Liu Chenguang: The Exploratory Journey of World Socialism and the Forward Direction of Human Civilization
The entry of socialism with Chinese characteristics into a New Era is of great significance not only in the history of the development of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese nation but also in the history of the development of world socialism and human civilization. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out: "Scientific socialism is full of vitality in 21st-century China. Chinese-path modernization offers humanity a new choice for achieving modernization. The CPC and the Chinese people have provided more and better Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength to help solve shared problems facing mankind, making new and greater contributions to the noble cause of human peace and development!" Under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people have successfully blazed a trail toward Chinese-path modernization, created a new form of human civilization, and expanded the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization. Re-examining the exploratory course of world socialism from the perspective of the history of human civilization, deeply excavating its inherent basic logic, and thereby discerning the forward direction of human civilization, helps to further enhance our high degree of historical consciousness and historical confidence in comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization and the construction of a new form of human civilization.
The Exploratory Course of World Socialism
Before the drastic changes in Eastern Europe [1] and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, people viewed world socialism primarily within the horizon of the international communist movement. This was certainly related to the historical origins of the "Three Internationals" (namely, the First, Second, and Third Internationals); however, on a theoretical level, it also reflected the legacy of 19th-century Europe: the distinction between "socialism" and "communism" was not strictly drawn, and "world politics" was mainly "international (inter-state) politics" with the nation-state as the primary subject. On a practical level, it undoubtedly reflected the massive influence of the Soviet Union as the center of the international communist movement in the 20th century. The collapse of the socialist camp led by the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War led to more widespread use of the concept of "world socialism." However, because world socialism suffered major setbacks and fell into a low ebb for a time, while capitalism accelerated its global expansion, it was difficult for people to generate new theoretical understandings of world socialism.
The Chinese academic community was relatively early in using the concept of "world socialism." The Three Worlds Theory [2] proposed by Comrade Mao Zedong opened a new horizon for re-understanding world politics. No later than the mid-1980s, following the advancement of China's socialist reforms, Chinese academia had already compiled textbooks on a new understanding of "contemporary world socialism," sequentially discussing the status of socialist development in countries governed by Communist Parties, developed capitalist countries, and developing countries, thereby expanding the cognition of "socialism." After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as the largest among the few surviving socialist states in the world, China's fate became increasingly closely linked with the fate of world socialism. If China had not continued to uphold the socialist direction of reform, but had instead followed in the footsteps of the Soviet Union as some Western politicians and scholars hoped, then world socialism might have had to grope in the dark for an unknown amount of time before it could rise again. It was precisely the successful initiation, continuous improvement, and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics that allowed world socialism to move more quickly from a low ebb toward revitalization; meanwhile, with the growth of its own comprehensive national strength and the increase of its international influence, China has increasingly become the most important force driving the development of world socialism.
In January 2013, in a speech delivered to a seminar for new members and alternate members of the Central Committee on studying and implementing the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically reviewed and organized five hundred years of socialist history across six chronological stages, demonstrating the historical origins and development process of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This not only provided us with a broad and profound world-historical perspective to more fully recognize the historical necessity and scientific truth of socialism with Chinese characteristics but also provided a new theoretical perspective for us to re-examine and profoundly grasp the exploratory course of world socialism. Generally speaking, our understanding of the exploratory course of world socialism has reinforced a Chinese perspective alongside the previous global perspective, while placing equal emphasis on "viewing China from the world" and "viewing the world from China," highlighting the more conscious subjective agency of China in the New Era. Specifically, our new understanding of the exploratory course of world socialism is reflected in at least the following four aspects.
First, socialism is a "real movement which abolishes the present state of things." [3] World socialism has experienced a development process from utopia to science, from theory to practice, from one country to multiple countries, from a single model to diverse explorations, and from falling into a low ebb to seeking revitalization. Among these, the leap of socialism from utopia to science took the longest. The greatest problem with utopian socialism lay in discussing the transformation of society starting from abstract reason, making it difficult to escape the shackles of metaphysics. The reason scientific socialism is worthy of the name "science" lies precisely in the fact that it built its edifice of truth on the basis of a profound analysis of the reality of capitalist society and the revelation of its internal laws of operation. More fundamentally, the emergence of scientific socialism did not conclude the truth, but rather initiated a historical process of approaching truth through the real socialist movement. Practical exploration of socialism cannot be achieved overnight; while firmly believing in the "two inevitabilities," [4] we must not forget the "two nevers." [5] The final establishment of socialism and communism throughout the world is destined to be a very long process.
