Symposium on World Socialism and the International Communist Movement Held in Beijing
On July 18–19, 2025, the "Symposium on the Disciplines of World Socialism and the International Communist Movement" was held in Beijing. The event was hosted by the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), organized by the CASS Priority Discipline of World Socialism and the International Communist Movement, and co-organized by the editorial department of the journal World Socialist Studies. More than 40 experts, scholars, and discipline leaders attended from central state organs, universities, and research institutes—including the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), CASS, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Sichuan University, Northeast Normal University, Shandong University, the Central University of Finance and Economics, and Suzhou City University. They engaged in in-depth discussions on major theoretical and practical issues within the world socialist movement and exchanged views on the primary achievements, fundamental experiences, and development trends in the construction of the disciplines of world socialism and the international communist movement.
At the opening ceremony on the morning of the 18th, Researcher Luo Wendong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and head of the discipline, delivered a speech introducing the academic traditions, resource advantages, and major achievements of the Institute in constructing the disciplines of world socialism and the international communist movement. Since the beginning of Reform and Opening-up, and with the strong support of CASS, the development of these disciplines has obtained solid platform support and organizational guarantees. Since 2017, they have successively become key and priority disciplines under the CASS "Climbing Program" [1]. In recent years, the Institute of Marxism Studies has built an important platform for colleagues in the field to exchange ideas and advance research on socialist theory and practice by hosting national and international forums, editing and publishing journals, compiling relevant "Blue Books" [2] and book series, and strengthening think-tank construction. Researcher Yu Haiqing, Deputy Director of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, presided over the opening ceremony and the first stage of expert presentations. She noted that the participating experts and scholars provided profound analyses and judgments on many major theoretical issues, which are of great heuristic significance for deepening reflections on the history, theory, movement, practice, reality, and future of world socialism.
The second through fifth stages of expert presentations were presided over respectively by Researcher Yu Bin, Director of the Department of Foreign Marxism Studies at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies (deputy bureau level); Researcher Yuan Xiuli, Director of the Department of International Communist Movement Studies; Researcher Chen Airu, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Marxism Studies; and Researcher Liu Haixia, Deputy Director of the Department of International Communist Movement Studies.
The discussions among participating experts and scholars focused on two areas: major theoretical and practical issues in the development of world socialism, and the achievements and experiences in building the disciplines of world socialism and the international communist movement. Scholars elucidated and debated issues from various perspectives, including global issues in the international communist movement, the discourse system of 21st-century world socialism, the development trends of ruling parties in socialist countries and communist parties abroad, and the new horizons opened for world socialism by the Chinese path. Participating scholars fully affirmed the effectiveness and characteristics of the disciplinary construction while offering active suggestions for the long-term development of the disciplines of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era and the international communist movement, particularly regarding clarifying disciplinary affiliation and strengthening the discourse system and the cultivation of talent.
Researcher Chai Shangjin from the IDCPC delivered a keynote speech titled "The Historical Process and Lessons of Experience of the International Communist Movement." He proposed that the overall development of the international communist movement should be observed through several dimensions: the evolution of socialist thought, the practice of scientific socialism, the governance of proletarian parties, the practical innovation of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and the qualitative and quantitative development of 21st-century world socialism. The international communist movement has undergone a process of advancing through twists and turns and rising in a spiral [3]. One must adhere to the guiding position of Marxism and the fundamental character of scientific socialism, persist in integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with the specific realities of each country, and uphold the leadership of the Communist Party over socialist revolution and construction. It is essential to fully grasp the contemporary, diverse, and exploratory nature of the international communist movement's practice.
Researcher Tang Haijun from the World Party Institute of the IDCPC delivered a keynote speech titled "Several Issues Deserving Attention and Research in the Current International Communist Movement." He pointed out that current academic research should focus on re-evaluating the historical experience of Soviet socialist construction and rethinking the relationship between the two systems of socialism and capitalism. Contemporary China should, based on an insight into global developments, persist in and carry forward the spiritual attributes of proletarian internationalism, providing active political, directional, and value leadership for the world socialist movement.
Researcher Lin Jianhua, Secretary of the Party Committee of the CASS Institute of Chinese-Path Modernization, delivered a keynote speech titled "The Practical and Theoretical Innovation of Marxist Parties is the Eternal Theme of the International Communist Movement." He emphasized that innovation in theory and practice runs through the entire historical process of proletarian parties—from their founding and the seizure of power to construction—profoundly shaping the developmental forms of the international communist movement. The generation and evolution of the cause of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era are permeated by the unremitting exploration and pioneering innovation of Chinese Communists regarding the fundamental question of "what is socialism and how to build it."
