Zhu Jun: On the Theoretical Compatibility and Governance Implications of the "Two Communities Concept"
The "concept of the two communities" is a national development strategy formulated by the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is rooted in the "changes unseen in a century" and coordinates the two domestic and international strategic imperatives, providing profound reflection on the interactivity and integrity of domestic and international politics to plan the construction of domestic and international order. The concept of the community for the Chinese nation aims to answer how the Chinese nation can achieve common prosperity and development, engage in a common united struggle, and form a national community that "shares weal and woe, honor and disgrace, life and death, and a common destiny," thereby realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, on the other hand, seeks to answer "what kind of world China actually wants" or "what is China's world dream." It aims to shape a new type of international relations and a global governance pattern of shared development centered on peaceful development and win-win cooperation. This seeks to change the dilemmas of global governance—such as unilateralism, protectionism, hegemonism, and power politics—triggered by the international order dominated by capitalism. The "concept of the two communities" possesses commonality not only in terms of values but also serves as a policy principle guiding governance practice. Through Socialist China’s consistent pursuit of cosmopolitanism and internationalism, both seek win-win cooperation and peaceful development that transcend the boundaries of states, ethnicities, and civilizations.
I. Percieving the Internal Relatedness of the "Concept of the Two Communities": A Literature-Based Analysis
The "concept of the two communities" was proposed and developed almost simultaneously in the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Both were written into the report to the 19th CPC National Congress and incorporated into the revised Party Constitution, becoming advanced ideas and concepts leading domestic and global governance. As some researchers have pointed out: "In current domestic and international public opinion, 'a community with a shared future for humanity' is regarded both as a philosophy of values and as a diplomatic strategy. What runs through the philosophy of values is the outlook on humanity, the world, and history; what runs through the diplomatic strategy is the way of interaction between states." The "concept of the two communities" is both a value philosophy—involving China's views on values, civilization, the world, and ethnicity—and a national development strategy currently in practice. The internal relatedness of the "concept of the two communities" is mainly reflected in four aspects.
(1) Relatedness within the Marxist theoretical system of community
This perspective recognizes the theoretical innovation and epochal development of the "concept of the two communities" within the intellectual lineage of Marxist ethnic theory’s concerns regarding domestic and world ethnic issues. Zhang Sannan argues that the "concept of the two communities" inherits the Marxist community thought's "theory of two tendencies" and the proletarian position of opposing two types of nationalism, demonstrating the inheritance of basic theoretical viewpoints of Marxist ethnic theory, including the view on nationalism, through new discursive forms. Zhang Shujuan argues that the Marxist theories of "species-essence" and "true community" provide a double logic for understanding the "concept of the two communities," and both concepts can find their respective positions and elucidate their internal relationships within the logic of the Marxist theoretical system. Kong Ting also points out that the Marxist theoretical system contains rich community thought, which helps us recognize the theoretical sources of the community for the Chinese nation and the community with a shared future for humanity; the "concept of the two communities" inherits and develops Marx's community thought.
(2) Relatedness in the CPC's promotion of the "Two Combinations"
The CPC is committed to promoting the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with China's fine traditional culture; the "concept of the two communities" is an epochal product of these "Two Combinations." Jin Gang and others point out that the "concept of the two communities" is jointly unified within the original aspiration and founding mission of the CPC as a Marxist political party. In April 2018, while meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: "Everything we do is to seek happiness for the people, rejuvenation for the nation, and the Great Unity [1] for the world." It can be seen that the CPC shoulders the historical mission of realizing the "concept of the two communities." "As a Marxist governing party and the world's largest political party, and as a loyal inheritor and promoter of China's fine traditional culture, the CPC's original aspiration and founding mission are not only to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, but are also filled with a 'concern for all under heaven' [2] to 'realize the thorough liberation of all humanity,' 'seek win-win results for human society,' and 'seek Great Unity for the world.'" In the process of realizing the historical mission of the "two communities," the CPC continuously advances the epochal development of the "Two Combinations," realizing the integration of the two in their ideological and cultural foundations and creative development. "Generally speaking, the intellectual origins of the concept of the two communities mainly include the idea of 'Great Unity' (Datong) in traditional Chinese culture, the community thought of classical Marxist writers, the CPC’s thoughts on ethnic equality, unity, and common prosperity, and the globalized view of destiny." "With the development of the times and new changes in the world situation, the CPC began to accept globalization theory, gradually forming a globalized view of destiny that incorporates the development of the community for the Chinese nation into the community with a shared future for humanity."
