Xi Jinping Thought




Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, simply known as Xi Jinping Thought, is a set of policies and ideals derived from the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping. It was first officially mentioned at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in which it was incorporated into Constitution of the Communist Party of China. At the First Session of the Thirteenth National People’s Congress on 11 March 2018, the preamble of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China was :wikisource:Amendment to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China |amended to mention Xi Jinping Thought.

History

The first official mention of the term was at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and it has gradually been developed since 2012 after Xi became General Secretary of the Communist Party of China. Some news sources have stated that Xi helped create this ideology together with his close advisor Wang Huning.
The 19th Congress affirmed the ideology as a guiding political and military ideology of the Communist Party of China and approved the incorporation of the ideology into the Constitution of the Communist Party of China. The affirmation received unanimous support as every delegate voted to approve by raising hands when Xi asked their opinions on the Congress. The incorporation made Xi the third Chinese leader after Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping whose names appeared in the list of fundamental doctrines of the CCP, which raised Xi above his two most recent predecessors, former General Secretaries Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin. In his report, Xi promised to make China strong, propelling the country into a "new era".
Xi first made mention of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the opening day speech delivered to the 19th Party Congress in October 2017. In reviews of Xi's keynote address at the Congress, Xi's Politburo Standing Committee colleagues prepended the description with "Xi Jinping".
Xi has described the thought as part of the broad framework created around socialism with Chinese characteristics, a term coined by Deng Xiaoping, which places China in the "primary stage of socialism". In official party documentation and pronouncements by Xi's colleagues, the thought is said to be a continuation of Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, "the important thought of the Three Represents" and the Scientific Outlook on Development as part of a series of guiding ideologies that embody "Marxism adapted to Chinese conditions".
Dozens of Chinese universities have established research institutes for Xi Jinping Thought after the Congress dedicated to advocating the incorporation of Xi Jinping Thought in all aspects of daily life. Academics such as Jiang Shigong have written expositions of Xi Jinping Thought.
The concepts behind Xi Jinping Thought are elaborated in Xi's The Governance of China book series, published by the Foreign Languages Press for an international audience. Volume one was published in September 2014, followed by volume two in November 2017.
The reembracing of Marxism is a key element in the Xi Jinping Thought. Xi said, "We commemorate Marx in order to pay tribute to the greatest thinker in the history of mankind, and also to declare our firm belief in the scientific truth of Marxism."

Content

Xi Jinping Thought consists of a 14-point basic policy as follows:
  1. Ensuring Communist Party of China leadership over all forms of work in China.
  2. The Communist Party of China should take a people-centric approach for the public interest.
  3. The continuation of "comprehensive deepening of reforms".
  4. Adopting new science-based ideas for "innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development".
  5. Following "socialism with Chinese characteristics" with "people as the masters of the country".
  6. Governing China with Rule by Law.
  7. "Practice socialist core values", including Marxism, communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics.
  8. "Improving people's livelihood and well-being is the primary goal of development".
  9. Coexist well with nature with "energy conservation and environmental protection" policies and "contribute to global ecological safety".
  10. Strengthen the National security of China.
  11. The Communist Party of China should have "absolute leadership over" China's People's Liberation Army.
  12. Promoting the one country, two systems system for Hong Kong and Macau with a future of "complete national reunification" and to follow the One-China policy and 1992 Consensus for Taiwan.
  13. Establish a common destiny between Chinese people and other people around the world with a "peaceful international environment".
  14. Improve party discipline in the Communist Party of China.

    Influence and reception

On 27 November, more than 100 of China's top filmmakers, actors and pop stars were gathered for a day in Hangzhou to study the report of the 19th Party Congress featuring Xi Jinping Thought.
In July 2018, the carriages of a train in Changchun Metro were decked out in red and dozens of Xi's quotes to celebrate the 97th anniversary of Communist Party of China. The train was described as a "highly condensed spiritual manual" of Xi Jinping Thought by the local government.
In January 2019, Alibaba Group released an app called Xuexi Qiangguo about studying Xi Jinping Thought.
In December 2019, Fudan University added content concerning the inculcation of teachers and students in Xi Jinping Thought into its charter, leading to protests about academic freedom among the students.