The Spirit of the May Fourth Movement and the Chinese Road -- In-depth study and understanding of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the commemoration of the 100 anniversary of the May Fourth Movement

May 4th wind and thunder, a hundred years of agitation. At the 100 anniversary of the May Fourth Movement, a historical moment of special significance, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, deeply cherishing the lofty patriotism and revolutionary spirit of the May Fourth pioneers, and profoundly expounding the historical significance and value of the times of the May Fourth Movement. Chinese youth should take the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as their own responsibility, and live up to the expectations of the party, the expectations of the people, and the great trust of the nation, and our great era. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech provided us with ideological follow-up and action guidelines for us to relive the passionate years 100 years ago, better carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement, stimulate the power of revival.

A New Starting Point of the 1. Road: The May Fourth Movement Becomes the Great Beginning of Exploring China's Road

The significance of great historical events will surely shine more and more with the evolution of history. The May 4th Movement, which broke out 100 years ago, is an epoch-making event in China's modern history. The May Fourth Movement reversed the development trend of China's continuous decline after the Opium War. It was a turning point from China's old democratic revolution to the new democratic revolution. It has a milestone in the historical process of the Chinese nation's pursuit of national independence and development and progress since modern times.

The May Fourth Movement was a great patriotic revolutionary movement that raised the Chinese people's anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle to a new level. After the Opium War in 1840, the barbaric invasion of Western powers and the corruption and incompetence of China's feudal rulers plunged the Chinese nation into dire straits. In order to save the country from peril, the Chinese people's struggle against it has been almost uninterrupted. However, the previous wars against foreign aggression, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Peasant Movement, and the Reform Movement of 1898, which advocated patriotic national salvation and reform, have risen again and again and failed again. The Revolution of 1911 drove only one emperor away. China is still under the oppression of imperialism and feudalism, and the revolutionary task of anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism has not been completed. "No amount of head and blood, poor purchase of false Republic." The outbreak of the May 4th Movement is the general outbreak of various social contradictions and struggles under the background of the deepening crisis of the Chinese nation since modern times. In 1919, China suffered a diplomatic failure at the Paris Peace Conference and was once again in national distress. Gu Weijun, a Chinese representative attending the Paris Peace Conference, once recalled: "We used to think that the final plan might not be too good, but we did not expect the result to be so miserable." The Chinese people are thoroughly aware that "justice is difficult to extend and power is not yet available", and the patriotic storm is raging. Different from the old democratic revolution in the past, the May 4th movement was a great patriotic revolutionary movement against imperialism and feudalism with advanced young intellectuals as the vanguard and the participation of the broad masses of the people ", the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle was given new content; various mass organizations" directly exercised the civilian power by revolutionary means ", which made the movement burst out an earth-shattering revolutionary struggle force, and the salvation and survival opened a new chapter. As Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out, "The outstanding historical significance of the May Fourth Movement lies in its attitude that it has never had for the Revolution of 1911. This is a completely uncompromising anti-imperialism and a completely uncompromising anti-feudalism".

The May 4th Movement was a great social revolutionary movement, which made it a historical necessity for China to take the socialist road. If the old road is blocked, a new way out will be found. With the victory of the October Revolution in Russia in 1917, socialism changed from a book theory to a living reality in Soviet Russia. The revolutionary forces of the Russian proletariat and the working people suddenly erupted like a volcano, and the workers and peasants became the masters of society for the first time. This revolution has shown a new way out for China's advanced elements who are groping in anguish and struggling in the dark. When recalling the May 4th Movement, Wu Yuzhang said, "There is hope for revolution, China will not perish, and we must change the way of revolution in the past. ...... We must rely on the lower class people and follow the path of the Russians." Under the influence of the October Revolution and the shock of the patriotic movement, the entire Chinese nation recovered from its deep sleep. After the May 4th Movement, the student movement, the workers' movement, the peasant movement and the women's movement were widely carried out. The awakening and rising of the masses of the people prompted more advanced elements to choose the revolutionary road of relying on the people. taking the socialist road has become the consensus of more and more advanced elements.

