7

Translation 2006 M.E. Sharpe, Inc., from the Chinese text. Aiguozhuyi jiaoyu
shishi gangyao. Translated by Ming Qiang and Gregory P. Fairbrother.
Chinese Education and Society, vol. 39, no. 2, March/April 2006, pp. 718.
2006 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved.
ISSN 10611932 / 2006 $9.50 + 0.00.
1
Action Plan for Patriotic Education
August 23, 1994
The Chinese nationality is a great one, possessing a glorious tradition of
patriotism. Patriotism is the banner that mobilizes and inspires the Chinese
people to unite and struggle, a great force that moves the social history of our
nation forward, and a common spiritual component of all of our countrys
nationalities. Now, our nations people are vigorously developing the social-
ist market economy and striving to build a prosperous, strong, democratic,
civilized, and modern socialist nation, while being guided by the theory of
developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Partys basic line.
Under new historical circumstances, there is great practical significance at-
tached to carrying on and encouraging the patriotic tradition in order to in-
spire the national spirit, unite national forces, and encourage all of our
countrys nationalities to become self-reliant and engage in pioneering work
while striving for the uplift of the Chinese nationality. All levels of the Party
and peoples government and all related departments and peoples organiza-
tions must pay close attention to this work, vigorously carrying out patriotic
education based on their own functional characteristics.
The Essential Principles of Patriotic Education
1. Patriotic education must be guided by Deng Xiaopings theory of develop-
ing socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Partys basic line and be ben-
eficial for promoting socialist modernization; promoting reform and openness;
upholding the reputation, dignity, unity, and interests of the nation and the na-
tionality; and promoting the cause of the unification of the motherland. This
is the fundamental guiding ideology of patriotic education in the new age.
8 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
2. The goals of developing patriotic education are to inspire the national
spirit; promote national cohesion; foster national pride and dignity; consoli-
date and develop the broadest patriotic united front; guide and concentrate
the patriotic sentiment of the masses toward the great cause of developing
socialism with Chinese characteristics; guide and concentrate contributions
toward the unification, prosperity, and strength of the motherland; and foster
socialist citizens who possess ideals, morality, culture, and discipline and
unite in the struggle for realization of the common ideals of the four modern-
izations and revitalizing the Chinese nationality.
3. Patriotic education must adhere to the policy of focusing on nation-
building. According to Comrade Deng Xiaopings important writings on pa-
triotism, work should be done to develop patriotic education theory, teaching
materials, systems, and bases. Patriotic education should be infused throughout
ideological and political education, becoming a foundational project for the
development of socialist spiritual civilization as well as the main theme of
society. It must be firmly and unremittingly carried out.
4. Patriotic education must adhere to the principle of opening to the world.
Patriotism is definitely not narrow nationalism. We must not only carry on
and develop Chinas excellent achievements; we must also learn from and
absorb all the civilized achievements of each of the worlds nations, includ-
ing developed capitalist nations. Only in this way can the people of China
become able to contribute to promoting world peace and world progress.
5. Patriotic education must reflect the times. Patriotism is a historical con-
cept. Patriotism has different meanings depending on the different phases
and time periods in the development of socialism. In contemporary China,
patriotism is essentially identical to socialism. The development of socialism
with Chinese characteristics is the main theme of patriotism in the new age.
Comrade Deng Xiaoping has noted, The Chinese people have their own
national self-esteem and pride. They take as their glory love for the mother-
land and contributing their full energy to building the socialist nation; and
take as their shame any conduct that damages the interest, dignity, and repu-
tation of the socialist motherland. This is the most brilliant summation of
the patriotic characteristics of our nations current phase. Patriotic, collectiv-
ist, and socialist ideological education are one, organically integrated into
the great project of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The Main Content of Patriotic Education
6. The materials of patriotic education extend over a very broad area, rang-
ing from history to the present reality, from material to spiritual civilization,
from the natural landscape to natural resources. All fields hold rich treasures
MARCH/APRIL 2006 9
for conducting patriotic education. We must make good use of materials re-
garding national conditions, attending to the location and use of various valu-
able educational resources while continuously enriching the content of
patriotic education.
