CONTENTS
‘China Road’ and ‘China Dream’
Chapter I The Proposition of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter II Total Basis of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter III Overall Layout of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter IV Overall Task of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter V Basic Requirements for Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter 6 The Path, Theory and System of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter VII Great Pioneering Undertaking of Socialist Market Economy with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter VIII Core Value System of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter IX Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics and Various Social Thoughts
Chapter X ''One Country, Two Systems'' of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Chapter XI Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics and World Capitalism
Chapter XII Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics and World Peace
Postscript
內容試閱：
Chapter I The Proposition of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
In today’s world, either East or West, “socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics” is a concept commanding wide attention. Together with the “China Road” or the “China model”, it is a concept with the highest frequency, the largest coverage and the highest influence in all sorts of media. This is because it not only belongs to the People’s Republic of China, accounting for one-fifth of the world’s population, and the CPC, the ruling party of this country, but also to the entire Chinese people.
At present, this concept has been around for 30 years. It has gone global, becoming familiar to political parties and people all over the world. Not a day goes by without someone, somewhere examining and admiring its basic ideas.
There is no doubt the international community is eager to know more about the connotation of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics, and deeply understand its meaning and practical significance, and why it is the path chosen by the Chinese people to promote progress.
Hence, it’s necessary to start at the beginning and define both socialism and “Chinese characteristics”.
1 The Proposition of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
In fact, socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is a proposition rather than a common concept. The so-called “proposition” refers to a judgmental sentence. The proposition of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is true, which is a scientific thesis. In the history of Marxism in China, Mao Zedong, in his work On New Democracy, once identified the “Chinese revolution is a part of the world revolution” as a “right proposition” in seeking to analyze and elaborate the concept. It should be recognized that the proposition of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is the theoretical result of the development of Marxism in China, reflecting the fundamental principles of scientific socialism.
1. The Proposition Put Forward by Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was the first to put forward this proposition. It is because Deng Xiaoping first proposed this new concept that the CPC called him a pioneer on the road to achieving socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics; It was also under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping that the CPC and the Chinese people collectively were able to carry out the magnificent reform and opening-up, and successfully embark on the road of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
2. Original Meaning of the Proposition
The original meaning is to build a form of socialism reflecting clear Chinese characteristics. It comes from Deng Xiaoping’s opening address at the 12th Party Congress: “In carrying out our modernization programme, we must proceed from Chinese realities. Both in revolution and in construction, we should also learn from foreign countries and draw on their experience, but mechanical application of foreign experience and copying of foreign models will get us nowhere. We have had many lessons in this respect. We must integrate the universal truth of Marxism with the concrete realities of China, blaze a path of our own and build a socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics that is the basic conclusion we have reached after reviewing our long history.”
This is a very informative speech that stresses persisting in combining the fundamental tenets of the Marxism and the reality of China and following our own road, which is building socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
3. Moment the Proposition First Emerged
It’s on September 1, 1982 that the proposition was put forward. This is a great day to be forever remembered. On that day, the CPC held the 12th National Congress, and the CPC and the Chinese people held high the great banner of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics and sounded the rallying call for its development. From then on, the Chinese people had their own road to achieve the great rejuvenation of their nation and for socialist modernization. Choosing a proper road is more important than anything else, and practice proves it was the right road.
4. Essence of the Proposition
The essence of the proposition is to adhere to the China road. This starts from the scientific socialism first propounded by Marx and Engels. Before discussing this, however, it is necessary to analyze Deng Xiaoping’s opening address at the 12th Party Congress. When he spoke of following our own road and building socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics, the major premise was to integrate the universal truth of Marxism with the concrete realities of China, and this cannot be ignored.
To what does the universal truth of Marxism refer? What do we mean by “Chinese practice”? And how to combine the two?
The universal truth of Marxism mentioned by Deng Xiaoping refers to the universal truth of scientific socialism propounded by Marx and Engels in their various works. “Chinese practice’ in this context refers to the China’s specific national conditions and status quo. And everything must proceed from this. A prime example is that China is still in the primary stage of socialism. So, the key point is to integrate the universal truth of Marxism with the concrete realities of China while avoiding dogmatism and empiricism.
