History tells us that a nation will reawaken from its culture. And the strength of a party is determined by its confidence in culture to a large extent. It is true that cultural confidence not only holds the key to cultural rejuvenation and prosperity, but also to the destiny and future of a nation and a Party. As Engels once said, “Every progress in culture has represented a leap to the freedom.” Our Party has strong awareness and confidence in culture, which guide us to follow the direction and promote the development when reviewing the Party’s history. Every crucial moment, our Party has always been centering on major tasks to hold high the banner of developing advanced culture, surmount difficulties and remove obstacles amid new historical progress of culture. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi has attached great importance to building a great culture, and underlined firm confidence in culture with many new thoughts and ideas. When addressing the thirteenth group study session of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, he said we should boost confidence in culture and values; when discussing state affairs with national lawmakers and political advisers, he noted that we should remain confident in the theory, path, system as well as culture; when delivering a speech at a symposium for literature and art work, he believed that cultural confidence is a necessity in order to firm up confidence in the path, theory and system; when addressing a symposium with Marco students, he put forward that it is essential to boost confidence in the system, theory, path and culture, among which cultural confidence is basic; when delivering a speech at a symposium for philosophy and social science, he suggested that we should remain confident in culture in order to firm up confidence in the path, theory and system since cultural confidence is a most profound and enduring power; when addressing the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, he said that cultural confidence is more fundamental, extensive and profound form of self confidence. Xi’s important remarks, in which cultural confidence has been elevated to an unprecedented height, have showcased our Party’s higher requirement for confidence in culture. 

Our confidence in culture derives from fine traditional Chinese culture nurtured over 5,000 years, revolutionary culture developed in the great fight of the Party and people, and advanced socialist culture. These cultures have represented most profound spiritual pursuits and unique spiritual mark of the Chinese nation. In the course of realizing the national rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, cultural confidence is increasingly important and fundamental. As long as we have confidence in culture, we will resolve to enhance confidence in the path, theory and system.  

Culture is the soul of a country and a nation. Secretary General Xi Jinping put forward, “Countries or nations will not thrive if they don’t cherish their thoughts and culture.” Cultural confidence is an important support and spiritual driver for country’s prosperity. 

Cultural confidence enables us to be confident in adhering to the socialist path with Chinese characteristics. Culture answers where we come from and where we will go. Secretary General Xi noted that fine traditional Chinese culture is the spiritual bloodline of the Chinese nation, important source of core socialist values, as well as solid foundation for China to stand in a turbulent cultural tide. It is true that fine traditional Chinese culture has become the genome of the Chinese nation that shapes the Chinese people’s way of thinking and conducts as the most profound cultural soft power. It has a profound history and extensive foundation in real world to seek for the socialist path with Chinese characteristics through the combination of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture that take root in the soil of Chinese civilization, reflects the Chinese people’s wishes and adapt to China’s development. The awareness, confidence and self-reliance for the Chinese civilization will firm up the awareness, confidence and self-reliance in the theory, path and system with Chinese characteristics. 

Cultural confidence pools the strength of the Chinese nation to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. Cultural confidence carries the Chinese Dream. Besides, it also serves as a drive and “bolster” to realize the Chinese Dream. Secretary General Xi Jinping noted that the Chinese Dream will not come true without inheriting and developing civilization. The culture featuring strong vibrancy and ability to appeal is the “greatest common divisor” to build a spiritual home, enhance mutual understanding in culture and play an important role in promoting the economic development, seeking for social progress, improving people’s quality and enhancing overall competitiveness. Cultural confidence is the most profound strength to advance the “Five-Pronged Overall Plan” for developing Chinese socialism; promote the “Four Comprehensives” strategy; and work constantly towards attaining the “Two Centenary Goals”

To remain confident in culture will help to promote unity in thought, build consensus and form a collective force to pool the strength of realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. 

Cultural confidence stimulates the spirit of the times to work hard and overcome difficulties. It pools the strength of China. In the course of socialist revolution, construction and reform and opening-up, the Communist Party of China has created and developed Jingangshan spirit, Long March spirit, Yanan spirit, Xibaipo spirit, “Two Bombs and One Satellite” spirit and Anti-Flood spirit. Together, they penetrate into nation’s bloodline and guide us to overcome difficulties and create miracles.

The Nanliang spirit and Iron Man spirit in Longyuan land have inspired generations to generations to strive for building a beautiful homeland. These spirits, with distinct modern style, take root in profound Chinese civilization as firm confidence in culture. Cultural confidence is desperately desired to spur the formation of strong drive for the development of the times with bigger contradictions and more difficulties in the course of building a moderately prosperous society. 

The underdeveloped regions are not always backward in culture. While the country will be truly developed only when its culture prospers. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said, “Cultural prosperity is the ultimate goal of the development.” For instance, some provinces, like Gansu and Yunnan, are rich in cultural deposits despite the backwardness in economical development. There are still much achievements to be made in culture for underdeveloped regions. In order to boost cultural confidence, it is urged to make full use of cultural endowment and advantages of local regions and strive for a boom culture that advances with the times and explores new ground in development so as to develop a richer and more appealing Chinese civilization. 

In order to boost cultural confidence, it is urged to carrying forward unique ethnic culture. What’s unique for a nation is also precious for the world. In more than 5,000 years of civilization, the Chinese nation has deposited rich cultural resources and shaped an unique system of thought, including cultural values and spiritual dreams, represented by benevolence and love, people-centered thought, credibility, integrity, harmony and unity, that transcend time, national boundaries, and have eternal attraction and contemporary value. All regions and ethnic groups have created and developed their own splendid cultures with regional features, which are free from materials. In order to boost confidence in culture, we should firstly step up great efforts to inherit and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture and delve into and develop Dunhuang culture, Silk Road culture, the Great Wall culture and Red (revolutionary) cultural resources instead of demonizing them, thus boosting confidence in development with culture. 

In order to boost cultural confidence, it is urged to improve the vibrancy for cultural development. The vitality of culture lies in innovation. Only by deepening reform, removing institutional obstacles and stimulating the vitality for cultural development, cultural confidence will be built up. Cultural administrative departments should accelerate its evolution from a player to an administrator. Cultural enterprises should build modern system and.corporate governance structure. Moreover, a new cultural market should be established to secure the free flow of factors, including cultural products and capital, talents, information and technology. It is urged to build strategic platforms by virtue of market, such as the Chinese Civilization Zone for Inheritance and Innovation and the Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo. Besides, it is indispensable to build a social effect-prioritized system incorporating social effects and economic effects to promote cultural development.

In order to boost cultural confidence, efforts must be made to enhance cultural influence. Civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. To remain confident in culture, it is by no means to rest our laurels but seek for reform and innovation and uphold inclusiveness so as to innovate and develop culture in an open and inclusive manner. While developing a brilliant fine traditional Chinese culture by discarding the dross and eradicating the false, we should learn from each other instead of blindly following the “Western pattern”, and absorb fine part of other civilizations to better introduce the Chinese civilization to the global. To remain confident in culture, it is urged to disseminate Chinese voices well and telling the Chinese stories well especially in underdeveloped regions where it is of greater importance to tell their own stories vividly and accelerate reform and development with strong cultural confidence. 

As the saying goes, “Two hundred years of self-confident life, when water hits three thousand miles.” Culture can be internalized in the mind, externalized into practice. Every cadre and official should be aware of the fact we will firm up confidence in the path, theory, system only when the genome of cultural confidence have been deeply rooted in our mind.