The Three Dimensions of the New Era Youth’s Practice of the Patriotic Education Law

The spirit of patriotism is the spiritual gene of the Chinese nation, inspiring generation after generation of Chinese sons and daughters to forge ahead bravely for the development and prosperity of the motherland. Recently, the Sixth Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress voted to pass the *Patriotic Education Law of the People’s Republic of China*, which will take effect on January 1, 2024. Formulating the Patriotic Education Law to promote and guarantee patriotic education in the New Era through the rule of law is of extremely great and far-reaching significance for invigorating the national spirit, uniting the people’s strength, and advancing the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation. As important objects and practicing subjects of the Patriotic Education Law, New Era youth must deeply study the Patriotic Education Law, comprehend the power of the rule of law, and consciously practice the Patriotic Education Law from the three dimensions of “knowing, learning, and doing,” inheriting and carrying forward the spirit of patriotism, so that the great banner of patriotism always flies high in their hearts.

爱国主义精神是中华民族的精神基因，激励着一代又一代中华儿女为祖国发展繁荣而奋勇直前。近日，十四届全国人大常委会第六次会议表决通过了《中华人民共和国爱国主义教育法》，自2024年1月1日起施行。制定爱国主义教育法，以法治方式推动和保障新时代爱国主义教育，对于振奋民族精神，凝聚人民力量，推进强国建设、民族复兴，具有十分重大而深远的意义。作为爱国主义教育法的重要对象和践行主体，新时代青年必须深入学习爱国主义教育法，体悟法治力量，从“知、学、行”三重维度自觉践行爱国主义教育法，传承和弘扬爱国主义精神，让爱国主义的伟大旗帜始终在心中高高飘扬。

Respect and know the law, clarifying the era’s requirements of the Patriotic Education Law. In contemporary China, the essence of patriotism is to adhere to the high degree of unity between love for the country, love for the Party, and love for socialism. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, only by adhering to the unity of love for the country, love for the Party, and love for socialism can patriotism be vivid and real; this is the most important manifestation of the spirit of contemporary Chinese patriotism. As an important component of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, the Patriotic Education Law is an important manifestation of the innovative achievements of adhering to law-based governance in all respects and advancing the rule of law in China. Today, we are closer to, more confident in, and more capable of achieving the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any time in history. On the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, we must, through patriotic education, use the great achievements made by the Party leading the people and the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics to guide people to deeply understand that love for the country, love for the Party, and love for socialism are a trinity, organically unified in the great practice of taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the Party, thereby gathering the mighty force of the Chinese nation to ride the wind and waves and march toward rejuvenation. On the other hand, in the midst of changes unseen in a century, the international situation is complex and volatile, with uncertain and unpredictable factors constantly increasing. Facing the various tests that may come, to seize the initiative and win the future in the increasingly fierce international competition, it is necessary to deepen patriotic education, making patriotism a firm belief, spiritual strength, and conscious action of all Chinese people, so that people of all ethnic groups, united as one under the leadership of the Party, concentrate their efforts on doing their own things well.

尊法知法，明晰爱国主义教育法的时代要求。在当代中国，爱国主义的本质就是坚持爱国和爱党、爱社会主义高度统一。正如习近平总书记所强调，只有坚持爱国和爱党、爱社会主义相统一，爱国主义才是鲜活的、真实的，这是当代中国爱国主义精神最重要的体现。作为中国特色社会主义法律体系的重要组成部分，爱国主义教育法是坚持全面依法治国、推进法治中国建设创新成果的重要体现。今天，我们比历史上任何时期都更接近、更有信心和能力实现中华民族伟大复兴的目标。在全面建设社会主义现代化国家的新征程上，要通过爱国主义教育，用党领导人民取得的伟大成就，用中国特色社会主义制度的优势，引导人们深刻认识爱国、爱党、爱社会主义三位一体，有机统一在中国共产党领导的走中国特色社会主义道路的伟大实践之中，从而汇聚起中华民族乘风破浪、走向复兴的磅礴伟力。另一方面，身处百年未有之大变局，国际形势复杂多变，不确定、难预料因素不断增多，面对可能到来的种种考验，在日趋激烈的国际竞争中把握主动、赢得未来，需要深化爱国主义教育，使爱国主义成为全体中国人民的坚定信念、精神力量和自觉行动，让各族人民在党的领导下团结一心、众志成城，聚精会神做好自己的事情。

Study and understand the law, deeply comprehending the hierarchical dimensions of the Patriotic Education Law. “The vitality of the law lies in its implementation, and the implementation of the law lies in people.” New Era youth are not only important applicable objects of the Patriotic Education Law but also important practicing subjects of it. This requires New Era youth to incorporate the Patriotic Education Law into their daily learning activities, strengthen their rule-of-law thinking, firmly establish rule-of-law awareness, carry forward the great spirit of patriotism, study and understand the law, clarify the reasoning, theory, and philosophy behind the Patriotic Education Law, and contribute their youth and radiance to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics led by the Party. First, we must adhere to the

