Huang Kaifeng: The Historical Significance, Internal Mechanisms, and Original Contributions of the "Second Integration"

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the Meeting on Cultural Inheritance and Development that the "Two Combinations" constitute the path we must take to pioneer and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics. He noted that the "Second Combination" "allows us to master ideological and cultural initiative" and represents "yet another liberation of the mind," enabling us to "fully utilize the precious resources of fine traditional Chinese culture to explore theoretical and institutional innovations oriented toward the future." This is a profound summation by our Party of the historical experience of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, as well as an important thesis on the developmental direction of Chinese culture. It signifies that our Party's understanding of the Chinese path, theory, and system has reached a new height; that its rational consciousness regarding the subjectivity of Chinese culture has reached a new height; and that it has profoundly grasped and effectively responded to the urgent issues of contemporary cultural development. By both persevering in the guidance of Marxism and promoting national cultural traditions, the "Second Combination" has become an inevitable choice for answering the questions of the times.

I. Profoundly Grasping the Historical Implication of the "Second Combination"

The combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture is an intrinsic requirement for both the process of the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of fine traditional Chinese culture. By examining the "Second Combination" within the context of the New Democratic Revolution, the socialist revolution and construction, and the period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization led by the Party since the beginning of modern times—and especially since the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC)—and by examining it within the history of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities, as well as the great practice of our Party in opening new horizons for the development of Chinese culture since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, we can dialectically understand the internal connections and distinctions between the "Two Combinations" and profoundly grasp the historical significance of proposing the "Second Combination" in the New Era.

(1) The Historical Logic of the Modernization of Fine Traditional Chinese Culture The combination of fine traditional Chinese culture, which has remained uninterrupted for thousands of years, with the basic tenets of Marxism is a historical process. To understand and grasp how the core value concepts of fine traditional Chinese culture have been disseminated, transformed, internalized, and have ultimately achieved "harmony-in-growth" ^[1] with the basic tenets of Marxism to form a "new cultural lifeform," we must give full attention to and recognize the historical logic therein. The dao ^[2] of traditional Chinese Confucianism proceeds from the individual (the self) toward society (the world/All-under-Heaven), emphasizing the perfection of virtue and the character of the junzi ^[3] (exemplary person). The Zhou dynasty revered Heaven, believing that "Imperial Heaven has no favorites; it helps only those who are virtuous." ^[4] The Book of Rites speaks of "cultivating the self, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to All-under-Heaven." The Analects, Xunzi, and Lu Jiuyuan all advocated "learning for the sake of one's self." All of these position the starting point as establishing the self to establish others, proceeding from self-cultivation to perfect the relations between oneself and others.

After the Opium War, as China gradually fell into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, traditional ideological and cultural resources were for a time subjected to negation and criticism. Many turned their gaze toward the outside world; reformism, liberalism, Social Darwinism, anarchism, pragmatism, populism, and syndicalism took the stage one after another, yet none could solve the problem of China's future and destiny. The choice of history and the people led China toward Marxism. After the founding of the CPC, the concept and pursuit of the junzi character continued like an unbroken thread, subtly influencing generations of Chinese Communists. In In Memory of Norman Bethune, Mao Zedong praised Bethune as "a man who is noble-minded and pure, a man of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a man who is of value to the people." In Serve the People, he stated: "'Though death befalls all men alike, it may be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.' To die for the people is weightier than Mount Tai." In How to Be a Good Communist, Liu Shaoqi emphasized Mencius's dictum: "unswayed by riches and honors, unbent by poverty and low status, and unyielding before brute force." Chen Yi wrote in Reflections on My Sixty-third Birthday: "I examine myself at midnight" so as to "correct mistakes and march forward again." General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the Book of Rites’ injunction to "study extensively, inquire accurately, think carefully, distinguish clearly, and practice earnestly," ^[5] and quoted the saying "A sage is a commoner willing to put in the work; a commoner is a sage unwilling to put in the work," ^[6] requiring Communists to forge an "indestructible vajra body." ^[7]

