To realize the “Chinese Dream”, we need: 1) an attitude of down-to-earth dedication, so we must take the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics as the way to reach the goal; 2) a forward-looking view, so we must take Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and the systematic theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics as a guide to our actions; 3) a monumental support, so we must take the socialist system with Chinese characteristics as the fundamental guarantee.

The Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China calls upon the whole Party to have every confidence in our path, in our theories and in our system unswervingly. After that, Comrade Xi Jinping proposes that it is a must for us to continue to follow the “Chinese Road” if we want to realize the “Chinese Dream”, i.e., the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. “The people of all the ethnic groups of China should have every confidence in our path, in our theories and in our system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and march on that road boldly.” Such parlance directs the way to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and endeavor to attain the grand goal of a“Two Hundred-year Vision.”

Strengthen our confidence in the road, and always adhere to the Party line

To realize the “Chinese Dream”, it is a must to adhere to the “Chinese Road”, that is, the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It was inevitable for China to choose that road when it sought its independence, liberation, development and prosperity since the advent of modernity. In this historical process, the Communist Party of China relied closely on the Chinese people, combined the fundamental principles of Marxism with China’s reality and historical characteristics, and achieved successively three historical turning points, that is going from a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society to a new society gaining national independence and ensuring the people’s role as masters of the country, from a new democratic revolution to a socialist revolution and construction, from a highly centralized planned economic system to a vibrant socialist market economic structure, and from closed and semi-closed to open in an all-round way. These three turning points are linked one after another in history, and they are great pioneering undertakings done by the Chinese communists in understanding and rebuilding the world, and also a great transformation which will fundamentally change the fate of the Chinese nation and deeply influence the process of human history. These three historical turning points have proved a truth that the inevitability of the choice to take the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is embedded in the inherent logic of the changes of Chinese society since it began to modernize.

To strengthen confidence in this road, we must always adhere to the basic line with “one center and two basic points” at the primary stage of socialism. Out of these, taking economic development as the central task is vital to invigorate our nation and is a fundamental requirement for the robust growth and lasting stability of the party and the country; the “four cardinal principles” are the very foundation on which we build our country and the political cornerstone of the party and the nation’s survival and development; reform and opening up are the path to a stronger nation, and the lifeblood of the party and the nation’s development and progress. In the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhering to the four principles is to ensure that the reform and opening up moves in the right direction, and the reform and opening up also modernizes the four principles. To strengthen the confidence in the road, we must: 1) realize that neither copying the Soviet model nor copying the West can solve the question of what road China should take for its great rejuvenation; 2) firmly believe that, no matter what difficulties we might encounter, as long as we continue to explore the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the “Chinese Dream” -- the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation -- will come true. We must have confidence in this road.

Strengthen confidence in our theories and always keep Marxism on the status as our guiding ideology

Realizing the “Chinese Dream,” entails our adherence to scientific ideology, namely the theoretical system consisting of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and socialism with Chinese characteristics. A variety of theories, doctrines and -isms have emerged in the world. Since the country entered modernity, nearly all influential theories, doctrines and -isms from other parts of the world have been applied in China, yet to no avail. None of them really took root in the land of China. History has proved repeatedly that the -isms a nation should implement depend largely on whether they can help solve the historical problems the nation faces or not. In China’s revolution, construction and reform, we must take Marxism as our guidance and continuously promote the Sinicization of Marxism, which is determined by the inherent logic of the social and historical changes of China since it entered modernity.

The processes which went from the spread of Marxism-Leninism in China to the combination of Marxism-Leninism with China’s labor movements, from Marxism-Leninism being regarded as a guiding ideology to the new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism, and from the first historical leap to the second leap in the Sinicization of Marxism, the truth has been attested repeatedly that Marxism is the only fundamental guiding thought on which the Party and the nation can stand; and only when Marxism is coupled with the actual conditions of China and the characteristics of the times, and developed and enriched constantly in practice, can its guiding role be better played.

To strengthen confidence in our theories: 1) we must start from reality when handling all matters, integrate theory with practice, seek truth from facts, and verify and develop truth through practice; 2) we must focus on practical problems in the reform and opening-up and modernization construction, on what we are doing, on the application of Marxist theories, on theoretical reflection on practical problems and on new practices and new developments.

