Jin Minqing, Vice President of the Academy of Marxism, Receives a Delegation of Cadres from the Progressive Party of Working People of Cyprus
On the afternoon of February 22, 2019, in Room 403 of the Administration Building, Jin Minqing, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); Xin Xiangyang, Deputy Director of the Institute of Information Studies; and Gong Yun, Executive Deputy Director of the Research Center for Xi Jinping New Era Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, received a 12-member cadre delegation from the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) [1] of Cyprus, led by Central Committee member Michalakis Tsitsekkos.
Cyprus is one of the most China-friendly countries within the European Union, and its successive governments and major political parties have all attached great importance to developing relations with China. Founded in 1926, AKEL is currently the opposition party in Cyprus and the second-largest party in parliament.
Researchers Jin Minqing, Xin Xiangyang, and Gong Yun respectively introduced the delegation to three areas: the historical background, main content, and significant contributions to Marxism of Xi Jinping New Era Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.
Researcher Jin Minqing pointed out that China's development over recent decades is a miracle in the history of world development, and the root of this success lies in adhering to the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Without the strong leadership of the CPC, it would have been impossible to achieve such world-renowned accomplishments.
Researcher Jin Minqing argued that the reason the CPC has achieved success in revolution, construction, and reform [2] lies in the Party's continuous advancement of theoretical and practical innovation. A major characteristic of the CPC’s theoretical innovation is that it both consistently adheres to the guidance of Marxism and continuously advances the innovative development of the Sinicization of Marxism based on the new questions and challenges posed by the times.
Researcher Jin Minqing emphasized that General Secretary Xi Jinping has provided profound answers to four major questions of the era: "Where is the world going?", "Where is socialism going?", "Where is contemporary China going?", and "Where is the Communist Party of China going?". For contemporary Chinese Communists, these four questions converge into a single core issue: "What kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics should be upheld and developed in the New Era, and how should it be upheld and developed?" This constitutes the core focus of Xi Jinping New Era Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.
Researcher Xin Xiangyang pointed out that Xi Jinping New Era Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics possesses rich connotations. Its main content is concentrated in the "Eight Clarifications" [3], covering basic issues such as the general objectives, general tasks, principal contradiction [4], general layout [5], and strategic layout [6] of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. It also encompasses development direction, development mode, development drivers, strategic steps, external conditions, and political guarantees, forming a logically rigorous theoretical system.
Researcher Gong Yun pointed out that Xi Jinping New Era Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics has made original contributions to Marxist philosophy, scientific socialism, and political economy. It has opened up new frontiers [7] for Marxism, socialism with Chinese characteristics, state governance (治国理政, zhìguó lǐzhèng), and Party governance (管党治党, guǎndǎng zhìdǎng).
Tsitsekkos expressed deep agreement with many important viewpoints of Xi Jinping New Era Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. He pointed out that although Marxism was founded over 100 years ago, it still holds important guiding significance for the present; the Progressive Party of Working People of Cyprus has always adhered to Marxism as its guide. He emphasized that Marxist theory must be combined with practice and must proceed from the actual conditions of each country, based on the needs of the masses, to promote better development for the working class and the laboring people in the future.
Also participating in the colloquium were researchers Liu Zhiming, Chen Zhigang, and Yu Haiqing.
Contributor: Chen Zhigang