These inherited and developed pursuits of mental cultivation and character were gradually transformed, transcended, and sublimated during the process of the Sinicization of Marxism, combining with the ideals and faith of Communism to provide new interpretations, including the spirit of sacrifice. "People-as-the-foundation" (minben) ^[8] is a traditional Chinese ideological concept. Discourses such as "The people are the foundation of the state" and "Heaven sees as my people see; Heaven hears as my people hear" from the Book of Documents; Mencius's "The people are of supreme importance, the altars of the gods of earth and grain come next, and the ruler is the least important"; and Huang Zongxi's "The world is the master and the ruler is the guest" all embody typical minben thought. Since the introduction of Marxism to China, the scientific socialism it advocates and the collectivism it contains have resonated with China's traditional minben consciousness and were quickly accepted by the Chinese people. During the Yan'an period, the CPC clarified its purpose of "serving the people," continuing the minben tradition. Following the start of reform and opening up, in response to the materialist tendencies emerging in the modernization process, our Party proposed the Scientific Outlook on Development centered on "putting people first" (yiren weiben), the core and foothold of which lie precisely in "people-as-foundation" (minben) and "human-centeredness" (renben). Since the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has proposed that "the land is the people, and the people are the land," making it even clearer that the starting point and final destination of Chinese-path modernization is the people. The process of the Sinicization of Marxism is also the process of merging two thousand years of minben thought into the century-long history of the Party since its founding.

In traditional China, "All-under-Heaven" (tianxia) was an important concept, referring to the realm of all living souls. In the seventy-plus years following the mid-19th century, in response to the impact of the West, the concept of tianxia was transformed into national consciousness. Simultaneously, Western concepts of nationalism were introduced to China, leading to negative assessments of our national consciousness. The true awakening of the Chinese people's own national consciousness originated from the struggle for national sovereignty during the May Fourth Movement. During the early period of the first CPC-Kuomintang cooperation, Sun Yat-sen reinterpreted "nationalism" within the "Three People's Principles," taking anti-imperialism as its main theme, which led to a wave of anti-imperialist sentiment across all classes following the May Thirtieth Movement. In the century-long history since its birth, the CPC has held fast to its anti-imperialist stance, possessing a distinct national consciousness. At the same time, this national consciousness has always contained a world consciousness. Mao Zedong emphasized: "Chinese Communists must combine patriotism and internationalism," and "Patriotism is the application of internationalism in the national revolutionary war... Only those who are politically muddled or have ulterior motives can talk nonsense about our doing the wrong thing or abandoning internationalism." Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "China regards its own development as a matter of contribution to humanity and a matter of ensuring world peace." Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has frequently mentioned "a community with a shared future for humanity" and the "common values of all humanity," embodying a world consciousness that accompanies national consciousness. It is thus evident that Marxist internationalism and the tianxia consciousness of Chinese history and culture have "resonated" with one another, existing enduringly within the ideology and historical development of the CPC.

(2) The Historical Connection and Primary Distinctions of the "Two Combinations" As the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism has developed to the present day, it can to some extent be called a "history of combinations." Our Party has always persisted in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities (the "First Combination"). "Fine traditional Chinese culture" has not been absent; rather, it has functioned as a constituent part of "China’s specific realities." Older generation revolutionaries like Mao Zedong also frequently emphasized "national forms" and "Chinese character." In our Party's history, "China’s specific realities" was sometimes understood as "China’s specific national conditions" or "China’s specific practices," and the masses often understood "specific realities" through "specific practices." Therefore, before the proposal of the "Two Combinations"—especially the "Second Combination"—the relationship between Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture could not yet be placed on equal footing with the relationship between Marxism and China's specific realities.

The evolution of the Sinicization of Marxism from "one combination" to "two combinations" actually involves identifying "fine traditional Chinese culture"—which was previously subsumed within the "specific realities" of the "one combination"—as an independent element, thereby fully affirming the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. The development of the Sinicization of Marxism to the "Two Combinations," particularly the "Second Combination" (the combination of "the basic tenets of Marxism" with "fine traditional Chinese culture"), constitutes a further deepening and expansion of the "First Combination." It elucidates the historical connection and the logic of internal compatibility between the two systems of thought.

