A Historical Examination of the Chinese Communist Party’s Adherence to Cultural Leadership since Reform and Opening Up

Cultural construction occupies an important position in the cause of the proletariat; the victory of the proletariat requires not only the seizure of political leadership but also the seizure of cultural leadership. As far as the Chinese Communist Party is concerned, its exploration of establishing and consolidating cultural leadership runs through the entire process of revolution, construction, and reform. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the focus was primarily on contending for cultural leadership; during the periods of socialist revolution and construction, reform and opening up and socialist modernization, and the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the focus was primarily on establishing and consolidating cultural leadership nationwide. Among these, the explicit articulation of the major proposition of “the Chinese Communist Party’s cultural leadership” [1]1 The 1989 political disturbance refers occurred in June 2023, in Xi Jinping’s important speech at the Symposium on Cultural Heritage and Development. This reflects our Party’s profound summation of the laws governing cultural construction in the New Era, indicating that the Party’s leadership over cultural construction has reached a new theoretical height. The issue of cultural leadership has been discussed in academic circles, and after the Symposium on Cultural Heritage and Development, it further sparked a wave of research. Building on existing research, this article, from the perspective of intellectual history, sorts out and analyzes our Party’s exploration of adhering to cultural leadership since reform and opening up, with the aim of expanding the research horizon on this issue.

文化建设在无产阶级事业中占有重要地位，无产阶级的胜利不仅要掌握政治领导权，也要掌握文化领导权。就中国共产党而言，其对建立和巩固文化领导权的探索贯穿革命、建设、改革的全过程，在新民主主义革命时期主要是争夺文化领导权，在社会主义革命和建设时期、改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期、中国特色社会主义新时代主要是在全国范围内建立和巩固文化领导权。其中，明确提出“中国共产党的文化领导权”①这一大命题，是在2023年6月习近平在文化传承发展座谈会上的重要讲话中。这反映了我们党对新时代文化建设规律的深刻总结，表明党对文化建设的领导在理论上达到一个新高度。关于文化领导权问题，学术界曾有过讨论，文化传承发展座谈会后进一步形成了一个研究热潮。在已有研究的基础上，本文从思想史的角度出发，梳理分析改革开放以来我们党对坚持文化领导权的探索，以期拓展该问题的研究视域。

I. Adhering to the Party’s Cultural Leadership amid Emancipating the Mind and Reform and Opening Up

一、在解放思想、改革开放中坚持党的文化领导权

After the founding of New China, the Chinese Communist Party gradually placed cultural undertakings under the Party’s leadership, established “the leading position of Marxism in the ideological sphere,” shaped a highly monolithic cultural pattern in terms of values and modes of expression, and firmly established the Party’s cultural leadership. It can be said that during the period of socialist revolution and construction, issues related to cultural leadership were not prominent in the Party’s political discourse. However, after reform and opening up, the ideological vitality, conceptual collisions, and cultural exchanges, confrontations, and integrations brought about by marketization, globalization, and informatization profoundly affected the pattern of China’s cultural development. Cultural forms and value pursuits became increasingly diverse and pluralistic, the mainstream socialist ideology encountered a certain degree of impact and challenge, and the Party’s leadership over cultural construction faced new tests. Adhering to the Party’s cultural leadership gradually became a key issue.

新中国成立后，中国共产党逐步将文化事业置于党的领导下，确立了“马克思主义在思想界的领导地位”，塑造了在价值理念和表达方式上高度一元化的文化格局，牢固建立了党的文化领导权。可以说，在社会主义革命和建设时期，文化领导权的相关议题在党的政治话语中并不凸显。但是，改革开放以后，市场化、全球化、信息化所带来的思想活跃、观念碰撞和文化交流交锋交融深刻地影响了我国文化发展格局，文化样态、价值追求日渐多元多样，社会主义主流意识形态遭遇一定程度的冲击和挑战，党对文化建设的领导面临新的考验，坚持党的文化领导权逐渐成为关键议题。

After the “Cultural Revolution” ended, the great discussion on the criterion of truth brought about a trend of ideological emancipation; the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee achieved a great historical turning point and opened the curtain on reform and opening up. In the overall social process of taking economic construction as the central task, adhering to reform and opening up, and exploring the realization of modernization, the ideological and cultural sphere displayed a new atmosphere. Literary and artistic creation became increasingly active, the “cultural fever” gradually heated up, and theoretical debates arose one after another. In particular, after the country opened its doors, the affluent life of Western developed countries stood in stark contrast to China’s poverty and backwardness, leading to varying degrees of confusion and disorientation in the ideological and cultural sphere. As Ye Jianying pointed out in 1979: “A small number of people inside and outside the Party cannot keep up with the situation, or still remain in their past positions, or have deviated from the revolutionary track, giving rise to erroneous ideological trends that doubt the Party’s line, principles, and policies from either the ‘Left’ or the Right.” The Chinese Communist Party hoped, in the process of ideological emancipation, to shape “the theoretical guidance, public opinion forces, values, cultural conditions, and social environment conducive to modernization and reform and opening up,” thereby promoting the unity of thought and action of the entire Party and the entire people. This is the true significance of adhering to the Party’s cultural leadership. The confusion that emerged in the ideological and cultural sphere greatly interfered with the smooth progress of socialist modernization. In response, the Party Central Committee believed that “a long-term struggle and education” was necessary.

“文化大革命”结束后，关于真理标准问题的大讨论带来了思想解放潮流；党的十一届三中全会实现了伟大的历史转折，拉开了改革开放的大幕。在以经济建设为中心、坚持改革开放、探索实现现代化的社会总体进程中，思想文化领域展现新气象，文艺创作愈发活跃，“文化热”日渐升温，理论论争此起彼伏。尤其是国门打开后，西方发达国家的富裕生活与中国的贫困落后形成鲜明对比，导致思想文化领域出现不同程度的混乱与迷惘。正如叶剑英在1979年所指出的：“党内外有少数人跟不上形势，或者仍然停留在过去的位置上，或者偏离了革命的轨道，出现从‘左’的或右的方面怀疑党的路线和方针政策的错误思潮。”中国共产党希望在思想解放过程中塑造“有利于现代化建设和改革开放的理论指导、舆论力量、价值观念、文化条件和社会环境”，进而促进全党全国人民思想上和行动上的统一，这是坚持党的文化领导权的真正意义所在。而思想文化领域出现的混乱，极大地干扰了社会主义现代化建设的顺利进行。对此，党中央认为，“必须进行长期的斗争和教育”。

First, adhere to the Four Cardinal Principles, opposing both “Left” and Right.

第一，坚持四项基本原则，既反“左”又反右。

Ideological theory relates to the direction of cultural development. For the Chinese Communist Party in the early period of reform and opening up, clarifying fundamental issues in ideological theory was the prerequisite and foundation for adhering to cultural leadership, and the core of ideological and theoretical issues lay in how to treat Marxism. On the one hand, due to the long-term influence of “Leftist” thinking, dogmatic treatment of Marxism was still relatively common; on the other hand, against the backdrop of reflecting on history and opening up to the outside world, trends of thought that doubted or denied Marxism also rose and fell from time to time. In this situation, Deng Xiaoping emphasized: “We must definitely place ideological and theoretical work on the correct track and in an important position.” That is to say, Marxism must be treated scientifically, returning to genuine Marxism, adhering to the basic principles of Marxism, while at the same time viewing Marxism with a developmental perspective, paying attention to adding new things to the treasure trove of Marxist theory, and resolutely opposing erroneous ideological tendencies of either “Left” or Right. To this end, Deng Xiaoping proposed adhering to the socialist road, adhering to the dictatorship of the proletariat, adhering to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, and adhering to Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought—these Four Cardinal Principles—as the political red line. He demanded that Marxists step forward and speak out, using the Four Cardinal Principles as a weapon, “opposing ‘Left’ where there is ‘Left,’ opposing Right where there is Right.” It should be pointed out that the challenges posed by erroneous ideological tendencies of “Left” and Right to the Party’s cultural leadership are not the same. Erroneous “Leftist” ideological tendencies are more a matter of ideological method arising under the premise of supporting the Party’s leadership; whereas erroneous Rightist ideological tendencies are essentially a political stance that negates the Four Cardinal Principles, posing a subversive challenge to the mainstream ideology and the Party’s cultural leadership. Regarding the problems of “Left” or Right on the ideological front, there were different understandings and judgments within the Party and society. In response, Deng Xiaoping, at different times and on different occasions, delivered many highly targeted speeches. For example, when addressing veteran cadres, he emphasized opposing “Left” more; when addressing intellectuals and young students, he emphasized opposing Right more; when reform needed further advancement, he prominently emphasized opposing “Left”; when liberalization trends emerged, he attached great importance to opposing Right. Especially after 1981, facing the growth and spread of certain erroneous trends, Deng Xiaoping repeatedly demanded a clear-cut opposition to bourgeois liberalization, a forthright propagation of adherence to the Four Cardinal Principles, and ensuring that “Marxist, socialist, and communist propaganda, especially correct viewpoints on all major theoretical and principled issues, truly play a leading role in the ideological sphere.” Overall, opposing “Left” where there is “Left,” opposing Right where there is Right, is not a one-size-fits-all approach but is carried out concretely according to actual circumstances.