It turns out there are two problems: China’s construction of socialism cannot develop without the guidance of the universal truth of Marxist, which, at the same time, must be combined with the specific practice of China’s reform and construction. This is what is meant by “blazing a path of our own and building a socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics”.
5. Connotation of the Proposition
To sum up: to what does the connotation of the proposition refer?
According to Deng Xiaoping’s opening address, it can be summarized as: the CPC closely combines the concrete realities of Chinese socialist construction and reform in accordance with and by means of the universal truths of Marxism, and the theories of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics during the reform and opening–up. The system of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics involves a unity of roads, theoretical system and the system.
2 Theme and Main Content of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
The essential thing for building and developing socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is to have a clear understanding of, and scientific answers to three cardinal questions, namely: “what is socialism, and how to build it”; “what kind of party should be built and how to build it”; and “what kind of development needs to be achieved and by what method?” These questions constitute the theme of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
The understanding and resolution of these three questions decides the innovation, richness and depth involved in the theory and practice of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
As previously mentioned, the main content of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is composed of the road, theories and system. Specifically, as the great historic creation of Marxism in China promoted by the CPC in the new era, socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics reflected in practice is the opening of the requisite road, the formation of theories and a complete system governing its development.
Taking the road of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics means we must, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and basing ourselves on China’s realities, take economic development as the central task and adhere to the Four Cardinal Principles and the policy of reform and opening up. It means we must release and develop productive forces, develop the socialist market economy, socialist democracy, advanced socialist culture and a harmonious socialist society. Only in this way can we turn China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious.
After the “cultural revolution” ended in 1976, China was actually faced with a choice of three roads: first, to adhere to “taking class struggle as the central task”, “continued revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat” and an accompanying policy of seclusion; second, to totally deny Mao Zedong Thought, the leadership of the CPC and the socialist road in order to pursue bourgeois liberalization, abandon the socialist road and take to the capitalist road; third, to base ourselves on China’s realities, take economic development as the central task, adhere to the Four Cardinal Principles and the policy of reform and opening up, and take the new road of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
History and practice proved the first two roads were unworkable. China can’t go back to the old way of “taking class struggle as the central task”, follow the road of capitalism or pursue any other routes of retreat. The only correct choice is to combine the cardinal principle of scientific socialism with China’s reality, and follow the road of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics. This choice conforms to the demands imposed by global change, and the themes current scientific and technical revolution and peace and development, and is the intrinsic requirement for China to liberate and expand its productive forces and seek all-round social progress.
The reason why socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is correct and can lead national development and progress is that the CPC sticks to the cardinal principle of scientific socialism, and endows it with distinctive Chinese characteristics in accordance with China’s reality and the characteristics of the times. In contemporary China, sticking to the road of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics means truly adhering to socialist practice.
The theoretical system of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics refers to a scientific theoretical system including major strategic theories like that of Deng Xiaoping, the important theory of the Three Represents Jiang Zemin and the Scientific Outlook on Development Hu Jintao. This theoretical system persists in and develops Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought, and embodies the wisdom and painstaking efforts of Chinese people’s unremitting exploration and practice under the CPC leadership. It is the latest achievement in the localization of Marxism, the most precious political and spiritual wealth of the CPC, and the common ideological basis for the united struggle of people of all ethnic groups of China. Socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is an open system that keeps on developing.
The theoretical system is built around exploring and answering three cardinal questions, namely, the nature of socialism, and how to build it; to nature of the party and how to develop it; and what kind of development is needed and how it can be achieved. It deepens and enriches understanding of the working law of the ruling CPC, the law of socialist construction and the law of social development through a series of new thoughts, new viewpoints and new theses that are closely interconnected.
The second generation of central collective leadership with Deng Xiaoping as the core adhered to emancipating the mind and seeking truth from the facts, evaluated Mao Zedong and Maoist thought in a scientific way, and completely denied the wrong theory and practice of “taking class struggle as the central task”. It led people from all ethnic groups of China to start the great historical course of all-round reform and opening-up, put forward the great proposition of “building socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics”, built on Deng Xiaoping Theory. The latter was the beginning of the theoretical system of the socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics, and was its most fundamental and important part.
