Never Forget the Original Mission, Carry Forward the Great Spirit of the Long March

Professor Xie Chuntao, Party School of the CCCPC gives an Interview to Wang Haokui and Li Wei of Guangming Daily

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Never Forget the Original Mission, Carry Forward the Great Spirit of the Long March

Professor Xie Chuntao, Party School of the CCCPC gives an Interview to Wang Haokui and Li Wei of Guangming Daily

General Secretary Xi Jinping stresses that we should forever remember the Red Army’s great contributions, and carry forward the great spirit of the Long March. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese Red Army’s victorious Long March. How to understand the great spirit of the Long March? What inspirations it brings us ? How to never forget the original mission and continuously march forward in the Long March spirit ? Around these matters, Professor Xie Chuntao, Party School of the CCCPC gives an Interview to Wang Haokui and Li Wei of Guangming Daily.

Fully demonstrate the magnificent spiritual force of the revolutionary ideal

The Long March is a very important strategic retreat. Back then in those days, various armed forces with the First Army corps, the Second Army Corps and Fourth Army Corps of the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army ( Red Army in short) as the main forces moved away from the south to the north of China. Having cut across more than a dozen provinces, each of the Red Armies had gone through the areas with very poor natural conditions, often had to climb over snow-capped mountains and walk through wet-grassland, and even face the encirclements by Kuomintang reactionary armies, and fight numerous large and small battles, break through encirclements and overcome countless difficult barriers and dangerous risks, finally won the Long March victory.

Large crowds of young and senior audiences are attracted in the Chinese People's Revolutionary Military Museum by the Exhibition on Heroic Epic Immortal Monument – in Commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Chinese Red Army Long March Victory. The Long March is the most influential event in the history of the Chinese revolution and in the world at large. Eighty years later, we'll review this history, and it is very meaningful to relive the great Long March spirit.

There are many interpretations about the Long March spirit. But one thing is sure, the most important reason that the Long March came to victory is that it is based on the firm revolutionary ideal. As General Secretary Xi Jinping stresses that the Red Army Long March victory fully manifests the great spiritual power of revolutionary ideals.

Think about why there are so many people following the Red Amy, and the Communist Party of China. Because they have firm ideal and faith. The Red Army under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party was for fighting to liberate the poor people including themselves, was for saving the people and their nation, for resisting the Japanese aggressors in the northern region, and for leading the people to have a good life step by step.

Then, the Red Army commanders of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, etc. reflect a firm ideal and faith. For example, back then, Zhu De gave up all the fame and fortune, and joined the Communist Party of China with firmness. To join the Party means dedication and sacrifice. So, from the Red Army commanders, we should learn most today their revolutionary ideals and revolutionary spirit.

There is a popular phrase when I was a young kid: whether it is bitter and hard life or not, think of the Red Army 25000-li Long March; whether it is tired or not, think of the senior generation of the Red Army in the Long March. It is well- known that the Red Army during the Long March had hard life, which embodies their firm spirit, belief and ideal. It can be concluded that this kind of ideal and faith are too powerful to be measured.

The Zunyi Meeting is the Party's a vital turning point from the perspective of life—or –death in its history

In January 1935, the Zunyi Meeting is the major turning point for the Chinese Communist Party historically, the Red Army historically, and the Chinese revolution historically. From then on, the Red Army turned the corner and Chinese revolution marches onto the victorious road. Why did this turning point emerge, because the Chinese revolution including the Long March had suffered major setbacks. Back then, the Red Army left the south of Jiangxi and the west of Fujian, which is largely related to the dogmatic command. In the face of the Kuomintang reactionaries’ siege, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, etc, the Red Army could win battles, and break through the enemy's encirclements. However, under the dogmatic command on the battles ground, the Red Army was fighting more and more passively, the revolutionary base areas were getting smaller and smaller, the Red Army numbers were becoming less and less, and had to make a strategic a retreat.

In the early part of the strategic retreat, under the central dogmatic control, and a serious mistake was also committed, especially during the Xiangjiang river military campaign, the Red Army lost more than half of its forces. If the situation continued, the Red Army would get drowned. More and more people expressed dissatisfaction with dogmatic mistaken command thinking, demanded a meeting to be held to study these operations, and summarize the previous lessons.

When the Red Army came to Zunyi, the CPC held its enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau, reviewed the previous military operations command mistakes. There is no doubt that the vast majority of people overwhelmingly criticized the erroneous dogmatic command, and supported Mao Zedong's correct leadership. It is at the meeting and then the later follow-up meetings that established comrade Mao zedong's leadership in the Central Committee. Marked by the Zunyi Meeting, the Party began to stand up again from there, and the mature leadership team and core began to gradually form, so the Party was given the right direction. Since then, the Party has led the Chinese people to overcome one difficulty after another and achieved one victory after another.

