Lesson 10: Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

The Establishment of the Guiding Position of Deng Xiaoping's Theory

Before the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Deng Xiaoping proposed to implement reform and opening up. In 1982, at the Twelfth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Deng Xiaoping made it clear that our modernization must proceed from the actual situation in China. "Combine the universal truths of Marxism with the concrete reality of China, follow our own path, and build socialism with Chinese characteristics." In 1987, Deng Xiaoping clarified the theory of the primary stage of socialism for the 13th Communist Party Congress and proposed the basic line of the Party in the primary stage of socialism, namely, to focus on economic construction, adhere to the four basic principles, and adhere to reform and opening up.

In early 1992, Deng Xiaoping visited the South. During the inspection, he made several talks, emphasizing that the Party's basic line should be governed for a hundred years and should not be shaken; that reform and opening up should be bold and dare to experiment, not like a woman with small feet; that we should seize the opportunity to develop ourselves, and the key is to develop the economy; and that development is the hard truth. Deng Xiaoping's Southern Talks further liberated people's minds and had a profound impact on building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

With Deng Xiaoping as the core of the CPC Central Committee's leadership collective's thoughts on building socialism with Chinese characteristics, it gradually formed Deng Xiaoping's theory. The 14th CPC National Congress held in 1992 highly evaluated Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and established its guiding position in the whole Party. Since then, China has accelerated the pace of development and entered a new stage of reform, opening up and socialist modernization.

In 1997, at the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Jiang Zemin made a report on "Holding high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping's theory and pushing the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics into the 21st century". The party constitution adopted by the congress stipulates that the CPC shall take Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory as its guide to action. The establishment of Deng Xiaoping's theory as the guiding ideology of the Party is of great significance to the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Sixteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China

In 2002, the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing. Jiang Zemin delivered a report on "Building a Well-off Society and Creating a New Situation for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics". The goal of the 16th CPC National Congress was to focus on building a more prosperous society for more than one billion people in the first two decades of this century, so that the economy would become more developed, democracy more sound, science and education more advanced, culture more prosperous, society more harmonious, and people's lives more prosperous. After this stage of construction, we will continue to struggle for a few more decades to basically realize modernization by the middle of this century and build China into a rich, strong, democratic and civilized socialist country.

At the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the "Three Represents" important thought was established as the guiding ideology of the CPC. The specific content of the "Three Represents" is that the CPC should always represent the development requirements of China's advanced productive forces, the direction of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the broadest number of Chinese people. It further answers the question of what socialism is and how to build socialism, and creatively answers the question of what kind of Party to build and how to build the Party.

The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

In 2007, the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing. Hu Jintao made a report entitled "Raising the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Striving for a New Victory in Building a Well-off Society in All Respects". The theme of the congress is: hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, take Deng Xiaoping's theory and the important thought of "Three Represents" as guidance, thoroughly implement the scientific concept of development, continue to emancipate the mind, adhere to reform and opening up, promote scientific development, promote social harmony, and struggle for a new victory in building a moderately prosperous society.

At the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the scientific concept of development was written into the party constitution. The Scientific Outlook on Development is a people-oriented, comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable concept of development, which gives a new scientific answer to the major issues of what kind of development and how to develop under the new situation, and is the centralized embodiment of Marxism's world view and methodology on development.

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

In 2012, the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing. The theme of the Congress was: to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, to be guided by Deng Xiaoping's theory, the important thought of "Three Represents" and the scientific outlook on development, to liberate the mind, to reform and open up, to gather strength, to overcome difficulties, to advance steadfastly along the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to strive to build a moderately prosperous society in all aspects.

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) put forward the basic requirements for the new victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics, set the goals of building a moderately prosperous society and deepening reform and opening-up, made comprehensive plans for advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics under the new conditions of the times, and put forward clear requirements for improving the scientific level of Party construction.

The 18th CPC National Congress elected a new Central Committee. At the First Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping was elected as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

（1043words）