On the National Character of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought

Xi Jinping’s cultural thought is an important outcome of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the finest traditional Chinese culture, and it is a summation of the experience of the Communist Party of China in leading the building of a cultural power in the New Era. This theoretical innovation takes root in Chinese culture, is grounded in the great cause of national rejuvenation, and focuses on building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, thereby presenting a distinct national character. The national character of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought fully manifests the value pursuits and spiritual ethos of the Chinese nation and is the contemporary expression of the national style of Chinese culture and the Chinese manner. An in-depth study of the national character of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought is of great academic value and practical significance for deeply understanding and grasping its implications for cultural subjectivity and for further enhancing cultural confidence.

习近平文化思想是马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合的重要成果，是新时代中国共产党领导文化强国建设的经验总结。这一理论创新成果，扎根中华文化、立足民族复兴伟业、着眼建设中华民族现代文明，呈现出鲜明的民族性。习近平文化思想的民族性特征充分彰显了中华民族的价值追求和精神风貌，是中华文化民族风格、中国气派的时代表征。深入研究习近平文化思想的民族性特征，对于深刻认识和理解其中的文化主体性意蕴，进一步增强文化自信，具有十分重要的学术价值和现实意义。

I. Clarifying that the finest traditional Chinese culture is the root of the Chinese nation

一、明确中华优秀传统文化是中华民族的根脉

Xi Jinping’s cultural thought, as the theoretical crystallization and action guide for the practice of building a cultural power in the New Era, while unswervingly adhering to “the soul of Marxism,”[n] places greater emphasis on the role of the finest traditional Chinese culture, stresses the need to always hold fast to “the root of the finest traditional Chinese culture,” clarifies the uniqueness of the finest traditional Chinese culture, and further proposes the fundamental path for promoting the finest traditional Chinese culture.

习近平文化思想作为新时代文化强国实践的理论结晶和行动指南，在毫不动摇坚持“马克思主义这个魂脉”的同时，更加重视中华优秀传统文化的作用，强调要始终坚守“中华优秀传统文化这个根脉”，明确了中华优秀传统文化的独特性，并进一步提出弘扬中华优秀传统文化的根本路径。

(1) The finest traditional Chinese culture is a vital force influencing the survival and development of the Chinese nation

（一）中华优秀传统文化是影响中华民族生存和发展的重要力量

Culture is the soul of a country and a nation, and it is an important force driving social development. Every leap forward in human society and every elevation of human civilization is accompanied by the historical progress of culture. As Xi Jinping has stated: “Civilization, especially ideological culture, is the soul of a country and a nation. No matter which country or nation, if it does not cherish its own ideological culture, if it loses this soul, that country or nation cannot stand firm.”[n]

文化是一个国家、一个民族的灵魂，是推动社会发展的重要力量。人类社会每一次跃进，人类文明每一次升华，无不伴随着文化的历史性进步。正如习近平所说：“文明特别是思想文化是一个国家、一个民族的灵魂。无论哪一个国家、哪一个民族，如果不珍惜自己的思想文化，丢掉了思想文化这个灵魂，这个国家、这个民族是立不起来的。”

Culture is condensed through a nation’s history, flowing in the nation’s blood and permeating the nation’s soul. Chinese civilization has continued for several thousand years and possesses a unique system of ideological values. Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Chinese culture has a long and continuous history, accumulating the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation and representing the unique spiritual identity of the Chinese nation, providing rich nourishment for the endless life and growth of the Chinese nation.”[n]

文化因民族历史而凝结，流淌在民族的血液中，浸入在民族的灵魂里。中华文明绵延数千年，有其独特的思想价值体系。习近平指出：“中华文化源远流长，积淀着中华民族最深层的精神追求，代表着中华民族独特的精神标识，为中华民族生生不息、发展壮大提供了丰厚滋养。”

In the more than 5,000-year history of the development of Chinese civilization, “the finest traditional Chinese culture has become the gene of the Chinese nation, rooted in the hearts of the Chinese people, subtly influencing their ways of thinking and behavior.”[n] This endless cultural gene endows the Chinese nation with the nature of keeping pace with the times and unremitting self-improvement. Whether in favorable or adverse circumstances, the Chinese nation has always stood firm. Xi Jinping summarized: “In the course of thousands of years of historical change, the Chinese nation has never had smooth sailing and has encountered countless difficulties and hardships, but we have all endured and come through. One very important reason is that generations of Chinese sons and daughters have cultivated and developed a unique, broad, and profound Chinese culture, providing a powerful spiritual support for the Chinese nation to overcome difficulties and thrive endlessly.”[n] It can be seen that the finest traditional Chinese culture concerns the survival and development of the Chinese nation. Xi Jinping explicitly calls the finest traditional Chinese culture “the spiritual lifeline of the Chinese nation,” emphasizing that “the finest traditional Chinese culture is the crystallization of the wisdom and the essence of Chinese civilization, the root and soul of the Chinese nation, and the foundation on which we stand firm amidst the turbulent currents of world culture.”[n]

在中华民族 5000多年的文明发展史中，“中华优秀传统文化已经成为中华民族的基因，植根在中国人内心，潜移默化影响着中国人的思想方式和行为方式”。这种生生不息的文化基因赋予中华民族与时俱进、自强不息的禀性，无论顺境还是逆境，中华民族都能够始终巍然屹立。习近平总结指出：“在几千年的历史流变中，中华民族从来不是一帆风顺的，遇到了无数艰难困苦，但我们都挺过来、走过来了，其中一个很重要的原因就是世世代代的中华儿女培育和发展了独具特色、博大精深的中华文化，为中华民族克服困难、生生不息提供了强大精神支撑。”可见，中华优秀传统文化关乎中华民族的生存发展，习近平明确把中华优秀传统文化称为“中华民族的精神命脉”，强调“中华优秀传统文化是中华文明的智慧结晶和精华所在，是中华民族的根和魂，是我们在世界文化激荡中站稳脚跟的根基”。

The finest traditional Chinese culture is not only the root of the Chinese nation but also a bond promoting friendly foreign exchanges of the Chinese nation. The Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation. Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Throughout history, the reason the Chinese nation has had status and influence in the world is not through military aggression or external expansion, but through the strong appeal and attraction of Chinese culture. Our ancestors long understood the principle of ‘when people far away are not submissive, one cultivates civil virtue to attract them.’”[n] The Chinese nation “has always revered peace, and the pursuit of peace, harmony, and concord is deeply rooted in the spiritual world of the Chinese nation and deeply integrated into the blood of the Chinese people.”[n] In the Chinese conception, the unity of the individual and the group is the goal pursued, “not only hoping for one’s own well-being but also hoping that people of all countries live well.”[n] The ideas of peace and friendship contained in the finest traditional Chinese culture, along with the inclusiveness and peacefulness of Chinese civilization, have promoted exchanges and interactions between the Chinese nation and other nations of the world, expanding the global influence of the Chinese nation. It can be seen that the finest traditional Chinese culture concerns not only the survival and development of the Chinese nation itself but also the development of human society. Xi Jinping has pointed out that Chinese civilization and the finest traditional Chinese culture fundamentally determine the historical orientation of the Chinese nation’s exchanges, interactions, and integration; determine the open-mindedness of Chinese culture in embracing all that is good from world civilizations; and determine that China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.[n]

