A Scholarly Explanation of Upholding the “Two Establishments”

“The Party’s establishment of Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and the establishment of the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reflect the common will of the entire Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups across the country, and are of decisive significance for the development of the cause of the Party and the state in the New Era and for advancing the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” This is a major historical contribution of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC. However, how to deeply understand the “Two Establishments,” how to firmly uphold the “Two Establishments,” and how to take the “Two Establishments” as the political prerequisite to strengthen the “Four Consciousnesses,”[1]1 A classical Chinese allusion, often used to emphasize the necessity of a central leading figure or core. firm up the “Four Confidences,”[2]2 A line from the poem “The Beautiful Lady Yu” by the 10th-century poet Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang kingdom, expressing nostalgia for a lost homeland. Here it is used to evoke the collapse of the Soviet Union. and achieve the “Two Upholds”[3]3 The “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. — this likely requires a thorough explanation of the underlying reasoning, philosophy, and scholarly principles.

“党确立习近平同志党中央的核心、全党的核心地位，确立习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的指导地位，反映了全党全军全国各族人民共同心愿，对新时代党和国家事业发展、对推进中华民族伟大复兴历史进程具有决定性意义。”这是党的十九届六中全会的重大历史贡献。然而，如何深入理解“两个确立”，如何坚定捍卫“两个确立”，如何以“两个确立”为政治前提，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”，做到“两个维护”，恐怕还需要深入讲清楚其中的道理、哲理、学理。

I. A Profound Understanding of the Scholarly Foundation of the “Two Establishments”

一、深刻理解“两个确立”的学理基础

The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC solemnly inscribed the “Two Establishments” into the *Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century*. This is by no means a simple political judgment, still less the product of anyone’s emotional excitement, but rather a political proposition with a profound Marxist scholarly foundation.

党的十九届六中全会把“两个确立”庄严地写入《中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议》之中，这决不是简单的作一个政治判断，更不是哪个人内心激动的产物，而是有其深厚的马克思主义学理基础的政治命题。

The “Two Establishments” are based on Marxist historical materialism. Marxist historical materialism holds that the masses of the people create history, and therefore recognizes the immense role of leaders. This is the inherent dialectics of history. On the one hand, historical materialism fully affirms that the masses of the people are the creators of history, with countless individuals, through the resultant force of their actions, driving the development of social history; on the other hand, it firmly acknowledges that each individual “contributes to the resultant force with every will” in the process of historical development, and that “in every case one encounters an obvious authority.” Lenin creatively applied the historical materialism of Marx and Engels — which recognizes, affirms, advocates, and champions authority — to the practice of the revolutionary movement, putting forward the innovative theory that “in history, no class has ever achieved dominance without putting forward its own political leaders and advanced representatives capable of organizing and leading the movement.” Clearly, from the perspective of historical materialism, the leading core is both the leader of the people and their public servant; both a revolutionary and a theoretician and politician, thus becoming the guide of social revolution.

“两个确立”以马克思主义唯物史观为基础。马克思主义唯物史观主张人民群众创造历史，因此，认为领袖作用巨大。这是历史本来的辩证法。唯物史观一方面充分肯定人民群众是历史的创造者，无数个人在合力作用下推动了社会历史发展；另一方面坚定承认每个人在历史发展过程中“每个意志都对合力有所贡献”，“不论在哪一种场合都要碰到一个显而易见的权威”。列宁把马克思恩格斯承认、肯定、主张、倡导权威的唯物史观，创造性运用于革命运动实践，提出了“在历史上，任何一个阶级，如果不推举出自己的善于组织运动和领导运动的政治领袖和先进代表，就不可能取得统治地位”的创新理论。显然，在唯物史观视野中，领导核心既是人民的领导者，又是人民的公仆；既是革命家，又是理论家、政治家，从而成为社会革命的领路人。

The “Two Establishments” are based on Marxist party-building theory. Marxist historical materialism has been applied and developed in the great practice of Party building, where leaders and authorities, as the leading core, are regarded as the absolute force for ensuring and realizing the political advantages of the proletariat. Marx pointed out that “every social epoch needs its great men, and if it does not find them, it creates them,” thereby fundamentally revealing the objective truth that “revolutionary activity can only exert its full strength under centralized conditions.” Lenin went further, stating clearly: “To train a group of experienced and highly authoritative Party leaders is a long and difficult task. But without this, the dictatorship of the proletariat and the ‘unity of will’ of the proletariat can only be empty words.” Clearly, from the perspective of Marxist party-building theory, establishing the Party’s leading core and upholding the political authority of the leader is a logical historical necessity.

