Deeply Grasping the Contemporary Value of the “Seventh Congress of Unity”

In October 2022, when visiting the site of the Seventh National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The Seventh Congress of the Party occupies an extremely important place in the Party’s history, and it pointed out the correct direction and opened up the correct path for the Party to continuously advance from victory to victory.” He demanded that “the story of Yangjialing and the story of the Party’s Seventh Congress be well told.” Mao Zedong called the Party’s Seventh Congress “a congress of victory, a congress of unity.” On the new journey of the New Era, we must deeply grasp the contemporary value of the “Seventh Congress of Unity” and draw from it the spiritual strength of “unity and struggle.”

2022年10月，习近平总书记在瞻仰中共七大会址时指出：“党的七大在党的历史上具有极其重要的地位，为党后来不断从胜利走向胜利指明了正确方向、开辟了正确道路。”他要求“讲好杨家岭的故事、讲好党的七大的故事”。毛泽东称党的七大是“一个胜利的大会，一个团结的大会”。新时代新征程，要深刻把握“团结的七大”的时代价值，从中汲取“团结奋斗”的精神力量。

Firmly Upholding the Correct Political Direction

坚定正确的政治方向

“Taking the road that history must take” is the prerequisite for rallying the forces of unity and struggle. In his report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that “unity and struggle are the only way for the Chinese people to create historic achievements.” For a Marxist political party, firmly upholding the correct political direction means always adhering to ideals, strengthening convictions, and striving for the realization of communism. Chinese Communists have always adhered to the communist ideal and conviction that “cannot be abandoned nor should be abandoned,” always followed the laws of human social development, especially the laws of China’s revolutionary development and the laws of China’s socialist construction, and clearly proposed to “take the road that history must take,” neither impatient nor rash, nor compromising nor retreating, resolutely leading the completion of the new-democratic revolution, and on this basis carrying out the socialist revolution. As for how to firmly uphold the correct direction, the Chinese Communist Party had long made up its mind and also given a resounding answer: it is to dig up the two mountains of imperialism and feudalism. Mao Zedong answered in *The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains*: “We must persevere and work unceasingly, and we will move God. This God is none other than the masses of the Chinese people.”

“走历史必由之路”是凝聚团结奋斗力量的前提。习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中强调，“团结奋斗是中国人民创造历史伟业的必由之路”。对于马克思主义政党来讲，坚定正确的政治方向，就是始终坚持理想，坚定信念，为实现共产主义而奋斗。中国共产党人始终坚持“不能放弃也不应该放弃”的共产主义理想信念，始终遵循人类社会发展规律，尤其是中国革命发展规律、中国社会主义建设规律，明确提出要“走历史必由之路”，既不急躁，不冒进，也不妥协，不退让，坚决地领导完成新民主主义革命，并在此基础上进行社会主义革命。对于怎样坚定正确的方向，中国共产党早就下了决心，也给出了响亮的回答，就是要挖掉帝国主义和封建主义这两座大山。毛泽东在《愚公移山》中进行了回答：“一定要坚持下去，一定要不断地工作，我们也会感动上帝的。这个上帝不是别人，就是全中国的人民大众。”

Above the rostrum of the Seventh Congress venue hung the banner “Advance Victoriously Under the Banner of Mao Zedong,” which served as the compass for rallying the forces of unity and struggle. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Most of Chairman Mao’s works were completed during the thirteen years in Yan’an. Facing the loess, thinking in the cave dwellings, what he pondered was the future and destiny of China. This also laid the foundation of Mao Zedong Thought. Starting from the Seventh Congress, the Party’s thought and action were unified under one authority.” [1]1 “Unified under one authority” (定于一尊) is a classical Chinese expression meaning that thought and action are concentrated under a single recognized leader or guiding principle. After the Rectification Movement, “the whole Party had recognized the correctness of Comrade Mao Zedong’s line with unprecedented unanimity and rallied under Mao Zedong’s banner with unprecedented consciousness.” The new Party Constitution adopted by the Seventh Congress stipulated: “The Chinese Communist Party takes Mao Zedong Thought, the unity of the theory of Marxism-Leninism with the practice of the Chinese revolution, as the guide for all its work.” In this way, what Mao Zedong said was truly achieved: “A doctrine is like a flag; once the flag is raised, people have something to look to and know where to go.”

