well, spread China’s voice well, improve the international communication system and mechanism, innovate communication carriers and methods, extensively carry out international cultural exchanges and cooperation, enhance the international communication capacity of mainstream media, and comprehensively enhance international discourse power.

四要突出工作重点。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，是新时代建设中国特色社会主义的必然要求，是推进中国式现代化的现实需要，是文化强国建设的必由之路。“建设文化强国，事关中国式现代化建设全局，事关中华民族复兴大业，事关提升国际竞争力。”我们要坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位，以党的创新理论，特别是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为行动指南，深化推进马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际、同中华优秀传统文化相结合；要按照党的二十届四中全会的战略指导和方向引领，把党和国家繁荣发展文化的部署要求，贯彻落实到宣传思想文化工作各方面、全过程。为此，我们要大力弘扬和践行社会主义核心价值观，坚持用社会主义核心价值观铸魂育人，深化爱国主义、集体主义、社会主义教育，推动理想信念教育常态化制度化；要大力繁荣文化事业，提高主流舆论引导能力，提升国家文化软实力，增强人民精神力量，营造良好文化生态，促进人的全面发展；要加快发展文化产业，完善文化经济政策，深化文化体制改革，健全文化产业体系和市场体系，健全现代公共文化服务体系，推进文化和科技融合，推动文化建设数智化赋能、信息化转型，推出更多优秀的文化产品、文化载体、文化服务；要不断提升中华文明传播力影响力，顺应时代发展要求，讲好中国故事，传播好中国声音，完善国际传播体制机制，创新传播载体和方式，广泛开展国际人文交流合作，增强主流媒体国际传播能力，全面提升国际话语权。