中华优秀传统文化不仅是中华民族的根脉，而且是促进中华民族对外友好交往的纽带。中华民族是爱好和平的民族，习近平指出：“古往今来，中华民族之所以在世界有地位、有影响，不是靠穷兵黩武，不是靠对外扩张，而是靠中华文化的强大感召力和吸引力。我们的先人早就认识到‘远人不服，则修文德以来之’的道理。”中华民族“始终崇尚和平，和平、和睦、和谐的追求深深植根于中华民族的精神世界之中，深深溶化在中国人民的血脉之中”。在中国人的观念里，群己合一是追求的目标，“不仅希望自己过得好，也希望各国人民过得好”。中华优秀传统文化中蕴含的和平友好思想，中华文明的包容性与和平性，促进了中华民族与世界各民族的交往交流，扩大了中华民族的世界影响力。可见，中华优秀传统文化不仅关乎中华民族自身的生存和发展，而且关乎人类社会的发展。习近平指出，中华文明和中华优秀传统文化，从根本上决定了中华民族交往交流交融的历史取向，决定了中华文化对世界文明兼收并蓄的开放胸怀，决定了中国始终是世界和平的建设者、全球发展的贡献者、国际秩序的维护者。

(2) The finest traditional Chinese culture manifests the distinct characteristics and endowments of the Chinese nation

（二）中华优秀传统文化彰显着中华民族的鲜明特性与禀赋

Culture carries the memory of a nation and is the unique spiritual identity of a nation. Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Every civilization is rooted in its own soil, embodies the extraordinary wisdom and spiritual pursuits of a country and a nation, and has its own value for existence.”[n] Therefore, “every civilization is unique.”[n] The Chinese nation has a long and continuous history, with “a unique cultural tradition, a unique historical destiny, and unique basic national conditions,”[n] and the Chinese culture created by the Chinese nation possesses “unique concepts, wisdom, spirit, and charm.”[n]

文化承载着民族的记忆，是一个民族独有的精神标识。习近平指出：“每一种文明都扎根于自己的生存土壤，凝聚着一个国家、一个民族的非凡智慧和精神追求，都有自己存在的价值。”因此，“每一种文明都是独特的”。中华民族历史源远流长，有着“独特的文化传统，独特的历史命运，独特的基本国情”，中华民族创造的中华文化有着“独一无二的理念、智慧、气度、神韵”。

First, the finest traditional Chinese culture manifests the unique value system of the Chinese nation regarding the world, society, and life. Xi Jinping has pointed out: “The finest traditional Chinese culture contains concepts such as ‘the world is for all,’ ‘the people are the foundation of the state,’ ‘governing with virtue,’ ‘discarding the old and establishing the new,’ ‘appointing people on their merits,’ ‘the unity of heaven and humanity,’ ‘unceasing self-improvement,’ ‘great virtue embraces all,’ ‘keeping good faith and cultivating harmony,’ and ‘being friendly with neighbors.’ These are important manifestations of the worldview, view of the world, view of society, and view of morality accumulated by the Chinese people in their long-term production and life, and they are highly compatible with the value propositions of scientific socialism.”[n] Second, the finest traditional Chinese culture contains a profound system of thought and far-reaching ethical wisdom formed by the Chinese nation in handling relationships between people, between people and society, and between people and nature. Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, a sense of shame, benevolence and love for others, kindness to others, the unity of heaven and humanity, following the way of nature, and unceasing self-improvement still deeply influence the lives of Chinese people today.”[n] “In long-term practice, the Chinese nation has cultivated and formed unique ideological concepts and moral norms, including thoughts such as advocating benevolence, valuing the people, keeping good faith, emphasizing dialectics, upholding harmony, and seeking great unity, as well as traditional virtues such as unceasing self-improvement, dedication and joy in work, upholding justice and promoting good, helping those in distress, acting bravely for a just cause, and respecting the elderly and loving the young.”[n] These “rich philosophical thoughts, humanistic spirit, educational ideas, and moral concepts of China’s excellent traditional culture can provide useful inspiration for people to understand and transform the world, can provide useful insights for governance, and can also provide useful guidance for moral construction.”[n] Third, the finest traditional Chinese culture also contains rich ideological resources concerning state governance. For example, in the finest traditional Chinese culture, “the great harmony ideal of ‘when the great way prevails, the world is for all,’ the great unity tradition of ‘unifying customs across the six directions and the four seas as one family,’ the governance proposition of ‘virtue as the primary and punishment as the auxiliary, transforming people with virtue,’ the people-oriented thought of ‘the people are more important than the sovereign, and governance lies in nourishing the people,’ the concept of equality of ‘equalizing nobility and baseness, equalizing wealth and poverty, and reducing the surplus to supplement the deficiency,’ the pursuit of justice of ‘the law does not favor the noble, and the rope does not bend,’ the moral integrity of ‘filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame,’ the standard of employing people of ‘appointing people on their merits and selecting the worthy and capable,’ the reform spirit of ‘although Zhou was an ancient state, its mandate was renewed,’ the diplomatic way of ‘being friendly with neighbors and harmonizing all nations,’ the peace concept of ‘valuing harmony and believing that war leads to ruin,’ and so on”[n] still have important reference value for today’s state governance.

其一，中华优秀传统文化彰显着中华民族看待世界、社会、人生的独特价值体系。习近平指出：中华优秀传统文化中“蕴含的天下为公、民为邦本、为政以德、革故鼎新、任人唯贤、天人合一、自强不息、厚德载物、讲信修睦、亲仁善邻等，是中国人民在长期生产生活中积累的宇宙观、天下观、社会观、道德观的重要体现，同科学社会主义价值观主张具有高度契合性”。其二，中华优秀传统文化蕴藏着中华民族在处理人与人、人与社会、人与自然的关系中形成的博大精深的思想体系和影响深远的伦理智慧。习近平指出：“孝悌忠信、礼义廉耻、仁者爱人、与人为善、天人合一、道法自然、自强不息等，至今仍然深深影响着中国人的生活”，“中华民族在长期实践中培育和形成了独特的思想理念和道德规范，有崇仁爱、重民本、守诚信、讲辩证、尚和合、求大同等思想，有自强不息、敬业乐群、扶正扬善、扶危济困、见义勇为、孝老爱亲等传统美德”。这些“中国优秀传统文化的丰富哲学思想、人文精神、教化思想、道德理念等，可以为人们认识和改造世界提供有益启迪，可以为治国理政提供有益启示，也可以为道德建设提供有益启发”。其三，中华优秀传统文化还包含了丰富的关于治国理政的思想资源。比如，中华优秀传统文化中“大道之行、天下为公的大同理想，六合同风、四海一家的大一统传统，德主刑辅、以德化人的德治主张，民贵君轻、政在养民的民本思想，等贵贱均贫富、损有余补不足的平等观念，法不阿贵、绳不挠曲的正义追求，孝悌忠信、礼义廉耻的道德操守，任人唯贤、选贤与能的用人标准，周虽旧邦、其命维新的改革精神，亲仁善邻、协和万邦的外交之道，以和为贵、好战必亡的和平理念，等等”，对于今天的治国理政仍然具有重要的参考价值。

