Speech at the High-level National Conference on the Work Concerning Party History

Speech delivered by Xi Jinping at the National Conference on Party History on July 21, 2010, when the Central Committee of the CPC held its first-ever, high-level national conference on the work concerning Party history on Wednesday, prior to the 90th anniversary of its founding. The "Speech" pointed out that on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee further put the work of Party history on an important agenda, formulated and issued the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening and Improving the Party History Study under the New Circumstances ", and convened the High-level National Conference on the Work Concerning Party History, which is of great significance. The “Speech” pointed out that it is a fine tradition and political advantage of our Party to attach importance to the work on Party's history and to draw wisdom and strength from the Party's historical experiences in order to develop and advance. It is a very important task for the Party and the state to cherish the Party's history, study the Party's history comprehensively, publicize the Party's history in an all-round way, and give full play to the role of the Party's history in learning from the past and educating people through helping the leaders to govern the country. Today, the cause of the Party and the state is advancing along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The new situation puts forward new tasks for the Party history work, requiring the Party history work to further provide historical experience and better serve reality.

The “Speech” pointed out that we should adhere to the principle of seeking truth from facts, to study and publicize the Party's history. We should firmly grasp the theme, main line, mainstream and essence of the Party's historical development, take a clear-cut stand in revealing and publicizing the historical inevitability of the formation of the Communist Party of China's leading position and core role in China, reveal and publicize the historical inevitability of the Chinese people's socialist path, reveal and publicize the historical inevitability of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Reform and Opening-up and socialist modernization construction, reveal and publicize the historical inevitability of Communist Party of China's great victories and brilliant achievements of the Party in leading the people during the revolution, construction and Reform in various historical periods, reveal and publicize the valuable experience accumulated by the Party in its long-term struggle, the glorious tradition and fine style of work, and resolutely oppose any wrong tendency that distorts and defames the Party's history.

This is the Party spirit principle that must be followed in the work of Party history, and also the political responsibility that every Party history worker should fulfill. He said the history of the 89-year-old Party is a “lively and vivid textbook”, which should be well studied and research results should be used to “educate Party members, officials and the masses, especially the youth”. Since the Party's history is an important part of the Party's history work in serving the overall situation of the Party and the state, thus we should strengthen the study and education of the Party's history. We should focus on leading cadres of Party members at all levels, incorporate Party history education as a compulsory course in cadre education and training, make it a basic requirement to fully and correctly understand the history of the Party, educate and guide the leading cadres of Party members, especially the young cadres, to conscientiously study the history of the Party, and strive to improve their ideological and political quality and leadership level. We should focus on the youth, carry out various forms of education on the Party's historical knowledge, glorious traditions, fine style of work and heroic examples, actively promote the Party's history education into schools, classrooms and students' minds, and cultivate young people's feelings and appreciation for the Party and socialism starting from an early age.

The “Speech” pointed out that the study of Party history is a science that studies the history of the CPC, reveals the laws of social movement in contemporary China including the activities of the CPC. It should adhere to the unity of Party spirit and science, and the Party history scholars should achieve uniting the principle of observing the Party's political discipline and publicity discipline with the principle of giving full play to their individual creativity.