7. We must foster education about the long history of the Chinese nation-
ality. The patriotic spirit of our people emerged and developed over the course
of the history of the Chinese nationality. Through education in Chinese his-
tory, especially modern and contemporary history, people should understand
how the Chinese nationality developed, how it made great efforts to strengthen
itself, remaining indomitable, and how each of our countrys nationalities
has made outstanding contributions to human civilization. People should
understand the major events and renowned figures of Chinese history as well
as the great spirit of achievement shown by the Chinese people as they op-
posed foreign aggression and oppression and as they resisted corrupt rulers
and fought bloody wars again and again for national independence and na-
tional liberation. Particularly, people should understand the great spirit and
accomplishments of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), how it led all the
people of the entire nation in the fight to establish a new China.
8. We should carry out education in the fine traditional culture of the Chi-
nese nationality. In the process of building the glorious civilization of China,
the nationality created a traditional culture that has proven strong, vital, and
rich and encompasses a broad array of dimensions, including not only achieve-
ments in philosophy, social science, literature, arts, science, and technology,
but also a great national spirit, integrity, and sense of morals. China has pro-
duced many outstanding politicians, thinkers, artists, scientists, educators,
and strategists, in addition to maintaining a rich cultural heritage of relics
and classical works invaluable as resources for patriotic education. We must
correctly use the spoken and written language of the motherland while vig-
orously popularizing putonghua (common language).
9. We should carry out education in the Partys basic line and the accom-
plishments of socialist modernization. The Partys basic line and our achieve-
ments in building a socialist nation serve as the most practical and vivid
teaching materials for patriotic education. In carrying out education, we must
pay special attention to using the great accomplishments and experiences of
success in reform and opening to the world, particularly the modernization
achieved since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee
of the CCP. This further serves to help the masses progressively develop
belief in socialism and unwaveringly uphold the Partys basic line.
10. We should carry out education in our countrys national conditions,
especially in the context of the global environment. Through helping people
systematically understand the history and current situation of our nations
10 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
economy, politics, military affairs, diplomacy, society, culture, population,
and resources; through helping them understand our nations modernization
goals, progress, and overall prospects; and through a comparison of China
with different types of countries, the people should see Chinas strengths and
weaknesses and favorable and unfavorable conditions. In this way, peoples
sense of mission and social responsibility will be enhanced as they further
develop the spirit of developing the nation through thrift and hard work.
Education in national conditions should be integrated with education in pro-
vincial, municipal, and county conditions.
11. We should carry out education in socialist democracy and the legal
system. The constitution and laws of our nation embody the peoples will and
interests. We must help people understand the nations political, economic,
and other systems through broad and deep education about democracy and the
legal system. This will enhance the peoples concept of the nation and sense of
masterhood and responsibility as well as developing a habit of observing disci-
pline and the law. While correctly exercising their civic rights as stipulated in
the constitution and laws and regulations, people should faithfully fulfill their
civic responsibilities and resolutely uphold the national interest.
12. We must carry out education in national defense and security. In ac-
cordance with the characteristics of the new age, we must stress modern
national defense education, strengthening the peoples consciousness of na-
tional defense and security and strengthening unity between the military and
the government and the military and the people. We must raise peoples aware-
ness of defense against enemy aggression, safeguarding national indepen-
dence and upholding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We must
educate the entire people to fight resolutely against language and action that
betray the interests of the motherland, damage national dignity, or compro-
mise national security and unity.
13. We must carry out education in unity among the nationalities. The
Chinese are a multinational family. Whether in China proper or in the bor-
derlands, whether located in the Han regions or those of the minorities, we
must all strengthen education in Marxist conceptions of nationality and reli-
gion and in the Partys policies on nationalities and religions. We must vigor-
ously educate people about the unrelenting effort and historical contributions
made by each nationality to uphold national unity and unification of the moth-
erland. Among each of the nationalities, we must firmly establish the idea that
the Han cannot be separated from the minority nationalities and the minorities
cannot be separated from the Han. In this way we can conscientiously uphold
the unity of the nationalities and the unification of the motherland.
