Translated by Claude, edited by Sinocism.com

Source: People's Daily | Byline: Cai Qi 蔡奇 | August 18, 2026 (speech delivered August 17, 2026; via Xinhua)

Comrades,

同志们：

With the approval of the Party Central Committee, today we are holding a symposium on the life and thought of Comrade Jiang Zemin, to study and implement in depth the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the meeting commemorating the 100th anniversary of Comrade Jiang Zemin's birth, and to inherit and carry forward Comrade Jiang Zemin's brilliant thought and lofty character.

经党中央批准，今天举行江泽民生平和思想研讨会，深入学习贯彻习近平总书记在纪念江泽民同志诞辰100周年大会上的重要讲话精神，传承弘扬江泽民同志的光辉思想和崇高风范。

This morning, the Party Central Committee solemnly convened a meeting commemorating the 100th anniversary of Comrade Jiang Zemin's birth, at which General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech that comprehensively reviewed Comrade Jiang Zemin's glorious and militant life, highly praised the immortal achievements he established for the Party and the people, profoundly expounded the historical position and guiding significance of the important thought of the "Three Represents," and emphasized the need to learn from Comrade Jiang Zemin's lofty character and struggle unremittingly to comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech is highly political, ideological, and instructive, and we must earnestly study and implement it.

今天上午，党中央隆重召开纪念江泽民同志诞辰100周年大会，习近平总书记发表重要讲话，全面回顾江泽民同志光辉战斗的一生，高度评价江泽民同志为党和人民建立的不朽功勋，深刻阐述“三个代表”重要思想的历史地位和指导意义，强调要学习江泽民同志的崇高风范，为以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业而不懈奋斗。习近平总书记的重要讲话具有很强的政治性、思想性、指导性，我们要认真学习贯彻。

Here, centered on studying and implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, I would like to share some reflections on deepening research into the important thought of the "Three Represents" and exchange views with all of you.

这里，我围绕学习贯彻习近平总书记重要讲话精神，就深化“三个代表”重要思想研究谈些体会，同大家交流。

Since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee, the Chinese Communists with Comrade Jiang Zemin as their chief representative, in the practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, deepened their understanding of what socialism is and how to build it and of what kind of party to build and how to build it, accumulated valuable new experience in governing the Party and the country, and formed the important thought of the "Three Represents." The important thought of the "Three Represents" is an inheritance and development of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Deng Xiaoping Theory; it reflects the new requirements that the development and changes of the contemporary world and China place on the work of the Party and the state; it is a powerful theoretical weapon for strengthening and improving Party building and for advancing the self-improvement and development of China's socialism; it is the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Chinese Communist Party; and it is a guiding ideology that the Party must uphold over the long term. To understand and grasp the important thought of the "Three Represents," we must deepen research into it in light of the new conditions of the era.

党的十三届四中全会以来，以江泽民同志为主要代表的中国共产党人，在建设中国特色社会主义的实践中，加深了对什么是社会主义、怎样建设社会主义和建设什么样的党、怎样建设党的认识，积累了治党治国新的宝贵经验，形成了“三个代表”重要思想。“三个代表”重要思想是对马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论的继承和发展，反映了当代世界和中国的发展变化对党和国家工作的新要求，是加强和改进党的建设、推进我国社会主义自我完善和发展的强大理论武器，是中国共产党集体智慧的结晶，是党必须长期坚持的指导思想。我们理解和领会“三个代表”重要思想，就必须结合新的时代条件深化“三个代表”重要思想研究。

First, in deepening research into the important thought of the "Three Represents," we must further deepen our understanding of the extreme importance of upholding the Party's overall leadership, always uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, grasp more profoundly the decisive significance of the "Two Establishes," and resolutely achieve the "Two Upholds." The Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for the cause of the Party and the people advancing from victory to victory. Comrade Jiang Zemin pointed out: "To unify the thinking and pool the strength of more than 1.2 billion people and advance toward the common goal of socialist modernization, there must be the Chinese Communist Party as the core force, and there must be the strong leadership of the Chinese Communist Party." "Safeguarding the Party's leadership and the Party's centralized unity is the overall interest, and it is above everything else." "The more we carry out reform and opening up and develop the economy, the more we must strengthen the Party's leadership." Since the 18th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has clearly stated that the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of its system, has emphasized that strengthening and safeguarding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is the common political responsibility of the whole Party, and has driven the comprehensive strengthening of the Party's leadership in the new era, so that the whole Party is more unified in thinking, more united in politics, and more consistent in action.

