Firmly Grasp the Theme, Main Line, Mainstream, and Essence of the History of the People’s Republic of China

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Society for the History of the People’s Republic of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter, extending

在中华人民共和国国史学会成立30周年之际，习近平总书记发来贺信，向学会全体同志、向全国广大国史研究工作者致以热烈祝贺和诚挚问候，并提出殷切期望。贺信坚持唯物史观和正确党史观，深刻揭示新中国史研究、宣传和教育事业发展的规律性认识，强调牢牢把握国史的主题主线、主流本质，不断提高研究水平，创新宣传方式，加强教育引导，激励人们坚定历史自信、增强历史主动，更好凝聚团结奋斗的精神力量，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作出新贡献。深入学习贯彻贺信精神，必须在客观、全面、准确把握新中国史发展进程、成就与经验的基础上，深化对新中国史主题主线、主流本质的认识，深入推进新中国史研究、宣传、教育事业高质量发展。

Profoundly Revealing the Theme and Main Line of the History of the People's Republic of China

深刻揭示新中国史的主题主线

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Party, based on the country's historical position, stage of development, and the principal social contradictions, situation, and tasks it faces, has rooted itself in its own national conditions and realities, observed the times, and continuously explored the laws of governance by the Communist Party, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society. In leading the people in the construction of New China, the Party has always been guided by the question of what kind of New China to build, formulating and implementing lines, principles, and policies, and advancing the cause of the Party and the state step by step. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party proposed striving to gradually build China into a powerful socialist country with modern agriculture, modern industry, modern national defense, and modern science and technology, leading the people in carrying out comprehensive, large-scale socialist construction. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Party clarified that the principal contradiction in Chinese society was the contradiction between the people's ever-growing material and cultural needs and backward social production, that the central task was to resolve this principal contradiction, and put forward the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a New Era, the principal contradiction in Chinese society transformed into the contradiction between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, coordinating the overall strategic plan for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world, clarified that the overall task of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics is to realize socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. On the basis of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, it is to take a two-step approach to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of the 21st century.

新中国成立以来，党根据我国所处历史方位、发展阶段，以及面临的社会主要矛盾和形势任务，立足自身国情实际，观照时代，不断探索共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律和人类社会发展规律。党在领导人民进行新中国建设中，始终以建设一个什么样的新中国为引领，制定和实施路线方针政策，把党和国家事业一步步推向前进。在社会主义革命和建设时期，党提出努力把我国逐步建设成为一个具有现代农业、现代工业、现代国防和现代科学技术的社会主义强国，领导人民开展全面的大规模的社会主义建设。在改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，党明确我国社会主要矛盾是人民日益增长的物质文化需要同落后的社会生产之间的矛盾，中心任务就是解决这个主要矛盾，并提出了全面建设小康社会的奋斗目标。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，我国社会主要矛盾转化为人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾，以习近平同志为核心的党中央统筹把握中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局，明确坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的总任务是实现社会主义现代化和中华民族伟大复兴，在全面建成小康社会的基础上，分两步走在21世纪中叶把我国建成富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国。

New China moved from New Democracy to socialism, pioneered and expanded the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and provided the foundation and guarantee for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The history of the People's Republic of China is a history of entrepreneurship, exploration, and struggle to achieve national prosperity and strength and the people's well-being on the basis of national independence and the liberation of the people, to lay the foundation for, pioneer, uphold, and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to continuously advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The history of the People's Republic of China fully proves that only socialism can save China, only socialism can develop China, and that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the correct path guiding China's development and prosperity. Thus, the theme of the history of the People's Republic of China can be summarized as continuously adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, laying the foundation for, pioneering, upholding, and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, striving to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful, and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Engels pointed out that the activity of people in making history is like a resultant force formed by countless parallelograms of forces. [1]1 A reference to Friedrich Engels's letter to Joseph Bloch (21–22 September 1890), in which he describes historical outcomes as the product of a "resultant" of many intersecting individual wills, analogous to a parallelogram of forces in physics. The main line of the history of the People's Republic of China can be summarized as follows: first, safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, maintaining world peace and human development and progress, promoting exchange and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and world civilizations, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind; second, adhering to Marxism as the fundamental guiding ideology for building the Party and the country and for rejuvenating the Party and the country, continuously adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and advancing the great social revolution through self-revolution; third, promoting China's national economic and social development, advancing Chinese-path modernization, promoting the coordinated development of socialist material, political, cultural-ethical, social, and ecological civilization with Chinese characteristics, and gradually achieving common prosperity for all the people; fourth, promoting the complete reunification of the motherland, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, jointly building the great motherland, and jointly creating a better life. The theme and main line of the history of the People's Republic of China fully reflect and distinctly manifest the goals, tasks, path guidance, and practical characteristics of the Party leading the people in advancing the construction and development of New China.