The May Fourth Movement was a great ideological enlightenment movement and a new cultural movement, which strongly promoted the spread of Marxism in China. Before the May 4th Movement, after the impact of the early New Culture Movement, the Chinese ideological circle "is like a sluice gate that has been blocked for a long time. Once it is opened, the side flow will be mixed. Although it is spraying and splashing, the direction of the flow has never been determined by itself". At that time, various doctrines and thoughts such as anarchism, new village doctrine, collaborationism, pan-labor doctrine, Kilt socialism, social democracy, etc. swarmed, and Marxism was not valued by people. The May 4th Movement opened up the way for new ideas and new culture, prompting the ideological circle to explore a new way to transform the society along the direction of thorough anti imperialism and anti feudalism. Introducing, studying and publicizing Marxism has gradually become the mainstream of progressive ideological circles. Of the more than 400 new publications founded at that time, more than 200 promoted Marxism or tended to socialism. The magazine "New Youth" gradually transformed into a position for propagating Marxism, and the New Culture Movement developed into a Marxist ideological movement. After the baptism of the May 4th Movement, especially the repeated identification and comparison of various ideological trends and political propositions, more and more patriotic and progressive young people chose Marxism as their belief and began to gather under the banner of Marxism. Those intellectuals with preliminary communist ideas who served as the backbone of the May Fourth Movement were tempered and grown in practice, and quickly completed the transformation from democrats to Marxists. Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Yun Daiying gradually grew into Marxists in theory and practice. When reviewing the ideological experience of the May Fourth Movement, Comrade Mao Zedong said: "By the summer of 1920, in theory and in a certain degree of action, I had become a Marxist." The young Zhou Enlai wrote in a letter to his friends, "The doctrine I think must remain unchanged, and I am determined to promote him". In 1922, Yun Daiying called in an article: "We should study the principles of historical materialism and arouse the masses who are most oppressed by economic life". They all use the proletarian world outlook as a tool to observe the fate of the country, deeply think about China's revolution and future, and enable the Chinese people to find the ideological weapon to fight for national liberation.

The May 4th Movement promoted the combination of Marxism with the Chinese workers' movement and made ideological and cadre preparations for the founding of the Communist Party of China. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the May Fourth Movement promoted the progress of Chinese society with its revolutionary anti-imperialist and anti-feudal nature, the progressive pursuit of the truth of saving the country and the extensive participation of the people of all ethnic groups and all walks of life. The ideological preparations for cadres have created conditions for new revolutionary forces, revolutionary culture, and revolutionary struggles to enter the historical stage ". The awakening of the proletariat played a decisive role in the victory of the May Fourth Movement. The powerful power of the working class made the early communists realize that the proletariat will inevitably become the leading class of the Chinese revolution. The early communists took the initiative to take off their long shirts and put on coarse clothes, went to the masses of workers to understand their sufferings, inspired their consciousness, and made them from a free class to a self-serving class. The combination of Marxism and the workers' movement directly promoted the founding of the Communist Party of China in 1921. Since the establishment of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese revolution has taken on a new look, and the Chinese revolution has a new core of leadership. This is the most fundamental feature that distinguishes China's new democratic revolution from the old democratic revolution.

