In What State of Mind
To push forward the undertakings of our country and the Party to achieve new victories, we must be energetic and full of vigor. Xi has repeatedly emphasized that a good state of mind is the prerequisite for doing a good job.
In March of 2016, when Xi Jinping joined a group discussion between a variety of delegates, including deputies from Shanghai and deputies from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), at the 12th National People’s Congress, he expressed the hope that our cadres and soldiers should keep a courageous and pioneering spirit and youthful vigor. His remarks significantly encouraged the visiting deputies, as well as cadres and soldiers around the country.
In his 2017 New Year speech, Xi said that we should “roll up our sleeves to work harder,” which inspired and encouraged the whole Party and the entire people.
The Party plays a crucial role ensuring that China's affairs are run well. This has been proved to be true by China’s recent history. The leadership of the CPC is both the biggest feature and strength of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Therefore, the CPC members must keep themselves in high spirits. It has been a tradition to stress ‘state of mind’ at previous CPC National Congresses. For example, in the report of the 18th National Congress, Hu Jintao said that we must be innovative in our thinking, uphold truth and correct mistakes, and always maintain energy and keep ourselves motivated.
On July 1st, 2016, Xi Jinping emphasized the CPC’s self-improvement in his speech delivered at a ceremony marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. He explicitly pointed out that the most essential attributes of Marxist political parties are their advanced nature and purity.
On July 26, 2017, Xi noted again that only by ensuring the strong vitality and strength of the CPC, can the Party lead the people to successfully meet major challenges, resist major risks, overcome major obstacles and resolve major conflicts.
Xi also urged the Party to enhance its strategic thinking and promote a sense of principle, systemization, foresight and creativity in their work. Officials should make fundamental policies for the Party and the nation based on these new requirements, improve development strategies and various policies, and continue to promote socialism with Chinese characteristics.
So what state of mind should we have in the new era? The coming 19th National Congress will give us the answer.
What Historic Mission to Shoulder
We need to seek the answer to this question by first reviewing history.
From Professor Qin Xuan’s point of view, (Qin is the dean of the School of Marxism Studies at Beijing-based Renmin University), the Chinese nation has faced two historical missions in modern times — the first is to achieve national independence and the liberation of the people, and the second is to make our country strong and prosperous and enable our people to achieve common prosperity. The founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) signified the completion of the first historical mission. Since then China has strived to achieve the second one.
To understand the historical mission of the Party members, we must understand the current phase we are in. Xi Jinping accurately described that we are at a crucial time for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as a decisive stage involving the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.
In fact, Xi has repeatedly expounded on this historical mission on several different occasions. For example, Xi said at the Central Poverty Alleviation and Development Conference, held in November 2015, that to eliminate poverty, improve people’s livelihoods and gradually achieve common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism, as well as the most important mission of the CPC. On September 3, 2014, in his address at the symposium marking the 69th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Xi pointed out that the CPC was founded and grew in an environment of domestic turmoil and foreign invasion. Since its founding it has made it its historical mission to revitalize the Chinese nation, so it resolutely defends national independence and safeguards national interest, and acts bravely when resisting foreign aggression.
Since the 18th National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has focused on developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, adopting a holistic approach to promote economic, political, cultural, social and ecological progress, as well as advancing a complete four-pronged strategy that aims to comprehensively accomplish a moderately prosperous society, deepen reform, advance the rule of law, and strengthen strict Party governance. Based on the achievements made since the founding of the PRC, especially the implementation of the reform and opening up policy, China's development is standing at a new historical starting point. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new development stage.