(3) Relatedness in the shaping of national image during international relations and interactions
The construction of the community for the Chinese nation includes the construction of a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation, which is an important component of socialist cultural construction. In external interactions and international relations, a country's cultural soft power and cultural influence are related to the shaping of the national image and the country's comprehensive strength. Both concepts, from the perspective of cultural values, convey the external image of modern Chinese state-building and the values of international interaction. Ma Junyi believes that the construction of the community for the Chinese nation requires the construction of a spiritual community of the Chinese nation, which, through its connotations of inclusiveness and commonality, provides value concepts for the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. "The spiritual community of the nation and the community with a shared future for humanity are interconnected in their ideas and concepts; the construction of the national spiritual community and the improvement of national soft power also provide a foundation for our country to lead and practice the community with a shared future for humanity." Zhao Xudong demonstrates the cultural value foundations of community construction: respecting differences, cultural self-awareness, and reciprocal cooperation. Zhou Shaoqing points out the world significance of the "concept of the two communities," emphasizing that these two concepts transcend the values of Western civilization regarding the relationship between ethnic groups and the state within a country, as well as the relationship between states in the international community. "This concept fundamentally transcends the civic nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and the concept of alliances of states found in Western countries." From the perspective of modern China’s creation of shared values for world development, "advocating mutual learning between civilizations and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity is itself a product of 'mutual learning between civilizations'; the 'China Solution' itself contains the contributions of Western civilization."
(4) Relatedness in profoundly affecting national security and national unity
The historical coordinates of ethnic work in the New Era are rooted in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which dictates that the construction of the community for the Chinese nation requires the cohesion and unity of the Chinese nation as a holistic entity and a "big family." Factors affecting the unity and unification of the Chinese nation—involving ethnic factors that affect national security and national unity—should all be included in the epochal content of ethnic work in a broad sense. Hao Shiyuan proposed the concept of ethnic work in a broad sense, attempting to explain the innovation and development of Chinese nation-building in the New Era. One important task is to "effectively solve and basically eliminate special contradictions that endanger China's sovereign independence, territorial integrity, and national integration—namely, eliminating threats from ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and violent terrorism, including 'Taiwan independence,' 'Hong Kong independence,' 'Tibet independence,' and the 'East Turkestan' [3] movements." Zhao Jie, primarily from the perspective of "diplomacy is an extension of domestic politics," emphasizes that "China's 'forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation' provides experience for the world's political, economic, and cultural development, while the world's 'building a community with a shared future for humanity' provides a peaceful and secure external environment for China's stable and continuous development." Viewed comprehensively, as two important national development strategies for China's domestic and foreign affairs, the "concept of the two communities" serves national security and national unity, jointly serving the overall situation of the development of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
In short, there are many connections between the "concept of the two communities" in terms of theoretical foundations, intellectual origins, party missions, and realistic goals. But is this relatedness equivalent to saying that "the community with a shared future for humanity is the ultimate ideal for the community for the Chinese nation," or that "forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation and building a community with a shared future for humanity are a progressive, extended relationship of part and whole"? The consistency of the "two concepts of community" still requires the resolution of two further problems: First, the theoretical problem. Within the Marxist theoretical system of community—especially in the theory of the evolution of social development forms—what are the positions and logical relationships of the two, and what is their relationship to the "true community" in the eyes of Marxism? Second, the practical problem. What is the basis for the unification of the "concept of the two communities" and its actions/practices in real-world politics, and how can effective connectivity and interaction be realized between domestic governance and global governance?
II. The Consistency of the "Concept of the Two Communities" within the Marxist Theoretical System of Community
Compared to the fragmented arguments for relatedness mentioned above, using the Marxist theory of community as an analytical perspective allows for a systematic and holistic examination of the functional positioning and logical connections of the "concept of the two communities," thereby advancing the theoretical understanding of their consistency.
(1) Philosophical foundation: The common need of human society for individual-based existence and species-based existence
Based on his profound observation and thorough critique of capitalist society, Marx pointed out several stages of human social development. The first stage is the form of "personal dependence" in the pre-capitalist period. Due to low productive forces, blood ties or ethnic bonds played a dominant role in human organization; the foundation of community was the consanguineous ties of various families, clans, or ethnic groups. This was a group-based existence. The second stage occurred after entering capitalist society, where individuals broke free from the shackles of various traditional social communities and realized a form of "personal independence based on objective dependence." This is a developmental stage of individual-based existence, and corresponding to this stage is the "illusory community" dominated by capitalism. The third stage is the developmental stage of the "association of free individuals" moving toward communist society, which is a "true community." "Marx used 'association' and 'community' to refer to communist society; the essence was to emphasize that communist society is a society naturally and organically joined by individuals—a society that possesses both a high degree of freedom and a high degree of commonality." The third social form is the era of "species-based existence" [4] for humanity, "which embodies an intrinsically unified relationship between man and man, man and nature, and man and himself."