The unique and unparalleled features of fine traditional Chinese culture determine the distinctive temperament and charm of the Chinese nation, and they determine that the socialism and modernization we pursue are both imbued with Chinese characteristics. The reason why socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-path modernization must be prefaced with “Chinese characteristics” and “Chinese path,” when traced to their cultural roots, lies in the unique cultural底色 [n7] that is embedded in the genes and bloodline of the Chinese nation. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Without the five thousand years of Chinese civilization, where would Chinese characteristics come from? Without Chinese characteristics, how could we have the successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics that we have today? Only by standing on the magnificent history of more than five thousand years of Chinese civilization can we truly understand the historical inevitability, cultural connotation, and unique advantages of the Chinese path.” Therefore, socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-path modernization are not mechanical transplants or “copycatism”; rather, they are the result of “long-term development, gradual improvement, and endogenous evolution” of Chinese history, especially Chinese culture, in the process of “not forgetting the original, absorbing the foreign, and facing the future” — they are the splendid flowers and rich fruits that have naturally grown on the great tree of Chinese civilization.

中华优秀传统文化独一无二的特征，决定了中华民族与众不同的气度与神韵，决定了我们搞的社会主义和现代化，都独具中国特色。中国特色社会主义、中国式现代化，之所以必须冠以“中国特色”“中国式”，究其文化根底，就在于蕴藏在中华民族基因与血脉中独一无二的文化底色。习近平指出：“如果没有中华五千年文明，哪里有什么中国特色？如果不是中国特色，哪有我们今天这么成功的中国特色社会主义道路？只有立足波澜壮阔的中华五千多年文明史，才能真正理解中国道路的历史必然、文化内涵与独特优势。”因此，中国特色社会主义、中国式现代化，不是机械的移植和“拿来主义”，而是中国历史特别是中华文化在不忘本来、吸收外来、面向未来中“长期发展、渐进改进、内生性演化的结果”，是中华文明这棵大树上自然生长出的琼花硕果。

(3) To inherit and promote fine traditional Chinese culture, it is necessary to vigorously advance its creative transformation and innovative development

（三）传承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化，必须努力推动其创造性转化、创新性发展

Culture is flowing history, recording the evolution of a nation; following the old and making adjustments is the law of cultural development. The best way to inherit fine traditional Chinese culture is through development, and lasting vitality lies in innovation. The Communist Party of China “is both an active leader and practitioner of China’s advanced culture and a faithful inheritor and promoter of fine traditional Chinese culture.” Xi Jinping emphasized that we must adhere to “learning from the ancients without being constrained by them, and breaking the rules without violating the principles,” inherit the “enterprising spirit of upholding the right without being conservative, and respecting the ancients without restoring the old” from fine traditional Chinese culture, and clearly propose that “the relationship between inheritance and creative development must be handled well,” so as to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture through upholding the right and innovating.

文化是流淌的历史，记录着民族的演变，因循损益是文化发展的规律。对待中华优秀传统文化，最好的继承是发展，持久的生命力在于创新。中国共产党“既是中国先进文化的积极引领者和践行者，又是中华优秀传统文化的忠实传承者和弘扬者”。习近平强调，要坚持“学古不泥古、破法不悖法”，继承中华优秀传统文化“守正不守旧、尊古不复古的进取精神”，明确提出“要处理好继承和创造性发展的关系”，在守正创新中推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展。

Upholding the right is the prerequisite for innovation; only by upholding the right can we avoid losing ourselves and losing our direction. Clarifying the origins and development, main threads, core connotations, and value implications of fine traditional Chinese culture is the proper meaning of upholding the right. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Only by comprehensively and deeply understanding the history of Chinese civilization can we more effectively promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, more forcefully advance the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.” He emphasized that we must “make clear the historical origins, development threads, and basic direction of fine traditional Chinese culture, and make clear the unique creations, value concepts, and distinctive features of Chinese culture, so as to enhance cultural confidence and value confidence.” Among these, the most important is to “make clear that Chinese culture embodies the deepest spiritual pursuit of the Chinese nation and is the rich nourishment for the Chinese nation’s endless vitality, growth, and strength; make clear that fine traditional Chinese culture is the outstanding advantage of the Chinese nation and our deepest cultural soft power; make clear that socialism with Chinese characteristics is rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture, reflects the will of the Chinese people, and meets the requirements of China’s development and the progress of the times, with profound historical origins and a broad practical foundation.”

守正是创新的前提，守正才能不迷失自我、不迷失方向。弄清楚中华优秀传统文化的源流发展、主体脉络、核心内涵、价值意蕴等，是守正的应有之义。习近平指出：“只有全面深入了解中华文明的历史，才能更有效地推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，更有力地推进中国特色社会主义文化建设，建设中华民族现代文明。”他强调，要“讲清楚中华优秀传统文化的历史渊源、发展脉络、基本走向，讲清楚中华文化的独特创造、价值理念、鲜明特色，增强文化自信和价值观自信”。其中，最重要的是要“讲清楚中华文化积淀着中华民族最深沉的精神追求，是中华民族生生不息、发展壮大的丰厚滋养；讲清楚中华优秀传统文化是中华民族的突出优势，是我们最深厚的文化软实力；讲清楚中国特色社会主义植根于中华文化沃土、反映中国人民意愿、适应中国和时代发展进步要求，有着深厚历史渊源和广泛现实基础”。

The purpose of upholding the right is not to maintain the status quo, but to innovate; only through innovation can we grasp the times and lead the times. Xi Jinping emphasized: “Inheriting Chinese culture is by no means a simple return to antiquity, nor is it blind exclusion of foreign cultures; rather, it is making the past serve the present, making foreign things serve China, making a dialectical selection, and bringing forth the new through the old, discarding negative elements and inheriting positive ideas, ‘using the rules of the ancients to create our own new forms,’ and realizing the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese culture.” Creative transformation means reinterpreting and reshaping fine traditional Chinese culture based on the development of the times: “It means, in accordance with the characteristics and requirements of the times, transforming those connotations that still have reference value and their outdated forms of expression, endowing them with new contemporary connotations and modern forms of expression, and activating their vitality.” Innovative development means facing the future, examining fine traditional Chinese culture with a longer-term perspective, and making new expansions and enrichments: “It means, in accordance with the new progress and new developments of the times, supplementing, expanding, and perfecting the connotations of fine traditional Chinese culture, and enhancing its influence and appeal.” To sum up, the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture means “making the most basic cultural genes of the Chinese nation compatible with contemporary culture and coordinated with modern society, promoting them in ways that people love to see and widely participate in, carrying forward the cultural spirit that transcends time and space, surpasses national boundaries, possesses eternal charm, and has contemporary value, and disseminating the innovative achievements of contemporary Chinese culture that inherit excellent traditional culture while promoting the spirit of the times, are rooted in the country while facing the world.” In the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture means, under the guidance of Marxism, using new ideas, new discourses, new mechanisms, and new forms to truly make the past serve the present, make a dialectical selection, and bring forth the new through the old, achieving an organic connection between tradition and modernity, and then carrying it forward under the new conditions of the times, continuously enhancing the cultural confidence of the Chinese nation, and striving to provide rich nourishment for building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation and building a socialist cultural power.

