Wang Xia: Original Contributions of Xi Jinping's Important Expositions on the Construction of China's Foreign Discourse System in the New Era

Xi Jinping pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC: "From this day forward, the central task of the Communist Party of China will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization." The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation signals not only that 21st-century China is a giant of action, but also that it must become a powerhouse of discourse. Xi Jinping once emphasized, "If one is backward, one will be attacked; if one is poor, one will starve; if one is voiceless, one will be scolded." Faced with an international discourse landscape where "the West is strong and the East is weak," how to effectively solve the problem of "being scolded," reverse the predicament of voicelessness, and transform China's developmental and governance advantages into a discourse advantage has become a major practical task for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has deeply grasped the changes of the world, of the times, and of history, attaching great importance to the construction of China's foreign discourse system. Relying on the global contributions of Chinese culture and the path of Chinese-path modernization, guided by common values and based on common interests, he has creatively integrated the common values of humanity with the Chinese spirit, combined global development issues with the path of Chinese-path modernization, and told China's stories, broadcast China's voice, and expounded China's concepts using new concepts, new categories, and new expressions that bridge China and the world, driving a historical transformation in China’s foreign discourse system. Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the construction of China’s foreign discourse system are imbued with a profound grasp of major issues such as the nation's future, the ethnic destiny, and human development, and contain deep reflections on common interests, common responsibilities, and a shared future. They both sublate ^[1] and transcend the narrowness and limitations of Western discourse, while revealing and clarifying at a deep level the core and key to constructing a foreign discourse system in the era of globalization, making an original contribution to enriching and developing Chinese thought on foreign discourse and promoting the construction of a foreign discourse system for the New Era.

I. Integrating Chinese Concepts with the Common Values of Humanity: Proposing New Landmark Concepts and Original Perspectives of Global Significance

Theory is the precursor to action, and discourse is the expression of theory. Mao Zedong once pointed out: "Every country, in every period, has new theorists who propose new theories." Deng Xiaoping emphasized: "Marx had the language of his era, and we have the language of our era. Every era has its own language, and the New Era always has new language." The progress of the times demands discourse innovation; discourse innovation solidifies new consensus and catalyzes new forces. Xi Jinping emphasized the need to ground ourselves in China’s reality and strive to create new concepts, new categories, and new expressions that possess both self-assertion and subjective consciousness as well as a sense of humanity and timeliness, so as to build a unique foreign discourse system. This not only assists in disseminating the latest theoretical achievements of the Sinicization of Marxism and highlighting the unique advantages and practical wisdom of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also constitutes an original contribution to human civilization and world development.

(1) Leading the Trend of the Times with the Original New Concept of "A Community with a Shared Future for Humanity"

Xi Jinping has engaged in deep reflection and scientific judgment on a series of major theoretical and practical issues concerning the development of the Party and the country's cause in the New Era. Regarding a series of major topical issues—such as how to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, build a great modern socialist country, and develop a long-term governing Marxist party in the New Era—he has proposed a series of original new concepts, ideas, and strategies for state governance. Among these, "a community with a shared future for humanity," as a leading new concept, has elicited strong responses and high attention worldwide, making an important contribution to constructing China's foreign discourse system in the New Era and winning international discourse power.

The concept of a community with a shared future for humanity is a vital component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the core concept of China's foreign discourse system in the New Era. It integrates China's core values and has become an original discourse for broadcasting China’s voice, expressing China’s position, and demonstrating China’s values. This discourse focuses on balancing the interests of other nations while safeguarding China's own interests, emphasizing the integration of the common values of humanity with Chinese concepts. It aims to "build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity." On the one hand, it transcends the horizons of narrow nationalism and state isolationism, gradually constructing a community relationship of human interdependence and establishing a realistic foundation for realizing the goal that "the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all." On the other hand, it has "become a brilliant banner for China to lead the trend of the times and the progress of human civilization," pointing the way for people of all countries to fully recognize the need to join hands in building new partnerships of win-win cooperation and work together to create a community with a shared future for humanity. It can be said that this leading new concept of "a community with a shared future for humanity" allows the world to see China's sense of responsibility and important role in global governance, becoming an original contribution to China’s foreign discourse system in the New Era.

(2) Consolidating Broad Consensus with the New Landmark Proposition of "Maintaining Common Interests"

Common interests are the important foundation for international cooperation. The prerequisite for the cohesive force of discourse is the manifestation of a shared value basis and a shared interest basis. Therefore, maintaining common interests is the cornerstone for sustaining good international relations and conducting international cooperation; it is the basic prerequisite and inherent requirement for constructing China's foreign discourse system in the New Era. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has attached great importance to "maintaining common interests," repeatedly advocating that countries across the world respond to the call of the times, join hands to overcome the pandemic, strengthen global governance, jointly build the "Belt and Road," and actively move toward the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. As a rational expression of China's foreign discourse, "maintaining common interests" demonstrates an open and inclusive posture, reflects the sincerity of win-win cooperation, and is truly committed to the common development and progress of all humanity.