思想理论关系文化发展方向。对于改革开放初期的中国共产党而言，思想理论方面的正本清源是坚持文化领导权的前提和基础，而思想理论问题的核心就在于怎样对待马克思主义。一方面，由于长期以来“左”的思想的影响，教条主义地对待马克思主义的现象仍较为普遍；另一方面，在反思历史和对外开放的背景下，怀疑或否定马克思主义的思潮亦时起时伏。在这种情况下，邓小平强调：“一定要把思想理论工作放在正确轨道和重要地位上。”这就是说，要科学对待马克思主义，回到真正的马克思主义那里去，坚持马克思主义的基本原理，同时以发展的眼光看待马克思主义，注意在马克思主义理论宝库中增加新的东西，坚决反对“左”或右的错误思想倾向。为此，邓小平提出坚持社会主义道路，坚持无产阶级专政，坚持中国共产党的领导，坚持马列主义、毛泽东思想这四项基本原则，以此作为政治上的红线。他要求马克思主义者站出来说话，以四项基本原则为武器，“有‘左’就反‘左’，有右就反右”。需要指出的是，“左”与右的错误思想倾向对党的文化领导权的挑战并不相同。“左”的错误思想倾向更多的是在拥护党的领导的前提下出现的思想方法问题；而右的错误思想倾向本质上是否定四项基本原则的政治立场，对于主流意识形态和党的文化领导权的挑战是颠覆性的。对于思想战线上存在的“左”或右的问题，党内和社会上存在不同的认识和判断。对此，邓小平在不同时期、就不同情况，发表了许多极具针对性的讲话。例如，在面对老干部群体时，他更多强调反“左”；在面对知识分子和青年学生时，他更多强调反右；在改革需要进一步推进时，他突出强调反“左”；在自由化思潮泛起时，他则高度重视反右。尤其是1981年以后，面对一些错误思潮的滋长蔓延，邓小平反复要求旗帜鲜明地反对资产阶级自由化，理直气壮地宣传坚持四项基本原则，要确保“马克思主义的和社会主义、共产主义的宣传，特别是在一切重大理论性、原则性问题上的正确观点，在思想界真正发挥主导作用”。总体而言，有“左”反“左”，有右反右，并非一概而论，而是根据实际情况具体作为。

Second, literature and art should neither be subordinate to politics nor divorced from politics.

第二，文艺既不能从属于政治，也不能脱离政治。

Literature and art are the cultural forms with the greatest mass influence, serving as the bugle and banner of the times. If cultural leadership is not embodied in literary and artistic creation and dissemination, a major deficiency will arise. In fact, throughout the revolution, construction, and reform led by the Communist Party of China, literature and art have always played the role of uniting, educating, inspiring, and encouraging the people. Precisely for this reason, our Party has always attached great importance to literary and artistic work. Mao Zedong’s Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art even exerted a broad and profound influence far beyond the literary and artistic sphere. However, during a certain period, due to an absolutist understanding of the relationship between politics and literature and art, problems such as formulism, conceptualism, and stereotyping emerged to some extent in literary and artistic creation. After reform and opening up, our Party promptly adjusted its understanding of the relationship between politics and literature and art, as well as the methods of leading literary and artistic work, establishing the principle that literature and art serve the people and serve socialism. This was a major adjustment in our Party’s guiding ideology in the cultural sphere. It was precisely because of this adjustment that the literary and artistic enterprise flourished and developed during this period. However, the fact that literature and art are not subordinate to politics does not mean that literature and art can be divorced from politics, nor does it mean that the Party’s leadership over literary and artistic work can be abandoned. Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “Literature and art cannot be divorced from politics. Any progressive, revolutionary literary and artistic worker cannot fail to consider the social impact of their works, nor can they fail to consider the interests of the people, the interests of the state, and the interests of the Party.” In other words, the Party’s leadership over literary and artistic work is beyond doubt; the question is how to lead well. In fact, the principle that literature and art are neither subordinate to nor separable from politics has left ample room for our Party to continuously improve its leadership over literature and art. On the one hand, literary and artistic workers should cooperate with other comrades in the cultural and educational circles “to wage a long-term and effective struggle, in the ideological sphere, against various thoughts and habits that hinder the Four Modernizations,”[n] and especially must not engage in “spiritual pollution”[n] or bourgeois liberalization; on the other hand, they should keep pace with the trend of the times in reform and opening up, “portray the pioneers of the Four Modernizations construction, and express their new outlook characterized by revolutionary ideals and a scientific attitude, noble sentiments and creative ability, broad vision and a spirit of seeking truth from facts,” thereby “stimulating the socialist enthusiasm of the broad masses.”

文学艺术是最具大众影响力的文化形式，是时代的号角和旗帜。文化领导权不在文艺创作与传播上加以体现，就会出现重大缺失。事实上，在中国共产党领导的革命、建设、改革过程中，文学艺术始终发挥着团结教育人民、激励鼓舞人民的作用。正因如此，我们党始终高度重视文艺工作，毛泽东在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话甚至产生了远超文艺领域的广泛而深远的影响。然而，在一段时期内，由于对政治与文艺关系的绝对化理解，文艺创作在一定程度上出现了公式化、概念化、脸谱化等问题。改革开放后，我们党及时调整对政治与文艺关系的认识以及对文艺工作的领导方式，确定了文艺为人民服务和为社会主义服务的方针。这是我们党在文化领域指导思想的重大调整。正是因为有了这一调整，才有了这一时期文艺事业的繁荣发展。但是，文艺不从属于政治，并不意味着文艺可以脱离政治，也不意味着可以放弃党对文艺工作的领导。邓小平指出：“文艺是不可能脱离政治的。任何进步的、革命的文艺工作者都不能不考虑作品的社会影响，不能不考虑人民的利益、国家的利益、党的利益。”换言之，党对文艺工作的领导是毋庸置疑的，问题是如何善于领导。事实上，文艺既不能从属于政治，也不能脱离政治的原则，为我们党不断改进对文艺的领导留下了丰富的空间。文艺工作者一方面应当与文教界的其他同志合作，“在意识形态领域中，同各种妨害四个现代化的思想习惯进行长期的、有效的斗争”，尤其不能搞“精神污染”、搞资产阶级自由化；另一方面应当紧跟改革开放的时代潮流，“塑造四个现代化建设的创业者，表现他们那种有革命理想和科学态度、有高尚情操和创造能力、有宽阔眼界和求实精神的崭新面貌”，以此“激发广大群众的社会主义积极性”。

Third, the journalistic enterprise is the Party’s mouthpiece.

第三，新闻事业是党的喉舌。

Journalism and public opinion are important forces affecting social development, concerning the cohesion of popular sentiment and the stability of the state. Attaching importance to the work of journalism and public opinion, and using it as a powerful weapon in revolutionary struggle and an important magic weapon for promoting the success of the cause, is a fine tradition of the Communist Party of China. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee,[n] the front of journalism and public opinion played a huge role in propagating the Party’s line, principles, and policies, and in promoting the emancipation of the mind, bringing order out of chaos, and reform and opening up; however, there were also obvious shortcomings, the main one being “the failure to actively, confidently, and persuasively, frequently and systematically, propagate the Four Cardinal Principles,[n] and the failure to wage a powerful struggle against some thoughts and言论 that oppose the Four Cardinal Principles.” Behind this lay some erroneous or vague ideological understandings. For example, the inability to dialectically understand the relationship between Party spirit and the nature of the people, leading to doubts about the journalistic enterprise as the mouthpiece of the Party and government; another example was the blind worship of the journalistic systems of Western countries, believing that Western journalism, with its more exposure and criticism and more diverse voices, was more objective and freer; yet another example was the mechanical understanding of economic reform measures, believing that the journalistic sphere should also be liberalized with unregulated “private-run newspapers”; and so on. In response to the problems and erroneous understandings in the work of journalism and public opinion, our Party clearly adhered to the principled stance that “the Party’s journalistic enterprise is the Party’s mouthpiece,” and elucidated the truth that “there must be a clear class character and Party spirit.” The correct approach is to “use a large number of vivid facts and statements to promptly and accurately disseminate the views of the Party and government, and the opinions and activities of the people from all sides, to the whole country and the world”; to insist on mainly reporting achievements, bright sides, and praise, “to arouse the broadest masses of the people to work with one heart and one mind to realize the Party’s propositions.”

新闻舆论是影响社会发展的重要力量，关系民心凝聚、国家稳定。重视新闻舆论工作，把新闻舆论作为革命斗争的有力武器、推动事业成功的重要法宝，是中国共产党的优良传统。党的十一届三中全会后，新闻舆论战线在宣传党的路线方针政策，推动解放思想、拨乱反正、改革开放等方面，发挥了巨大作用；但也存在明显缺点，其中主要的一点是“没有积极主动、理直气壮而又有说服力地、经常和有系统地宣传四项基本原则，对一些反对四项基本原则的思想和言论没有进行有力的斗争”。这背后是一些错误的或模糊的思想认识在作怪。例如，不能辩证理解党性和人民性的关系，对于新闻事业作为党和政府的喉舌产生疑虑；又如，盲目崇拜西方国家的新闻制度，认为西方新闻揭露批评多、不同声音多，更客观也更自由；再如，机械理解经济领域的改革举措，认为新闻领域也应该放开不受监管的“民间办报”；等等。针对新闻舆论工作中存在的问题和错误认识，我们党明确坚持“党的新闻事业是党的喉舌”的原则立场，阐明“要有鲜明的阶级性和党性”的道理。正确的做法是，“要用大量的、生动的事实和言论，把党和政府的主张，把人民的各方面的意见和活动，及时地、准确地传播到全国和全世界”；要坚持以讲成绩、讲光明、搞表扬为主，“唤起最广大的人民群众，同心同德地为实现党的主张而奋斗”。

Fourth, build socialist cultural-ethical progress.

