A Profound Understanding of the Value Implications of Upholding the Party’s Cultural Leadership

In his important article “Accelerating the Building of a Culturally Strong Country,” General

习近平总书记在《加快建设文化强国》重要文章中指出，中国特色社会主义文化发展道路“最本质的特征，就是坚持党的领导”。坚持党的文化领导权，是习近平总书记深刻总结历史经验、洞察时代发展大势提出的重大理论和实践命题，体现了对党的意识形态工作的科学把握，是习近平文化思想的核心要义，是新时代新征程党的使命任务对文化发展的必然要求。深刻理解并牢牢把握党的文化领导权的战略意义和价值意蕴，对于在新的起点上继续推动文化繁荣、建设文化强国，不断丰富和发展人类文明新形态具有十分重要的时代价值。

1. Strengthening Cultural Confidence in Guarding the Soul Vein and Protecting the Root Vein

1.在守魂脉、护根脉中坚定文化自信

Strengthening cultural confidence embodies the Party’s high degree of consciousness in consolidating cultural subjectivity. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “For any culture to stand firm and go far, to have guiding power, cohesive power, shaping power, and radiating power, it must have its own subjectivity.” Cultural subjectivity is the fundamental support for cultural confidence; with cultural subjectivity, there is a firm self in the cultural sense. Over the long course of five thousand years of history, the Chinese nation has fully exerted its cultural subjectivity, creating a Chinese civilization with unique concepts, wisdom, bearing, and charm, shaping the deep-seated confidence and pride in the hearts of the Chinese people. Since modern times, Marxism was introduced into China, and the Party firmly grasped the historical initiative, held high the banner of a national, scientific, and mass culture, integrated the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities, and used Marxism to observe and interpret the times, leading the Chinese nation from profound suffering toward the bright prospect of national rejuvenation. Since the New Era, based on the magnificent five-thousand-year history of Chinese civilization and the more than one hundred years of the CPC’s struggle history, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the “Second Integration,” expanding the historical depth and cultural foundation of the Chinese path, and Chinese civilization has burst forth with powerful spiritual strength. It is precisely by maintaining an unbroken cultural subjectivity, achieving spiritual independence and self-reliance, and shining with the theoretical brilliance of adhering to the “soul vein” of Marxism and the “root vein” of fine traditional Chinese culture, that the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics can always reflect the spirit of the times, lead the trends of the times, and manifest the distinctive cultural characteristics of exchange, mutual learning, absorption of nourishment, and mutual achievement with other civilizations of the world.

坚定文化自信体现了我们党对巩固文化主体性的高度自觉。习近平总书记指出，“任何文化要立得住、行得远，要有引领力、凝聚力、塑造力、辐射力，就必须有自己的主体性”。文化主体性是文化自信的根本依托，有了文化主体性就有了文化意义上坚定的自我。中华民族在五千年漫长的历史长河中充分发挥文化主体性，创造了具有独特理念、智慧、气度与神韵的中华文明，塑造了华夏子孙心灵深处的自信和自豪。近代以来，马克思主义传入中国，党牢牢把握历史主动，高举民族的、科学的、大众的文化旗帜，将马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合，用马克思主义观察时代、解读时代，中华民族从苦难深重走向民族复兴的光明前景。新时代以来，立足波澜壮阔的中华五千多年文明史、中国共产党一百多年的奋斗史，习近平总书记创造性提出“第二个结合”，拓展了中国道路的历史纵深和文化根基，中华文明迸发出强大精神力量。正是保持了绵延不断的文化主体性，实现了民族精神上的独立自主，闪耀着坚守马克思主义“魂脉”和中华优秀传统文化“根脉”的理论光芒，中国特色社会主义文化才能始终反映时代精神、引领时代潮流，彰显出和世界其他文明交流互鉴、汲取营养、彼此成就的鲜明文化特性。

