Liu Hongsen: The Historical Logic, Main Content, and Value Significance of Xi Jinping’s Outlook on Civilization

Civilization is the sum of the positive achievements created by the culture of a given period, and the inheritance of civilization is the bedrock upon which a nation survives, endures, develops, and takes flight. Civilizational forms and social formations possess an identity of essence. At a moment when the Chinese nation is drawing ever closer to the goal of achieving Great Rejuvenation, and the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, China would find it difficult to seize opportunities as they arise or face challenges with composure without the support of a highly advanced civilization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping—basing his approach on new trends in China’s development and shifts in the global situation—has sized up the situation to propose a series of new viewpoints, judgments, and ideas regarding civilizational construction. In particular, he proposed the major proposition of "building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation" and made the significant judgment that "Chinese-path modernization is the 'new mission of an old state' ^[1] for the Chinese civilization, and will certainly drive the renewal of its glory." He has systematically formed a vision of civilization that guides the CPC in uniting and leading the Chinese people to build a modern civilization for the Chinese nation. The modern civilization of the Chinese nation is the concentrated manifestation of Chinese-path modernization at the civilizational level; it is a modern civilization formed on the basis of the practice of Chinese-path modernization. Conducting an in-depth study of the historical logic, primary content, and value significance of Xi Jinping’s vision of civilization is of great value for constructing a discourse system for Chinese civilization, endowing Chinese civilization with modern power through Chinese-path modernization, and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.

I. The Historical Logic of Xi Jinping’s Vision of Civilization

Chinese civilization is one of the world's four original civilizations, and more importantly, it is the only one among them that has never been interrupted and continues to this day. The Chinese nation possesses an internal quality of industriousness and courage, and externally enjoyed a relatively stable social environment; consequently, the Chinese civilization created in the long river of history achieved the highest accomplishments of any agrarian-pastoral civilization. However, since the Opium War, the state has been humiliated, the people have suffered, and civilization has been covered in dust; the crisis of national subjugation and racial extinction deeply stung the national self-esteem of the Chinese people. Facing challenges "unseen in three thousand years," ^[2] many people of high ideals proceeded from their own class positions and viewpoints to propose several civilizational schemes for a China that was impoverished and weak.

The first was the "Westernization" theory, which held that civilization is a whole; because Eastern civilization was seen as holistically inferior to Western civilization, China could only be saved through thorough and total Westernization. The "Westernization" theory failed to correctly analyze the national conditions and social nature of modern China, and the scheme it proposed was unrealistic and bound to fail. The second was the "Nativist" (or "Base") theory, which advocated for a selective learning from the West on the foundation of inheriting Chinese civilization. Due to differing understandings of Chinese civilization, the "Nativists" were divided into the "Old Guard" (Conservatives) and the "Enlightened" (Reformers). The Old Guard advocated "Chinese learning for the essence, Western learning for application" (Zhongxue wei ti, Xixue wei yong), imitating the West in material implements without touching feudal autocracy or feudal culture. This advocacy failed because it did not recognize the decay of feudal rule, and it could not escape the fate of bankruptcy. The Enlightened camp advocated neither clinging to the old nor following blindly; starting from the Chinese "base," they sought to use scientific methods to review the past, grasp the present, and create the future. The general direction of this advocacy was correct, but they failed to propose specific, operable plans on core issues such as how to sublate ^[3] Chinese culture and what specific aspects of Western civilization to absorb.

The third was the "New Civilization" theory, which truly pointed the way forward for China. The "New Civilization" theory was represented by CPC members such as Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhai, and Mao Zedong. They viewed Chinese civilization and Western capitalist civilization dialectically, advocating for the sublation of both while actively introducing the civilizational outlook of Marx and Engels to create a new socialist civilization. For example, Li Dazhai pointed out that Western civilization suffered from the defect of "exhausting life under the weight of the material" and could not be blindly copied; to save China and the world from crisis, "nothing less than the rise of a third 'New Civilization' will suffice to cross this precipice." The "New Civilization" theory clearly declared that socialist civilization is the New Civilization, and only a new socialist civilization can save China.