守正的目的不是守成，而是为了创新，创新才能把握时代、引领时代。习近平强调：“传承中华文化，绝不是简单复古，也不是盲目排外，而是古为今用、洋为中用，辩证取舍、推陈出新，摒弃消极因素，继承积极思想，‘以古人之规矩，开自己之生面’，实现中华文化的创造性转化和创新性发展。”创造性转化是立足时代发展对中华优秀传统文化的诠释再造，“就是要按照时代特点和要求，对那些至今仍有借鉴价值的内涵和陈旧的表现形式加以改造，赋予其新的时代内涵和现代表达形式，激活其生命力”。创新性发展则是面向未来，以更长远的眼光审视中华优秀传统文化并作出新的拓展和丰富，“就是要按照时代的新进步新进展，对中华优秀传统文化的内涵加以补充、拓展、完善，增强其影响力和感召力”。概括起来，中华优秀传统文化的创造性转化、创新性发展，就是“使中华民族最基本的文化基因与当代文化相适应、与现代社会相协调，以人们喜闻乐见、具有广泛参与性的方式推广开来，把跨越时空、超越国度、富有永恒魅力、具有当代价值的文化精神弘扬起来，把继承传统优秀文化又弘扬时代精神、立足本国又面向世界的当代中国文化创新成果传播出去”。在中国特色社会主义新时代，推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，就是要在马克思主义指导下，运用新思路、新话语、新机制、新形式，真正做到古为今用、辩证取舍、推陈出新，实现传统与现代的有机衔接，进而在新的时代条件下将其发扬光大，不断增强中华民族的文化自信，努力使其为建设中华民族现代文明、建设社会主义文化强国提供丰厚滋养。

II. Clarifying that the development and prosperity of Chinese culture is the basic condition for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation

二、明确中华文化发展繁荣是中华民族伟大复兴的基础条件

The culture of any nation is based on the nation’s own development, reflecting and serving the nation’s mission and tasks. Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the long-term struggle theme of the Communist Party of China, and the great cause of national rejuvenation must have Chinese culture as its spiritual support. We must firmly adhere to the position of Chinese culture, enhance cultural consciousness, strengthen cultural confidence, safeguard cultural security, and strive to build a socialist cultural power, providing lasting impetus for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

任何民族的文化都立足于民族自身的发展，反映并服务于民族的使命任务。实现中华民族伟大复兴是中国共产党长期奋斗的主题，而民族复兴伟业必须有中华文化作为精神支撑。我们必须牢牢坚守中华文化立场，增强文化自觉，坚定文化自信，维护文化安全，努力建设社会主义文化强国，为中华民族伟大复兴提供持久动力。

(1) Cultural prosperity is an important prerequisite for national rejuvenation

（一）文化繁荣昌盛是民族复兴的重要前提

Culture is a fundamental need of human development, and cultural-ethical progress is an important manifestation of social progress. The history of human civilization and progress fully shows that a nation without the guidance of advanced culture has no hope. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The biggest difference between human

文化是人类发展的根本需求，精神文明是社会进步的重要表现。人类文明进步的历史充分表明，没有先进文化引领的民族是没有希望的。习近平指出：“人类社会与动物界的最大区别就是人是有精神需求的，人民对精神文化生活的需求时时刻刻都存在。”因此，“任何社会没有文化就建设不起来”。文化对社会发展的价值主要在于提供精神动力和智力支持。习近平指出：“思想文化建设虽然决定于经济基础，但又对经济基础发生反作用。先进的思想文化一旦被群众掌握，就会转化为强大的物质力量。”文化兴则国运兴，文化强则民族强。先进文化是推动社会进步的强大思想动力，在社会革命中发挥着重要的引领和推动作用。

The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a magnificent undertaking that shakes the ages, and it all the more requires the spiritual support and ideological guidance of an advanced culture. Xi Jinping points out: “The strength of a country or a nation is always sustained by cultural prosperity; the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the development and flourishing of Chinese culture as its condition.” In order to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, in the great struggle to advance the Chinese nation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, the Communist Party of China has always attached great importance to cultural construction. During the era of revolutionary war, the CPC vigorously developed revolutionary culture. Mao Zedong pointed out: “Revolutionary culture is a powerful weapon for the masses of the people. Before the revolution, revolutionary culture serves as ideological preparation for it; during the revolution, it is a necessary and important front in the general revolutionary front.” After the founding of New China, the CPC promoted revolutionary culture, vigorously developed advanced socialist culture, and advanced socialist cultural-ethical progress. Deng Xiaoping stressed: “Without this cultural-ethical progress, without communist ideology, without communist morality, how can socialism be built?” In the New Era, the CPC adheres to the path of cultural development with Chinese characteristics, promotes the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, inherits revolutionary culture, develops advanced socialist culture, stimulates the cultural creativity and innovation of the entire nation, and strives to build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation and a socialist cultural power. Xi Jinping points out: “Only the appeal and cohesion

实现中华民族伟大复兴，是一场震古烁今的伟大事业，更需要先进文化的精神支撑和思想引导。习近平指出：“一个国家、一个民族的强盛，总是以文化兴盛为支撑的，中华民族伟大复兴需要以中华文化发展繁荣为条件。”为了实现中华民族伟大复兴，在推进中华民族站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大斗争中，中国共产党始终高度重视文化建设。在革命战争年代，中国共产党大力发展革命文化。毛泽东指出：“革命文化，对于人民大众，是革命的有力武器。革命文化，在革命前，是革命的思想准备；在革命中，是革命总战线中的一条必要和重要的战线。”在新中国成立后，中国共产党弘扬革命文化、大力发展社会主义先进文化，推动社会主义精神文明建设。邓小平强调：“没有这种精神文明，没有共产主义思想，没有共产主义道德，怎么能建设社会主义？”在新时代，中国共产党坚持中国特色社会主义文化发展道路，推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，继承革命文化，发展社会主义先进文化，激发全民族文化创新创造活力，努力建设中华民族现代文明和社会主义文化强国。习近平指出：“只有思想上精神上的吸引力和凝聚力，才是内在的强大的持久的。”“经济总量无论是世界第二还是世界第一，未必就能够巩固住我们的政权。经济发展了，但精神失落了，那国家能够称为强大吗？”因此，他明确要求，要“以更大的力度、更实的措施加快建设社会主义文化强国”，“共同努力创造属于我们这个时代的新文化”，“让中华文明的影响力、凝聚力、感召力更加充分地展示出来”。