To strengthen cultural confidence, we must adhere to taking our own path, build an independent knowledge system, and break the myth that “Westernization equals modernization.” Facts have proven that only by upholding the Party’s overall leadership, adhering to the development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strengthening mainstream ideological and public opinion can we effectively unite the people; only by taking China as the reference, taking the times as the reference, taking China’s actual conditions as the starting point for research, accelerating the construction of China’s independent disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system, and continuously developing a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era that has strong ideological guiding power, spiritual cohesive power, value appeal, and international influence, can we provide a strong ideological guarantee for Chinese-path modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, in response to global common challenges, from building a community with a shared future for mankind and a new type of major-country relations, to the correct view of justice and interests, the concept of global governance based on extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and other Chinese propositions and solutions with worldwide significance, all are expressions of the spiritual symbols and cultural essence of Chinese civilization, reflecting a high degree of confidence in one’s own cultural ideals and cultural values, and a high degree of confidence in the vitality and creativity of one’s own culture, breaking the previous situation of knowledge monopoly on the world academic stage formed by a single voice and tone from the West. In the future, we must more fully and more clearly present Chinese discourse and the ideological and spiritual power behind it, promoting profound changes in the global cultural communication landscape.

坚定文化自信，必须坚持走自己的路，构建自主知识体系，破解“西方化等于现代化”的迷思。事实证明，只有坚持党的全面领导，坚持中国特色社会主义发展道路，壮大主流思想舆论，才能有效团结人民群众；只有通过以中国为观照、以时代为观照，以中国实际为研究起点，加快构建中国自主的学科体系、学术体系和话语体系，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，才能为中国式现代化提供坚强有力的思想保证。党的十八大以来，为应对全球共同挑战，从构建人类命运共同体、新型大国关系，到正确的义利观、共商共建共享的全球治理观等具有世界意义的中国主张和方案，都是中华文明精神标识和文化精髓的表达，无不体现出对自身文化理想、文化价值的高度信心，和对自身文化生命力、创造力的高度信心，打破了过去世界学术舞台由西方一种声音、一个语调所形成的知识垄断局面。在未来，要更加充分、更加鲜明地展现中国话语及其背后的思想力量和精神力量，推进全球文化传播版图深刻变革。

2. Consolidating the Cultural Foundation in Benefiting People’s Livelihoods and Gathering People’s Hearts

2.在惠民生、聚民心中夯实文化底色

Without the great enrichment of the people’s spiritual world and a complete set of cultural value systems that unite people’s hearts, no modern state or political party can implement effective leadership. Only by achieving ideological and spiritual cohesion among the people and consolidating the Party’s governing foundation and mass foundation can we form a strong and lasting driving force for advancing Chinese-path modernization. The essence of modernization is the modernization of people. As China’s economic development enters a new normal and reform enters a critical period and uncharted waters, the people’s demands in terms of people’s livelihoods are increasing, and their aspirations for a better life are growing stronger. This includes not only needs such as ensuring children’s education, access to schooling, remuneration for labor, medical care for the sick, support for the elderly, housing for residents, and assistance for the vulnerable, but also higher-level demands such as democracy, the rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment. Therefore, we not only need material abundance and an improved “happiness index,” but also need to stimulate the innovation and creativity of the entire nation, pursue the meaning and value of life, and create a cultural-ethical progress that leads the times.

如果没有人民精神世界的极大丰富，没有一整套凝聚人心的文化价值体系，任何现代国家和党派都无法实施有效的领导。只有实现人民思想上精神上的凝聚，筑牢党的执政基础和群众基础，才能形成推进中国式现代化建设的强大持久动力。现代化的本质是人的现代化。我国经济发展进入新常态、改革进入攻坚期和深水区，人民群众在民生方面的诉求不断增多，对美好生活的向往更加强烈，这既包括幼有所育、学有所教、劳有所得、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居、弱有所扶等方面的需要，也包括民主、法治、公平、正义、安全、环境等更高层次的需求。因此，我们不仅需要物质生活的丰富、“幸福指数”的提升，更需要通过激发全民族的创新与创造活力，追求生命的意义和价值，创造引领时代的精神文明。

