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China Starts a New Socialist Education Campaign

Editor’s comment: In December 2008, the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party issued a new study material, “The Socialist Core Value System Study Book,” for all levels of Party members and government officials. The focus of the book is to emphasize Marxist ideology as China’s guiding doctrine. It is required that all government departments, working units, and schools distribute the book and organize the study. China’s media is also fostering a heated atmosphere of studying the book.

“A National Campaign to Study ‘The Socialist Core Value System Study Book’” [1]

“The Socialist Core Value System Study Book” (“Study Book”), edited by the Propaganda Department, of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was published and distributed nationwide in December 2008. All levels of Party committees treated the “Study Book” very seriously. They listed it as important material for theoretical study, an important component to further the study and practice of the Scientific Outlook on Development (Editor’s Comment: a concept promoted by Hu Jintao), and important for organized cadres, especially high-ranking officials, to study it in depth.

The Party Leaders of Zhejiang Province, Guizhou Province, and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region followed up on this task themselves; Shanxi Province, Gansu Province, and Chongqing City issued a notice to direct the study and promotion of the Study Book; Guangdong Province, Hainan Province, and Tianjin City held special conferences on this topic; … All local Party organizations have created comprehensive plans to promote and study this book.

– Some provincial Party Committee leaders gave important instructions on implementing solidly and well the study and promotion of the “Study Book” as a key vehicle and content to advance the development of the Socialist Core Value System.
– Some provinces distributed the “The Notice on Organizing the Study of ‘the Socialist Core Value System Study Book’” to direct the province’s study and promotion work for the “Study Book.”
– Some provincial Party Committees held special conferences on promotion and education. They requested all levels of propaganda departments to combine the study and promotion task together with the patriotic education movement for New China’s 60th anniversary celebration, and also with the Scientific Outlook on Development education activities.
– Some provincial Party Committees mark the “Study Book” as important reading material for college professors and students, trying to push the Socialist Core Value System into textbooks, into classrooms, and into people’s heads.

Party Organizations at all levels in Zhejiang Province included the “Study book” in their 2009 theoretical study plan, as a key item for annual evaluation.

Liaoning, Hunan and Gansu Provinces ordered the “Study Book” for cadres and the public. They used the combination of self-study and group study and discussion, and the combination of study and practice, to push the cadres and the public to comprehend and actively practice the Socialist Core Value System.

Party organizations at all levels in Guangdong Province included practicing and studying the “Study Book” as a key component for the study and practice of the Scientific Outlook on Development and party discipline education, requesting the party cadres to lead by example on study and promotion.

Hainan and Guizhou Provinces held special-topic training on studying the “Study Book” and organized the Directors of the lecture team and Section Chiefs of the Theory Section of the Propaganda Department of each city and the autonomous prefecture, to get together and study it.

Also, many colleges listed the “Study Book” as a key material for political study to advance their theoretical understanding, and use of the format of expert’s lectures and group discussion to deepen people’s understanding of the Socialist Core Value System.

Local Party organizations used the “Study Book” to conduct various forms of promotion and education on the Socialist Core Value System, using the education facilities, including the Party schools, public schools, and schools established by the peasant laborers; using the full-time and part-time lecturers and local promotion teams; leveraging the Second Phase promotion and lecturing on the study and practice of the Scientific Outlook on Development; and actively promoting the “Study Book” in communities, enterprises, villages, and schools. They integrated the Study Book’s contents into the education on ideals and beliefs, China’s basic situation, and current status and policies, to bring the Socialist Core Value System closer to the public.

Since the beginning of this year, the promotion and lecture group at the city level and province level in Hainan Province have given nearly 2,000 lectures, organized cadres and the general public in farmlands and thirteen industry areas, including municipal and county officials, public security, legal system, taxation, education, agriculture, and etc. to read the book, write 100 sentences as excerpts from the book, write sharing on understanding, give speeches, and organize conferences.

On the streets of Tianjin City, the Study Book’s materials can be seen on every bulletin and black board. The Tianjin City Party Propaganda Department mobilized grass-roots forces, using the streets as the place to fight to strengthen root-level ideological and political work.

Supplements:
I. Socialist Core Value System Study Book [2]

Author: The “Socialist Core Value System Study Book” Editing Group.
ISBN: 9787801996572, 7801996577
Publisher: The Communist Party of China, Party History Publishing House
Publishing Date: April 1, 2007

[Book Introduction] Socialist Core Value System Study Book
This book has ten chapters. The main contents: Chapter 1, The theoretical origin of the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 2, The historic background of establishing the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 3, The practical value of establishing the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 4, Marxism is the soul of the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 5, The common ideal of the Chinese Characteristic of Socialism is the main theme of the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 6, The national spirit and time spirit are the essence of the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 7, The Socialist Viewpoint of Honor or Disgrace is the foundation of the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 8, The goal of establishing the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 9, The path selected for establishing the Socialist Core Value System; Chapter 10, Using the Socialist Core Value System as the foundation to advance the harmonious development of culture.