14. We should carry out education in the policy of peaceful unification
and one country, two systems. We must thoroughly and correctly promote
MARCH/APRIL 2006 11
the basic standpoint and policy direction of the Party and government on
national unification so that people understand the circumstances and main
points of the development of national unification work. We must pay atten-
tion to publicizing the contributions to the unification of the motherland made
by compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as examples of
patriotism and love for the hometown on the part of overseas Chinese com-
patriots and returnees.
Youth Are the Focus of Patriotic Education
15. Patriotic education is education for all people, with a focus on youth.
Schools, the army, towns, villages, neighborhoods, organizations, enterprises,
and particularly organizations such the Communist Youth League and Young
Pioneers should regard cultivating a sense of patriotism among youth as critical
dimensions of ideological and political education, promoting their patriotic
consciousness and guiding them to establish correct ideals, beliefs, values,
and outlook on life. At present and in the future we must carry out education
in the Partys basic line, education in Chinese modern and contemporary
history and national conditions, and education in the traditional virtues and
fine culture of the Chinese people.
16. Schools are important sites for the education of young people. We
must carry out patriotic education in a way that encompasses the entirety of
the process, from the level of daycare to the level of university education,
especially making sure that teaching in the classroom plays a major role in
this process. The departments of education of each province, autonomous
region, and municipality must formulate a patriotic education plan for each
course, including the natural sciences. They must divide the dimensions of
patriotic education into components, then carry out each component within
the context of classroom teaching for each course. This will proceed accord-
ing to the requirements of the General Outline for Strengthening Education
about National Conditions, the Modern and Contemporary Histories of China
for Primary and Secondary Schools, and the Outline for Secondary School
Ideology and Politics and Primary and Secondary School Language, His-
tory, and Geography, issued by the State Education Commission. All types
of universities, colleges, and vocational schools must actively create condi-
tions for offering elective courses on traditional culture, to include topics in
Chinese history, literature, arts, sciences, and technology, as well as special
lectures with patriotic education as their primary content. Primary schools,
secondary schools, and tertiary institutions must actively carry out patriotic
education outside the classroom, providing students forms of education that
appeal to the senses. Upper grades of secondary school and specialized ter-
12 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
tiary institutions should organize students to participate in appropriate pro-
ductive labor, social practice, and military training activities, enhancing their
feelings toward workers, farmers, and soldiers while fostering a sense of
responsibility to the nation. Teachers should set examples for young people
by personally taking part in patriotic education.
17. Organizations, institutions, enterprises, and units in rural areas are
directly responsible for cultivating new socialist people with the four haves.
They must pay close attention to strengthening patriotic education among
young cadres, employees, and farmers, listing such work as critical aspects
of creating civilized units, towns, and villages. Young people should be edu-
cated to possess a sense of responsibility to the nation and encouraged to
link their personal interests with the future and destiny of the nation. Young
people must correctly handle the relations among the interests of nation, the
collective, and the individual; love the motherland, the hometown, the col-
lective, and their post; and perform well in their occupations in order to con-
tribute more to the nation.
18. Residential street committees in cities and towns, village committees
in rural areas, as well as organizations such as trade unions, the Communist
Youth League, and the Womens Association at all levels must attend to de-
veloping the special role played by families in the education of young people,
taking patriotism as an important part of five virtues family and civilized
family activities and civilized citizen education in cities and villages.
19. We must target the special characteristics of young people and use
television, movies, music, drama, the arts, and stories as rich and vivid teaching
materials for providing patriotic education to young people. Each region and
relevant department must earnestly implement the Notice on Using Quality
Movies and Television Programs in Carrying Out Patriotic Education in Pri-
mary and Secondary Schools Nationwide, issued by the Publicity Depart-
ment of the Central Committee of the CCP, the State Education Commission,
the Ministry of Radio, Film, and Television, and the Ministry of Culture (Docu-
ment 17 [2003]). We must employ quality movies and television programs in
our teaching and educational plans, doing our utmost to make sound use of
them in screening, viewing, publicity, and educational work. Institutions,
enterprises, towns, villages, and the army must use quality movies and tele-
vision programming to carry out patriotic education among young employ-
ees, farmers, and soldiers.