Marx pointed out: "The 'idea' always disgraced itself insofar as it differed from the 'interest'." "Everything for which people struggle is related to their interests." "Maintaining common interests" thus fosters the possibility of cooperation where "the behavior of one actor is adjusted to suit the behavior of another," and contains the objective basis and powerful impetus for a community to gain life and vitality. Just as "the economic relations of a given society present themselves in the first place as interests," a country's foreign discourse system can only possess wide social influence and strong practical appeal if it is based on common interests. To this end, our country upholds the principle of "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits," striving to expand the basis of cooperation through the "Belt and Road" Initiative, constantly linking the Chinese Dream with the beautiful dreams of people in all countries, solidifying value consensus, cultivating common interests, and achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Australian scholar Mark Beeson once pointed out that without China’s participation and cooperation, global or even regional governance is impossible. This indicates that the new concepts and propositions characterized by "maintaining common interests" are of significant original importance for promoting and enhancing the intrinsic attraction, practical appeal, and global credibility of China's foreign discourse system.

(3) Leading Joint Action with the New Generative Viewpoint of "Common Values of Humanity"

Common interests determine common values, and common values reflect common interests. Xi Jinping pointed out: "Countries may differ in history, culture, system, and level of development, but the people of all countries pursue the common values of humanity—namely, peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom." As a generative new viewpoint in foreign discourse, the "common values of humanity" centrally reflect the common interests, concerns, and expectations of people worldwide. They effectively answer the question of the era—how to promote the harmonious development and symbiotic prosperity of the world. They represent a value judgment imbued with Chinese characteristics and Chinese wisdom, and constitute a major innovation in China’s foreign discourse in the New Era.

The path determines the direction, and values lead action. Western society identifies "universal values" as the universal pursuit of all humanity, regarding them as possessing eternal truth, trans-historical nature, and universal adaptability—as a supra-class, supra-national, and supra-state existence that serves as a value standard for any nation or people. However, these ahistorical, supra-class universal values are built upon an abstract theory of human nature; they "are not eternal... they are historical and temporary products," and "once separated from real history, they possess no value." Fundamentally different from "universal values," the "common values of humanity" point to a new path of practice and provide a new constructive plan for creating a beautiful future for the world. From actively mapping out the "Belt and Road" development initiative to respecting the democratic political construction of various countries; from committing to creating a living environment for human health and life safety to striving to realize the harmonious coexistence of man and nature; and from actively building a community with a shared future in cyberspace to creating a community with a shared future for nuclear security—all these initiatives and measures fully embody the protection and pursuit of the "common values of humanity," receiving active recognition and high praise from the international community. Standing at the heights of human development, Xi Jinping has proposed value concepts that conform to the laws of social development and the logic of human civilizational progress. This is a comprehensive transcendence of the false illusions, narrow positions, and hegemonic logic of Western universal values, and is a powerful response to the acts of dressing up, peddling, and infiltrating universal values. It has not only driven the reconstruction of the global discourse order and led the reshaping of a future-oriented global discourse system, but also centrally manifested the value orientation of Chinese discourse toward shared development and symbiotic prosperity, making an original contribution to enhancing China’s international discourse power and promoting the construction of China’s foreign discourse system in the New Era.

II. Combining Global Development Issues with the Chinese Path: Proposing Discourse Agenda-Setting characterized by Sinicization, Timeliness, and Concreteness

Agenda-setting is an important component of discourse system construction and a vital factor affecting discourse power. Scientific and reasonable agenda-setting can not only stimulate the spiritual and theoretical self-awareness of the discourse subject but also guide the logical thinking of the audience, helping to achieve a comprehensive, objective, and correct understanding of the discourse subject and content. In a certain sense, whoever controls the initiative in agenda-setting holds the power of judgment and discretion in discourse interpretation, and occupies the dominant position in controlling discourse power. Therefore, creative agenda-setting is the prerequisite for mastering international discourse power, a crucial link in the construction of China's foreign discourse system, and an original contribution of Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the construction of China's foreign discourse system in the New Era.

