Academy of Marxism Holds Youth Seminar to Deepen Study and Interpretation of the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee
On November 26, 2025, the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) held its third youth thematic seminar of 2025. With the theme of "Studying and Interpreting the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee" [1], the seminar aimed to push young scholars to strengthen their theoretical armament and assist in their academic growth. Luo Wendong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Researcher Yang Jing, Director of the Department of Marxist Principles and Leader of the Youth Working Group, presided over the meeting. More than 30 participants, including leaders of youth theoretical study groups from various departments and core youth researchers, attended the session.
Luo Wendong put forward clear requirements for the study and interpretation of the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He emphasized the necessity of adhering to the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, and clearly explaining the underlying ratio, theory, and philosophy [2] from the perspective of the academic discipline of Marxist theory. It is essential to study the documents of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee in their original form, focusing on the explanations and important speeches made by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the Plenum. This involves conducting longitudinal comparative research with the "14th Five-Year Plan" [3] recommendations and outlines, as well as horizontal international comparative research. One must adhere to historical materialism and closely link study to the concrete reality that China's development environment during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period faces profound and complex changes; this includes interpreting new progress in economic and social development, particularly the opportunities and challenges brought by innovations in digital-intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence. It is necessary to seize the moment, focus on the new thoughts, viewpoints, judgments, and measures proposed by the Plenum, and strive to advance the systematic and theoretical research of the Party’s innovative theories, thereby accelerating the construction of an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences [4].
Eight young scholars reported their learning experiences in combination with their respective research fields. Associate Researcher Zhang Duan argued that the "Six Adherences" proposed in the recommendations for the "15th Five-Year Plan" represent an innovative development of the basic principles of scientific socialism, as well as a new development and application of these principles within the practice of Chinese-path modernization. Assistant Researcher Shangguan Miaomiao elaborated on the epochal value of common prosperity in spiritual life, arguing that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee clearly outlined a roadmap for the continuous upgrading of people's well-being in the process of Chinese-path modernization.
Assistant Researcher Feng Mengqi analyzed the rich connotations and institutional logic of the "Five-Year Plan" as an important method of the Party's national governance, arguing that the "Five-Year Plan" centrally embodies the significant advantages of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Associate Researcher Zhuo Mingliang pointed out that "achieving decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization" [5] holds great global significance and will continue to lead the developmental direction of world socialism. Assistant Researcher Sun Jinya analyzed the logical rationale of leading and promoting Chinese-path modernization through national development planning, arguing that the scientific formulation and continuous implementation of "Five-Year Plans" will persist over the long term to advance Chinese-path modernization. Assistant Researcher Bi Guoshuai emphasized that the mode of cultural exchange in Chinese-path modernization has achieved a reconstruction of the civilizational paradigm, representing a brand-new model of human civilizational interaction. Assistant Researcher Liu Daoyi pointed out that the key to "strengthening the dominant position of enterprises in technological innovation and making forward-looking deployments for strategic future industries" lies in institutional reconstruction, factor reorganization, and the preemptive deployment of industrial tracks centered on enterprises, ultimately achieving the synchronized construction of high-level technological self-reliance and future industrial competitive advantages. Assistant Researcher Yang Wen analyzed the manifestation of value and the enhancement path of the "leading power of ideological and political education" from the perspective of building a leading power in education, emphasizing that this power must be enhanced through innovative methods.
Through this exchange and seminar, the youth of the Institute of Marxism Studies further deepened their understanding of the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee and clarified the focal points for future research and interpretation of the Party's innovative theories. They expressed their commitment to comprehensive, systematic, timely, and integrated study. By adhering to the principle of integrating theory with practice, they aim to grasp objective laws through comparison and deep understanding, promptly transforming their study of the Party's innovative theories into theoretical articles, academic papers, and policy research reports, thereby contributing to Chinese-path modernization with high-quality research results.
Text and photos provided by Fang Tao, Institute of Marxism Studies.