第四，建设社会主义精神文明。

If the three aspects above focus on exploring how to adhere to the Party’s cultural leadership from the perspective of responding to challenges and defusing risks, then formulating cultural construction goals that meet the requirements of economic and social development is undoubtedly a more proactive and constructive manifestation of adhering to the Party’s cultural leadership. During this period, while focusing on the struggle in the ideological sphere, our Party put forward the overall goal and overall task of building socialist cultural-ethical progress. On September 29, 1979, Ye Jianying formally proposed the task of “building a high level of socialist cultural-ethical progress” at the rally celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Subsequently, the 12th National Congress of the CPC and the Sixth Plenary Session of the 12th Central Committee made systematic expositions and deployments on this. Deng Xiaoping pointed out: “So-called cultural-ethical progress refers not only to education, science, and culture (which are entirely necessary), but also to communist ideals, beliefs, morality, discipline, revolutionary stance and principles, comradely relations between people, and so on,” and “the center of building socialist cultural-ethical progress is three sentences: have ideals, have morality, have discipline.” Building socialist cultural-ethical progress is precisely aimed at cultivating a new type of socialist person of the era with ideals, morality, culture, and discipline, focusing on shaping the ideals and beliefs, spiritual outlook, ideological consciousness, and moral norms of the masses. Whether emphasizing the promotion of past revolutionary spirit, or emphasizing the forging of the common ideal of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, or establishing and promoting socialist moral customs, or strengthening education in socialist democracy, legal system, and discipline, all are based on this consideration. In fact, this is also consistent with the Communist Party of China’s tradition of placing special emphasis on ideological and political work. Many of the expositions and requirements made by Deng Xiaoping around cultural construction or building socialist cultural-ethical progress were from the perspective of ideological and political work. After all, using culture to educate people and making culture serve the overall development of the Party and the state’s cause is the fundamental purpose of adhering to the Party’s cultural leadership.

如果说上述三个方面重在从应对挑战、化解风险的角度探索如何坚持党的文化领导权，那么制定符合经济社会发展要求的文化建设目标，无疑是坚持党的文化领导权的更积极主动和更具建设性的体现。这一时期，我们党在注重意识形态领域斗争的同时，提出了社会主义精神文明建设的总目标和总任务。1979年9月29日，叶剑英在庆祝中华人民共和国成立30周年大会上正式提出“建设高度的社会主义精神文明”的任务。之后，党的十二大和十二届六中全会又对此作出系统阐述和部署。邓小平指出：“所谓精神文明，不但是指教育、科学、文化(这是完全必要的)，而且是指共产主义的思想、理想、信念、道德、纪律，革命的立场和原则，人与人的同志式关系，等等”，“社会主义精神文明建设，中心是三句话，有理想、有道德、有纪律”。社会主义精神文明建设正是以培育有理想、有道德、有文化、有纪律的社会主义时代新人为旨归，重在塑造人民群众的理想信念、精神风貌、思想觉悟、道德规范。无论是强调弘扬过去的革命精神，还是强调铸就建设有中国特色社会主义的共同理想，抑或树立和发扬社会主义的道德风尚，以及加强社会主义民主、法制、纪律教育，都是出于这一考虑。事实上，这也符合中国共产党格外重视思想政治工作的传统。邓小平围绕文化建设或社会主义精神文明建设所作的一系列论述、提出的一系列要求，很多都是从思想政治工作的角度出发的。毕竟文以化人、使文化服务于党和国家整体事业的发展，是坚持党的文化领导权的根本目的所在。

Overall, in the specific historical period of emancipating the mind, bringing order out of chaos, and initiating reform and opening up, our Party adhered to and consolidated its cultural leadership by emphasizing adherence to the Four Cardinal Principles, correctly handling the relationship between literature and art and politics, insisting on the Party’s leadership over journalism and public opinion, and building socialist cultural-ethical progress. In addition, in light of some historical lessons, while adhering to cultural leadership, our Party also considered, and even gave more consideration to, the issue of how to improve leadership over cultural work. And in the process of exploration, there were indeed times and on some issues when the Party’s leadership was not strong and effective enough. That is why Deng Xiaoping proposed that since reform and opening up, “the negative factors have mainly manifested in the theoretical, ideological, and cultural fields,” and that “the biggest mistake of the decade”[n] was mainly in the area of ideological and political education of the people. In fact, the deeper issue reflected behind this is that our Party, in the increasingly complex social development process after reform and opening up, still needed time and experience to accumulate experience in understanding and handling a series of major relationships concerning the status and function of culture, and culture with politics, economy, society, and so on.

总体而言，在解放思想、拨乱反正、开启改革开放的特定历史时期，我们党通过强调坚持四项基本原则、正确处理文艺和政治的关系、坚持党对新闻舆论的领导权以及建设社会主义精神文明，坚持和巩固了党的文化领导权。此外，鉴于历史上的一些教训，我们党在坚持文化领导权的同时，还考虑甚至更多地考虑如何改善对文化工作的领导的问题。而在探索的过程中，也确实在一些时候和一些问题上出现过党的领导不够坚强有力的情况，所以邓小平才提出改革开放以来的“消极因素主要表现在理论、思想、文化领域”，“十年最大的失误”主要在对人民的思想政治教育方面。实际上，这背后反映的更深层次的问题是，我们党在改革开放后的日趋复杂的社会发展进程中，在文化的地位与功能，文化与政治、经济、社会等的一系列重大关系的认识和处理上，尚需时间和历练来积累经验。

II. Adhering to the Party’s Cultural Leadership in the Socialist Market Economy System and All-Round Opening Up

二、在社会主义市场经济体制和全方位对外开放中坚持党的文化领导权

Since the 1990s, the internal and external environment for China’s cultural construction has undergone tremendous changes. Internationally, the drastic changes in Eastern Europe and the disintegration of the Soviet Union caused serious setbacks for socialism worldwide, leading Western anti-communist and anti-socialist forces to rejoice, and the

20世纪90年代以来，我国文化建设的内外环境发生了巨大变化。国际上，东欧剧变、苏联解体致使社会主义在世界范围内遭受严重挫折，西方反共反社会主义势力因此欢欣鼓舞，唱衰中国的论调不绝于耳。在国内，市场经济的迅速发展、全方位对外开放的持续拓展，使得思想文化领域更为活跃，价值理念和审美观念更为多元，也带来了大众文化和文化市场的迅速发展。立足历史经验和现实环境，中国共产党在这一阶段对坚持文化领导权的问题形成了诸多新思想新认识。

Beginning in the late 1980s, in light of the lessons of the bourgeois liberalization trend, especially the 1989 political disturbance [1]1 The 1989 political disturbance refers, our Party markedly heightened its awareness of adhering to cultural leadership. One important manifestation of this was the extensive revival in cultural work of the concept of “positions” (阵地), which had been commonly used during the period of the New Democratic Revolution and the period of socialist revolution and construction but was less frequently employed in the early years of reform and opening up — for example, “some public-opinion positions are no longer in the hands of the Party and the people,” “go and occupy the ideological and cultural positions and the public-opinion positions,” and so on. The frequent use of the concept of “positions” indicates that our Party had come to recognize the complex and grave situation of struggle in the ideological sphere, and to recognize that the ideological and cultural positions must not be lost. As Jiang Zemin pointed out: “If Marxism and proletarian thought do not occupy the ideological and cultural positions, then various non-Marxist, non-proletarian, and even anti-Marxist thoughts will occupy them.” This reflects our Party’s strong sense of crisis, warning and urging the entire Party to attach great importance to propaganda, ideology, and cultural work. At the same time, the Party Central Committee began to frequently use terms such as “leadership” (领导权), “initiative” (主动权), and “dominance” (主导权) in its instructions on cultural work. Although the proposition of the Party’s cultural leadership had not yet been raised in a comprehensive manner, the intention was already very clear — for example, emphasizing “firmly grasping leadership over all ideological departments,” “winning the initiative in propaganda and ideological work,” “firmly grasping dominance over ideological work,” “grasping the leadership of cultural reform and development,” and so on. From a perspective characteristic of the era, over the approximately twenty-year period straddling the turn of the century, our Party’s exploration of adhering to cultural leadership was mainly concentrated in the following areas.

自20世纪80年代末开始，鉴于资产阶级自由化思潮尤其是1989年政治风波的教训，我们党明显增强了坚持文化领导权的意识。其中一个重要表现，是在文化工作中大量地恢复使用新民主主义革命时期、社会主义革命和建设时期常用而改革开放初期不大使用的“阵地”概念，如“一些舆论阵地已经不在党和人民手里”，“去占领思想文化阵地和舆论阵地”，等等。“阵地”概念的频繁使用，表明我们党已经认识到意识形态领域斗争的复杂严峻形势，认识到思想文化阵地不容有失。正如江泽民所指出的：“思想文化阵地，马克思主义、无产阶级的思想不去占领，各种非马克思主义、非无产阶级的思想甚至反马克思主义的思想就会去占领。”这反映出我们党强烈的危机意识，警示和督促全党要高度重视宣传思想文化工作。与此同时，党中央开始在对文化工作的指示中频繁地使用“领导权”“主动权”“主导权”等词，虽然尚未总括性地提出党的文化领导权的命题，但是意图已经十分明确，如强调“牢牢掌握意识形态各部门的领导权”，“赢得宣传思想工作的主动权”，“牢牢把握意识形态工作主导权”，“掌握文化改革发展领导权”等。从富有时代特点的角度看，在世纪之交大约20年的时间段内，我们党对坚持文化领导权的探索主要集中在以下方面。

First, “focus on construction” and “take establishment as the foundation.”