The connotation and essence of the "Two Combinations," especially the "Second Combination," lie in this: Marxism must not only achieve Sinicization within the current specific realities but must also produce a "chemical reaction" and achieve fusion with the indigenous cultural genes rooted in Chinese reality, thereby forming a new cultural organism. Moving from "one combination" to "two combinations" involves both inheritance and development; there are internal links but also significant differences. Before the "Two Combinations" was proposed, the combination of Marxism with China's specific realities was dominant, and the status and role of fine traditional Chinese culture were relatively limited. The proposal of the "Two Combinations" means that our Party's understanding of the internal laws of the Sinicization of Marxism has achieved a new sublimation. The basic paradigm of the Sinicization of Marxism and the positioning of fine traditional Chinese culture are both different from the past. The "Second Combination" emphasizes more strongly the internal compatibility of fine traditional Chinese culture with Marxism and its autonomy in meeting the requirements of Chinese modernization. It emphasizes more strongly that Marxism activates the excellent genes of Chinese culture, granting it vivid vitality through China's unique experience, language, and modes of thinking. This is an intrinsic requirement for both the Sinicization of Marxism and the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. It promotes Marxism to become further "endogenous" and "internalized," while pushing fine traditional Chinese culture further toward "renaissance" and "rebirth."

(3) The inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture coincides with the New Era

In October 2024, during the 17th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "continue the Chinese cultural lineage through creative transformation and innovative development ^[9]," "deeply excavate and elucidate the spiritual essence of fine traditional Chinese culture, use Marxism to activate the excellent factors within traditional Chinese culture and endow them with new connotations of the era, and develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era." Inheriting and developing fine traditional Chinese culture to open up new horizons for the development of Chinese culture has been an important theme in our Party’s cultural theory and practical research since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, leading to the successive introduction of a series of new ideas, viewpoints, and assertions.

In September 2014, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the International Conference Commemorating the 2565th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth and the 5th General Assembly of the International Confucian Association, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized "striving to achieve the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture." In October 2017, the 19th CPC National Congress explicitly proposed: "Promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, inherit revolutionary culture ^[10], develop advanced socialist culture, stay true to our roots while absorbing foreign influence and facing the future, better construct the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength, and provide spiritual guidance for the people."

How is "creative transformation and innovative development" to be achieved? First, we must refine the values and spiritual symbols that permeate fine traditional Chinese culture. In February 2014, during the 13th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "deeply excavate and elucidate the contemporary value of fine traditional Chinese culture's emphasis on benevolence, the people as the foundation (minben), integrity, justice, harmony, and the Great Unity (Datong) ^[11]." The report to the 19th CPC National Congress required us to "deeply excavate the ideas, humanistic spirit, and moral norms contained in fine traditional Chinese culture, inheriting and innovating in combination with the requirements of the era, so that Chinese culture exhibits permanent charm and the style of the era." In August 2018, at the National Conference on Public Communication and Ideological Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed: "We must refine and display the spiritual symbols of fine traditional culture, and refine and display the cultural essence of fine traditional culture that possesses contemporary value and world significance." In May 2022, during the 39th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee, he emphasized "displaying the unique spiritual symbols of the Chinese nation to better construct the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength." The report to the 20th CPC National Congress summarized and refined the values contained in Chinese culture and, in the context of international communication, once again emphasized "upholding the stance of Chinese culture, refining and displaying the spiritual symbols and cultural essence of Chinese civilization, and accelerating the construction of a Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative system." In June 2023, at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically summarized the five prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization ^[12] and once again provided a concentrated elucidation of the values and spiritual symbols permeating them.

Refining values and spiritual symbols is not an aimless exercise, much less a conceptual game; rather, it must be coordinated with modern society and adapted to contemporary cultural needs, thereby nourishing the core socialist values. In October 2014, at the Symposium on Literature and Art, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "fine traditional Chinese culture is the spiritual lifeblood of the Chinese nation and an important source for nourishing core socialist values." In May 2016, at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences, he emphasized the need to "strengthen the excavation and elucidation of fine traditional Chinese culture, making the most basic cultural genes of the Chinese nation adapt to contemporary culture and coordinate with modern society." In March 2021, during his inspection of the Zhu Xi Garden in Wuyishan, Fujian Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must attach special importance to excavating the essence of five thousand years of Chinese civilization, combining the promotion of fine traditional culture with Marxist stances, viewpoints, and methods, and unswervingly following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics." In May 2022, during the 39th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee, he clarified that "we must uphold the fundamentals and break new ground, promoting the adaptation of fine traditional Chinese culture to socialist society."

