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Hi, everyone! Today, we are going to start the class by answering any questions you may have. So, please feel free to ask anything related to the previous lessons or any other topic you need clarification on.
More than 100 years have elapsed since the May 4th Movement of 1919, a movement which left a lasting legacy in modern Chinese history. What aspects of the legacy are the most relevant to China today, you consider, and why?
I think of the four aspects of the May 4th Movement legacy — patriotism, progress, democracy and science. They are all relevant to China today.
You can choose any of the four aspects as long as you can make a good case. Take the aspects of science and democracy, for example.
Science: Science was one aspect of the May 4th Movement legacy. It plays an important role in the national rejuvenation of China today. In the late 1970s, Deng Xiaoping stressed the fundamental role of science, technology and education in promoting national invigoration. In 2021, President Xi Jinping called for “accelerated efforts in building China into a leader in science and technology and achieving sci-tech self reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels.”
2 According to Vice Minister of Finance Xu Hongcai, China spent a total of 7.1 trillion yuan in its general public budget on science and technology from 2012 to 2021.
3 The return of strategic competition among great powers further highlights the critical role of science and technology for national development. With heightened competition in strategic areas such as supply-chain security and low-carbon growth, science is indispensable in safeguarding our national interests, and will inject decisive and vigorous impetus into realizing the mission of national rejuvenation in the new era.
Democracy: The first decades of the 20th century in China witnessed a flood of new ideas concerning literature, education, and governance. The New Culture Movement that preceded the May 4th Movement focused on enlightenment through “democracy and science,” but had mainly relied on the promotion of social progress through Western technology, ideas, and institutions. After the May 4th Movement, progressive intellectuals embarked on a path of finding a democratic model suitable for China. Over the past century, our Party has carried out extensive democratic practices. From the “bean election” (people voted for their ideal candidates by casting beans as ballots) to the “three-three system” principle to today's whole-process people’s democracy, China has opened up a new era of history in which the people can truly be the masters of their own country. The spirit of democracy reflected in the May 4th Movement, a spirit that pursues a democratic model appropriate and effective for China itself, matters most to today's China as it is the guarantee for safeguarding the fundamental interests of the people. Only by inheriting the legacy of democracy can we ensure a people-centered approach to development.
大家好！今天我们将以答疑环节作为课程的开始。欢迎大家提出之前课程中存在的疑问，或是任何需要进一步澄清的问题。
五四运动过去已有100多年，这一运动在中国近代史上留下了深远的影响。大家认为，五四运动的哪些精神遗产与当今中国最为相关？为什么？
我认为五四运动的四项精神遗产——爱国主义、进步、民主和科学都与当今中国息息相关。
只要言之成理，你可以选择其中任何一项展开论述。以"科学"与"民主"为例：
科学作为五四精神的重要维度，在当今民族复兴进程中发挥着关键作用。上世纪70年代末，邓小平同志曾强调科技与教育对振兴国家的根本性意义。2021年，习近平总书记更提出要"加快建设科技强国，实现高水平科技自立自强"。据财政部副部长许宏才披露，2012-2021年全国一般公共预算科学技术支出达7.1万亿元。在大国战略竞争回归的背景下，科技对国家发展的战略性意义愈发凸显。面对供应链安全、低碳增长等战略领域的激烈竞争，科技不仅是维护国家利益的重要保障，更将为新时代实现民族复兴使命注入决定性力量。
二十世纪初的中国，文学、教育、治理等领域新思潮奔涌。五四前的新文化运动虽以"德先生赛先生"为启蒙旗帜，但主要依托西方技术理念与制度推动社会进步。五四后，先进知识分子开始探索适合中国的民主道路。百年来我们党开展的民主实践，从投豆选举到"三三制"原则，再到今天的全过程人民民主，开创了人民真正当家作主的历史新篇。五四精神中蕴含的民主精髓——探寻适合中国国情的民主模式，对今日中国最具启示意义。这种精神是维护人民根本利益的保障，唯有传承民主遗产，才能始终坚持以人民为中心的发展思想。
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