“两个确立”以马克思主义建党学说为基础。马克思唯物史观在党的建设的伟大实践中得到运用和发展，领袖、权威作为领导核心被视为确保组织和发挥无产阶级政治优势的绝对力量。马克思指出，“每一个社会时代都需要有自己的大人物，如果没有这样的人物，它就要把他们创造出来”，从而从根本上揭示了“革命活动只有在集中的条件下才能发挥全部力量”的客观真理。列宁则更进一步地明确：“造就一批有经验、有极高威望的党的领袖是一件长期的艰难的事情。但是做不到这一点，无产阶级专政、无产阶级的‘意志统一’就只能是一句空话。”显然，在马克思主义建党学说视野中，确立党的领导核心、维护领袖政治权威是一种历史必然的逻辑。

The “Two Establishments” are based on Sinicized Marxism. The Communist Party of China has combined the Marxist historical materialist and party-building theories with China’s concrete realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture, maintaining a very clear understanding of the special and important position of the Party’s political authority and political leaders throughout the over 100 years of revolution, construction, and reform. Mao Zedong pointed out: “All Party comrades must unite around the Central Committee; any act that undermines unity is a crime.” “It is very important to implement unified leadership; a leading core must be established.” Deng Xiaoping said: “Any leading collective must have a core; a leadership without a core is unreliable.” “What is most crucial is to have a united leading core. If we can maintain this for fifty or sixty years, socialist China will be invincible.”

“两个确立”以中国化马克思主义为基础。中国共产党把马克思主义唯物史观、建党学说同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，对党的政治权威、政治领袖在革命、建设、改革100多年历史中的特殊重要地位有着非常清醒的认识。毛泽东指出：“全党同志必须团结在中央的周围，任何破坏团结的行为都是罪恶。”“实行一元化的领导很重要，要建立领导核心。”邓小平说过：“任何一个领导集体都要有一个核心，没有核心的领导是靠不住的。”“最关紧要的是有一个团结的领导核心。这样保持五十年，六十年，社会主义中国将是不可战胜的”。

As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has particularly emphasized that “upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership is an important experience from China’s revolution, construction, and reform, and is a major principle of Party building for a mature Marxist ruling party.” “Ensuring the Party’s unity and centralized, unified leadership is the lifeblood of the Party, and also the key to our Party becoming a century-old major Party and creating century-spanning achievements.” He has regarded effectively strengthening the “Four Consciousnesses,” firming up the “Four Confidences,” and achieving the “Two Upholds” as “the most important matters of the state.”[4]

中国特色社会主义进入新时代，习近平总书记特别强调“维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，是我国革命、建设、改革的重要经验，是一个成熟的马克思主义执政党的重大建党原则”。“保证党的团结和集中统一是党的生命，也是我们党能成为百年大党、创造世纪伟业的关键所在”，并把切实增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”视为“国之大者”。

From Marxist historical materialism to Marxist party-building theory, and then to the consistent propositions of Sinicized Marxism, we can discover that upholding the “Two Establishments” is an inherent requirement of Marxism, and is by no means any kind of personality cult, still less any kind of personal superstition.

从马克思主义唯物史观到马克思主义建党学说，再到中国化马克思主义的一贯主张我们可以发现，捍卫“两个确立”，是马克思主义题中应有之义，并不是什么个人崇拜，更不是什么个人迷信。

II. A Profound Understanding of the Urgency of the Times for the “Two Establishments”

二、深刻理解“两个确立”的时代紧迫

The “Two Establishments” not only possess a profound scholarly foundation but are also a major concern for national development, social progress, and the well-being of the people in the New Era.