New Emancipation of 2. Thought: The Great May Fourth Movement gave birth to the Great May Fourth Spirit

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "the May 4th Movement gave birth to the great May 4th spirit with patriotism, progress, democracy, and science as its main contents, and its core is the spirit of patriotism". The spirit of the May Fourth Movement is the precious spiritual wealth created by the May Fourth Movement and a vivid portrayal of the Chinese nation's indomitable and self-improving national spirit. At that time, patriotism was first of all to strive for national independence, safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and oppose imperialist slavery and feudal warlord governments; progress was first of all to oppose all decadent and declining things that hindered national independence and people's liberation, and to promote the development of Chinese society; democracy was first of all to overthrow the old system of autocracy and dictatorship and realize the liberation, democracy and freedom of the overwhelming majority of the people; science is first of all to explore the guidance of the Chinese people to change the status of enslaved, oppressed scientific truth and development path. The spirit of the May 4th Movement embodies the advanced values pursued by the Chinese people and the Chinese nation since modern times, is deeply accumulated in the national spirit and the spirit of the times of the Chinese nation, and has become the spiritual driving force for the revolution, construction and reform led by the Communist Party of China.

The core of the May Fourth spirit is patriotism. Patriotism has been flowing in the blood of the Chinese nation since ancient times. It cannot be removed, broken, or destroyed. It is a powerful spiritual driving force for the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to safeguard national independence and national dignity. Whether it is patriotism, progress, democracy, or science, there is a common source, which is the spirit of patriotism; they are all going through a common process, which is to explore the road to a strong country; they all have a common goal, which is to achieve national prosperity and national rejuvenation., The Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with the happiness of the people. The May Fourth Movement, as a great patriotic movement, ignited a new hope for the revitalization of China. In the face of the life and death of the country and the nation, a group of patriotic young people stepped forward, and the people of the whole country rose up to fight, vowed that "the land should not be ruined, and the people should not bow their heads." they played a heroic song of patriotism that lasted forever, showing fearless revolutionary heroism. Compared with the patriotism of the past, the spirit of patriotism shown by the May 4th Movement has historical progress and distinctive characteristics of the times. This kind of patriotism is not blindly exclusive, but to safeguard national independence and national dignity; it is not to rest on its laurels, but to be closely linked with democracy and the spirit of science, and to pursue development and progress; it is not empty talk, but to put it into action. put into the anti-imperialist movement with "direct action.

The May Fourth Movement inspired the great awakening of the whole nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "the May 4th Movement changed the struggle of the masses of the people who had only awakened revolutionaries but lacked awakening in the past, and realized the first full awakening of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation since the Opium War". Before the May 4th Movement, the ideological enlightenment represented by "democracy and science" carried out by the New Culture Movement was mainly to oppose feudal autocracy with the help of bourgeois culture. After the May Fourth Movement, some advanced elements clearly realized that only by first overcoming imperialism and feudal forces can we usher in the prosperity of national culture. As a great ideological enlightenment movement, the May Fourth Movement spread new ideas and new culture in the pursuit of truth, violently impacted and cleaned up the feudal old ethics, old morals, old ideas, and old culture that had lasted for thousands of years, and greatly awakened the general public to the danger of the nation. And a deep understanding of the destiny of the country. The pioneers of the May Fourth Movement used historical materialism as a weapon to start with opposing feudal ideas, and then proposed to oppose the social system that produced feudal ideas; they expanded the foothold of the struggle against feudal ideas from fighting for the liberation of individuals to fighting for the people. The height of social liberation; the way of anti-feudal struggle, from the ideological criticism of a few people, gradually developed into the revolutionary practice of the masses. From then on, no one can stop the trend of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation in pursuit of truth and progress.

The May Fourth Movement demonstrated a tenacious spirit of struggle. In May 1939, Comrade Mao Zedong said at a meeting in Yan'an to celebrate the model youth: "The youth movement in China has a very good revolutionary tradition, and this tradition is 'permanent struggle. 'We, the Communist Party, inherited this tradition, have now passed on and will continue to pass on in the future." The May Fourth Movement, through the people's struggle against imperialist bullying and feudal warlords, set off a nationwide mass struggle in which the working class, petty bourgeoisie, national bourgeoisie and other patriots participated extensively. It is a continuation and new development of the Chinese people's previous struggles. During the May 4th Movement, patriotic youth and the masses of the people rose up to fight, forcing the Beiyang government to release the arrested students, dismiss the pro-Japanese bureaucrats, refuse to sign the Paris Peace Treaty, and achieve the direct struggle goal of the movement. Through the May Fourth Movement, the Chinese youth discovered their strength, and the Chinese people and the Chinese nation discovered their strength. The May Fourth Movement was a mass movement that truly demonstrated the strength of the entire nation. With patriotic young intellectuals as the vanguard, the working class demonstrated great strength. Through the May Fourth Movement, the Chinese people and the Chinese nation learned from the practice of struggle: the development of Chinese society, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the happiness of the Chinese people must be achieved by their own heroic struggle, and no one will give us a bright China. The mission of national rejuvenation depends on struggle, and the sail of life's ideal depends on struggle.