The nourishment of core socialist values by fine traditional Chinese culture is inseparable from the tempering process of cultural combination. "Opening up and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics on the deep foundation of over five thousand years of Chinese civilization, the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture is the path we must take. This is a law-based understanding we have reached in exploring the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics." The "Two Combinations" are "the greatest secret weapon of our success." General Secretary Xi Jinping particularly emphasized that the proposal of the "Second Combination" "demonstrates that our Party's consciousness in advancing cultural innovation while inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture has reached a new height." On June 30, 2023, during the 6th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, he emphasized the "effective integration of the essence of Marxist thought with the cream of fine traditional Chinese culture, fusing them into a new theoretical advantage." In October 2023, the National Conference on Public Communication and Cultural Work pointed out: "General Secretary Xi Jinping’s new ideas, viewpoints, and assertions regarding cultural development in the New Era are rich in connotation and extremely profound in exposition. They are the theoretical summary of the practical experience of cultural development led by the Party in the New Era, enriching and developing Marxist cultural theory, constituting the cultural chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and forming Xi Jinping Thought on Culture."

II. An In-depth Analysis of the Internal Mechanism of the "Second Combination"

Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture come from different sources and possess historical and epochal differences, yet they are mutually compatible and mutually reinforcing in terms of "universal scientific principles" and "immutable normal ways ^[13]." We must grasp the essence of thought and cultural cream from the height of integrating China and the West and connecting the past and the present. This promotes Marxism truly taking root in the fertile soil of Chinese culture, becoming an intellectual creation oriented toward the Chinese locality with Chinese style and Chinese flavor. It drives fine traditional Chinese culture—stimulated, forged, and sublimated by Marxism—to acquire modern connotations and modern expressions, demonstrating the vigorous vitality of indigenous thought and radiating a more proactive spiritual force, thereby clarifying the internal mechanism by which the essence of Marxist thought and the cream of fine traditional Chinese culture are integrated and interconnected.

(1) The distinction between ancient and modern, Chinese and Western, and the path of commonality

Marxism revealed the universal laws of human social development and the specific laws of the movement of contradictions in capitalism. It achieved a revolutionary resolution of the "riddle of history" and the "riddle of capital," serving as advanced thought that transcends capitalism and points toward a higher future social formation. Fine traditional Chinese culture originates from ancient Chinese society, which was based on the patriarchal system and characterized by the "isomorphism of family and state ^[14]." It is a cultural system with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism as the mainstream, as well as a reflection in conceptual form of an agricultural civilization characterized by self-sufficiency. Advancing the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture requires facing these epochal differences and the distinction between ancient and modern, sublated those elements that do not conform to the trends of the times, and adhering to the principle of "making the past serve the present" and "weeding through the old to bring forth the new."

Marxism was born during the Industrial Revolution in the West, emerging from Western culture represented by European civilization. This culture generally presents itself as a contradictory unity of science and religion, reason and faith. The reason, freedom, and humanism advocated by the modern Enlightenment profoundly changed the Western cultural spirit, but also brought many crises of modernity. The social ideal of human liberation and free and well-rounded development proposed by Marxism is a response to the development crisis encountered by modern Western civilization, and a call for a new future human civilization. Fine traditional Chinese culture is a typical Oriental culture, the intellectual crystallization accumulated over thousands of years of Chinese civilization. Agricultural civilization and familial blood ties are its two major cultural genes, presenting a tradition of the "way of governance" (zhidao) and "way of politics" (zhengdao) characterized by peace, stability, order, and harmony, which also achieved fine traditional Chinese culture's orientation toward practical statecraft (jingshi zhiyong). Advancing the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture requires valuing these civilizational differences and the distinction between China and the West, upholding the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, and "making foreign things serve China" and "bringing forth the new from the old."

Although Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture arose in different eras and civilizations, insofar as they transcend their respective epochal limitations and civilizational traditions, they both possess values that break through established history and space. Differences at the level of "physical implements" (qi) do not hinder their compatibility in the sense of "universal scientific principles" and "immutable normal ways." "The social pursuit of 'the world belongs to the public' (tianxia wei gong) and 'talking of good faith and cultivating harmony' is compatible with the ideals and beliefs of communism and socialism; the governing idea of 'the people as the foundation of the state' (min wei bang ben) and 'governing by virtue' is integrated with the political concept of the supremacy of the people; and the commitment to 'weeding through the old to bring forth the new' and 'self-improvement' (ziqiang buxi) matches the revolutionary spirit of Communists." From the perspective of thinking methods and values, the practical principle of Marxist materialism is compatible with the "unity of knowledge and action" (zhi xing he yi) in fine traditional Chinese culture, and Marxist dialectical thinking is compatible with the "Doctrine of the Mean" (Zhongyong), among others.

