Accelerate the Building of a Socialist Cultural Power

Culture concerns the foundation of a nation and its destiny. The *Decision* of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC is a programmatic document guiding the further comprehensive deepening of reform on the new journey, and is another general mobilization and general deployment for advancing comprehensive deepening of reform in breadth and depth at a new historical starting point. Closely centering on advancing Chinese-path modernization, the *Decision* emphasizes “seven focal points” in the overall goal of further comprehensively deepening reform, one important aspect of which is “focusing on building a socialist cultural power,” presenting a bright prospect for building a socialist cultural power. Thoroughly studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, accelerating the building of a socialist cultural power, deepening reform of the cultural systems and mechanisms, enabling the people to be prosperous in both material and spiritual life, and continuously enhancing the country’s cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture—these are of great significance for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.

文化关乎国本、国运。党的二十届三中全会《决定》是指导新征程上进一步全面深化改革的纲领性文件，是在新的历史起点上推进全面深化改革向广度和深度进军的又一次总动员、总部署。《决定》紧紧围绕推进中国式现代化，在进一步全面深化改革的总目标中强调了“七个聚焦”，其中一个重要方面就是“聚焦建设社会主义文化强国”，展现了建设社会主义文化强国的美好前景。深入学习贯彻习近平文化思想，加快建设社会主义文化强国，深化文化体制机制改革，让人民群众物质生活和精神生活都富裕，让国家文化软实力和中华文化影响力不断提升，对于以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业具有重要意义。

Deeply Understand the Great Significance of Focusing on Building a Socialist Cultural Power

深刻认识聚焦建设社会主义文化强国的重大意义

General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “Culture is the soul of a country and a nation. When culture thrives, the nation thrives; when culture is strong, the nation is strong.” On the new journey of the New Era, we must proceed from the strategic height of building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation, focus on the great mission of continuing the Chinese cultural lineage and promoting cultural prosperity, and deeply understand the great significance of focusing on building a socialist cultural power.

习近平总书记指出：“文化是一个国家、一个民族的灵魂。文化兴国运兴，文化强民族强。”新时代新征程，我们要从强国建设、民族复兴的战略高度，着眼赓续中华文脉、推动文化繁荣的重大使命，深刻认识聚焦建设社会主义文化强国的重大意义。

The strength of a country or a nation is always supported by cultural flourishing, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the development and prosperity of Chinese culture as a condition. Both history and reality show that the rise and fall of a country or a nation are closely related to its own culture. In the long river of history, Chinese culture has provided rich nourishment for the endless continuity and development of the Chinese nation. The reason why China was able to hold a leading position in the history of human development for a long time is inseparable from the influence of Chinese culture. The current and future period is a critical period for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. We need not only a highly developed material civilization but also a highly prosperous cultural-ethical progress. Only by accelerating the building of a socialist cultural power can we fully build a great modern socialist country and comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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。历史和现实都表明，一个国家、一个民族的兴衰与自身的文化密切相关。在漫长的历史长河中，中华文化为中华民族生生不息、发展壮大提供了丰厚的滋养。中国之所以能够在人类发展史上曾经长期处于领先地位，离不开中华文化的影响力。当前和今后一个时期是以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期，我们不仅需要高度发达的物质文明，也需要高度繁荣的精神文明。只有加快建设社会主义文化强国，才能全面建成社会主义现代化强国、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。

The *Decision* closely centers on the theme of advancing Chinese-path modernization to outline strategic measures for further comprehensively deepening reform. Focusing on building a socialist cultural power fully indicates the inseparable relationship between Chinese-path modernization and socialist culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “Without the prosperity and development of socialist culture, there is no socialist modernization.” On the basis of long-term exploration and practice, our Party has united and led the Chinese people to successfully advance and expand Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization in which material civilization and cultural-ethical progress are coordinated. It emphasizes both the great abundance of material wealth and the great abundance of spiritual wealth, and is committed to promoting the unity of the comprehensive enrichment of things and the comprehensive development of people. Taking “focusing on building a socialist cultural power” as a sub-field target task for further comprehensively deepening reform highlights the important role of cultural power building in advancing Chinese-path modernization. In fact, cultural construction complements and is closely related to construction in other fields. For example, for building a high-level socialist market economy system and promoting high-quality development, culture plays an important supporting role; for improving the institutional system for ensuring and improving people’s livelihood and enhancing the quality of people’s life, culture is an important factor; for improving the Party’s leadership level and long-term governance capacity and overcoming various risks and challenges on the path forward, culture provides important strength support; and so on. From these important roles of culture, it can be seen that without the prosperity and development of socialist culture, there is no socialist modernization. Only by focusing on building a socialist cultural power, promoting cultural prosperity, and giving full play to culture’s important role in value shaping and凝聚人心 [n1], can we continuously strengthen the people’s strength, invigorate the national spirit, and gather the mighty force for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

