Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a key meeting to launch a campaign on Party history learning and education among all Party members in Beijing, capital of China, February 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party has attached great importance to studying the Party history, and General Secretary Xi Jinping issued requirements on different occasions. The highlights are as follows:

“First, the CPC has grown into the world’s biggest Marxist ruling party with over 91 million members in a century. It has been in power for over 70 years in China, the world’s largest socialist country. The CPC bears its eternal great cause in mind, and the centenary only ushers in the prime of life. The CPC will remain invincible as long as it stands at the forefront of the times, leads the charge in overcoming challenges, and takes root among the people.”

Xi stressed that throughout its 100-year history, the great endeavor of the Chinese people under the CPC leadership in 100 years is glorious but arduous; this period also has laid the foundation for our country despite great hardships, and to win future glory. We are now closer to this goal, and we are more confident and capable of achieving it than at any other time in history.

We must forever preserve the fighting spirit that Chinese Communists demonstrated when the CPC was first founded, and forever preserve our devotion to our people.  We must keep on striving with endless energy toward the great goal of national rejuvenation.

“History is the best teacher. The history of the CPC constitutes the most stirring epics in the history of modern China. History created the CPC in people’s exploration and struggles, and the CPC led and united Chinese people added new glorious historical achievements to the time-honored Chinese civilization. Whenever we move forward, we must remember the path we have trodden; no matter how far we go and how glorious our future may be, we can never forget the past, and we can never forget why we embarked on this journey in the first place.”

Xi stressed that the path taken by China, the Chinese people, and the Chinese nation over the past 100 years has been paved with the blood, sweat, and tears of the CPC and the Chinese people. Full of hardship and glory, setback and victory, and sacrifice and gain, this is a splendid chapter in the history of the Chinese nation that must never be forgotten or denied, and it is the foundation on which our people and nation will carry forward our cause and forge ahead courageously.

History has told us that, the cause of the Chinese nation’s rejuvenation, which history and the people have chosen the CPC to lead, is correct, must be upheld, and can never be doubted. It has told us that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which the CPC has led the Chinese people in opening, is correct, must be upheld, and can never be doubted. And it has told us that the strategy of taking root in China, absorbing the finest achievements of human civilization, and independently achieving national development, which the CPC and the Chinese people have employed, is correct, must be upheld, and can never be doubted.

“Third, learning the history of the CPC is a compulsory course for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and continuing to advance the cause of the Party and the country. We not only need to study it, but must study it well.”

Xi called for greater attention to valuing, researching and learning the lessons of history, because Looking into the past helps one deal with issues today and be better prepared for the future. We should study the development of the Party and the country, draw upon their historical experiences, and understand major events and figures in the history of the Party and the country. History is the best textbook, so studying it will teach us to understand the country and the Party, and open the gates to a bright future.

The path we take determines our destiny and that we must resolutely keep to the right path that we have found through great difficulties. We should enhance Party history learning and education, and deepen the trust for the Party, firm up the conviction for Party’s leadership and the confidence for socialism with Chinese characteristics from the arduous path out Party has trodden, the great cause that the Party opened up and continually advances, and the fundamental purpose and long-standing practice of serving the people wholeheartedly.

“Fourth, the history of the Chinese revolution is the best nutrient. Reviewing this piece of great history can be a vivid education on the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission, nature and purpose, as well as ideals and conviction. We must remember the glorious history, and pas down the revolutionary heritage.”

Xi said that revolutionary ideals rise above all else. Without the great number of Chinese people who stuck to firm Communist ideals and convictions, there would have been no the CPC or the New China. Neither would there be China’s development. For Chinese Communists, we must not abandon our fine traditions or revolutionary heritage, as doing so would be to abandon our soul and degenerate.

Every piece of the Party’s revolutionary history is a vivid teaching material of ideals and conviction. Party officials and members must receive the education in early CPC history, maintain relevance even with repeated study, and consolidate their faith.

“Fifth, study the history of the CPC, the People's Republic of China, reform and opening up, and socialist development. All Party members should focus on the study of the CPC’s history, and love the Party and the country through Party history learning. They should firm up ideals and conviction through learning and understanding the Party’s history, and practice the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission in their endeavor.”

Xi called for efforts to broaden our vision of history. We need to over-5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, over-500-year history of world socialist development, our struggles in the over 180 years since the Opium War, the 100-year journey of the CPC, the 70 year plus development of the people’s republic of China, and 40 year plus reform and opening up. They should know the historic achievements and historic changes that have taken place in the socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Party members should be able to explain complicated matters by using examples and through in-depth analyses and comparisons. They must consciously strive to be firm believers in, and loyal practitioners of, the great ideal of communism and the common ideal of Chinese socialism, work for the prosperity of the country, the rejuvenation of the nation, and the wellbeing of the people.

