The Scientific Connotations of Education for Forging a Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation

Abstract

Forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation is the main line of ethnic affairs in the new era, and also a hot topic of research in theories about the Chinese nation today. The scientific connotations of education about forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation includes three aspects: conceptual content, theoretical content, and practical content. The core of the conceptual content lies in forging the conscious sense of community for the Chinese nation, to internalize the concept of national unity. The theoretical content includes the theory of ethnic affairs with Chinese characteristics in the new era and the theory of modernization of national governance. This focuses on the “discursive consciousness” of forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation to give national unity a sound basis. The practical content of forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation includes using education about national unity, national unification, and national rejuvenation to forge a sense of a united community for the Chinese nation, to make the ideal of national unity apparent in action. Only with a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the scientific content of education about the sense of community for the Chinese nation can we effectively implement the ideal of the community of the Chinese nation “that shares good or ill, that shares honour or disgrace, that shares life or death, and that shares a common destiny.”

Keywords:

• Education about a sense of community for the Chinese nation
• national rejuvenation
• national unification
• national unity

Notes

1 Xi Jinping. 2021. Yi zhulao Zhonghua minzu gongtongti yishi wei zhuxian tuidong xin shidai dang de minzu gongzuo gao zhiliang fazhan [Take forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main line to promote the high-quality development of the Party’s ethnic affairs in the new era]. Guangming ribao [Guangming daily].

2 Zhongyang minzu gongzuo huiyi zai jing juxing – Xi Jinping zuo zhongyao jianghua [Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs takes place in the capital – Xi Jinping makes an important speech]. http://www.wenming.cn/specials/zxdj/xjp/xjpjh/201409/t20140929_2210424.shtml

3 Renmin ribao (People’s Daily). 2014. Xi Jinping zai di er ci Zhongyang Xinjiang gongzuo zuotanhui shang fabiao zhongyao jianghua [Xi Jinping delivers an important speech at the second central symposium on work related to Xinjiang], 1.

4 Xi Jinping. 2017. Juesheng quanmian jiancheng xiaokang shehui duoqu xin shidai Zhongguo tese shehui zhuyi weida shengli – zai Zhongguo gongchangdang di shijiu ci quanguo daibiao dahui shang de baogao [Report to the Nineteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China]. Beijing: Renmin chubanshe.

5 Twelve Must refers to:

1. It is necessary to grasp the historical position of the Party's ethnic work in the new era from the perspective of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

2. It is necessary to make the common struggle of all ethnic groups for the comprehensive construction of a socialist modernized country an important task of the Party's ethnic work in the new era.

3. It is necessary to take the forging of a sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main theme of the Party's ethnic work in the new era.

4. It is necessary to adhere to the correct view of the history of the Chinese nation.

5. It is necessary to uphold the equality of all ethnic groups.

6. It is necessary to hold high the banner of the great unity of the Chinese nation.

7. It is necessary to adhere to and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy.

8. It is necessary to build a spiritual home shared by the Chinese nation.

9. It is necessary to promote extensive interactions, exchanges, and integration among all ethnic groups.

10. It is necessary to govern ethnic affairs in accordance with the law.

11. It is necessary to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

12. It is necessary to adhere to the Party's leadership over ethnic work.

6 The “four commonalities” refer to common language, common territory, common economic life, and common psychological qualities.

7 The “three consciousnesses” refer to national consciousness, citizenship consciousness, and a sense of community for the Chinese nation.

8 Zhonggong guojia minweidang zu (Party Group of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China). 2021. Yi zhulao Zhonghua minzu gongtongti yishi wei zhuxian tuijin xin shidai dang de minzu gongzuo gao zhiliang fazhan de gangling xing wenxian – shenru xuexi guanche Xi Jinping zong shuji zai zhongyang minzu gongzuo huiyi shang de zhongyao jianghua [A programmatic document promoting the high-quality development of the Party’s ethnic affairs in the new era by forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main line – in-depth study and implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech at the Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs]. Renmin ribao [People’s Daily].

9 See note 4 above.

10 Xi Jinping. 2014. Xi Jinping tan zhiguo lizheng [The Governance of China]. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 235.

11 Xi Jinping. 2021. Zai qingzhu Zhongguo Gongchandang chengli 100 zhounian dahui shang de jianghua [Speech at the Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China]. Renmin ribao [People’s Daily].

12 See note 10 above, 63.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jian Wang

Jian Wang is affiliated with the Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

Ying Liu

Ying Liu is affiliated with the College of Educational Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, Xinjiang.