Tian Pengying: On Mao Zedong's Theoretical Contributions to the "Second Integration"

General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his important speech at the symposium commemorating the 130th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong's birth, pointed out: "Comrade Mao Zedong was a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist, the great pioneer of the Sinicization of Marxism, and the great founder of China's cause of socialist modernization" ^[1]. During the periods of the New Democratic Revolution as well as socialist revolution and construction, Mao Zedong—with the extraordinary courage of a pioneer—grasped historical initiative. He explicitly proposed and consistently adhered to the use of the basic tenets of Marxism to solve China's specific problems, leading the people in initiating the historical process of the Sinicization of Marxism. In the process of struggling against various erroneous tendencies and profoundly summarizing the experience of the Chinese revolution, he founded Mao Zedong Thought; in the practice of exploring a path for socialist construction suited to China’s national conditions, he enriched and developed Mao Zedong Thought.

Mao Zedong stated: "The great strength of Marxism-Leninism lies precisely in its integration with the specific revolutionary practice of each country. For the Communist Party of China, this means learning how to apply the theory of Marxism-Leninism to China’s specific environment" ^[2]. Mao Zedong’s great practice of using the "arrow" of Marxism to shoot at the "target" of China’s specific reality provided a brilliant example for how we should correctly treat Marxism and continuously advance the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. It opened up ideological space and laid the epistemological foundation for the proposal of the "Two Integrations" in the New Era, particularly the "Second Integration." Deeply understanding Mao Zedong's theoretical contribution to the "Two Integrations"—especially the "Second Integration"—is of great practical significance and far-reaching historical significance for us to better grasp the way to success in opening up new prospects for the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, for building a modern Chinese civilization through the "Two Integrations" (especially the "Second Integration"), and for continuously advancing the majestic cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

I. Mao Zedong was the first to propose the "First Integration," achieving a "liberation of the mind" and laying the epistemological foundation for the proposition of the "Second Integration" as "another liberation of the mind."

Marxism is the scientific theory for the liberation of the proletariat and humanity. The vision it presents is based on reality yet transcends it; it is a universal and world-historical theory, whereas the specific practices of various countries are diverse, probabilistic, and open. Consequently, Marxist theory must be integrated with the "specific environments" of all the world's nations and peoples.

Modern China waned under the aggression of Western imperialism and declined amidst the waves of the capitalist Industrial Revolution. With the land fragmented and the country impoverished and weak, the great powers acted willfully and high-handedly in China. The Chinese people were in a miserable state of being exploited, oppressed, and slaughtered; the Chinese nation had reached its most dangerous moment. Various political forces explored paths to save the nation from subjugation and ensure its survival, "one taking the stage as the other departs." The Westernization Movement, the Taiping Rebellion, the Hundred Days' Reform, and the Xinhai Revolution broke out in succession, but all failed, and the national situation grew worse and worse. Amidst these immense social upheavals, Western ideas flowed into China one after another: anarchism, liberalism, positivism, Marxism... various thoughts clashed and surged. It was only when advanced intellectuals saw that Russia, under the guidance of Marxism, had achieved victory in the October Revolution that they gradually recognized the practical power of this theory and finally made the historical choice of using Marxism to save China.

On the question of how to "treat Marxism," the initial understanding of the young Chinese Communists was not mature. Erroneous ideological tendencies such as "book worship" ^[3] emerged, and the Party "suffered greatly" due to the mechanical copying and rote recitation of texts divorced from reality. Some comrades within the Party had not yet mastered the truth that "Marxism is not a dogma, but a guide to action." They practiced dogmatism, simply applying Marxist discourses on proletarian revolution to guide the Chinese revolution. Other comrades long adhered to empiricism, either being confined to their own partial experiences and failing to see the overall situation of the revolution, or "cutting the feet to fit the shoes" ^[4] by mechanically copying the experience of the Russian revolutionary war. They did not understand the importance of theory for revolutionary practice, nor did they understand that the guidance of Marxism-Leninism for the Chinese revolution is the guidance of worldview and methodology. These two extreme and one-sided erroneous ideologies did not—and could not—grasp the dialectical relationship between the basic tenets of Marxism and the practice of the Chinese revolution, causing the Chinese revolution to suffer immense losses for a time.