第一，“重在建设”“以立为本”。

At the level of general philosophy, our Party not only focused on continuing traditional working methods such as ideological struggle and education through inculcation, but further emphasized that cultural-ethical progress should “focus on construction” and “take establishment as the foundation.” History shows that the acquisition and maintenance of cultural leadership cannot be separated from ideological struggle in the ideological sphere; similarly, the genuine realization of cultural leadership also depends on sustained, high-quality cultural output. On the basis of summing up the experiences and lessons of cultural construction since the founding of the People’s Republic, including since reform and opening up, and grounded in the new historical juncture of the market economy and all-round opening up to the outside world, the Party Central Committee put forward the important concept that “cultural-ethical progress focuses on construction.” This concept emphasizes that “we will not adopt the methods of the past, such as launching campaigns or engaging in mass criticism, nor will we engage in pointless debates,” and that “we take establishment as the foundation, making ‘construction’ the starting point and goal of our work,” “using correct ideals, beliefs, outlooks on life, and values, using outstanding ideological and cultural achievements and forms that the masses are happy to see and hear, to occupy the ideological and cultural positions, enrich people’s spiritual life, and influence people’s emotions and reason.” It is necessary to “arm people with scientific theory, guide people with correct public opinion, shape people with a noble spirit, and inspire people with excellent works,” and by shaping a positive and uplifting cultural environment, promote the cultivation of a “new generation with four virtues” [2]2 “Two Overall Situations” (两个大局) refers to the overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the overall situation of changes unseen in a century in the world., thereby adhering to and consolidating the Party’s cultural leadership. Historically, this represents a major advance in the concept of adhering to the Party’s cultural leadership.

在总体理念层面，我们党既注重延续思想斗争、教育灌输等传统工作方法，又进一步强调精神文明“重在建设”“以立为本”。历史表明，文化领导权的取得和坚持离不开意识形态领域的思想斗争，同样，文化领导权的真正实现也要靠持续的高质量的文化产出。在总结新中国成立以来包括改革开放以来文化建设经验教训的基础上，立足市场经济和全方位对外开放的历史新方位，党中央提出“精神文明重在建设”的重要理念。这一理念强调，“不采用过去那种搞运动、搞大批判的方法，也不搞无谓的争论”，“以立为本，把‘建设’作为我们工作的出发点和落脚点”，“用正确的理想、信念、人生观、价值观，用优秀的思想文化成果和广大群众喜闻乐见的形式去占领思想文化阵地，丰富人们的精神生活，影响人们的感情和理智”。要“以科学的理论武装人，以正确的舆论引导人，以高尚的精神塑造人，以优秀的作品鼓舞人”，通过塑造积极向上的文化环境，促进“四有”新人的培育，从而坚持和巩固党的文化领导权。历史地看，这是坚持党的文化领导权理念的重大进步。

Second, “establish dominance amidst diversity and plurality.”

第二，“在多元多样中立主导”。

This is another major consideration of our Party on the issue of cultural leadership. Due to the development of the market economy, the deepening of all-round opening up, and the arrival of the information age, culture has increasingly taken on diverse and pluralistic forms. How to keep pace with the rapidly changing times and grasp the initiative and dominance in cultural construction became a major issue confronting our Party. Against this backdrop, in 1994 Jiang Zemin put forward the cultural construction policy of “promoting the main theme and encouraging diversity.” “Promoting the main theme means, under the guidance of the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Party’s basic line, vigorously advocating all thoughts and spirits conducive to promoting patriotism, collectivism, and socialism; vigorously advocating all thoughts and spirits conducive to reform and opening up and modernization; vigorously advocating all thoughts and spirits conducive to national unity, social progress, and the people’s happiness; and vigorously advocating all thoughts and spirits that strive for a better life through honest labor.” Encouraging diversity means satisfying the people’s multi-faceted and multi-level spiritual and cultural needs, and “any spiritual product that can educate and enlighten the people, or bring them entertainment and aesthetic enjoyment, should be welcomed and encouraged.” After the 16th National Congress of the CPC [3]3 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2012. It marked the beginning of the New Era under Xi Jinping’s leadership and formally proposed the core socialist values., our Party further developed this principle, proposing that we cannot enforce uniformity in the name of mainstream ideology, nor can we abandon mainstream ideology in the name of embracing diversity. We must “strive to establish dominance amidst diversity and plurality, seek consensus amidst exchange and integration, and maintain consistency amidst change and flux, forming a vibrant situation where there is both the unified will of the state and the ease of mind of individuals, both inclusiveness of diversity and forceful resistance to all kinds of erroneous and decadent thoughts, and both adherence to basic social thought and morality and progress towards higher ideals and goals.” The introduction of these policies indicates that our Party had changed its past pursuit of a highly monolithic, single-file cultural pattern, and instead adapted to the characteristics of the times, seeking to establish a wild-goose-formation cultural pattern with one element dominant and multiple elements coexisting. The so-called one-element dominance means that “we must uphold and strengthen the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere. We must never allow pluralism in guiding ideology,” and we must “reflect the mainstream thought and value orientation of social development,” the most important of which are patriotism, collectivism, and socialism. The so-called multiple coexistence means acknowledging the diversity and variability of social thought and culture, and acknowledging the differences and autonomy of people in their knowledge pursuits, value choices, aesthetic preferences, and so on. However, this culture with differences and autonomy is not fundamentally divergent from or opposed to the mainstream culture and mainstream values; the relationship between them should be one of harmonious coexistence, even mutual achievement, like harmony in diversity.

这是我们党在文化领导权问题上的又一重大思考。由于市场经济的发展、全方位对外开放的深化以及信息时代的到来，文化日趋呈现多元多样的形态。如何在迅速变化的时代与时俱进地掌握文化建设的主动权、主导权，成为摆在我们党面前的一个重大课题。在此背景下，江泽民于1994年提出“弘扬主旋律、提倡多样化”的文化建设方针。“弘扬主旋律，就是要在建设有中国特色社会主义的理论和党的基本路线指导下，大力倡导一切有利于发扬爱国主义、集体主义、社会主义的思想和精神，大力倡导一切有利于改革开放和现代化建设的思想和精神，大力倡导一切有利于民族团结、社会进步、人民幸福的思想和精神，大力倡导一切用诚实劳动争取美好生活的思想和精神。”提倡多样化，则是要满足人民群众多方面、多层次的精神文化需求，“只要是能够使人民得到教育和启发、得到娱乐和美的享受的精神产品，都应受到欢迎和鼓励”。党的十六大以后，我们党进一步发展了这一原则，提出不能因为主流意识形态而强求一律，也不能因为包容多样而放弃主流意识形态，要“力求在多元多样中立主导、在交流交融中谋共识、在变化变动中一以贯之，形成既有国家统一意志又有个人心情舒畅、既包容多样又有力抵制各种错误和腐朽思想、既坚守基本社会思想道德又向着更高理想目标前进的生动局面”。这些方针的提出，表明我们党改变了过去对高度一元化的、一字长蛇阵式的文化格局的追求，转而适应时代特点，谋求确立一元主导、多元共存的雁阵式文化格局。所谓一元主导，就是“必须坚持和加强马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位。在指导思想上绝不能搞多元化”，必须“反映社会发展的主流思想和价值取向”，其中最重要的就是爱国主义、集体主义、社会主义。所谓多元共存，就是承认社会思想文化的多样多变，承认人们在知识追求、价值选择、审美偏好等方面的差异性和自主性。但是，这种具有差异性和自主性的文化并不是与主流文化、主流价值在根本立场上相背离或对立的，两者之间应当是一种和而不同的和谐共生甚至相互成就的关系。

Third, “take advanced socialist culture as the guide.”

第三，“以社会主义先进文化为引领”。

Closely related to the goal of one-element dominance, the introduction of the concept of “advanced socialist culture” has the significance of establishing the direction of cultural development. This concept has three layers of connotation. First, it proceeds from the advanced nature of the Chinese Communist Party, recognizing that “our Party represents the direction of advanced culture” and “must stand at the forefront of the times and the commanding heights of world science and culture.” In fact, the introduction of this concept directly originated from the formation of the “Three Represents” important thought [4]4 Xi Jinping, “Upholding and Strengthening the Overall Leadership of the Party,” in *Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. Second, developing advanced socialist culture means “developing a socialist culture that is national, scientific, and popular, oriented towards modernization, the world, and the future,” and “means developing a culture with Chinese characteristics, that is, building socialist cultural-ethical progress.” This is mainly linked to the definition of the goals and tasks of socialist cultural construction, aiming to show that although the two are explained from different perspectives, they are consistent in terms of development direction and constituent elements. Third, it prominently emphasizes the advanced nature of advanced socialist culture, recognizing that this is a culture that, within a pluralistic cultural pattern, reflects advanced thought, spirit, and values — that is, the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, manifests socialist value concepts, and embodies the spirit of the times. After the 16th National Congress of the CPC, the guiding role of advanced socialist culture in the development of contemporary Chinese culture became even more prominent. Our Party regards the development of advanced socialist culture as “the ideological and spiritual banner of a Marxist political party,” emphasizing that in the process of promoting the great development and flourishing of Chinese culture, we must adhere to the forward direction of advanced socialist culture. Hu Jintao pointed out: “Adhering to the guidance of Marxism and taking advanced socialist culture as the guide is the most distinctive feature of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and is also a fundamental issue concerning the overall situation of cultural reform and development.” This indicates that our Party has gained new understandings more in line with the characteristics of the times and the requirements of practice in leading the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and has added a new dimension of understanding on the issue of cultural leadership. To a certain extent, developing advanced socialist culture is precisely the key to achieving one-element dominance.

