Deepening the Regularity-Based Understanding of the Party’s Theoretical Innovation

The history of the Chinese Communist Party is a history of continuously advancing theoretical innovation and theoretical creation. The 20th National Congress of the CPC put forward the major task of opening up a new realm of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee emphasized “promoting theoretical innovation at a new starting point.” To achieve more fruitful theoretical innovation results on the new journey of the New Era, it is necessary to continuously deepen the regularity-based understanding of the Party’s theoretical innovation.

一部中国共产党历史，就是一部不断推进理论创新、进行理论创造的历史。党的二十大提出了开辟马克思主义中国化时代化新境界的重大任务，党的二十届三中全会强调“在新的起点上推进理论创新”。在新时代新征程上取得更为丰硕的理论创新成果，必须不断深化对党的理论创新的规律性认识。

Adhere to the Fundamental Method of the “Two Integrations”

坚持“两个结合”的根本方法

For more than a hundred years, the Chinese Communist Party has consistently adhered to integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, continuously advancing the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. From its very founding, the Party inscribed Marxism on its banner. In October 1938, at the Enlarged Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee, Comrade Mao Zedong first put forward the proposition of “the Sinicization of Marxism,” emphasizing that “the Sinicization of Marxism, so that in every manifestation it carries Chinese characteristics, that is, applying it according to Chinese characteristics, has become a problem that the entire Party urgently needs to understand and solve.” In the process of integrating Marxism with China’s specific realities, Comrade Mao Zedong absorbed the excellent ideas and reasonable components of traditional culture, making them indigenous elements of the Party’s theoretical innovation achievements. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee, the Chinese Communist Party, combining new practices and the characteristics of the times, continuously promoted theoretical innovation in the course of reform and opening up. In the process of initiating and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, the best of traditional Chinese culture, as part of China’s specific realities, was integrated with the basic tenets of Marxism, profoundly influencing the Party’s theoretical innovation process.

一百多年来，中国共产党始终坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，不断推进马克思主义中国化时代化。中国共产党一成立，就把马克思主义写在自己的旗帜上。1938年10月，在党的扩大的六届六中全会上，毛泽东同志首次提出了“马克思主义的中国化”的命题，强调“马克思主义的中国化，使之在其每一表现中带着中国的特性，即是说，按照中国的特点去应用它，成为全党亟待了解并亟须解决的问题”。在将马克思主义同中国具体实际结合的过程中，毛泽东同志汲取传统文化中的优秀思想、合理成分，使之成为党的创新理论成果的本土元素。党的十一届三中全会以后，中国共产党结合新的实践和时代特征，在改革开放的过程中不断推进理论创新。在开创和发展中国特色社会主义的过程中，中华优秀传统文化作为中国具体实际的一部分同马克思主义基本原理相结合，深刻影响着党的理论创新进程。

Entering the New Era, at the ceremony marking the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping first put forward the important thesis of the “Two Integrations.” The report of the 20th National Congress further pointed out that only by adhering to the “Two Integrations” can Marxism maintain its vigorous vitality and exuberant dynamism. This indicates that the “Two Integrations” are the fundamental method for the Chinese Communist Party to promote theoretical innovation. In 2023, at the Symposium on Cultural Heritage and Development, General Secretary Xi Jinping regarded the “Two Integrations” as “the greatest magic weapon for our success,” and at the same time pointed out that the “Second Integration” is another ideological liberation, allowing us to fully utilize the precious resources of the best of traditional Chinese culture in a broader cultural space, exploring theoretical and institutional innovations oriented toward the future. In the same year, when presiding over the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping compared Marxism to the “soul” and the best of traditional Chinese culture to the “root,” emphasizing that holding fast to this soul and root is the foundation and prerequisite for theoretical innovation. Since the 18th National Congress, Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have adhered to the “Two Integrations,” established Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and achieved a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