Mao Zedong timely summarized the experiences and lessons of the revolutionary war, forming an understanding of "why it is necessary" to integrate Marxist theory with practice. He critiqued those whose understanding of Marxism was incomplete and who merely draped themselves in the mantle of Marxism to deceive the masses; he critiqued those who "separated internationalist content from national forms" ^[5] and understood nothing of internationalism; and he critiqued those who were obsessed with finding answers in books and memorizing individual words and sentences of Marx by rote. Mao Zedong pointed out sharply: "It is impossible for dogmatism and empiricism to have foresight. And without foresight, there is no leadership; without leadership, there is no victory" ^[6]. Whether it be dogmatism, book worship, or empiricism, all deviate from the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, and none are the correct prescription for leading the Chinese revolution and construction toward victory.

In correctly understanding and grasping the relationship between the basic tenets of Marxism and China’s specific practice, Mao Zedong formed an understanding of why advancing the "First Integration" was necessary. Mao Zedong pointed out: "The reason why Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin could produce their theories was, besides their genius, mainly because they personally participated in the practice of the class struggle and scientific experimentation of their time" ^[7], thereby gaining a deep understanding of the essence and laws of things and forming scientific theories. This shows that Mao Zedong recognized the foundational role of practice in the generation of theory, just as "if you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself" ^[8]. On this basis, Mao Zedong further pointed out: "Marx could not have known specifically beforehand certain laws peculiar to the era of imperialism in the era of free capitalism, because imperialism—the final stage of capitalism—had not yet arrived and there was no such practice" ^[9]. This means Mao Zedong recognized that Marxism did not presciently stipulate everything for the future; rather, it provided the correct standpoint and scientific method for observing and solving problems—namely, a worldview and methodology. Therefore, the specific theory guiding the practice of the Chinese revolution is by no means a mechanical copying of the original words of classical authors. Instead, it must be created, innovated, and developed on the basis of practice to better penetrate and guide that practice. Mao Zedong put great effort into elucidating the theoretical logic of "integration."

In On Practice and On Contradiction, Mao Zedong’s understanding of the dialectical relationship between theory and practice was continuously sublimated. He further elucidated the philosophical basis for the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific reality, pointing out that one must "discover the truth through practice, and again through practice verify and develop the truth. Start from perceptual knowledge and actively develop it into rational knowledge; then start from rational knowledge and actively guide revolutionary practice to transform both the subjective and the objective world" ^[10]. This established the dialectical materialist epistemology of practice-knowledge-practice. The victory of the Russian October Revolution proved that Marxism is a truth that can withstand the test of practice and can actively guide the practice of the Chinese revolution. However, Mao Zedong went further, based on the principle of the universality and particularity of contradiction, to advocate "using different methods to solve different contradictions" ^[11]. One should not indiscriminately apply formulas that one considers unchangeable everywhere. Mao Zedong fully recognized that the Chinese revolution was a democratic revolution of an anti-imperialist and anti-feudal nature, which differed from the Russian revolution. He proposed that while we must respect the Soviet Union's war experience, we must also respect the experience of the Chinese revolutionary war, which possesses many particularities. Only by integrating the universal principles of Marxism-Leninism with the specific and particular revolutionary practice of China can we truly achieve the aim of shooting the "target" of the Chinese revolution with the "arrow" of Marxism. It can be said that Mao Zedong fully demonstrated the major proposition of "why the First Integration is inevitable" and "why it is necessary" from the perspectives of reason, scholarship, and philosophy, thereby pioneering and advancing the Sinicization of Marxism.

The "First Integration" was a significant liberation of the mind. It was a great historical original creation made by Mao Zedong based on the specific practice of the Chinese revolution and his deep cultivation of the Marxist worldview and methodology; it possesses great and far-reaching significance for the unfolding of theory and practice. On the one hand, the "First Integration" allowed people to treat Marxism with a dialectical materialist method of thinking, liberating it from dogmas that were used to "measure and cut" everything ^[12], allowing it to take root and flourish on Chinese soil. On the other hand, the "First Integration" led the Chinese revolution from victory to victory. Mao Zedong creatively proposed paths, principles, and strategies such as "encircling the cities from the countryside" and the "land revolution," which both adhered to Marxist truth and conformed to objective realities like the characteristics of the Chinese revolutionary war and China's class structure, providing a fundamental guide for achieving national independence and people’s liberation. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, in order to answer the question of how a traditional agricultural country with backward productive forces could move toward becoming a modernized industrial country, the "First Integration" was advanced once again. This required that we "must proceed from China's national conditions" and "put effort into the integration," resulting in a series of important ideas regarding socialist construction. In essence, "integration" possesses historical inevitability and theoretical necessity. Mao Zedong's great original creation regarding the "First Integration" laid the historical tradition and ideological foundation for "integration," opened up ideological space for the formation of the "Second Integration" and the advancement of "another liberation of the mind," and created possibilities in an epistemological sense.

