Former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and retired Major General
Li Shenming authored an interesting and unusual article in the World Socialist Research Issue
1, 2022 on 'Historical Nihilism and the Disintegration of the Soviet Union'. The article traced
the history of the decline and disintegration of the Soviet Union and referred to CCP CC
General Secretary Xi Jinping's 'important speech' at the Party History Learning and Education Mobilization Conference where he emphasized: "We must take a clear-cut stand against
historical nihilism, strengthen ideological guidance and theoretical analysis", "It is better to
clear the source and strengthen the source". Asserting that "The tragedy of the collapse of the
Soviet Union and the collapse of the country is a heavy and rare negative teaching material left
to the communists and the cause of human civilization and progress in the 20th century", it
says "the disaster that historical nihilism brought to the Soviet Union tells us at least the
following: (i) we must attach great importance to the counterattack and criticism of historical
nihilism. Historical nihilism is a political trend of thought promoted by hostile forces at home
and abroad ... its fundamental purpose is to deny and subvert the party's leadership and the
socialist system. The whole party, especially the party's organizations and leaders at all levels,
must attach great importance to the counterattack and criticism of historical nihilistic thoughts
and behaviours. All Communist Party members are responsible. (ii) we must attach great
importance to and seriously deal with Western "soft power" and "smart power" and other
peaceful evolution strategies. "As the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics continues
to advance, hostile forces at home and abroad will inevitably renovate their means and continue
to spread historical nihilism". (iii) we must attach great importance to the struggle in the
ideological field, and never allow historical nihilism to flourish, and we must not allow it to
deliberately create and spread lies and disrupt public opinion. (iv) Leadership in the ideological
sphere must be firmly in the hands of loyal Marxists. In the struggle to criticize historical
nihilism, we must continuously strengthen the ranks of Marxist theory, consolidate the position
of propaganda and public opinion, and provide reliable political and organizational guarantees
for countering and defeating historical nihilism. (v) we must organize the whole party,
especially the party's leading cadres at all levels, to take the lead in in-depth study of the history
of the party, the history of new China, the history of reform and opening up, and the history of
socialist development, improve the level of ideology and theory, and improve the ability to
resist historical nihilism and other wrong trends of thought. In conclusion it asserted "We
firmly believe that under the strong and correct leadership of the CPC Central Committee with
Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, in the context of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought,
Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "Three Represents", the Scientific Outlook
on Development, and especially Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics
Under the guidance of ideology, the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese
nation will surely be realized, and the grand cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics
will surely have an incomparably splendid future!" (Comment: Li Shenming is a native of Wenxian county, Henan province and was born in 1949.
He joined the PLA in 1970, and joined the CPC in 1971. He has served as Secretary of the
Central Military Commission and Vice President of the PLA Medical Research Institute from
1994 to 1998. In 1997 he was promoted to Major General. He was Vice-President of the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences from 1998 to 2013. This article is a definite 'call to arms'
as it were in support of Xi Jinping and Chinese Communist ideology.)
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