进入新时代，在庆祝中国共产党成立100周年大会上，习近平总书记首次提出“两个结合”重要论断。党的二十大报告进一步指出，只有坚持“两个结合”，才能始终保持马克思主义的蓬勃生机和旺盛活力。这指明了“两个结合”是中国共产党推进理论创新的根本方法。2023年，在文化传承发展座谈会上，习近平总书记将“两个结合”视为“我们取得成功的最大法宝”，同时指出，“第二个结合”是又一次的思想解放，让我们能够在更广阔的文化空间中，充分运用中华优秀传统文化的宝贵资源，探索面向未来的理论和制度创新。同年，在主持二十届中央政治局第六次集体学习时，习近平总书记将马克思主义比作“魂脉”，将中华优秀传统文化视为“根脉”，强调坚守好这个魂和根，是理论创新的基础和前提。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人坚持“两个结合”，创立了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。

Adhere to the Value Orientation of Putting the People First

坚持人民至上的价值取向

The Party’s theory is a theory that comes from the people, serves the people, and benefits the people. For more than a hundred years, the Chinese Communist Party has been deeply rooted among the people, closely attending to the expectations of the masses, always representing the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people, continuously advancing the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, forming a theory that is loved, recognized, and possessed by the people, making it a powerful ideological weapon for guiding the people in understanding and transforming the world. Entering the New Era, our Party, based on changes in the principal contradiction in society, has taken satisfying the people’s aspiration for a better life as the starting point and ultimate goal of theoretical innovation, vigorously promoting theoretical innovation, and the Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. It is precisely by adhering to the people-centered principle that Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times possesses immense power.

党的理论是来自人民、为了人民、造福人民的理论。一百多年来，中国共产党始终深深植根于人民，密切关注民众的期盼，始终代表最广大人民的根本利益，不断推进马克思主义中国化时代化，形成为人民所喜爱、所认同、所拥有的理论，使之成为指导人民认识世界和改造世界的强大思想武器。进入新时代，我们党立足社会主要矛盾的变化，把满足人民对美好生活的向往作为理论创新的出发点和落脚点，大力推进理论创新，中华民族迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃。正是坚持人民至上，中国化时代化的马克思主义才具有磅礴伟力。

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “The people’s creative practice is the inexhaustible source of Marxist theoretical innovation.” The masses of the people are a vast ocean of strength and wisdom; the theoretical innovation of the Chinese Communist Party ultimately originates from the life practice of the people. To promote theoretical innovation, one must never engage in armchair theorizing behind closed doors; instead, one must go deep into reality and into the masses, because the masses of the people are the most sensitive and profound in perceiving changes in practice, and the clearest and most thorough in grasping the ins and outs of events. It is necessary to respect the people’s pioneering spirit, focus on summarizing fresh experience from the people’s creative practice, elevate it to rational knowledge, and refine new theoretical achievements. It can be said that without the masses of the people and their life practice, there would be no Party theory, let alone Party theoretical innovation.

习近平总书记指出，“人民的创造性实践是马克思主义理论创新的不竭源泉”。人民群众是浩瀚的力量之海、智慧之海，中国共产党的理论创新归根结底来源于人民群众的生活实践。推进理论创新，决不能闭门造车，而是要深入实际深入群众，因为人民群众对实践变化感知最敏锐、最深切，对事件的来龙去脉把握得最清楚、了解得最深入。必须尊重人民首创精神，注重从人民的创造性实践中总结新鲜经验，上升为理性认识，提炼出新的理论成果。可以说，没有人民群众及其生活实践，就没有党的理论，更没有党的理论创新。

Every time the Party’s theoretical innovation advances one step, theoretical arming follows one step. Our Party’s theoretical innovation does not stop at the cognitive level; rather, it provides the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country with action programs for putting into practice. Since the 18th National Congress, our Party has carried out multiple centralized study and education activities, and the mechanism for arming with the Party’s innovative theory has been continuously improved, promoting the normalization and long-term effectiveness of theoretical arming. At the same time, in the process of promoting theoretical innovation, our Party adheres to a problem-oriented and goal-oriented approach, seeking advice from the people and asking about their needs, using the Party’s innovative theory to study and solve prominent issues related to development needs, reform urgencies, grassroots expectations, and popular aspirations, thereby demonstrating the truth power of the Party’s theoretical innovation achievements.

