Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Several Important Issues in Promoting the Construction of Socialist Spiritual Civilization

Adopted by the Sixth Plenary Session of the 14th Central Committee of the CPC on October 10, 1996. Included in the Selection and Compilation of Important Documents since the 14th National Congress (Vol. 2).

In accordance with the requirements for the full realization of the “Ninth Five-Year Plan” and the long-term objectives of 2010 for China's national economic and social development, it analyses the situation facing the construction of socialist spiritual civilization, summarizes the experiences and lessons learned, and makes plans for the construction of spiritual civilization under the new situation.

The “Resolution” is divided into seven parts: (1) Promoting and strengthening the construction of socialist spiritual civilization is a major strategic task; (2) Guiding ideology and the objective of the construction of socialist spiritual civilization; (3) Striving to improve the ideological and ethical quality of the whole nation; (4) Actively developing socialist cultural undertakings; (5) Carrying out in-depth and sustained efforts to create a spiritual civilization with mass character; (6) Increasing investment in the construction of spiritual civilization; (7) Strengthen and improve the Party's leadership over the construction of spiritual civilization.

The “Resolution” states that socialist spiritual civilization is an important feature of socialist society, an important objective and an important guarantee for modernization. It stresses that the focus on economic construction must be firmly grasped and unshaken, but if spiritual civilization is not done well, material civilization will also suffer damage, and even society will deteriorate. Therefore, the construction of spiritual civilization should be effectively brought to a more prominent position. We must make the construction of material civilization and spiritual civilization promote each other and develop in a coordinated manner, so as to prevent and overcome the hard hand and the soft hand.

On the guiding ideology and objective for the construction of socialist spiritual civilization. In accordance with the Party's historical tasks at the primary stage of socialism and on the historical experience since the founding of New China, especially since the Reform and Opening-up, the “Resolution” puts forward that it is necessary to take Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics as guidance, adhere to the Party's basic line and basic principles, strengthen the building of ideology and morality, develop education, science and culture, arm people with scientific theory, guide them with correct public opinion, shape them with noble spirits and inspire them with excellent works, cultivate ideal, moral, cultured and disciplined socialist citizens, improve the ideological, moral and scientific and cultural qualities of the whole nation, unite and mobilize people of all nationalities to build China into a rich, strong, democratic and civilized socialist modern country. This is the general guiding idea and the general requirement for the construction of spiritual civilization.

The quality of cultural life, which is active, healthy, rich and colorful, and serves the people, has been significantly improved, and the level of civilization in urban and rural areas, which is mainly marked by the social atmosphere, public order and living environment, has been significantly improved. With regard to improving the ideological and moral quality of the entire nation, the Resolution proposes that the building of socialist morality should be centred on serving the people, the principle of collectivism, and the basic requirements of love for the motherland, love for the people, love for labour, love for science and love for socialism; education on social, professional and family virtues should be carried out; and interpersonal relationships of solidarity, equality and fraternity and common progress should be formed in society as a whole.

The main goals of the construction of socialist spiritual civilization are to firmly establish the common ideal of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the whole nation, firmly establish firm belief of adhering to the Party's basic line; achieve a significant improvement in the quality of citizens, with the cultivation of ideology and morality, the level of science and education, and the concept of democracy and the rule of law as the main contents; to achieve a significant improvement in the quality of cultural life with activity, health, diversity and serving the people as the main requirements, and achieve a significant increase in the level of urban and rural civilization the main symbols of which are the social atmosphere, public order and living environment; to form a good situation for the coordinated development of the construction of material and spiritual civilizations throughout the country. With regard to improving the ideological and moral quality of the entire nation, the “Resolution” proposes that the socialist moral construction should be centred on serving the people, the principle of collectivism, and the basic requirements of love for the motherland, love for the people, love for labor, love for science and love for socialism; education on social, professional and family virtues should be carried out; and interpersonal relationships of solidarity, equality and fraternity and common progress should be formed in society as a whole.

The “Resolution” also provides an incisive overview of Deng Xiaoping's theory of building a socialist spiritual civilization; for the first time, it elaborates more systematically on the theory of building a spiritual civilization under the conditions of a socialist market economy; for the first time, it defines the core and principles of socialist moral construction and takes patriotic education and mass spiritual civilization construction activities as a breakthrough. For the first time, the status and role of Party organizations at all levels and all Party members in building a socialist spiritual civilization were clarified.

The “Resolution” not only summarizes the achievements and lessons learned in the 18 years of spiritual civilization construction since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee, but also makes a comprehensive plan for the construction of spiritual civilization in the next 15 years, and is an important document for socialist cultural construction to carry forward the past and usher in the future.