Deeply Understanding the Theoretical Character of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is the theoretical summation of the Party's practical experience in leading cultural construction in the New Era, and is the enrichment and development of Marxist cultural theory. The formation and development of this important thought embodies General Secretary Xi Jinping's profound insight into China's cultural construction, his deep contemplation on doing a good job of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work in the New Era, and displays the unique brilliant theoretical character of Marxist scientific theory. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era and to build a culturally strong country, the most fundamental thing is to adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as the guide for action, especially to deeply understand and grasp the theoretical character of this important thought, to uphold and apply well the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods that run through it, and to fully demonstrate the practical power of scientific theory.

习近平文化思想是新时代党领导文化建设实践经验的理论总结，是马克思主义文化理论的丰富和发展。这一重要思想的形成和发展，体现了习近平总书记对我国文化建设的深刻洞察、对做好新时代宣传思想文化工作的深邃思考，展现出马克思主义科学理论独有的光辉理论品格。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化、建设文化强国，最根本的是坚持以习近平文化思想为行动指南，特别是深入理解和把握这一重要思想的理论品格，坚持好、运用好贯穿其中的立场观点方法，充分彰显科学理论的实践伟力。

Upholding the Unity of Maintaining Integrity and Innovation

坚持守正与创新相统一

Maintaining integrity and innovating is the distinctive atmosphere of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the New Era, and is also a prominent marker of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. For propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, maintaining integrity ensures that one does not lose oneself or lose direction, while innovating enables one to grasp the times and lead the times. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture takes a firm stand and is clear-cut on major issues concerning what banner to raise and what path to take in China's cultural construction, what to take as the guide, the origin, and the root, firmly upholding the integrity of Marxism and the integrity of fine traditional Chinese culture, and upholding the integrity of the valuable experience accumulated by our Party through long-term leadership of cultural construction. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, "We must hold high the banner of Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics," "We must take the systematic mastery of the basic theories of Marxism as our fundamental skill," "Firmly adhere to the principle of Party spirit, firmly adhere to the Marxist view of journalism," and "Adhere to the fundamental system of Marxism's guiding position in the ideological domain." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, "Fine traditional Chinese culture is our deepest cultural soft power, and it is also the cultural soil in which socialism with Chinese characteristics is rooted," and we must "strengthen cultural confidence," "elevate the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, and protect, promote, and develop well the treasures of Chinese civilization left behind through the vicissitudes of history." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, "In long-term practice, our Party's propaganda and ideological work has accumulated very rich experience. This experience is hard-won and precious, and is an important guide for doing future work well; it must be carefully summarized and adhered to over the long term."

守正创新，是新时代中国特色社会主义事业的鲜明气象，也是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的显著标识。对宣传思想文化工作来说，守正才能不迷失自我、不迷失方向，创新才能把握时代、引领时代。习近平文化思想在事关我国文化建设举什么旗、走什么路，以什么为指导、为本源、为根脉等重大问题上立场坚定、旗帜鲜明，牢牢坚守马克思主义之正、中华优秀传统文化之正，坚守我们党长期领导文化建设积累的宝贵经验之正。习近平总书记指出，“要高举马克思主义、中国特色社会主义的旗帜”，“要把系统掌握马克思主义基本理论作为看家本领”，“牢牢坚持党性原则，牢牢坚持马克思主义新闻观”，“坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度”。习近平总书记强调，“中华优秀传统文化是我们最深厚的文化软实力，也是中国特色社会主义植根的文化沃土”，要“坚定文化自信”，“高扬中华民族的文化主体性，把历经沧桑留下的中华文明瑰宝呵护好、弘扬好、发展好”。习近平总书记强调，“在长期实践中，我们党的宣传思想工作积累了十分丰富的经验。这些经验来之不易、弥足珍贵，是做好今后工作的重要遵循，一定要认真总结、长期坚持”。