(1) Proposing a New Scheme for Global Poverty Governance: Interpreting the Path of Poverty Alleviation with Chinese Characteristics in Response to Human Poverty

The history of the development of human society is a history of exploration in poverty governance and a history of the pursuit of a better life. Throughout historical development, hunger and poverty have not been problems unique to China, but global problems faced by all of humanity. As Xi Jinping said: "Eliminating poverty has been a dream sought by humanity since ancient times; it is a basic right for the people of all countries to pursue a happy life." For our country, the proposal of a broad-reaching global poverty governance scheme should revolve closely around the common well-being of all humanity, view global poverty issues through the lens of a community with a shared future for humanity, set agendas targeting poverty and its derivative social governance problems, and use this scheme as an important path and a distinctive feature for the construction of China's foreign discourse system in the New Era.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, while persisting in a people-centered approach, Xi Jinping has upheld the concepts of "maintaining a global vision" ^[7] and "establishing oneself to help others establish themselves." He has creatively integrated China’s cause of targeted poverty alleviation with the universal human challenge of anti-poverty work, proposing a series of new concepts, ideas, and strategies such as "development-oriented poverty alleviation." This has formed a path for poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics themed on "common prosperity," centered on "common development," and practiced through the "battle against poverty." This path enabled the completion of the historical task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the realization of the First Centenary Goal. It has greatly enriched Marxist anti-poverty theory, expanded human anti-poverty practice, and provided Chinese experience, Chinese wisdom, and Chinese solutions for other countries and regions in the world striving to shake off poverty. It is precisely based on the new global poverty governance solutions and the historic achievements in targeted poverty alleviation proposed by our country that China’s international discourse power, interpretive authority, and discourse recognition regarding the issue of poverty have been greatly enhanced, making a historical and original contribution to the human struggle against poverty. José Carvalho, a Brazilian expert on international politics, stated that "the Communist Party of China adheres to a people-oriented development concept, continuously improving the living standards of the people and fulfilling its commitment to seek happiness for the people." As the world's largest developing country, China has always been an active advocate and powerful promoter of the world's poverty reduction cause. While committed to eliminating its own poverty, it pays high attention to the development of human society as a whole. On the basis of setting the agenda for global anti-poverty issues, it has promoted solid practice, actively carried out South-South cooperation, proposed the Outline for Strengthening Poverty Reduction Cooperation between China and the African Union, and launched assistance projects such as the "Six One Hundreds" ^[8] to help developing countries escape poverty. China continues to raise its voice and contribute its strength on the world’s anti-poverty path, becoming a leader in global poverty governance. Therefore, from the conviction that "no one should be left behind on the road to moderate prosperity in all respects" to the belief that "on the road to the pursuit of happiness for humanity, no country or nation should be left behind," China has always closely linked its own destiny with that of the people of all countries. By actively participating in global poverty governance and international poverty reduction cooperation, China uses practical actions to interpret the Chinese system and "China’s governance" (中国之治), highlighting the humanistic concern of Chinese outward discourse and demonstrating its powerful appeal.

(2) Advocating the new vision of a "community of life for man and Nature": Explaining the Chinese path of ecological civilization while solving global environmental problems.

As the global ecological crisis intensifies, Xi Jinping has clearly pointed out: "Since mankind entered the era of industrial civilization, while creating great material wealth, it has also accelerated the extraction of natural resources, breaking the balance of the Earth’s ecosystem and causing deep-seated contradictions between man and nature to become increasingly apparent." It is evident that protecting the ecological environment, responding to climate change, and maintaining energy and resource security are common challenges facing the world. In response, Xi Jinping’s new vision of "building a community of life for man and Nature" ^[9] consciously stands at the height of the development of human civilization, providing a Chinese ecological civilization path for solving global problems and making an original contribution to the construction of the Chinese outward discourse system.

The construction of an ecological civilization concerns the well-being of the people and the future of humanity. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken ecological environment issues as its orientation, actively setting discourse agendas such as "Beautiful China," "Beautiful World," and "Beautiful Earth." It has formed the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and proposed the important thesis of "integrated protection and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts." It emphasizes promoting the realization of "modernization characterized by harmony between man and nature" through a "profound revolution in green development," successfully carving out an ecological civilization path with unique Chinese characteristics. Meanwhile, China has actively participated in global climate governance with the image of a responsible major power, taking the lead in signing and releasing the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Joint Statement on Addressing the Climate Crisis. It has proposed important initiatives to the world such as "green recovery," "building a beautiful world," and "jointly building a community of life for man and Nature," making a tremendous contribution to promoting harmony between man and nature. Under the influence of the theoretical innovations and practical effectiveness of China's ecological civilization construction, "the Paris Climate Conference will formulate a new plan for the international community to respond to climate change and will also point out the general direction for the international community to seek green and low-carbon development." Beyond doubt, China has raised its voice, established its discourse, demonstrated its wisdom, and contributed its solutions in responding to the global ecological crisis and protecting the ecological home, effectively enhancing China's international discourse power in world environmental governance and ecological protection.

(3) Launching the new initiative of a "community of common health for mankind": Explaining China's path to fighting the pandemic while solving global disease problems.