党的七大会场主席台正上方悬挂着“在毛泽东的旗帜下胜利前进”的横幅标语，这是凝聚团结奋斗力量的指南针。习近平总书记指出：“毛主席的著作大多数是在延安13年里完成的。面壁黄土，窑洞的思考，思考的是中国的前途命运。这也奠定了毛泽东思想的根基。七大开始，党的思想和行动定于一尊。”经过整风运动，“全党已经空前一致地认识了毛泽东同志的路线的正确性，空前自觉地团结在毛泽东的旗帜下”。党的七大通过的新党章规定：“中国共产党，以马克思列宁主义的理论与中国革命的实践之统一的思想——毛泽东思想，作为我们党一切工作的指针。”这样，真正做到了毛泽东所说的：“主义譬如一面旗子，旗子立起了，大家才有所指望，才知所趋赴。”

Keeping in Mind the Fundamental Purpose of Serving the People Wholeheartedly

牢记全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨

In his opening speech to the Seventh Congress, *Two Chinese Destinies*, Mao Zedong called on the whole Party to be “modest, prudent, free from arrogance and rashness, and serve the Chinese people wholeheartedly”; in his report *On Coalition Government*, he emphasized: “Another notable hallmark distinguishing us Communists from any other political party is our closest ties with the broadest masses of the people. Serving the people wholeheartedly, never for a moment separating ourselves from the masses; proceeding from the interests of the people, not from the interests of individuals or small groups; the unity of responsibility to the people and responsibility to the leading organs of the Party—these are our starting points.”

毛泽东在党的七大开幕词《两个中国之命运》中号召全党要“谦虚，谨慎，戒骄，戒躁，全心全意地为中国人民服务”；在《论联合政府》报告中强调：“我们共产党人区别于其他任何政党的又一个显著的标志，就是和最广大的人民群众取得最密切的联系。全心全意地为人民服务，一刻也不脱离群众；一切从人民的利益出发，而不是从个人或小集团的利益出发；向人民负责和向党的领导机关负责的一致性；这些就是我们的出发点。”

The Chinese Communist Party has always “stood on the side of the overwhelming majority of the working people” as its fundamental stance, unifying the Party’s thought and practice under the fundamental purpose of “serving the people wholeheartedly.” In economic construction, it insisted that all empty talk is useless and must “give the people tangible material benefits,” launching the Great Production Movement to achieve ample food and clothing; in political construction, it “took the path of unity and democracy,” allowing the people to supervise the government and break out of the historical cycle of rise and fall; [2]2 “Historical cycle of rise and fall” (历史周期率) refers to the cyclical pattern of dynastic rise and fall in Chinese history, a concept famously discussed by Mao Zedong and Huang Yanpei in 1945. in social construction, it resettled refugees, reformed idlers, established schools and promoted education, eliminated banditry, promoted benefits and removed harms, creating a clean and upright social atmosphere where “only public servants are seen, not officials”; in cultural construction, adhering to the concept that “literature and art all serve the masses of the people,” literary and artistic workers created a large number of popular and widely acclaimed works that enriched the people’s spiritual world.

中国共产党始终“站在最大多数劳动人民的一面”的根本立场上，把全党思想和实践统一到“全心全意为人民服务”的根本宗旨上来。在经济建设上，坚持一切空话都是无用的，必须“给人民以看得见的物质福利”，开展大生产运动，实现丰衣足食；在政治建设上，“走团结和民主的路线”，让人民监督政府，跳出人亡政息的历史周期率；在社会建设上，安置移难民、改造二流子、办学兴教、消灭匪患、兴利除害，创造风清气正、“只见公仆不见官”的社会风尚；在文化建设上，本着“文学艺术都是为人民大众服务”的理念，文学艺术家创作出一大批人民群众喜闻乐见而又脍炙人口的文艺作品，丰富了人民的精神世界。