Setting Up Patriotic Education Bases
20. All museums, memorial halls, martyrs memorials, revolutionary war
campaign and battle memorials, protected cultural and historical sites, im-
MARCH/APRIL 2006 13
portant scenic spots, important development projects that demonstrate our
nations achievements in developing material and spiritual civilization, and
advanced units in cities and the countryside are important sites for carrying
out patriotic education. Publicity departments at all levels of the Party should,
according to the requirements set by the local Party Committee and peoples
government, determine some educational bases in cooperation with depart-
ments of education, organizations of the Communist Youth League, and other
departments of culture, historical relics, civil affairs, and parks and forestry.
Grass-roots units in the cities and the countryside, as well as organizations of
the Communist Youth League, should make active use of these bases for
educational activities. Schools must incorporate these kinds of educational
activities into their moral education work plans.
21. Departments of civil affairs, culture, and cultural relics at all levels as
well as all kinds of specialized museums and memorials must host and pro-
vide support for young people visiting and paying respect to such sites, while
continuously carrying out the Notice on Making Full Use of Cultural Relics
for Patriotic Education and Education in the Revolutionary Tradition, issued
by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the CCP and other
departments in 1991. Educational bases designated to sell tickets should al-
low school-organized teacher and student groups to visit free of charge. All
units should set up and train a team of tour guides of relatively high quality.
22. Important development projects and advanced urban and rural units
determined as education bases should regard the patriotic education of the
young as their own glorious obligation. They should actively and vigorously
collaborate with relevant units to organize and provide hospitality for young
peoples visits and study activities.
23. Natural landmarks, sites of antiquity and culture, and scenic spots can
inspire in people a love for the motherlands magnificent landscapes and
long history and culture. We must use such advantages to carry out patriotic
education during visits and sightseeing activities. Tour guides verbal expla-
nations as well as printed introductions and publicity materials at each tour-
ist attraction or nature preserve shall include elements of patriotic education.
Tourist departments at all levels should pay special attention to enhancing
guides consciousness of patriotic education. They should strengthen educa-
tion and training for guides, fully developing the effect of guides and tourist
attractions in patriotic education.
24. In constructing the Great Border Region Cultural Corridor, we must
closely integrate cultural projects with ideological, moral, and patriotic edu-
cation, thereby propagating the fine cultural traditions of the Chinese nation-
ality and making the Corridor an important base for patriotic education.
25. Activities at patriotic education bases must be meticulously designed
14 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
and carefully organized. All levels of education administration and organiza-
tions of the Communist Youth League should establish a working system
with patriotic education bases to jointly explore and formulate an activity
plan. Based on young peoples age differences, psychological characteris-
tics, knowledge levels, and comprehension abilities, activities should be sci-
entifically arranged, paying attention to ideology and aesthetics and making
them more attractive and inspiring. Important holidays and memorials can
be taken advantage of to organize various commemorative activities. Social
investigation and social practice activities can be organized around special
educational topics. Patriotic education bases can be used for Party, Youth
League, and Young Pioneer activities. Volunteer work can be organized to
beautify bases environment and maintain their facilities. Other educational
activities can be organized, including visits, commemorations, investigations,
essay competitions, seminars, speeches, and knowledge competitions. All
kinds of schools can use bases for winter or summer camps during winter
and summer vacations. Schools can also incorporate historical events, sto-
ries about heroes and martyrs, and the achievements of nation-building into
teaching materials for Party classes, Youth League classes, continuing edu-
cation for staff, and hometown education classes, infusing them throughout
ideological and political education and classroom teaching.