(2) Cultural Consciousness and Cultural Confidence Are Important Foundations for National Rejuvenation

（二）文化自觉和文化自信是民族复兴的重要底气

Promoting cultural prosperity and development requires a high degree of cultural consciousness and cultural confidence. Cultural consciousness is the self-awakening and self-awareness of a national culture, containing within it historical initiative and innovative creativity. The Chinese nation is a nation with cultural consciousness. The Chinese culture formed in the course of historical development “both holds fast to its roots and constantly advances with the times, enabling the Chinese nation to maintain firm national confidence and a strong capacity for restoration, and nurturing shared emotions and values, shared ideals and spirit.” It possesses a consciousness that adapts to circumstances, advances with the times, and renews itself in response to changing conditions. The Communist Party of China is the leading core of the great cause of national rejuvenation. “It is a party with a high degree of cultural consciousness, and its century-long struggle is condensed with the history of China’s cultural endeavor.” The CPC has explicitly made it its mission to build a new Chinese national culture that is national, scientific, and popular, actively promoting cultural development and the flourishing of literature and art. Over more than a century, the advanced culture created by the CPC “has inspired the exploited and oppressed laboring masses to fight bloody battles with indomitable courage, inspired the Chinese people who stood up to be self-reliant and strive for strength, inspired the hundreds of millions of people in the tide of reform and opening up to emancipate their minds and forge ahead with determination, and inspired the Chinese people in the New Era to be confident and self-reliant, to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground. It has played an important role in strengthening the people’s strength and invigorating the national spirit.”

推动文化繁荣发展，需要高度的文化自觉和文化自信。文化自觉是对民族文化的自我觉醒和觉悟，内含着历史主动性和创新创造力。中华民族是具有文化自觉的民族，在历史发展中形成的中华文化，“既坚守本根又不断与时俱进，使中华民族保持了坚定的民族自信和强大的修复能力，培育了共同的情感和价值、共同的理想和精神”，具有因事而化、因时而进、因势而新的自觉性。中国共产党是民族复兴伟业的领导核心，“是具有高度文化自觉的党，党的百年奋斗凝结着我国文化奋进的历史”。中国共产党明确把建设民族的科学的大众的中华民族新文化作为自己的使命，积极推动文化建设和文艺繁荣发展。百余年来，中国共产党创造的先进文化，“激励受剥削受压迫的劳苦大众浴血奋战、百折不挠，激励站起来的中国人民自力更生、发愤图强，激励改革开放大潮中的亿万人民解放思想、锐意进取，激励新时代的中国人民自信自强、守正创新，为增强人民力量、振奋民族精神发挥了重要作用”。

Confidence is a positive appraisal of and affirmative attitude toward one’s own culture, and it is closely and intrinsically linked to cultural consciousness. Cultural confidence helps to strengthen cultural consciousness, while cultural consciousness likewise helps to solidify cultural confidence. A nation without confidence cannot stand; a people without confidence cannot be strong. Xi Jinping has pointed out that the most fundamental confidence of a country and a nation is cultural confidence. “Cultural confidence is a more fundamental, broader, and deeper confidence.” It is “the most basic, most profound, and most enduring force in the development of a country and a nation.” Only with confidence can one be independent, self-reliant, and self-respecting. “Only a nation with cultural confidence can stand firm, remain stable, and go far.” Cultural confidence does not arise naturally; it must have deep historical accumulation and a solid practical foundation. Xi Jinping has pointed out: “The Chinese nation has always had the temperament of cultural confidence.” “Chinese civilization has continued for thousands of years without interruption and has endured repeated hardships without decline. This is a miracle of human civilization and the source of our confidence.” The CPC is a Marxist political party with a high degree of cultural confidence. In its century-long struggle, it has actively inherited the fine traditional Chinese culture, built a revolutionary culture, developed an advanced socialist culture, and absorbed the beneficial achievements of world civilizations, achieving great successes in cultural work and providing a more solid foundation for cultural confidence in the New Era. Xi Jinping firmly and proudly declared: “Standing on the vast land of 9.6 million square kilometers, drawing on the cultural nourishment accumulated by the Chinese nation over its long struggle, and possessing the mighty force gathered by 1.3 billion Chinese people, we have an incomparably broad stage for taking our own path, an incomparably profound historical foundation, and an incomparably strong forward resolve.”

自信是对自身文化的肯定评价和积极态度，与文化自觉具有紧密的内在关联。文化自信有利于增强文化自觉，而文化自觉同样有助于坚定文化自信。国无自信不立，民无信心不强。习近平指出，一个国家和民族的自信，最根本的是文化自信。“文化自信，是更基础、更广泛、更深厚的自信”，是“一个国家、一个民族发展中最基本、最深沉、最持久的力量”。自信才能自立自强自尊，“有文化自信的民族，才能立得住、站得稳、行得远”。文化自信不会自然生成，必须有深厚的历史积淀和坚实的实践基础。习近平指出：“中华民族素有文化自信的气度”，“中华文明历经数千年而绵延不绝、迭遭忧患而经久不衰，这是人类文明的奇迹，也是我们自信的底气”。中国共产党是具有高度文化自信的马克思主义政党，在百余年的奋斗历程中，积极继承中华优秀传统文化，建设革命文化，发展社会主义先进文化，吸收世界文明有益成果，在文化工作方面取得了伟大成就，使新时代的文化自信有了更加坚实的基础。习近平坚定豪迈地指出：“站立在 960万平方公里的广袤土地上，吸吮着中华民族漫长奋斗积累的文化养分，拥有 13亿中国人民聚合的磅礴之力，我们走自己的路，具有无比广阔的舞台，具有无比深厚的历史底蕴，具有无比强大的前进定力。”

(3) Cultural Security Is an Important Safeguard for National Rejuvenation

（三）文化安全是民族复兴的重要保障

National security is the foundation of national rejuvenation, and cultural security is an important component of national security. The fortunes of culture are linked to the fortunes of the nation; the thread of culture is connected to the thread of the nation. Cultural security directly concerns the rise and fall of political power and the success or failure of a nation. Marx pointed out: “If we consider it from the perspective of ideas, then the dissolution of a certain form of consciousness is enough to bring down an entire epoch.” [7]7 Karl Marx, “A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy,” Preface, in Marx and Engels, Collected Works, vol. 29 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1987), p. 263. The original Chinese quotation in the text is a paraphrase of this passage. If cultural security is lost, a country and a nation, lacking cohesion, will become a heap of loose sand, lose their direction of progress, and “will inevitably either meet with failure or become the appendage of others,” thereby losing their independence and national character. Human history and reality have repeatedly shown that national prosperity is often marked by cultural flourishing, and national decline often begins with the tarnishing of civilization. Therefore, cultural security is a fundamental issue concerning the survival or extinction of a country and a nation. Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “The collapse of a political regime often begins in the ideological sphere. Political turmoil and regime change can happen overnight, but ideological evolution is a long process. Once the ideological defense line is breached, it is difficult to hold other defense lines.” Therefore, to seek the sustainable development of a country and a nation, it is necessary to strive to strengthen and maintain one’s own cultural security.

