Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Holds Theoretical Seminar on the First Volume of the "Selected Economic Works of Xi Jinping"

CSSN News (Reporter Gao Ying). On March 26, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) held a theoretical seminar on the first volume of the Selected Economic Works of Xi Jinping in Beijing. Gao Xiang, President of CASS and Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech. Vice President and member of the Leading Party Members’ Group Zhao Rui attended the meeting.

Gao Xiang stated that economic work is the central task of the Party’s governance and administration ^[1]. Since the 18th National Congress ^[2], the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continuously deepened its understanding of the regularities of economic work, proposed a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies, and formed Xi Jinping’s economic thought. This thought has guided China's economic development in achieving historical achievements and undergoing historical transformations. The recently published first volume of the Selected Economic Works of Xi Jinping features a meticulous selection of 74 of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s most important and fundamental manuscripts concerning economic construction. It systematically reflects the core tenets, spiritual essence, rich connotations, practical requirements, and original contributions of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, providing an authoritative textbook for the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to study and implement this thought in depth. Earnestly studying this important work is of great significance for further researching and interpreting Xi Jinping’s economic thought and for conducting economic research in the New Era.

Gao Xiang pointed out that the practice of economic reform and development in contemporary China contains immense space for theoretical innovation, providing an extremely precious "rich mine" for constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese economics. To accelerate the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese economics, we must persist in taking Xi Jinping’s economic thought as our banner and soul. We must persist in the "Two Combinations" ^[3]—integrating the basic tenets of Marxist political economy with China’s specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture. We must remain problem-oriented, proposing new concepts, new categories, and new expressions that possess Chinese characteristics and global significance. We must establish a new and more explanatory theoretical system, engage in equal and dignified exchange and dialogue with the Western mainstream economic community, and strive to create a "Chinese School" of economics.

Gao Xiang emphasized that the Division of Economics at CASS is the "national team" for economic research in our country. It must always hold high the banner of Xi Jinping’s economic thought, adhere to the correct political direction, and integrate political standards and requirements into every aspect and the entire process of all work centered on scientific research. We must take the publication of the first volume of the Selected Economic Works of Xi Jinping as an opportunity to continuously deepen the study, promotion, and interpretive research of Xi Jinping’s economic thought. We must profoundly reveal the theoretical, historical, and practical logic contained therein, and strive to produce a batch of high-quality results with theoretical height, academic depth, and scholarly thickness. We must strive to build CASS into an academic stronghold serving General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee, a standard-bearer guiding the direction of Chinese academic development, and a high-end platform for Chinese academia to "go global" ^[4] in the New Era. We must cultivate an "iron army" ^[5] of economic research theorists to serve Chinese-path modernization, contributing solid scholarly support for China's high-quality development.

Li Xuesong, Director of the Institute of Economics; Du Zhixing, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Rural Development Institute; Zhang Xiaojing, Director of the Institute of Finance; Meng Jian, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics; and Zhang Yongsheng, Director of the Research Institute for Eco-civilization, delivered speeches successively. They maintained that Xi Jinping’s economic thought is rich in connotation, rigorous in logic, and systematic in its completeness. It possesses distinct scientific, populist, epochal, practical, and open qualities. It is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and represents the latest theoretical achievement of Marxist political economy. The Division of Economics will deeply study and implement Xi Jinping’s economic thought, continuously deepen holistic, systematic, and scholarly interpretive research, and effectively transform the fruits of study into a powerful force for promoting high-quality development. This will contribute appropriately to the cause of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the nation through Chinese-path modernization.

The meeting was attended by the heads of the functional departments of CASS, members of the leadership teams of the various institutes within the Division of Economics, and the heads of the Institute of Marxism Studies, the Academy of Chinese-path Modernization, the Institute of Information Studies, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Evaluation Studies, and the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as well as representatives of researchers from the various institutes of the Division of Economics.