During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the CPC, guided by Marxist theory and aiming to establish a new society and a new state with "a new politics, a new economy, and a new culture," led the people through blood-soaked battles and unyielding struggle to make a clean break from the old China that was "ruled by the old culture and therefore ignorant and backward." The founding of New China signaled that "the era in which the Chinese people were regarded as uncivilized is now over" and that the Chinese nation "will henceforth join the great family of peace-loving and freedom-loving nations of the world" to "create its own civilization and happiness, while simultaneously promoting world peace and freedom." This laid the fundamental political prerequisite for the development of the New Civilizational Form.

During the period of socialist revolution and construction, in order to "transform a China ruled by the old culture and therefore ignorant and backward into a China ruled by the new culture and therefore civilized and advanced," the Party formulated targeted socialist spiritual civilization construction schemes based on national conditions and vigorously promoted civilizational construction. For example, addressing the plight of being "poor and blank," ^[4] and focusing on problems such as "blankness means the level of culture is not high, which is not good," the Party attached great importance to cultural and educational work, driving the continuous advancement of literacy campaigns and a significant increase in the literacy rate. The Chinese communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their primary representative, relied on their own efforts and worked hard for the prosperity of the country, providing the material foundation, theoretical preparation, and valuable experience for the construction of socialist spiritual civilization.

During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, the Chinese communists, with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as their primary representative, took "civilization" as a specialized discourse for national attributes and developmental positioning. They proposed the advocacy of "grasping with both hands" (material civilization and spiritual civilization) and "ensuring both hands are firm." The 12th National Congress of the CPC proposed "building our country into a socialist state with a high level of civilization and democracy" and stipulated that we must "proceed from current realities to vigorously promote the construction of socialist material and spiritual civilization." The 13th National Congress, proceeding from the reality of the primary stage of socialism, established the guiding principle that we "must be guided by Marxism and strive to build spiritual civilization." It utilized the concepts of "human civilization" and "world civilization" for the first time to express global history, contemporary issues, and future trends, demonstrating a global civilizational perspective and pushing the Marxist vision of civilization into a new realm. The 14th National Congress further emphasized the need to "absorb all the excellent achievements of the development of human civilization," emphasizing both the determination to expand opening up and the fact that this opening must be selective, ensuring that reform and opening up remained on the right track. The 15th National Congress first proposed the "Two Centenary" goals for the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and used the expression "the five-thousand-year history of the Chinese nation's civilization" to summarize Chinese history, emphasizing the need to "build a socialist spiritual civilization rooted in Chinese reality, inheriting the excellent traditions of historical culture, and absorbing the beneficial fruits of foreign culture." The 16th National Congress established socialist material, political, and spiritual civilizations together as the three basic goals for the comprehensive development of socialist modernization, requiring both adherence to summarizing our own practical experience based on national conditions and the skillful borrowing of the beneficial achievements of human political civilization. The 17th National Congress proposed that the overall national development goal was to "build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, and harmonious socialist modern country," adding "ecological civilization" to the national development theme for the first time and arranging it as a major strategic task. The 18th National Congress stated clearly: "The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics means, under the leadership of the CPC and based on fundamental national conditions, taking economic construction as the center, adhering to the Four Cardinal Principles and reform and opening up, liberating and developing the productive forces, building a socialist market economy, socialist democratic politics, advanced socialist culture, a socialist harmonious society, and socialist ecological civilization, promoting the comprehensive development of the person, gradually achieving common prosperity for all people, and building a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, and harmonious socialist modern country." At this point, the CPC formally formed a socialist vision of civilization corresponding to the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan."

A vision of civilization is produced in the practice of civilizational construction and is continuously optimized alongside its development. The history of the development of the CPC’s vision of civilization highlights the Party's spiritual character of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. The CPC’s vision of civilization is both an innovative development of Chinese civilization and a foundation for the creative transformation of a new form of human civilization. Entering the New Era, the Chinese nation faces new historical opportunities and new developmental issues. Xi Jinping pointed out: "To continue promoting cultural prosperity, building a leading cultural power, and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation at this new starting point is our new cultural mission in the New Era." The Chinese nation is closer than at any time in history to the goal of Great Rejuvenation. China calls for a new vision of civilization, and the world needs a new civilizational form; it is against this backdrop that Xi Jinping’s vision of civilization has gradually taken shape.

II. The Primary Content of Xi Jinping’s Vision of Civilization

Since the 18th National Congress, Xi Jinping has integrated the Marxist vision of civilization with Chinese civilization and China's specific realities. He has made many important discourses centered on major questions such as "what kind of civilization should be built in the New Era," "how to build the civilization of the New Era," and "what kind of civilization should humanity build." He has clarified the meanings of civilization and culture, elucidated the characteristics of civilization, and further explained the rich connotations of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.