"The 'combination' is not a 'platter' (pinpan), nor is it a simple 'physical reaction,' but a profound 'chemical reaction.'" It is a "harmony of the common path" (tongdao hehe) that connects the ancient and modern, the Chinese and the Western. On one hand, fine traditional Chinese culture undergoes revolutionary development under the guidance of Marxism, achieving a renewal of life and modern transformation; on the other hand, fine traditional Chinese culture enriches the cultural life of Marxism, promoting the conversion of Marxism into a Chinese form and deeply rooting it in indigenous cultural soil. The mutual relationship between the basic tenets of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture reflects both the historical fact of the gradual interaction and integration between the two since the modern era and the proactive, conscious intellectual construction by our Party—it is a unity of what should be (Sollen) and what is (Sein).

(2) The interactive effects of "activation/elevation" and "response/influence." General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "After Marxism was introduced to China, the propositions of scientific socialism were warmly welcomed by the Chinese people and ultimately took root, blossomed, and bore fruit on the Chinese soil. This was by no means accidental, but rather because they are integrated and connected with the fine historical culture passed down by our country for thousands of years and the values that the masses use daily without even realizing it." On the one hand, the "combination" of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture means, first and foremost, treating fine traditional Chinese culture with an objective and respectful attitude, and using the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method to activate and elevate it, making it better adapted to contemporary Chinese practice and in alignment with the era's theme of national rejuvenation. Communist ideals and beliefs activate the concepts of the "Way of Heaven" ^[15] and the "love for home and country" ^[16] within traditional Chinese culture; the Marxist view of practice activates the concept of "managing worldly affairs for practical use" ^[17] (jīngshì zhìyòng); the Marxist mass viewpoint of history activates the interpersonal ethics and humanistic thought championed by traditional Chinese culture; Marxist Party spirit cultivation (dàngxìng xiūyǎng) activates the "exemplary person" (jūnzǐ) personality pursued in traditional Chinese culture; and the Marxist theory of world history activates the "all-under-heaven" (tiānxià) perspective ^[18] of traditional Chinese culture, and so on.

On the other hand, the "Second Combination" means that the fine traditional Chinese culture activated by Marxism radiates a more proactive spiritual force, actively responding to and influencing the historical process of the Sinicization of Marxism, thereby forming a new Marxist narrative with Chinese style and Chinese flavor. Since the dawn of the modern era—especially during the political and educational reforms from the late Qing dynasty to the early Republic of China, and during the May Fourth New Culture Movement—indigenous intellectual resources, including traditional Chinese culture, were once viewed as symbols of backwardness and negativity. After Marxism's introduction to China, the response and influence of fine traditional Chinese culture on Marxism has always been a question contemplated by the broader intelligentsia. In 1921, Liang Shuming’s Eastern and Western Cultures and Their Philosophies was perhaps a response to Western culture, including Marxism and socialism. He reflected on the possibility of the integrated development of Eastern and Western cultures, believing that while Western culture should be "comprehensively accepted" at that time, he maintained confidence in the future of Confucian culture. In 1932, Zhang Shenfu proposed the "union of three currents": Chinese, Western, and Marxist. Zhang Dainian continued this thought, publishing an article in May 1936 that proposed "synthetic creationism" (zōnghé chuàngzàolùn). He wrote: "The synthesis spoken of here is actually based on materialism, absorbing idealism and analysis to establish a broad and profound materialism... the synthesis of the material, the ideal, and the analytical is the inevitable path for the development of the New Materialism." He affirmed the significance of Chinese philosophy’s own tradition for Marxist materialism. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Xiong Shili’s "New Book of Changes Study," Ma Yifu’s "New Classics Study," Feng Youlan’s "New Rationalist School" ^[19], and He Lin’s "New School of Mind" can be seen to some extent as the "philosophical response" of traditional Chinese culture to Marxism, reflecting the inner voice of those thinkers who sought to preserve traditional Chinese culture, especially Confucianism. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the theory and practice of the "creative transformation and innovative development" of fine traditional Chinese culture have precisely been an active response to the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, initiating a New Era of national cultural consciousness. For example, using the ideals of benevolence and righteousness (rényì) to assist in the ethical construction of the socialist market economy, utilizing the cultural character of "practical use" to assist in cultivating and practicing the Core Socialist Values, and utilizing the wisdom of the "Middle Way" (zhōngdào) and the art of dynamic balance to assist the practice of Chinese-path modernization—these are the actual influences that fine traditional Chinese culture can exert after actively responding to Marxism.