Creating a Societal Atmosphere for Patriotic Education
26. We must create a rich patriotic atmosphere in order to make patriotic
ideology the main theme in society and to enable people to feel the effect
and influence of the patriotic ideology and spirit at all times and in all places
as they go about their daily social lives. It is a sacred duty of all levels of
news, print, film, and television organizations to make use of modern meth-
ods to disseminate patriotic education among the masses. Newspapers, peri-
odicals, radio, and television should not only start carrying special columns
and broadcasts with patriotic education content, but they should also make
active use of various types of media, literature, and the arts to publicize ad-
vanced personages and deeds rich in patriotic spirit, the achievements and
experience of the enterprise of building socialism, and the history of struggle,
the glorious traditions, and the magnificent culture of the Chinese national-
ity. We must pay close attention to taking advantage of important events
beneficial for inspiring national spirit, forming a high tide of patriotic pub-
licity. Television stations prime-time broadcasts should deal primarily with
the main theme. Music programs on FM stereo radio stations should mainly
introduce great musical works, especially fine Chinese national music. Lo-
cal television stations must guarantee that one channel is completely devoted
MARCH/APRIL 2006 15
to the first set of programs provided by China Central Television. These sta-
tions should prevent the broadcast of words and images in commercials and
other programs that damage national dignity or devalue domestic products.
27. All levels of departments responsible for culture, film, and television
should actively promote and support the creation of all kinds of literary and
artistic works that propagate the patriotic spirit and should strengthen guid-
ance in evaluation and publicity. All levels of departments responsible for
publication should formulate programs for publishing patriotic education
books and should plan to organize the publication of reading materials tar-
geted at readers of different ages, cultural levels, and reading requirements.
They should also pay close attention to organizing the publication of reading
materials in the areas of political theory, literature and arts, knowledge, his-
tory, and culture that reflect patriotic themes.
28. The Party Committee, peoples government, and their related depart-
ments in all locations as well as collective organizations should pay attention
to the use of public holidays and national traditional holidays for carrying
out patriotic education among the masses. They should regard organizing
festivals and memorial activities as important work that can propagate patri-
otic spirit and arouse the enthusiasm of the masses. In particular, New Years
Day, Spring Festival, March 8, May 1, June 1, July 1, August 1, October 1,
and other important holidays celebratory activities should emphasize pa-
triotism. In organizing festival activities, principles of mass sensory enjoy-
ment and broad participation must definitely be upheld. Good practices
effectively used in the past, such as mass carnival activities on important
holidays and mass cultural amusement activities on important national tradi-
tional holidays, should continue to be promoted, enriched, and perfected. All
places should not only carry on fine cultural traditions, but should also con-
tinuously create new forms of festival activities that contribute to the patri-
otic atmosphere. They can also seek out and choose some holidays that not
only have traditional Chinese characteristics but also appeal to the contem-
porary masses and that are especially interesting to young people. In sum,
festival activities should not only entertain and bring joy to the masses, but
should also provide them with patriotic education.
Promoting Required Ceremonies, Strengthening
Patriotic Consciousness
29. In carrying out patriotic education, it is necessary to promote required
ceremonies, especially those beneficial to cultivating respect for the national
flag, national anthem, and national emblem, strengthening peoples patriotic
sentiment.
16 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
30. The national flag is the symbol of the nation, and all organizations and
citizens should observe the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the
National Flag. All units and sites that the Law designates as required to raise
the national flag must strictly carry out the flag-raising system according to
the law. All units and sites that the Law designates as permitted to raise the
national flag should actively create conditions to do so.
31. We should vigorously promote the serious, earnest, and standard prac-
tice of displaying the national flag in important conference rooms and meet-
ing places of the Party Committee and peoples government at the county
level and above. Whole-day primary and secondary schools should follow
the State Education Commissions Notice on the Strict Implementation of a
Flag Raising System in Primary and Secondary Schools According to the
Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the National Flag and persist in
setting up such a system. Schools are advised to hold serious and solemn
flag-raising ceremonies during large-scale collective activities such as cer-
emonies marking the start of the school year, graduation ceremonies, and
sporting events. Localities should organize adulthood ceremonies at which
citizens reaching the age of eighteen can say the pledge to the national flag.
Where conditions allow, medium and large cities can hold solemn flag-rais-
ing ceremonies in their central squares on important holidays such as Na-
tional Day.
32. Singing the national anthem is a sacred act by which citizens can
express patriotic sentiment. During flag-raising ceremonies and large assem-
blies the national anthem should be played and participants encouraged to
sing along. People should stand solemnly at attention when the national an-
them is being played or sung. During medal presentation ceremonies at in-
ternational sporting events, while the Chinese flag is being raised and the
Chinese national anthem played, athletes should stand solemnly facing the
flag and sing the national anthem.