《决定》紧紧围绕推进中国式现代化这个主题擘画进一步全面深化改革的战略举措，聚焦建设社会主义文化强国充分表明中国式现代化与社会主义文化之间具有密不可分的关系。习近平总书记指出：“没有社会主义文化繁荣发展，就没有社会主义现代化。”在长期探索和实践的基础上，我们党团结带领中国人民成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化。中国式现代化是物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化，既强调物质财富的极大丰富，也强调精神财富的极大丰富，致力于促进物的全面丰富和人的全面发展相统一。把“聚焦建设社会主义文化强国”作为进一步全面深化改革的分领域目标任务，凸显了文化强国建设在推进中国式现代化中的重要作用。事实上，文化建设与其他领域的建设相辅相成、紧密相关，比如，对于构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制、推动高质量发展来说，文化发挥重要支点作用；对于健全保障和改善民生制度体系、提高人民生活品质来说，文化是重要因素；对于提高党的领导水平和长期执政能力、战胜前进道路上各种风险挑战来说，文化提供重要力量支撑；等等。从文化的这些重要作用可以看出，没有社会主义文化繁荣发展，就没有社会主义现代化。唯有聚焦建设社会主义文化强国，推动文化繁荣兴盛，充分发挥文化在价值塑造、凝心聚力方面的重要作用，才能不断增强人民力量、振奋民族精神，汇聚起实现中华民族伟大复兴的磅礴伟力。

Deeply Understand the Necessity of Deepening Reform of Cultural Systems and Mechanisms

深入理解深化文化体制机制改革的必要性

The *Decision* thoroughly implements Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, focuses on building a socialist cultural power, puts forward the major task of deepening reform of cultural systems and mechanisms, clarifies the reform path and specific measures, and points out the direction for cultural reform and development on the new journey of the New Era. We must deeply grasp the great significance of deepening reform of cultural systems and mechanisms for building a socialist cultural power, and deeply understand that deepening reform of cultural systems and mechanisms and promoting cultural prosperity at the new historical starting point concern the overall situation of Chinese-path modernization construction and concern the long-term stability of the country and the sustainable development of the nation.

《决定》深入贯彻落实习近平文化思想，聚焦建设社会主义文化强国，提出深化文化体制机制改革重大任务，明确改革路径和具体举措，为新时代新征程文化改革发展指明了前进方向。我们要深入把握深化文化体制机制改革对于建设社会主义文化强国的重大意义，深刻认识在新的历史起点上深化文化体制机制改革、推动文化繁荣，事关中国式现代化建设全局，事关国家长治久安、民族永续发展。

An inevitable requirement for strengthening cultural confidence and writing a new chapter in cultural construction. Cultural confidence is the most basic, deepest, and most enduring force in the development of a country or a nation. A nation with cultural confidence can stand firm, remain stable, and go far. Our cultural confidence comes from cultural subjectivity. To strengthen cultural confidence by consolidating cultural subjectivity, continuously enhance the country’s cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture, and stand firm in the world’s cultural currents, it is necessary to make good use of the “Two Integrations” [n2] as the greatest magic weapon, carry forward the historical initiative spirit of shouldering the new cultural mission of the New Era, and adhere to the correct methodology for deepening reform of cultural systems and mechanisms. In further comprehensively deepening reform, we must establish and improve systems and mechanisms conducive to deepening the “Two Integrations,” eliminate all ideological concepts and institutional drawbacks that hinder the “Two Integrations,” guard the soul vein of Marxism and the root vein of fine traditional Chinese culture, and strive to write a new chapter in cultural construction in the broad cultural space created by the “Integration” and in the new realm of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

坚定文化自信、谱写文化建设新篇章的必然要求。文化自信是一个国家、一个民族发展中最基本、最深沉、最持久的力量。有文化自信的民族，才能立得住、站得稳、行得远，我们的文化自信来自文化主体性。通过巩固文化主体性来坚定文化自信，不断提升国家文化软实力和中华文化影响力，在世界文化激荡中站稳脚跟，需要用好“两个结合”这一最大法宝，发扬勇担新时代新的文化使命的历史主动精神，坚持深化文化体制机制改革的正确方法论。要在进一步全面深化改革中建立健全有助于深化“两个结合”的体制机制，破除一切制约“两个结合”的思想观念和体制机制弊端，守好马克思主义这个魂脉和中华优秀传统文化这个根脉，在“结合”营造的广阔文化空间中、在马克思主义中国化时代化新境界中，奋力谱写文化建设新篇章。