新中国由新民主主义走向社会主义，开创和拓展中国特色社会主义道路，为中华民族实现伟大复兴提供了基础和保障。新中国史就是在民族独立、人民解放的基础上实现国家富强、人民幸福，奠基、开创、坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，不断推进实现中华民族伟大复兴的创业史、探索史和奋斗史。新中国史充分证明，只有社会主义才能救中国，只有社会主义才能发展中国，中国特色社会主义道路是指引中国发展繁荣的正确道路。由此，新中国史的主题集中概括起来，就是不断推进马克思主义中国化时代化，奠基、开创、坚持和发展中国特色社会主义，奋力把我国建成富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国，全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。恩格斯指出，人们创造历史的活动，如同无数力的平行四边形形成的一种总的合力。新中国史的主线归纳起来，一是维护国家主权、安全和发展利益，维护世界和平和人类发展进步，推动中华文明和世界文明交流互鉴，推动构建人类命运共同体；二是坚持以马克思主义为立党立国、兴党兴国的根本指导思想，不断推进马克思主义中国化时代化，以自我革命推进伟大社会革命；三是推进中国国民经济和社会发展，推进中国式现代化，推进中国特色社会主义物质文明、政治文明、精神文明、社会文明和生态文明建设协调发展，逐步实现全体人民共同富裕；四是推进祖国完全统一，铸牢中华民族共同体意识，共同建设伟大祖国，共同创造美好生活。新中国史的主题主线，充分反映和鲜明彰显党领导人民推进新中国建设和发展的目标任务、道路指引和实践特色。

Profoundly Revealing the Mainstream and Essence of the History of the People's Republic of China

深刻揭示新中国史的主流本质

History is the foundation upon which a country and a nation establish themselves. The people are the creators of history. The Party takes the people's aspiration for a better life as its goal of struggle, taking root among the people and relying on the people to create historic achievements. The history of the People's Republic of China was created and written by the Party leading the people in comprehensively grasping the basic features and development direction of the entire society, through self-reliance, hard struggle, and forging ahead with determination. The red political power was hard-won, New China was hard-won, and socialism with Chinese characteristics was hard-won. This is the inevitability of historical development and the firm choice of the people.

历史是一个国家和民族安身立命的基础。人民是历史的创造者，党把人民对美好生活的向往作为奋斗目标，扎根人民、依靠人民创造历史伟业。新中国史是党领导人民全面把握整个社会的基本面貌和发展方向，在自力更生、艰苦奋斗、砥砺奋进中创造和书写出来的，红色政权来之不易，新中国来之不易，中国特色社会主义来之不易。这是历史发展的必然、人民的坚定选择。

Only by following the laws of historical development and grasping the general trends of historical development can we push the tide of history forward. The founding of the People's Republic of China completely ended the history of old China as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, and China's development has since entered a new epoch. On the basis of restoring the national economy, New China completed the socialist revolution and advanced socialist construction, realizing the most extensive and profound social transformation in the history of the Chinese nation, establishing an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system, and striding from extreme poverty into a socialist society. Carrying out reform and opening up and socialist modernization, continuously unleashing and developing the social productive forces, it achieved a historic leap in the people's lives from having inadequate food and clothing to being moderately prosperous in general and then to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, enabling China to catch up with the times in big strides. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party has led the people in inaugurating the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, coordinating the promotion of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and then comprehensively building a modern socialist country and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The history of the People's Republic of China profoundly contains the historical inevitability, stage-based development, and regularity of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. These are: upholding the Party's overall leadership is the essential path for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics; socialism with Chinese characteristics is the essential path for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; unity and struggle are the essential path for the Chinese people to create historic achievements; implementing the new development philosophy is the essential path for China's development and growth in the New Era; and comprehensive and strict governance of the Party is the essential path for the Party to maintain its vigor and vitality and successfully embark on the new journey of the "exam" [2]2 "The new journey of the 'exam'" (新的赶考之路) is a Party metaphor for the ongoing process of governance and national construction, likening the Party's leadership to a student taking a continuous examination set by history and the people. It originates from Mao Zedong's remark on the eve of the founding of the PRC in 1949 that entering Beijing was like "going to take an exam.".