Second, the main problem facing socialist practice is how to cross the "Caudine Forks." [6] Socialist revolutions did not break out simultaneously in a few capitalist countries with advanced productive forces. Although the Paris Commune movement established the world's first proletarian regime, it was strangled after existing for only two months. The establishment of the Soviet Union as the world's first socialist state, and the establishment of the socialist system in New China—the world's most populous country—both demonstrated the realistic possibility of taking the lead in establishing and developing socialism in countries with relatively backward economies and cultures. In his later years, Marx proposed the question of crossing the "Caudine Forks," suggesting that a backward country like Russia could "not pass through the Caudine Forks of the capitalist system"—that is, it could absorb the achievements of capitalism without suffering the miseries caused by the capitalist system, and enter directly into socialist society. The exploratory course of real-world socialism has proven this brilliant judgment. Lenin's new reflections in his later years on how to build socialism; the "second combination" [7] of the basic principles of Marxism with China's concrete reality proposed by Comrade Mao Zedong in 1956; and Comrade Deng Xiaoping's re-understanding of the essence of socialism—all point toward how to build socialism starting from a country's own concrete reality, especially how to liberate and develop the social productive forces through the self-improvement and development of the socialist system, while continuously moving toward common prosperity.
Third, the goal of socialist construction is to achieve modernization. The highest ideal and ultimate goal of socialist construction is the realization of communism; the immediate goal of socialist construction is the realization of modernization. Compared to developed capitalist countries that were the first to embark on the modernization process, socialist countries in reality have all been relatively backward countries. They inherently possess the sense of urgency of late-developing countries catching up with early-developing countries; added to this is the internal need to demonstrate the superiority of the socialist system, making modernization a very important agenda item. Industrialization has always been the core content of modernization. Observing capitalist countries, the trend of modernization was often led by countries that were the first to achieve industrialization through technological and industrial revolutions. The achievements attained during the period of Soviet socialist construction were also prominently reflected in the heavy industry it developed within a short period. It must be emphasized that modernization is a universal historical process of human society moving from tradition to modernity, the fundamental purpose of which lies in achieving maximum efficiency through rationalized control. The universal historical process of moving from capitalism to socialism is largely synchronized with the universal historical process of modernization; thus, modernization itself also develops from capitalist modernization toward socialist modernization. In the process of world modernization, as the internal contradictions of capitalist society become increasingly prominent and intensified, and the defects of capitalist modernity become increasingly serious and obvious, the exploration of socialist modernization also shifted from passive to active after the establishment of socialist states. One could say that before the establishment of socialist states, the world socialist movement was primarily a passive reaction to capitalist modernization and its modern consequences; after the establishment of socialist states, humanity initiated an active pursuit of socialist modernization and its positive effects.
Fourth, there is no fixed model for the development of socialism. In the exploratory course of world socialism, the development from one country to multiple countries demonstrated the success of socialism and the expansion of the socialist camp, as well as the resulting significant shift in the balance of power between socialism and capitalism in favor of world socialist development. However, the Soviet model itself was the product of extremely special wartime conditions and became increasingly rigid over time, with its drawbacks beginning to emerge. Its fundamental problem lay in the erroneous belief that the Soviet Union had already built "developed socialism" and was even ready to transition to communism; therefore, it failed to continuously improve and develop the Soviet socialist system by starting from the actual stage of development and the realistic conditions in which the Soviet Union found itself. At the same time, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union long pursued "great-party and great-power chauvinism," sanctifying the experience of the CPSU and the Soviet model, ignoring the specific conditions of various socialist countries, and compressing the space for these countries to explore socialist development paths based on their own realities. In fact, even among Western developed capitalist countries, development models are not identical; the development path from capitalism to socialism and the construction path for socialist countries must also be diverse. The socialist reforms implemented by various countries made the development of world socialism from a single model to diverse explorations possible. The success of socialism with Chinese characteristics has, even more so, allowed scientific socialism to radiate strong vitality and vigor in 21st-century China, and has provided a brand-new choice for the vast number of developing countries through the path of Chinese-path modernization.