"Major infectious diseases are the enemy of all mankind. The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading globally, posing a huge threat to the life safety and physical health of the people and presenting a huge challenge to global public health security." Facing the sudden outbreak, China has always put the people’s lives and safety first, building a solid line of defense for epidemic prevention and control. It has promoted the formation of the great anti-pandemic spirit of "putting life above all else, the whole nation acting as one, risking one's life, respecting science, and sharing a common destiny." China not only effectively controlled the domestic spread of the pandemic in a short period but also actively provided assistance to other countries, creating another heroic feat in the history of humanity's struggle against disease. It can be said that the great historical achievements and correct propositions established by China in fighting the pandemic have provided important experience for other countries' epidemic prevention and control work and served as a reference for defending human life and safety.

"Viruses know no borders, and epidemics do not distinguish between races." Standing at the height of the development of all mankind, Xi Jinping proposed the proposition of "putting the people and their lives first," combining China’s practice in the struggle against the pandemic with the global public health crisis. He set a series of major agendas with significance for humanity, advocating for "jointly maintaining global public health security" and "jointly building a community of common health for mankind," and proposed Chinese suggestions and solutions in terms of international assistance, joint prevention and control, and vaccine use. Under China’s initiative and promotion, the 74th UN General Assembly emphasized that all countries should strengthen international cooperation to jointly defeat the pandemic and safeguard the health and well-being of people worldwide. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that "China’s efforts to respond to the pandemic deserve gratitude and respect," fully affirming China’s practices in fighting the pandemic. From this, it is clear that Xi Jinping’s original initiatives and propositions regarding the fight against the pandemic have not only gained the affirmation and recognition of international organizations such as the United Nations but also fully demonstrated China’s conscious responsibility as a major power.

In summary, Xi Jinping has taken the initiative in discourse agenda-setting as a key point of focus. While attending to China’s development, he has actively responded to the question of the times—"What is happening to the world, and what should we do?"—by actively setting relevant agendas around global poverty, environmental, and security issues. He has launched global initiatives that reflect the spirit of the times and lead human progress, fully embodying a subjective awareness and innovative spirit in agenda-setting. This has made an original contribution to vividly explaining the Chinese path and Chinese solutions through the outward discourse system under New Era conditions.

III. Integrating Universal Dialogue and Exchange with Chinese Culture and the Chinese Spirit: Opening Up a New Realm in the Construction of the Chinese Outward Discourse System.

"Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism, 21st-century Marxism, and the essence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit in our times, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism." Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the construction of the Chinese outward discourse system contain rich traditional cultural and spiritual significance, possessing infinitely broad open space and ideological tension, and playing an important role in strengthening universal dialogue and exchange. Xi Jinping pays special attention to the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit. On the basis of accurately grasping the internal differences between Eastern and Western cultures, he integrates universal dialogue and exchange with Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit. He continuously strengthens the interaction between fine traditional Chinese culture and the achievements of human civilization, striving to achieve the organic unity of advanced discourse content and vivid discourse expression. Through the innovation of content and form, he fully stimulates the overall vitality of the Chinese outward discourse system, enhances the momentum of development, and displays profound inner strength. He presents Chinese values in a language that the people of the world can understand, want to hear, and are willing to keep listening to, continuously improving the "timing, measure, and effectiveness" (时、度、效) of China's outward discourse communication and opening up a new realm for building the Chinese outward discourse system in the New Era.

(1) Integrating the traditional Chinese worldviews of "Great Harmony," "Harmony among all nations," and "Universal peace" into global dialogue and exchange.

Xi Jinping pointed out: "Behind discourse are ideas and the 'Way' (Dao). We should not tell stories just for the sake of storytelling; we must integrate the 'Way' into the stories, enlightening people to enter the 'Way' through an engaging manner and leading them to realize the 'Way' through systematic guidance." The long-standing and profound fine traditional Chinese culture covers a wide range of aspects including heaven and man, body and mind, human relations, and society. It possesses broad inclusiveness and openness. The values, humanistic spirit, moral standards, spiritual character, and ideal pursuits therein are not only the essence of Chinese culture and the root of the Chinese spirit but also contain the common value orientations of all mankind. They are the source of life and ideological resources for the innovation of the Chinese outward discourse system. In this regard, Xi Jinping emphasizes the need to actively "promote Chinese culture going global, using culture to carry the 'Way,' to spread our voice, and to cultivate people, explaining and promoting to the world more fine culture that possesses Chinese characteristics, embodies the Chinese spirit, and contains Chinese wisdom," fully demonstrating the important role of Chinese culture in explaining Chinese theory, illustrating Chinese practice, publicizing the Chinese path, and constructing the outward discourse system.

