Make New Progress in the Cause of the Party and the Country*

December 6, 2022

The passing of Comrade Jiang Zemin is an immeasurable loss to the CPC, the military, and all Chinese people. The CPC Central Committee calls on all Party members, all men and women in uniform, and all the people of China to carry forward his legacy, and turn our grief into strength through actions that advance the cause of the Party and the country on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

– Marxism is the fundamental ideology upon which the CPC and the country are founded and thrive. The most valuable asset that Jiang Zemin has left us is the Theory of Three Represents. "I raised this issue after having pondered it for quite some time,"¹ he said. "The thought of Three Represents was not produced out of thin air; rather, it is the result of 13 years of constant exploration and breaking new ground in theory and practice."² The Theory of Three Represents is a guiding principle that the Party must uphold for a long time to come. On our new journey ahead, we must continue to adapt the basic tenets of Marxism to China's realities and the best of its tradi­tional culture. To maintain the vigor and vitality of Marxism, we must proceed from reality in all matters and constantly provide answers to questions concerning the present and future of China and its people and the wider world.

– The leadership of the CPC guarantees that the Party and the people will overcome all obstacles in pursuit of our cause. Jiang Zemin once said: "As a veteran CPC member, I sincerely hope that all of us in the Party, especially those in the central leadership, put the Party above anything else at all times and consciously uphold and safeguard its leadership in all fields of work. This is where the hope of the Party and the country lies." On the new journey ahead, we must always retain the clear head and determination of an examinee. We must strengthen our commitment to the Four Consciousnesses³, the Four-sphere Confidence⁴, and the Two Upholds⁵. To ensure that the Party always serves as the strong leadership core in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, we must carry forward the great founding spirit of the Party, stay true to our original aspiration and founding mission, and exhibit courage in self-reform.

– The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics allows China to rapidly bridge gaps and emerge as a global leader. In his speech at the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the CPC in 2001, Jiang Zemin emphasized that the most valuable lesson we had learned from our Party's 80 years of experience was that we must keep to our own path. To drive forward national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization on the new journey ahead, we must follow our chosen path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the Party's underlying theories, basic guidelines, and fundamental principles, stay confident and self-reliant, and maintain the right political direction while breaking new ground.

– The people are the fundamental force that determines the future of the Party and the country. Throughout his life, Jiang Zemin remained loyal to the people and always kept the people in mind. He called for the Party to "take the masses as our foundation"⁶ and emphasized on many occasions, "The interests of the overwhelming majority of the people are the most crucial and most decisive factor. This is the basic viewpoint of Marxism…."⁷ This requires us to always strive to realize, protect and develop the fundamental interests of all the people. To make greater and more substantive progress in achiev­ing well-rounded individual development and prosperity for all on the new journey ahead, we must always put the people first, serve them wholeheartedly, uphold the people-centered philosophy of develop­ment, develop whole-process people's democracy, maintain a seamless bond with the people, and stand with them at all times.

– Reform and opening up plays a decisive role in determining the future of contemporary China. Jiang Zemin emphasized, "Bring­ing forth new ideas concerning institutions, science and technology, culture and other fields through theoretical innovation, exploring the way forward in praxis, never becoming self-satisfied, and never slackening our efforts – this is the way we should run the Party and state for a long time to come."⁸ On the new journey ahead, we must be adept at and accurate in identifying, responding to, and initiating changes. We must implement the new development philosophy, create a new development dynamic, promote high-quality development, and comprehensively advance reform and opening up. We must continue to improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernize our system and capacity for governance. In this way, we will be able to gain the competitive edge, seize the initiative, and secure the future.

– China cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world, nor can the world achieve overall prosperity without China. Jiang Zemin emphasized that we must adapt to the trends of history, work to establish a new international political and economic order that is just and equitable, strive for a long-term peaceful international environment, safeguard China's national security and interests on all fronts, and continue to make new and greater contributions to the lofty cause of peace and development for humanity. On the new jour­ney ahead, we must maintain a global vision, remain committed to peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, and champion the common values of humanity. We must promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, work to build a new model of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity, and move forward together with all progressive forces in the world.

– Having the courage to fight and the fortitude to win is what has made our Party and the Chinese people invincible. Jiang Zemin emphasized: "The Party is now leading the people in the great strug­gle of socialist modernization, and we are bound to encounter many complex circumstances. Grave situations at home and abroad and the conflicts and struggles between different social and ideological systems often test every Party member."⁹ "We must be true heroes to overwhelm all enemies."¹⁰ "We could not bow our heads."¹¹ On the new journey ahead, we must race against time, strive for success, maintain a fighting spirit, and press forward all the harder, knowing the path ahead is not smooth. We must be proactive in responding to challenges, and foster a firmer sense of purpose, fortitude and self­ belief in the whole Party and the Chinese people, so that we will not be swayed by falsehoods, deterred by intimidation, or cowed by pres­sure. We must meet obstacles and difficulties head-on.

* Part of the speech at the memorial meeting for Jiang Zemin.

Notes

¹ Jiang Zemin: "Intensify Training of Young and Middle-Aged Leading Cadres Who Meet the Requirements of the New Century", Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. III, Eng. ed., Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 2013, p. 43.

² Jiang Zemin: "Comments Concerning the Draft Political Report of the Six­teenth CPC National Congress", Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. III, Eng. ed., For­eign Languages Press, Beijing, 2013, p. 499.

³ This refers to maintaining political commitment, thinking in terms of the gen­eral picture, following the leadership core, and acting in accordance with the require­ments of the CPC Central Committee.

⁴ This refers to confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

⁵ This refers to upholding the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the author­ity and the centralized, unified leadership of the Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core.

⁶ Jiang Zemin: "Take the Masses as Our Foundation", Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. I, Eng. ed., Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 2010, p. 352

⁷ Jiang Zemin: "Speech at a Meeting Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China", Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. III, Eng. ed., Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 2013, p. 274.

⁸ Jiang Zemin: "Build a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Initiate a New Phase in Socialism with Chinese Characteristics", Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. III, Eng. ed., Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 2013, p. 521.

⁹ Jiang Zemin: "Strive to Make the Party into a Stauncher Vanguard of the Working Class", Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. I, Eng. ed., Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 2010, pp. 89-90

¹⁰ Jiang Zemin: Excerpts from Jiang Zemin's Speeches on Socialism with Chinese Charac­teristics, Chin. ed., Central Party Literature Publishing House, Beijing, 2002, p. 710.

¹¹Jiang Zemin: "Hold the Initiative in Fierce International Competition", Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. III, Eng. ed., Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 2013, p. 434.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)