The New Connotation of the 3. Age: Carrying Forward the May Fourth Spirit in Promoting the Development and Progress of Contemporary China

A hundred years ago, China, such as the famous "current situation map" of the patriotic overseas Chinese Xie Zentai, was coveted by bears, eagles, dogs and frogs, which symbolized the great powers. All China's arguments were wiped out under the bullying of the West. Today, a hundred years later, China is standing among the nations of the world with a high-spirited posture. China's voice has been heard, and China's plan is highly anticipated. Starting from the May Fourth Movement, the Chinese independently explored and found their way, and they just found light from the dark night and moved towards the light, getting closer and closer to the goal of achieving the great national rejuvenation and approaching the center of the world stage. The high spiritual banner of the May 4th Movement has become a powerful driving force for the Chinese people to move forward on the road of building dreams.

In the past hundred years, the spirit of the May Fourth Movement has always maintained its youth and radiated an indelible light of the times. The 100-year history has eloquently proved that the Communist Party of China is the most loyal successor, advocate and practitioner of the spirit of the May Fourth Movement. It is under the leadership of the Communist Party of China that the patriotism, progress, democracy, and science advocated by the May Fourth Movement have gradually become a reality, and the torch of the May Fourth spirit can be passed on from generation to generation. In the hundred-year historical process of exploring, opening up, and expanding China's road, the spirit of the May Fourth Movement has been continuously endowed with new and rich connotations, constantly highlighting new values of the times, and becoming a spiritual force that inspires the Chinese nation to advance courageously.

Carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement and strive to walk the road to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In his speech, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the May 4th Movement "inspired the ambition and confidence of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation to realize national rejuvenation with great force". Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation since modern times, and it is also the historical mission of the Chinese Communists. During the May Fourth Movement, China's advanced elements "created a youthful family, a youthful country, and a youthful nation with the self of youth", and put forward the great ideal of transforming China and society. After the May 4th Movement, the Communist Party of China led the people in an arduous struggle from Shikumen in Shanghai and Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing. In the magnificent historical process of nearly a hundred years, in order to realize the historical mission of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, whether it is weak or strong, whether it is good or bad, they have not changed their minds and made unremitting efforts, and have made brilliant achievements that have attracted worldwide attention. At present, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. We are closer to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any time in history, and we are more confident and capable of achieving this goal than at any time in history. To carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement today, it is necessary to unify the patriotism, progress, democracy, and scientific ideas advocated by the May Fourth Movement with the realization of the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, sum up and use the valuable experience of the party and the people in exploring the road to national rejuvenation, and shoulder the historical responsibility. Strive to pursue dreams while running, and be a dreamer in the new era.