The third generation of central collective leadership with === Jiang Zemin as the core adhered to reform and opening up, kept up with times, led people from all ethnic groups of China to stand up to various serious tests like political turmoil and economic risks at home and abroad, and established the important thought of the Three Represents based on deep understanding and accurate grasp of international, national and intra-Party conditions. It provided an important link in the creation of the theoretical system of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics
The Party Central Committee with Hu Jintao as the General Secretary adhered to the guidance provided by Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the Three Represents, to cope with changes at home and abroad, carry forward and promote the spirit of being realistic and pragmatic and forging ahead, while continuing to promote innovation in theory and practice. The Scientific Outlook on Development that emerged at this time was an important innovation in the theoretical system of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
The current Central Collective Leadership with Xi Jinping as the General Secretary is building on the achievements of the past to open a way to the future, putting forward the “China Dream” for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, deepening the reform and opening-up at a new historical starting point, and continuing to enrich the theoretical system and practice of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
The system of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics refers to an interlinked and interrelated system of the CPC in economics, politics, culture, society, and other fields during the process of promoting socialist self-improvement and development. It includes people’s congresses as the fundamental political system, along with multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, regional ethnic autonomy, grass-roots mass autonomy, and other systems. It also involves the basic economic system consisting of a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, public ownership as the mainstay and multiple forms of ownership developing side by side, with the economic, political, cultural and social systems providing necessary support.
The road of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is the approach to realize the ultimate goals; the theoretical system is the guide to action; the system is the fundamental guarantee of success. These three are integrated in the great practice of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
3 Reason of Proposing the Concept of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
By criticizing the theoretical principle of 19th century utopian socialism, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels came up with a theory of scientific socialism founded on the twin ideas of historical materialism and the surplus value theory. The theory contains the following principles:
1．According to historical materialism and the surplus value theory, the proletariat should first liberate itself from bourgeois control;
2．After acquiring State political power, the proletariat will ensure the means of production come under State control;
3．The proletariat will ensure of the means of production play a key social role;
4．Thus, planned social production will be probably realized;
5．With the anarchy of production and State political authority disappearing gradually, the people will become the masters of all aspects of national life.
These principles were the beautiful vision of future socialism developed by Marx and Engels. Due to having no chance to practice socialism during their lifetime, they believed scientific socialism was communism and that the eventual communist revolution could not occur in one country alone. “The communist revolution will... happen in all civilized countries, and, at least, simultaneously in the UK, the US, France and Germany.”1 This can be regarded as constituting the primary theory of socialism.
The primary theory and the scientific vision were later verified and practiced in the world’s first socialist country established by Vladimir Lenin.
The Soviet Union established on the basis of Lenin’s work was the first practice in scientific socialism. However, contrary to expectations, it initially only occurred in Russia with a weak and backward form of capitalism, and was not taken up by the capitalist powers like the UK, the US, France and Germany. What was achieved by Lenin, however, were the foundations for a new economic policy or organizing socialist production in accordance with a central plan. We should say that he inherited the unfulfilled undertaking left by Marx and Engels, following their scientific version of socialism when facing the principle of socialist theoretical form. The new theoretical form of Lenin’s socialism was the product of the age of imperialism and proletarian revolution. Although the program of socialist construction under Lenin’s leadership was short-lived, it was important as the first practical experiment in scientific socialism.
After Lenin died, Joseph Stalin inherited and defended the new theoretical form of scientific socialism, making great contributions. However, he prematurely gave up Lenin’s new economic policy, dogmatizing some significant principles of the scientific socialism theory in forming his own socialist model. Although it greatly influenced the socialist countries of Eastern Europe, and later even some socialist countries in Asia, the model was not a successful development of the primary theory and derived theory of scientific socialism. The general trend of practicing scientific socialism was advancing, but remained stagnant in some stages mainly reflected in the rigidity and dogmatism of Stalin’s socialist model.
Mao Zedong had grave doubts about the Stalinist model and put forward the idea of “taking the Soviet Union as a mirror” in exploring how to follow the socialist road in China. The exploration laid a theoretical and political foundation for the second historical leap – the sinicization of Marxism.
