Gao Peiyong: To Write a New Chapter in the Adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese Context and the Needs of the Times with the "Two Combinations"

General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Seminar on Cultural Inheritance and Development, positioning the "Two Combinations," ^[1] taking the pulse of Chinese civilization, and pointing the way for building a modern Chinese civilization. General philosophers and social science workers feel greatly invigorated in their thinking and inspired in their spirit. Xi Jinping emphasized: "Opening up and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics on the deep foundation of over five thousand years of Chinese civilization, and combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture, is the path that must be taken." The "Two Combinations" is a major original contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; it reveals the headwaters ^[2] for building a modern Chinese civilization and expands the foundational path for its construction.

I will share a few perspectives regarding the "Two Combinations" and the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.

First, to uphold and develop Marxism, we must combine it with China's specific realities.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Our adherence to Marxism as our guide is about utilizing its scientific worldview and methodology to solve China's problems, rather than reciting and repeating its specific conclusions and phrases, let alone regarding Marxism as an immutable dogma." Xi Jinping profoundly elucidated the major thesis regarding the strategic favorable conditions possessed by our country’s development through five aspects: the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the significant advantages of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the solid foundation accumulated through continuous and rapid development, a long-term stable social environment, and the spiritual strength of self-confidence and self-reliance. This is a classic example of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities. For instance, the five strategic favorable conditions were quintessential summaries made by Xi Jinping starting from the overall situation of the causes of the Party and the state. Standing at the height of coordinating the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world’s once-in-a-century profound changes, ^[3] he combined the basic tenets of Marxism with the specific realities of the new stage of development, adhered to a problem-oriented approach, respected the laws of development, and applied strategic thinking to our country's comprehensive, fundamental, and long-term competitive advantages. The strategic thinking contained therein is precisely an important manifestation of the Marxist worldview and methodology in terms of thinking patterns. Furthermore, the five strategic favorable conditions represent a creative application of the law of the transformation of quantity into quality. Strategic favorable conditions such as the material base, social environment, and spiritual strength are formed through gradual accumulation. As the Party's comprehensive leadership is continuously strengthened and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is increasingly perfected, the material foundation of our country's development has been continuously fortified, the social environment has remained stable over the long term, and spiritual strength has continued to converge. The comprehensive, fundamental, and long-term forces of our country's economic and social development are constantly strengthening, pushing our country’s development into a new stage, causing changes in the principal contradiction in society, ^[4] and ensuring that the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process.

Second, to uphold and develop Marxism, we must combine it with fine traditional Chinese culture.

Xi Jinping emphasized: "Only by being rooted in the fertile soil of the history and culture of one’s own country and nation can the tree of Marxist truth have deep roots and luxuriant leaves." Fine traditional Chinese culture is the root and soul of the Chinese nation. The long-standing and continuous Chinese culture has provided deep cultural roots for the great practice of China's revolution and construction; the CPC has always been a faithful inheritor and promoter of fine traditional Chinese culture. Within the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, many important viewpoints have profound ideological origins in fine traditional Chinese culture. For example, the "moderately prosperous society" (xiǎokāng shèhuì) ^[5] comes from the Book of Rites: The Conveyance of Rites (Lǐjì Lǐyùn), the "harmonious society" absorbed the concept of "harmony" (héhé), and "putting people first" drew from "people-as-the-foundation" (mínběn) thought. As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters the New Era, through the process of the "Two Combinations," our Party has opened up new realms in allowing Marxism to take root in the fertile soil of Chinese historical culture. For instance, Xi Jinping combined Marxist dialectics of nature with ancient Chinese ecological concepts such as the "unity of heaven and humanity" (tiānrén héyī) and the "coexistence of all things," putting forward the "Two Mountains" theory ^[6] and forming Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization. He combined the Marxist theory of community with the ideals of "harmony among all nations" (xiéhé wànbāng) and "Great Unity" (tiànxià dàtóng) from fine traditional Chinese culture, as well as the way of interaction characterized by "acting in good faith and cultivating harmony" and "being kind to neighbors," putting forward a community with a shared future for humanity and constructing Xi Jinping’s thought on diplomacy. He combined Marxist political economy with ancient Chinese economic ethics of "enriching the people and sustaining their livelihoods" and "balancing righteousness and profit," the reformist thought that "though Zhou was an old state, its mandate was new," the innovative spirit of "making it new every day, day after day, and yet again new," and the governance thought that "the people are the foundation of the state" and "governing with virtue." Thus, he put forward the new development philosophy, which crystallized into Xi Jinping's economic thought.

Third, the "Two Combinations" open up a new realm for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.

Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Why the CPC is capable, why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good, at the end of the day, it is because Marxism works, and Marxism that has been Sinicized and modernized works." Looking back at the history of over a hundred years, the fundamental reason our Party has been able to achieve great successes that shine through the annals of history is that it mastered the scientific theory of Marxism, promoted the Sinicization of Marxism in the practice of China's revolution and construction, and formed Sinicized Marxism. The major proposition of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism itself dictates that we must never abandon the soul-vein of Marxism, nor the root-vein of fine traditional Chinese culture. The premise of "combination" is mutual compatibility; only through mutual compatibility can there be an organic combination. The result of "combination" is mutual achievement, creating a new, organically unified cultural life-form, making Marxism "Chinese" and fine traditional Chinese culture "modern," and allowing the new culture formed through "combination" to become the cultural form for Chinese-path modernization. "Combination" has fortified the foundational path, providing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics with a more expansive and profound historical depth and expanding its cultural foundation. Chinese-path modernization endows Chinese civilization with modern power, while Chinese civilization endows Chinese-path modernization with profound substance. "Combination" has opened up space for innovation, allowing us to grasp the ideological and cultural initiative and exert a powerful influence on our path, theory, and system. More importantly, the "Second Combination" ^[7] is a further liberation of the mind, allowing us to fully utilize the precious resources of fine traditional Chinese culture within a broader cultural space to explore theoretical and institutional innovations oriented toward the future.

Continuing to promote the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism within the "Two Combinations" holds major theoretical and practical significance in the history of the development of Marxism and socialism.

(Author: Gao Peiyong, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) Online Editor: Xiao Tian Source: Journal of Renmin University of China, October 7, 2023.