The 7th Academic Forum on the Sinicization of Marxism was Successfully Held in 2016
On November 13, 2016, the "Seventh Academic Forum on the Sinicization of Marxism" was convened in Guangzhou. Organized jointly by the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the South China University of Technology (SCUT), the forum was hosted by the Department of Sinicized Marxism Studies of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies and the School of Marxism at SCUT. Co-organizers included the CASS Think Tank for Marxist Theoretical Innovation, the editorial office of the journal Marxism Studies, and the Guangdong Association of Ideological and Political Education in Higher Education.
Jia Chaoning, Deputy Director of the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies; Ding Jinqing, Director of the Theory Division of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee's Publicity Department; and Yu Qijun, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee at SCUT, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Researcher Jin Minqing, Director of the Department of Sinicized Marxism Studies at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, delivered the keynote report and concluding remarks. Professor Liu Shexin, Dean of the School of Marxism at SCUT, presided over the opening ceremony.
More than 150 experts and scholars from over 110 research institutions and institutions of higher learning—including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau [1], Peking University, Renmin University of China, Zhejiang University, Nankai University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Wuhan University, and Sun Yat-sen University—gathered to discuss the theme of this year's forum: "Xi Jinping’s Thought on State Governance and the Latest Progress in the Sinicization of Marxism."
Correctly Grasping the Great Significance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on State Governance in Advancing the Process of the Sinicization of Marxism
Participants pointed out that the new concepts, thoughts, and strategies on state governance [2] formulated by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core represent the contemporary development of the Sinicization of Marxism. They not only respond to several important issues within the Sinicization of Marxism but also endow it with new theoretical connotations. Xi Jinping’s thought on state governance has collectively proposed the concepts and content of 21st-century Sinicized Marxism and has deepened the fundamental content of the Sinicization of Marxism across three dimensions: Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism.
Correctly Understanding the Rich Connotations of Xi Jinping’s Thought on State Governance
Participating experts provided expositions from various perspectives and levels, including equity and justice, the rule of law, the united front [3], cultural confidence, and the labor theory of value. Professor Guo Jianning of Peking University argued that the new concepts, thoughts, and strategies on state governance by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core are constituted by several key aspects: leading national rejuvenation with the Chinese Dream; taking the persistence and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics as the theme; employing the "Four Comprehensives" as the strategic layout; guiding development with the Five Major Development Concepts [4]; centering development on the people; focusing on the military and national defense construction with the core aim of building a strong military capable of winning battles; and adopting a diplomatic and international development strategy centered on a community with a shared future for humanity and global governance.
Advancing New Practices in the Sinicization of Marxism through the Party Central Committee's New Concepts, Thoughts, and Strategies on State Governance
Professor Qin Xuan of Renmin University of China argued that advancing the Sinicization of Marxism requires focusing on the renewal of ideas and methods. It is necessary to strengthen research into the fundamental theories of Marxism and accurately grasp the Marxist value orientation of upholding the realization of human liberation and safeguarding the interests of the people. One must uphold the critical rationality of Marxism to critique and deconstruct irrational phenomena in the real world, while continuing to carry forward the constructive rationality of Marxism to point the way for the future of humanity. Furthermore, the value rationality and instrumental rationality of Marxism must be unified within the practical process of understanding and transforming the world.
Studying and Researching the Party Central Committee's New Concepts, Thoughts, and Strategies on State Governance to Advance the Sinicization of Marxism
Integrating their discussions with China’s concrete practice, participants engaged in debates regarding theoretical research and practical exploration.
Researcher Jin Minqing pointed out that one of the fundamental principles for grasping the new concepts, thoughts, and strategies on state governance is to use Marxism as a guide to solve practical problems, and through the resolution of these problems, to continuously persist in and develop Marxism. Associate Researcher Chen Yalian, Director of the Research Office for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics at the CASS Institute of Marxism Studies, summarized the disciplinary progress of research into the Sinicization of Marxism over the past year and proposed several issues in current disciplinary construction and research that require further resolution.