The traditional Chinese worldviews of "Great Harmony" (天下大同), "Harmony among all nations" (协和万邦), and "Universal peace" (和合天下) ^[10] centrally reflect the Chinese nation’s civilizational tradition of pursuing peace and harmony among all nations, as well as its broad-mindedness regarding the "world as one family" and the "Great Harmony." These are important discourse link points and cultural points of convergence for promoting friendly human exchange, and they hold great significance in the process of human social development and world history. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping has persisted in using Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit as profound resources to innovate discourse content. He has integrated the "All-under-Heaven" (家国天下) view of the state, the nation, and development into dialogue and exchange, innovatively developing the "Harmony and Convergence" (和合) discourse and conveying to the world that "peace under heaven and shared Great Harmony are thoughts that have stretched for thousands of years in the Empress nation," and are also the common beautiful vision and ideal pursuit of all mankind. Xi Jinping combines the traditional Chinese spirit of "Harmony and Convergence," which possesses humanistic concern, with the cultures of other countries. He both inherits fine traditions and innovates for the present; he both incorporates many culturally profound allusions, maxims, and proverbs, and combines social reality and the characteristics of the era to create vivid and "down-to-earth" popular language. From the expression of global concern in "When the Great Way prevails, the world is for the public" (大道之行，天下为公) ^[11] to "The Great Way is not solitary; the whole world is one family" (大道不孤，天下一家); from quoting the Arabic proverb "If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to walk far, walk together" to citing the Kazakh proverb "He who blows out another's lamp will burn his own beard" to explain Chinese concepts; and from proposing the construction of a "community with a shared future for humanity" to launching the "Belt and Road" cooperation initiative—the fine traditional Chinese concept of "Harmony and Convergence" has been carried forward and innovated under New Era conditions. Facts prove that the cultural concepts of "Great Harmony" and "Harmony in Diversity" (和合共生) have been integrated as important content of the Chinese outward discourse system. They are increasingly being recognized, understood, and accepted by more countries, reaching verification and consensus in international exchanges.

(2) Integrating the traditional Chinese views of nature such as "Harmony between man and nature," "Following the laws of nature," and "All things as one" into global dialogue and exchange.

Thought is the precursor of action, and theory is the guide for practice. If a country or nation lacks green development concepts and ecological views, it is difficult to form a green production and lifestyle and a sustainable development path. Regarding the view of ecological nature, the thoughts of "Harmony between man and nature" (天人合一), "Following the laws of nature" (道法自然), and "All things as one" (万物一体) in fine traditional Chinese culture provide guidance for resolving the crisis of modernity in human existence. They provide both an explanatory paradigm and an existential framework for the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, as well as opportunities and possibilities for promoting world ecological dialogue and exchange under New Era conditions.

“The protection of the eco-environment and economic development are a dialectical unity; they complement one another.” Nature is the foundation upon which humanity relies for survival and development; humanity and all things in nature constitute a continuous unity. This is both the core concept of the Marxist ecological view of nature and a concentrated manifestation of the relationship of harmonious coexistence between man and nature found in traditional Chinese culture. Laozi ^[12] emphasized, "Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows Nature"; Mencius ^[13] proposed, "If the seasons of husbandry be not interfered with, the grain will be more than can be eaten. If close nets are not allowed to enter the pools and ponds, the fishes and turtles will be more than can be consumed"; Xunzi ^[14] held that, "When the plants and trees are in the splendor of their flowering and fruiting, axes and bills must not enter the mountain forests, so as not to cut short their life or interrupt their growth." It is precisely this unique lived experience and confirmation of the symbiotic relationship within a "life community of man and nature" held by the Chinese nation that has enabled us to establish an ecological civilization ^[15] outlook of respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature. We persist in "following a path of civilized development characterized by productive development, prosperous life, and sound ecology," promoting the formation of a new pattern of modernization featuring harmony between man and nature.

Thus, it is evident that from the classical dictum "All things live in harmony, and all are nourished to reach maturity" ^[16] to the modern realization that "when the ecology flourishes, civilization flourishes; when the ecology declines, civilization declines," and from "knowing when to stop prevents danger and ensures longevity" ^[17] to "there is no substitute for the eco-environment; we do not notice it when it is present, but it is difficult to survive once it is lost"—all demonstrate that Xi Jinping has fully realized the creative transformation and innovative development of the excellent traditional Chinese view of nature. He has enriched and elevated this traditional view across multiple dimensions, including developmental concepts, goals, strategies, and paths. This has both effectively inherited and promoted the ancient wisdom of Chinese civilization and refined and created many new terms and assertions with the characteristics of the New Era. It systematically answers major questions regarding the positioning, goals, principles, main themes, and strategic deployment of China’s ecological civilization construction, and provides a profound interpretation of the major thesis of "why and how to achieve green development and build an ecological civilization" in the New Era. It has deepened the theoretical understanding of the Marxist "idea of reconciliation between man and nature," achieving a theoretical clarification and transcendence of Western ecological trends of thought, while continuously constructing an ecological civilization theory and ecological governance wisdom with Chinese characteristics and national traits. Clearly, refining important discourses on the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, man and self, and man and the world from the traditional Chinese view of nature constitutes another original contribution to New Era China's foreign discourse system.

