Novikov, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Delivers Academic Report at the Academy of Marxism, CASS
On the afternoon of July 5, 2019, Dmitry Novikov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) and First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament), delivered an academic report in Room 1011 of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The report was chaired by Li Ruiqin, head of the Department of Foreign Studies. Research personnel from the Department of Foreign Studies, the Institute of Marxism Studies, and the World Socialism Research Center attended the meeting, and Xin Xiangyang, Vice President of the Institute of Marxism Studies, was also in attendance.
Novikov first introduced the major activities organized or planned by the CPRF in recent years: the 2017 celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution [1], the 2018 events commemorating the bicentennial of Marx’s birth, the 2019 commemorations for the 140th anniversary of Stalin’s birth, and the 2020 commemorations for the 150th anniversary of Lenin’s birth. He noted that these activities are all part of the international communist movement. To mark Gennady Zyuganov’s 75th birthday in 2019, the CPRF decided to publish a two-volume collection of his essays and speeches as a significant party event. This collection includes important documents regarding the development of the CPRF from before the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union to the present day. Key entries include "The Architect Amidst the Ruins: An Open Letter to Yakovlev" [2], published in Sovetskaya Rossiya on May 7, 1991; "A Word to the People," published in the same paper on July 23, 1991; and his July 1992 speech at the Russian Constitutional Court defending the interests of the Communist Party. Novikov stated that these materials provide ample evidence to debunk the claim that Soviet communists remained collectively silent before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Instead, they engaged in struggle on multiple fronts by writing letters and publicly criticizing specific leaders and abnormal social phenomena.
The documents in this collection serve as clear evidence of the struggle for survival and development carried out by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (and subsequently the CPRF) amidst adversity, possessing significant political and historical weight. Novikov presented these new books to the Institute of Marxism Studies, expressing his firm conviction in the CPRF’s future development. He also introduced the translation and publication preparations for Zyuganov’s new work, Russia Under the Gun of Globalization, and expressed gratitude to the Institute of Marxism Studies for its support.
Novikov elaborated on the understanding of globalization from three perspectives:
First, globalization is the inevitable result of scientific and technological progress and economic development in human society; it is an irreversible process. The First Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century brought about the international division of labor; the Second Industrial Revolution in the mid-to-late 19th century gave rise to the first wave of economic globalization; and the scientific and technological revolution emerging in the mid-1970s further propelled the process of economic globalization.
Second, globalization dominated by Western developed countries threatens human society. Novikov argued that globalization at its current stage remains in the stage of imperialism and poses a massive danger to humanity. For example, under the imperialist system, as the social division of labor continues to differentiate and refine, economic expansion is no longer confined to a single country, and the scale of the speculative economy continues to grow. Society suffers from severe polarization between the rich and the poor. Western-led globalization threatens human security, as seen in the unrest in countries such as Libya, Afghanistan, and Yugoslavia. In terms of spiritual culture, the core concepts being promoted are the modes of thinking and values inherent to Western civilization, emphasizing the theory of Western institutional superiority while scorning other civilizations. In short, Western-led globalism is a contemporary variant of imperialism, and the common people do not benefit from it.
Third, there are currently three primary schools of thought regarding globalization: Xi Jinping’s thought on a community with a shared future for humanity, religious globalism relying on a specific spiritual ethos (seen in some Muslim countries), and anti-globalization thought (the United States under Trump). Among these, the idea of a community with a shared future for humanity emphasizes equity and justice and refuses to impose one’s will on other nations. It aims to realize a beautiful world where "each appreciates their own culture, respects that of others, and all share in a common beauty for global harmony" [3], representing the direction of future human development. Trump’s anti-globalization thought, by contrast, is rigid, conservative, and isolationist, offering no prospects for development.
Novikov praised China’s immense contributions to the world and stated that the CPRF actively supports Russia’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, asserting that only socialism can lead humanity toward a bright future.
Following the report, the attending scholars engaged in a lively discussion with Novikov on topics of mutual interest.
In his concluding remarks, Vice President Xin Xiangyang spoke highly of Novikov’s report, characterizing it as taking a clear-cut stand, being rich in content, and possessing strong practical and contemporary significance. Xin stated that the success of the Chinese Revolution never forgot the October Revolution. In September 2017, on the eve of the centenary of the victory of the Russian October Revolution, China held a theoretical seminar on "The October Revolution and Socialism with Chinese Characteristics." Liu Qibao, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Central Propaganda Department, attended and delivered a speech. In October 2017, the report to the 19th CPC National Congress reaffirmed that "the salvos of the October Revolution brought us Marxism-Leninism." Through the practice of the October Revolution, the Chinese people found the ideological weapon to observe the world and master their own destiny. Just last month, on June 6, General Secretary Xi Jinping and President Putin met in St. Petersburg and together boarded the cruiser Aurora—which fired the first shot of the October Revolution—to listen to its history. General Secretary Xi Jinping remarked that the Aurora holds extraordinary significance for the Chinese people. The salvos of the October Revolution brought Marxism to China and played a vital role in the birth of the Communist Party of China. Since then, under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people have stepped forward wave upon wave to achieve great successes in the Chinese Revolution and the construction of the New China. Russia’s careful preservation of the Aurora reflects a respect for history.
Regarding globalization, Xin agreed with Novikov’s views and shared similar reflections. He argued that there are currently two invisible, parallel markets in the world: the globalization brought by the socialist market economy and the globalization brought by the capitalist market economy, with a massive conflict between the two. China’s globalization is built upon the foundation of a socialist market economy. China has made immense contributions and sacrifices in the process of economic globalization, steering an unfair economic globalization onto a relatively fair and just path. Meanwhile, the United States has always been the greatest beneficiary of economic globalization. Every step—from its industrialization to becoming a world power and eventually a global hegemon—is inseparable from the development of economic globalization. However, the United States seeks to extract super-profits from globalization and does not wish to see China and other countries lead economic globalization toward a "general rate of profit" [4]. Xin expressed his hope that both sides will strengthen communication in the future to jointly push economic globalization toward a more equitable and rational direction.
(Report drafted by Li Xiaohua, Department of Foreign Studies)
Speaker Biography Dmitry Novikov joined the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in June 1992. Between 1992 and 2001, he led the Komsomol (Communist Youth League) of the Amur Region and was elected as a member and secretary of the Central Committee of the Russian Federation Communist Youth League. In 2004, he was elected as a member and secretary of the CPRF Central Committee. In 2007, he was elected as a deputy to the 5th State Duma. Since 2008, he has been a member of the Presidium of the CPRF Central Committee. In 2011, he was elected to the 6th State Duma and served as the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology. On February 24, 2013, he was elected Deputy Chairman of the CPRF Central Committee. Since 2016, he has served as a deputy to the 7th State Duma and First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs. On May 27, 2017, at the 17th CPRF Congress, he was elected to the Central Committee and reappointment as a member of the Presidium and Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee at the first plenary session.