1. Clarifying the Meanings of Civilization and Culture

Civilization and culture are two concepts that are both distinct and interconnected. Xi Jinping clarified their meanings, making an important contribution to the construction of a discourse system for Chinese civilization.

On one hand, the markers of the emergence of culture and civilization differ; culture emerges before civilization. Culture, as the source of civilization, is the prerequisite for its existence, while civilization is a state of life formed after human evolution and development have reached a certain level—it is the "accumulation, crystallization, and positive result of culture." Xi Jinping pointed out: "The research results of major projects such as the Project to Trace the Origins of Chinese Civilization have substantiated our country's million-year history of humanity, ten-thousand-year history of culture, and more than five-thousand-year history of civilization." Further, these research results prove that the prototypes of the two major agricultural systems—rice farming and dry-land farming—were formed over ten thousand years ago, and on this basis, an interaction zone of early Chinese culture gradually formed. Additionally, the Project to Trace the Origins of Chinese Civilization, based on Chinese materials while considering the characteristics of other ancient civilizations, proposed a "Chinese scheme" for the criteria used to judge entry into a civilized society: namely, the emergence of cities, classes, royal power, and the state. Research results show signs of these standards in the late Songze culture and early Liangzhu culture between 5,500 and 5,000 years ago. Thus, while culture and civilization follow a chronological order in their emergence, they are not bifurcated. Civilization is produced from the nurturing of culture and is an advanced form of culture. The proposal of new civilizational standards enriches the research results of civilizational origin theory through archaeological records and ancient texts, providing a brand-new cognitive tool for the study of Marxist historical philosophy. Theoretically, it greatly enriches Marxist civilizational theory; practically, it provides guidance for the creation and evolution of a new form of human civilization.

On the other hand, civilization transcends national and ethnic boundaries, emphasizing commonality and universality; culture is regional and ethnic, emphasizing individuality and nationality. Xi Jinping pointed out, "For any culture to stand firm and go far, and to possess leading power, cohesive power, shaping power, and radiation power, it must have its own subjectivity." He noted that "cultural confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity," and "with cultural subjectivity, comes a firm sense of self in a cultural sense; cultural confidence then has a fundamental reliance," and "Chinese civilization then possesses distinct cultural characteristics for exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations in the world." Civilization, by contrast, is relatively stable and possesses measurement standards in terms of material and technology; therefore, civilizations require exchange and mutual learning to jointly promote development. Xi Jinping pointed out: "National culture is the unique marker that distinguishes one nation from others." Consequently, on many occasions, Xi Jinping has emphasized that China supports the right of countries to maintain their national cultural traditions and opposes all discrimination and prejudice directed at specific nations or religions. The universality of civilization is reflected in Xi Jinping's discourses on the common values of all humanity and a community with a shared future for humanity. Given the different characteristics of culture and civilization, Xi Jinping has called on all countries to make good use of the commonalities and universality of civilization to "conduct civilizational dialogue, advocate for inclusiveness and mutual learning, and together excavate the points of resonance between the positive ways of conducting oneself found in national cultural traditions and the present era."

2. Elucidating the Characteristics of Civilization

Xi Jinping has profoundly summarized the connotations and qualities of civilization from the long river of human civilizational development, highlighting the harmonious coexistence, exchange and mutual learning, and the principle of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. This provides a basic framework for further promoting civilizational progress based on its specific characteristics.

Civilizations possess a characteristic of harmonious coexistence. This refers to the capacity of different civilizations to maintain an attitude of equality, inclusiveness, and peaceful cohabitation when facing inter-civilizational differences. The reason different civilizations can coexist harmoniously is, on one hand, because they share commonalities. As Xi Jinping pointed out: "Whether it is Chinese civilization or other civilizations existing in the world, they are all products of the creation of human civilization." On the other hand, it stems from the necessity of civilizational progress. Divergences and conflicts between different civilizations—especially the suppression of other civilizations by a Western civilization adhering to "Western-centrism"—have caused significant damage to human civilization; if left unchecked, this will eventually cause civilizational regression or extinction. Harmonious coexistence is the fundamental goal of civilizational progress. The countries of the world have already become a community of responsibility and a shared future in which "you are in me and I am in you" ^[5]. We "should uphold equality and respect, abandon arrogance and prejudice, deepen the cognition of the differences between our own civilization and others, and promote dialogue and harmonious coexistence between different civilizations."