The Basic Logic of the Development of World Socialism
After re-examining the exploratory course of world socialism, we must further excavate from it the basic logic of the development of world socialism. To a large extent, this is precisely to excavate the historical logic of the evolution of "world history." What Marx called "world history" is the entire historical process of human history transitioning from world capitalism to world socialism. It is itself a historical concept that could only emerge when human history developed to the stage of modern capitalism and the global expansion of capitalism turned human history into a unified "global history." That is, "the more the separate spheres, which interact on one another, expand in the course of this development, the more the original isolation of the separate nationalities is destroyed by the developed mode of production and intercourse and the division of labour between various nations naturally brought forth by these, the more history becomes world history." The world capitalist system constitutes the premise for the occurrence of "world history," while the world socialist system is the direction of the development of "world history." The final victory of socialism is a world-historical collective process; this process will be the collective replacement of the world capitalist system by the world socialist system. Observing the past, the basic logic running through the exploratory course of world socialism mainly includes the following three aspects.
First is the logic of ism. This primarily refers to the laws of social development discovered by Marxism, particularly the historical necessity that capitalist society will inevitably be replaced by socialist society. The traditional classification derived from Soviet textbooks divides human society into five stages; however, more profound and enlightening is the theory of the three social forms of human history proposed by Marx in the Economic and Manuscripts of 1857–1858. Briefly stated, the evolutionary process of human social forms moves from pre-capitalist societies based on "personal dependence," to capitalist society based on "objective dependence," and finally to post-capitalist society based on "personal freedom." Marx pointed out: "Free individuality, based on the universal development of individuals and on their subordination of their communal, social productivity as their social wealth, is the third stage." This future social form is the "association of free individuals." The issue, however, is that this law of social development pertains to the macro-level general direction; the concrete evolutionary process of history has never been a simple linear or equilibrium-based one, but rather a complex non-linear and non-equilibrium process, often filled with twists, turns, and hardships. Thus, we see that socialism was first established in economically and culturally backward countries rather than in the pioneering capitalist nations, and it was established in a single country rather than in multiple countries simultaneously. We also see, as exemplified by the Soviet Union and China, that the paths taken and methods adopted by various socialist countries in the processes of revolution and construction have differed greatly. Each country must integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with its own specific realities and strike out on its own path based on its actual conditions.
Second is the logic of power. The replacement of one social form by another often undergoes incomparably fierce and complex struggles. All social forms prior to socialist society were class societies; to consolidate their power and status and defend their vested interests, ruling classes always exerted every effort to suppress the resistance of the exploited and oppressed classes. In capitalist society, class contradictions developed to an extremely acute point. The proletariat, having nothing to lose but their chains in the struggle to overthrow bourgeois rule, had a world to win. To sustainably extract surplus value and maintain their ruling position, the bourgeoisie also continuously improved their modes of production and means of governance. The paradox of history lies in the fact that Western capitalist countries, through external aggression and expansion, incorporated vast colonies and semi-colonies into the global capitalist system, thereby alleviating internal class contradictions to some extent by displacing them externally. The development of world socialism in the 20th century, especially its expansion from one country to many, originated from national liberation movements in the colonies and semi-colonies of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The "national imperialism" pursued by Western capitalist powers as nation-states accompanied capitalist globalization; while turning the vast colonies and semi-colonies into sources of raw materials and markets for goods, it also stimulated the nationalistic passion of the latter to resist them, as well as the political will to achieve catch-up modernization through socialist means. The logic of power also permeated the imperial struggles for hegemony among Western capitalist powers themselves; the two world wars of the 20th century, caused by the uneven development of capitalist countries, provided the space, conditions, and opportunities for the development of world socialism. The confrontation between two ideologies and social systems during the Cold War was similarly underpinned by the logic of geopolitics and power struggles, essentially constituting a hegemony contest between the US and the USSR. The Soviet Union's pursuit of power dominance within the socialist camp and its promotion of "social imperialism" [8] undermined the equal partnership that should have existed between socialist states. Since the end of the Cold War, the power-interest relationships behind the existing international political and economic order have influenced not only the development paths of socialist countries but also the relations between them. The party-political landscapes and basic power structures of capitalist countries continue to constrain the development of their left-wing political forces and socialist elements.
