In the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the top leader said "our experience has taught us that, at the fundamental level, we owe the success of our Party and socialism with Chinese characteristics to the fact that Marxism works, particularly when it is adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of our times".
This important conclusion makes clear that taking Marxism as the guide and constantly adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times are the principal reason for the success and continuous development of the cause of the Party and the country. The success of the Party can also be attributed to the Party's endless efforts to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.
For more than 100 years, the Party has been integrating Marxism to its major theories and guiding thoughts, and constantly adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, thereby facilitating the fine achievements of civilization and using the scientific theory of Marxism as a guide to its practices.
The scientific nature and truth of Marxism have been fully tested and the people-centric philosophy of Marxism fully implemented in China, demonstrating the era-adapting characteristics of Marxism.
During the New Democratic Revolution, Chinese communists, mainly represented by Chairman Mao Zedong, found a revolutionary road suited to China's real conditions by applying Marxism to China's concrete conditions, and led the Chinese people in overthrowing the "three mountains" of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism to establish the People's Republic of China, and realize true national liberation.
During the period of socialist revolution and construction, Chairman Mao proposed to achieve the "second combination" of Marxism-Leninism with China's real conditions, and developed Mao Zedong Thought by "taking the Soviet Union as a mirror". Mao Zedong Thought is the creative application and development of Marxism-Leninism in China, and initiated the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context.
In the new era of reform, opening-up and socialist modernization, the Party leaders developed and adopted Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development, while applying Marxism to the new realities, forming a system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and making new achievements in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, Chinese communists, mainly represented by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, have been applying the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and Chinese culture, and have developed Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which is the latest theoretical achievement of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.
Xi's Thought is contemporary Marxism suited to China's real conditions. It is Marxism of the 21st century and the essence of Chinese culture and spirit in the new era. It has made Marxism more powerful in practice and has a unique ideological charm, thus making another great leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context.
In contrast to the characteristics and advantages of the CPC's continuous efforts to promote theoretical innovation, Western political parties are dominated by capital and face serious partisan strife. In order to win votes and elections, Western political parties tend to focus on the immediate and specific interests of voters. And their shortsighted theories and policies make it difficult for them to keep pace with the times. Since this long-standing problem has its roots in the capitalist electoral system, it cannot be fundamentally solved within the capitalist political system.
In the West, even if theories and policies are in line with reality, governance is undermined by partisan politics under the multiparty system, making even good theories and policies difficult to fully implement. As such, Western countries should reflect on their shortcomings and deficiencies as far as the political party system and governance are concerned, instead of baselessly accusing the CPC's leadership and governance, and stigmatizing its adherence to Marxism and development philosophy.
As for the CPC, it should adhere to the fine tradition of building the Party in ideology and strengthening the Party in theory, continue to adapt Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and follow the right political path.
As Xi Jinping said, practice has proven that the people rightly chose Marxism as their guiding philosophy, and the CPC has been rightly integrating Marxism to its major theories and adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.
On a new journey in the new era, the Party must continue to use Marxism to observe and interpret the times, develop Marxism through rich Chinese practices, deepen its understanding of Party governance, socialist construction and the development of human society, and open up a new horizon of Marxism in contemporary China.
The author is a professor of Marxist theory at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.