By delving into theory, integrating with practice, and drawing lessons, Comrade Mao Zedong both firmly took Marxism as his guide and broke through the ideological barriers of dogmatizing Marxism. In the struggle against subjectivism, he formed the valuable understanding of "why it is necessary" and "how it is possible" to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific reality. Proposing and advancing the "First Integration" was a significant liberation of the mind, freeing people from the quagmire of dogmatism and laying the historical tradition and ideological foundation for our Party to propose and advance the "Second Integration" in the New Era to achieve "another liberation of the mind."

II. Mao Zedong proposed that "this revolutionary science of Marxism-Leninism should be further and deeply integrated with the practice of the Chinese revolution, Chinese history, and Chinese culture," pioneering the "Second Integration"

Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has inscribed Marxism upon its banner and, under this banner, launched the New Democratic Revolution and socialist revolution and construction. Amidst the interweaving and clashing of different thoughts, Mao Zedong, with the extraordinary courage of a revolutionary, was the first to propose that Marxism must take on a Chinese national form, using Marxism to activate the classics of the Chinese historical tradition. It was precisely based on such a profound understanding and insight that Mao Zedong harmonized Marxism with the seemingly independent systems of thought and culture within China's fine traditional culture. He creatively proposed and transformed the term "seeking truth from facts" (shishi qiushi), thereby pioneering the "Second Integration" in the history of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.

For a long time, people understood "seeking truth from facts" only in the sense of the "First Integration." When discussing the basic philosophical principle of the priority of matter over consciousness, they would naturally propose the methodology of "proceeding from reality in all things and seeking truth from facts." When discussing the opposition to subjectivism, they would often propose "seeking truth from facts" as the ideological principle with which to struggle against it. This led people to often focus only on Mao Zedong's materialist interpretation of "seeking truth from facts" and a general understanding of the value of the "First Integration," while neglecting the special theoretical contribution of "seeking truth from facts" toward advancing the "Second Integration." Mao Zedong proposed the attitude of "seeking truth from facts" to emphasize the establishment of a Marxist style of study that integrates theory with practice, and to avoid the dogmatism and empiricism where theory is severely divorced from reality—characterized as being "top-heavy with shallow roots" or having "a sharp tongue, thick skin, and a hollow belly" ^[13]. It was as if "seeking truth from facts" only made a significant contribution to deepening the "First Integration" while being negligible for the "Second Integration." In reality, "seeking truth from facts" was precisely the important hallmark of Mao Zedong initiating the advancement of the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s fine traditional culture—that is, the "Second Integration." It is "seeking truth from facts" that unifies the "Two Integrations" and creates the epistemological conditions for the "First Integration" to become reality, thereby highlighting Mao Zedong’s great historical contribution to the "Second Integration."

Mao Zedong possessed a profound understanding of Chinese history and culture, providing him with the intellectual accumulation and theoretical capacity to advance the "second combination." The term "seeking truth from facts" (shishi qiushi) first appeared in the writings of Ban Gu during the Eastern Han Dynasty as "studying the past with devotion and seeking truth from facts" ^[14]. It was advocated as a rigorous style of scholarly inquiry and subsequently passed down through the ages as an academic attitude, becoming sedimented deep within the psychological pursuits of the Chinese nation and shaping a philosophical character distinct from ancient Western metaphysics. Influenced by the wisdom of "the unity of knowledge and action" (zhixing heyi), "statecraft and utility" (jingshi zhiyong), and "personal practice" (gongxing shijian) found in fine traditional Chinese culture, Mao Zedong possessed the genetic markers of this tradition. He consistently emphasized investigation and research, seeking to study the internal connections and essential laws of things by grasping them as they objectively exist. As early as 1927, in response to various doubts regarding the peasant struggle within and outside the Party, Mao returned to Hunan for a 32-day rural inspection. He mastered extensive factual materials and wrote the Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan, recognizing the importance of the Chinese peasantry to the Chinese revolution. This provided a scientific logical basis for deepening concepts such as "encircling the cities from the countryside" and "launching peasant movements." This signifies that before Mao formally proposed "seeking truth from facts," he was already practicing the concept under the influence of Chinese culture. This laid the intellectual foundation for using Marxism to activate the scientific quality of "seeking truth from facts" and for its metamorphosis from an ancient Chinese philosophical concept into a Chinese narrative mode of Marxist philosophy.

