Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

The theoretical summary of China’s practical experience of Reform and Opening-up, which was first made at the 16th CPC National Congress, was expressed by the 18th CPC National Congress as the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In the 19th CPC National Congress, it was further changed into the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is to, under the Party’s leadership and based on the basic national conditions, focus on economic construction, adhere to the four cardinal principles, persist in Reform and Opening-up, liberate and develop social productive forces, build a socialist market economy, socialist democratic politics, socialist advanced culture, socialist harmonious society and socialist ecological civilization, promote the well-rounded human development, gradually realize the common prosperity of all the people, and build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist country. The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics includes Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents”, the scientific outlook on development and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era.

The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the adherence to and development of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics consists of the fundamental political system of people’s congresses, such basic political systems as the multiParty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of community-level self-governance, the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, the basic economic system with public ownership as the main body and multiple ownership economies developing together, and various specific systems that are based on these systems such as the economic system, political system, cultural system and social system.

The culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics originates from the excellent Chinese traditional culture bred by the Chinese civilization history of more than 5,000 years, and is cast in the revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture created in the revolution, construction and reform that are led by the Party, and is rooted in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. With the practice of Reform and Opening-up and the development of Marxism with Chinese characteristics, the concept of “socialism with Chinese characteristics” has undergone a process of evolution, expansion and sublimation. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee, our Party has been adhering to Marxism unswervingly and exploring the path of socialist construction with Chinese characteristics based on China’s conditions. In 1982, the 12th CPC National Congress put forward the proposition of “building socialism with Chinese characteristics” for the first time.

In 1987, the report of the 13th CPC National Congress still adopted the concept of “socialism with Chinese characteristics”, and derived a series of related references based on this main concept, such as the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, basic lines of socialism with Chinese characteristics, socialist democratic politics with Chinese characteristics, the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which enriched and expanded the connotations of the main concept.

The report of the 13th CPC National Congress defines socialism with Chinese characteristics in terms of its formation mechanism, nature and function: socialism with Chinese characteristics is the product of the combination of the basic principles of Marxism and China’s modernization construction, and it is a scientific socialism rooted in contemporary China. It is the ideological basis for the comrades of the whole Party and the people of the whole country to unify their understanding and strengthen their unity, and the great banner to guide our cause forward. It also outlines the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics from the philosophy, political economy, scientific socialism and other aspects. For the first time, the report of the 14th CPC National Congress adopted the concept of Comrade Deng Xiaoping theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and summarized and generalized the main content of this theory.

“The Constitution of the Communist Party of China” which was revised and adopted at the 14th CPC National Congress, clearly pointed out in the general outline that “the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics clarifies the basic problems of building, consolidating and developing socialism in China, inherits and develops Marxism, and is a guide for the continuous advancement of China’s socialist cause”. The 15th CPC National Congress formally adopted the concept of Deng Xiaoping Theory and wrote it into the Party Constitution as the guiding ideology. In 2002, the 16th CPC National Congress first used the concept of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as such concepts as the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the ideals of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In 2007, summarizing the great course of Reform and Opening-up, the report of the 17th CPC National Congress pointed out that: “The fundamental reason for all our achievements and progress since the Reform and Opening-up comes down to our opening up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and forming a theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. To hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the most fundamental thing is to adhere to the path and theoretical system.”

The report also defines the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and for the first time calls the scientific theoretical system, which includes Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents” and the scientific outlook on development, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In 2012, the report of the 18th CPC National Congress reiterates that socialism with Chinese characteristics includes three aspects: the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and clarifies the relationship among the three: the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the way to achieve, the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the guide to action, and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the fundamental guarantee. The three are unified in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The report of the 18th CPC National Congress also explains the “distinctive features” of socialism with Chinese characteristics in terms of the practice, theory, nationality and the times, which deepens the understanding of the connotation of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Socialism with Chinese characteristics not only adheres to the basic principles of scientific socialism, but also endows it with distinctive Chinese characteristics according to the conditions of the times. It is the path of China’s development and progress, the ideological basis for unifying the understanding and strengthening unity of all Party comrades and the people of the whole country, and the great banner guiding our cause.