“The people’s aspiration for a better life is our goal.” At the press conference following the closing of the 20th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s statement “continuously turn the people’s aspiration for a better life into reality” is both an echo of history and a declaration of the Chinese Communist Party’s consistent people-centered sentiment and sense of purpose. On the new journey of the New Era, as long as we always adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, persist in development for the people, development relying on the people, and development achievements shared by the people, and unswervingly follow the path of common prosperity for all the people, we will surely be able to lead the people to achieve new and greater victories for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

“人民对美好生活的向往，就是我们的奋斗目标。”党的二十大闭幕后的记者见面会，习近平总书记的一句“不断把人民对美好生活的向往变为现实”，既是历史的回响，也宣告了中国共产党一以贯之的人民情怀、宗旨意识。新时代新征程，只要我们始终坚持全心全意为人民服务的根本宗旨，坚持发展为了人民、发展依靠人民、发展成果由人民共享，坚定不移走全体人民共同富裕道路，就一定能够领导人民夺取中国特色社会主义新的更大胜利。

Adhering to Emancipating the Mind and Seeking Truth from Facts

坚持解放思想、实事求是

History is the best textbook. On the new journey of the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes that seeking truth from facts is an important magic weapon for the Party to lead the people in continuously achieving victory in China’s revolution, construction, and reform. On the walls on both sides of the Seventh Congress venue were posted the slogans “Uphold Truth, Correct Errors,” which are the basic requirements for adhering to the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, embodying the political courage and sense of responsibility of Chinese Communists, and are also the political essence that Chinese Communists must possess. Chinese Communists always uphold truth and correct errors. The Chinese Communist Party is a great, glorious, and correct Party, not because it never makes mistakes, but because it can correctly recognize mistakes, learn from them, improve its understanding of objective laws through the lessons of errors, and then correct errors, making errors the precursor to correctness. Precisely because the Party can uphold truth and correct errors, it can find a way out in times of crisis and restore order after errors, becoming a Marxist political party that can never be knocked down or crushed.

历史是最好的教科书。新时代新征程，习近平总书记强调实事求是是党带领人民推动中国革命、建设、改革事业不断取得胜利的重要法宝。党的七大会场两侧的墙上，张贴着“坚持真理、修正错误”标语，这是坚持实事求是思想路线的基本要求，体现着中国共产党人的政治勇气和责任担当，也是中国共产党人必须具备的政治本色。中国共产党人随时坚持真理、修正错误。中国共产党是伟大光荣正确的党，并不是因为从来不犯错误，而是因为能够正确认识错误，从错误中学习，通过错误的教训提高对客观规律的认识，进而纠正错误，使错误成为正确的先导。正因为党能够坚持真理、修正错误，才能在危难之际绝处逢生、失误之后拨乱反正，成为永远打不倒、压不垮的马克思主义政党。

In October 1938, Mao Zedong proposed in *The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War*: “Communist Party members should be models of seeking truth from facts.” During the period of the new-democratic revolution, the Chinese Communist Party, guided by the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, led the Chinese revolution from one victory to another, ultimately “achieving national independence and the liberation of the people, completely ending the history of old China as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, completely ending the history of the rule of the vast majority of working people by a tiny minority of exploiters, completely ending the situation of old China as a sheet of loose sand, completely abolishing the unequal treaties imposed on China by the great powers and all imperialist privileges in China, and realizing the great leap of China from thousands of years of feudal autocracy to people’s democracy.” The victory of the Chinese revolution verified that “the Communist Party does not rely on frightening people to eat, but on the truth of Marxism-Leninism to eat, on seeking truth from facts to eat, and on science to eat.”

1938年10月，毛泽东在《中国共产党在民族战争中的地位》中提出：“共产党员应是实事求是的模范。”新民主主义革命时期，中国共产党以实事求是的思想路线为指引，指导中国革命从一个胜利走向另一个胜利，最终“实现民族独立、人民解放，彻底结束了旧中国半殖民地半封建社会的历史，彻底结束了极少数剥削者统治广大劳动人民的历史，彻底结束了旧中国一盘散沙的局面，彻底废除了列强强加给中国的不平等条约和帝国主义在中国的一切特权，实现了中国从几千年封建专制政治向人民民主的伟大飞跃”。中国革命的胜利验证了“共产党不靠吓人吃饭，而是靠马克思列宁主义的真理吃饭，靠实事求是吃饭，靠科学吃饭”。