Civilizations possess a characteristic of mutual learning and exchange. This refers to the way different civilizations absorb and transform their respective essences through an attitude of mutual respect and a mode of exchange and dialogue. Universal social intercourse ^[6] among humanity is an important condition for civilizational development; mutual learning helps different nations provide their unique contributions to the overall progress of human civilization. Xi Jinping has pointed out that human civilizations are diverse, equal, and inclusive. It is precisely because of diversity that human civilization has the value for exchange and mutual learning; precisely because of equality that it has the prerequisite for exchange; and precisely because of inclusiveness that it has the internal drive for exchange. The history of various civilizations is, in fact, a history of continuous mutual learning over many centuries, even though each civilization has always retained its original characteristics. Historically, human progress is inseparable from civilizational exchange and mutual learning, which constitutes a basic requirement for the progress of human civilization. Only by exchanging with others and supplementing its own deficiencies can a civilization maintain vigorous vitality. However, it must be noted that in the process of mutual learning, one must integrate the specific conditions of one's own country and nation, consider national characteristics, "follow what is good" ^[7], and "extract the essence while discarding the dross" ^[8]. One must not "swallow things whole" ^[9]; otherwise, one will eventually "sacrifice the fundamental for the incidental" ^[10] and lose the original color of one's own civilization.

Civilizations possess a characteristic of upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. This means a civilization can fully inherit the excellent achievements created and accumulated by humanity while simultaneously advancing with the times and innovating on a foundational basis. The reason Chinese civilization has been able to continue without interruption is that it can both inherit original achievements to stabilize itself and use powerful original creativity to continuously innovate to solve contemporary problems. Upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground form an indivisible whole: the former is the foundation of innovation, and the latter is the driving force for upholding the fundamentals. Xi Jinping attaches great importance to civilizational inheritance and innovation, pointing out: "Every civilization carries the spiritual lifeline of a country and a nation. It needs both to be passed on from generation to generation and safeguarded, and even more, it needs to advance with the times and be courageous in innovation." We should give play to the "upright" quality of civilization by unreservedly absorbing past achievements; we should also stimulate the vitality of "innovation," using it to "add momentum to civilizational development, activate the headwaters of civilizational progress, and continuously create civilizational achievements that transcend time and space and possess eternal charm."

3. Elucidating the Modern Civilization of the Chinese Nation From the height of the long-term undertaking of the Chinese nation and the future destiny of socialism, Xi Jinping proposed the major proposition of "the modern civilization of the Chinese nation," profoundly elucidating its rich connotations from historical, modernization, and global perspectives.

From a historical perspective, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation is a modern civilization developed innovatively on the basis of traditional civilization. Clearly summarizing the prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization is the prerequisite for building this modern civilization. Looking back at history and grounding himself in reality, Xi Jinping clearly summarized that Chinese civilization possesses prominent continuity, prominent creativity, prominent unity, prominent inclusiveness, and prominent peacefulness. He emphasized that Chinese civilization possesses a cultural subjectivity and vigorous vitality to develop itself, respond to challenges, and open new horizons. The continuity of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that the Chinese nation must follow its own path, emphasizing that Chinese civilization is one that "weeds through the old to bring forth the new" ^[11] and "renews its brilliance daily" ^[12]. Its creativity fundamentally determines the enterprising spirit of the Chinese nation—upholding the fundamentals without being hidebound and respecting antiquity without returning to the past—as well as its fearless character in accepting new things. The long tradition of "Great Unity" ^[13] formed a "pluralistic integrity" ^[14] of cohesiveness, which fundamentally determines that the cultures of various ethnic groups in China are integrated into one, remaining firmly cohesive even in the face of major setbacks. It determines the common conviction that territory is inseparable, the state must not be in chaos, the nation must not be scattered, and civilization must not be broken. It determines that national unity will forever be the core of China's core interests and that a strong, unified state is where the destiny of all ethnic groups lies. The prominent inclusiveness fundamentally determines the historical orientation of the Chinese nation toward social intercourse, exchange, and integration; the harmonious pattern of coexistence among various religious beliefs; and the open-mindedness of Chinese culture in absorbing worldly civilizations. Peace, amity, and harmony are concepts inherited by Chinese civilization for over 5,000 years, advocating for the construction of a world where "the self and the collective are one" through moral order, prioritizing others in interpersonal relationships. The peacefulness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. It determines that China pursues civilizational exchange and mutual learning rather than cultural hegemony, does not impose its values and political system on others, and insists on cooperation over confrontation, resolutely avoiding the formation of small cliques that "side with one's own and attack those who differ" ^[15].

