The 11th International Communist Movement Forum and the Launch Event for the "Yellow Book of the International Communist Movement" Series Held in Kunming

From July 8 to 9, 2023, the 11th International Communist Movement Forum was held in Kunming. The forum was hosted by the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Yunnan University, and organized by the Department of International Communist Movement Studies of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and the School of Marxism at Yunnan University. More than 100 participants attended, including experts and scholars from nearly 30 domestic research units and universities—such as CASS, the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, the consecutive Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), the National Defence University, Shandong University, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, and Yunnan University—as well as scholars and leaders of Marxist parties from Vietnam, Laos, Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Hungary.

Chinese and foreign scholars focused on the theme of "The World Socialist Movement and Chinese-path Modernization Amidst the Changes of a Century." They engaged in full consultations and in-depth exchanges on topics including new shifts in the international landscape under the Great Changes Unseen in a Century ^[1], Chinese-path modernization from a comparative perspective, the common characteristics, essential requirements, and Chinese features of Chinese-path modernization, the guiding significance of the "Second Combination" ^[2] for research on Chinese-path modernization, the role of Chinese-path modernization in promoting the reshaping of the international order, and the global significance of Chinese-path modernization.

The forum followed two agendas: an international conference and a domestic conference. The opening ceremony on the 8th was chaired by Professor Lin Jianhua, Vice President of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies. The plenary session was chaired respectively by Researcher Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies; Researcher Pan Jin’e, Director of the Department of International Communist Movement Studies at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies; and Professor Yuan Qun, Vice Dean of the School of Marxism at Yunnan University. Zhen Zhanmin, Vice President and Member of the Senior Party Leadership Group ^[3] of CASS, delivered a speech via video link. Ma Zhigang, Executive Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, and Wu Jiande, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Yunnan University, also delivered speeches. Researcher Li Shenming, former Vice President and Deputy Secretary of the Senior Party Leadership Group of CASS and Director of the World Socialism Research Center, delivered a keynote speech titled "Strengthen Confidence, Be Mindful of Danger in Times of Peace ^[4], and Welcome a New Spring for Socialism in the 21st Century." Researcher Xin Xiangyang delivered a keynote report titled "The Theory of Chinese-path Modernization is the Latest Major Achievement of Scientific Socialism." Finally, Professor Lin Jianhua provided a nuanced summary of the international conference portion.

Researcher Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, presided over the plenary session and delivered the keynote report "The Theory of Chinese-path Modernization is the Latest Major Achievement of Scientific Socialism." Professor Lin Jianhua, Vice President of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, presided over the opening ceremony and delivered a plenary speech titled "The Historical, Theoretical, and Practical Logic of Chinese-path Modernization." Researcher Wang Limin, President of the Social Sciences Academic Press, introduced the release of new books including the Report on the Development of the International Communist Movement (2021–2022). Researcher Pan Jin’e, Director of the Department of International Communist Movement Studies at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, presided over the plenary speeches. Professor Yuan Qun, Vice Dean of the School of Marxism at Yunnan University, presided over the plenary speeches.

Professor Hu Zhenliang of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) delivered a plenary speech titled "Socialist Modernization and the Developmental Significance of 'Chinese-path Modernization'." Professor Guo Qiang, Deputy Director of the Department of Scientific Socialism at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), delivered a speech titled "Three Elements of Chinese-path Modernization: Common Characteristics, Essential Requirements, and Chinese Features." Researcher Xuan Chuanshu, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Graduate School of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, delivered a speech titled "Correctly Grasping the Triple Logic of the Major Proposition: 'Building a Marxist Governing Party Capable of Long-term Governance'." Professor Zhu Kexin of the Department of Scientific Socialism at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) delivered a speech titled "Several Reflections on 'Xi Jinping’s Theory of Chinese-path Modernization'." Professor Wang Jin, Executive Editor-in-Chief of the journal Contemporary World and Socialism at the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech titled "A New Period of Turbulence and Transformation: Challenges and Responses." Professor Cui Guitian of the Institute of Contemporary Socialism at Shandong University and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Problems of Contemporary World Socialism, delivered a speech titled "Global Changes and the Opportunities and Challenges for Chinese-path Modernization." Professor Liu Chenguang of the Department of Scientific Socialism at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) delivered a speech titled "The Particularity and Universality of Chinese-path Modernization from the Perspective of the 'Second Combination'." Scholars and Marxist party leaders from Vietnam, Laos, Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Hungary delivered speeches online.

The meeting also saw the release of new books including the "International Communist Movement Yellow Book" series: the Report on the Development of the International Communist Movement (2021–2022) in Chinese and Vietnamese versions; the 2020–2021 versions in English and Italian; and the monograph Chinese-path Modernization (Vietnamese edition) by Researcher Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies.

During the domestic conference phase on the 9th, scholars were divided into two groups to engage in full discussions on "Chinese-path Modernization and New Changes in the International Landscape" and "Foreign Communist Parties and New Developments in World Socialism." These sessions were chaired respectively by Researcher Tan Xiaojun of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies; Professor Du Min, Director of the Center for the Development of Foreign Marxism at the School of Marxism, Yunnan University; Liu Xiangyuan, Director of the Theory and Commentary Department of the Yunnan Daily and Editor-in-Chief of Socialism Forum; and Researcher Yuan Xiuli, Deputy Director of the Department of International Communist Movement Studies at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies. The speakers focused on exploring the current shifts in the international landscape and the opportunities and challenges faced by foreign communist parties, while comparing the modernization development models of various countries to provide theoretical support for the construction of Chinese-path modernization. Professors Xuan Chuanshu, Zhu Kexin, Hu Zhenliang, and Wang Jin provided brilliant commentaries for each session.

The closing ceremony of the forum was presided over by Professor Yuan Qun, Vice Dean of the School of Marxism at Yunnan University. Professor Luo Qian, Dean of the School of Marxism at Yunnan University, and Researcher Pan Jin’e, Director of the Department of International Communist Movement Studies at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, provided in-depth summaries of the preparation and convening of this forum.

Professor Luo Qian, Dean of the School of Marxism at Yunnan University, delivered concluding remarks at the closing ceremony.

(Contributed by Liu Haixia, Institute of Marxism Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)