An inevitable requirement for cultivating the spirit of reform and innovation and empowering Chinese-path modernization. Culture, as a social consciousness that condenses human wisdom, experience, and creativity, can subtly influence the development trend of objective social reality. Advancing Chinese-path modernization requires not only careful planning, scientific design, and solid implementation around the grand goal of fully building a great modern socialist country, but also actively leveraging the role of culture to continuously cultivate people’s spirit of reform and innovation that keeps pace with the times, forges ahead, diligently explores, and bravely practices, and vigorously create a social atmosphere that encourages reform, is good at reform, and upholds reform. The historical experience of building socialism with Chinese characteristics shows: only those who reform advance, only those who strive lead. Only by deepening reform of cultural systems and mechanisms and fully stimulating the cultural innovation and creativity of the entire nation can we provide an inexhaustible spiritual driving force for Chinese-path modernization.

涵养改革创新精神、赋能中国式现代化的必然要求。文化作为一种凝聚人类智慧、经验和创造的社会意识，能够潜移默化地影响客观社会现实的发展趋向。推进中国式现代化，不仅要围绕全面建成社会主义现代化强国的宏伟目标精心规划、科学设计和扎实落实，而且要积极发挥文化作用，不断涵养人们与时俱进、锐意进取、勤于探索和勇于实践的改革创新精神，大力营造勇于改革、善于改革和崇尚改革的社会风尚。中国特色社会主义建设的历史经验昭示：唯改革者进，唯奋进者先。只有深化文化体制机制改革，充分激发全民族文化创新创造活力，才能为中国式现代化提供源源不断的精神动力。

An inevitable requirement for liberating and developing cultural productive forces and responding to the new situation and new tasks of cultural construction. At present, the overall strategy of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century are intertwined and mutually stimulating, and the environment for cultural development has undergone profound changes. On the one hand, the development of the market economy has made the connection between culture and the market increasingly close. Only by deepening reform of cultural systems and mechanisms and further promoting the integration of culture with the market can we optimize the allocation of cultural resources and advance the modernization of the governance system and governance capacity in the cultural field. This has become an inevitable requirement for cultural construction in the New Era. On the other hand, the rapid development and widespread application of information technology have not only greatly enhanced the creativity and dissemination power of culture but also profoundly changed the mode of cultural production and cultural lifestyle, giving rise to emerging cultural formats and new types of cultural consumption scenarios. Only by deepening reform of cultural systems and mechanisms and establishing systems and mechanisms that adapt to the development of modern technology can we further liberate and develop cultural productive forces and continuously expand the space for the creation, production, dissemination, and consumption of spiritual and cultural products.

解放和发展文化生产力、应对文化建设新形势新任务的必然要求。当前，中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局同步交织、相互激荡，文化发展的环境发生了深刻变化。一方面，市场经济的发展使文化与市场的关联日益紧密，只有深化文化体制机制改革，进一步推动文化与市场接轨，才能优化文化资源配置，推进文化领域治理体系和治理能力现代化。这已经成为新时代文化建设的必然要求。另一方面，信息技术的迅猛发展和广泛应用，不但极大增强了文化的创造力和传播力，而且深刻改变了文化生产方式和文化生活方式，催生了新兴文化业态和新型文化消费场景。只有深化文化体制机制改革，建立与现代科技发展相适应的体制机制，才能进一步解放和发展文化生产力，不断拓展精神文化产品创作、生产、传播和消费空间。

Put the Building of a Socialist Cultural Power into Practice

把建设社会主义文化强国落到实处

Building a socialist cultural power at the new historical starting point is an arduous task. We must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, ensure that further comprehensive deepening of reform proceeds smoothly and orderly in the cultural field, develop advanced socialist culture, promote revolutionary culture, inherit fine traditional Chinese culture, fully stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the entire nation, and put the building of a socialist cultural power into practice.

