The 5th International Forum on Socialism Held in Vientiane, Laos
From November 22 to 23, 2017, the 5th Socialist International Forum was held in Vientiane, Laos. This forum, supported by the "CASS Forum" funding from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), was co-hosted by the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, and the Lao Academy of Social Sciences, and organized by the Lao Academy of Social Sciences. The theme of the forum was "Marxism and Socialist Construction." More than 120 people attended, including experts and scholars from China, Laos, and Vietnam, as well as public officials from Lao Party and government departments. Maria de la Concepción Muñoz Prieto, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Laos, and Ri Chang-gon, Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Laos, also attended the meeting.
(From right to left) First: Ri Chang-gon, Ambassador of the DPRK to Laos; Second: Fan Jianxin, Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies; Third: Professor Soukkongseng Saignaleuth, President of the Lao Academy of Social Sciences; Fourth: Professor Pham Van Duc, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; Fifth: Maria de la Concepción Muñoz Prieto, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Laos.
At the opening ceremony, Professor Soukkongseng Saignaleuth delivered an enthusiastic address. He pointed out that socialism is a great achievement of Marxism. Marxism possesses grand ideas and scientific concepts; although every country has a different historical background, each can creatively apply Marxism to build its own socialism. This year marks the centenary of the victory of the October Revolution. Since the victory of the 1917 October Revolution and the establishment of the first socialist state, the socialist system has undergone arduous trials. Despite the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe [1], those countries that persisted in socialist ideals and goals have achieved new development after enduring the tests of difficult twists and turns. The great achievements of the reform and opening up of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the results of the socialist Doi Moi [2] experiments in Vietnam and Laos, and the socialist construction in Cuba and the DPRK all prove the basic principles and vitality of Marxism-Leninism, encouraging the development of socialist countries. The theme of this forum, "Marxism and Socialist Construction," is one of profound significance for Communist parties. In the era of globalization, there are both opportunities and challenges. While seeing the development attained by socialist countries in the world and the certain successes achieved in defending the socialist system, we must also recognize that imperialist countries are still constantly resisting, obstructing, and sabotaging the development of socialist countries. To this end, we, the socialist countries governed by Communist parties, must not only strengthen and improve the Party's own building, but also strengthen and consolidate solidarity between socialist countries, cooperate sincerely, and jointly promote the development of socialism.
Research Fellow Fan Jianxin, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies, delivered an address and speech. In his remarks, Fan first affirmed the significance of holding this forum. He stated that since the CASS, the Lao Academy of Social Sciences, and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences successfully held the inaugural Socialist International Forum in Beijing in 2013, the forum has been successfully held four times. It has received widespread acclaim from the international community and from scholars in the five socialist countries of the world—China, Laos, Vietnam, Cuba, and the DPRK. Holding the "5th Socialist International Forum," in addition to consolidating existing achievements, will help us understand the development of the world socialist movement more comprehensively and grasp the development trends of world socialism more scientifically, thereby providing reference and inspiration for all socialist countries.
In connection with the forum's theme, Fan Jianxin shared several points: First, China, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, and the DPRK are all socialist countries guided by Marxism. They share common ideals and beliefs, similar development paths, and interconnected futures and destinies. This is the important political foundation for the development of relations between the five countries, providing a broad stage for deepening inter-party exchanges, promoting mutual learning, and strengthening the exchange of experience in Party governance and state administration. Second, the "Belt and Road" [3] is not only China's initiative, but also the common aspiration of China and the countries along its routes. Everyone should take into account the legitimate concerns of other countries while pursuing their own interests, and promote the common development of all countries while seeking their own development. We should take the "Belt and Road" as an opportunity, adhere to mutual benefit, win-win results, and connectivity, and build a socialist community with a shared future. Third, under the current new international political and economic landscape, accurately grasping the basic characteristics, laws of development, and development prospects of the world socialist movement requires the joint efforts and active promotion of experts and scholars from all countries. As the backbone of the contemporary world socialist movement, we should join hands to conduct in-depth research on the basic status, reform practices, development dynamics, and trends of Communist parties and other left-wing forces under the background of globalization, as well as the new historical changes in contemporary capitalism, to jointly promote the revival of the world socialist movement.
Professor Pham Van Duc, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, congratulated the forum on its opening. He stated that socialist countries currently face common issues in their actual development, such as democratic construction, the construction of a socialist state under the rule of law, the problem of corruption, political stability, and social solidarity. To solve these problems, we must ensure the guiding position of Marxism and leverage its role in socialist construction and in promoting the construction of clean government.
Maria de la Concepción Muñoz Prieto, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Laos, shared several views on Marxism and its contribution to the Cuban Revolution in light of the Cuban revolutionary process. She stated that Marxism-Leninism is the guiding ideology for revolutionary people worldwide. Marx's theory was never a fixed blueprint, but a method, an interpretation, and a science. Therefore, seriously studying and widely disseminating Marxism is of fundamental, decisive, and crucial significance for the revival of the world socialist movement. She noted that dialectical materialism and historical materialism are the worldview and methodology of revolutionaries, as proven by the Cuban Revolution. In a world characterized by imperialist domination and hegemony, our leader Fidel Castro not only absorbed the ideological legacy of Marxism-Leninism but also put it into practice. Over a long period, he led a blockaded country to overcome countless obstacles and consolidate the achievements of the socialist revolution. In leading the process of the Cuban Revolution, the concepts proposed by Fidel Castro—such as objective and subjective conditions, revolutionary theory and revolutionary movements, leadership and the revolutionary vanguard, and armed struggle as a means—enriched and developed Marxism-Leninism.
(Group photo of participating Chinese and foreign experts and scholars) (Group photo of participating Chinese scholars and experts)
During the four sessions of presentations, 19 experts and scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Renmin University of China, Dalian University of Technology, Xiamen University, Guangxi Normal University, Guizhou University, Yunnan Agricultural University, Guizhou Normal University, Central China Normal University, the Lao Academy of Social Sciences, and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences spoke on four topics: the role of Marxism in building a secure and democratic state for the people; the guiding role of Marxism in developing political systems and promoting solidarity; the role and current status of Marxism in cultivating socio-cultural values and promoting human resource development; and the application of Marxism in the socialist economic development of various countries. During the discussion sessions, experts and scholars from the three countries engaged in in-depth, extensive, and candid exchanges and discussions on the aforementioned four topics.
The meeting decided that the 6th Socialist International Forum will be held in Vietnam in 2018, with the theme "Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Karl Marx."
(Article by Pan Xihua; Photography by Qi Jianguo)