VII. Promoting Vigorous Development and Prosperity of Socialist¹ Culture

In the present era, culture has become a more and more important source of national cohesion² and creativity and a factor of growing significance in the competition in overall national strength, and the Chinese people have an increasingly ardent³ desire for a richer cultural life. We must keep to the orientation⁴ of advanced socialist culture, bring about a new upsurge in socialist cultural development, stimulate⁵ the cultural creativity of the whole nation, and enhance culture as part of the soft power of our country to better guarantee the people's basic cultural rights and interests, enrich the cultural life in Chinese society and inspire the enthusiasm of the people for progress.

1. Build up the system of socialist core values and make socialist ideology⁶ more attractive and cohesive⁷. The system of socialist core values represents the essence of socialist ideology. We must consolidate⁸ the guiding position of Marxism, persistently⁹ arm the whole Party with and educate the people in the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to Chinese conditions, rally the people with our common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, inspire the people with patriotism¹⁰-centered national spirit and with the spirit of the times centering on reform and innovation, guide social ethos with the socialist maxims¹¹ of honor and disgrace, and solidify¹² the common ideological¹³ basis of the joint¹⁴ endeavor of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic¹⁵ groups. We will make every effort to carry out theoretical innovation and give Marxism of contemporary China distinct characters of practice, of the Chinese nation and of the times. We will publicize the theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and take Marxism of contemporary China to the general public. We will carry on the Project to Study and Develop Marxist Theory to provide in-depth answers to major theoretical and practical questions and to bring up a group of Marxist theoreticians, especially young and middle-aged¹⁶ ones. We will incorporate the socialist core values into all stages of national education and the entire process of cultural and ethical¹⁷ progress to make them the targets pursued by the people of their own accord. We will explore effective ways of letting the system of socialist core values guide trends of thought and take the initiative in ideological work, respecting divergence¹⁸ and allowing diversity while effectively resisting the influence of erroneous and decadent¹⁹ ideas. We will develop philosophy and social sciences, promoting innovation in academic disciplines, academic viewpoints and research methods. We encourage people working in these fields to serve as a think tank for the cause of the Party and the people, and we will introduce related outstanding achievements and distinguished²⁰ scholars to the world arena²¹.

2. Foster a culture of harmony and cultivate civilized²² practices. A culture of harmony provides important intellectual support for the unity²³ and progress of all our people. We must step up the development of the press, publishing, radio, film, television, literature and art, give correct guidance to the public and foster healthy social trends. We must balance cultural development between urban and rural areas and among different regions, focusing on enriching the cultural life in rural and remote areas and of rural migrant workers in cities. We will strengthen efforts to develop and manage Internet culture and foster a good cyber environment. We will promote patriotism, collectivism and socialist ideology. With the emphasis on enhancing people's awareness²⁴ of integrity, we will promote social ethics²⁵, professional codes of conduct, family virtues²⁷ and individual morality, let paragons²⁸ of virtue²⁶ serve as role models for society, and guide people in conscientiously²⁹ carrying out legal obligations and social and family responsibilities. We will strengthen and improve our ideological and political work, paying attention to compassionate³⁰ care and psychological counseling and correctly handling interpersonal relations. We will mobilize all sectors³¹ of society in doing a good job of ideological and moral education among young people and create a favorable environment for their healthy development. We will carry out intensive activities to promote cultural and ethical progress among the public, improve the system of voluntary public services, and encourage practices such as upholding gender³² equality, respecting the elderly, caring for the young, showing concern for and helping³³ each other and coming to the rescue of others even at risk to oneself. We will promote the scientific spirit and spread scientific knowledge. We will launch extensive public fitness programs and ensure the success of the 2008 Olympic Games and the Paralympics in Beijing and the 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai.

3. Promote Chinese culture and build the common spiritual home for the Chinese nation. Chinese culture has been an unfailing driving force for the Chinese nation to keep its unity and make progress from generation to generation. We must have a comprehensive understanding of traditional Chinese culture, keep its essence and discard its dross³⁴ to enable it to fit in with present-day society, stay in harmony with modern civilization, keep its national character and reflect changes of the times. We will further publicize the fine traditions of Chinese culture and use modern means of science and technology to exploit the rich resources of our national culture. We will explore and better protect the cultures of all ethnic groups, attach great importance to the protection of cultural relics³⁵ and intangible cultural heritage and do a good job collating³⁶ ancient books and records. We will also strengthen international cultural exchanges to draw on the fine achievements of foreign cultures and enhance the influence of Chinese culture worldwide.

4.Stimulate cultural innovation and enhance the vitality³⁷ of cultural development. The only way to invigorate culture is to promote innovation in its content and form, its structure and mechanism³⁸, and its means of dissemination³⁹ from the high starting point of our times and release and develop its productive forces. We must keep to the orientation of serving the people and socialism, upholdthe principle of letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend, and maintain close contact with reality, life and the public. We must always give top priority to social benefits and try to ensure both good economic returns and social benefits. We must create more excellent, popular works that reflect the people's principal position in the country and their real life. We must deepen cultural restructuring and improve the policies for supporting nonprofit cultural programs, developing the cultural industry and encouraging cultural innovation, so as to create favorable conditions for producing fine works, outstanding personnel and good results. We must continue to develop nonprofit cultural programs as the main approach to ensuring the basic cultural rights and interests of the people, increase spending on such programs, and build more cultural facilities in urban communities and rural areas. We must vigorously develop the cultural industry, launch major projects to lead the industry as a whole, speed up development of cultural industry bases and clusters of cultural industries with regional features, nurture⁴⁰ key enterprises and strategic investors⁴¹, create a thriving cultural market and enhance the industry's international competitiveness. We will use new and high technology to create new ways of producing cultural works, foster new forms of operation in the cultural industry and accelerate the establishment of a dissemination system featuring fast communication and wide coverage⁴². We will establish a national system of honors for outstanding cultural workers.

The great rejuvenation⁴³ of the Chinese nation will definitely be accompanied by the thriving of Chinese culture. We will give full scope to the principal position of the people in cultural development, arouse the enthusiasm of cultural workers, promote vigorous development and prosperity of culture more conscientiously and actively⁴⁴, and create cultural works in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, so that the people will share in the benefits of cultural development.