在新的历史起点上建设社会主义文化强国是一项艰巨的任务。我们要坚持以习近平文化思想为引领，确保进一步全面深化改革在文化领域平稳有序推进，发展社会主义先进文化，弘扬革命文化，传承中华优秀传统文化，充分激发全民族文化创新创造活力，把建设社会主义文化强国落到实处。

Uphold the fundamental institution of Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological sphere. The most important aspect of upholding and consolidating the guiding position of Marxism is to uphold and consolidate the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era with a high degree of political, ideological, and action-based consciousness, firmly support the Two Establishments [3]3 The Two Establishments (两个确立) refers to establishing Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and establishing the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era., and resolutely achieve the Two Upholds [4]4 The Two Upholds (两个维护) refers to upholding Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee., ensuring that China’s cultural reform and development always advance in the correct direction. Improve the responsibility system for ideological work, and firmly grasp leadership over ideology. Perfect the work system for arming the entire Party, educating the people, and guiding practice with the Party’s innovative theories, and promote the normalization and institutionalization of studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Innovate the project for the study and development of Marxist theory, implement an innovation project for philosophy and social sciences, and build an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Construct a working mechanism and evaluation system adapted to all-media production and dissemination, and promote the systematic transformation of mainstream media. Promote the normalization and institutionalization of ideal and belief education, and perfect the institutional mechanisms for cultivating and practicing the core socialist values.

坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度。坚持和巩固马克思主义指导地位，最重要的就是坚持和巩固习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想指导地位。要以高度的政治自觉、思想自觉、行动自觉深入学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，坚定拥护“两个确立”，坚决做到“两个维护”，确保我国文化改革发展始终沿着正确方向前进。完善意识形态工作责任制，牢牢掌握意识形态领导权。健全用党的创新理论武装全党、教育人民、指导实践工作体系，推动学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想常态化制度化。创新马克思主义理论研究和建设工程，实施哲学社会科学创新工程，构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系。构建适应全媒体生产传播的工作机制和评价体系，推进主流媒体系统性变革。推动理想信念教育常态化制度化，完善培育和践行社会主义核心价值观制度机制。

Perfect the institutional mechanisms for the development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries. Cultural undertakings and cultural industries are important aspects of cultural construction and important supports for cultural prosperity and development. To perfect the institutional mechanisms for the development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries, we must coordinate and grasp the ideological attribute and industrial attribute of culture, insist on placing social效益 [5]5 The Chinese term 效益 (xiàoyì) combines “benefit” and “effect”; in this context, “social效益” is left in the original because the author’s argument hinges on the untranslatable duality of the term, which in Chinese usage encompasses both social benefit and social effect. The same term recurs in the phrase “economic效益.” in the first position, unifying social效益 and economic效益, perfect the cultural industry system and market system, and improve cultural economic policies. Relying on the high-level socialist market economy system, further unleash the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, better play the role of the government, and promote the cultural industry’s extension to both ends of the industrial chain and its advancement toward the high end of the value chain. Comply with the development trends of digital industrialization and industrial digitalization, explore effective mechanisms for the integration of culture and technology, transform and upgrade traditional cultural business forms, and form more new growth points for the cultural industry. According to the inherent laws of cultural construction and development, grasp the development characteristics, patterns, resource elements, and conditions of the cultural industry, strengthen forward-looking layout and planning, and promote the formation of a new pattern for the development of the cultural industry.

健全文化事业、文化产业发展体制机制。文化事业和文化产业是文化建设的重要方面，是文化繁荣发展的重要支撑。健全文化事业、文化产业发展体制机制，要统筹把握文化的意识形态属性和产业属性，坚持把社会效益放在首位、社会效益和经济效益相统一，健全文化产业体系和市场体系，完善文化经济政策。依托高水平社会主义市场经济体制，进一步发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，更好发挥政府作用，推动文化产业向产业链两端延伸、向价值链高端迈进。顺应数字产业化和产业数字化发展趋势，探索文化和科技融合的有效机制，改造提升传统文化业态，形成更多新的文化产业增长点。根据文化建设发展的内在规律，把握文化产业发展特点规律和资源要素条件，加强前瞻性布局和规划，促进形成文化产业发展新格局。

Promote cultural prosperity. Cultural prosperity and flourishing are the spiritual support for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and an inherent requirement of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Currently, to promote cultural prosperity, we must adhere to the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, insist on serving the people and serving socialism, uphold the principle of letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend [6]6 “Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend” (百花齐放，百家争鸣) is a policy for promoting artistic and academic diversity, first proposed by Mao Zedong in 1956., insist on creative transformation and innovative development, take the core socialist values as the guide, develop advanced socialist culture, promote revolutionary culture, and inherit fine traditional Chinese culture. We must take quality improvement as the lifeline of literary and artistic creation, and produce more outstanding works. We must learn from and draw on all outstanding achievements of human civilization, and produce more cultural achievements that integrate the ancient and the modern and synthesize China and the West.

