Cultural reflection can improve modern governance: Xi  

习近平：牢记历史经验教训 为国家治理提供借鉴

中共中央政治局10月13日下午就我国历史上的国家治理进行第十八次集体学习。中共中央总书记习近平在主持学习时强调，历史是人民创造的，文明也是人民创造的。对绵延5000多年的中华文明，我们应该多一份尊重，多一份思考。对古代的成功经验，我们要本着择其善者而从之、其不善者而去之的科学态度，牢记历史经验、牢记历史教训、牢记历史警示，为推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化提供有益借鉴。[查看全文]

President Xi Jinping on Monday urged the Communist Party of China (CPC) to both respect the country's culture and reflect on it in improving state governance.

During the latest in a series of collective studies among the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi said the CPC should follow successful examples in Chinese history to learn from their merits and avoid shortcomings.

History is the best source of knowledge, and many situations from the past can shed light on what is happening currently, he said.

"Today's China is a development of yesterday's and the day before yesterday's China," according to Xi. "In order to run today's China, we should not only grasp history and traditional culture, but also actively collect the discoveries and wisdom of state governance in ancient times."

The president said research of traditional Chinese culture should be valued and its best parts should be passed along and promoted.

Xi argued that ancient ideologies still have deep influence on people nowadays, and they should be scientifically analyzed so as to inherit and promote the good parts and discard the negative elements.

"The absolutistic attitude of accepting or dismissing them completely is out of the question," he told his audience.

According to Xi, Chinese traditional cultures represent the country's most profound soft power, and Chinese people should never forget their pasts or belittle themselves.

"A country's governing system and capacity are closely related to its heritage and traditional cultures, and the answers to China's issues must be found in our own land," Xi said, adding that the socialist path with Chinese characteristics is determined by cultural and historical factors.

Xi urged Party members to study all human civilizations to help inform the modernization of China's government, but noted that such studies should be based on the country's realities.