国家安全是民族复兴的根基，文化安全是国家安全的重要内容。文运同国运相牵，文脉同国脉相连。文化安全直接关乎政权的兴衰存亡和民族的得失成败。马克思指出：“如果从观念上来考察，那么一定的意识形式的解体足以使整个时代覆灭。”失去文化安全，国家和民族就会因缺少凝聚力而变成一盘散沙，就会失去前进的方向，国家和民族“不是必然遭遇失败，就是必然成为他人的附庸”，从而失去自身的独立性和民族性。人类历史和现实一再表明，国家兴盛往往以文化繁荣为标志，民族衰亡也多以文明蒙尘为开端。因此，文化安全是关乎国家和民族存亡的根本性问题。习近平深刻指出：“一个政权的瓦解往往是从思想领域开始的，政治动荡、政权更迭可能在一夜之间发生，但思想演化是个长期过程。思想防线被攻破了，其他防线就很难守住。”因此，谋求国家和民族的永续发展，必须努力加强和维护自身的文化安全。

Against the backdrop of the accelerated evolution of changes unseen in a century, various ideologies and cultures interact and clash, exchanges, integration, and confrontation between different civilizations become more frequent, and the struggle in the ideological sphere becomes more intense. “The connotation and extension of China’s national security are richer than at any time in history, the temporal and spatial domains are broader than at any time in history, and the internal and external factors are more complex than at any time in history.” Xi Jinping, bearing in mind the “two overall situations,” [8]8 “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. has explicitly emphasized the need to strengthen and maintain cultural security. He said: “We must take the people’s aspiration for a better life as our goal of struggle, solving both practical problems and ideological problems, to better strengthen confidence, gather people’s hearts, warm people’s hearts, and build consensus. We must both actively and clearly explain the Chinese path and Chinese characteristics, and effectively safeguard our country’s political security and cultural security.”

在世界百年未有之大变局加速演进的时代背景下，各种思想文化相互激荡，不同文明交流交融交锋更加频繁，意识形态的斗争更加激烈，“我国国家安全内涵和外延比历史上任何时候都要丰富，时空领域比历史上任何时候都要宽广，内外因素比历史上任何时候都要复杂”。习近平胸怀“两个大局”，明确强调要增强和维护文化安全。他说：“我们必须把人民对美好生活的向往作为我们的奋斗目标，既解决实际问题又解决思想问题，更好强信心、聚民心、暖人心、筑同心。我们必须既积极主动阐释好中国道路、中国特色，又有效维护我国政治安全和文化安全。”

Safeguarding cultural security must adhere to correct guiding principles. On the basis of a profound grasp of the laws of cultural development, Xi Jinping clearly pointed out that to safeguard cultural security, “we must take establishing as the foundation, simultaneously establishing and dismantling, and constantly enhance the cohesion and leading force of socialist ideology.” Taking establishing as the foundation means unswervingly upholding the guiding position of Marxism, firmly grasping the leadership, management, and discursive power over ideological work, and holding fast to the stance of Chinese culture. Xi Jinping explicitly demanded that we must always “uphold the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere, hold fast to the stance of Chinese culture, adhere to the core socialist values in leading cultural development, closely focus on the mission of raising the banner, gathering the people’s hearts, educating new people, invigorating culture, and displaying the image, strengthen socialist cultural-ethical progress, flourish and develop cultural undertakings and cultural industries, continuously enhance the country’s cultural soft power, increase the influence of Chinese culture, and give play to the role of culture in guiding social trends, educating the people, serving society, and promoting development.” At the same time, he also emphasized that cultural construction must make efforts in “dismantling,” clearly and unequivocally struggle against erroneous thinking, and “consciously oppose those historical nihilists and cultural nihilists who forget their ancestors and belittle themselves,” thereby safeguarding cultural security in the struggle against various erroneous trends of thought.

维护文化安全必须坚持正确的指导原则。习近平在深刻把握文化发展规律的基础上明确指出，维护文化安全，“必须坚持以立为本、立破并举，不断增强社会主义意识形态的凝聚力和引领力”。以立为本就是坚持马克思主义指导地位不动摇，牢牢掌握意识形态工作领导权、管理权、话语权，坚守中华文化立场。习近平明确要求，要始终“坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位，坚守中华文化立场，坚持以社会主义核心价值观引领文化建设，紧紧围绕举旗帜、聚民心、育新人、兴文化、展形象的使命任务，加强社会主义精神文明建设，繁荣发展文化事业和文化产业，不断提高国家文化软实力，增强中华文化影响力，发挥文化引领风尚、教育人民、服务社会、推动发展的作用”。同时，他还强调，文化建设必须在“破”上下功夫，旗帜鲜明地同错误思想作斗争，“自觉反对那些数典忘祖、妄自菲薄的历史虚无主义和文化虚无主义”，在同各种错误思潮作斗争中维护文化安全。

III. Clarifying that building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation is the new cultural mission of the New Era

三、明确建设中华民族现代文明是新时代新的文化使命

The development of civilization is a notable marker of a nation’s cultural progress and national strength. Ancient China once created a Chinese civilization based on mature agricultural production and centered on fine traditional Chinese culture, exerting a broad and profound influence worldwide. On the journey of comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation is the new cultural mission that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people must undertake in the New Era, and it is an important task for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

文明发展是民族文化进步和民族强盛的显著标志。古代中国曾经创造了以成熟农耕生产为基础、以中华优秀传统文化为核心的华夏文明，在世界范围内产生了广泛而深远的影响。在以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的征程中，建设中华民族现代文明是新时代中国共产党和中国人民必须担负的新的文化使命，是实现中华民族伟大复兴的一项重要任务。

(i) Building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation is an inherent part of comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation

（一）建设中华民族现代文明是全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的应有之义

From the perspective of the development of civilization, building a modern civilization is an inevitable trend in the historical development of humanity. From the perspective of the generation of civilization, modern civilization is the product of modernization. On the new journey of comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation has special significance for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and is an inevitable requirement for realizing it. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation is a heroic undertaking for a country with a history of more than 5,000 years of civilization, and it is an inherent part of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