“两个确立”不仅具有深厚的学理基础，而且更是新时代国家发展、社会进步、人民幸福的重大关切。

Coordinating the overall strategic plan for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the changes unseen in a century in the world urgently requires the “Two Establishments.” Currently, century-old changes and a once-in-a-century pandemic are intertwined, and the world is in a period of turbulence and transformation. How to fulfill the inheritance of historical missions, grasp the themes of the times, and persist in the pursuit of great rejuvenation amidst the currents and trends of the “two overall situations”[5] has become a major issue of global concern. The emergence of the “Two Establishments” in this era is a direct response to changes in the world, changes in the times, and changes in history, revealing the logical inevitability that the “Two Establishments” will guide the cause of the Party and the state to advance to higher peaks of China’s development and toward a more civilized direction for human society. At this new historical starting point, the cause of the Party and the people requires a “stabilizing force,”[6] and the cause of human progress requires a vanguard of the times. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continuously strengthened its

统筹中华民族伟大复兴战略全局与世界百年未有之大变局急需“两个确立”。当前，百年变局和世纪疫情交织，世界处以动荡变革期，如何在“两个大局”的潮流大势中完成对历史使命的承接、对时代主题的把握，对伟大复兴的执著，已经成为世所瞩目的重大问题。“两个确立”的时代出场，是对世界之变、时代之变、历史之变的正面回应，昭示了“两个确立”必将指引党和国家事业向中国发展更高巅峰进发、向人类社会更文明方向前进的逻辑必然性。在新的历史起点上，党和人民的事业需要“定海神针”、人类进步事业需要时代先锋。以习近平同志为核心的党中央持续强化自身建设、坚持发挥旗帜引领作用，在应对风险挑战、敢于担当作为、广泛凝聚共识中充分验证了坚强的领导核心和科学的理论指导是能够回应时代呼唤的。

Coordinating the great struggle, the great project, the great cause, and the great dream urgently requires the “Two Establishments.” An ideal becomes an ideal because of its loftiness; national rejuvenation is great because of its arduousness and extremeness. Our Party solemnly and seriously adds the word “great” before “struggle,” “project,” “cause,” and “dream,” which both indicates the loftiness of the ideal and signifies its arduousness and extremeness. In other words, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation can by no means be achieved with beating gongs and drums; it is bound to confront major challenges, major risks, major resistance, and major contradictions. Therefore, we must always maintain major strategic resolve amid ever-increasing uncertainty. As the saying goes, “Among myriad towering mountains, there is always a main peak.” [1]1 A classical Chinese allusion, often used to emphasize the necessity of a central leading figure or core. The “Two Establishments” provide escort for the overall coordination of the great struggle, the great project, the great cause, and the great dream, thereby unleashing the epochal power of upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership.

统筹伟大斗争、伟大工程、伟大事业、伟大梦想急需“两个确立”。理想因其远大，而成为理想，民族复兴，因其艰苦卓绝而伟大。我们党所以在“斗争”“工程”“事业”“梦想”之前都庄重而严肃地加上“伟大”二字，既表明理想远大，更意味艰苦卓绝。换言之，中华民族伟大复兴决不是敲锣打鼓就能实现的，必然要应对重大挑战、重大风险、重大阻力、重大矛盾。因此，必须在不断增加的不确定性中始终坚持重大战略定力。正所谓“万山磅礴有主峰”，“两个确立”为统揽伟大斗争、伟大工程、伟大事业、伟大梦想保驾护航，进而激发出维护党中央权威和集中统一领导的时代伟力。

Coordinating the great self-revolution and the great social revolution urgently requires the “Two Establishments.” “To build socialism with Chinese characteristics well and successfully, we need a very long historical period. In this long historical process, ensuring that the Chinese Communist Party does not collapse and that the Chinese socialist system does not fall is an extremely difficult and enormous risk and challenge.” We must deeply recognize that the tests of governance, reform and opening up, the market economy, and the external environment facing the Party will persist over the long term, and the dangers of mental slackness, insufficient capability, detachment from the masses, and passive corruption will persist over the long term.

统筹伟大自我革命和社会革命急需“两个确立”。“我们要把中国特色社会主义建设好、建设成，需要一个很长的历史时期。在这个漫长历史进程中，确保中国共产党不垮、中国社会主义制度不倒，是一个极难极大的风险挑战。”我们必须深刻地认识到，党面临的执政考验、改革开放考验、市场经济考验、外部环境考验将长期存在，精神懈怠危险、能力不足危险、脱离群众危险、消极腐败危险将长期存在。

There was a time when the Soviet Communist Party was immensely powerful and the Soviet Union was immensely powerful, but now it is already “the former country, unbearable to look back on in the moonlight.” [2]2 A line from the poem “The Beautiful Lady Yu” by the 10th-century poet Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang kingdom, expressing nostalgia for a lost homeland. Here it is used to evoke the collapse of the Soviet Union. Therefore, we must dare to carry out a great self-revolution and use the great self-revolution to promote and lead the great social revolution. From self-revolution to social revolution, using self-revolution to promote and lead social revolution—if we do not firmly uphold the “Two Establishments,” it is probably unimaginable.