(3) Mutual construction and mutual achievement. The "Two Combinations," and especially the "Second Combination," reflect the inherent requirement for the mutual construction of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture. The Sinicization of Marxism in its complete sense—thereby creating "Chinese Marxism"—itself means taking root in the fertile soil of Chinese culture; it is an intellectual creation oriented toward the Chinese soil. The modernization of fine traditional Chinese culture in its complete sense—thereby achieving "rebirth" and "rejuvenation"—itself means undergoing activation by Marxism to manifest the vigorous vitality of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit. The transformation of "Marxism in China" into "Sinicized Marxism," and ultimately into "Chinese Marxism," represents the culmination of Chinese Marxism. It means that the Marxism that accompanies Chinese-path modernization has truly integrated into the blood of the Chinese people, and it means we have the capacity to extract a new Marxist narrative belonging to China from our own vivid practices, truly forming a Chinese style and Chinese flavor.

Since the beginning of the modern era, the conscious awareness of traditional Chinese culture has undergone a complex psychological journey of contradictions between gain and loss. The successive impacts of Western civilization—from technology to politics to culture—highlighted precisely the dilemma wherein traditional culture was forced to change while simultaneously attempting to adapt to change. Today, having experienced the conceptual shifts from "looking backward" and "looking outward" to "looking forward" based on reality, we have gradually formed a rational consciousness and firm confidence in fine traditional Chinese culture through the interaction between the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of traditional Chinese culture. Achieving the culmination of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit means we must stand on a Chinese footing and truly explain the logic of how vitality is revitalized through creative transformation and innovative development. The "rejuvenation" and "rebirth" of fine traditional Chinese culture is not a self-referential cycle; it is permanently inseparable from the guidance of Marxism. The result of mutual construction is mutual achievement. On the one hand, Chinese culture opens a new chapter, achieving the leap from tradition to modernity; on the other hand, Marxism achieves a new leap in its Sinicization and modernization, becoming an endogenous force of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit. "The 'Second Combination' makes Marxism Chinese and fine traditional Chinese culture modern, and allows the new culture formed through this 'combination' to become the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization." Of course, we must properly handle the relationship between the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of fine traditional Chinese culture, avoiding both "Confucianizing Marxism" and "using Marxism to eliminate Confucianism." We must persist in "taking ourselves as the primary subject" (yǐ wǒ wéi zhǔ) and continuously open new horizons for the development of Chinese culture. From a scholarly analysis, the mutual construction of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture is the theoretical expression of the scientific historical outlook and materialist dialectics regarding the issue of cultural development.

III. Deeply Understanding the Original Contributions of the "Second Combination"

The proposal of the "Second Combination" "indicates that our Party's understanding of the Chinese path, theory, and system has reached a new height; it indicates that our Party's historical confidence and cultural confidence have reached a new height; and it indicates that our Party's consciousness in advancing cultural innovation while inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture has reached a new height." It is "another instance of the emancipation of the mind." The "Second Combination" activates the genetic codes of fine traditional Chinese culture with Marxism and replenishes the cultural life of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture. It resolves the disputes between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the Western, and "substance" vs "application" (tǐ-yòng). It unifies the character of the times with national character, consolidates cultural subjectivity, strengthens the rational consciousness of the Chinese nation's independent development, and continuously endows the Party's innovative theories with distinct Chinese characteristics.

(1) The "Second Combination" is "another instance of the emancipation of the mind." In the historical process of advancing the Sinicization of Marxism, our Party has always persisted in emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts, continuously liberating itself from dogmatism and empiricism. During the New Democratic Revolution period, Mao Zedong proposed the proposition of the "Sinicization of Marxism," combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s concrete reality, bidding farewell to book worship (běnběnzhǔyì), and successfully opening the path of the Chinese revolution. After the founding of New China, we also proposed the task of the "Second Combination" ^[20], conducting a preliminary exploration of the path of Chinese socialist construction. The 1978 discussion on the "criterion of truth" liberated people's thinking from the shackles of pseudo-Marxism and opened the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. On December 13 of the same year, Deng Xiaoping delivered the speech "Emancipate the Mind, Seek Truth from Facts, and Unite as One in Looking to the Future" at a central work conference, clearly pointing out: "Emancipating the mind means making our thinking conform to reality and making the subjective conform to the objective; that is seeking truth from facts. To truly persist in seeking truth from facts in all our work henceforth, we must continue to emancipate the mind." Emancipating the mind is a process of continuous deepening of thought; the so-called "continuing" to emancipate the mind reflects the process by which practice-based thought gradually aligns with reality.