Facing new changes in the world, the nation, and the Party, as well as new situations and new tasks in cultural construction, General Secretary Xi Jinping conforms to the general trend of historical development, grasps the pulse of the times' progress, and keeps pace with the times by proposing a series of new ideas, new viewpoints, and new judgments. General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed and elaborated the Two Integrations, expanding the development path of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, placing prominent emphasis on promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, stressing that "we must strengthen the excavation and elucidation of fine traditional Chinese culture, so that the most basic cultural genes of the Chinese nation adapt to contemporary Chinese culture and coordinate with modern society," and "we must use the spirit of the times to activate the vitality of fine traditional Chinese culture." On the new journey of the New Era, the environmental conditions faced by propaganda, ideology, and cultural work have undergone major and profound changes, especially the rapid development of the internet bringing many new opportunities and new challenges. General Secretary Xi Jinping has scientifically answered a series of major theoretical and practical questions concerning the development of internet and information technology, covering multiple aspects such as strengthening Party leadership, building a strong cyber country, winning the struggle in online ideology, safeguarding national cybersecurity, and building a community with a shared future in cyberspace, raising the Party's understanding of the laws governing internet and information work to a new height. General Secretary Xi Jinping has also, from an overall and strategic perspective, made systematic plans and deployments for innovation in the concepts, means, and grassroots work of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, providing scientific guidance for doing a good job of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work on the new journey of the New Era.

面对世情国情党情的新变化和文化建设的新形势新任务，习近平总书记顺应历史发展大势、把握时代进步脉搏，与时俱进地提出一系列新思想新观点新论断。习近平总书记创造性提出并阐述“两个结合”，拓展了中国特色社会主义文化发展道路，把推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展摆在突出位置，强调“要加强对中华优秀传统文化的挖掘和阐发，使中华民族最基本的文化基因同当代中国文化相适应、同现代社会相协调”，“要以时代精神激活中华优秀传统文化的生命力”。新时代新征程，宣传思想文化工作面临的环境条件发生重大而深刻的变化，特别是互联网的快速发展带来许多新机遇新挑战。习近平总书记科学回答了网信事业发展的一系列重大理论和实践问题，涵盖加强党的领导、网络强国建设、打赢网络意识形态斗争、维护国家网络安全、构建网络空间命运共同体等多个方面，把党对网信工作的规律性认识提升到全新高度。习近平总书记还从全局和战略高度出发，就宣传思想文化工作理念创新、手段创新、基层工作创新作出系统谋划和部署，为做好新时代新征程宣传思想文化工作提供了科学指引。

Maintaining integrity and innovating complement each other, embodying the dialectical unity of change and constancy, inheritance and development, and principle and creativity. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era and to build a culturally strong country, we must both keep the "soul" secure and the "root" preserved, adhere to the correct political direction, and also maintain a strong spirit of innovation, dare to speak new words and adopt new measures, and strive to open up new prospects in work through new leaps in ideological understanding and new breakthroughs in measures and methods.

守正和创新相辅相成，体现了变与不变、继承与发展、原则性与创造性的辩证统一。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化、建设文化强国，既要把“魂”守住、把“根”留住，坚持正确的政治方向，又要保持强烈的创新精神，敢于讲新话、出新招，努力以思想认识的新飞跃、措施办法的新突破打开工作新局面。

Upholding the Unity of Party Spirit and People's Character

坚持党性与人民性相统一

Propaganda, ideology, and cultural work is an important part of the Party's cause, and emphasizing Party spirit is an inevitable requirement for doing propaganda work well. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, "The principle of Party spirit must not only be discussed, but must be discussed with confidence; we cannot be evasive or hesitant," and "All work of the Party's news and public opinion media must reflect the Party's will, reflect the Party's propositions, uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee, uphold Party unity, and achieve love for the Party, protection of the Party, and service for the Party." The Party's management of propaganda, the Party's management of ideology, and the Party's management of media are important aspects of upholding Party leadership. It is necessary to "strengthen the Party's overall leadership over propaganda and ideological work," and "the leadership, management, and discourse power of ideological work must be firmly held in our hands, and must never be relinquished at any time." These important expositions profoundly clarify the extreme importance of strengthening the Party's overall leadership over propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, and define the fundamental political guarantee for doing a good job of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work.