As the latest achievement in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist theory, the "concept of the two communities" necessarily embodies philosophical reflections on the basic principles of Marxism. Both the community for the Chinese nation and the community with a shared future for humanity reflect deep thinking on the forms of human existence and the laws of evolution in world history. Looking at the characteristics of social development forms today, "individual-based existence" remains the primary form of social development. In the process of moving from capitalist society to communist society, Lenin's "theory of two tendencies" specifically refined the understanding of the world development process. "Developing capitalism has two historical tendencies in the national question. First, the awakening of national life and national movements, the struggle against all national oppression, and the creation of national states. Second, the development and growing frequency of international intercourse in every form, the breaking down of national barriers, the creation of the international unity of capital, of economic life in general, of politics, science, etc." In other words, while being grounded in "individual-based existence," classical Marxist writers kept their eyes on the future trends of human social development, taking the sublation (Aufhebung) of capitalism and the movement toward a socialist "species-based existence" as the goal of social development.
Regarding the first trend, socialist states still need to establish and consolidate their own nation-states. They must leverage the power of the nation to resist the hegemonism, unilateralism, and Cold War mentality of the capitalist world, thereby transcending the limitations and exclusivity of nationalism. The construction of the community of the Chinese nation, grounded in the concepts of inclusive development and ethnic equality, embodies a critique of the dominance of capital and the alienation of social relations; it further represents a critique of the distortion of ethnic relations by Western ethnocentrism. Regarding the second trend, the community with a shared future for humanity reflects the practical need for international union and win-win cooperation in global governance. As the overarching goal of Chinese diplomacy in the New Era, the community with a shared future for humanity is a state of society rather than a specific stage of social development. "The community with a shared future for humanity is primarily concerned with how a highly interdependent world can respond to the common challenges facing mankind and achieve the common survival, development, and progress of humanity." Starting from the commonality and integrity of all humankind, it integrates the development of socialist states into the cause of peaceful development and progress for all, harboring a socialist internationalist concern that leads toward the "true community." In this sense, "the theoretical essence of the 'community with a shared future for humanity' is internationalist, and this internationalism itself possesses distinct socialist ideological characteristics."
(2) Value Concepts: Realizing the Organic Unity of Accumulating Patriotic Strength and New Internationalism
Viewed from the developmental stages of world history, contemporary society is still in a period where the two systems of capitalism and socialism coexist. The nation-state remains a basic unit of action in the international community and will continue to perform important functions. Transitioning toward the communist society of the "true community" remains a future goal. Within this structural pattern of "coexistence of the two systems," combining a state's legitimate and rational nationalist interest claims with the universal concerns of internationalism poses a challenge to the theory and practice of international relations, as well as a proposition of the times for China’s diplomatic practice. In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese government practiced an internationalism that promoted the "union of the proletarians and oppressed nations of the world," resolutely defending national sovereignty, security, and the common interests of the broader socialist camp. After Reform and Opening-up, the Chinese government gradually adjusted the relationship between patriotism and internationalism, decoupling from the Soviet-led theory of proletarian internationalism—especially by improving relations with developed capitalist countries—and practicing a pluralistic internationalism. "In handling the relationship between internationalism and nationalism, [China] more highly upheld the banners of national interest and patriotism, implementing a realist diplomatic line of working hard in silence, keeping a low profile, and never seeking leadership [5]." Three decades of Reform and Opening-up achieved a massive increase in China's comprehensive national strength, altering China's influence on the world's economic and political map, while the primary focus of international politics gradually shifted toward global governance. In this context, from the 18th CPC National Congress advocating the "consciousness of a community with a shared future for humanity" to the 19th CPC National Congress report formally promoting the "building of a community with a shared future for humanity," the Chinese government has practiced a new internationalism through "social growth, regional coordination, and global participation," adhering to "a consciousness of open engagement, major-country self-awareness, and cultural attraction."
