Matters of Confidence
Addressing a grand meeting to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the founding of the CPC on July 1, 2016, Xi Jinping called on the whole Party to have confidence in its chosen path, guiding theories, and political system, and above all to have confidence in China’s culture. This was not the first time that Xi had emphasized the importance of cultural confidence. He had already raised the subject back in February 2014 when chairing a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. He referred to the topic again the following March when joining a discussion among NPC deputies from Guizhou Province. “We should have confidence in our chosen path, guiding theories, and political system, and most importantly, confidence in our culture,” he told the deputies. These “matters of confidence” can be seen to have developed and enriched the theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Confidence in the chosen path, offers a firm assurance about a promising future of Chinese socialism; confidence in the guiding theories affirms a strong belief that the theoretical framework of Chinese socialism is correct, scientific, and sound; confidence in the political system manifests an abiding faith in the strengths and advanced nature of Chinese socialism as a political system; confidence in China’s culture demonstrates a full confirmation of the nation’s own cultural values and a deep trust in their vitality. Such confidence is “more fundamental, more extensive, and more profound.”
Complementing each other and operating in harmony, these four matters of confidence constitute important components of Chinese socialism.
“四个自信”
2016年7月1日，习近平总书记在庆祝中国共产党成立95周年大会上的讲话中，在“三个自信” （道路自信、理论自信、制度自信）基础上，增加了“文化自信”，从而形成了“四个自信”的表述。实际上，早在2014年2月，习近平在主持中央政治局集体学习时，就明确提出过“文化自信”的要求。2014年全国两会期间，他参加贵州代表 团审议时说，“我们要坚持道路自信、理论自信, 制度自信，最根本的还有一个文化自信”。 “四个自信”理念是对中国特色社会主义理论体系的丰富和创新。其中，道路自信 是对中国特色社会主义道路发展方向和未来命运的自信；理论自信是对中国特色社会主义理论体系的科学性、真理性、正确性的自信；制度自信是对中国特色社会主义制度先进性和优越性的自信；文化自信是对中国自身文化价值的充分肯定，是对自身文化生命力的坚定信念，“是更基础、更广泛、更深厚的自信”。“四个自信”是一个有机统一体，是中国特色社会主义的完整信念体系，相辅相成、彼此互动。