The Sixth Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee, in accordance with the requirements of the Ninth Five-Year Plan for the National Economic and Social Development (1996-2000) and the Long-Term Objectives to the Year 2010, analyzed the situation facing the promotion of socialist ethical and cultural progress, and summarized experiences and lessons. In view of the fact that the central authorities have made all-round arrangements for educational and scientific development, the plenum mainly discussed questions in the field of ideology, ethics and cultural development, and made the following resolutions.

I. Promoting Socialist Ethical and Cultural Progress Is a Major Task of Strategic Importance

(1) The period from 1996 to 2010 will be an important period during which China will press ahead with building socialism with Chinese characteristics. During this period, we should consolidate and develop the great achievements scored since the Third Plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee, advance the fundamental shift in the economic structure and economic growth mode, and promote economic growth and all-round social progress. We should face up to mutual differences among various kinds of ideologies and cultures on a worldwide scale, and the rapid development of science and technology, and meet the challenge of fierce competition with comprehensive national strength. We should surmount all kinds of difficulties on our road of advancement, and unswervingly adhere to the Party's basic line.

All this not only requires a vigorous development of material progress, but also a vigorous development of ethical and cultural progress. It must be pointed out that socialist ethical and cultural progress is an important characteristic of a socialist society, and serves as an important objective and guarantee for the modernization drive. Promoting socialist ethical and cultural progress is vital to the all-round accomplishment of the grand cross-century blueprint and the prosperity of China's socialist cause.

Material progress serves as the foundation. Economic development as the central link must be grasped firmly and unswervingly. But failure in the promotion of ethical and cultural progress will lead to damage in material progress and even the change of the nature of society. While promoting material progress, we must effectively raise the promotion of ethical and cultural progress to a still more prominent position, earnestly solve a series of present urgent problems, and further create a new situation in ethical and cultural progress under the current new situation. This has already become a matter of utmost importance that has drawn the extremely close attention of the whole Party, and the people of all nationalities throughout the country.

(2) During the 18 years since the Third Plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee, China has experienced a major historical turn and great development of various undertakings that has drawn world attention. This is a great course, in which our Party has led the Chinese people of various nationalities in reversing the grave situation resulting from the domestic turmoil during the decade of the "cultural revolution", rising again amid difficulties, and opening a new road for the development of socialism in China. This is also a great course in which we stood severe tests of domestic and international disturbances in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, and pushed China's reform, opening up and modernization drive to a new phase.

Such historic achievements are inseparable from the re-establishment of the ideological line of emancipating the mind, seeking truth from fact, and taking practice as the sole criterion for judging truth, and from the re-understanding of what socialism is, and how to build socialism. It is also inseparable from the rise of the creative pioneering spirit of the masses for national prosperity and the happiness of the people, and from carrying forward the national self-supporting spirit of not being frightened by evils, fearing no pressure, safeguarding national sovereignty and surmounting sanctions imposed by Western countries. In the final analysis, it is inseparable from the formation and development of Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the Party's basic line concerning the primary stage of socialism. Without such a historic leap in the Party's guidelines, without a profound change in the ideological state of the whole nation, and without the vigor of daring to blaze a new trail and make experiments and the wisdom of promptly summarizing experiences, we would not have been able to open a good road, or pioneer a new undertaking. In evaluating the situation facing the promotion of ethical and cultural progress, we must have a full understanding of this mainstream.

At the very beginning of the reform and opening up, the Party Central Committee, with Comrade Deng Xiaoping at the core, stressed the strategic principle of placing equal emphasis on material progress and ethical and cultural progress. A series of important decisions were made during the Party's various important meetings. The Sixth Plenum of the 12th CPC Central Committee especially made the Decision Concerning the Guideline on the Promotion of Socialist Ethical and Cultural Progress, which defined the strategic position, fundamental tasks and important principles of ethical and cultural progress. The Decision guided the whole Party and the entire Chinese people to gradually deepen their understanding of ethical and cultural progress, carry out the work in various areas, and advance economic and social development.

However, with regard to the principle of placing equal emphasis on material progress and ethical and cultural progress, inconsistencies occurred in the course of implementation. In the late 1980s, Comrade Deng Xiaoping noted that the most serious error in the previous 10 years had been made in education, primarily the weakening of ideological and political education, and that some things were stressed while others were neglected. Since the Fourth Plenum of the 13th CPC Central Committee, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core, in adherence to the principle of placing equal emphasis on material progress and ethical and cultural progress, with neither aspects neglected, has promoted ethical and cultural progress in all fields, and made positive and effective efforts.

The remarks made by Comrade Deng Xiaoping during his inspection tour of south China in 1992 and the Party's 14th National Congress opened a new phase in reform, opening up and the socialist modernization drive. The remarks answered many major questions of understanding that had often perplexed and bound our ideas, spelled out the strategic idea of seizing the opportunity and developing China, and defined the important position of ethical and cultural progress in the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The 14th National Congress scientifically summarized the Party's basic practice and experience since the Third Plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee, established the guiding position of Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the whole Party, and explicitly required efforts to raise the promotion of ethical and cultural progress to a new level, while establishing a socialist market economic structure.

