Unswervingly advancing cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era: China Daily editorial

A grand gathering was held on Monday in Beijing to commemorate the birth centenary of the country's late leader Jiang Zemin.

President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the gathering in which he recalled the "indelible contributions" Jiang made to safeguarding the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and successfully advancing it into the 21st century by breaking new ground in reform and opening-up in all respects and achieving overall moderate prosperity in people's lives.

Jiang's political career unfolded during a period of profound changes. The country faced complicated domestic and international circumstances following the end of the Cold War, and it was navigating the difficult transition toward a socialist market economy and deeper integration with the world economy. Against that backdrop, Jiang demonstrated a rock-solid political conviction, profound dedication to the people, an innovative spirit, farsighted strategic thinking and extraordinary courage in addressing risks and challenges.

These qualities are still relevant today.

Jiang had remained unswervingly firm in communist ideals, utterly loyal to the Communist Party of China and the people, and resolutely committed to the cause of the Party and the people. He emphasized the importance of strengthening the Party's leadership and effectively improving Party building as the country advanced reform and opening-up and developed its economy.

Xi highlighted Jiang's view that the farther the country advances along the path of reform and opening-up and the more its economy develops, the more crucial it becomes to strengthen the Party's leadership and improve Party building.

Jiang also demonstrated a profound love for the people, always standing with them, caring about their well-being and stressing that development ultimately serves the people. Under his leadership, major initiatives, including the large-scale development of the country's western regions and poverty alleviation, helped improve people's living standards and contributed to the country's historic transition to moderate prosperity.

Today, learning from that people-first approach means adhering to the philosophy of development centered on the people, helping them resolve difficulties and promoting common prosperity through the country's modernization.

Lauding Jiang's achievements, Xi hailed his efforts in continuously advancing innovations in theory, institutions, science and technology, culture and other fields.

By pooling the wisdom of the whole Party, Jiang created the Theory of Three Represents, which further answered the questions of what socialism is and how to build it, and creatively addressed what kind of Party to build and how to build it.

The establishment of the socialist market economy as a reform objective and China's accession to the World Trade Organization reflected the innovative and pragmatic spirit of adapting to changing circumstances while firmly pursuing development. The same spirit is indispensable today as China confronts a rapidly changing world marked by technological transformation, economic restructuring and geopolitical uncertainty.

We must now properly respond to the questions facing China, the world, the people and the times, and constantly break new ground in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, Xi said.

Jiang's farsightedness and strategic thinking were highlighted by Xi. With an international perspective and a vision for the future, Jiang advanced the cause of the Party and the State with a slew of major decisions and measures.

That strategic vision is also necessary today, when it is essential to fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, accelerate efforts to create a new development pattern, and make solid headway in promoting high-quality development.

Jiang's courage in critical moments is equally instructive. He made resolute decisions at key historical junctures and critical moments, and responded calmly to risks and challenges, securing the steady advancement of China's reform and opening-up as well as socialist modernization.

The commemorative gathering can help the country effectively draw strength from Jiang's legacy to face new challenges.

"On the new journey, we should stand ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters, and even dangerous storms, resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and continue to write a new chapter in the miracles of fast economic growth and long-term social stability," Xi said.

In the process, it is imperative to uphold the overall leadership of the Party and the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, unswervingly strengthen full and rigorous Party self-governance, and ensure the Party remains the strong leadership core in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.