推动文化繁荣。文化繁荣兴盛是实现中华民族伟大复兴的精神支撑，是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的题中之义。当前，推动文化繁荣必须坚持中国特色社会主义文化发展道路，坚持为人民服务、为社会主义服务，坚持百花齐放、百家争鸣，坚持创造性转化、创新性发展，以社会主义核心价值观为引领，发展社会主义先进文化，弘扬革命文化，传承中华优秀传统文化。要把提高质量作为文艺创作的生命线，推出更多优秀作品。要学习借鉴人类一切优秀文明成果，推出更多熔铸古今、汇通中西的文化成果。

Enrich the people’s spiritual and cultural life. The more abundant material wealth becomes, the more the people expect a rich and varied spiritual and cultural life. Currently, to continuously meet the people’s needs for spiritual and cultural life, we must adhere to a people-centered creative orientation, and strive to create and produce more works that can disseminate contemporary Chinese values, embody the spirit of Chinese culture, and reflect the aesthetic pursuits of the Chinese people. Accelerate adaptation to the new situation of rapid development in information technology, promote the implementation and landing of major deployments such as the national cultural digitalization strategy and cultural projects benefiting the people, cultivate new cultural business forms and cultural consumption models, and better meet the people’s diverse, multi-level, and multi-faceted needs for spiritual and cultural life. Perfect the public cultural service system, establish a mechanism for high-quality cultural resources to reach the grassroots directly, continuously promote the standardization, equalization, and integrated construction of urban and rural public cultural service systems, and make efforts to make up for the shortcomings in rural public cultural services.

丰富人民精神文化生活。物质财富越是富足，人民就越期待丰富多彩的精神文化生活。当前，不断满足人民精神文化生活需要，要坚持以人民为中心的创作导向，努力创作和生产更多能够传播当代中国价值理念、体现中华文化精神、反映中国人民审美追求的作品。加快适应信息技术迅猛发展新形势，推动国家文化数字化战略、文化惠民工程等重大部署落实落地，培育新型文化业态和文化消费模式，更好满足人民群众多样化、多层次、多方面的精神文化生活需求。完善公共文化服务体系，建立优质文化资源直达基层机制，持续推进城乡公共文化服务标准化、均等化以及服务体系一体化建设，着力补齐农村公共文化服务短板。

Enhance national cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture. The modern socialist power we aim to build is a modern socialist power with leading international influence. We must strengthen cultural confidence, uphold the stance of Chinese culture, refine and display the spiritual symbols and cultural essence of Chinese civilization, and better promote Chinese culture to go global. Accelerate the construction of a Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative system, strive to create new concepts, new categories, and new expressions that integrate China and the foreign, use Chinese discourse to tell China’s stories well and spread China’s voice, and present a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China. Build a strategic communication system with distinct Chinese characteristics, accelerate the construction of a multi-channel, three-dimensional external communication pattern, comprehensively enhance the effectiveness of international communication, and strive to form an international discourse power commensurate with China’s comprehensive national strength and international status. Build a mechanism for implementing the Global Civilization Initiative [7]7 The Global Civilization Initiative (全球文明倡议) is a foreign policy concept proposed by Xi Jinping in 2023, calling for respect for the diversity of civilizations and enhanced inter-civilization exchanges., promote the construction of bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms for inter-civilization exchange, deeply implement the global communication project for Chinese civilization, extensively participate in world civilization dialogue, expand international people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation, and make positive contributions to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

提升国家文化软实力和中华文化影响力。我们要建成的社会主义现代化强国是国际影响力领先的社会主义现代化强国。要坚定文化自信，坚守中华文化立场，提炼展示中华文明的精神标识和文化精髓，更好推动中华文化走出去。加快构建中国话语和中国叙事体系，着力打造融通中外的新概念、新范畴、新表述，用中国话语讲好中国故事、传播中国声音，展现可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象。构建具有鲜明中国特色的战略传播体系，加快构建多渠道、立体式对外传播格局，全面提升国际传播效能，努力形成同我国综合国力和国际地位相匹配的国际话语权。建设全球文明倡议践行机制，推动文明交流双边多边合作机制建设，深入实施中华文明全球传播工程，广泛参与世界文明对话，扩大国际人文交流合作，为推动构建人类命运共同体作出积极贡献。

[The author is a researcher at the Zhejiang Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era]

【作者为浙江省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员】

Online editor: Ma Jingren

网络编辑：马京仁