Adhering to Unity and Struggle, with One Heart and One Mind

坚持团结奋斗、同心同德

Party unity is an important guarantee for the success of the Party’s cause. On the back wall of the Seventh Congress venue hung the four characters “One Heart, One Mind.” At the Seventh Congress, Mao Zedong emphasized the firm unity of the whole Party and the people of the whole country, and specifically put forward the principle of aligning. He pointed out: “You know, a contingent is often not very neat, so it is necessary to often call out ‘align,’ align to the left, align to the right, align to the center. We must align with the Party Central Committee as the benchmark, align with the Congress as the benchmark. Aligning is the principle; deviation is actual life; when there is deviation, we call out ‘align.’” The ultimate purpose of putting forward this principle was for the unity of the whole Party.

党的团结是党的事业能够成功的重要保证。党的七大会场后面的墙上悬挂着“同心同德”四个大字。在党的七大上，毛泽东强调全党全国人民的坚强团结，特别提出了看齐原则。他指出：“要知道，一个队伍经常是不大整齐的，所以就要常常喊看齐，向左看齐，向右看齐，向中看齐。我们要向中央基准看齐，向大会基准看齐。看齐是原则，有偏差是实际生活，有了偏差，就喊看齐。”这一原则的提出归根到底是为了全党的团结。

The purpose of the Yan'an Rectification Movement was both to clarify the situation and to unite comrades. This required proceeding from the desire for unity, because if subjectively there is no desire for unity, it may lead to the result of cruel struggle and merciless blows, and still less will it achieve the goal of uniting comrades. To achieve unity of purpose and truly realize Party unity, it is necessary to distinguish right from wrong ideologically through criticism or struggle. On February 15, 1945, Mao Zedong pointed out in a speech at the Central Party School: "Proceeding from the unity of the whole Party is first, conducting analysis and criticism is second; and then comes another unity. Unity, criticism, unity—this is our method." [3]3 Mao Zedong, "Speech at the Central Party School" (February 15, 1945), in *Selected Works of Mao Zedong*, vol. 3. The "unity—criticism—unity" formula was later formalized as a method for handling contradictions among the people. The Rectification Movement, which adopted the method of "unity—criticism—unity," brought the whole Party unprecedented unity and cohesion, laying a strong ideological and political foundation for winning the War of Resistance against Japan and the nationwide liberation.

延安整风运动的目的是既要弄清情况，又要团结同志。这就需要从团结的愿望出发，因为在主观上如果没有团结的愿望，那就可能导致残酷斗争、无情打击的结果，更不会达到团结同志的目的。要达到同心同德，真正实现党的团结，就必须通过批评或斗争，从思想上分清是非界限。1945年2月15日，毛泽东在中央党校的讲演中指出：“从团结全党出发是第一，加以分析、批评是第二；然后再来一个团结。团结、批评、团结，这就是我们的方法。”采取“团结—批评—团结”方法的整风运动使全党达到了空前的团结和统一，为夺取抗战胜利和全国解放奠定了强大思想政治基础。

Viewing the Seventh National Congress of the CPC from the perspective of the Party's more than one hundred years of united struggle, we deeply grasp the era value of the "Congress of Unity." Firmly believe that "unity is strength; only with unity can we achieve victory," [4]4 A slogan frequently used by the CPC to emphasize the importance of collective effort and solidarity in achieving political goals. walk the "path that must be taken," [5]5 A reference to the "five paths that must be taken" (the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" and the "Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy") or, more broadly, to the necessary course of socialism with Chinese characteristics. and with more solid and powerful steps, strive in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects and comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

从党的百余年团结奋斗史看党的七大，深刻把握“团结的七大”的时代价值。坚信“团结就是力量，团结才能胜利”，走好“必由之路”，以更加坚实有力的步伐，为全面建设社会主义现代化国家、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴而团结奋斗。

(The authors are, respectively, an associate professor at the School of Marxism, Yan'an University; and an assistant researcher at the Xinjiang Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences.)

（作者系延安大学马克思主义学院副教授；新疆社会科学院新疆中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心助理研究员）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心