In this process, Mao Zedong successfully led the New Democratic Revolution and established the PRC. After that, in the task of socialist construction, he conducted arduous exploration of the socialist road. In view of his insistence on always taking our own road, we should say that the theoretical rudiments of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics date back to him. However, due to the great influence and historical inertia of Stalin’s socialist model, he was unable to break free of the constraints.
Seen from the perspective of the historical evolutionary process of scientific socialism theory, Mao Zedong wanted to get rid of the framework of Stalin’s socialist model, but failed; he was only to mend and maintain what had been created by Stalin. Through the “cultural revolution”, he gradually got close to the highly centralized, rigid and dogmatic socialist model of Stalin, thus interrupting his active exploration to the road of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.
Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of reform and opening up, truly changed Stalin’s socialist model and established a new scientific socialism theoretical form based on Mao’s earlier exploration.
Based on summarizing the experience and lessons both positive and negative of Chinese socialist construction, Deng long pondered the question of “what is socialism”, while also conducting comparisons with the world’s socialist movements. He said: “What is socialism and Marxism? We did not clearly understand it in the past.... The fundamental task of socialism is to develop productive forces.... Our fault lies in ignoring the development of productive forces after the founding of the PRC. Socialism advocates eliminating poverty, but poverty is not socialism, nor even communism.” He also told visiting Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union CPSU: “Over the years, there has been a question of how to understand Marxism and socialism....After Marx died, for more than 100 years, we still could not figure out how to understand and develop Marxism under the impact of the many changes. We could not expect Marx to provide a ready answer to a situation after 100 years or several hundreds of years, not to mention Lenin; so the real Marxist-Leninist should understand, inherit and develop Marxism-Leninism according to the current situation”. 2 He pointed out: “The essential difference between socialism and capitalism does not involving having more or less planning. The planned economy does not equal socialism because capitalism also has planning; the market economy is not equal to capitalism because socialism also has a market. Planning and the market are both economic means.” He also clearly pointed out that the essence of socialism is to “emancipate and develop the productive forces, eliminate exploitation and polarization, and eventually achieve common prosperity.” The new theory of Deng Xiaoping’s scientific socialism is characterized by the establishment of the socialist market economy system through introducing a market economy into the socialist economic system and combining them. The new theory was the great pioneering work of scientific socialism movement and practice due to a lack in the primary theory of Marx and Engels’ scientific socialism, the derived theory of Lenin and Stalin’s socialist model.
Deng Xiaoping successfully explored the road of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics as a new theoretical form of scientific socialism. The involved four basic elements for the socialist theory with Chinese characteristics: the primary stage of socialism, the essence of socialism, the socialist market economy, and socialist reform and opening-up. Among them, the theory of the primary stage of socialism scientifically positioned China’s national conditions and state of socialism. In the primary stage, the CPC should always adhere to the basic line of “One Central Task, Two Basic Points” for 100 years; the core content of the theory of essence of socialism should emphasize emancipating and developing the productive forces, eliminating exploitation and polarization, and eventually achieving common prosperity; the theory of socialist market economy and the system of socialist reform and opening-up involved reform of Stalin’s socialist model; and the theory of the socialist market economy provided motives for building socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics. Together they formed the theoretical essence of the new scientific socialism.
Socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics, as the new form of scientific socialism, is mainly reflected in the following aspects: first, it adheres to emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts to explore the new stage of Marxism on the basis of previous practice; second, it adheres to the basic results of theory and practice of scientific socialism and increases understanding of socialism by grasping the basic issue of “what is socialism and how to build socialism”; third, it views the world through the Marxist’s broad vision to make new scientific judgments by correctly analyzing current trends and the overall international situation, the success or failure of other socialist countries in the world, the gains and losses in the development of developing countries, and the situation and contradictions in the development of developed countries; and fourth, it forms a new scientific system for building socialist theory with Chinese characteristics, thus realizing the second historical leap in the sinicization of Marxism.
4 Significance of Socialism with Distinct Chinese Characteristics
Concept of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics has theoretical significance.
The road, theory and system of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics not only have rich theoretical connotation, but also offer practical guidance.
