At a nationwide meeting held in Beijing on August 19 and 20, the Chinese Communist Party’s Chairman Xi Jinping gave a speech on propaganda and ideological work. Xi emphasized that economic development is the central task of the Party, while the Party’s ideological work is an extremely important job.

Xi pointed out that propaganda and ideological work are to consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field and to consolidate the common ideological foundation for the whole Party and the people of the nation. Party members and cadres should strengthen their belief in Marxism and Communism. Leading officials, especially senior officials, should systematically master the basic theory of Marxism, should honestly and thoroughly study Marxism, Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the "Three Represents" important thoughts, and the Scientific Concept of Development. All Party schools and academies, institutes of social sciences, and universities should have Marxism as a required course and become important forefronts of Marxist study, research, and propaganda. In particular, new and young cadres should do a good job in their theoretical studies and stand firm in their ideals and faith.

Xi asked for in-depth propaganda and education in socialism with Chinese characteristics so as to hold people of all ethnic groups in the nation in unity and cohesion under the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi stressed that to be a true Party member is to adhere to the correct political orientation, hold a firm political viewpoint, firmly propagandize the Party’s theories, path, guidelines and policies, propagandize the Party’s deployment of major tasks, propagandize the Party’s important analyses and judgments on the current situation, resolutely maintain a high degree of uniformity with the Central Committee, and resolutely safeguard the authority of the Central Committee. All the propaganda and ideological units and all the Party members and cadres in the propaganda and ideological fronts should be clear in their adherence to the Party’s principles.

Source: Xinhua, August 20, 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-08/20/c_117021464.htm

On August 21, 2013, Hong Kong Apple Daily published an article on the Chinese Communist Party’s “File No. 9” titled, “Circular on the Current Ideological Situation.” The circular, authorized by the CCP’s General Secretary Xi Jingping, labels seven democratic ideological trends. Although popular in China recently, they are called reactionary trends; the circular warns CCP officials that they will lose their power if they cannot eliminate these seven reactionary trends from Chinese society. According to the circular, “Those who oppose the CCP’s one-party rule make trouble, call for publicizing officials’ assets and property holdings, take advantage of the Internet to oppose corruption, media control, and other sensitive problems so as to incite discontent about the Party and the government.” 

Below are the seven reactionary trends cited by the CCP:

1. Promoting Western Constitutional Democracy and thus denying the CCP’s leadership and the socialist system.
2. Promoting universal values and thus shaking the theoretical foundation of the CCP’s rule.
3. Promoting civil society and thus disrupting the social foundation of the CCP’s rule.  
4. Promoting neo-liberalism and thus changing China’s economic system.
5. Promoting Western journalism [freedom of the press] and thus challenging the CCP’s media management system.
6. Disseminating historical nihilism and thus negating the history of the CCP and New China.
7. Questioning China’s reform and opening up is to question the nature of Chinese socialism.

Source: Hong Kong Apple Daily, August 21, 2013
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/international/art/20130821/18387627