与一元主导的目标密切相关，“社会主义先进文化”概念的提出具有确立文化发展方向的意义。这一概念有三层内涵。一是从中国共产党的先进性着眼，认识到“我们党是代表先进文化的前进方向的”，“必须站在时代前列和世界科学文化制高点上”。事实上，这一概念的提出直接源于“三个代表”重要思想的形成。二是发展社会主义先进文化就是“发展面向现代化、面向世界、面向未来的，民族的科学的大众的社会主义文化”，“就是发展有中国特色社会主义的文化，就是建设社会主义精神文明”。这主要是与社会主义文化建设目标任务的界定相衔接，旨在表明两者虽然阐释角度不同，但是在发展方向和构成要件方面是一致的。三是突出强调社会主义先进文化的先进性，认识到这是在多元文化格局中反映先进的思想、精神、价值，即马克思主义中国化时代化的最新成果，彰显社会主义价值理念，体现时代精神的文化。党的十六大以后，社会主义先进文化在当代中国文化发展中的引领地位更为凸显。我们党将发展社会主义先进文化视为“马克思主义政党思想精神上的旗帜”，强调在推动我国文化大发展大繁荣的过程中，必须坚持社会主义先进文化的前进方向。胡锦涛指出：“坚持以马克思主义为指导、以社会主义先进文化为引领，是中国特色社会主义文化最鲜明的特征，也是事关文化改革发展全局的根本问题。”这表明，我们党在领导中国特色社会主义文化建设方面取得了更符合时代特征和实践要求的新认识，在文化领导权问题上增加了一个新的认识维度。从一定程度上讲，发展社会主义先进文化正是实现一元主导的关键所在。

Fourth, building a socialist core value system.

第四，构建社会主义核心价值体系。

In tandem with developing advanced socialist culture, after the 16th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee put forward the task of constructing a socialist core value system. The core and soul of culture are value concepts. Placing great emphasis on the shaping of values in cultural work is a tradition of our Party in doing cultural work well. At the turn of the century, Jiang Zemin raised the goal of governing the country with virtue, attaching importance to strengthening socialist ideological and moral construction and improving the ideological and moral quality of the entire nation. Hu Jintao, in turn, raised the task of constructing a socialist core value system. Based on the consideration of adhering to cultural leadership, our Party hoped to use the socialist core value system to guide the development of social thought and consciousness, proposing that the socialist core value system “occupies a commanding and dominant position among all value goals, and possesses a powerful guiding and integrating function for social consciousness and ideological trends,” and can “maximally form social ideological consensus.” Further, constructing the socialist core value system means using Marxism, especially the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, to arm the whole Party and educate the people, using the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics to unite strength, using the national spirit with patriotism at its core and the spirit of the times with reform and innovation at its core to inspire fighting spirit, and using the socialist concept of honor and disgrace to guide social trends, thereby “forming unified guiding ideology, common ideals and convictions, strong spiritual strength, and good moral trends throughout society,” and “consolidating the common ideological and moral foundation for the united struggle of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country.” This was another active exploration by our Party to strengthen mainstream ideology and give play to the leading role of advanced socialist culture.

与发展社会主义先进文化相呼应，党的十六大以后，党中央提出了构建社会主义核心价值体系的任务。文化的核心和灵魂是价值理念。在文化建设中高度重视价值观的塑造，是我们党做好文化工作的传统。世纪之交，江泽民提出以德治国的目标，重视加强社会主义思想道德建设，提高全民族思想道德素质。胡锦涛则提出构建社会主义核心价值体系的任务。立足坚持文化领导权的考虑，我们党希望以社会主义核心价值体系引领社会思想意识发展，提出社会主义核心价值体系“在所有价值目标中处于统领和支配地位，对社会意识和社会思潮具有强大的引领和整合功能”，可以“最大限度地形成社会思想共识”。进一步而言，构建社会主义核心价值体系，就是用马克思主义尤其是马克思主义中国化时代化最新成果武装全党、教育人民，用中国特色社会主义共同理想凝聚力量，用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鼓舞斗志，用社会主义荣辱观引领风尚，从而“在全社会形成统一的指导思想、共同的理想信念、强大的精神力量和良好的道德风尚”，“巩固全党全国各族人民团结奋斗的共同思想道德基础”。这是我们党壮大主流意识形态、发挥社会主义先进文化引领作用的又一积极探索。

Fifth, “Only by better occupying the market can we occupy more positions.”

第五，“只有更好地占领市场，才能更多地占领阵地”。

After reform and opening up, the flourishing development of the cultural market constituted, from another side, an important test for adhering to the Party’s cultural leadership. Since the 1980s, the reform of the cultural system began exploration in areas such as theatrical performance, book publishing, and film and television creation. Our Party gradually recognized that cultural products possess both ideological attributes and commodity attributes, both social functions and economic functions. After the 1990s, with the vigorous development of the market economy and the growing demand for mass cultural consumption, the trend of commodification of cultural products became increasingly evident, and the cultural market gradually formed and became very active. To adapt to this trend, at the beginning of the 21st century, an overall plan for further deepening the reform of the cultural system was introduced and implemented, including establishing and improving the cultural market, reforming the cultural management system, transforming operational cultural units into enterprises, and building a public cultural service system with non-profit cultural undertakings as the backbone. From the perspective of adhering to cultural leadership, the functions of the Party and government shifted from directly “running culture” in the past to “managing culture,” i.e., managing direction, planning, regulations, and policies, endowing cultural leadership with new connotations for the era and also making the word “leadership” more concrete. Another important issue was that after the separation of for-profit cultural industries and non-profit cultural undertakings, how the Party’s cultural leadership was to be reflected in the cultural market. Generally speaking, non-profit cultural undertakings operate under the leadership of the Party and government, naturally becoming a strong bulwark and solid position for the Party’s cultural leadership. However, the development of for-profit cultural industries is more influenced by market factors, and they are prone to neglecting or even disregarding the social benefits of cultural products in pursuit of profit, deviating from mainstream ideology and values. How to view and handle this issue? The answer from the Party Central Committee was clear: social benefits come first. However, this does not mean ignoring market demand. Jiang Zemin pointed out: “Whether propaganda and cultural work can unite the people and inspire them depends to a large extent on whether there is a large number of good spiritual products. Without excellent works, there is no correct orientation.” This also applies to the cultural market. That is to say, only by creating excellent works that promote the main theme, with healthy ideological content and superb artistic skill, possessing strong appeal and感染力, can one gain an advantage in the competition of the cultural market. This shows that our Party fully recognizes that in modern social life, the production and dissemination of cultural products will, in the vast majority of cases, ultimately enter the market and follow market rules. “Only by turning cultural products into commodities and into the consumption of the broad masses can we maximize the realization of culture’s propaganda and education function, strengthen its ideological attributes, and achieve the goal of inspiring people with excellent works.” Therefore, occupying the market and occupying the ideological position are dialectically unified. “Only by better occupying the market can we occupy more positions.” The market share and influence of excellent cultural products that promote the main theme became an important indicator of the extent to which our Party successfully managed the cultural market and grasped cultural leadership. Therefore, our Party paid special attention to enhancing the market control, influence, and driving force of state-owned capital during the reform of the cultural system, giving play to the leading and backbone role of state-owned cultural enterprises in the cultural market, ensuring they become the leading force in the cultural market and strategic investors in the cultural industry, thereby ensuring the leading position of advanced socialist culture in the cultural market.

改革开放后，文化市场的繁荣发展从另一个侧面构成对坚持党的文化领导权的重要考验。自20世纪80年代开始，文化体制改革即在文艺表演、图书出版、影视创作等领域开始了探索，我们党逐步认识到文化产品既具有意识形态属性，又具有商品属性，既有社会功能，又有经济功能。90年代以后，随着市场经济的蓬勃发展以及大众文化消费需求的日益增长，文化产品的商品化趋势日益明显，文化市场逐渐形成且十分活跃。为适应这一趋势，21世纪之初，继续深化文化体制改革的总体方案出台并付诸实施，其内容包括建立健全文化市场、改革文化管理体制、经营性文化单位转企改制、以公益性文化事业为骨干构建公共文化服务体系等。从坚持文化领导权的角度看，党和政府的职能由过去直接“办文化”向“管文化”即管方向、管规划、管法规政策等转变，赋予文化领导权新的时代内涵，也使“领导”二字进一步落到实处。另一个重要问题是，在实现了经营性文化产业和公益性文化事业的分离后，党的文化领导权如何在文化市场中体现。一般而言，公益性文化事业是在党和政府主导下运行的，自然成为党的文化领导权的坚强屏障、牢固阵地。但是经营性文化产业的发展更多受市场因素的影响，容易因逐利而轻视甚至罔顾文化产品的社会效益，脱离主流意识形态和价值观念。如何看待和处理这一问题？党中央的答案是明确的：社会效益第一。但是，这也不等于不顾市场需求。江泽民指出：“宣传文化工作能不能团结人民、鼓舞人民，很大程度上要看有没有一大批好的精神产品。没有优秀作品，就没有正确导向。”这同样适用于文化市场。也就是说，只有创作出思想内容健康、艺术造诣精湛的具有强烈吸引力和感染力的弘扬主旋律的优秀作品，才能在文化市场竞争中赢得优势。这表明，我们党充分认识到，在现代社会生活中，文化产品的生产和传播在绝大多数情况下最终都要进入市场，遵循市场规则，“只有把文化产品变成商品，变为广大群众的消费，才能最大限度地实现文化的宣传教育功能，强化它的意识形态属性，达到以优秀作品鼓舞人的目的”。因此，占领市场和占领意识形态阵地是辩证统一的，“只有更好地占领市场，才能更多地占领阵地”。弘扬主旋律的优秀文化产品有多大的市场占有率和影响力，成为衡量我们党在何种程度上成功驾驭文化市场、掌握文化领导权的重要指标。因此，我们党格外注重在文化体制改革过程中增强国有资本的市场控制力、影响力和带动力，发挥国有文化企业在文化市场中的主导和骨干作用，确保它们成为文化市场的主导力量和文化产业的战略投资者，从而保证社会主义先进文化在文化市场中的引领地位。