第一，深化“三个代表”重要思想研究，要进一步加深对坚持党的全面领导极端重要性的认识，始终坚持党中央集中统一领导，更加深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，坚决做到“两个维护”。党的领导是党和人民事业从胜利走向胜利的根本保证。江泽民同志指出：“要把十二亿多人的思想统一起来、力量凝聚起来，向着社会主义现代化建设的共同目标前进，必须有中国共产党这个核心力量，必须有中国共产党的坚强领导。”“维护党的领导，维护党的集中统一，这是大局，是高于一切的。”“越是改革开放、发展经济，越要加强党的领导。”党的十八大以来，习近平总书记鲜明提出中国共产党领导是中国特色社会主义最本质的特征、是中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势，强调加强和维护党中央集中统一领导是全党共同的政治责任，推动新时代党的领导全面加强，全党思想上更加统一、政治上更加团结、行动上更加一致。

We must, in connection with the historic achievements and historic transformations of the cause of the Party and the state in the new era, thoroughly expound that the Chinese Communist Party is the most reliable mainstay of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, and that the Party's leadership is where the fundamental and lifeblood of the Party and the state lie and where the interests and destiny of the people of all ethnic groups across the country are bound. We must guide Party members and cadres to profoundly grasp the decisive significance of the "Two Establishes," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," firm up the "Four Self-Confidences," achieve the "Two Upholds," and keep in close alignment—ideologically, politically, and in action—with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core.

我们要联系新时代党和国家事业取得的历史性成就、发生的历史性变革，深入阐释中国共产党是中国人民和中华民族最可靠的主心骨，党的领导是党和国家的根本所在、命脉所在，是全国各族人民的利益所系、命运所系。要引导党员、干部深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，在思想上政治上行动上同以习近平同志为核心的党中央保持高度一致。

Second, in deepening research into the important thought of the "Three Represents," we must further deepen our understanding of the theoretical quality of Marxism in keeping pace with the times, always uphold the "Two Integrations," and continuously advance the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Upholding the guidance of scientific theory and courageously advancing theoretical innovation is the key to ensuring that the cause of the Party and the people always advances in the right direction. Comrade Jiang Zemin pointed out: "The secret of Marxism's powerful vitality lies precisely in its theoretical quality of keeping pace with the times." "We must continuously enrich and develop Marxism in close connection with new realities, and consciously free our thinking and understanding from those outdated ideas, practices, and systems, from erroneous and dogmatic understandings of Marxism, and from the shackles of subjectivism and metaphysics." Entering the new era, the Chinese Communists with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative have adhered to integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with China's fine traditional culture, created Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and achieved a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

第二，深化“三个代表”重要思想研究，要进一步加深对马克思主义与时俱进理论品质的认识，始终坚持“两个结合”，不断推进马克思主义中国化时代化。坚持科学理论指导、勇于推进理论创新，是确保党和人民事业始终沿着正确方向前进的关键所在。江泽民同志指出：“马克思主义具有强大生命力的奥秘，就在于它具有与时俱进的理论品质。”“我们要紧密结合新的实际不断丰富和发展马克思主义，自觉地把思想认识从那些不合时宜的观念、做法和体制中解放出来，从对马克思主义的错误的和教条式的理解中解放出来，从主观主义和形而上学的桎梏中解放出来。”进入新时代，以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人，坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，创立习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。

We must profoundly understand the dialectically unified relationship between upholding Marxism and developing Marxism, hold fast to the soul and roots of theoretical innovation, open up new theoretical horizons and make new theoretical summations within the "Two Integrations," and continuously answer the questions of China, the world, the people, and the times, so that contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism radiate an even more brilliant light of truth. We must continuously deepen the systematic and scholarly study and interpretation of the Party's innovative theory, adapt to the requirements of the era, base ourselves on China's realities, systematically distill and summarize signature concepts and original theories, and accelerate the building of an independent knowledge system for China's philosophy and social sciences.