We must fully leverage the important role of culture in national governance, always stand firmly with the people, pool the people’s wisdom, and provide the people with rich spiritual nourishment. On the one hand, promote public cultural construction, create and produce excellent works that the people love to see and hear through abundant emotions, beautiful melodies, and touching images, provide a more solid value coordinate for social life, and effectively enhance the people’s sense of participation and gain in cultural construction. On the other hand, respect the diverse cultural needs of the people, adhere to and promote the unity of meeting the people’s cultural needs and enhancing the people’s spiritual strength, integrate core socialist values into the rule of law, into social development, and into daily life, through praising the light and expressing ideals, continuously cultivate a culture that moves upward and renews itself, and use mainstream value forces that reach people’s hearts to continuously improve the people’s ideological awareness, moral standards, and civilizational literacy. For example, mass cultural activities loved by the people such as “Village Galas,” “Village BA,” and “Su Super League” [1]1 “Village Galas,” “Village BA,” and “Su Super League” are grassroots cultural and sports events originating in rural China, such as village-level Spring Festival galas, basketball tournaments, and football leagues, which have gained widespread popularity and media attention. transmit the cultural connotation of Chinese-path modernization through a narrative approach of “small entry points with warmth” by stimulating the vitality of folk culture, promote the deep integration of culture and tourism on a larger scale and at a deeper level, achieve the organic unity of recognition and traffic, “box office success” and “critical acclaim,” and form a good social and folk custom full of righteousness. At the same time, with the development and application of emerging cutting-edge technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the metaverse, explore more new content and forms of cultural dissemination, continuously improve the governance capacity in the cultural field under information-based conditions, stimulate multi-ethnic and cross-regional cultural identity and resonance, continuously develop and strengthen mainstream public opinion and mainstream culture, allow the people to gain spiritual nourishment and form value consensus in rich and diverse cultural activities that suit both refined and popular tastes, and continuously gather the cultural centripetal force of the Chinese nation.

要充分发挥文化在国家治理中的重要作用，始终站稳人民立场、集中人民智慧，为人民群众提供丰富的精神食粮。一方面，推进公共文化建设，通过丰沛的情感、优美的旋律、感人的形象，创作生产出人民喜闻乐见的优秀作品，为社会生活提供更为坚实的价值坐标，切实增强人民群众对文化建设的参与感获得感。另一方面，尊重人民群众多样化文化需求，坚持和促进满足人民文化需求和增强人民精神力量相统一，把社会主义核心价值观融入法治建设、融入社会发展、融入日常生活，通过对光明的歌颂、对理想的抒发，不断涵育向上而行、向上而新的文化，用直抵人心的主流价值力量，不断提高人民思想觉悟、道德水准、文明素养。如“村晚”“村BA”“苏超”等人民群众喜闻乐见的群体性文化活动，就是通过激发民间的文化生命力，以“小切口、有温度”的叙事方式传递中国式现代化的文化内涵，推动文化和旅游在更大范围、更深层次融合发展，实现认同与流量、“叫座”与“叫好”的有机统一，形成正气充盈的良好社风民风。同时，借助大数据、人工智能、区块链、元宇宙等新兴前沿科技的发展应用，探索更多的文化传播新内容新形式，不断提升信息化条件下文化领域治理能力，激发多民族、跨区域的文化认同与共鸣，不断发展壮大主流舆论、主流文化，让人民群众在丰富多彩、雅俗共赏的文化活动中获得精神滋养、形成价值共识，不断汇聚中华民族的文化向心力。

3. Forging Cultural Security in Daring to Engage and Daring to Draw the Sword

3.在敢交锋、勇亮剑中筑牢文化安全

The world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, the global governance system is facing profound changes, and instability and uncertainty in the international situation have increased significantly. Because the United States and the West have long held “cultural hegemony,” by orchestrating “color revolutions” [2]2 “Color revolutions” refer to a series of political movements and uprisings in post-Soviet states and other regions, often characterized by the use of a specific color or flower as a symbol, which Western powers are accused of instigating to achieve regime change. in some countries and regions to ferment emotions and incite discontent, they trigger chaos in the ideological field, transmit social risks to the political field, and thus shake the governing foundations of these countries and regions. Around the world, tragedies of national internal strife, division, and ethnic decline caused by cultural infiltration continue to unfold.

