Vice President Jin Minqing of the Academy of Marxism Leads Delegation on Academic Visit to Belgium
On October 20, 2018, in order to promote scholarly exchanges on Marxism, a delegation led by Professor Jin Minqing, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), visited the Institute of Marxism in Brussels, Belgium. After Marx was expelled by the French authorities in 1845, he moved to Brussels, the capital of Belgium, where he lived for over three years until his expulsion by the Belgian authorities in early 1848. During this period, Marx wrote such foundational documents as the Theses on Feuerbach and The German Ideology, completing the creation of the materialist conception of history and achieving the significant transformation from a revolutionary democrat to a communist, and from historical idealism to historical materialism. In the spring of 1846, Marx and Engels established the Communist Correspondence Committee in Brussels, making ideological and organizational preparations for the establishment of a proletarian revolutionary party.
On October 20, Professor Jin Minqing and his delegation held a symposium at the Institute of Marxism in Brussels. The delegation engaged in a lively discussion with experts from the Institute of Marxism regarding the "Current Situation and Challenges for the Development of Communist Parties in Europe." Professor Jin Minqing introduced the work of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and the historical progression of the Sinicization of Marxism, specifically highlighting the major innovations within Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, its rich connotations, and its global significance.
Masence Staquet, Director of the Institute of Marxism in Brussels, introduced the state of Marxist research and training in Belgium. Jo Cottenier, a member of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Belgium [1], discussed the development of the Workers' Party of Belgium. He noted that in recent years, the Workers' Party has adopted several potent measures, leading to an increase in their vote share and parliamentary seats in many major Belgian cities and even nationwide, showing a trend of expanding influence.
The two sides discussed the challenges facing European Communist Parties following the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe [2], the Communist Party of China’s exploration of and major innovations in the socialist market economy, and the prospects for the global socialist movement in the New Era. The two sides also reached a preliminary consensus on further exchanges and cooperation in the future.
On October 20, Professor Jin Minqing and his delegation took a group photo with experts from the Institute of Marxism in Brussels. The visiting delegation members participating in the symposium included Professors Pan Jine, Chen Zhigang, and Zhang Jiangang, Associate Professor Wang Yonglei, and Assistant Researcher Lei Xiaohuan. Participants from the Institute of Marxism in Brussels also included Tony Busselen, Dominique Meeüs, and Vincent Duthoy.
The two sides presented each other with books. (Contributions: Chen Zhigang, Lei Xiaohuan; Photography: Zhang Jiangang, Pan Jine)