Xi Jinping Thought Core Ten Principles | Generated by AI
The “Ten Clear Understandings” (十个明确, shi ge mingque) constitute the core theoretical framework of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想). This ideological system was formally incorporated into the Constitution of the Communist Party of China at the 19th Party Congress in 2017 and subsequently into the national Constitution in 2018, representing the Party’s latest adaptation of Marxism to contemporary Chinese conditions.
Historical Context and Significance
Xi Jinping Thought emerged during a period of significant transformation in China’s development trajectory. As China entered what the leadership terms a “new era” following decades of reform and opening up, the country faced new challenges including economic restructuring, social inequality, environmental degradation, and an evolving international landscape. The “Ten Clear Understandings” were formulated to provide theoretical guidance for addressing these challenges while maintaining the Party’s leadership and advancing toward national rejuvenation.
This framework builds upon previous iterations of Party ideology—including Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the “Three Represents,” and the Scientific Outlook on Development—while claiming to offer fresh insights appropriate to China’s current stage of development and global position.
The Nature of the “Ten Clear Understandings”
The “Ten Clear Understandings” are presented as systematic clarifications of fundamental questions regarding China’s development path, governance model, and national objectives. They address:
- Philosophical foundations: The principal contradiction facing Chinese society and the historical mission of the Party
- Political structure: The nature of leadership, governance systems, and institutional arrangements
- Economic development: The approach to building a modern economy and achieving common prosperity
- Social and cultural dimensions: Strategies for legal reform, cultural development, and social welfare
- National security and defense: Concepts of sovereignty, military modernization, and territorial integrity
- International relations: China’s role in global governance and foreign policy principles
These ten points are intended to form a coherent ideological system that guides policy-making across all domains of Party and state activity.
Relationship to Practice
While the “Ten Clear Understandings” represent theoretical articulations, they are closely connected to the “Fourteen Commitments” (十四个坚持, shisi ge jianchi), which outline the practical policy orientations derived from this theoretical framework. Together, these components aim to provide both ideological guidance and concrete direction for governance.
The framework emphasizes the inseparability of theory and practice in the Chinese Marxist tradition, positioning Xi Jinping Thought as both a continuation of and innovation within China’s ideological lineage. It is presented as essential for understanding the Chinese Communist Party’s contemporary goals, methods, and worldview as it pursues what it calls the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”