“Sixth, the history of the CPC is the history that CPC has been of one mind with the people, breathed the same breath as the people, and shared weal and woe with the people. The CPC must stand together with the people, and maintain its close bond with them.”

Xi stressed that the reasons why the Party has grown from a small and weak force to a large and strong one lie in that the original aspiration and the mission of Chinese Communists is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, and maintain its intimate bond with the people. These are fundamental guarantees that enables us to overcome all difficulties and dangers. From Shikumen on Xingye Road (site of the CPC’s founding, Shanghai) to Tiananmen on Fuxing Road (Chang’an Avenue, Beijing), all the efforts, struggles and sacrifices our Party has made over nearly one hundred years have been for the happiness of the people and national rejuvenation.

It is adherence to our original aspiration and founding mission that has allowed the Party to develop and grow stronger amid extreme difficulties, break out of seemingly hopeless situations, and rise up even when it was weakened by adversity. For both a person and a political party, what is truly priceless is an unchanging commitment to one’s original aspiration and fundamental values in the face of all the vicissitudes of life. At no time should we forget the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission, as well as the people, the root reason for victory, and loyally serve the people forever.

“Seventh, comprehensively publicize the history of the CPC. Give full play to the role of Party history in helping CPC members gain experience and draw lessons from the past and improve CPC’s leadership and governance. This is an important task in the overall work of the Party and the country.”

Xi pointed out that the Party history is the vivid teaching material for carrying forward core socialist values and conducting education on CPC’s revolution and patriotism, and also valuable resources for enhancing Party building.

We must study and publicize the Party history well, tap the “red resources” well, so as to pool positive energy for strengthening party building and advancing reform, development, and stability.

Efforts should be made to tell well the stories of the Chinese nation, the Chinese Communist Party, the People’s Republic of China, the socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the reform and opening up, especially the story of the new era, so as to following the instructions of the CPC forever.

“Eighth, in looking back at our history, our aim is not to take comfort from our past successes, nor are we seeking an excuse to rest on our laurels and evade the difficulties and problems we face today. Rather, our intention is to muster greater courage and strength to forge ahead by reflecting on our past experiences and grasping the underlying patterns of history.”

Xi said that learning history is for being better prepared for going forward. Understanding history can enable us see farther and go further. Only grasping the underlying patterns of history and act in accordance with historic laws can we be invincible. Chinese people’s century-long struggle under the leadership of the CPC not only achieved remarkable practical achievements and accumulated rich experience in governing the Party and the country.

Through learning Party history, we should know and grasp the experience gained from the periods of revolution, development and reform. We need to be inspired and equipped with knowledge, improve work capability, and standing on the deep foundation of the history, go forward with firm conviction.

“Ninth, we should see history from the perspective of historical materialism, adhere to the principles of seeking truth from facts and distinguishing the trunk from the branches. We should uphold truth, rectify our errors, draw on practical experience, and learn lessons.”

Xi stressed that historical materialism is the fundamental method for Chinese Communists to understand history. If we have wrong attitudes toward the conception of history, the purpose of learning and education would not be met, and what’s worse, it will take us to the very opposite of what we are trying to accomplish. Hostile forces in and outside China are used to misinterpreting and distorting China’s history, and the fundamental purpose for ill-intentioned attack and defamation is to stir up trouble among its masses and buy the propaganda aiming to overturn CPC’s leadership and China’s socialist system. We must keep high toward such unhealthy tendencies as deliberately exaggerating the mistakes and twists and turns in Party history, defaming and distorting Party history, attacking CPC’s leadership, malevolently associating the incidents in Party history with the issues in realities, and the hype based on distorted facts.

We should foster a correct view toward Party history, follow the guidance of the two resolutions about the past-one adopted in 1945 that named The Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party and the other Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party Since the Founding of the People’s Republic adopted in 1981 as well as relevant guiding principles of the CPC Central Committee, accurately grasp the historic missions, the prime historic tasks, as well as the mainstream and essence of CPC history, and correctly understand and scientifically evaluate important events, meetings and figures in the Party history.

We should objectively see some major issues in Party history. We can ignore mistakes and setbacks because of achievements, nor can we deny achievements because of mistakes and setbacks in exploration.

We must unequivocally oppose historical nihilism, enhance ideological guidance and theoretical analysis, offer clarification for those who are unclear or misunderstand some major issues in Party history, in a bid to tackle problems at their roots and enhance their ideological foundation and strength.