"Deepening Traditional Foundations": On the Innovative Development of the Theory of Cultural Leadership under the "Second Integration"

Cultural leadership is crucial to the future and destiny of the Party and the nation, as well as to the realization of the goal of building a culturally strong country. It is a key component of Xi Jinpings cultural thought. The Second Integration has opened a new chapter in the development of Xi Jinpings cultural thought by fostering an innovative theoretical construction of cultural leadership through deeply rooting its traditional foundations. This theory, inheriting the traditional ideas of cultural leadership, endows cultural leadership with the dual features of ideological dominance and the cultural traditions underlying tone. It enriches three forms of power: the power of theoretical construction, the power of value guidance, and the power of work management. It innovates a people-centered, practical path for implementation and comprehensively enhances both the domestic governance effectiveness and the international discourse influence of cultural leadership. Under the impetus of the Second Integration, the theory of cultural leadership has realized a faithful yet innovative development of Marxist leadership theory in its theoretical contributions; strengthened the ideological cohesion in the practical dimension for building a culturally strong country; and contributed Chinese wisdom to global cultural development by asserting the subjectivity of Chinese culture on the world stage.