宣传思想文化工作是党的事业的重要组成部分，讲党性是做好宣传工作的必然要求。习近平总书记指出，“党性原则不仅要讲，而且要理直气壮讲，不能躲躲闪闪、扭扭捏捏”，“党的新闻舆论媒体的所有工作，都要体现党的意志、反映党的主张，维护党中央权威、维护党的团结，做到爱党、护党、为党”。党管宣传、党管意识形态、党管媒体是坚持党的领导的重要方面，要“加强党对宣传思想工作的全面领导”，“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”。这些重要论述，深刻阐明了加强党对宣传思想文化工作全面领导的极端重要性，明确了做好宣传思想文化工作的根本政治保证。

Whether it is theoretical innovation and development, literary and artistic creation and production, the creation of cultural-ethical progress, or news and public opinion guidance, the development of internet and information technology, or philosophical and social science research, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes the need to "uphold the principal position of the people," "establish a people-centered work orientation," and "always adhere to cultural construction focusing on people and landing on people." News and public opinion work must "increase propaganda and reporting on the great struggles and fiery lives of the people, increase propaganda and reporting on the advanced models and touching deeds emerging from the people, enrich the people's spiritual world, strengthen the people's spiritual strength, and meet the people's spiritual needs." Literary and artistic work must "take the people as the main body of literary and artistic expression, take the people as the connoisseurs and judges of literary and artistic aesthetics, and take serving the people as the bounden duty of literary and art workers," and "create and produce excellent works that the people love to see, so that the people's spiritual and cultural life continuously reaches new levels." Public cultural services must promote "standardization and equalization," improve "coverage and applicability," "innovatively implement cultural projects benefiting the people," and "enhance the people's sense of cultural gain and happiness." The internet and information technology industry must "accelerate the popularization of information services, reduce application costs, and provide information services that the common people can use, can afford, and find useful." The vast number of philosophical and social science workers in our country "must adhere to the viewpoint that the people are the creators of history, establish the ideal of doing scholarship for the people, respect the principal position of the people, focus on the practical creations of the people, consciously link personal academic pursuits with the development of the country and the nation, and strive to produce more research results that can withstand the test of practice, the people, and history."

无论是理论创新发展、文艺创作生产、精神文明创建，还是新闻舆论引导、网信事业发展、哲学社会科学研究等各方面工作，习近平总书记都强调要“坚持人民主体地位”，“树立以人民为中心的工作导向”，“始终坚持文化建设着眼于人、落脚于人”。新闻舆论工作要“多宣传报道人民群众的伟大奋斗和火热生活，多宣传报道人民群众中涌现出来的先进典型和感人事迹，丰富人民精神世界，增强人民精神力量，满足人民精神需求”。文艺工作要“把人民作为文艺表现的主体，把人民作为文艺审美的鉴赏家和评判者，把为人民服务作为文艺工作者的天职”，“创作生产出人民喜闻乐见的优秀作品，让人民精神文化生活不断迈上新台阶”。公共文化服务要推动“标准化、均等化”、提高“覆盖面和适用性”，“创新实施文化惠民工程”，“增强人民群众文化获得感、幸福感”。网信事业要“加快信息化服务普及，降低应用成本，为老百姓提供用得上、用得起、用得好的信息服务”。我国广大哲学社会科学工作者“要坚持人民是历史创造者的观点，树立为人民做学问的理想，尊重人民主体地位，聚焦人民实践创造，自觉把个人学术追求同国家和民族发展紧紧联系在一起，努力多出经得起实践、人民、历史检验的研究成果”。

In our country, Party spirit and people's character have always been consistent and unified; there is no Party spirit divorced from people's character, nor is there any people's character divorced from Party spirit. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era and to build a culturally strong country, we must firmly adhere to the principle of Party spirit and the people's standpoint without wavering, combine responsibility to the Party with responsibility to the people, combine serving the masses with educating and guiding the masses, combine meeting the needs of the masses with improving their qualities, and better transform the Party's theories, lines, principles, and policies into the conscious actions of the people.