Third is the logic of civilization. Modern capitalism is not only a social form but also a civilizational form. Unlike the civilizational significance of previous social forms, modern capitalism is a civilization with an extremely strong impulse for universalist expansion, even equating itself with "modern civilization" or "civilization" per se. During the colonial and imperial expansion of Western capitalist powers, modern capitalist civilization radiated to all nations, countries, and regions. Commodities and gunboats entered alongside the Bible, "science," "democracy," Western medicine, Western food, and Western clothing; even the most remote and peripheral peoples and civilizations were to be reshaped. Human civilization once existed in various specific and unique forms scattered across suitable regions of the earth; thus, "civilization" is naturally plural. In A Study of History, the British historian Toynbee summarized twenty-six civilizational specimens. However, modern capitalist civilization attempted to make "civilization" singular. In its outward expansion, Western colonists constructed a "civilizational hierarchy," [9] positing that other civilizations were inferior, of poor quality, or even barbaric, and that their ultimate destiny was to be assimilated by this singular, only true civilization. Yet, the "homogenizing" impulse of modern capitalist civilization was first undermined by the reality of civilizational diversity within capitalist countries themselves. The ancient distinctions between Protestant and Catholic civilizations, or between Germanic and Latin civilizations, still manifest, though these distinctions increasingly appear as "minor differences" in the face of the "Great Unity" of modern capitalist civilization. Similarly, the development of world socialism demonstrates the dialectical unity between the "One" and the "Many" of civilization. On one hand, modern socialist civilization is a more advanced civilization born from the womb of modern capitalist civilization—a negation of the negation of modern capitalist civilization. The thorough sublation of capitalist modernity by modern socialist civilization is a long historical process, but it has at least broken the monopoly held by modern capitalist civilization over "modern civilization" and even "civilization" itself, pointing toward the fundamental direction for the future development of human civilization. On the other hand, world socialism has manifested different civilizational forms in various nations and countries. Europe’s "democratic socialism" and even the Marxist concept of the "association of free individuals" are inseparable from the Western civilizational tradition that prizes "freedom." The "National Socialism" [10] that emerged in the national liberation movements of Asia, Africa, and Latin America—such as Arab Socialism or Islamic Socialism—reveals its unique civilizational foundations in its very name. "Scientific socialism" took different forms in the Soviet Union, China, and Cuba, which was related to their differing civilizational contexts. Soviet socialism, after all, grew out of the civilizational soil of Russian Orthodoxy, and without Chinese civilization, there would be no socialism with Chinese characteristics. Their differing fates, successes, and failures are also related to their respective civilizational heritages.
In the development of world socialism, the three logics mentioned above overlap and operate together. From the perspective of Marxism and scientific socialism, "world history" is a history of development moving from world capitalism toward world socialism. However, the development of history has never been dogmatic or unilinear. Socialism has always been accompanied by capitalism; as capitalism develops, it produces its own gravediggers, and the two move and struggle within the same space-time. While world history may be moving toward a goal such as "the free and all-round development of the individual," a view of history where ideas come first easily falls into idealism; progressivism is not automatic. To avoid losing awareness of historical complexity, one must see that alongside the logic of ism, there are also the logics of power and civilization. From the perspective of the modernization process, the ubiquitous paradoxes or antinomies presented by the ills of capitalist modernity stem from capital's internal contradictions; their specific mechanisms and machinery are most worthy of in-depth analysis. What might be covered over by the grand "world history" perspective are nations, states, and civilizations. The subjects of world history include both classes and nations. The development of world history possesses a "polyphonic" structure. The evolution of modernization, in its broad direction, moves from capitalist modernization to socialist modernization. In this process, as various nations, states, and civilizations face the expansion of global capitalism—namely, the universalist hegemony of capitalist modernization—they pursue the integration of their own nation, state, and civilization with modernization. They seek a modernity that is "anti-(capitalist) modernity," thereby breaking the rule of monistic modernity and forming plural modernities. Consequently, the development of world socialism becomes a process in which various nations, states, and civilizations explore new types of socialist modernization paths based on their own realities.