(3) Integrating the traditional Chinese view of righteousness and profit—characterized by "advancing righteousness and profit together," "placing righteousness first," and "sacrificing life for righteousness"—into global dialogue and interaction. As an excellent tradition and cultural gene of the Chinese nation, the traditional Chinese view of righteousness and profit ^[18] embodies the preferred stance and basic position in Chinese social interactions regarding the choice between yi (righteousness/justice) and li (profit/interest). It transcends the narrow horizon of "egocentrism" where Western countries purely pursue their own special interests, assists people in establishing true "universal interaction" ^[19] during the process of globalization, and highlights the distinct character of the New Era China's foreign discourse system.

Marx pointed out: "In the act of reproduction itself, not only do the objective conditions change... but the producers change, too, in that they evolve new qualities, develop themselves in production, transform themselves, develop new powers and new ideas, new modes of intercourse, new needs and new language." This indicates that new ideas and new languages are not groundless, arbitrary "thinking imaginations," but are based on people’s real life, objective conditions, historical traditions, and cultural genes, "created under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past." Therefore, Xi Jinping stands upon the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, persisting in upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground regarding the excellent traditional Chinese view of righteousness and profit. He demonstrates a global vision of "holding the world in one's heart" and "establishing oneself and helping others to stand," striving to combine the traditional view of righteousness and profit with current developmental trends and the general trend of world history. He has creatively proposed foreign discourses and basic propositions such as "combining righteousness and profit, with righteousness taking precedence," clearly stating that we must "uphold the correct viewpoint of righteousness and profit, ensure that both are taken into account, stress credit and righteousness, value emotional ties, promote justice, and uphold morality."

During the full-scale effort to combat the pandemic, China never forgot international morality and its responsibility as a major country, actively delivering vaccines and providing medical aid to countries worldwide, fully demonstrating Chinese morality and responsibility. In international affairs, China actively cooperates with all nations, provides assistance to developing countries, honors its commitments, and treats others with sincerity. In foreign interactions, China focuses on enhancing friendship, "never forgetting old friends" and "treating new friends with sincerity." It persists in absorbing and learning from the excellent achievements of human civilization, enhancing ideological and cultural inclusiveness and innovative integration. It has creatively proposed a series of new views on righteousness and profit, such as "treating each other as equals, seeking common ground while shelving differences" and "pragmatic innovation, win-win cooperation," endowing the Chinese foreign discourse system with powerful vitality and practical appeal through new concepts, categories, and expressions. This constitutes an original contribution to Chinese culture and the Chinese voice reaching the world.

IV. Combining Human Development Prospects with the Path of Chinese-path Modernization: Establishing the Subjectivity and Autonomy of the Chinese Discourse System

In the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping pointed out: "The essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization are: upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics, realizing high-quality development, developing whole-process people's democracy, enriching the People’s spiritual world, achieving common prosperity for all, promoting harmony between man and nature, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, and creating a new form of human civilization." This important discourse not only profoundly interprets the correctness and direction of persisting in and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era and discusses the rich content and essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization, but also combines human development prospects with Chinese-path modernization, further deepening the theoretical meaning of the "new form of human civilization."

As a new terminological and theoretical form, the new form of human civilization was formed and developed through the Party’s leadership of the masses in the great practical exploration of socialism with Chinese characteristics; it is the civilized crystallization of the new path of Chinese-path modernization. It breaks through and transcends the Western-centric modernization model, advances the process of socialist civilization, and highlights the value orientation of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits inherent in socialism with Chinese characteristics. It also reflects the development prospect of symbiosis and common prosperity for human society. It possesses significant theoretical and practical value for manifesting the subjectivity of the Chinese discourse system.

(1) Dispelling the prejudice of "civilizational superiority" and fully manifesting the self-assertion of discourse system construction. From the perspective of the collision and integration of historical development and the civilizational process, the Western "theory of civilizational superiority" has gradually spread and established itself worldwide since the late Qing Dynasty. From the rapid advances in natural sciences to the leading thoughts in philosophy and social sciences, it has impacted and influenced Chinese civilization to varying degrees, causing Chinese civilization to slip from a leading position into a defensive state of "discursive decline." More importantly, the "theory of civilizational superiority" attempts to subvert and replace the core and essence of Chinese culture, promoting Western-style modernization as the sole standard for socio-economic development and emphasizing that one must "always cite Greece" in the ideological and cultural spheres. Therefore, in a sense, the start of China’s modernization occurred simultaneously with the impact of "civilizational superiority" on Chinese civilization and the loss of Chinese discourse. This is why some scholars have lamented: "Since the late Qing, Western learning has flourished, and the millennial traditional discourse has collapsed... In the shock between the new and the old, the old had to be removed to spread the new; in the exchange between China and the West, the Western was always used as the model for the Chinese. A century of radicalism has seen things moved from the East to the West."