From the perspective of modernization, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation is a modern civilization formed on the basis of Chinese-path modernization. Advancing Chinese-path modernization and creating a new form of human civilization are two sides of the same process. The modern civilization of the Chinese nation is the modern form of Chinese civilization and the new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization. Modern civilization is both an inherent attribute and a significant hallmark of modernization, as well as its main goal and inevitable result. "Chinese-path modernization endows Chinese civilization with modern power, while Chinese civilization endows Chinese-path modernization with profound depth." As the civilizational blueprint of Chinese-path modernization, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation evolves in sync with it. Chinese-path modernization continues the ancient Chinese civilization, endowing it with contemporary connotations and modern power through civilizational renewal, creating a new "cultural lifeform" that is an organic unity of the traditional and the modern. In the historical process of modernization, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation exhibits two major features: first, the commonalities of modern civilization based on the universality of world modernization; second, its own civilizational characteristics based on the particularity of Chinese-path modernization. When discussing Chinese-path modernization, Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasized that it "possesses the common characteristics of the modernization of all countries, but even more so, it possesses Chinese characteristics based on its own national conditions." Grounded in the cornerstone of Chinese-path modernization, this civilization—from the perspective of universality—transcends narrow regional limitations and civilizational barriers, integrating into the tide of world modernization and absorbing the excellent achievements of other civilizations. From the perspective of particularity, it is rooted in the deep soil of Chinese civilization and based on the rich practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-path modernization, achieving a leap from traditional to modern civilization. Specifically, the unique worldviews, values, and perspectives on history, civilization, democracy, and ecology inherent in Chinese-path modernization allow the modern civilization of the Chinese nation to break through the limitations of traditional civilizations, presenting a new scene of prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, and beauty.

From a global perspective, the modern civilization of the Chinese nation is a new form of human civilization. It points toward modern material and spiritual cultural achievements in China’s economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological fields, providing a new demonstration, reference, and impetus for the development of world civilization. The Communist Party of China (CPC) adheres to the socialist market economy and has created a new material civilization. Xi Jinping emphasized: "Developing a market economy under socialist conditions is a great pioneering undertaking of our Party. A key factor in the great success of our country's economic development is that we have brought into play both the strengths of the market economy and the superiorities of the socialist system." The socialist market economy transcends the logic of capital. The CPC adheres to developing whole-process people's democracy, creating a new political civilization. Through continuous theoretical innovation, whole-process people's democracy has been implemented as a basic requirement for the development of socialist democratic politics with Chinese characteristics. It "is democracy that covers all links, all aspects, and all sectors; it is the most extensive, true, and effective socialist democracy." The CPC persists in the well-rounded development of the individual, creating a new spiritual civilization. The CPC promotes and practices socialist core values domestically and the common values of all humanity internationally, "ensuring the entire people have a greater sense of gain in the process of joint construction and shared development, and continuously promoting well-rounded human development and common prosperity for all." The CPC persists in achieving common prosperity, creating a new social civilization. Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Common prosperity is an essential requirement of socialism and an important feature of Chinese-path modernization." China conducts cooperation with relevant countries on the basis of complete equality—driven by the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity—to help recipient nations escape poverty. Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions have added confidence that China and the world can achieve common prosperity in the future. The CPC persists in a development model of harmony between humanity and nature, creating a new ecological civilization. It has proposed a series of new judgments such as "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" ^[16] and "if ecology prospers, civilization prospers; if ecology declines, civilization declines." This reflects that the path of Chinese-path modernization advances economic development and ecological civilization construction simultaneously. This modern civilization created by China belongs not only to Chinese history but also to world history; it concerns not only the future of Chinese-path modernization but also the global modernization agenda and the spiritual growth of humanity.

III. The Significance and Value of Xi Jinping's Outlook on Civilization Xi Jinping's outlook on civilization is an important theoretical achievement gradually formed in the practice of civilizational construction. It possesses major realistic significance and profound global significance. It not only provides the fundamental following for developing the discourse system of Chinese civilization and provides powerful cultural support for Chinese-path modernization, but also contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the progress of human civilization.

