Mao Zedong adhered to the combination of the basic principles of Marxism with the concrete realities of the Chinese revolution and construction in leading the practice of the Chinese revolution and socialist construction, and carried out great theoretical and practical explorations, successfully laying the theoretical and practical foundation for the Party to create and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new period of reform and opening up.This was manifested in two aspects: First, he developed the theory of the basic contradiction of socialist society, put forward the “two-stage” theory of socialist construction and the “second combination of Marxism with Chinese reality”, as well as a series of guidelines for socialist political, economic and cultural construction, which provided extremely important theoretical preparations for the concrete practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Second, he led the PRC to achieve remarkable results of socialist construction in all aspects, which laid a solid material foundation for the Party to create socialism with Chinese characteristics after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh CPC Central Committee. Mao Zedong’s great contribution to the creation of socialism with Chinese characteristics has significant implications for the great rejuvenation of a powerful China in the new era, which is mainly manifested in the following aspects: to unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must unswervingly promote the adapting of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times,unswervingly uphold the Party’s comprehensive leadership, unswervingly adhere to the economic construction as the center, and unswervingly deepen reform and opening up.

　　Editor: Zhong Yao  Deng Panyi

　　From:Studies on Marxism.2023.No.12.