从文明的发展看，建设现代文明是人类历史发展的必然趋势。从文明的生成看，现代文明是现代化的产物。在以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的新征程上，建设中华民族现代文明对于中华民族伟大复兴来说更具有特殊的意义，是实现中华民族伟大复兴的必然要求。习近平指出：“建设中华民族现代文明，是我们这样一个具有五千多年文明史国家的豪迈壮举，是实现中华民族伟大复兴的应有之义。”

The Chinese nation is a great nation, with a long-standing and well-established history of civilization spanning more than 5,000 years, and has made indelible contributions to the progress of human civilization. After the Opium War of 1840, China gradually became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, and the Chinese nation suffered unprecedented calamities. Amid the stark contrast between modern humiliation and ancient glorious civilization, China’s advanced elements germinated the dream of national rejuvenation and achieved the great awakening of the Chinese nation. At this time, the tide of modernization surged forward. Therefore, realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is “the greatest dream of the Chinese nation in modern times,” and realizing modernization is also “the dream that the Chinese people have striven for since modern times.” The two, meeting by fate, were from the very beginning an inherent unity. As soon as the Communist Party of China was founded, it unhesitatingly took on the historical mission of exploring modernization and realizing national rejuvenation. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The history of the Communist Party of China uniting and leading the Chinese people in the pursuit of national rejuvenation over more than 100 years is also a history of continuously exploring the path of modernization.” Through the unremitting efforts of several generations, the Communist Party of China has led the people to successfully forge the path of Chinese-path modernization, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has shown unprecedentedly bright prospects.

中华民族是世界上伟大的民族，有着 5000多年源远流长的文明历史，为人类文明进步作出了不可磨灭的贡献。1840年鸦片战争后，中国逐步成为半殖民地半封建社会，中华民族遭受了前所未有的劫难。中国先进分子在近代屈辱与古代辉煌文明的强烈对比中萌发了民族复兴的梦想，实现了中华民族的伟大觉醒。此时，实现现代化的潮流浩浩汤汤。因此，实现中华民族伟大复兴是“中华民族近代以来最伟大的梦想”，实现现代化也是“近代以来中国人民矢志奋斗的梦想”，二者因缘际会，从最开始就是一个内在的统一体。中国共产党甫一成立，就义无反顾地担负起探索现代化、实现民族复兴的历史使命。习近平指出：“中国共产党 100多年团结带领中国人民追求民族复兴的历史，也是一部不断探索现代化道路的历史。”经过数代人不懈努力，中国共产党领导人民成功走出了中国式现代化道路，中华民族伟大复兴展现出前所未有的光明前景。

The process of realizing modernization in human society is also the process of forming modern civilization. Modernization inevitably affects and changes humanity’s mode of production and ideological concepts, thereby forming new forms of human civilization. The diversity of modernization in different countries determines the diversity of forms of modern human civilization. Xi Jinping pointed out: “What path of modernization a country chooses is determined by many factors, including its historical traditions, social system, development conditions, and external environment. Different national conditions lead to different paths of modernization.” Chinese-path modernization is a socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China, “a major transcendence of the theory and practice of Western-style modernization,” and “provides a completely new model of modernization for the world.” The initially successful practice of Chinese-path modernization has created a completely new form of human civilization, namely the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, laying a solid foundation for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

人类社会实现现代化的过程也是现代文明形成的过程，现代化必然影响改变人类的生产方式和思想观念，从而形成人类文明新的形态。各国现代化的多样性决定了人类现代文明形态的多样性。习近平指出：“一个国家选择什么样的现代化道路，是由其历史传统、社会制度、发展条件、外部环境等诸多因素决定的。国情不同，现代化途径也会不同”。中国式现代化是中国共产党领导的社会主义现代化，“是对西方式现代化理论和实践的重大超越”，“为全球提供了一种全新的现代化模式”。中国式现代化的初步成功实践创造了一种全新的人类文明形态，即中华民族现代文明，为实现中华民族伟大复兴奠定了深厚基础。

(ii) The key to building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation lies in upholding the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation

（二）建设中华民族现代文明关键在于坚守中华民族的文化主体性

Cultural subjectivity is of utmost importance to a nation, determining the direction and process of the nation’s historical and cultural development. To uphold one’s own cultural autonomy, it is necessary to correctly handle a series of relationships, such as those between historical culture and contemporary development, between one’s own culture and world culture, and between upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and to adhere to the scientific dialectics of cultural development. Xi Jinping pointed out: “For any culture to stand firm and go far, to have leading power, cohesive power, shaping power, and radiating power, it must have its own subjectivity.” In the course of its long development, the Chinese nation has created a Chinese civilization characterized by subjectivity. The Chinese nation is a nation with a spirit of subjectivity. The great spirit of creation, great spirit of struggle, great spirit of unity, and great spirit of dream, cultivated, inherited, and developed over the long course of development, are “the confidence for firmly upholding confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” The Chinese nation, carrying forward its great national spirit, has created a Chinese civilization with outstanding characteristics such as continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness, “fully proving that Chinese civilization possesses the cultural subjectivity for self-development, responding to challenges, and breaking new ground.” Xi Jinping emphasized that building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation must follow the principle of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and an important content of upholding fundamental principles is to uphold the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation.

文化主体性对于一个民族至关重要，决定着民族历史和文化发展的走向和进程。坚持自己的文化自主性，就要正确处理好历史文化与现实发展、本国文化和世界文化、守正和创新等一系列关系问题，坚持文化发展中的科学辩证法。习近平指出：“任何文化要立得住、行得远，要有引领力、凝聚力、塑造力、辐射力，就必须有自己的主体性。”中华民族在长期发展过程中，创造了具有主体性特点的中华文明。中华民族是具有主体性精神的民族，在长期发展中培育、继承、发展起来的伟大创造精神、伟大奋斗精神、伟大团结精神、伟大梦想精神，是“坚定中国特色社会主义道路自信、理论自信、制度自信、文化自信的底气”。中华民族发扬伟大民族精神，创造了具有连续性、创新性、统一性、包容性、和平性等突出特性的中华文明，“充分证明了中华文明具有自我发展、回应挑战、开创新局的文化主体性”。习近平强调，建设中华民族现代文明必须遵循守正创新原则，而守正的一项重要内容就是坚守中华民族的文化主体性。

In the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the most powerful embodiment of the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation is the establishment of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Culture. “This subjectivity was established by the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people on Chinese soil; it was established on the basis of creatively transforming and innovatively developing fine traditional Chinese culture, inheriting revolutionary culture, and developing advanced socialist culture, and on the basis of drawing on and absorbing all outstanding achievements of human civilization; it was established through combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture.” With cultural subjectivity, “there is a firm self in the cultural sense, cultural confidence has a fundamental foundation, the Communist Party of China has a powerful cultural force to lead the times, the Chinese nation and the Chinese people have a solid cultural foundation for national identity, and Chinese civilization has distinct cultural characteristics for exchange and mutual learning with other world civilizations.” With cultural subjectivity, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation has a key guarantee and can better manifest its national-characteristic dimension.

