China Convenes National Textbook Work Conference to Align Curricula with State Ideology

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang addressed the National Textbook Work Conference in Beijing, emphasizing the need to construct a high-quality textbook system with Chinese characteristics. Ding stated that textbooks reflect state will and called for strengthening the Communist Party's comprehensive leadership over their compilation, review, and selection. The meeting gathered representatives from central ministries, local governments, and Peking University, reinforcing official directives to integrate Xi Jinping Thought into curricula across basic, vocational, and higher education.

Textbooks are treated by Beijing as core instruments for ideological security and talent development. The directives outline tighter administrative scrutiny over publishing, vetting, and classroom selection, which will directly shape academic curricula, publishing standards, and scholarly production across primary, vocational, and tertiary institutions.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang called for accelerating the development of a high-quality textbook system with Chinese characteristics during the National Textbook Work Conference held in Beijing, according to state media reports. Speaking at the conference, Ding, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stated that textbooks serve as the primary vehicle for transmitting knowledge, embody the will of the party and state, and directly affect the realization of educational goals. He attributed past progress in curriculum development to the leadership of the Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core. Ding instructed educational authorities to grasp the political, public, and strategic attributes of education and to enhance the party's comprehensive leadership over all aspects of textbook development. A central priority highlighted at the meeting is embedding the party's theoretical innovations, specifically Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, throughout curricula across all tiers of schooling. The vice premier called for coordinating textbook production across basic education, vocational education, and higher education. In particular, he urged the rapid construction of an independent knowledge system and an original textbook system in philosophy and social sciences to better meet contemporary national demands. Ding also stressed administrative oversight, demanding strict management over the compilation, review, and publication of textbooks, alongside standardized procedures for school selection and classroom use. He called for effective guidance of public opinion surrounding educational materials, enhanced theoretical research, dedicated personnel training, and stronger policy and legal safeguards to modernize curriculum governance. Representatives from central authorities, including the Ministry of Education, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, delivered exchange remarks at the event. Speeches were also given by officials from Zhejiang Province, representatives from Peking University, and frontline teachers, state television reported.