党的理论创新每前进一步，理论武装就会跟进一步。我们党的理论创新不是停留于认识层面，而是为全党全国各族人民提供付诸实践的行动纲领。党的十八大以来，我们党开展多次集中学习教育，党的创新理论武装机制不断健全，推动理论武装常态化长效化。同时，在推进理论创新的过程中，我们党坚持问题导向和目标导向，问计于民、问需于民，运用党的创新理论研究解决好发展所需、改革所急、基层所盼、民心所向的突出问题，彰显党的理论创新成果的真理力量。

Promote the Systematization and Theorization of Theory

推进理论的体系化学理化

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Promoting the systematization and theorization of theory is the inherent requirement and important pathway for theoretical innovation.” Through systematization, scientific theory can have an orderly knowledge structure, enabling content elements to form a logically coherent organic whole, thereby constructing a scientific theoretical system; through theorization, it is possible to provide the basis for argumentation and theoretical expression for the formation and development of theory, revealing the essence of things and the inherent laws of their development. A theoretical system is a system composed of multiple elements according to a certain logic, and is the result of systematization and theorization. Elements are the substantive content of the theoretical system; without elements, a system cannot be formed. Of course, a theoretical system is not a random pile of elements; there is an internal logic between elements. Among them, the theoretical theme and the epochal issues closely link the various theoretical elements together, forming an organic and unified whole.

习近平总书记指出，“推进理论的体系化学理化，是理论创新的内在要求和重要途径”。通过体系化，科学理论才具有有序的知识结构，使内容要素形成逻辑互洽的有机整体，进而建构起科学的理论体系；通过学理化，才能为理论的形成和发展提供立论依据和学理表达，揭示事物的本质和事物发展的内在规律。理论体系是多个要素按照一定逻辑构成的系统，是体系化学理化的结果。要素是理论体系的实体内容，没有要素就构成不了体系。当然，理论体系不是要素的随意堆砌，要素与要素之间有其内在逻辑。其中，理论主题和时代课题将各个理论要素紧紧联系在一起，构成一个有机统一的整体。

As far as the theoretical system is concerned, concepts, judgments, principles, etc., are its basic elements. Theoretical innovation and breakthroughs usually depend on and are largely concentrated in the “revolution in terminology.” Therefore, to promote theoretical innovation, “one must be good at refining identifying concepts,” and on this basis, grasp the logical relationships between concepts as a whole, construct “systematic disciplinary theories and concepts,” make corresponding factual judgments and value judgments, and then form principles, achieving a regularity-based grasp of the essence of things. Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward the identifying concept of “self-revolution,” and has put forward major judgments such as that daring to self-revolution is the most distinctive character and greatest strength of our Party, that self-revolution is the second answer to the historical cycle of rise and fall [n], and that comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is the great practice of the Party’s self-revolution in the New Era. On this basis, he has formed the important thought of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the Party’s self-revolution, making original contributions to Marxist party-building theory and deepening the understanding of the laws governing the governance of communist parties.

就理论体系而言，概念、判断、原理等是其基本要素。理论上的创新突破通常依赖于并在很大程度上集中表现在“术语的革命”上。因此，推进理论创新“要善于提炼标识性概念”，并在此基础上整体把握概念之间的逻辑关系，构建“成体系的学科理论和概念”，作出相应的事实判断和价值判断，进而形成原理，实现对事物本质的规律性把握。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记提出“自我革命”这一标识性概念，提出了勇于自我革命是我们党最鲜明的品格和最大优势、自我革命是跳出治乱兴衰历史周期率的第二个答案、全面从严治党是新时代党的自我革命的伟大实践等重大判断，并在此基础上形成了习近平总书记关于党的自我革命的重要思想，对马克思主义建党学说作出了原创性贡献，深化了对共产党执政规律的认识。