First, new internationalism is based on an international order where the sovereign state is the fundamental unit; it follows and defends the rules of the international order centered on the UN Charter. Under this order, we advocate for an organic unity of patriotism that benefits both national interests and the overall interests of the world, opposing all forms of narrow nationalism and using patriotism as a vital driving force and resource to serve the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. An important ideological foundation of the "concept of the two communities" is the opposition to all forms of narrow nationalism: internally, it opposes Great-Han chauvinism and local ethnic nationalism [6], maintaining national unity and ethnic solidarity; externally, it "firstly opposes Great-Power chauvinism (and Great-Party chauvinism) and secondly opposes narrow nationalism (extreme nationalism)," maintaining an equal and just governance order in the international community. Second, new internationalism advocates for a global governance system different from that dominated by capitalism, replacing the pursuit of relative hegemony and balance of power—inherent in realist political views—with socialist concepts of sharing, win-win cooperation, and joint construction. "The problem of globalization in the process of modern world history is, in essence, the crisis of economic development, the crisis of hegemonism, and the problem of Western cultural centrism caused by the capitalist global governance system." The community with a shared future for humanity contains a view of rights based on equality and mutual trust, a view of development that balances righteousness and profit [7], a view of civilization based on inclusivity and mutual learning, and a view of engagement characterized by "partnership rather than alliance." Finally, new internationalism is the ideological weapon and diplomatic guarantee for realizing the Chinese Dream of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. China consistently follows the path of peaceful development, and the "concept of the two communities" constitutes a relationship of mutual support. As a vital goal of national development, the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation needs to gain the respect, recognition, and support of the international community, requiring an international environment conducive to China’s peaceful development. New internationalism reflects China’s adherence to a "more determined pacifist diplomatic culture," and the realization of the Chinese Dream is a solid pillar for world peace and development. "China unswervingly follows the path of peaceful development, developing itself by maintaining world peace and maintaining world peace through its own development." "China has many times publicly declared that it opposes all forms of hegemonism and power politics, does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, will never seek hegemony, and will never engage in expansion."
(3) Practical Programs: Action Practices Reflecting Joint Consultation, Construction, and Sharing in Domestic and Global Governance
The common prosperity and development of all Chinese ethnic groups require forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation, and the common prosperity and development of the world require building a community with a shared future for humanity. In promoting the common prosperity and development of China and the world, the "concept of the two communities" has achieved resonance and alignment through the practical advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In October 2023, the State Council Information Office released the white paper The Belt and Road Initiative: A Key Pillar of the Global Community of Shared Future, noting: "The Belt and Road Initiative upholds the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, advocating and practicing views on the world, development, security, openness, cooperation, civilization, and governance that adapt to the developments of the era, providing conceptual guidance and a practical path for countries to move toward common development and prosperity." In May 2023, at the first China-Central Asia Summit, Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must continue to take the lead in Belt and Road cooperation, promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, fully release the potential of traditional cooperation, create new growth points such as poverty reduction and green low-carbon development, and work together to build a community of win-win cooperation and mutual achievement." In the decade since the BRI was proposed, effective infrastructure connectivity, trade and commercial ties, cultural exchange and mutual learning, and the improvement of people's livelihoods have "provided new ideas and solutions for the reform of the global governance system, serving as an important practical platform for building a community with a shared future for humanity." With the effective advancement of the BRI, the community with a shared future for humanity is no longer a distant dream; building such a community has become a major foreign strategy serving China's national development and is tied to the journey toward the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation.
The BRI is linked to the prosperity and development of China's frontier ethnic regions and the pace of their opening up and development in the modern era, bringing historical opportunities for the prosperity of these regions. Many of China’s ethnic regions are located in the frontier areas connecting the BRI with foreign countries, bearing the important tasks of opening up to the outside world and regional radiation. The effectiveness of the BRI's implementation relates to the historical process of frontier ethnic regions moving toward modernization together, thereby affecting the material basis for the construction of the community of the Chinese nation and the common prosperity of all ethnic groups. From this perspective, "the process and effectiveness of forging the sense of community for the Chinese nation determine the process and effectiveness of China’s advocacy for building a community with a shared future for humanity." From win-win economic cooperation and development, the initiative can extend to the construction of cultural exchange circles between different countries, promoting mutual learning between civilizations and the formation of a sense of a shared destiny for mankind, ultimately advancing the harmonious coexistence of humanity. "Whether it is the 'Belt' or the 'Road,' in the final analysis, they are paths to building a community with a shared future for humanity, serving the harmonious coexistence of all mankind." Additionally, the construction of the BRI will increase the linkage between international geopolitical risks, global ethnic and religious issues, and the construction of the community of the Chinese nation, thereby increasing the possibility of preventing and resolving risks and hidden dangers in the ethnic sphere. These risks include strategic counter-measures by the United States against China's peaceful development, strategic balancing from major powers in surrounding regions, and the entanglements of ethnic and religious issues in areas along the route, which exert multifaceted influences on the stability of frontier ethnic regions. Through the strategic pivot and intermediary role of the BRI, the "concept of the two communities" has formed an intertwined and interactive relationship in practice, enhancing the linkage effect between domestic and global governance.