Looking back at history, the Chinese Communists of this period made many beneficial explorations on the issue of adhering to cultural leadership, put forward a series of specific goals, adopted working methods with distinct characteristics of the times, and held fast to the mainstream ideological position and gave play to the leading role of advanced socialist culture in an increasingly complex cultural development environment. Of course, the explorations of this period also had their specific historical limitations, prominently manifested in the fact that there was sometimes a lack of more powerful means and mechanisms for implementing the goals, tasks, and related policies, and that while respecting and tolerating cultural differences, there was still much work to be done in resisting erroneous and decadent ideas and promoting the main theme. Solving these problems became an important part of the cultural mission in the New Era.

回顾历史，这一时期的中国共产党人在坚持文化领导权问题上作出诸多有益探索，提出一系列具体目标，采取富有时代特色的工作推进方式，在日趋复杂的文化发展环境中坚守了主流意识形态阵地、发挥了社会主义先进文化的引领作用。当然，这个时期的探索也有其特定的历史局限，突出表现在目标任务和相关政策之间有时缺乏更为有力的落实手段和机制，以及在尊重、包容文化差异的同时，在抵制错误腐朽思想、弘扬主旋律方面还有许多工作可做。解决这些问题，成为新时代文化使命的重要内容。

III. Adhering to the Party’s Cultural Leadership in Coordinating the “Two Overall Situations”[n] and Upholding and Strengthening the Party’s Overall Leadership

三、在统筹“两个大局”、坚持和加强党的全面领导中坚持党的文化领导权

Entering the New Era, the changes unseen in a century in the world are increasingly manifesting and accelerating. This has both further promoted cultural exchanges between countries and intensified disputes in the ideological field. How to leverage institutional advantages to enhance China’s international discourse power and the influence of Chinese culture has been prominently placed on the agenda of the CPC. In step with the changes unseen in a century in the world, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has also entered a critical period. Advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation requires both material strength and spiritual strength. How to further give play to the leading and shaping role of advanced socialist culture on the country, society, and individuals, especially its function in unifying thought, building consensus, and gathering people’s hearts, and how to ensure the timely realization of the goal of building a culturally strong country, have become epochal issues placed before the Party Central Committee. At the same time, information technology is developing rapidly, and digital intelligence has a profound and far-reaching impact on human work styles, lifestyles, and modes of communication. The new round of technological revolution and industrial revolution has profoundly reshaped media forms, public opinion ecology, and cultural industry forms, posing a huge challenge to our Party in strengthening cultural construction and consolidating and strengthening mainstream public opinion. Against this backdrop of the times, Xi Jinping raised the important issue of upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership. In this process, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core directly raised the issue of “the CPC’s cultural leadership” and formed a systematic and mature theory.

进入新时代，世界百年未有之大变局日趋显现、加速演进。这既进一步推动了国家间的文化交流，也加剧了意识形态领域的纷争。如何发挥制度优势以增强我国国际话语权和中华文化影响力，突出地摆在了中国共产党的议事日程上。与世界百年未有之大变局同步，实现中华民族伟大复兴亦进入关键时期，推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业既需要物质力量，也需要精神力量。如何进一步发挥社会主义先进文化对国家、社会、个人的引领塑造作用，特别是在统一思想、凝聚共识、汇聚人心等方面的功能，如何确保文化强国建设目标如期实现，成为摆在党中央面前的时代课题。与此同时，信息技术迅猛发展，数智化对人类工作方式、生活方式、交往方式的影响既深且巨，新一轮科技革命和产业革命深刻地重塑了媒体形态、舆论生态和文化业态，对我们党加强文化建设、巩固壮大主流思想舆论构成巨大挑战。在这样的时代背景下，习近平提出坚持和加强党的全面领导的重要课题。在此过程中，以习近平同志为核心的党中央将“中国共产党的文化领导权”问题直接提出来，并且形成了系统而成熟的理论。

First, building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leading power.

第一，建设具有强大凝聚力和引领力的社会主义意识形态。

This is the key to upholding the Party’s cultural leadership, the purpose being “to unite the entire people closely together in ideals, values, and moral concepts.” Since the New Era, Xi Jinping has attached great importance to ideological work, proposing that “the leadership, management, and discursive power over ideological work must be firmly grasped in our hands and never allowed to slip away at any time; otherwise, we will commit irreparable historical errors.” He has placed particular emphasis on the significance of adhering to Marxism for doing ideological work well, stressing that “Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for founding the Party and the country, and for rejuvenating the Party and the country,” and that “the work of propaganda and ideology is to consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological domain and to consolidate the common ideological foundation for the united struggle of the entire Party and the entire people.”

这是坚持党的文化领导权的关键所在，目的就是“使全体人民在理想信念、价值理念、道德观念上紧紧团结在一起”。新时代以来，习近平高度重视意识形态工作，提出“必须把意识形态工作的领导权、管理权、话语权牢牢掌握在手中，任何时候都不能旁落，否则就要犯无可挽回的历史性错误”。他特别重视坚持马克思主义对做好意识形态工作的重要意义，强调“马克思主义是我们立党立国、兴党兴国的根本指导思想”，“宣传思想工作就是要巩固马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位，巩固全党全国人民团结奋斗的共同思想基础”。

Compared with the past, the CPC in the New Era has more frequently emphasized the importance of ideological work and has also adopted more forceful means to consolidate the ideological front. This is prominently manifested in adhering to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and making the arming of the entire Party with the Party’s innovative theory and the education of the people the primary political task of the Party’s propaganda, ideology, and cultural work. 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; it is the essence of the times of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit, and it is the guiding ideology that the Party and the state must uphold over the long term. “All cultural products, cultural services, and cultural activities must consciously embed the Party’s innovative theory into literary and artistic creation and production,” “realizing the use of scientific theory to guide literary and artistic creation and the use of literary and artistic means to disseminate scientific theory,” and in particular, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture must be used to guide cultural construction. To this end, our Party has placed special emphasis on innovatively implementing the Project of Marxist Theory Research and Development in the New Era, deepening the systematic and theoretical research and interpretation of the Party’s innovative theory, extensively carrying out theoretical propaganda and popularization work, and promoting the Party’s innovative theory to take deeper root in the hearts of the people. In fact, the intensity, scope, and depth of the research, propaganda, and interpretation of the Party’s innovative theory in the New Era have reached a new high point since reform and opening up. At the same time, our Party has also placed special emphasis on daring to struggle and being responsible for one’s own turf in the ideological domain. Whether looking back at history or focusing on the present, whether in contemporary China or in today’s world, the struggle in the ideological domain has never ceased; it is only sometimes intense and sometimes moderate, sometimes overt and sometimes covert. Especially with the rapid development of network information technology and artificial intelligence, the struggle in the ideological domain has become more complex, diverse, and changeable. In response, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has a clear understanding.

相较于以往，新时代的中国共产党更为频繁地强调意识形态工作的重要性，也采取了更为有力的手段去巩固意识形态阵地。这突出表现在，坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，把以党的创新理论武装全党、教育人民作为党的宣传思想文化工作的首要政治任务。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，是党和国家必须长期坚持的指导思想。“各种文化产品、文化服务和文化活动，要自觉把党的创新理论嵌入文艺创作生产中”，“实现用科学理论引领文艺创作、用文艺手段传播科学理论”，尤其要用习近平文化思想指导文化建设。为此，我们党格外强调在新时代创新实施马克思主义理论研究和建设工程，深化党的创新理论体系化学理化研究阐释，广泛开展理论宣传普及工作，推动党的创新理论更加深入人心。事实上，新时代研究宣传阐释党的创新理论的力度之大、范围之广、影响之深，可以说达到了改革开放以来的一个新高点。同时，我们党还格外强调在意识形态领域要敢于斗争、守土有责。无论是回顾历史，还是着眼现实，无论是在当代中国，还是在当今世界，意识形态领域的斗争从来都没有停止过，只不过有时激烈有时和缓，有时明显有时隐蔽而已。尤其是随着网络信息技术和人工智能突飞猛进地发展，意识形态领域的斗争变得更加复杂、多样、多变。对此，以习近平同志为核心的党中央有着清醒的认识。习近平强调：“历史和现实都警示我们，思想舆论阵地一旦被突破，其他防线就很难守得住。在意识形态领域斗争上，我们没有任何妥协、退让的余地，必须取得全胜。”在事关立场和原则的大是大非问题上，我们必须旗帜鲜明，不能当骑墙派、看风派，而是要敢于亮剑、敢于斗争。只有如此，我们党才能牢牢掌握文化领导权。

Second, cultivating and practicing the core socialist values.