To strengthen confidence in our theories, we must always maintain Marxism as our guidance in the ideological field, and consciously demarcate it from all brands of erroneous ideas. All the Western sets of theories, whether neo-liberalism or democratic socialism, are neither in line with China’s national conditions, nor reflect the fundamental interests of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, hence they cannot point out a correct path or direction for China’s development today. Likewise, closed and rigid ideologies cannot keep up with the development and changes of the times, and lag far behind China’s reform and opening-up and the practice of modernization, hence they cannot point out a correct path or direction for China’s development today. The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the newest achievement in the Sinicization of Marxism, the most precious political and spiritual treasure of our Party, the common ideological foundation on which the people of all ethnic groups can become united to fight for the future, and it is a scientific socialism that is deeply rooted in contemporary China. Only adamantly affirming and developing the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, can the “Chinese Dream” that aims for a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation eventually comes into reality. We must have such theoretical confidence.

Strengthen confidence in our system, always adhering to self-improvement and the development of the socialist system unswervingly

To realize the “Chinese Dream,” we must adhere to the Chinese system, namely the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. A proper and sound system is the basic guarantee for the stability and development of a human society. What kind of social system a country chooses, is not only decided by the country’s national conditions and nature, but also decided by the historical process of the country’s economic and social development. Just as Marxism and the road to socialism with Chinese characteristics has been chosen as the guide in the historical development of modern China, the choice of the people’s democratic dictatorship as the state system -- on which a complete set of socialist institutions with Chinese characteristics has been developed -- is inevitable in China’s economic and social development since it entered modernity.

To strengthen confidence in our system, we must always adhere to the state system of people’s democratic dictatorship, to the fact that the people’s democracy is the lifeblood of socialism, and putting the people in power is the nature and core concept of socialist democracy, and adhere to the organic unity of the Party’s leadership, people’s power, and ruling the country by law. To strengthen confidence in our system, we must regard ensuring people’s power as the fundamental base, increasing the vitality of the Party and the nation, mobilizing people’s enthusiasm as the target, actively and steadily pushing forward the reform of the political structure, upholding and improving the National People’s Congress system, multi-party cooperation and the political consultation system under the leadership of the CPC, the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities, as well as the system of community level self-governance. We must uphold and improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, and not only should we learn from the beneficial achievements of all other human political systems, but also refrain from copying Western political system models, and unswervingly develop a socialist political civilization.

To strengthen confidence in our system, we must firmly believe in the superiority of the socialist system and keep consolidating and enhancing the ability of identifying and resisting all sorts of erroneous proposals. Only by adhering unswervingly to the system of the National People’s Congress, the fundamental political system of the nation, can people’s democracy show its vitality. Only by adhering unswervingly to the multiparty cooperation and political consultation system led by the CPC, can the socialist consultative democracy remain vigorous. Only by adhering unswervingly to the ethnic regional autonomy system, can all the ethnic groups of the Chinese nation be hopeful to achieve mutual development, prosperity and progress. Only by always adhering unswervingly to community level self-governance can self-management, self-service, self-education and self-supervision be carried out in urban and rural community governance, basic level public affairs and public welfare undertakings, ensuring that the people directly exert the democratic rights in accordance to the law. Only by adhering to and developing the socialist basic economic system and the socialist market economy system based on the socialist basic economic system, can Chinese miracles be recreated one after another in scientific development. We must have such a confidence in our system.

The confidence in our road, theory and system is rooted in the thorough and sober understanding of the theories as well as a firm and self-conscious attitude toward the theories. In today’s situation with diversified interests and thoughts, it is especially of great significance as well as a hard task for us to arm the whole Party and educate the people with the latest achievements in the Sinicization of Marxism, practically strengthening theoretical studies, propaganda and guidance with pertinence and effectiveness. Historical experience indicates that once theories are mastered by the masses, they will be transformed into a great power which can push practice forward. As theoretical workers, we should consciously bear the great trust of the Party and the people and make great efforts to increase the confidence of the whole Party and society in our road, theories and system to walk on the Chinese Road unswervingly while renovating our work styles, study styles and writing styles.

The Chinese version is from the Research Center of the Theoretical Systems of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Chinese Academy of Social Science. It is also published in the People’s Daily on May 31, entitled “Western theories cannot reflect the fundamental interests of the Chinese Nation.”

　　Translated by Yu Hui, Wang Xiaoran, Chen Meina, Du Mei & Chen Mirong

Revised by Gabriele Corsetti