Since the New Era, the "Second Combination" is a "principled understanding we have reached in exploring the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics," and its direction is clearer and its foundation firmer. The "new cultural lifeform" created by the "Second Combination" is a re-recognition and re-affirmation of fine traditions at a higher stage, while simultaneously creating a new form of human civilization. It marks that our Party's level of understanding of how to build socialism with Chinese characteristics far exceeds that of the past; it is "another instance of the emancipation of the mind." From the perspective of the innovation and development of Marxist theory, the "Second Combination" both activates the genetic codes of Chinese civilization using the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method, and plants the tree of Marxist truth in the fertile soil of Chinese culture, effectively responding to the doubts and concerns regarding "Confucianizing Marxism." The "Second Combination" promotes the modern transformation and autonomous development of fine traditional Chinese culture; it is a continuation of traditional culture rather than a rupture. It also represents a synergy between the openness of Marxist theory and the inclusiveness of Chinese culture, effectively promoting the localization of foreign culture. The combination of the Marxist "soul-conduit" (húnmài) and the fine traditional Chinese cultural "root-conduit" (gēnmài) is the latest summary of the historical experience of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism over the century since the Party's founding. The self-reliance and self-confidence in Marxism and Chinese culture formed by the successful opening of the path of Chinese-path modernization, the spiritual support required for socialism to move from its classical form toward autonomous development, the adjustment of the new order of international relations, and the subjective value-thinking being strengthened during its generation—all these objectively place new expectations on how to view the relationship between Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture and how to respond to the trend of historical nihilism. In particular, how to transcend the dualistic opposition at the level of spiritual values and properly handle the relationship between global character and national character has become particularly important. This objective requirement is inherently consistent with our Party's proactive and conscious exploration of new horizons for the development of Chinese culture in the New Era and the proposal of the "Second Combination." It can be called "another instance of the emancipation of the mind" in the New Era, where the subjective conforms to the objective.

(2) The development of the Marxist view of culture by the "Second Combination." Since the New Era, our Party has attained a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Chinese culture. The formulation "fine traditional Chinese culture" (zhōnghuá yōuxiù chuán tǒng wénhuà) already contains a critical consciousness of "absorbing the essence and discarding the dross," while overall fully affirming the historical inheritance, contemporary value, and world significance of traditional culture. For example: "Traditional Chinese culture deposits the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation and is the rich nourishment for the nation’s continuous growth and development"; "Fine traditional Chinese culture is a prominent advantage of the Chinese nation and our deepest cultural soft power"; furthermore, "Fine traditional Chinese culture is the spiritual lifeblood of the Chinese nation, an important source for nourishing the Core Socialist Values, and a solid foundation for us to stand firm amidst the turbulence of global cultures"; and "Chinese civilization continues the spiritual bloodline of our country and nation; it needs to be passed down through the generations and guarded, but it also needs to advance with the times and weed through the old to bring forth the new." Chinese Communists have always been loyal inheritors and promoters of fine traditional Chinese culture. The "Two Combinations," and especially the "Second Combination," are not only a development of the Marxist view of culture but also a resolution of the disputes between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the Western, and "substance" vs "application." Within the "Second Combination," the "Chinese" has already formed an organically unified new lifeform with the "Marxist" through integration. The "dispute between China and the West" is no longer a problem; the "Chinese" has already inherently included the "Western," strengthening the cultural consciousness of the Chinese nation's autonomous development. Marxism was born in the era of the rise and development of Western capitalism and industrial civilization; "Marxism" belongs to the "West" yet transcends the "West." Through the "Second Combination," Marxism has acquired the support of endogenous intellectual resources from Chinese culture, enabling it to better achieve revolutionary answers to the "riddle of history" and the "riddle of capital," and to explore the new civilization of future humanity.