第二，培育和践行社会主义核心价值观。

Values are the core of ideology, profoundly influencing people’s thoughts and actions, and also serve as an important arena for testing cultural leadership. Since reform and opening up, our Party has always attached great importance to the cultivation and shaping of correct values in its ideological work. The 18th National Congress of the CPC formally proposed the core socialist values, providing a concise summary of the core value concepts advocated by our socialist country. Xi Jinping attaches great importance to cultivating and practicing the core socialist values, often using phrases such as “the spiritual bond that sustains a nation,” “the common ideological and moral foundation of a country,” and “an important stabilizer of a country” to describe the importance of core values. He points out, “The various cultural contests in the world are essentially contests over values”; “How to enhance the ability to integrate social ideas, cultures, and values, expand the influence of mainstream values, and grasp the initiative, dominance, and discursive power in the field of values is a major issue we must resolve well.” Proceeding from this, our Party regards cultivating and practicing the core socialist values as a foundational project for consolidating the soul, gathering strength, strengthening the foundation, and consolidating the base. It emphasizes that “we should distinguish levels, highlight key points, and extensively carry out publicity and education on the core socialist values throughout society,” striving through multiple channels such as educational guidance, public opinion propaganda, cultural edification, practical cultivation, and institutional guarantees to “effectively integrate the core socialist values into all aspects of social life,” making them as ubiquitous and ever-present as air, thereby “internalizing them as people’s spiritual pursuits and externalizing them as people’s conscious actions.”

价值观是意识形态的核心，深刻地影响着人们的思想和行为，也是检验文化领导权的重要场域。改革开放以来，我们党在意识形态工作中一直十分重视正确价值观的培育与塑造。党的十八大正式提出社会主义核心价值观，对我们这样一个社会主义国家倡导的核心价值理念作了精要概括。习近平高度重视培育和践行社会主义核心价值观，常用“一个民族赖以维系的精神纽带”“一个国家共同的思想道德基础”“一个国家的重要稳定器”等语汇描述核心价值观的重要性。他指出，“世界上各种文化之争，本质上是价值观念之争”；“如何提高整合社会思想文化和价值观念的能力，扩大主流价值观念的影响力，掌握价值观念领域的主动权、主导权、话语权，是我们必须解决好的重大课题”。由此出发，我们党将培育和践行社会主义核心价值观作为凝魂聚气、强基固本的基础工程，强调“要区分层次、突出重点，在全社会广泛开展社会主义核心价值观宣传教育”，努力通过教育引导、舆论宣传、文化熏陶、实践养成、制度保障等多种途径，“切实把社会主义核心价值观贯穿于社会生活方方面面”，使它像空气一样无处不在、无时不有，从而“内化为人们的精神追求、外化为人们的自觉行动”。

Third, mastering the dominant role of public opinion under the conditions of informatization.

第三，掌握信息化条件下舆论主导权。

During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, our Party clearly stated that “correct guidance of public opinion is the blessing of the Party and the people; erroneous guidance of public opinion is the calamity of the Party and the people”; “news propaganda must adhere to the principle of Party spirit.” Entering the New Era, Xi Jinping emphasized: “Doing a good job in the Party’s news and public opinion work and creating a favorable public opinion environment are major tasks for governing the country and ensuring national stability.” News and public opinion work must undertake the responsibilities and mission of “holding high the banner, guiding the direction, centering on the overall situation, serving the big picture, uniting the people, boosting morale, shaping social conduct, gathering strength, clarifying fallacies, distinguishing right from wrong, connecting China with the outside world, and communicating with the world.” Proceeding from this, our Party has put forward a series of clearer requirements more in line with the characteristics of the times, such as “the principle of the Party managing propaganda, the Party managing ideology, the Party managing media, and the Party managing the internet must be implemented in place,” “adhering to the principle of politicians running newspapers, periodicals, radio stations, television stations, and news websites,” and so on. Among these requirements, the political direction of news and public opinion work has always been paramount, and the principle of Party spirit has always been the fundamental principle of news and public opinion work. The so-called principle of Party spirit is most fundamentally about upholding the Party’s leadership over news and public opinion work, with the core essence being to adhere to the correct political direction, take a firm political stand, and resolutely implement the Party’s theories, lines, principles, and policies.

在改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，我们党旗帜鲜明地提出，“舆论导向正确，是党和人民之福；舆论导向错误，是党和人民之祸”；“新闻宣传必须坚持党性原则”。进入新时代，习近平强调：“做好党的新闻舆论工作，营造良好舆论环境，是治国理政、定国安邦的大事。”新闻舆论工作要承担起“高举旗帜、引领导向，围绕中心、服务大局，团结人民、鼓舞士气，成风化人、凝心聚力，澄清谬误、明辨是非，联接中外、沟通世界”的职责和使命。由此出发，我们党提出了一系列更明确、更符合时代特点的要求，比如“必须把党管宣传、党管意识形态、党管媒体、党管互联网原则落实到位”，“坚持政治家办报、办刊、办台、办新闻网站”，等等。在这些要求中，新闻舆论工作的政治方向始终是第一位的，党性原则始终是新闻舆论工作的根本原则。所谓党性原则，最根本的是坚持党对新闻舆论工作的领导，核心要义是坚持正确政治方向，站稳政治立场，坚决贯彻落实党的理论和路线方针政策。

Objectively speaking, since reform and opening up, our Party has always required news and public opinion work to adhere to the principle of Party spirit. However, influenced by Western theories of so-called press freedom, debates have frequently arisen in society over whether news and public opinion work should adhere to Party spirit or people’s nature. This essentially sets up an opposition or even a split between the two, which are dialectically unified. Especially with the rapid development of the market economy and informatization, the principle of the Party managing news and the Party managing media has been questioned. At one point, some argued that the current era is one of “capital-led” “capital media” and “commercial media,” an era of self-media where “everyone has a microphone,” making continued adherence to the Party managing news and the Party managing media meaningless. Others suggested that there are currently two public opinion spheres in China: one is the traditional media public opinion sphere dominated by Party newspapers, Party periodicals, and Party radio and television stations, and the other is the new media public opinion sphere based on the internet. They argued that the principle of the Party managing news and the Party managing media mainly applies to media run by the Party and the government and is not applicable to other media. In response to these erroneous views, Xi Jinping clearly stated, “Party spirit and people’s nature are consistent and unified”; “No matter how the times develop or how the media landscape changes, the principle and system of the Party managing media cannot change”; “All work of newspapers, news agencies, radio stations, television stations, and news websites must reflect the Party’s will and convey the Party’s propositions”; “The Party managing media does not mean it only manages the media directly controlled by the Party. The Party managing media means placing all types of media at all levels under the leadership of the Party.” To be realistic, once these two key points—the clear-cut principle of Party spirit and the principle of the Party managing all media—are grasped and implemented in place, correct guidance of public opinion can be firmly established, and a solid foundation can be laid for singing the main theme and spreading positive energy.

客观地说，改革开放以来，我们党始终要求新闻舆论工作要坚持党性原则，但是受西方所谓新闻自由论调的影响，社会上时常出现新闻舆论工作是坚持党性还是人民性的争论，这实质上是将辩证统一的两者对立甚至割裂开来。特别是随着市场经济和信息化的迅速发展，党管新闻、党管媒体的原则遭到质疑，一度有人提出当今是“资本为王”的“资本媒体”“商业媒体”时代，是“人人都有麦克风”的自媒体时代，继续坚持党管新闻、党管媒体没有意义。也有人提出，当下中国存在两个舆论场，一个是以党报、党刊、党台等为主体的传统媒体舆论场，一个是以互联网为基础的新媒体舆论场，而党管新闻、党管媒体的原则主要是对党和政府主办的媒体而言的，对其他媒体并不适用。针对这些错误观点，习近平旗帜鲜明地提出，“党性和人民性是一致的、统一的”；“无论时代如何发展、媒体格局如何变化，党管媒体的原则和制度不能变”；“报刊、通讯社、电台、电视台、新闻网站的所有工作都必须体现党的意志、反映党的主张”；“党管媒体，不能说只管党直接掌握的媒体。党管媒体是把各级各类媒体都置于党的领导之下”。实事求是地讲，一个是旗帜鲜明的党性原则，一个是党管所有媒体的原则，把这两个关键抓住并且落实到位，正确的舆论导向就可以牢固地树立起来，唱响主旋律、传播正能量就具备了坚实的基础。

In an era of rapid information technology development, managing and making good use of the internet has become key to the CPC’s grasp of news and public opinion. Xi Jinping points out: “If we

在信息技术迅速发展的时代，管好用好互联网成为中国共产党掌握新闻舆论的关键。习近平指出：“过不了互联网这一关，就过不了长期执政这一关。”互联网越来越深刻地影响着人们的工作和生活、思想和行为，构成越来越复杂的舆论场，已经成为社会思潮涌动、思想观念碰撞、意识形态斗争的主阵地、主战场、最前沿，谁掌握了互联网，谁就掌握了历史的主动权。因此，习近平高度重视“把网上舆论工作作为宣传思想工作的重中之重来抓”，强调“管得住是硬道理……用得好是真本事”。所谓管得住，就是坚决贯彻党性原则，科学认识网络传播规律，提高用网治网水平，净化好网络空间，管控好网络平台；所谓用得好，就是让主流思想舆论主导网络空间，使互联网成为党凝聚共识的新空间，“使互联网这个最大变量变成事业发展的最大增量”。

Fourth, uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work.