Follow the Long March spirit, never forget the original mission and continue to march on

General Secretary Xi Jinping in his July 1st important speech calls on all Party members to "never forget the original mission and continue to march on" and systematically elaborates from eight aspects. Follow the Long March spirit, and "never forget the original mission and continue to march on", here I mainly focus on the following four aspects:

We should adhere to and develop Marxism. This belief is established in the beginning of the founding of the Party, and has guided our revolution, construction and reform to great achievements. We must adhere to it today, and stick to it forever. The most important and the most basic Marxist three aspects never become outdated: Firstly, the Marxist world outlook and methodology, which are scientific and can guide us to solve many problems. Secondly, the fundamental values of Marxism -- achieve common prosperity for the mankind, realize the human equality, and attain each human free and full development. Thirdly, the fundamental Marxist political stance -- always seek the benefits for the vast majority of humankind. It is these three aspects to which the Communist Party of China has been sticking, and developing on the basis of adherence and insistence in the process of developing Marxism as well as advancing Marxism with the times.

Firmly adhere to the lofty ideal of communism. The reason that the Communist Party of China is called the "communist" is adherence to this ideal, and to vigorously achieve the ideal. When people follow the Party, it is this goal that they are for. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping stresses that the people's longing for a better life is our goal, and that our responsibility is to unite to lead the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country to continue to emancipate the mind, to advance reform and opening up, to constantly liberate and develop social productivity, to vigorously solve the production and living difficulties of the masses, and unswervingly follow the path of common prosperity. People feel tangibly that the Communist Party of China is working for their interests all the time.

. In the past, we are firm in revolutionary triumphalism, what belief we stick to today? It is the belief of socialism with the Chinese characteristics, namely the "four self-confidence" emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his July 1st important speech - the road self-confidence, system self-confidence, theory self-confidence, culture self-confidence. Why is self-confidence? Because we have made remarkable achievements. Practices and achievements prove that we march onto a correct path, our theory and practice are proved correct, our system through the reform has glowed the vitality and vigor, our culture has radiated strong vitality. Therefore, we have the reason for confidence.

i.e. the objective of serving the people wholeheartedly. The Party is founded on the basis of this tenet, so the Party has attained success from the past to today, and still can continue to go on, it is for this purpose. Stick to this tenet, people will follow. The Party is in its 95 years since its founding, but is still full of vitality; the Party in power has been 67 years, and is still in power. Why is that? It has won over support of the people. Why do people support the Party? Because it adheres to the tenet of serving the people wholeheartedly.

Reviewing the history of the Long March, and summarizing the cause of the Long March victory can very well and very deeply prove the utmost importance of "never forgetting the original mission" emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his July 1st speech this year.

Pass down the great Long March spirit from generation to generation

The Long March victory, today, still has a lot of enlightenments to us. Such as the Party's ideological construction is extremely important. General Secretary Xi Jinping in his July 1st important speech stresses that the guiding ideology is the spiritual banner of a political party. The CPC is founded with Marxism-Leninism as its guiding ideology, and communism as a far-reaching ideal. Over the past 95 years, the Party's great ideal remains unchanged.

Back in those years, the Party from the perspective of "people's livelihood" put forward the idea of "overthrowing local lords and redistributing farmland". In such a short phrase people could see the Party's aim, and understood the purpose of the army under its leadership. Have ideal, have pursuit, have belief, and have faith, which is one of the most important reason for the Long March victory, and other major achievements by the Party.

Again for example, emphasize the Party's absolute leadership over the military. Adaptation at the Sanwan was to built a Party branch at platoon level, the Red Army is different from the old army, because it is under the Party leadership, and has done effective ideological and political work. The Party leadership, whether in the Long March or in any other period, must be firmly upheld.

Develop intra-party democracy, such as Zunyi Meeting is a model of intra-party democracy. The wrong command can be corrected through a collective decision, and a unity formed on a new basis. The Zunyi Meeting, of course, in the Long March was meant to solve the main problem of the military command, however, the solution of the military command is also done from the perspective of the ideological and political errors of dogmatism, and firmly established the Party's correct leadership, which is also an important guarantee of the Long March victory.

Of course, there are some other valuable revelations or enlightenments that are worth summary today. The situation keeps changing, but the spirit can not be thrown away. The Great Long March spirit is a precious spiritual wealth, we should cherish and carry forward. Through the explanation, publicity and education, let more people know this period of history, and deepen their understanding of the Long March and great Long March spirit; remember the Long March, and pass down the great Long March spirit from generation to generation.

(Abridged translation of the interview from www.gmw.cn on October 4, 2016)