学法懂法，深刻领悟爱国主义教育法的层次维度。“法律的生命力在于实施，法律的实施在于人。”新时代青年既是爱国主义教育法的重要适用对象，也是爱国主义教育法的重要践行主体，这要求新时代青年必须把爱国主义教育法纳入日常的学习活动中，强化法治思维，树牢法治意识，弘扬爱国主义伟大精神，学法懂法，弄清楚爱国主义教育法背后的道理学理哲理，为党领导的中国特色社会主义事业贡献青春与光热。首先，要坚持以习近平法治思想为指引，厚植爱国之情，树牢报国之志，将爱国主义教育法同中华优秀传统文化相结合，加深对“两个结合”的理解，把以爱国主义为核心的民族精神和以改革创新为核心的时代精神融会贯通到日常学习生活中，旗帜鲜明地反对历史虚无主义和和民粹主义等错误思潮，不断增强中华民族的归属感、认同感、尊严感与荣誉感。同时，爱国主义教育是多层次、多维度的，爱国主义教育与铸牢中华民族共同体意识教育、传承中华优秀传统文化、弘扬社会主义核心价值观、国防和国家安全教育等目标一致，内容相通。对于新时代的青年来说，要将爱国主义教育与铸牢中华民族共同体意识教育紧密结合，构筑中华民族共有精神家园；要将爱国主义教育与传承和发展中华优秀传统文化紧密结合，坚定文化自信，建设中华民族现代文明；要将爱国主义教育与弘扬社会主义核心价值观紧密结合，推动两者有机融合；要将爱国主义教育与国防和国家安全教育紧密结合；要将爱国主义教育与公民工作生活紧密结合，让人们感受祖国的壮美河山和悠久文化，展现劳动之美，激发爱国情怀。

Abide by and use the law, consciously internalize the spirit of patriotism in the mind and externalize it in action. The Patriotic Education Law emphasizes that patriotic education is education for all the people; according to the characteristics of different social groups, it highlights the youth group; it not only emphasizes ideological guidance, cultural cultivation, and educational guidance, but also emphasizes practice cultivation, integration into daily life, and a focus on practical results. Its content covers ideological and political aspects, history and culture, national symbols and signs, magnificent landscapes and historical and cultural heritage, the Constitution and laws, national unity and ethnic solidarity, national security and national defense, the deeds of heroes, martyrs, and model figures, as well as the national spirit and the spirit of the times they embody, and other aspects. Young people in the New Era must recognize that only by unswervingly listening to the Party and following the Party, consciously acting as defenders and practitioners of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, and examining themselves with the Patriotic Education Law, can they better integrate their deep affection for the motherland and their shared destiny with the people throughout their academic process and integrate it into their career pursuits, growing into a new generation capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation.

守法用法，自觉把爱国主义精神内化于心外化于行。爱国主义教育法强调爱国主义教育是面向全体人民的教育，根据不同社会群体的特点，突出青少年群体；既强调思想引领、文化涵育、教育引导，又强调实践养成、融入日常、注重实效。其内容涵盖思想政治、历史文化、国家象征和标志、壮美河山和历史文化遗产、宪法法律、国家统一和民族团结、国家安全和国防、英烈和模范人物事迹及体现的民族精神、时代精神等各个方面。新时代青年要认识到，只有坚定不移听党话、跟党走，自觉做中国特色社会主义法律体系的捍卫者和践行者，用爱国主义教育法检视自身，才能更好地把对祖国血浓于水、与人民同呼吸共命运的情感贯穿学业全过程、融汇在事业追求中，成长为堪当民族复兴重任的时代新人。

We must strengthen confidence in the path, confidence in the theory, confidence in the system, and confidence in the culture, and resolutely oppose historical nihilism. Young people in the New Era, on the basis of fully understanding the content of the Patriotic Education Law, must deeply grasp the legal norms stipulated by the Patriotic Education Law, take the regulations and provisions of the Patriotic Education Law as behavioral guidelines, examine and discern clearly, abide by established rules, constantly regulate personal words and deeds according to the standards and requirements of the Patriotic Education Law, and truly internalize the Patriotic Education Law in the mind and externalize it in action; at the same time, adhere to rationality, inclusiveness, and openness, learn from and absorb all outstanding achievements of human civilization, prevent interference from populism and the like, and resolutely oppose words and deeds that harm the image and interests of the nation and the people.

要坚定道路自信、理论自信、制度自信、文化自信，坚决反对历史虚无主义。新时代青年要在充分理解爱国主义教育法内容的基础上，深入把握爱国主义教育法所规定的法律准则，以爱国主义教育法的法规条例为行为准则，审思明辨、恪守成规，时时刻刻以爱国主义教育法的准则要求规范个人言行，真正把爱国主义教育法内化于心、外化于行；与此同时，坚持理性、包容、开放，借鉴吸收人类一切优秀文明成果，防止民粹主义等干扰，坚决反对损害国家和民族形象、利益的言行。

(Author: Xiao Yu, Assistant Researcher at the School of Marxism, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law)

（作者：肖雨，中南财经政法大学马克思主义学院助理研究员）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