Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 18, 2017. [Photo by Xu Jingxing/chinadaily.com.cn]

"This great struggle, great project, great cause and great dream are closely connected, flow seamlessly into each other, and are mutually reinforcing," Xi said, stressing that the great new project of Party building plays a decisive role, and all work to advance this project must go hand in hand with and be geared toward the struggle, the cause and the dream.

The "Four Greats" stem from China's historical and realistic logic. From the perspective of history, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has been the shared dream of all Chinese people since the First Opium War (1840-42). And history shows only the CPC leadership can guide China toward realizing socialist modernization, and make it a leading global power again.

The many philosophical and political explorations since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 show that socialism with Chinese characteristics is the only path that integrates the basic principles of Marxism with China's actual conditions. The reality we see today is the combination of the national conditions and problems, including challenges and risks faced by China.

Therefore, China must be prepared for the great battle with many new historical features, as only through a problem-solving approach can it achieve national rejuvenation.

The Party leadership forms the nucleus for fulfilling the task of establishing socialism with Chinese characteristics and realizing Chinese people's shared dream of national rejuvenation. China's socialist modernization construction has been greatly successful, and it has already taken a historic leap despite facing unprecedented challenges and obstacles.

The great battle with new historical features would be the ideal and scientific response to the changing times. And given that China is committed to establishing socialism with Chinese characteristics, Party-building under the CPC leadership, and maintaining the Party's progressiveness, purity and militancy as well as improving its capability of governing China have become more important than ever.

In fact, building the Party in a scientific manner is the political guarantee to achieve the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Carrying forward the "Four Greats" is a systematic task which requires a top-level design for national development, and the Party leadership has done well to realize China has stepped into risky times with the deepening of globalization, and scientific and technological advancement.

The risks humans face today come from multiple sides, from economic and political to cultural, social and ecological fields, all of which are complex and multidimensional. And since even a small problem in one corner of the world can potentially evolve into political risks and threaten political security, China needs to be prepared to face any eventuality, for which it needs a comprehensive national security policy.

As such, we need to launch the great battle to prevent major risks and environmental damage, and continue to take targeted measures to help lift people out of poverty. Which means the Party has to meet the challenges the implementation of further reform and opening-up, and the changing external environment, might create.

Apart from consolidating public confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism, China also needs to properly handle the relations among reform, development and stability, follow the development theory that best serves people's interests, adhere to the strategic layout of the "Four Comprehensives", and then implement the development concepts of innovation, harmonization, green, openness and sharing to comprehensively foster socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The "Four Greats" will be supplementary to the Party's basic line in the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and illustrate the grand vision of building China into a prosperous, strong, democratic and culturally advanced country.

The author is a professor at the School of Marxism and a research fellow at the National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China.