33. According to the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the Na-
tional Emblem, the national emblem should be displayed at the Standing
Committees of Peoples Congresses and in their conference rooms at the
county level and above, peoples governments at the county level and above,
peoples courts and special peoples courts and their courtrooms at all levels,
peoples procurators and special peoples procurators at all levels, the Minis-
try of Foreign Affairs, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad, and sites of
border entry and exit. Peoples governments at the township level should
also display the national emblem.
34. Adult citizens and students at primary grade three and above should
be able to sing the national anthem and understand its lyrics, as well as the
meaning of the national flag and emblem.
MARCH/APRIL 2006 17
Vigorously Publicizing Advanced Patriotic Models
35. In carrying out patriotic education we must strengthen publicity about
models, bringing into play the effect of their examples. Chinese history is
replete with innumerable famous patriots, national heroes, revolutionary
martyrs, and outstanding figures, and there have been many heroic models
since the establishment of the new China. The media and press should fre-
quently introduce and publicize these figures. On the occasion of memorial
activities for revolutionary leaders, revolutionary martyrs, and famous patri-
ots, commemorative articles and literary and artistic programs and works
that praise them and publicize their deeds should be promptly issued and
broadcast. Primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions should be
encouraged to display in their classrooms, libraries, auditoria, and other public
places the portraits, poems, and sayings of leaders, martyrs, and renowned
figures that have made outstanding contributions to the development of the
Chinese nationality. Public and commercial enterprises, neighborhood and
village cultural stations and clubs, and other places of public activity can
also display the portraits and pictures of their own famous labor models.
36. Party and government leaders and publicity departments at all levels
should pay special attention to the cultivation, discovery, and publicizing of
advanced models who possess patriotic spirit and who have made outstand-
ing contributions on various fronts in the period of reform and opening to the
world. This will ensure that all kinds of advanced exemplars become models
for all of society and become the objects of reverence and study among the
masses, especially youth.
Strengthening Leadership in Patriotic Education
37. The Party Committee and peoples government at all levels should
conscientiously strengthen leadership in patriotic education, making this work
an important part of the agenda and mobilizing the engagement and support
of all social forces. They should pay attention to the important effect of the
role of the democratic parties in patriotic education. Localities should for-
mulate patriotic education plans appropriate to actual local conditions in ac-
cordance with this Action Plan and should earnestly implement them. They
should also strengthen inspection and guidance, while regarding the organi-
zation and development of education as one of the indicators in evaluating
achievements in the development of spiritual and material civilizations.
38. Party and government organs at all levels should take the initiative and
strengthen patriotic education for all employees, especially for cadres. Cad-
res must set good examples for others. Departments of publicity, education,
18 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
culture, civil affairs, tourism, parks and forestry, trade unions, the Commu-
nist Youth League, the Womens Association, and other peoples groups are
directly responsible for carrying out patriotic education among the masses.
They should draw up detailed concrete plans to carry out patriotic educa-
tion in line with their area of work and in accordance with this Action Plan
and should implement them well. The Peoples Liberation Army should
make similar plans based on this Action Plan in accordance with units ac-
tual conditions.
39. Departments of foreign affairs, overseas Chinese affairs, foreign pub-
licity, and those responsible for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan affairs should
provide literature, pictures, and audio and video recordings about the
motherlands achievements in development, national policies, national his-
tory and culture, and exquisite literary and artistic works to compatriots
overseas and in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as expatriate Chi-
nese citizens, in order to encourage and guide their concern and love for the
motherland.
40. Under the unified leadership of the Party Committee and government,
all levels of Party Committee publicity departments should be responsible
for coordination and guidance. They should help relevant departments to
establish working links, clarify duties, and ensure implementation. They
should coordinate all strengths, producing an integrated force for fostering
patriotic education. They should pay close attention to survey research, car-
rying out all kinds of concrete, vivid, and lively educational activities, en-
gaging in practical and effective programs and avoiding formalism. They
should continuously take stock of and promote model experiences of patri-
otic education, commending and rewarding units and individuals that do ex-
cellent work.
To order reprints, call 1-800-352-2210; outside the United States, call 717-632-3535.