世界正经历百年未有之大变局，全球治理体系面临深刻变革，国际形势的不稳定不确定性明显增加。由于美西方长期掌握“文化霸权”，通过在一些国家和地区策划“颜色革命”等发酵情绪、鼓动不满，引发意识形态领域的混乱，将社会风险向政治领域传导，从而动摇这些国家和地区的执政根基。在世界范围内，因遭遇文化渗透导致国家内乱分裂、民族衰落的悲剧还在持续不断地上演。

History and reality show that the collapse of a political regime often begins in the ideological sphere. Once the ideological defense line is breached, other defense lines are difficult to hold. To overcome risks and challenges on the path forward and safeguard cultural security, the key is to always keep a tight grip on the ideological thread, improve the ability to foresee, respond to, and manage risks, and seize strategic initiative. First, uphold fundamental principles and break new ground. Adhere to the fundamental system of Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological domain, hold fast to the “fundamental principles” of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture, and create the “new” in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times and in the Party’s innovative theory, so as to always maintain Marxism’s vibrant vitality and robust energy, thoroughly break free from Western discursive traps, and thereby, through the definition of the Chinese path, the interpretation of the Chinese spirit, and the shaping of the Chinese image, form a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and guiding power. Second, tell China’s stories well. Closely adhere to the goal of building a strategic communication system with distinctive Chinese characteristics, forming a systematic expression of the historical practical experience, development guiding principles, development theoretical achievements, and development blueprint of Chinese-path modernization. By proactively setting agendas, transform our path advantages, institutional advantages, and cultural advantages into advantages in international communication, actively shape a favorable international public opinion ecology, and gain international discursive power commensurate with our comprehensive national strength and international status. Achieve precise communication through global, regional, and segmented expression, and consolidate the solid foundation of cultural security with strong cultural soft power. Third, strengthen discursive struggle. It is necessary to unite just forces internationally, with particular focus on the main battlefield and main front of the internet. In the face of erroneous statements spread by the United States and Western countries, such as the “China threat theory,” “China plunder theory,” “China arrogance theory,” and “China irresponsibility theory,” which

历史和现实表明，一个政权的瓦解往往是从思想领域开始的。思想防线被攻破了，其他防线就很难守住。战胜前进道路上的风险挑战，维护好文化安全，关键要始终绷紧意识形态这根弦，提高风险预见、应对和处置能力，掌握战略主动。一是坚持守正创新。坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度，守住马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化之“正”，创造马克思主义中国化时代化和党的创新理论之“新”，始终保持马克思主义的蓬勃生机和旺盛活力，彻底摆脱西方话语陷阱，从而以中国道路的定义、中国精神的阐释、中国形象的塑造，形成具有强大凝聚力和引领力的社会主义意识形态。二是讲好中国故事。紧扣构建具有鲜明中国特色的战略传播体系目标，形成对中国式现代化道路的历史实践经验、发展指导理念、发展理论成果和发展蓝图的系统性表达。通过主动设置议题，把我们的道路优势、制度优势、文化优势转化为国际传播优势，积极塑造良好的国际舆论生态，获得同我国综合国力和国际地位相匹配的国际话语权。通过全球化、区域化、分众化表达实现精准传播，以强大的文化软实力夯实文化安全的坚固基础。三是强化话语斗争。要团结国际上的正义力量，尤其需要聚焦互联网主阵地主战场。面对美西方国家散布的“中国威胁论”“中国掠夺论”“中国傲慢论”和“中国不负责任论”等一些迷惑性强、危害性大的错误言论，既要以有风骨、接地气的新语态予以精准反制，又要讲究方法艺术，甚至运用法律手段开展国际舆论斗争。

4. Demonstrating the Value of Civilization in Expanding Exchange and Promoting Mutual Learning

4.在扩交流、促交融中彰显文明价值

Civilizations differ only in their varied splendor, but never in superiority or inferiority. The United States and Western countries regard themselves as beacons of world civilization and equate their particular values with “universal values”; this posture of “civilizational superiority” is filled with arrogance and prejudice. In contrast, upholding equality and respect, and pursuing the uniqueness of civilizations and cultural diversity, has become a collective consensus among groups including the vast majority of developing countries. Embracing the world with a more open attitude, continuously advancing the transcendence of estrangement and conflict among various human civilizations, and creating a new form of human civilization are the necessary paths to making the world more beautiful and people’s lives better.