III. The Dual Governance Significance of the "Concept of the Two Communities" and Its Practice
The sense of community for the Chinese nation, as the essence defining national identity within the international system, has become increasingly prominent amid the "Two Overalls [8]" of global governance. In the system of international relations, the rational political institutionalization of a state is subject to the reflexive monitoring by other independent states; only then can a system of modern nation-states with sovereign characteristics be established, bringing domestic political and social order into a reflexive international order system. The confirmation and assertion of the sense of community for the Chinese nation must exist within the world system composed of nation-states and be influenced and regulated by the international order. At the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting in December 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in his keynote speech: "Everything the Communist Party of China does is to seek happiness for the Chinese people, rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, and peace and development for humanity. We must run our own affairs well; this in itself is a contribution to building a community with a shared future for humanity." Due to the leadership of the CPC, the socialist nature of the state, and the cultural heritage of an ancient civilization, domestic and global governance have achieved integration and correlation under the guidance of the "concept of the two shared futures."
(1) The Domestic Governance Significance of the "Concept of the Two Communities" and Its Practice
Regarding domestic governance, the institutional attributes (a new type of socialist major power), socio-economic attributes (a large developing country), and cultural attributes (a cultural major power rich in traditional resources) of China's national identity determine that China must continue to take the people-centered view of development as its historical mission. It must promote the formation of a more cohesive community of the Chinese nation among all ethnic groups and satisfy the increasing demands of people of all ethnicities for democracy, the rule of law, fairness, justice, and the environment.
Forging the sense of community for the Chinese nation requires responding to the demands of individuals in the era of globalization for ontological security and rational development. Realizing, maintaining, and developing people-oriented national interests remain the fundamental value orientation of global governance. Neither anti-globalization, de-globalization, nor the rise of various forms of local nationalism has changed the fact that the nation-state is the fundamental political unit of international relations. National governance must still take the realization of "people-centeredness" and the maintenance of (national) ethnic character as core goals, maintaining strategic determination in national development and stabilizing the realization of national sovereignty, security, and development interests. At the same time, rational development cannot replace the significance of emotional resonance and identity belonging. By emphasizing the emotional value and spiritual meaning of the national ethnic group and shaping community symbols and signs that members of all ethnic groups identify with, forging the sense of community for the Chinese nation provides a common spiritual home for the survival, reproduction, and development of all ethnic groups.
Great changes in the global landscape have caused factors of international competition and confrontation to become more visible, highlighting the tension between national interests and global interests—especially as some Western developed countries brandish the cudgel of national interest to engage in unilateralism, hegemonism, and power politics. As a practice of constructing domestic political-social order and collective identity, forging the sense of community for the Chinese nation cannot be separated from the influence and constraints of the international order. In the process of global governance, it will certainly confirm and assert its own national characteristics, thereby achieving the interconnectedness between forging the sense of community for the Chinese nation and the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. China actively and proactively participates in global governance, practicing the norms of new internationalism with the attitude of a responsible major power. Taking peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results as its pursuit for the era, China provides public services and assumes international responsibilities and obligations for global governance while maintaining its fundamental national interests. This enhances the country’s external cultural soft power and influence, thereby creating a favorable external environment for forging the sense of community for the Chinese nation.
In summary, domestic governance is often a mapping and reflection of global governance, and the failure of global governance stems largely from the ineffectiveness of domestic governance. China must ground itself in its identity orientations as a new type of socialist state, a developing country, and a major civilization-state. It must remain committed to following the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity. Through the spillover effects of domestic governance, China provides a successful development model for global governance. Furthermore, China must proceed from its role positioning as a responsible major power and a regional power with global influence to actively participate in the process of global governance. It should provide Chinese experience and Chinese wisdom for the formulation of global governance rules and the resolution of global issues. In this regard, China's experience and wisdom in forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation will undoubtedly provide a reference for resolving ethnic issues worldwide and enhancing the cohesion of national communities.