Since the 14th National Congress, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core, we have persisted in arming the whole Party with Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and publicized in an in-depth way the Party's basic line and principles. We have emphasized the need to pay heed to study, politics, healthy trends, and a wholehearted service to the people, implemented the strategy of "invigorating China by means of science and education", and promoted the development of scientific, technological and educational undertakings. We have persisted in correctly guiding public opinion, prospered socialist culture, and given full scope to the central theme of our times. We have carried out an extensive education in patriotism, collectivism and socialism, given widespread publicity to a number of advanced models, and conducted a general mass activity to promote ethical and cultural progress. We have stepped up the improvement of the Party's style of work and the building of a clean government, strengthened education in democracy and the rule by law, and increased the intensity of combating corruption, eradicating social evils, and cracking down on criminal activities. Positive and marked results have been achieved in promoting ethical and cultural progress, thus playing an important role in advancing reform, development and stability.

At the same time, we must see with a sober mind that in the work of leadership in some localities and departments, the problem of neglecting ideological education and ethical and cultural progress, and "attaching importance to material progress while neglecting ethical and cultural progress" has not been solved. Quite a number of problems still exist in the social, ethical and cultural life, some rather serious.

The standard of moral conduct has been lowered in some spheres, and the practice of worshiping money, seeking pleasure and individualism has grown; feudal superstitions and such social vices as pornography, gambling and drug abuse have resurfaced; production of shoddy and fake goods and fraud have become a social scourge; the cultural cause has been seriously affected by negative factors; things that damage the physical and mental health of youngsters and children have not been eliminated despite repeated prohibitions; the phenomenon of corruption has been spreading in some places, seriously damaging the work style of the Party and the government; and a number of people have a weak concept of the state, and waver and doubt the future of socialism. In assessing the situation confronting the promotion of ethical and cultural progress, on no account should we neglect the existence of these problems.

Failing to notice the mainstream of the promotion of ethical and cultural progress over the past 18 years will lead to the loss of confidence, and is erroneous; and failing to notice the seriousness and urgency of the problems will lead to the loss of vigilance, and is dangerous. Only by persisting in the comprehensive, historical and developmental viewpoint, and assessing the promotion of ethical and cultural progress in the perspective of the entire cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and the whole world, shall we be able to enhance our awareness, unify our minds, and increase our confidence and our sense of responsibility in promoting ethical and cultural progress.

(3) Promoting socialist ethical and cultural progress under the condition of expanding a socialist market economy and opening up is an arduous and historical mission for members of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people. Establishing a socialist market economic structure is an inevitable road for invigorating the country's economy and promoting social progress, and a great pioneering undertaking without parallel in history. This economic structure is not only integrated with the basic economic and political structures of socialism, but also with socialist ethical and cultural progress. Practice in China has demonstrated that expanding a socialist market economy is conducive to emancipating and developing productive forces of a socialist society, increasing the comprehensive national strength of a socialist country, improving the people's living standards, and enhancing the people's concepts of self-reliance, competition, efficiency, democracy and the rule by the law, as well as their pioneering spirit, thereby bringing into full play the superiority of socialism.

Meanwhile, the weak points and negative sides of the market will also find expression in people's cultural lives. In establishing and perfecting a socialist market economic structure, it is imperative to closely link it with the practice of reform and development; perfect a socialist legal system; conscientiously promote ethical and cultural progress; guide people to correctly handle relations between competition and cooperation, between the exercise of decision-making power and supervision, between efficiency and fairness, between achieving prosperity sooner and achieving common prosperity, and between economic returns and social effects, and oppose the practice of forgetting what is right at the sight of profit, and being intent solely on profit; in order to form the socialist concept of justice and interests that places the interests of the state and the people above all and fully respects the legitimate personal interests of the citizens, and form norms for a healthy and orderly economic and social life.

China's development will not ignore the world, and the opening up is a fundamental state policy in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. We should grasp the opportune time in the changing world to expand opening up to the outside world. This will be conducive to the expansion of our socialist economy based on the principle of independence and by acting on our own initiative; and help China absorb and learn from advanced sciences and technologies, management expertise and all other useful knowledge and cultures for the promotion of ethical and cultural progress. We will also come across risks in the process of opening up, for any bourgeois decadence could take advantage and intrude. As long as we persevere in developing social productivity, ensure public ownership as the main body of our economy, keep state power in the hands of the people, and carry on education in the four cardinal principles, the ethical and cultural progress can be promoted healthily in the course of reform and opening up.

It should be noted that the process of promotion in ethical and cultural progress will be protracted and complicated. This is because the transformation to the socialist market economic structure will lead to many major changes in economic and social lives, while the improvement and perfection of the system, laws, policies and management require a fairly long period of time. We should have adequate ideological preparation for progress of such a protracted nature and complexity because socialism has suffered serious setbacks on a worldwide scale; pressure from the superiority of developed capitalist countries in economy, science and technology, as well as the infiltrations of Western ideology, will remain for a long time to come; and the remaining decadent ideas of feudalist, semi-feudal and semi-colonial societies, in addition to habitual forces of small-scale production, still have influence to some extent. Hence, unremitting efforts must be made to promote ethnical and cultural progress.

It is an important test for all comrades in the whole Party to promote ethical and cultural progress under the new conditions. How to complement and coordinate the development of material progress and ethical and cultural progress and avoid emphasizing the former while neglecting the latter under the premise of centering on economic development; how to foster common aspirations, values and moral standards to the interests of the socialist modernization drive and prevent and curb decadent ideas and social evils from spreading under the condition of deepening reform and building a socialist market economy; and how to absorb outstanding achievements in foreign civilizations, carry forward the cream of our traditional culture, prevent and eliminate the spread of cultural garbage, resist the conspiracy by hostile forces to Westernize and split our country as we widen the opening and face a new world scientific and technological revolution-all this presents a historical topic which we should deal will earnestly in the process of socialist modernization.