The Direction of Progress for Human Civilization
Fundamentally, the direction of progress for human civilization is the direction of progress for "world history"—namely, the transition and development from world capitalism to world socialism. On September 29, 2017, during the 43rd collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Although the era we live in has undergone vast and profound changes compared to the era of Marx, looking at the broad horizon of the 500-year history of world socialism, we are still in the historical era indicated by Marxism." The basic logics that once operated in the exploratory process of world socialism will continue to play a role. Changes in the global balance of power—especially the success of the Chinese-path modernization and the continuous strengthening of China's comprehensive national strength—will profoundly influence the evolution of world socialism and the development of human civilization. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will simultaneously mean the great rejuvenation of Chinese civilization. High-quality development and the great rejuvenation of Chinese civilization do not mean a return to the past; rather, through creative transformation and innovative development, they involve achieving a deep integration of Marxism with Chinese civilization to create a New Form of Human Civilization. This New Form of Human Civilization belongs not only to China but to the world. The forward direction and future form of human civilization will inevitably be profoundly influenced by the New Form of Human Civilization presented by China. Specifically, in the foreseeable future, the development of human civilization will primarily manifest in the following three aspects.
First, the reconstruction of the world order. Currently, the world is facing "changes unseen in a century" [11] that are accelerating in their evolution, placing humanity at a major historical watershed. In the immediate term, the "unipolar system" that the United States attempted to build and maintain after the end of the Cold War is increasingly in decline. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States, as the world's sole superpower, presided over a neoliberal international economic order that integrated the vast majority of countries and regions into the global capitalist system. The American-style "free market" and "liberal democratic" politico-economic system were regarded as the only choice for humanity, and the "End of History" thesis was prevalent for a time. However, the September 11 attacks in 2001 shattered this myth, and the outbreak of the 2008 U.S. financial crisis exposed the inherent contradictions accumulated over the long term by extremely expansive finance capitalism. A series of structural contradictions—including the gap between rich and poor, racial conflict, political polarization, and ineffective governance—greatly weakened the legitimacy of the American system and its values. Furthermore, U.S. foreign policy has pursued extreme unilateralism, trade protectionism, and narrow nationalism, accelerating the failure of the existing international system that the United States previously led and established.
In the longer term, this represents the failure of the world order dominated by Western capitalist countries since the dawn of the modern era. As Henry Kissinger noted, the shape of the contemporary world was largely formed in Europe. Until the early 18th century, China, India, and the Islamic world remained important forces constituting the world order; however, following the Industrial Revolution and outward colonial expansion in the West, the non-Western world saw its destiny dominated by Western nations for some three hundred years. The fundamental trend revealed in the 21st century is the shift of the center of gravity of world power toward Asia. The era in which developed Western capitalist countries held absolute dominance will never return. A vast number of developing countries, represented by China, will occupy an increasingly heavy weight and exert ever-greater influence in the global balance of power. Even Western scholars have proposed new concepts such as the "Post-American World," a "World Without the West," and a "Non-Polar World" to describe the future world order. Emerging alongside the collapse of "Western-centrism" will be a more balanced distribution of power in the world, characterized by more distinct features of a diversified political and economic landscape. Of course, the reconstruction of the world order—the transition from the old order dominated by the Western nations led by the United States to a more equal, just, and mutually beneficial new order—will be a process that is not short and is full of uncertainty, potentially even accompanied by a certain degree of disorder and chaos. Nevertheless, the direction of the evolution of the world pattern will not change; the historical lesson that "a righteous cause gains great support, while an unjust one finds little" [12] remains valid.
Second, the revitalization of socialism. The two systems of socialism and capitalism will coexist for a long time. However, along with changes in the world pattern and the reconstruction of the world order, these two systems will also exhibit a trend of one waxing as the other wanes. While coexisting, the two will engage in competition and, at times, possibly intense struggle. The scholar Jiang Hui argues: "Overall, from the beginning to the middle of the 21st century is a period in which world socialism enters a stage of seeking rejuvenation and development. Its main features are the 'superposition of four periods': first, a period of concentrated development of movements opposing and transforming capitalism worldwide; second, a period of concurrent development of the trend toward the nationalization of socialism with distinct characteristics and the trend toward internationalization through strengthened coordination and alliance; third, a rising period in which Socialism with Chinese Characteristics becomes the banner of world socialism and plays a leading and exemplary role; and fourth, a period of more intense competition and gaming between world capitalism, which is in a new round of recession, and world socialism, which is in a new round of ascent."