Professor Wang Zhongru, Deputy Director of the Department of Scientific Socialism at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), delivered a keynote speech titled "The Technological Revolution and the Development of World Socialism." He noted that the progression of socialism—from utopia to science, from theory to practice, and from one country to multiple countries—has always been closely linked to the application of the latest scientific and technological achievements of the era. In the process of promoting the Great Cause of building a strong nation and national rejuvenation in the New Era, it is essential to place full importance on the status of science and technology as the primary productive force. Technological progress must be deeply integrated into the practice of socialist construction, while always remaining committed to the core ideology that technological progress must serve the well-rounded development of the individual. This will drive the socialist cause toward higher-quality development through the unification of technological empowerment and value leadership.
Professor Wang Chuanli from the School of Marxism at Tsinghua University delivered a keynote speech titled "Research on Scientific Socialism and the Communist Movement in the Context of the Imminent Resurgence of World Socialism." He emphasized that, grounded in the historical context of the imminent resurgence of world socialism, we should proactively use the basic principles of scientific socialism to respond to a series of major theoretical questions emerging in practice, study the new laws of the contemporary world socialist movement, and clarify China's role and responsibility therein.
Professor Song Chaolong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice Dean of the School of Marxism at Peking University, delivered a keynote speech titled "New Trends of Global Fascistization and the New Mission of Socialism." He pointed out that scientific socialism is the inevitable destination of Marxism, and its emphasis on organization is the only way to dissolve the global hegemony of contemporary finance capital. It is necessary to continue strengthening the position of world socialism and the international communist movement within the entire academic ecosystem and disciplinary system of Marxist theory, providing solid discourse and logical support for the great practice of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era.
Researcher Wang Jin, Executive Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary World and Socialism at the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a keynote speech titled "The World-Historical Status and Significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." She noted that Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a major theoretical achievement in the history of Marxist development, the history of world socialism, the history of the CPC, and the history of human thought. It makes important contributions to building a better world from the dimensions of values, paths, and demonstration.
Professor Wang Tingyou from the School of Marxism at Renmin University of China delivered a keynote speech titled "Several Reflections on the Disciplinary Development of World Socialism and the International Communist Movement." He emphasized that these disciplines are critically important and have great potential. Their development should be understood from the height of constructing an independent knowledge system. Scholars, journals, universities, and research institutions in related fields should strengthen cooperation to form an academic community.
Professor Xu Xiaofeng, former Vice President of Harbin Normal University, delivered a keynote speech titled "Challenges, Response Strategies, and Inspirations for Ideological Work in Socialist Countries such as Vietnam, Cuba, and North Korea." He noted that against the backdrop of increasingly complex and concealed ideological struggles following the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, countries like Vietnam, North Korea, and Cuba have persisted on the socialist path despite the dual pressures of Western ideological penetration and economic blockades. They have explored ideological work models suited to their national conditions and accumulated valuable experience, though they also face new challenges.
Professor Yu Weihai, Director of the Research Center for Foreign Marxist Parties at Central China Normal University, delivered a keynote speech titled "The Construction of the 21st-Century World Socialist Discourse System." He pointed out that 21st-century world socialism is an important growth point for the disciplines of world socialism and the international communist movement. it provides a contextual reference and global soil for advancing the "Two Combinations" [4]. One must employ a "Big Picture" view of history [5] regarding world socialism to grasp the historical position of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, strengthen research on the foundational theories of the 21st-century international communist movement, and build the corresponding textbook systems.
Professor Zhao Ting, Vice Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University, delivered a keynote speech titled "Several Reflections on the Construction of the Scientific Socialism Major and Personnel Training." She introduced the basic situation of Shandong University's scientific socialism program and, based on practical experience, proposed directions for effort such as optimizing the design of training programs, improving student competitiveness, and laying a solid foundation in basic theory, principles, and literature.
Associate Professor Wu Guofu from the School of Marxism at Sichuan University delivered a keynote speech titled "Typological Development Trends of Contemporary Foreign Communist Parties and Their Influence." He described the current state of foreign communist parties as "overall fragmentation with partial clustering." He attributed this situation to the expansive interpretation of Marxism, the summary of lessons from international and domestic socialist movements, and responses to new changes in the global and domestic situations as the times change. This increasingly highlights that upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground has become a new contemporary task for the world socialist movement.