It can be said that the loss of the right to speak and the weakening of discursive advantages fundamentally reflect the lag in the development of material civilization, expose the retreat in the evolution of spiritual civilization, reveal the backwardness of the social development process, and result in the unequal status of Chinese and Western discourse powers under the impact of Western "civilizational superiority." Currently, ideological tendencies of Western "civilizational superiority" still exist in Chinese social development to varying degrees: some groups, industries, and standards are still stuck in the quagmire of comparing "Chinese problems" against "Western theories," regarding Western models, theories, and paradigms as the sole truths. The erroneous thought of treating "Western theory" as a gold standard ^[20] and even attempting to lead Chinese cultural construction through Western discourse, thoughts, and values persists. We must soberly recognize that if a country or nation is long subjected to the erosion and dominance of foreign cultural thought, it will trigger historical nihilism ^[21], leading to "spiritual rickets" and "cultural calcium deficiency." To this end, cultural exchange must strive to maintain the subjectivity of discursive innovation, reasonably unfold the interaction of cultural dialogue, and promote the harmonious coexistence and orderly renewal of cultures and civilizations.

As a practical result based on solving "Chinese problems," the new form of human civilization transcends the distinction between "superior" and "inferior" cultural development of different nations under the theory of "civilizational superiority." It breaks the blind worship of "Western discourse" as a benchmark, demonstrates the subjectivity of Chinese civilization, and establishes the self-constructive nature of Chinese discourse. As a new form of developmental concept, the new form of human civilization persists in a people-centered developmental philosophy, striving to ensure the masses have a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security in their struggle for a better life, and gradually realizing the free and well-rounded development of individuals in the process of achieving common prosperity. As a new form of developmental path, it persists in promoting the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilizations, advocates for harmony between man and nature, and is committed to building coordinated, sustainable development between man and nature, among individuals, and between individuals and society. As a new form of international relations, it persists in following the path of peaceful development, always taking peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit as the basic criteria for handling international relations, adhering to multilateralism, opposing zero-sum games, hegemonism, and unilateralism, and actively promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. As a new form of cultural confidence, it reasonably demonstrates the advantages of the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics by following historical laws, grasping historical trends, and leading the future. It fully manifests the Four Confidences through the dialectical unity of maintaining common interests and realizing common values, the dialectical unity of cultural diversity and harmonious coexistence (he-he), and the dialectical unity of discursive self-confirmation and self-authorization.

(2) Transcending "Eurocentrism" and actively highlighting the self-confirmation of discourse system innovation. Arnold Toynbee once said that the 19th century belonged to the British, the 20th century to the Americans, and the 21st century would belong to the Chinese. This includes both the rapid rise of China’s "hard power" in economy, science, and technology, and the enhancement of "soft power" supported by the Chinese spirit and culture. This is concentrated in how 21st-century China has achieved innovative development of Chinese discourse through the self-creation of discursive propositions and the self-confirmation of its discourse system. This has not only reversed Western-centric discursive prejudice to a certain extent but also contributes to reshaping the global discourse landscape and winning the right to be heard internationally.

"Eurocentrism" (or Western-centrism), as a major challenge to the construction of China’s foreign discourse system in the New Era, has deep historical roots. Since the modern era, the West, with the help of the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution, laid a solid foundation for modernization, established the absolute advantage of capitalist discourse worldwide, and formed the dominant logic of "Eurocentrism." On one hand, this led Western scholars to celebrate and propagate Eurocentrism; on the other hand, it led to a "Westernizing" tendency among Eastern scholars in theoretical research and the belittling and weakening of their own discourse. Eurocentrism emphasizes that Western civilization, with capitalist values at its core, occupies a "central and dominant" position in the whole of human civilization, determining the direction of human history. The German scholar Leopold von Ranke believed that some nations were completely incapable of culture, stating, "I believe that from the point of view of all mankind, human thought... is only historically produced among the great nations." In his view, the unity of world history was nothing but the unity of Western culture, and Western culture was the mainstream of world history. This view actually distorts and depreciates the cultural achievements and civilizational contributions of the non-Western world, acting as a form of disguised colonial expansionist discourse.