遵循历史发展规律，把握历史发展大势，才能推动历史潮流奔腾向前。新中国成立，彻底结束了旧中国半殖民地半封建社会的历史，中国发展从此开启新纪元。新中国在恢复国民经济的基础上，完成社会主义革命、推进社会主义建设，实现了中华民族有史以来最为广泛而深刻的社会变革，建立起独立的比较完整的工业体系和国民经济体系，从一穷二白大步迈进社会主义社会。进行改革开放和社会主义现代化建设，不断解放和发展社会生产力，实现了人民生活从温饱不足到总体小康、奔向全面小康的历史性跨越，中国大踏步赶上了时代。党的十八大以来，党领导人民开创中国特色社会主义新时代，统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局、协调推进“四个全面”战略布局，全面建成小康社会，进而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。新中国史深刻蕴含坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的历史必然性、发展阶段性和规律性。这就是，坚持党的全面领导是坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的必由之路，中国特色社会主义是实现中华民族伟大复兴的必由之路，团结奋斗是中国人民创造历史伟业的必由之路，贯彻新发展理念是新时代我国发展壮大的必由之路，全面从严治党是党永葆生机活力、走好新的赶考之路的必由之路。

The historical development of the People’s Republic of China has been magnificent and surging forward, fundamentally changing the destiny of the Chinese people and opening up and expanding the correct path for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. However, this historical process has not been smooth sailing. The construction and development of the country have faced various risks, challenges, and tests, and there have been some mistakes and twists and turns due to subjective and objective factors. In particular, the Party experienced serious setbacks during the socialist revolution and construction, but these were, after all, in the course of exploration. At the same time, the original theoretical achievements and tremendous accomplishments made by the Party during this period provided valuable experience, theoretical preparation, and material foundation for initiating socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new historical period. Subsequently, through summarizing and drawing lessons from historical experience, the Party advanced theoretical innovation, practical innovation, and institutional innovation, opening up new horizons. The history of the People’s Republic of China is the history of the Party leading the people in revolution, construction, and reform, achieving tremendous successes, and always moving forward. In summary, the mainstream of the history of the People’s Republic of China can be expressed as: establishing the country, rejuvenating the country, and strengthening the country; taking our own path; benefiting the people; promoting the building of a better world; with brilliant achievements and broad prospects. The essence of the history of the People’s Republic of China lies in the history of socialist development that adapts Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, the history of the people’s united struggle, and the history of comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

新中国历史发展波澜壮阔、浩荡前行，从根本上改变了中国人民的前途命运，开辟和拓展了实现中华民族伟大复兴的正确道路。但这一历史进程并不是一帆风顺的。国家的建设和发展面临各种风险挑战考验，出现过由于主、客观因素导致的一些失误和波折。特别是党在社会主义革命和建设中经历了严重曲折，但这毕竟是在探索中的，同时党在这一时期取得的独创性理论成果和巨大成就，为在新的历史时期开创中国特色社会主义提供了宝贵经验、理论准备、物质基础，并且在其后通过总结和吸取历史经验教训，推进理论创新、实践创新和制度创新，开辟了新天地。新中国史是党领导人民进行革命、建设和改革并取得巨大成就的历史，总是向前发展的。归结起来，新中国史的主流可表述为，立国兴国强国，走自己的路，为民造福，推动建设美好世界，成就辉煌、前景广阔。新中国史的本质则在于，推进马克思主义中国化时代化的社会主义发展史、人民团结奋斗史、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴史。

Deeply Advance Research on the History of the People’s Republic of China

深入推进新中国史研究

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter and his important discourses on the history

习近平总书记的贺信精神和关于新中国史的重要论述，是新时代新征程深入推进新中国史研究的根本遵循和行动指南。新中国史的主题主线、主流本质，深刻蕴含新中国史发展的方向、道路、制度、进程、成就与经验，集中反映新中国史发展的主体脉络乃至整体和全貌，也是人们认识和研究新中国史的基本历史依据和主要线索。牢牢把握新中国史的主题主线、主流本质，必须坚持正确政治方向，坚持历史唯物主义，以马克思主义中国化时代化最新成果为指导，深入推进新中国史研究繁荣发展，坚定历史自信、增强历史主动，为时代凝心聚力铸魂。

Research on the history of the People’s Republic of China must focus on deeply understanding the historical process, historical inevitability, and developmental laws of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics concerns the future of the country, the destiny of the nation, and the well-being of the people. It is the path that the Party, in each historical period of the Chinese revolution, construction, and reform, adhered to the worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, concretely, historically, and systematically analyzed the movement and developmental laws of social contradictions in the People’s Republic of China, continuously grasped and actively applied laws to lay the foundation, initiate, and develop. It is deeply embedded in the theme, main line, mainstream essence of the history of the People’s Republic of China. Research on the history of the People’s Republic of China must combine history with reality, theory with practice, and domestic with international contexts, clearly explaining where the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics came from and where it is going, profoundly elucidating the path’s deep historical foundations, broad practical basis, and far-reaching historical significance, inspiring people to continuously strengthen confidence in the path, confidence in the theory, confidence in the system, and confidence in the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