The Party’s theoretical innovation is a process of summing up experience, exploring the unknown, and discovering truth; it is a process of grasping the inner connections among things, revealing objective laws, and foreseeing the inevitable trend of the development of things. The theoretical results thus produced form a scientific, systematic, logically rigorous, and organically unified whole. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a scientific theoretical system, and the construction of this theoretical system has also undergone a process. The report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC [n1] first summarized the content of this theoretical system as the “Eight Clarifications” and the “Fourteen Perseverances.” [n2] The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee [n3] expanded the “Eight Clarifications” into the “Ten Clarifications” and put forward the “Achievements in Thirteen Areas.” [n4] On this basis, the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC [n5] summarized, refined, and profoundly expounded the scientific methods for advancing theoretical innovation, such as the “Two Integrations” and the “Six Imperatives,” [n6] thereby making this theoretical system more complete. It can be seen that in the process of advancing step by step and deepening continuously, the Party’s innovative theory has also been continuously strengthened in terms of systematization and theoreticalization.

党的理论创新是一个总结经验、探求未知、发现真理的过程，是一个把握事物之间内在联系、揭示客观规律、预见事物发展必然趋势的过程，由此形成的理论成果是一个科学系统、逻辑严密、有机统一的整体。习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想是一个科学的理论体系，其理论体系的构建也经历了一个过程。党的十九大报告首次将这一理论体系的内容概括为“八个明确”“十四个坚持”，党的十九届六中全会将“八个明确”扩展为“十个明确”，并提出了“十三个方面成就”。在此基础上，党的二十大报告总结提炼和深刻阐述了“两个结合”“六个必须坚持”等推进理论创新的科学方法，使这一理论体系更加完善。可见，党的创新理论在步步推进、不断深化的进程中，体系化和学理化也不断得到加强。

Answering Practical Questions and Leading Practical Development

回答实践问题、引领实践发展

Marxism is a practical theory, and the theoretical innovation promoted by the Communist Party of China is theoretical innovation on the basis of practice. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The leap in theory is not reflected in the novelty of wording, nor in the self-consistency of logic; in the final analysis, it must be reflected in answering practical questions and leading practical development.”

马克思主义是实践的理论，中国共产党推进的理论创新是在实践基础上的理论创新。正如习近平总书记指出的：“理论的飞跃不是体现在词句的标新立异上，也不是体现在逻辑的自洽自证上，归根到底要体现在回答实践问题、引领实践发展上。”

To advance theoretical innovation, it is necessary to accurately grasp and scientifically answer the epochal questions. Problems are the voice of the times; theoretical innovation should adhere to a problem-oriented approach. There are many problems in the same era; among them, those that play a fundamental and overall role in the development of social history are called epochal questions. Epochal questions are the driving force of theoretical innovation; our Party advances theoretical innovation on the basis of accurately grasping and scientifically answering epochal questions. Entering the New Era, coordinating the strategic whole of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have scientifically answered the major epochal questions of what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop in the New Era and how to uphold and develop it, what kind of strong socialist modernized country to build and how to build it, and what kind of long-term governing Marxist party to build and how to build it, thereby promoting historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of the Party and the state.

推进理论创新，要准确把握并科学回答时代课题。问题是时代的声音，理论创新应坚持问题导向。同一时代存在许多问题，其中，在社会历史发展中起根本性、全局性作用的问题称为时代课题。时代课题是理论创新的驱动力，我们党是在准确把握并科学回答时代课题的基础上推进理论创新的。进入新时代，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，以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人科学回答了新时代坚持和发展什么样的中国特色社会主义、怎样坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，建设什么样的社会主义现代化强国、怎样建设社会主义现代化强国，建设什么样的长期执政的马克思主义政党、怎样建设长期执政的马克思主义政党等重大时代课题，推动党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革。

To advance theoretical innovation, it is also necessary to scientifically answer major questions in various fields. Epochal questions are the concentrated reflection of major questions in various fields. To answer epochal questions, it is necessary to answer the major questions in various fields. For example, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on the Party’s self-revolution scientifically answers the major questions of why our Party must engage in self-revolution, why it can engage in self-revolution, and how to advance self-revolution. The answer to these major questions has promoted the answer to the major epochal question of what kind of long-term governing Marxist party to build and how to build it. Our Party not only promotes the resolution of major questions in various fields by answering epochal questions, but also deeply considers and answers epochal questions on the basis of answering major questions in various fields, continuously writing new chapters in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, thereby leading the development of practice.

