The 8th Congress of the Chinese Society of Historical Materialism and its 2019 Annual Meeting Held
From November 8 to 10, 2019, the Eighth National Congress of the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism and the Theoretical Seminar on "Philosophical Adherence and Innovation of Contemporary Chinese Marxism," concurrently the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism, were held in Tianjin. The event was hosted by the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism and Tianjin University and organized by the School of Marxism at Tianjin University. A new leadership team for the Association was elected, and more than 300 member representatives, paper presenters, experts, and scholars from across the country attended to conduct in-depth discussions. The "Tianjin University Research Center for New Media Ideology Construction" was inaugurated during the annual meeting.
This year marks a transition year [1] for the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism. On the afternoon and evening of November 8, the preparatory meeting for the Eighth National Congress, the fifth meeting of the Seventh Council, the Eighth National Congress, and the first meeting of the Eighth Council were held respectively. The Eighth National Congress first reviewed and approved the work report and financial report of the Seventh Council. Prior to the election, staff provided the assembly with explanations regarding the nomination process for the Eighth Council, the Standing Council, and the vice presidents; Zhu Jidong, Secretary-General of the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism, explained the election procedures. Following more than two hours of voting, the Eighth National Congress first elected the Eighth Council of the Chinese Association of Historical Materialism, composed of 182 directors. Subsequently, the first meeting of the Eighth Council elected the Standing Council and the new leadership team. Hou Huiqin was re-elected as the President. Xin Xiangyang, Zhao Jianying, Jin Minqin, Ai Silin, Sun Xiguo, Guo Jiezhong, Jiang Yingchun, Yuan Yinchuan, Yang Shengping, Zhao Liwen, Li Jianping, Lin Jian, Yan Xiaofeng, Wu Fulai, Feng Yanli, and Yang Haifeng were elected as vice presidents, and Zhu Jidong was elected as Secretary-General.
On the morning of November 9, the seminar and annual meeting opened at the Zheng Dong Library Auditorium on the Beiyangyuan Campus of Tianjin University. Zhao Meirong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Tianjin University, and Professor Hou Huiqin, President of the Association and Director of the Center for National Cultural Security and Ideology Construction at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), delivered opening addresses. The opening ceremony was chaired by Research Fellow Xin Xiangyang, Vice President of the Association and Vice President of the Institute of Marxism Studies at CASS.
In her speech, Zhao Meirong stated that this seminar coincides with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the convening of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. Centered on "Philosophical Adherence and Innovation of Contemporary Chinese Marxism," the seminar aims to profoundly summarize the basic experiences of the 70 years since the founding of New China from the perspective of historical materialism, studying the major theoretical and practical issues facing China's development and our Party's governance. This seminar will play a significant role in further studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, promoting the adherence and innovation of contemporary Marxist philosophy.
Professor Hou Huiqin noted in his speech that this meeting set a record for attendance in the Association’s history, and he expressed gratitude to the organizers and participants. This meeting holds particular significance for the Association’s development, especially the smooth completion of the leadership transition. He expressed confidence that under the new leadership and through the collective efforts of the Council and all members, the Association will achieve better and faster development. Professor Hou pointed out that we must gain a more profound understanding of the scientific nature of Marxism. He argued that the scientificity of Marxism lies not only in its ability to encompass natural and empirical sciences but also in its capacity to resolve problems they cannot—namely, the unification of knowledge and faith, and of phenomenon and noumenon. Consequently, Marxism can serve as the worldview and methodology for scientific research, including the natural sciences, and lay the foundation for the construction of modern philosophy and social sciences. Only by deeply studying Marxist philosophy can we better grasp the theme of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and clarify what exactly should be "upheld and consolidated, and what should be improved and developed" regarding the persistence of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The inauguration ceremony for the "Tianjin University Research Center for New Media Ideology Construction" was held at the meeting, with Hou Huiqin and Zhao Meirong jointly unveiling the plaque. This research center is based on the strong foundation and future development of the Marxist theory discipline at Tianjin University. It integrates Tianjin University's long-standing engineering research strengths in computer science, software engineering, network security, and artificial intelligence with the development of disciplines such as journalism, communication, and law. It aims to enhance the capacity for Marxist theoretical and empirical research, accelerate the deep integration of cross-disciplinary studies, and strive for progress in addressing major domestic and international theoretical and practical issues.
Following the opening ceremony, the conference held academic discussions. Professor Hou Huiqin delivered the keynote report titled "Adhering to and Improving the Basic Experience of the System of Communist Party Leadership." He noted that the system of socialist governance has been a problem that the world socialist movement has struggled to resolve. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee comprehensively clarified the components of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, indicating that our national system has basically taken shape and reached maturity. He identified four main reasons for the CPC's historic breakthrough: first, the Party has always withstood pressure, identified the core problems, held the bottom line, followed the tide of history, and innovated continuously; second, it has maintained an independent, controllable, and orderly reform and opening up; third, it has consistently adhered to bottom-line thinking [2] to prevent and resolve major risks and avoid "subversive errors"; fourth, it has found an effective path to maintain the Party’s advanced nature and purity. Professor Hou pointed out that the "staying true to our original aspiration and founding mission" [3] thematic education is of great significance to the Party's self-revolution. It "establishes the soul" for Party building by ensuring we "never forget our roots" and remain grounded in the Party's essence, character, and capability; it "establishes the law" for the Party's prosperity by ensuring we "never change quality," remaining incorruptible regardless of how far we advance; and it "establishes the discourse" for the Party's vigilance by ensuring we "never become complacent," maintaining a sense of crisis [4] regardless of the scale of our achievements.
Eleven experts and scholars—including Xin Xiangyang, Zhao Jianying, Wu Fulai, Guo Jiezhong, Wei Shu (Member of the Editorial Board of the People’s Daily Overseas Edition), Feng Yanli, Sun Xiguo, Liu Shulin (Professor at Tsinghua University), Wang Yan, Hao Qingjie, and Zheng Chengjun—delivered keynote speeches. They discussed in depth the adherence to and innovation of Marxist philosophy within Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as well as the construction of a discourse system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. The sessions were chaired by Professor Yan Xiaofeng and Research Fellow Li Jianguo.
On the afternoon of the 9th, the seminar was divided into five sub-forums: "Chinese Systems, Governance, and Historical Materialism"; "The Innovative Development of Historical Materialism by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era"; "Major Issues in Ideology Construction in the New Era"; "The Materialist Conception of History and Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era"; and "The Philosophical Foundations of Comprehensively Building a Modern Socialist Country."
On the 10th, seven scholars—including Jin Minqin, Yuan Yinchuan, Yang Shengping, Yan Xiaofeng, Zhu Jidong, Li Yan, and Li Fuyan—delivered keynote speeches. Professor Zhao Liwen from the Central Party School chaired this segment. Subsequently, representatives from the five sub-forums reported on their discussion results.
The closing ceremony was chaired by Professor Yuan Yinchuan, and Research Fellow Zhu Jidong delivered the summary report. Zhu Jidong noted that under the meticulous organization of Tianjin University, this was a successful and progressive assembly. The transition of the Association’s leadership was conducted under strict procedures. He emphasized that the experts provided a "spiritual feast" [5] by integrating the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. Professor Hou Huiqin concluded with requirements and hopes for the Association's future.
The convening of this congress, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, represents an important academic exchange for the Chinese Marxist philosophy community. It holds significant theoretical and practical value for summarizing the historical experience of the past 70 years from a materialist perspective and for further implementing the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress.
Source: "Ideological Torch" WeChat Public Account Web Editor: Xin Ran