曾几何时，苏共何其强大、苏联何其强大，现在早已“故国不堪回首月明中”了。因此，我们必须敢于进行伟大自我革命，并用伟大自我革命推动和引领伟大社会革命。从自我革命到社会革命，用自我革命推动和引领社会革命，如果我们不坚定地捍卫“两个确立”，恐怕是难以想象的。

III. Deeply Grasping the Practical Choice of the “Two Establishments”

三、深刻把握“两个确立”的实践选择

How to uphold the “Two Establishments,” how to test whether the “Two Establishments” are upheld, and how to realize the organic unity of internalizing the “Two Establishments” in the heart and externalizing them in action—these are major political issues that must be resolved at present.

如何捍卫“两个确立”，如何检验是否捍卫“两个确立”，如何让“两个确立”实现内化于心与外化于行的有机统一，这是当前必须解决好的重大政治问题。

Resolute identification in thought. Identification in thought is the foundation and prerequisite for supporting and implementing the “Two Establishments.” It requires us to always align ourselves with General Secretary Xi Jinping, to thoroughly study and understand Xi Jinping Thought

在思想上坚决认同。思想上的认同，是拥护和贯彻“两个确立”的基础和前提，需要我们始终向习近平总书记看齐、学懂弄通习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，在科学认知“两个确立”的本质内涵、准确把握“两个确立”的历史定位、正确理解“两个确立”的时代价值基础上，从思想上认同习近平总书记作为坚强的领导核心，能够带领全党全军全国各族人民解决好新时代中国特色社会主义发展的根本问题，认同习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的科学性、人民性、时代性、实践性，从而做到对“两个确立”在思想上的坚决拥护。

Resolute endorsement emotionally. Emotional endorsement is a complex process through which the “Two Establishments” are transformed from cognition into loyal faith. We should, from the perspective of a grand view of history, deeply perceive that the “Two Establishments” are a distinctive feature and significant advantage of a Marxist political party in strengthening its political construction, clarifying their great significance for continuing the century-long struggle, writing a new historical chapter for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and continuously opening up new horizons for adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, thereby appreciating General Secretary Xi Jinping’s strong sense of mission and responsibility; from the temporal perspective combining the great era and the small era, within the temporal context of coordinating the “two overall situations” [3]3 The “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., deeply recognize that the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, in the process of continuous theoretical and practical innovation, adheres through concrete actions to the “childlike heart” of “the country is the people, and the people are the country,” the “family-country sentiment” of leading national development and social progress, and the “world sentiment” of seeking common good for the world, thereby remaining emotionally always closely tied and connected with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.

在情感上坚决拥戴。情感上拥戴是实现“两个确立”从认知转化为忠诚信仰的复杂的过程。我们应当从大历史观视野，深刻感知“两个确立”是马克思主义政党在加强党的政治建设方面的鲜明特征和显著优势，明晰其对于接续百年奋斗征程、谱写中华民族伟大复兴新的历史篇章、不断开辟马克思主义中国化时代化新境界的重大意义，进而体会习近平总书记的强烈使命担当；从大时代和小时代相结合的时代视野，在统筹“两个大局”的时代场景中，深刻认识以习近平同志为核心的党中央在不断地理论创新与实践创新的过程中，以实际行动恪守“江山就是人民，人民就是江山”的“赤子情怀”、引领国家发展和社会进步的“家国情怀”，以及为世界谋大同的“天下情怀”，进而在情感上始终与以习近平同志为核心的党中央紧紧贴在一起、连在一起。

Resolute maintenance politically. Political maintenance is an important marker of political judgment, political comprehension, and political execution, thereby upholding the “Two Establishments.” This requires effort in systematic, comprehensive, and scientific aspects, so that the Party’s leadership system can be continuously improved, and the support for and implementation of the “Two Establishments” can be genuinely and effectively practiced at the levels of institutions, principles, and procedures. The political ecosystem is an important political field related to whether the “Two Establishments” can be better implemented. The entire Party must enhance political resolve, cultivate the political ecosystem by innovating models of political life and leveraging the subtle influence of political culture, and truly make supporting the “Two Establishments” and achieving the “Two Upholds” the highest political principle and fundamental political rule.