The prominent manifestation of the crisis of capitalism in the early 21st century is the ineffectiveness and failure of the capitalist system and the resulting "Western chaos." Meanwhile, through comprehensively deepening reform, China has continuously improved and developed the system of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, with "China’s governance" [13] manifesting the superiority of the socialist system. China has become the largest position and most solid base for world socialism; Socialism with Chinese Characteristics has become the banner and mainstay of world socialism. So long as China manages its own affairs well, it will make a major contribution to world socialism and promote a greater revitalization of world socialism in the 21st century. Along with the development of the "new type of globalization" advocated by the vast number of developing countries represented by China, the revitalizing socialism of the 21st century, while manifesting its national and regional character, will also expand its international and global nature. While exploring their own paths and models of socialist development more independently, Communist parties and socialist forces in various countries should also pay attention to a certain degree of coordination and alliance, so that socialism truly becomes a world-historical undertaking.
Third, the diverse coexistence of civilizations. The decline of the unfair and irrational old world order dominated by Western capitalist countries represented by the United States signifies the decline of the long-held hegemony of modern capitalist civilization and Western civilization, as well as the rise of non-Western and non-capitalist civilizations. On one hand, human civilization will manifest more obvious diversified forms. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Differences in the history, culture, and social systems of various countries have existed since ancient times; they are an inherent attribute of human civilization. Without diversity, there would be no human civilization. Diversity is an objective reality that will exist for a long time." Whether for capitalist or socialist countries, the path to achieving modernization must be combined with the characteristics of one's own nation and civilization. Modernization paths that run counter to the underlying logic of the historical development of one's own nation and civilization are often difficult to sustain. "There is no fixed model for the path to modernization; the one that fits is the best, and one cannot 'cut the feet to fit the shoes' [14]. The efforts of every country to independently explore a path to modernization that suits its own national conditions should be respected."
On the other hand, various nations, states, and civilizations will advance toward the direction of building a community with a shared future for humanity as advocated by China. "The history, culture, systems, and development levels of various countries vary, but the people of all countries pursue the common values of humanity: peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom." Of course, the understanding of the connotation of these common values of humanity and the exploration of the paths to realize them may differ among various nations, states, and civilizations. It is necessary to embody these common values concretely and realistically in the practice of realizing the interests of one's own people, but this does not affect their pursuit of common values. The more fundamental reason for human civilization to move toward diverse coexistence is that "humanity is a whole, and the Earth is a single home. Faced with common challenges, no person or country can remain isolated; the only way out for humanity is to pull together in times of trouble and live in harmony and coexistence." Western capitalist civilization identifies with the "law of the jungle," where the weak are prey to the strong and where "zero-sum games" prevail. The world order it dominates is already unable to cope with the common challenges faced by humanity in the 21st century, let alone solve major practical problems such as the wealth gap, the development divide, the governance crisis, and the risk of war. Human civilization in the 21st century needs to move from being a "mismatch of parts" or "unassembled" toward "connection" and "integration"; from exclusive and monopolistic "Country First" and "self-centeredness" toward a community of a shared future characterized by universal benefit, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation; and from "confrontational civilization" toward "coexistent civilization."
In the process of humanity moving toward the reconstruction of the world order, the revitalization of socialism, and the diverse coexistence of civilizations, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization will play a very important and positive role in promotion. China is the world's largest developing country, the world's largest socialist country, and the only ancient civilization in the world that has developed continuously without interruption. Viewed from its origins, Chinese civilization is the product of harmony and coexistence and has always manifested this distinct characteristic, which is why it can be "great and enduring" [15]. Since the dawn of the modern era, in response to the "major changes unseen in several millennia" [16] caused by the invasion of Western imperialism, China has adapted Marxism and integrated it as part of Chinese civilization. This achieved the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of Chinese civilization, giving rise to a new form of human civilization. Its internal characteristics and aims are completely consistent with the forward direction of human civilization; therefore, its future and destiny are closely linked to the future development of human civilization. To a considerable extent, it can be said that where the future of human civilization goes depends on the perfection and development of this new form of human civilization created by the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The Chinese nation and Chinese civilization will surely make new and greater contributions to world development and human progress.