Researcher Wang Xiaoju from the CASS Institute of World History delivered a keynote speech titled "Classic Marxist-Leninist Authors and Russian Historical Research." She noted that the classic Marxist-Leninist authors wrote numerous immortal works on Russian history, leaving behind many highly valuable reflections. Contemporary Chinese researchers of Russian history should consciously take Marxism as their guiding ideology, profoundly grasp the paradigms and methods used by classic Marxist-Leninist authors in studying Russian history, and make greater use of their famous works on the subject in research and teaching.
Professor Hu Haibo from the Faculty of Marxism at Northeast Normal University delivered a keynote speech titled "Problems and Possible Solutions for the Current Construction of World Socialism and International Communist Movement Disciplines in Universities." He called on universities and research institutes to explore ways to maintain disciplinary boundaries and independence, strengthen curriculum systems, bolster teaching staff, and leverage their unique advantages to actively integrate disciplinary resources and expand disciplinary fronts.
Professor Tian Zhijian, Dean of the School of Marxism at Suzhou City University, delivered a keynote speech titled "The Value of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the Development of World Socialism." He emphasized the necessity of consciously employing a Big Picture view of history to recognize and grasp Socialism with Chinese Characteristics as part of the overall process and general pattern of world socialism. Socialism with Chinese Characteristics has flourished during a low ebb in the world socialist movement; by demonstrating its advantages, it presents a new vision for the socialist path and opens new horizons for the development of world socialism.
Researcher Li Ruiqin from the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies delivered a keynote speech titled "Activity and Characteristics of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in Recent Years." She introduced the Russian Federation Communist Party's recent measures, such as adjusting its name, rehabilitating Stalin's reputation, and refuting Western stigmatization of Soviet history. She emphasized that the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe left painful lessons of world-historical and century-long significance, and the damage to Russia's socialist forces continues to this day. The CPC should profoundly absorb the lessons of the Soviet Union's collapse and properly respond to risks and challenges on the road ahead.
Professor Wang Miao from the School of Marxism at the Central University of Finance and Economics delivered a keynote speech titled—
In the keynote presentation titled "The Theoretical Logic, Realistic Dilemmas, and the Chinese Solution for Western Digital Socialist Trends of Thought," she pointed out that critiques of digital capitalism by Western Leftist scholars have deviated from the basic principles of scientific socialism in areas such as ownership, the subject of revolution, and the path of transformation, ultimately becoming tools for the self-regulation of capitalism. The digitalization explorations of socialism with Chinese characteristics adhere to Marxist positions, viewpoints, and methods, providing a model for the development of scientific socialism in the digital era.
Associate Researcher Deng Chao from the Institute of World History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) delivered a keynote speech titled "Global History Research Methods and the Study of 'American Socialist Exceptionalism' [6]." He introduced the core connotations of global history research methods and their innovation regarding the research paradigm of "American socialist exceptionalism." He noted that combining cutting-edge research methods with classical theoretical issues in the discipline of World Socialism and the International Communist Movement helps expand research horizons, achieve new insights, and promote the development of the discipline while upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground.
Scholars from the Department of Foreign Marxism Research and the Department of International Communist Movement Research of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS—including Yu Bin, Pan Jin’e, Yuan Xiuli, Liu Haixia, Chen Airu, Zhou Miao, Wang Xuedong, Pan Xihua, He Qin, and Shan Chao—delivered exchange speeches centered on topics such as new changes in the current global landscape, the opportunities and challenges facing ruling parties in socialist countries and communist parties abroad, and academic growth points in the study of the history of the international communist movement. These speeches deepened the understanding of the theory and practice of world socialism and the disciplinary construction of world socialism and the international communist movement.
Luo Wendong, Researcher and Party Committee Secretary of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS, delivered the concluding remarks. He stated that this meeting was a high-level specialized seminar that achieved its goals of exchanging ideological viewpoints and expanding platforms for communication and cooperation. It has laid a solid foundation for further establishing a joint disciplinary conference mechanism and leveraging the systematic advantages of exchange and collaboration, marking a new starting point for the development of the discipline of World Socialism and the International Communist Movement. He encouraged the participating experts and scholars to firm up their ideals and convictions, strengthen their historical initiative [7], and leverage the advantages of the discipline. He urged them to strive to overcome current problems in disciplinary development—such as weak influence, fragmentation, and decentralization—to reach a new realm of disciplinary development characterized by "reaching the broad and great while exhausting the refined and subtle [8]," "understanding history while emphasizing reality," "connecting the domestic and international while planning for the overall situation," and "striving for self-reliance while promoting cooperation."
(Contributed by Feng Mengqi; Photos by Wang Yi; Institute of Marxism Studies, CASS)