1. Providing the fundamental following for developing the discourse system of Chinese civilization The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC required "accelerating the construction of Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative systems"; only in this way can civilizational discourse independence be truly achieved. "If you are backward, you will be beaten; if you are poor, you will starve; if you are speechless, you will be scolded." ^[17] Through the unremitting struggles of several generations, we have basically solved the problems of "being beaten" and "starving," but the problem of "being scolded" still exists. Internationally, Western countries use the powerful public opinion weapons they control to slander Chinese civilization. Many people abroad see an untruthful China, and the "strong West, weak East" pattern in the international public opinion landscape has not yet undergone a fundamental change.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has profoundly addressed major theoretical and practical questions, including why we must build a discourse system for Chinese civilization, what kind of discourse system to build, and how to build it. A series of new concepts, thoughts, and strategies have been proposed to lead the further development of the Chinese civilization discourse system. First, Xi Jinping has adopted a problem-oriented approach toward reality, frequently mentioning the construction of discourse systems. He pointed out that "the capacity and level of our academic discourse are not yet commensurate with our comprehensive national strength and international status," emphasizing the urgency and importance of building a Chinese discourse system in the New Era. As the soul of any discourse system, the urgency of constructing a civilizational discourse is even more acute. Second, Xi Jinping emphasizes building a civilizational discourse system that unifies theory and practice. On one hand, we must cause philosophy and the social sciences to flourish to enhance the academic depth of the discourse system, for theory can only conquer people when it is thorough. On the other hand, we must persist in the principle of "people first" to enhance the practical nature of the discourse system, for a discourse system can only exert material force when it is mastered by the masses. Furthermore, Xi Jinping emphasizes building a civilizational discourse system that unifies national character with global reach. We must both construct an independent Chinese knowledge system and break out of the predicament of "talking to ourselves," expressing the Chinese story in ways the international community can understand and accept. Finally, Xi Jinping noted that we should "be rooted in China while drawing on foreign experiences; delve into history while grasping the present; care for humanity while facing the future," pointing out the principled direction for building a civilizational discourse system. In short, Xi Jinping has proactively taken up this historical burden, providing a series of important expositions on the construction of the Chinese civilization discourse system from the perspectives of axiology, ontology, and methodology, making significant contributions to the construction of a discourse system that transcends "Western-centrism" and reflects our own characteristics.

2. Providing Powerful Cultural Support for Comprehensively Advancing Chinese-path Modernization The creation of Chinese-path modernization depends on the degree of integration between Chinese civilization and Marxism. As Xi Jinping pointed out: "Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the dialectical unity of the theoretical logic of scientific socialism and the historical logic of Chinese social development; it is scientific socialism rooted in Chinese soil, reflecting the will of the Chinese people, and adapting to the requirements of the development and progress of China and the times." Chinese-path modernization is continuously advanced on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, a road created on the basis of the integration of Chinese civilization and Marxism. The reason Chinese civilization can integrate with Marxism is first because Chinese civilization possesses the inherent trait of "inclusivity," and second because the ideas of Chinese civilization regarding a Great Unity ^[18] and social formations are compatible with Marxism, "integrating with the fine traditional history and culture passed down in our country for thousands of years and the values that the vast majority of the people use daily without even realizing it" ^[19]. Therefore, Marxism has been able to take root in Chinese soil and achieve a long-term, high-degree integration with Chinese civilization, injecting inexhaustible momentum for the steady and sustained progress of Chinese-path modernization.

The process of shaping a new form of human civilization is also the process of creating a model for human modernization. Chinese-path modernization is distinct from Euro-American capitalist modernization and also differs from the Soviet-style socialist modernization; it is modernization with Chinese style, Chinese features, and Chinese panache. Chinese-path modernization is rooted in fine traditional Chinese culture, embodies the advanced essence of socialism, and shapes the constructive path through which Chinese Communists are pioneering a new form of human civilization. Chinese-path modernization points out the developmental path for creating a new form of human civilization and shatters the myth that "modernization = Westernization." Chinese-path modernization is modernization following the path of peaceful development, which dictates that the creation of a new form of human civilization will inevitably advance along this same path. Xi Jinping emphasized: "Marxism has profoundly changed China, and China has also greatly enriched Marxism." Precisely because Chinese-path modernization is the result of the deep integration of Marxism and Chinese civilization, if we are to realize Chinese-path modernization, we must enhance the degree of integration between Chinese civilization and Marxism in 21st-century China. Therefore, "the new form of human civilization still belongs to the category of socialist civilization, and the modern civilization of the Chinese nation is the latest practical achievement of socialist civilization." Building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation provides powerful cultural support for our strides toward the broad road of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.