Carry forward the spirit of the May 4th Movement and strive to take the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The spirit of the May 4th Movement shows us that the road is of vital importance, and if we choose the wrong road, we will take more detours or even go astray. Under the guidance of Marxism, the Chinese Communists have waded out a road of revolution and construction towards rebirth and victory in blood and fire. After the reform and opening up, we followed the correct path opened by the May Fourth Movement and further successfully opened up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Whether the road is right or not, the Chinese have the most say. In today's world, there are always some people who are telling us what to do, making irresponsible remarks and setting up obstacles by all means. In the development of socialism in a large country like China, which has a history of more than 5000 years of civilization and a population of nearly 1.4 billion, there is no textbook that can be regarded as a golden rule, and there is no teacher who can dictate to the Chinese people. To carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement today, we must deeply realize that love for the party, patriotism, and socialism are inseparable. We must guide people to learn from history and learn from history, and deeply understand how our party has historically chosen Marxism and the socialist road in the course of promoting revolution, construction, and reform. After repeated comparisons and summaries, how to combine the basic principles of Marxism with China's reality and the characteristics of the times, how to go our own way independently, how to create and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics through untold hardships and various costs. In the journey of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, no one will give us a bright China. To carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement in the new era is to hold high the great banner of patriotism, maintain the determination to remain unchanged and the way remains unchanged, unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and do our own things well in a down-to-earth manner.

Carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement and strive to follow the road of the people being the masters of the country. Before the May Fourth Movement, the democracy accepted by the people was the bourgeois democracy introduced along with the colonial aggression and plundering activities of the Western powers. During the May 4th Movement, China's advanced elements clearly pointed out that "the 'Democrasy' of the 20th century is the conquered new proletarian working class. Because of its own common interests, it demands the banner of rights for the property and industrial and commercial circles of the conquering class." Democracy no longer refers to narrow bourgeois democracy, but refers to the democracy of the majority and the democracy of the working masses. Since its establishment, our party has taken the realization of the people as the masters of the country as its own responsibility, united and led the Chinese people to carry out the new democratic revolution, and made unremitting efforts to strive for national independence and people's liberation, and to realize the turning of the working masses as masters. After the founding of New China, our party led the people to establish the state power of the people's democratic dictatorship, carried out extensive democratic practice, realized China's great leap from thousands of years of feudal autocracy to people's democracy, and opened up a new historical era in which the people are the masters of the country. Since the reform and opening up, the road of political development of socialism with Chinese characteristics has become wider and wider, the system guarantee for the people to be the masters of the country has become more and more perfect, and the superiority of socialist democracy has been more fully demonstrated. To carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement today, we must fully realize that people's democracy is the broadest, truest, and most effective democracy that safeguards the fundamental interests of the people. The people are the masters of the country is the essential feature of socialist democratic politics; we must firmly follow Chinese characteristics The path of socialist political development, adhere to the organic unity of the party's leadership, the people being the masters of the country, and governing the country according to law, it is embodied in the governance activities and work of the party and the state in all aspects, as well as the people's yearning for a better life and the realization and development of their own interests.

The 100 years since the May Fourth Movement have been the 100 years for Chinese youth to continue to struggle and move forward triumphantly. It is the 100 year for Chinese youth to create a youthful China and a youthful nation with the self of youth. Over the past 100 years, Chinese youth have been full of pure heart for the motherland and the people, actively devoted themselves to the great cause of revolution, construction and reform led by the party, fighting for the people, dedicating themselves to the motherland and striving for a happy life, dedicating their best youth to the motherland and the people, and composing magnificent songs of youth one after another. No matter in the past, present or future, Chinese youth have always been the vanguard force in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: The theme of the Chinese youth movement in the new era, the direction of the Chinese youth movement in the new era, and the mission of the Chinese youth in the new era are to adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China and work with the people to achieve the "two centenary" goals. Strive to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Every young man should cherish this great era, closely link his ideals with the future of the motherland and his life with the destiny of the nation, take root in the people, contribute to the country, and be a striver in the new era and the inheritor of the spirit of the May 4th Movement. In the new era, Chinese youth should, in accordance with the ardent instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, continue to carry forward the spirit of the May Fourth Movement, establish lofty ideals, love the great motherland, shoulder the responsibilities of the times, have the courage to struggle, develop strong skills, temper moral cultivation, and continue to write worthy of the predecessors, A magnificent chapter worthy of the times and worthy of the people.

Source: People's Daily