在我国，党性和人民性从来都是一致的、统一的，没有脱离人民性的党性，也没有脱离党性的人民性。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化、建设文化强国，要牢牢坚持党性原则和人民立场不动摇，把对党负责和对人民负责结合起来，把服务群众同教育引导群众结合起来，把满足群众需求同提高群众素养结合起来，更好把党的理论和路线方针政策变成人民群众的自觉行动。

Upholding the Unity of Systematization and Openness

坚持系统性与开放性相统一

Entering the New Era, the strategic overall plan for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world are intertwined and surging. Faced with the arduous and heavy tasks of reform, development, and maintaining stability; faced with the people’s growing spiritual and cultural needs; faced with the complex situation in the ideological sphere and the rapidly developing wave of informatization, how propaganda, ideology, and cultural work can center on the core tasks and serve the overall situation, how to leverage its strengths and demonstrate its effectiveness, and provide a strong ideological guarantee, a powerful spiritual force, and favorable cultural conditions for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation—these are the “questions of the era” to which we must provide systematic answers. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture, with a series of new ideas and viewpoints, profoundly answers the major questions of ideological and cultural construction and cultural prosperity and development in the New Era, composing a new chapter in Marxist cultural theory. Its content covers basic issues such as the guiding ideology, fundamental principles, basic experience, mission and tasks, practical requirements, and guarantee conditions for cultural construction in the New Era; it covers all aspects including ideological and theoretical construction, news and public opinion work, literary, artistic, and publishing work, cybersecurity and informatization work, cultural inheritance and development, ideological and moral construction, the creation of cultural-ethical progress, and ideological and political work in universities and colleges. It includes both general principles and guidelines, as well as work requirements for specific fields; it has both a roadmap and a task book; it integrates internal and external propaganda, coordinates online and offline work, balances theory and public opinion, and harmonizes development and management, forming a systematic, interconnected, and organically unified scientific ideological system.

进入新时代，中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局交织激荡。面对艰巨繁重的改革发展稳定任务，面对人民日益增长的精神文化需求，面对意识形态领域的复杂形势和迅猛发展的信息化浪潮，宣传思想文化工作如何围绕中心、服务大局，如何发挥优势、展现作为，为强国建设、民族复兴提供坚强思想保证、强大精神力量、有利文化条件，是我们必须作出系统回答的“时代之问”。习近平文化思想以一系列新的思想观点，深刻回答了新时代思想文化建设和文化繁荣发展的重大问题，谱写了马克思主义文化理论的新篇章。其内容涵盖新时代文化建设的指导思想、根本原则、基本经验、使命任务、实践要求、保障条件等基本问题，涵盖思想理论建设、新闻舆论工作、文艺出版工作、网络安全和信息化工作、文化传承发展、思想道德建设、精神文明创建、高校思想政治工作等各个方面。既有总的方针原则，又有分领域的工作要求，既有路线图，又有任务书，内宣外宣相贯通、网上网下相统筹，理论舆论相兼顾、发展管理相协调，构成了一个系统完备、相互联系、有机统一的科学思想体系。

As practical exploration does not end, theoretical development will not end either. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture is a continuously unfolding, open-ended ideological system. On the new journey of the New Era, how propaganda, ideology, and cultural work can focus on advancing Chinese-path modernization as the greatest politics, how to closely center on economic construction as the central task and high-quality development as the primary task, better unify thinking and consolidate strength, continuously deepen theoretical arming, improve the capacity for public opinion guidance, improve and innovate the construction of cultural-ethical progress, continuously promote cultural prosperity, enhance the effectiveness of international communication, and prevent and defuse ideological risks—these require new practices and new answers, thereby forming new theoretical achievements. Naturally, Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture will also be continuously enriched and developed with the progress of the times and the deepening of practice.