Mao Zedong accurately mastered the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method. To solve the problems of the Chinese revolution, he actively expressed Marxist philosophy in a Chinese national form, thereby enhancing the vitality and influence of the theory. Mao profoundly recognized the salient practical nature of Marxist theory. However, for a time, subjectivism—which did not conform to the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method—and dogmatism—which mechanically swallowed individual words and phrases of Marxism—held sway over China's destiny while cloaked in Marxist garb. Within this spatio-temporal field, Mao expressed Marxism through Chinese national forms, using ancient sayings and allusions familiar to the Chinese people to interpret Marxist truths. He dressed the theory in the clothing of national forms, allowing it to resonate with the values accumulated by the Chinese nation. "Seeking truth from facts" is precisely the creative transformation and innovative development achieved under Mao’s advocacy and promotion. That is, by combining Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture, he both endowed "seeking truth from facts" with a modern expression—transcending the philosophical standpoint of ancient China—and injected into it the basic principle of Marxist philosophy: the integration of theory and practice. It became both a discourse reflecting the characteristics of the Chinese nation and a methodological approach that conforms to scientific theory and meets practical needs. Consequently, it provided a correct ideological line for resolving the dualistic opposition between theory and practice, and between the subjective and the objective.

"Seeking truth from facts" is the living soul of Mao Zedong Thought. Nourished by fine traditional Chinese culture and possessing an attitude of "the unity of knowledge and action" and "personal practice," Mao found a resonance deep within his thought with "practical materialism." He further confirmed the truth of "seeking truth from facts" through his own practice. The circumstances of the Chinese revolutionary practice led Mao to recognize the necessity of adhering to "seeking truth from facts" and the urgency of its formal proposal. Breaking through the myths of subjectivism, Mao combined this ancient Chinese scholarly attitude with Marxist philosophy, transforming it into a worldview and methodology to guide the great practice of the Chinese revolution and construction. By establishing "seeking truth from facts" as the ideological line followed by the CPC in perceiving, analyzing, and handling problems, he both advanced the "first combination" and made a historic contribution to the creation of a new cultural lifeform through the "second combination." This demonstrates that Mao’s thought on "seeking truth from facts" did not detach itself from the practical needs of the "first combination," nor did it depart from the fertile soil of fine traditional Chinese culture or deviate from Marxist truth. Rather, it used "seeking truth from facts" to fortify the practical foundation of the "first combination" while pioneering the historical path for the "second combination."

III. Mao Zedong proposed "theoretical creations that meet China's needs," endowing Marxism with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese flavor

If the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities constituted "a liberation of the mind" in the history of the Sinicization of Marxism—the theme of which was to solve the problem of "what exactly is Marxism and how should we treat it," concluding that the basic tenets of Marxism must be combined with China's specific realities—then the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture constitutes "yet another liberation of the mind" ^[15]. Its theme is "what exactly is fine traditional Chinese culture and how should we treat it," concluding that the basic tenets of Marxism must be combined with fine traditional Chinese culture. In the history of the Sinicization of Marxism, the "two combinations" serve as each other's premise. Without the "first combination," we would remain shackled by a dogmatic understanding of Marxism, unable to pursue truth in the spirit of truth. Without the "second combination," we might not only remain trapped in the fog where Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture cannot engage in dialogue, are incommensurate, and cannot integrate, but we would also fail to solve the issues of Marxism’s cultural identity and its taking root in China. This would make it difficult to provide the epistemological prerequisite for the "first combination" and would ultimately block the path to consolidating the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation.