The proposal of a "new form of human civilization" demonstrates the self-affirmation of Chinese discourse through a subjective and innovative theoretical system, continuously achieving a transcendence of "Western-centrism." From the perspective of global civilizational forms, this new form of human civilization is a new form of Eastern and Chinese civilization; it is a new form resulting from the creative transformation and innovative development ^[22] of fine traditional Chinese culture; it is a new form gradually constructed through the theoretical innovation of the Sinicization of Marxism; and it is a new form rooted in the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Consequently, it is a new form that consistently possesses the subjectivity, dominance, and initiative of the Chinese people. From the perspective of modernization forms, the new form of human civilization is a new form of socialist modernized civilization. It effectively inherits and develops the theoretical conceptions and practical realities of Marx’s communism, rationally absorbs and transcends the experiences and lessons of "traditional planned economy" socialist construction, and opens a brand-new path distinct from the capitalist modernization road and Western modernity. It is a new form of modernization gradually enriched within the institutional framework of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

From the perspective of cultural forms, the new form of human civilization is a new form of culture with Chinese characteristics. This new form actively displays new concepts, thoughts, and strategies bearing Chinese cultural characteristics and expresses sapient solutions ^[23] imbued with Chinese wisdom. In the process of telling China's story well and making China’s voice heard, it highlights Chinese discourse and Chinese propositions. From the perspective of human forms, the new form of human civilization is a new form of well-rounded human development. In adhering to people-centered development, it strives to realize a state where "the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all," and by way of constructing a community with a shared future for humanity, it ensures that "only within the community has each individual the means of cultivating his gifts in all directions." From the perspective of the historical process, the new form of human civilization is a new form that follows the laws of historical development. It adheres to the unity of particularity and universality, uniqueness and publicity, diversity and identity, and nationality and worldliness. By integrating discourse propositions with Chinese characteristics into the excellent civilizations of humanity, it ensures that Chinese discourse, propositions, and solutions possess a grand global vision.

(III) Discarding "Discourse Hegemony Thinking" and Centrally Demonstrating the Self-Authorization of the Discourse System’s Purport

The major new judgment of "a new form of human civilization" possesses both profound academic logic and a deep practical foundation. It is generated based on the Great Path opened, the Great Cause created, and the Great Achievements attained by the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China over the past century. Precisely because of the world-shaking ^[24] founding of the Party, the earth-shaking ^[25] founding of New China, the paradigm-shifting ^[26] reform and opening up, and the earth-shattering ^[27] changes since the New Era, the "new form of human civilization" has been able to form a major theoretical innovation upon a solid practical foundation.

"Discourse hegemony thinking" is rooted in the theoretical tradition of "Western-centrism." Its derivation and development are inseparable from the rapid development of capitalism in the modern era, the pioneering of the modernization path, and the shaping of modern civilization. Max Weber, in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, elaborated on "Western-centrism" and "Western discourse hegemony" as theoretical forms, suggesting that a "series of cultural phenomena endowed with universal significance and value" could only appear in Western countries. Currently, to break free from the domination of "Western-centrism" and its "discourse hegemony thinking," various nation-states are continuously proposing their own unique discourse theories. As a discourse innovation with Chinese characteristics, the "new form of human civilization" both demonstrates the world significance of Chinese discourse and contributes Chinese solutions to promote the development of human civilization.

The "new form of human civilization" was established and constructed upon the new path of Chinese-path modernization. It is committed to realizing the common interests of all humanity and endeavors to maintain the common values of all humanity. It possesses both the commonalities of modernizing human society and the individuality of socialism with Chinese characteristics; it has both the commonalities of excellent human civilizations and the individuality of Chinese culture. It has absorbed the successful experiences of Western-style modernization and, more importantly, endowed the developmental path of human civilization with Chinese elements. It transcends the "hegemonic thinking" of "Western-centrism" while manifesting the humanistic sentiment of the Chinese discourse’s "concern for the world" ^[28]. The "new form of human civilization," founded on the path of Chinese-path modernization, has achieved the transcendence of socialist civilization over capitalist civilization. It highlights the leap from "following" to "running alongside" and finally to "leading," winning the initiative in the historical trend of the shift of the discourse center toward the East.

In summary, the Chinese discourse of the "new form of human civilization" presents Chinese propositions infused with cultural confidence. It transcends Western ideological discourse propositions such as "Western-centrism," the "clash of civilizations," the "end of history," and "discourse hegemony." It has achieved a great "revolution in terminology" of global significance, an in-depth exploration of a brand-new model for the path of modernization, and a powerful excavation of a new type of modern civilization. From the multi-dimensional perspectives of concept, theory, and practice; people, nation, and state; and history, philosophy, and civilization, the Chinese discourse of the "new form of human civilization" presents Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions regarding the prospects of human development. It is the concentrated expression of the original contributions of Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the construction of China’s foreign-oriented discourse system in the New Era.