3. Contributing Chinese Wisdom and Chinese Solutions to the Progress of Human Civilization The development and progress of human civilization is not an easy task. "The history of world development tells us that the journey of human civilization's progress has never been a flat road; humanity advances through the struggle against difficulties." Throughout the long historical process, humanity has made significant contributions to and achieved great successes in civilizational progress, but has also paid a heavy price and faced major challenges. In terms of material civilization, downward pressure on the world economy has increased sharply, and some Western countries continue to shift their predicaments and crises onto the rest of the world. In terms of political civilization, the shadows of Cold War mentality and zero-sum games still hang over the international community, and the tentacles of hegemonism from developed Western countries reach across the globe. In terms of spiritual civilization, capital and technology continue to erode human spiritual culture, leading to an increase in "one-dimensional men" ^[20] and people in spiritual distress. In terms of social civilization, the global divide between the two poles is widening, and major livelihood issues such as food security and health remain unresolved. In terms of ecological civilization, environmental problems such as global warming, loss of biodiversity, and the transboundary movement of hazardous waste still threaten the Earth's ecology.

China's thoughts on civilizational development and its path of civilizational development must possess global significance. This is based on China's responsibility as a major world power and Chinese civilization's duty as a vital branch of human civilization. It is also because, in today's increasingly interconnected world, it is impossible to remain "clever and preserve oneself" ^[21]. Xi Jinping has conducted tireless exploration to answer the questions of our time, such as "What is wrong with the world?" and "What should we do?" He keenly identified four major flaws of Western modernization: being capital-centered, polarization, bloated materialism, and external expansion and plunder. This demonstrates that Western civilization is a major creator of the current predicament of human civilization, and resolving this predicament requires the emergence of new civilizations. Xi Jinping has also proposed a series of rational solutions for the future of human civilization: first, advocating the common values of humanity—peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom—to provide an ethical consensus for the harmonious coexistence of civilizations; second, launching the "Belt and Road" Initiative to build a platform for cooperation and mutual learning among civilizations; and third, proposing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity to set the direction for upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground in civilization. Guided by scientific theories, including Xi Jinping's outlook on civilization, the Communist Party of China has "led the people in successfully following a Chinese path to modernization, creating a new form of human civilization, and expanding the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization."

The construction of a new form of human civilization within Xi Jinping's outlook on civilization transcends the barriers between different civilizations, proposes a plan for deep-level interaction between civilizations, and promotes global reform, construction, and development through civilizational integration. This not only makes an original contribution to the development of Chinese civilization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation but also focuses on the development of human civilization, providing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the world for the development of a new form of human civilization. In short, the new form of human civilization belongs both to China and the world; it possesses not only special value for solving China's problems but also universal value for solving human problems. It transcends the form of modern Western capitalist civilization and stands at the historical and moral high ground of contemporary human civilizational development.

Conclusion Since entering the New Era, Xi Jinping has maintained a foothold in China while looking at the global stage. Guided by a profound and broad outlook on civilization, he has led the whole Party and the nation to gain confidence and strength while upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground. This outlook is deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese civilization, promotes exchange and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and other civilizations, drives the innovative development and creative transformation of Chinese civilization, and puts forward the mission and requirements for building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation. The modern civilization of the Chinese nation is a modern civilization generated through the mutual construction of Chinese-path modernization and Chinese civilization. It has not only achieved a "rebirth through molting" ^[22] of the traditional civilization of the Chinese nation through historical continuity but has also achieved the innovative opening of a new form of human civilization through the advancement of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping’s outlook on civilization originates from practice and continuously develops through practice; it is a contemporary achievement of Chinese civilization and a precious treasure of world civilization. On the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, we must persist in building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s outlook on civilization, expounding to the world China's universal experiences and wisdom in civilizational construction. We must "persist in the equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness of civilizations; transcend civilizational barriers through exchange, transcend civilizational conflict through mutual learning, and transcend civilizational superiority through inclusiveness."