推进理论创新，还需要科学回答各领域的重大问题。时代课题是各领域重大问题的集中反映。要回答时代课题，就必须对各领域的重大问题作出回答。例如，习近平总书记关于党的自我革命的重要思想科学回答了我们党为什么要自我革命、为什么能自我革命、怎样推进自我革命等重大问题。对这些重大问题的回答，推动了对建设什么样的长期执政的马克思主义政党、怎样建设长期执政的马克思主义政党这一重大时代课题的回答。我们党既通过回答时代课题推动各领域重大问题的解决，同时又在回答各领域重大问题基础上深入思考和回答时代课题，不断谱写马克思主义中国化时代化新篇章，进而引领实践的发展。

The Organic Unity of Rootedness in China and a Global Vision

立足中国与胸怀天下有机统一

The Communist Party of China not only advances theoretical innovation in the process of continuously solving China’s problems, but also continuously makes theoretical contributions to solving the problems faced by humanity, achieving the organic unity of rootedness in China and a global vision.

中国共产党既在不断解决中国问题中推进理论创新，又不断为解决人类面临的问题作出理论贡献，实现了立足中国与胸怀天下的有机统一。

Only by being rooted in China can valuable real questions with the characteristics of the times be raised, and can theory possess a distinct practical character, thereby better guiding practice. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, [n7] precisely by adhering to “centering on the work we are doing,” our Party has made the major judgment that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era, proposed comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, and leading the great social revolution with the great self-revolution, so that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process. The great changes in contemporary China are entirely new; only by centering on the work we are doing, focusing on the application of Marxist theory, and focusing on theoretical reflection on practical problems can we continuously write new chapters in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

只有立足中国，才能提出具有时代特点的有价值的真问题，理论才能具备鲜明的实践品格，从而更好地指导实践。党的十八大以来，正是坚持“以我们正在做的事情为中心”，我们党才作出中国特色社会主义进入新时代的重大判断，提出以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴，以伟大自我革命引领伟大社会革命，使中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程。当代中国的伟大变革是全新的，只有以我们正在做的事情为中心，着眼于马克思主义理论的运用，着眼于对实际问题的理论思考，才能不断谱写马克思主义中国化时代化的新篇章。

At the same time, theoretical innovation is not a self-enclosed philosophical reflection; it must uphold the far-sighted vision of a global perspective. As early as 1921, Comrade Mao Zedong emphasized: “China’s problems are originally world problems; yet if those engaged in transforming China do not set their sights on transforming the world, then the transformation they achieve will necessarily be narrow and will necessarily hinder the world.” [n8] The Communist Party of China has always advanced the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times on the basis of correctly understanding the relationship between China and the world. Since the New Era, facing the epochal question of “What is wrong with the world and what should we do about it,” General Secretary Xi Jinping, from the strategic height of coordinating the “two overall situations,” [n9] creatively proposed the common values of all humanity, a community with a shared future for mankind, etc., and issued the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, injecting positive energy into an unstable and uncertain world and contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to solving the common problems faced by humanity.

同时，理论创新不是自我封闭的哲学反思，而须秉持胸怀天下的高远视野。早在1921年，毛泽东同志就强调：“中国问题本来是世界的问题，然从事中国改造不着眼及于世界改造，则所改造必为狭义，必妨碍世界。”中国共产党始终在正确认识中国与世界关系的基础上，推进马克思主义中国化时代化。新时代以来，面对“世界怎么了、我们怎么办”这一时代课题，习近平总书记从统筹“两个大局”的战略高度，创造性提出全人类共同价值、人类命运共同体等，发出全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议，为不稳定不确定的世界注入了正能量，为解决人类面临的共同问题贡献了中国智慧和中国方案。

(Author: Zhao Fuke, Researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Beijing; Professor, School of Marxism, Central University of Finance and Economics)

（作者：赵付科，系北京市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员、中央财经大学马克思主义学院教授）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心