在中国特色社会主义新时代，中华民族文化主体性最有力的体现是创立了习近平文化思想。“这一主体性是中国共产党带领中国人民在中国大地上建立起来的；是在创造性转化、创新性发展中华优秀传统文化，继承革命文化，发展社会主义先进文化的基础上，借鉴吸收人类一切优秀文明成果的基础上建立起来的；是通过把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际、同中华优秀传统文化相结合建立起来的。”有了文化主体性，“就有了文化意义上坚定的自我，文化自信就有了根本依托，中国共产党就有了引领时代的强大文化力量，中华民族和中国人民就有了国家认同的坚实文化基础，中华文明就有了和世界其他文明交流互鉴的鲜明文化特性”。有了文化主体性，中华民族现代文明就有了关键保障，就能够更好地彰显自身的民族性特征。

(iii) Building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation must adhere to the “Two Integrations,” especially the “Second Integration”

（三）建设中华民族现代文明必须坚持“两个结合”尤其是“第二个结合”

At the Symposium on Cultural Heritage and Development, Xi Jinping pointed out: “To develop socialism with Chinese characteristics on the deep foundation of more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, it is a necessary path to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture. This is a law-like understanding we have arrived at in exploring the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” [10]10 The “Symposium on Cultural Heritage and Development” (文化传承发展座谈会) was held by the CPC Central Committee in Beijing on June 2, 2023. Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the symposium, in which he systematically expounded on the relationship between the “Two Integrations” and the building of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. “‘The Second Integration’ is our Party’s profound summation of the historical experience of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and a profound grasp of the laws governing the development of Chinese civilization. It shows that our Party’s understanding of the Chinese path, theory, and system has reached a new height, that our Party’s historical confidence and cultural confidence have reached a new height, and that our Party’s consciousness in advancing cultural innovation while inheriting the best of traditional Chinese culture has reached a new height.” These important expositions profoundly elucidate the great significance of “the Two Integrations” and “the Second Integration,” providing theoretical guidance and a guide to action for us to strive to open up new horizons in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times at the new historical starting point, and to solidly advance the building of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation and a socialist cultural power.

习近平在文化传承发展座谈会上指出：“在五千多年中华文明深厚基础上开辟和发展中国特色社会主义，把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际、同中华优秀传统文化相结合是必由之路。这是我们在探索中国特色社会主义道路中得出的规律性认识。”“‘第二个结合’，是我们党对马克思主义中国化时代化历史经验的深刻总结，是对中华文明发展规律的深刻把握，表明我们党对中国道路、理论、制度的认识达到了新高度，表明我们党的历史自信、文化自信达到了新高度，表明我们党在传承中华优秀传统文化中推进文化创新的自觉性达到了新高度。”这些重要论述，深刻阐明了“两个结合”及“第二个结合”的重大意义，为我们在新的历史起点上奋力开辟马克思主义中国化时代化新境界、扎实推进中华民族现代文明和社会主义文化强国建设，提供了理论指导和行动指南。

To build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, we must uphold the guidance of Marxism. Marxism is the foundation of the Party’s founding and the nation’s founding, and of the Party’s prosperity and the nation’s prosperity; it is the fundamental guarantee for building a great modern socialist country and for building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, and it can fundamentally overcome and eliminate the “barbaric nature” of capitalist civilization. The best of traditional Chinese culture is the cultural root and pulse of the Chinese nation, and is the outstanding advantage and deepest cultural soft power of the Chinese nation. There is a high degree of compatibility between the two, and the result of their “integration” is mutual achievement. To build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, we must firmly adhere to “the Two Integrations,” especially “the Second Integration”; we must insist on activating the genes of Chinese civilization with the light of Marxist truth, better excavate and display the national characteristics and spiritual charm of Chinese culture, continuously advance socialist cultural construction along the broad path of Chinese-path modernization, and constantly “lead China into the modern world,” promoting “the renewal of life and modern transformation of Chinese civilization.”

建设中华民族现代文明，必须坚持马克思主义指导。马克思主义是立党立国、兴党兴国之本，是建设社会主义现代化强国、建设中华民族现代文明的根本保证，能够从根本上克服和消除资本主义文明的“野蛮本性”。中华优秀传统文化是中华民族的文化根脉，是中华民族的突出优势和最深厚的文化软实力。二者存在高度的契合性，“结合”的结果是彼此成就。建设中华民族现代文明，必须牢牢坚持“两个结合”尤其是“第二个结合”，坚持以马克思主义真理之光激活中华文明的基因，更好挖掘和展现中华文化的民族特性与精神魅力，沿着中国式现代化这条康庄大道持续推进社会主义文化建设，不断“引领中国走进现代世界”，推动“中华文明的生命更新和现代转型”。

In sum, the national-characteristic dimension of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is mainly manifested in the understanding of the importance of the best of traditional Chinese culture, the emphasis on cultural construction providing spiritual support for realizing national rejuvenation, and the stress on the mission and task of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. Emphasizing the national character of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture does not mean excluding openness or worldliness. On the contrary, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture consistently adheres to an attitude of openness, inclusiveness, and embracing the world with a broad mind, and especially emphasizes that cultural construction should integrate China and foreign countries and connect the past and the present, “never forget the original, absorb the foreign, and face the future,” requiring that “with a more open mind, a more inclusive attitude, and a broader perspective, we vigorously carry out cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, and in learning from each other, make due contributions to the progress of human civilization.” Only what is national can be global; only by leading the times can we go global. On the new journey, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, hold fast to the Chinese cultural standpoint and the subjectivity of Chinese culture, actively learn from and absorb all outstanding achievements of human civilization, continue to promote cultural prosperity, build a cultural power, and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation at the new starting point, so as to provide deep cultural nourishment and strong spiritual support for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

总之，习近平文化思想的民族性特征主要体现在对于中华优秀传统文化重要性的认识，对于文化建设为实现民族复兴提供精神支撑的重视，对于建设中华民族现代文明使命任务的强调等方面。强调习近平文化思想的民族性，并不意味着排斥开放性、世界性。相反，习近平文化思想始终坚持开放包容、胸怀天下的态度，特别强调文化建设要融通中外、贯通古今，“不忘本来、吸收外来、面向未来”，要求“以更加开放的胸襟、更加包容的心态、更加宽广的视角，大力开展中外文化交流，在学习互鉴中，为推动人类文明进步作出应有贡献”。只有民族的才是世界的，只有引领时代才能走向世界。新征程上，我们要坚持以习近平文化思想为指导，坚守中华文化立场和中华文化主体性，积极借鉴吸收人类一切优秀文明成果，在新的起点上继续推动文化繁荣、建设文化强国、建设中华民族现代文明，为实现中华民族伟大复兴提供深厚文化滋养和有力精神支撑。

Source: *Party Documents* (《党的文献》), November 28, 2024.

文章来源：《党的文献》2024年11月28日

Online editor: Jing Mu (静穆).

网络编辑：静穆