Vice President Jin Minqing of the Academy of Marxism Led a Delegation to Visit Germany from October 21 to 26
From October 21 to 26, 2018, in order to promote Marxist academic exchange, a delegation of six people led by Professor Jin Minqing, Vice President of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), visited and conducted field research in Trier, Cologne, and Berlin, Germany.
In Trier, Professor Jin Minqing and the delegation visited the Karl Marx House (Museum), where they consulted and purchased research materials related to Marx and exchanged views with museum staff regarding Marx's contemporary influence and the annual visitor demographics.
In Cologne, Professor Jin Minqing and the delegation visited the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Cologne and held two exchange sessions with the research team of Professor Felix Wemheuer (Wen Hao). Centered on the theme of "Globalization and China's Reform and Opening-up," Professor Jin Minqing’s report explored "The Scientific Answers provided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to Major Questions of the Times" [1]; Associate Research Fellow Wang Yonglei’s report discussed the "Achievements, Experience, and Enlightenments of China's Economic Development over 40 Years of Reform and Opening-up"; and Professor Felix Wemheuer’s report examined "Reform and Opening-up within the Context of Global History." Under the theme of "Cadre Construction" [2], Jing Wenyu, a doctoral student at the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Cologne, discussed "The Problem of Rural Cadres during the People's Commune Era," and Research Fellow Chen Zhigang discussed "Cadre Construction in China's New Era." Both sides also held discussions on issues of mutual concern.
While in Cologne, Professor Jin Minqing and the delegation also located and visited the former site of the editorial office of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung [3].
In Berlin, Professor Jin Minqing and the delegation held a symposium with relevant Party branches [4] of the Chinese Embassy in Germany. Xu Yongquan, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, presided over the symposium. Professor Jin Minqing introduced the systematic answers provided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to the "Four Major Questions of the Times" [5]; Research Fellow Pan Jin’e introduced the current development status of foreign communist parties and the reform progress in socialist countries; and Lei Xiaohuan introduced the state of research on European Marxism. Staff from the German embassy also introduced their investigative research on Marxism conducted in Germany. The academic exchange delegation then answered questions raised by Party members from the embassy branch.
At the Free University of Berlin, Professor Jin Minqing and the delegation met with Professor Mechthild Leutner (Luo Meijun), the German Director of the Confucius Institute, and Professor Bettina Gransow (Ke Lanjun), a sinologist at the Institute of East Asian Studies of the Free University of Berlin. They exchanged views on German Marxist studies, Sinology, and the shaping of China’s international image. Professor Jin Minqing presented the English edition of Marxist Studies to Professors Leutner and Gransow, and Professor Leutner presented Professor Jin with a commemorative album.
Professor Jin Minqing and the delegation also held a symposium with Thorsten Jelinek, Director of the European Research Center of the Taihe Institute, and Senior Fellow Wang Hui, centering on China's economic development and clean energy. Additionally, they located and visited the Marx-Engels Forum (Marx Park) to view the statues of Marx and Engels.