Deng Xiaoping proposed to build socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics, stressing the necessity of combining the universal truth of Marxism with China’s national conditions and following our own way not another country’s model. This fully reflects the CPC careful approach to theory and is an indication of the sinicization of Marxism having reached a new stage. By carrying forward the Marxist theoretical approach of keeping pace with the times, China’s approach is a model of adhering to while also developing Marxism. The system of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is strictly scientific and truthful.
Theoretically, it has solved the problem of how to build socialism in a country with poor economic and cultural conditions and how to consolidate and enrich Marxism with various new thoughts and ideas.
For instance, the Chinese approach illustrates the essence of socialism in emancipating and developing productive forces, eliminating exploitation and polarization, and eventually achieving common prosperity, which has enriched and developed Marxist theory about essential characteristics of socialism. It illustrates the idea of the primary stage of socialism as being achievable in a country with backward productive forces and an underdeveloped commodity economy. It shows that socialist reform and opening-up is the lifeblood of national development, and reform of the socialist system and opening-up is a necessary external condition for socialist construction. This has enriched and developed Marxist theory about the driving force of socialist development, showing how a socialist market economy is in tune with Marxist political theory. It also illustrates the idea of a socialist political civilization, proposing to adhere to an organic unity between the leadership of the party, people as masters of the country, developing socialist democracy and building a socialist country under rule of law, which has helped develop the Marxist theory about political laws. It further illustrates the idea of socialist cultural civilization, proposing to develop the advanced socialist culture, build a socialist core value system and a harmonious culture, and set up the “Eight Honors and Eight Shames” system in line with Marxist ideology. In regard to creating a harmonious socialist society, the principles are to build a society that is democratic, law-based, fair, just, honest and friendly where humans and nature live in harmony, which helps enrich Marxist theory about social construction. It promotes the peaceful development of socialism, proposing that peace and development meet the needs of the times, emphasizing pursuit of an independent and peaceful diplomatic policy to create an environment for our own development, which in turns helps promote world peace, thus strengthening Marxist theory on international relations. It illustrates the idea of Marxist ruling party construction, proposing to strengthen the Party''s governance capability and vanguard nature, improve the style of leadership and governance, and persist in scientific, democratic and law-based governance, which enriches Marxist theory on party building. Finally, it underlines the idea of scientific development of socialism, proposing that development is the Party’s top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country, and realizing the people-oriented, comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development, thus helping develop Marxist theory about social development.
The above theories continuously guide the construction of the socialism with the Chinese characteristics wit their powerful vitality and theoretical strength.
Concept of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics has practical significance.
Theory derives from practice and in turn serves it. The system of socialist theory with Chinese characteristics is the correct one to guide the progress of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics, also the precious spiritual wealth created and accumulated by the CPC in the process of reform and opening-up. The development of this cause will decide the enrichment and development of the system of socialist theory with Chinese characteristics and vice versa. Under its guidance, there have been remarkable achievements in exploring the “China Road” and creating the “China Miracle” admired by all. To show confidence in the theory, we need to continuously enrich, develop and improve it, ensuring strong motivation and energy.
With the developments in the sinicization of Marxism, the system of socialist theory with Chinese characteristics has seen continuous development in practice. The key of its success in guiding China’s development is that it adheres to the basic principle of scientific socialism and closely combines with China’s reality and the needs of the times. In contemporary China, adhering to socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics means really adhering to Marxism.
Concept of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics has extensive international significance.
Socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics belongs to China and the world and is the great creation of the world socialist movement and human civilization. Being established under the specific historical conditions of China, it naturally boasts distinct Chinese characteristics. However, as a road, theory and system, it will greatly influence all countries in the world, especially socialist and developing countries.
Nowadays, the great practice and achievements of socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics attract all countries. Some socialist countries have made significant achievements by drawing on Chinese experience, which promote the recovery and revitalization of socialism in the world to some extent. As Deng Xiaoping said: “If the reform succeeds, it will provide experience for the world socialist cause and developing country’s development”. By the middle of the 21st century, “with a 1.5 billion population, if the per capita income reaches US$4,000 and the annual GNP amounts to US$6,000 billion, we will rank first in the world, which not only opens up a road for the third world with threequarters of the world’s population, but also proves that socialism is the only road to prosperity and is superior to capitalism”.
Socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics is of global influence.
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