在政治上坚决维护。政治上维护是政治判断力、政治领悟力、政治执行力，从而捍卫“两个确立”的重要标识。这就需要在系统、全面、科学等方面下功夫，使党的领导制度体系能够不断得到完善，使拥护和贯彻“两个确立”能够在制度、原则、程序层面得到真实且有效的践行。政治生态是关系着能否更好地贯彻“两个确立”的重要政治场域。全党必须增强政治定力，通过创新政治生活模式、发挥政治文化潜移默化作用，以此涵养政治生态，真正使拥护“两个确立”、做到“两个维护”成为最高政治原则和根本政治规矩。

Resolute obedience organizationally. Organizational obedience is a transformed form of continuously strengthening the “Four Consciousnesses,” consolidating the “Four Confidences,” and achieving the “Two Upholds.” This requires always maintaining a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in political stance, political direction, political principles, and political path, being able to consciously and actively uphold the core, defend the core, and be loyal to the core, implementing the important principle of “upholding the Party’s centralized and unified leadership, maintaining the authority of the Party Central Committee, and ensuring the Party always oversees the overall situation and coordinates all parties,” so that the “magnet” role of the “Two Establishments” can be exerted, gathering the mighty force of unity of purpose for forging ahead in the New Era and embarking on a new journey, thereby transforming the “Two Establishments” into loyal faith in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, firm conviction in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and strong confidence in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

在组织上坚决服从。组织上服从是不断增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”的转化形态。这就要求在政治立场、政治方向、政治原则、政治道路上始终同以习近平同志为核心的党中央保持高度一致，能够自觉且主动地维护核心、捍卫核心、忠诚核心，将“坚持党的集中统一领导，维护党中央权威，确保党始终总揽全局、协调各方”的重要原则落到实处，使“两个确立”的“磁石”作用得以发挥，为奋进新时代、开启新征程汇聚起同心同德的磅礴伟力，进而将“两个确立”转化为对习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的忠诚信仰、对中国特色社会主义的坚定信念、对中华民族伟大复兴的坚强信心。

Resolute follow-through in action. Consciousness in action can transform the “Two Establishments” from the abstract into the concrete. The essence of strengthening action consciousness lies in truly following the scientific guidance of the “Two Establishments,” insisting on consistency between inner thought and outer action, integrating knowledge and practice, transforming the “Two Establishments” into daily words and deeds, aligning with the Party’s ideals and beliefs and comparing with the Party’s specific work in personal practice, thinking about problems and handling affairs from the perspective of the Party and the state’s overall situation, and unswervingly looking to the Party Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping for guidance. This requires comprehensively implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, consciously taking it as a scientific worldview and methodology to arm the mind, guide practice, and promote work, and becoming a loyal practitioner of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

在行动上坚决紧跟。行动上的自觉能够将“两个确立”由抽象转化为具体。强化行动自觉的奥义在于必须真正地遵循“两个确立”的科学引领，坚持表里如一、知行合一，把“两个确立”转化到日常言行上，在身体力行中同党的理想信念同心同向、同党具体工作对标对表，站在党和国家的大局上想问题、办事情，坚定不移向党中央看齐、向习近平总书记看齐。这就需要全面贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，自觉将其作为用以武装头脑、指导实践、推动工作的科学世界观和方法论，成为习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的忠实践行者。

In summary, the scholarly foundation of the “Two Establishments” is scientific and profound, and the practical need for the “Two Establishments” is significant and urgent. We must, from the broad perspective of the history of the Communist Party of China, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, the history of socialist development, and the history of the development of the Chinese nation, deeply understand the “Two Establishments,” firmly uphold the “Two Establishments,” and resolutely achieve the “Two Upholds,” striving tirelessly to build our country into a great modern socialist country and realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

总之，“两个确立”学理基础科学深厚，“两个确立”现实需要重大而紧迫。我们必须从中国共产党史、新中国史、改革开放史、社会主义发展史、中华民族发展史大视野，深刻理解“两个确立”、坚定捍卫“两个确立”，坚决做到“两个维护”，为把我国建设成为社会主义现代化强国、实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦而不懈奋斗。

(Author’s bio: Distinguished Professor of the “Changjiang Scholars” Program of the Ministry of Education, Professor at the School of Marxism, Northeastern University)

（作者简介：教育部“长江学者”特聘教授，东北大学马克思主义学院教授）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心