(3) The expansion of "Chinese characteristics" by the "Second Combination." Compared to the growth of cultural values in many other countries, the "Second Combination" may represent a unique exception, fully embodying "Chinese characteristics." These "Chinese characteristics" constitute a historical process in which resurgence and originality coexist; during this process, both the modern transformation of fine traditional Chinese culture and the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism possess both autonomy and inclusiveness. The same applies to the theoretical innovations contained within the "Second Combination," in which Marxism moves further toward becoming "internal" and "endogenous." Expanding and optimizing "Chinese characteristics" can provide a unique model for building a community with a shared future for humanity and promoting the common values of all humanity. "Without the five thousand years of Chinese civilization, where would Chinese characteristics come from? If not for Chinese characteristics, how could we have the successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics we have today?" "Chinese characteristics" emphasize China's original practical experience, consisting of viewpoints and theories distilled and summarized from China's history and reality that possess their own distinct character. "Why is our socialism different? Why is it able to be so full of life and vitality? The key lies in Chinese characteristics. ... The rudimentary socialist elements within Chinese culture also provided the cultural foundation for China's acceptance of Marxism." Previously, our understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Sinicization of Marxism was based more on the analytical framework of the "First Combination," and less focused on the rudimentary socialist elements contained within Chinese culture itself; the "Second Combination" enriches and expands the historical and cultural space of "Chinese characteristics." The proposal of the "Second Combination" means we must analyze and grasp the advantages and features of fine traditional Chinese culture within the historical process of the Sinicization of Marxism and form original achievements rich in "Chinese characteristics"; it also means we will continually distill, enrich, and optimize our understanding of Chinese characteristics in the face of a century of history and reality. As a theoretical system, "Chinese characteristics" places more emphasis on the values passed down and developed by the Chinese nation, while also valuing the new cultural achievements formed during the periods of revolution and construction, as well as the new realm achievable through the interactive integration of the Sinicization of Marxism and the modernization of Chinese culture. The "new cultural lifeform" created by the "Second Combination" serves the construction of a culturally powerful nation, promotes the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and strives to manifest its superiority and enhance the persuasiveness of "Chinese characteristics" in the process of realizing Chinese-path modernization. Of course, if one were to randomly take unscientific, anti-scientific, ignorant, or backward things from the past and treat them as "Chinese characteristics," rebranding them as "national essence" ^[21] or "treasures," it would run counter to the forward direction of Sichuan-style—of New Era socialist culture with Chinese characteristics persisted in and advocated by the "Second Combination." One cannot overemphasize the unique significance of reaching the intellectual source of fine traditional Chinese culture, adhering to the Marxist method of absorbing and reflecting upon Western civilization, manifesting the cultural subjectivity ^[22] of the Chinese nation through the tempering of cultural combination, advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization, and creating a new form of human advancement. However, persisting in and optimizing "Chinese characteristics"—including the continuous exploration of concrete practices and experiences in reality—does not mean denying commonality; rather, it highlights spiritual creation suited to the soil of Chinese history, thought, and culture. Our Party has always advocated the common values of all humanity—peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom; the new cultural lifeform created by the "Second Combination" contributes Chinese wisdom to the promotion of these common values.

Conclusion

Advancing the "Second Combination," promoting the integration and intercommunication between the essence of Marxist thought, the gems of fine traditional Chinese culture, and the common values that the masses "use daily without realizing it" ^[23], and building a strong socialist cultural nation are the important missions of Chinese Communists in the New Era. Deeply grasping the historical significance of the "Second Combination," thoroughly analyzing its internal mechanism, and profoundly understanding its original contributions ultimately requires studying, comprehending, and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture to stimulate the cultural innovation and creative vitality of the entire nation. Persisting in the "Second Combination" means persisting in the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, basing ourselves on the history and reality of the Chinese nation, effectively summarizing Chinese experience, and distilling Chinese theory to truly realize cultural confidence and spiritual independence. Persisting in the "Second Combination" means maintaining a posture and mindset of openness and inclusiveness, actively learning from and borrowing all the fine achievements of human civilization, and fostering and creating New Era socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. Persisting in the "Second Combination" means adhering to the principle of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, maintaining the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere, holding high the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, truly achieving the connection of the past and the present and the integration of China and the outside world, realizing the organic link between tradition and modernity, and continuing the Chinese cultural lineage through creative transformation and innovative development.