文明只有姹紫嫣红之别，但绝无高低优劣之分。美西方国家以世界文明的灯塔自居，把特定的价值观等同于“普世价值”，这一“文明优越”的姿态充满了傲慢和偏见。而秉持平等和尊重，对文明的独特性、文化多样性的追求，已成为包括广大发展中国家在内的群体性共识。以更加开放的姿态拥抱世界，不断推进人类各种文明超越隔阂与冲突，创造人类文明新形态，是让世界变得更加美丽、人民生活更加美好的必由之路。

Since the New Era, in the face of new cultural missions and in order to respond to global common challenges, the Party has both played a leading role in cultural development and activated the cultural dissemination functions of various subjects. It has not only “gone global” but, more importantly, “gone deep,” promoting China’s foreign cultural dissemination and enhancing the country’s cultural soft power. By leveraging the role of non-governmental forces, extensively participating in world civilization dialogues, and promoting exchanges and dialogues among different civilizations, it has transformed Chinese culture into perceptions, views, and attitudes toward concrete scenarios and events, and into emotional consciousness and self-action at the level of awareness and subconsciousness, thereby enabling Chinese culture to better enter real life and, in turn, consolidating the humanistic foundation of a community with a shared future for mankind. At the beginning of this year, the massive influx of American netizens into Chinese social media platforms, as well as the “great reconciliation of accounts” between Chinese and American netizens, caused the “information cocoons” of American netizens to loosen, gradually dissolving their deep-seated prejudices against China. Subsequently, during his trip to China, the internet celebrity “IShowSpeed” [3]3 “IShowSpeed” (real name Darren Watkins Jr.) is an American internet streamer and content creator known for his energetic and often chaotic live streams. His 2025 visit to China, during which he engaged with local culture and interacted with Chinese netizens, generated significant online attention and was widely discussed as a case of cross-cultural exchange., through authentic and unedited outdoor live streaming, both showcased the long-standing civilization of the Chinese nation and effectively disseminated the vibrant and diverse culture of contemporary China. His proactive learning of traditional culture such as traditional Chinese medicine and Sichuan opera, and his humorous and witty expressions in discovering, perceiving, and understanding China, created a traffic hotspot on the internet. The internet traffic and subsequent sustained offline efforts promoted consumption, stimulated the economy, drove cultural tourism, and enhanced the IP value of cities. These “two-way efforts” and “two-way empowerment” have presented a more vibrant civilizational achievement on the world stage, continuously strengthening the dissemination power and influence of Chinese civilization.

新时代以来，面对新的文化使命，为应对全球共同挑战，党既发挥文化发展引领作用，又激活各类主体的文化传播功能，既“走出去”更“走进去”，促进我国对外文化传播，提升国家文化软实力。通过发挥民间力量作用，广泛参与世界文明对话，推动不同文明间的交流对话，将中华文化转化为对具象化场景、事件等的认知、看法和态度，转化为意识和潜意识层面上的情感自觉和自为，使中华文化更好地走进现实生活，进而夯实人类命运共同体的人文基础。今年年初，美国网民大量涌入中国社交平台，以及中美网民的“大对账”，就使得美国网民的“信息茧房”产生松动，对中国根深蒂固的成见逐步化解。随后，网红“甲亢哥”在中国行期间，以真实、未经修饰的户外直播既展示了中华民族的悠久文明，又有效地传播了当代中国蓬勃发展的多彩文化。其主动学习中医、川剧等传统文化，并以幽默诙谐的表达发现中国、感知中国、理解中国，形成了互联网的流量热点。互联网的流量及后续线下的持续发力，促进了消费、拉动了经济、带动了文旅、提升了城市IP价值，这些“双向奔赴”与“双向赋能”，将更有活力的文明成就展现于世界舞台，持续增强了中华文明的传播力影响力。

In summary, upholding the Party’s cultural leadership is the fundamental guarantee for building a socialist cultural power. Only by upholding the Party’s cultural leadership, internalizing the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics as the common value belief and ideological foundation of the entire nation, and externalizing it as the mighty force driving national rejuvenation, can we shoulder the new cultural mission, continuously forge new brilliance in socialist culture, and enable the Chinese nation to stand proudly among the nations of the world with a more elevated posture.

总之，坚持党的文化领导权是建设社会主义文化强国的根本保证。只有坚持党的文化领导权，将中国特色社会主义文化内化为全民族共同的价值信仰和思想基础，外化为推动民族复兴的磅礴伟力，才能担负起新的文化使命，不断铸就社会主义文化新辉煌，使中华民族以更加昂扬的姿态屹立于世界民族之林。

(Author: Zhang Beiping, Researcher at the Chongqing Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Vice President of Sichuan International Studies University)

（作者：张北坪，系重庆市中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心研究员、四川外国语大学副校长）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心