新中国史研究要着力于深刻认识中国特色社会主义道路的历史进程、历史必然性和发展规律性。中国特色社会主义道路关乎国家前途、民族命运、人民福祉，是党在中国革命、建设和改革各个历史时期，坚持辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的世界观和方法论，具体、历史和系统分析新中国社会矛盾运动及其发展规律，不断把握规律、积极运用规律而奠基、开创和发展的，深刻蕴含于新中国史的主题主线、主流本质之中。新中国史研究要将历史与现实、理论与实践、国内与国际相结合，讲清楚中国特色社会主义道路是从哪里来的、要到哪里去，深刻阐明这一道路的深厚历史底蕴、广泛现实基础和深远历史意义，激励人们不断增强中国特色社会主义道路自信、理论自信、制度自信、文化自信。

Research on the history of the People’s Republic of China must focus on deeply understanding the historical process and bright prospects of comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization is a socialist modernization led by the Party. It was successfully advanced and expanded by the Party on the basis of long-term exploration and practice since the founding of the People’s Republic, especially since reform and opening up, and through theoretical and practical innovations and breakthroughs since the 18th National Congress of the CPC. [3]3 The 18th National Congress of the CPC, held in 2012, marked the beginning of the New Era under Xi Jinping’s leadership. Chinese-path modernization not only began and developed within the historical process of the People’s Republic of China but also, as a basic mode of practice, runs through the historical process of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, becoming the profound contemporary connotation of the theme, main line, mainstream essence of the history of the People’s Republic of China. To this end, research on the history of the People’s Republic of China must, based on the national conditions and historical development of the People’s Republic, deeply study that Chinese-path modernization not only shares common features with the modernization of all countries but also possesses Chinese characteristics based on its own national conditions, profoundly elucidate the essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization, the major principles that must be grasped in comprehensively building a modern socialist country, and the overall strategic arrangements for comprehensively building a great modern socialist country, inspiring people to strengthen historical confidence and enhance historical initiative, better consolidating the spiritual strength of unity and struggle.

新中国史研究要聚焦于深刻认识以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的历史进程和光明前景。中国式现代化是党领导的社会主义现代化，是党在新中国成立特别是改革开放以来长期探索和实践基础上，经过党的十八大以来在理论和实践上的创新突破，成功推进和拓展的。中国式现代化不仅开启和发展于新中国历史发展进程之中，而且作为基本实践方式贯穿于实现中华民族伟大复兴的历史进程，成为新中国史的主题主线、主流本质的深厚时代内涵。为此，新中国史研究要根据新中国的国情和历史发展，深入研究中国式现代化既有各国现代化的共同特征，更有基于自己国情的中国特色，深刻阐明中国式现代化的本质要求、全面建设社会主义现代化国家必须把握的重大原则、全面建成社会主义现代化强国的总的战略安排，激励人们坚定历史自信、增强历史主动，更好凝聚团结奋斗的精神力量。

Research on the history of the People’s Republic of China is an important component of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics guided by Marxism. It is the foundational and backbone discipline for comprehensively and systematically understanding and disseminating the independent knowledge system of the People’s Republic of China. In the New Era and new journey, it is necessary to accelerate the construction of the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system for research on the history of the People’s Republic of China. Promote the integrated development of basic theoretical research and applied research in the history of the People’s Republic of China. Combine history with theory, actively carry out the collection and collation of historical materials on the history of the People’s Republic of China, strengthen research on the theory and methods of the history of the People’s Republic of China, and promote the development of Chinese studies in the New Era. Research on the history of the People’s Republic of China must strengthen ideological guidance and theoretical analysis, take a clear stand against historical nihilism, rectify the source and consolidate the foundation, [4]4 “Rectify the source and consolidate the foundation” (正 paint a portrait of the times, write a biography for the times, and illuminate virtue for the times, [5] providing strong spiritual strength for comprehensively building a modern socialist country and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, unswervingly guarding and building a great country along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

新中国史研究是以马克思主义为指导的中国特色哲学社会科学的重要组成部分，是全面、系统认识和传播新中国自主知识体系的基础和骨干学科，要在新时代新征程上加快构建新中国史研究的学科体系、学术体系和话语体系。推进新中国史基础理论研究和应用研究融合发展。史论结合，积极开展新中国史史料的搜集和整理，加强新中国史理论与方法研究，推进新时代中国学发展。新中国史研究要加强思想引导和理论辨析，旗帜鲜明反对历史虚无主义，正本清源、固本培元，为时代画像、为时代立传、为时代明德，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提供强大精神力量，坚定不移沿着中国特色社会主义道路守护、建设好伟大国家。

(Author: Song Yuehong, Deputy Director and Researcher of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者：宋月红，系中国社会科学院当代中国研究所副所长、研究员）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心