实践的探索不终结，理论的发展就不会终结。习近平文化思想是一个不断展开的、开放式的思想体系。在新时代新征程上，宣传思想文化工作如何着眼于推进中国式现代化这个最大的政治，如何紧紧围绕经济建设这一中心工作和高质量发展这一首要任务，更好地统一思想、凝聚力量，不断深化理论武装、提高舆论引导能力、改进创新精神文明建设，不断促进文化繁荣、增强国际传播效能、防范化解意识形态风险，需要付诸新的实践、作出新的回答，进而形成新的理论成果，习近平文化思想自然也将随着时代的发展和实践的深入而不断丰富发展。

Being both systematic and complete, and open to development, is a universal characteristic of scientific theory. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era and build a culturally strong country, on the one hand, we must strengthen systematic thinking and pay attention to grasping the scientific system and internal logic of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture as a whole; on the other hand, we must adhere to the viewpoint of connection and development, strive to base ourselves on new practices in propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, continuously summarize new experiences, make new generalizations, and form new understandings, and better apply truth, test truth, and develop truth in practice.

既系统完整，又开放发展，是科学理论的普遍特征。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化、建设文化强国，一方面要强化系统思维，注意从整体上把握习近平文化思想的科学体系和内在逻辑；另一方面要坚持联系的观点、发展的观点，努力立足宣传思想文化工作新的实践，不断总结新经验、作出新概括、形成新认识，更好地在实践中运用真理、检验真理、发展真理。

Adhering to the Unity of Epistemology and Methodology

坚持认识论与方法论相统一

Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture embodies General Secretary Xi Jinping’s scientific judgment and strategic thinking on the status, role, situation, and tasks of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work. These understandings of laws derived from practice profoundly answer a series of major theoretical questions concerning the overall situation of the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, marking that our Party’s original contributions to Marxist cultural theory have reached a new height. Regarding the status and role of culture, proceeding from the essential characteristics of socialism and the fundamental requirements of Chinese-path modernization, and standing at the philosophical height of the relationship between the economic base and the superstructure, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made scientific judgments such as: “Material poverty is not socialism, nor is spiritual impoverishment,” “Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of material civilization and cultural-ethical progress in coordination,” and “Without the inheritance and development of civilization, without the promotion and flourishing of culture, there will be no realization of the Chinese Dream.” When discussing the relationship between literature and art and the people, he emphasized that “the people need literature and art,” “literature and art need the people,” and “literature and art must love the people,” clearly and thoroughly explaining the essence of socialist literature and art. Regarding the importance of the internet, he emphasized that “if you cannot pass the test of the internet, you cannot pass the test of long-term governance,” and “to a certain extent, it can be said that those who win the internet win the world,” raising the understanding of the importance of online public opinion and the development of cybersecurity and informatization to an unprecedented height. These important expositions are thorough in reasoning, profound and incisive, and have important guiding significance for scientifically understanding culture, grasping the situation, and enhancing the pertinence, effectiveness, sense of responsibility, and sense of mission in doing a good job.

习近平文化思想体现了习近平总书记对宣传思想文化工作地位作用、形势任务的科学判断和战略思考。这些源于实践的规律性认识，深刻回答了事关中国特色社会主义文化建设全局的一系列重大理论问题，标志着我们党对马克思主义文化理论的原创性贡献达到新的高度。关于文化的地位作用，习近平总书记从社会主义本质特征和中国式现代化根本要求出发，站在经济基础和上层建筑关系的哲学高度，作出“物质贫困不是社会主义，精神贫乏也不是社会主义”“中国式现代化是物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化”“没有文明的继承和发展，没有文化的弘扬和繁荣，就没有中国梦的实现”的科学论断。在论述文艺和人民的关系时，强调“人民需要文艺”“文艺需要人民”“文艺要热爱人民”，把社会主义文艺的本质讲得清晰透彻。关于互联网的重要性，强调“过不了互联网这一关，就过不了长期执政这一关”，“一定程度上可以说，得网络者得天下”，把对网络舆论、网信事业发展重要性的认识提到了一个前所未有的高度。这些重要论述，说理透彻、深刻精辟，对于科学认识文化、把握形势，增强做好工作的针对性实效性和责任感使命感，具有重要指导意义。

Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture not only profoundly clarifies “how to view” the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, but also clearly proposes “how to do” propaganda, ideology, and cultural work in the New Era in response to practical problems, providing a “golden key” to solving practical problems. Regarding how to do a good job in news and public opinion work, it emphasizes the “four persistent adherences” [2]2 The “four persistent adherences” (四个牢牢坚持) refer to adhering to the correct political direction, adhering to the people-centered work orientation, adhering to the correct orientation of public opinion, and adhering to the correct news-making orientation.; regarding how to construct philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, it emphasizes reflecting the “six characteristics” [3]3 The “six characteristics” (六性) refer to inheritance, innovation, nationality, openness, systematicness, and practicality.; regarding how to do a good job in cybersecurity and informatization work, it emphasizes properly grasping the dialectical relationships in four aspects: security and development, freedom and order, openness and autonomy, and management and service; regarding how to promote the reform and innovation of ideological and political theory courses, it proposes achieving the “eight unifications” [4]4 The “eight unifications” (八个相统一) refer to eight pairs of dialectical relationships to be unified in ideological and political theory course reform, such as unifying political guidance and value orientation with knowledge transmission, and unifying theory with practice.; regarding how to do a good job in ideological and political work in universities and colleges, it points out that “we must adapt to events, advance with the times, and innovate according to the situation”; regarding how to tell the Chinese story well, it emphasizes “telling facts, telling images, telling emotions, and telling truths”; and so on. These important expositions contain both principled requirements and scientific methods, reflecting a distinct practical orientation and problem awareness.

习近平文化思想既深刻阐明了中国特色社会主义文化建设应当“怎么看”，又针对现实问题明确提出新时代宣传思想文化工作应当“怎么干”，提供了解决实际问题的“金钥匙”。对如何做好新闻舆论工作，强调“四个牢牢坚持”；对如何构建中国特色哲学社会科学，强调要体现“六性”；对如何做好网信工作，强调要把握好安全和发展、自由和秩序、开放和自主、管理和服务四个方面的辩证关系；对如何推动思想政治理论课改革创新，提出要做到“八个相统一”；对如何做好高校思想政治工作，指出“要因事而化、因时而进、因势而新”；对如何讲好中国故事，强调要“讲事实、讲形象、讲情感、讲道理”；等等。这些重要论述，既有原则要求，又有科学方法，体现出鲜明的实践导向和问题意识。

Understanding guides practice, and the scientific methods formed in practice in turn enrich and elevate understanding. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era and build a culturally strong country, we must not only deeply comprehend the theoretical significance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture, striving to make new progress and new improvements in ideological understanding, but also profoundly grasp its practical value, master and apply the scientific methodology contained within it, combine the subjective and the objective, and integrate understanding and practice, striving to continuously create a new atmosphere and write new chapters in propaganda, ideology, and cultural work.

认识指导实践，实践中形成的科学方法又丰富和提升认识。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化、建设文化强国，既要深入领会习近平文化思想的理论意义，力求在思想认识上有新进步新提高，又要深刻把握其实践价值，掌握好运用好蕴含其中的科学方法论，把主观和客观、认识和实践结合起来，努力推动宣传思想文化工作不断创造新气象、续写新篇章。

Source: Education Magazine, November 21, 2024

文章来源：《教育杂志社》2024年11月21日

Online Editor: Jing Mu

网络编辑：静穆