II. “The Notice on Organizing the Promotion and Distribution of the ‘Socialist Core Value System Study Book’” – By the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of the Changbai Korean Autonomous County, Baishan City, Jilin Province [3]

The Propaganda Department, Party Committee of the Changbai Korean Autonomous County
Directive #6, 2009

The Notice on Organizing the Promotion and Distribution of the “Socialist Core Value System Study Book”

All local Party committees within the county:

To solidly strengthen the study and promotion of the Socialist Core Value System, following the Communist Party’s Baishan City Propaganda Department’s Order #5, 2009, (we) are starting the promotion and distribution work for “The Socialist Core Value System Study Book” at the Party organizations at all levels within the county. Party organizations at each locale and each department need to earnestly carry out the work.

The Propaganda Department, Party Committee of the Changbai Korean Autonomous County
June 10, 2009

III. “The Notice on Organizing the Solicitation Work for Ordering ‘The Socialist Core Value System Study Book’” – By the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of Zhaosu County, Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region [4]

The Propaganda Department, Party Committee of the Zhaosu County
Directive #14, 2009

The Notice on Organizing the Solicitation Work for Ordering the Chinese, Uighur, and Kazak versions of the “Socialist Core Value System Study Book”

Party Committees of all townships and towns, all departments, committees, and offices of the County Party Committee, all committees, offices, and bureaus of the county government, Party committees (organizations), general branches, and branches at associations and enterprises:

To fully implement the spirit of the Party’s Third Plenary Session of the 17th Central Committee of the CPC, and solidly advance the development of the Socialist Core Value System, the Central Committee Propaganda Department of the CPC edited the “Socialist Core Value System Study Book” (“Study Book”) and distributed the “Notice on Earnestly Organizing the Study and Promotion of the ‘Socialist Core Value System Study Book’” (Directive #27, 2008, Central Committee Propaganda Department of the CPC). Recently the Xinjiang People’s Publishing House translated and edited the Uighur and Kazak versions of the “Study Book.” According to the request from the Central Committee Propaganda Department, the Propaganda Department of the Autonomous Region, and the Propaganda Department of the Autonomous Prefecture, the notice on studying, promoting, and soliciting the ordering of the “Study Book” is set as follows:
1. The Significance
Developing the Socialist Core Value System is our Party’s significant theoretical break-through in the ideology and culture area and a major strategic task. It’s the fundamental task for the Party’s propaganda and ideology work, the most important task in developing ideology and morality and ideological and political work.

2. Introduction of the “Study Book”

3. The Requirements on Study and Promotion
All townships (towns), all departments, and all work units must organize well the study and promotion work of the “Study Book” and include the “Study Book” as an important textbook for new Party members, cadres, employees, and the public. (All these organizations) must create lecturing groups, focusing on the major issues in the Socialist Core Value System, using the basic contents of the “Study Book” to lecture Party members, cadres, and the public; actively promote the “Study Book” in communities, enterprises, villages, schools, and military bases; and undergo an in-depth and long-duration promotional education campaign on the Socialist Core Value System in order to let the concept deeply root in people’s minds and let the Socialist Core Value System be the predominant theme.

4. Methods of Ordering
All townships (towns), all departments, and all work units must pay particularly high attention to the promotion and solicitation of the ordering of the Uighur, Chinese, and Kazak versions of the “Study Book,” designate resources to expand the Study Book’s coverage and influence in society and let the study of the book return solid results.

Order Solicitation Period: From now to mid-May
Order Solicitation Location: The Zhaosu County Propaganda Department
Order Solicitation Contact: Guliziya, Cell: 13999580608, Office phone: 6026845

All townships (towns), all departments, and all work units must report on a timely basis to the Propaganda Department of the County Party Committee, on the status of studying, promoting, and using the “Study Book,” along with feedback and suggestions from the cadres and the public.

Appendix: The Quota Assignment for Soliciting the Ordering of “The Socialist Core Values System Study Book.”

The Propaganda Department, the Party Committee of Zhaosu County
April 14, 2009

Copy sent to: The Propaganda Department, the Party Committee of the Autonomous Prefecture, Members of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee, Deputy County Executives, the Office of the County Party Committee, the Office of the County People’s Congress, the Office of the County government, and the Office of the County People’s Political Consultative Conference, for record.

Endnotes:
[1] Xinhua, July 27, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-07/27/content_11779464.htm
[2] Yixia Book Search Website
http://lib.yixia.net/174/1537678/k
[3] Changbai Korean Autonomous County Party Propaganda Website, June 10, 2009
http://tjj.cbs.gov.cn/cmsweb/webportal/W5182/A100857.html
[4] Zhaosu County Party Website, April 28, 2009
http://www.zsxdj.gov.cn/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=7382