第四，坚持和加强党对宣传思想文化工作的全面领导。

Xi Jinping creatively proposed: “The Party’s leadership is comprehensive, systematic, and holistic; it must be implemented comprehensively, systematically, and holistically.” [n4] Applied specifically to the ideological and cultural sphere, one layer of meaning is that Party leadership must naturally be upheld and strengthened; another layer of meaning is that the Party’s leadership over ideological and cultural work is comprehensive, to be embodied across the entire domain of cultural undertakings, in all aspects of cultural work, and throughout the entire process of cultural development. To elaborate further: in terms of the objects of leadership, the Party leads cultural departments and organizations at all levels, including cultural administrative organs, cultural and educational institutions, news media, cultural associations, and literary and artistic groups; in terms of the content of leadership, the Party leads the construction of ideology, manages news, public opinion, and propaganda, firmly grasps cultural-ethical progress, guides the development of literature and art, plans the development of philosophy and social sciences, and directs and organizes foreign cultural exchanges, among other things; in terms of the methods of leadership, the Party Central Committee exercises centralized, unified leadership over propaganda, ideology, and culture; the Party, in advancing the development of cultural undertakings, plays the role of setting the direction, planning the overall situation, determining policies, and promoting reform; through overall command and coordination of all parties, through recommending important cadres, through discipline inspection and supervision, and through giving play to the exemplary and vanguard role of Party organizations and Party members, it implements Party leadership in all aspects and links of cultural construction, fully bringing into play the Party’s political guidance and organizational guarantee functions.

习近平创造性地提出：“党的领导是全面的、系统的、整体的，必须全面、系统、整体加以落实。”具体到思想文化领域，当然要坚持和加强党的领导，这是一层意思；另一层意思是，党对思想文化工作的领导是全面的，要体现在文化事业的全领域、文化工作的全方位、文化发展的全过程。进一步而言，在领导对象上，党领导各级文化部门和组织，包括文化行政机关、文化教育机构、新闻媒体、文化协会、文艺团体等；在领导内容上，党领导意识形态建设，管理新闻舆论宣传，抓牢精神文明建设，引领文学艺术发展，规划哲学社会科学发展，指导和组织对外文化交流，等等；在领导方式上，党中央对宣传思想文化实行集中统一领导，党在推进文化事业发展中发挥把方向、谋大局、定政策、促改革的作用，通过总揽全局、协调各方，通过推荐重要干部，通过监督检查，通过发挥党组织和党员的先锋模范作用等，把党的领导落实到文化建设的各方面各环节，充分发挥党的政治引领和组织保障作用。

The Party’s cultural leadership ultimately depends on people for its implementation; coupled with the particularity and complexity of spiritual production compared to material production, upholding the principle of the Party managing talent and the Party managing cadres is crucial for adhering to the Party’s cultural leadership. The vitality of culture lies in innovation. Only by keeping pace with the times and forging ahead with innovation can the Party lead the production of more cultural achievements that transcend time and space and possess enduring charm, and can it ensure that socialist culture with Chinese characteristics always reflects the spirit of the times and the trends of the times, thereby always maintaining the initiative and leadership in cultural work. The key to cultural innovation lies in talent. This requires the Party, based on the new requirements of the New Era, to respect the laws of cultural development and the laws of talent growth, to continuously reform and improve the mechanisms for cultivating, selecting, using, and incentivizing cultural talent, and to build a high-quality cultural talent force that is large in scale, reasonable in structure, and sharp in innovation. At the same time, building a contingent of cultural management cadres with strong political awareness, high competence, and professional expertise, and selecting and strengthening the leadership teams of propaganda, ideological, and cultural units at all levels, is another key to upholding the Party’s cultural leadership. “Once the political line is determined, cadres are the decisive factor” [n5] is equally applicable to the concrete practice of the Party leading cultural construction.

党的文化领导权最终要靠人来落实，加之精神生产相较物质生产所具有的特殊性、复杂性，坚持党管人才、党管干部，对于坚持党的文化领导权至关重要。文化的生命力在于创新。党只有坚持与时俱进、开拓创新，才能领导生产更多跨越时空、富有永恒魅力的文化成果，才能使中国特色社会主义文化始终反映时代精神、时代潮流，从而始终掌握文化工作的主动权、领导权。文化创新的关键在人才。这就要求党必须立足新时代新要求，尊重文化发展规律和人才成长规律，不断改革和完善文化人才培养、选拔、使用和激励机制，建设一支规模庞大、结构合理、锐意创新的高质量文化人才队伍。与此同时，建设一支政治强、本领高、业务精的文化管理干部队伍，选优配强各级宣传思想文化单位领导班子，是坚持党的文化领导权的另一个关键。“政治路线确定之后，干部就是决定的因素”，同样适用于党领导开展文化建设的具体实践。

Looking back at history, how to guide diverse and pluralistic ideologies and cultures, integrate social consciousness, and unite people’s hearts has been the core issue in the CPC’s exploration of upholding cultural leadership since reform and opening up. If the focus of the Party’s leadership over cultural work during the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization was to strive to uphold and consolidate the dominant position of the single element of advanced socialist culture within a pluralistically coexisting cultural pattern, then since the New Era, the Party has successfully strengthened and expanded this single-element dominance amidst rich and diverse cultural exchanges and clashes, realizing the vision of promoting the main theme and spreading positive energy. The historic achievements and historic transformations in the cultural field in the New Era are evident to all: “The Party’s innovative theories in the New Era have taken deep root in people’s hearts; the core socialist values have been widely disseminated; fine traditional Chinese culture has undergone creative transformation and innovative development; cultural undertakings are increasingly flourishing; the online ecosystem has continued to improve; and the situation in the ideological sphere has undergone an overall and fundamental transformation.” [n6] In the process of leading cultural innovation and creation in the New Era, our Party has not only powerfully demonstrated the new vitality of socialist cultural construction with Chinese characteristics but has also further upheld and consolidated its cultural leadership.

回顾历史，如何引领多元多样的思想文化、整合社会意识、凝聚人心，一直是改革开放以来中国共产党探索坚持文化领导权的核心问题。如果说改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期我们党领导文化工作的重点在于努力谋求在多元共存的文化格局中坚持和巩固社会主义先进文化的一元主导地位，那么新时代以来我们党则在丰富多彩的文化交流激荡中成功做大做强了一元主导，实现了弘扬主旋律、传播正能量的愿景。新时代文化建设领域取得的历史性成就、发生的历史性变革有目共睹：“新时代党的创新理论深入人心，社会主义核心价值观广泛传播，中华优秀传统文化得到创造性转化、创新性发展，文化事业日益繁荣，网络生态持续向好，意识形态领域形势发生全局性、根本性转变。”在领导新时代的文化创新创造的过程中，我们党既有力地展现了中国特色社会主义文化建设的新气象，又进一步坚持和巩固了文化领导权。

Conclusion

结语

A comprehensive review of the CPC’s journey of upholding cultural leadership since reform and opening up reveals a process of meeting challenges, exploring innovations, and gradually maturing—from a profound recognition of the importance of this issue and the proposal of countermeasures, to grasping leadership, initiative, and dominance in specific fields and key links, and finally to explicitly raising the issue of upholding the Party’s cultural leadership as a whole. In the early period of reform and opening up, the main task facing the Party in the field of cultural construction was to adjust past concepts and practices and explore leadership concepts and methods more in line with the laws of cultural development. The problems to be resolved were mostly closely related to history, problems arising during the transition of history. After the surge of the socialist market economy system reform and all-round opening up, the problems emerging in the ideological and cultural sphere were quite different; their historical implications greatly diminished, while their contemporary connotations increased day by day. Whether it was the issue of multiculturalism or the issue of the cultural market, almost all were entirely new, requiring further innovation in ideas and concepts. Based on the new requirements of the New Era, and fully absorbing the experiences and lessons of the Party’s leadership over cultural construction since reform and opening up, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has formed a systematic and mature theory on upholding the Party’s cultural leadership, established fundamental principles, grasped key issues, clarified priority tasks, and implemented institutional guarantees. This marks that our Party’s exploration of upholding cultural leadership has entered a new stage and reached a new realm. Of course, as society develops, new situations and new problems will continuously emerge in the ideological and cultural sphere, and the CPC’s adherence to and consolidation of cultural leadership will also need to be realized through continuous upholding of fundamental principles and breaking new ground.

综观改革开放以来中国共产党坚持文化领导权的历程，从深刻认识到这一问题的重要性并提出对策，到在具体领域、关键环节上提出掌握领导权、主动权、主导权，再到总体上明确提出坚持党的文化领导权，经历了一个迎接挑战、探索创新、逐渐成熟的过程。改革开放初期，党在文化建设领域面临的主要任务是对过去的理念和做法作出调整，探索更符合文化发展规律的领导理念和方式，要解决的多是和历史密切相关的问题，是历史转轨过程中的问题。社会主义市场经济体制改革和全方位对外开放大潮涌起后，思想文化领域出现的问题则大不一样了，其历史意蕴大大降低，时代内涵与日俱增，无论是多元文化问题，还是文化市场问题，几乎都是全新的，需要进一步创新思想理念。立足新时代新要求，在充分吸收改革开放以来党领导文化建设的经验教训的基础上，以习近平同志为核心的党中央，在坚持党的文化领导权问题上形成系统成熟的理论，确定根本原则，抓住关键问题，明确重点任务，落实制度保障，标志着我们党对坚持文化领导权的探索进入了一个新阶段，达到了一种新境界。当然，社会在发展，思想文化领域也会不断出现新情况新问题，中国共产党对文化领导权的坚持和巩固也需要在不断的守正创新中加以实现。