(2) The Importance of the "Two Communities" Concept and its Practice for Global Governance
From the perspective of global governance, the "Great Changes Unseen in a Century" [9] underscore profound "change." "This actually involves changes in dominance, rules, and concepts within the global governance system, as well as whether global governance can remain sustainable; such 'change' cannot be described as anything less than 'great'." The political attribute of China’s national identity (a responsible major power) and its strategic attribute (an Asia-Pacific power with significant global influence) determine that on the journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, China will also continuously promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. The fundamental task of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation is to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and a nation's rejuvenation process cannot be separated from an international environment of peace and development. The Chinese government’s proposal of the concept of "building a community with a shared future for humanity" actually outlines a new vision of how China will interact with the world after it has "become strong" [10]. "A community with a shared future for humanity, as the name implies, means that the future and destiny of every nation and every country are closely linked. We should stick together through thick and thin, share weal and woe, and strive to build the planet we were born on and raised on into a harmonious big family, turning the aspirations of people all over the world for a better life into reality." The "Two Communities" concept proposed and actively promoted by China aggregates the multiple ethnic groups within a state and the multiple states within human society into a more inclusive "species-subject" (lei zhuti). It uses the "He-He" [11] (harmony and convergence) thought of Chinese civilization to bridge differences between ethnic groups and narrow divergences between states, thereby imbuing the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation with practical significance for global governance.
From the perspective of values, the "He-He" thought inherent in forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation provides a form of Chinese wisdom for the "zero-sum game" and "struggle mentality" that currently dominate global governance. Forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation differs from Western nation-state building. The Chinese national community is a community composed of multiple ethnic groups, and the construction of the Chinese nation is the construction of a "unified multi-ethnic state." This centrally embodies the holistic rationality and relational rationality supported by China's "He-He" culture, which is markedly different from the individual rationality and instrumental rationality of the West. This demonstrates that the state-building and national development of the Chinese nation are by no means an attempt to seek hegemony in a struggle between major powers or to win a power transition in great power competition. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is by no means a threat to world peace, but rather a constructive force, thus helping to eliminate the negative influence of "China threat" and "China challenge" theories.
From the perspective of governance models, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation represents a state governance model with Chinese characteristics, providing a Chinese model that human development can draw upon. Whether it is a national community of multiple ethnic groups or a community with a shared future for humanity consisting of multiple states, the generation of collective agency and common will lies in correctly handling the relationship between "the many" (diversity) and "the one" (unity). China’s national construction has moved away from the singular path of civic nationalism that integrates the state through "nationality," forming instead a diversified integration mechanism and improvement strategy. The construction of the international relations landscape must also transcend an order structure centered solely on the nation-state. It should advocate for the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic groups, states, and civilizations, without forcing uniformity in the development paths and institutional forms of various countries, thereby avoiding narrow nationalism and antagonistic ideological divides.
From the perspective of the governance system, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation is a process in which various political subjects jointly participate in the construction of socio-political order and collective identity. It embodies the core tenets of multi-subject collaboration and synergistic governance in modern politics, providing Chinese experience for the shaping of global governance rules and structures. Global governance is intended to meet the needs of people all over the world for global public goods and to solve the universal problems facing human society; it is by no means intended to realize an order based on "rules" that favor the national interests of a few countries. China firmly upholds the international system with the United Nations at its core, actively advocates the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity, vigorously promotes the "Belt and Road" Initiative [12] characterized by win-win cooperation, and strives to shape a global governance outlook based on extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. This represents the leadership provided by the modernization of China's state governance for the transformation of the global governance system.
Conclusion
The "Two Communities" concept is a concentrated reflection of China's domestic and international outlook on order. It reflects China's attempt, in the process of modernization, to actively integrate social development, national rejuvenation, and national prosperity into the tide of world peace and development, and into the blueprint for the future development of socialism. This also constitutes a prominent feature of the Chinese-path modernization. "Persisting in peaceful development, seeking our own development while resolutely safeguarding world peace and development, and better safeguarding world peace and development through our own development to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity—this is a prominent feature of Chinese-path modernization." Whether facing the risks of anti-globalization and narrow nationalism, the distorted narrative of China's peaceful rise by the dominant discourse of modernist international politics, or the practical need to synergistically assist the global spread of Chinese civilization, researching the theoretical basis and governance significance of the alignment between the "Two Communities" is of great importance. The "Two Communities" concept possesses a high degree of congruence in its philosophical foundations, values, and practical programs. The domestic and global governance under their guidance also possess a practical basis for connection and a mechanism for linkage.