China possesses a million-year history of humanity, a ten-thousand-year history of culture, and a history of civilization spanning more than 5,000 years. Throughout its long historical evolution, Chinese civilization has formed salient characteristics such as continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness. The salient continuity of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that the Chinese nation must follow its own path. Without understanding China from the perspective of its long historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, modern China, or future China. The salient innovation of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the enterprising spirit of the Chinese nation in upholding the fundamentals without being archaic and respecting the past without returning to it; it determines the fearless character of the Chinese nation in facing new challenges and accepting new things. The salient unity of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that the cultures of the various ethnic groups of the Chinese nation are integrated into a whole and remain firmly cohesive even when facing major setbacks; it determines the common conviction that territory is inseparable, the state must not be in chaos, the ethnic groups must not be dispersed, and civilization must not be broken; it determines that national unity is forever the core of China’s core interests and that a strong, unified state is the destiny of all ethnic groups. The salient inclusiveness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the historical orientation of the Chinese nation toward interaction, exchange, and integration, the harmonious pattern of coexistence among various religious beliefs, and the open-mindedness of Chinese culture toward assimilating world civilizations. The salient peacefulness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines that China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of international order; it determines that China will continuously pursue exchange and mutual learning between civilizations rather than cultural hegemony, that China will not impose its values and political system on others, and that China is committed to cooperation rather than confrontation, never forming "small circles" ^[16] to discriminate against those who differ. These civilizational traits and strengths endow the Chinese nation with a unique capacity for self-development, responding to challenges, and opening new horizons, thereby demonstrating to the world the vigorous vitality, historical depth, and spiritual resonance of fine traditional Chinese culture, and fully manifesting the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation.

Mao Zedong had deep roots in fine traditional Chinese culture, possessing the subjective conditions and essential capacity to advance the "second combination." In specific historical practice, Mao had profound insights and reflections on how to treat traditional Chinese culture and how to make Marxism "wear national clothing." He became a brilliant exemplar of promoting the "second combination" in both theory and practice. While exploring the correct path for the Chinese revolution, Mao frequently used traditional Chinese thoughts, concepts, and allusions to express and propagate Marxist theory. Mao often cited Sun Tzu’s military dictum: "know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat" ^[17], as well as Wei Zheng’s saying from the Tang Dynasty: "listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; heed only one side and you will be in the dark" ^[18]. He emphasized penetrating the inner workings of things to study the complete picture in detail, requiring our Party to take an overview of the whole situation, look at the big picture, overcome the flaws of subjectivity and one-sidedness, and adhere to a dialectical and relational perspective. Mao once used the phrase "how can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair" ^[19] to interpret the Marxist theory of practice and epistemology, making scientific theory more vivid and "down-to-earth." He also connected the Marxist truth of integrating theory and practice with the ancient moral cultivation of "the unity of knowledge and action" and the scholarly style of "seeking truth from facts," proposing and eventually establishing the ideological line of "seeking truth from facts." On Contradiction contains the theoretical foundation of Mao’s promotion of the "second combination." When discussing the transformation of various aspects of a contradiction, he used the ancient description of things being "both opposite and complementary, both mutually destructive and mutually generative" ^[20]. Although Mao did not explicitly propose the term "the second combination," his own theoretical reflections and practical developments were the advancement of the "second combination." He possessed a thorough and solid mastery of thought from Confucius to Sun Yat-sen, as well as the truths of Marxism-Leninism. He was adept at using traditional Chinese thought and culture to elucidate and express the truth of Marxism, allowing the two to integrate and resonate. This laid the intellectual foundation for the CPC to recognize the inherent compatibility between Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture. He transformed profound theories into "down-to-earth" plain language, which also led the Chinese people to more proactively accept and uphold Marxism, actively using Marxism to activate the vitality of fine traditional Chinese culture.

Many of Mao Zedong’s discourses and important instructions contributed immense wisdom and strength to the advancement of the "second combination." During the past revolutionary wars, Mao established "studying the theories of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin" and "learning our historical legacy and using the Marxist method to give it a critical summation" ^[21] as the two major learning tasks of our Party. The establishment of these two tasks meant that, within the horizon of Mao Zedong Thought, both were of equal importance to the Chinese revolution. In the intellectual history of modern China, this was a remarkable historical leap, dispelling the myth that seeking the development of contemporary China required the total negation of historical tradition, and creating the theoretical possibility for the "second combination." At the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth CPC Central Committee, Mao further promoted the "second combination," proposing to "make Marxism concrete in China, making it take on a necessary Chinese character in every one of its manifestations—that is, applying it according to China's characteristics" ^[22]. At the same time, he emphasized: "Today’s China is a development of historical China; we are Marxist historicists, and we must not sever history. From Confucius to Sun Yat-sen, we should summarize and inherit this precious legacy" ^[23]. This clearly expressed the necessity of inheriting historical legacy and the inevitability of making Marxism wear national clothing. He went on to propose: "Foreign stereotyped writing must be abolished, empty and abstract talk must be reduced, dogmatism must be laid to rest, and they must be replaced by the fresh and lively Chinese style and Chinese flavor which the common people of China love to see and hear" ^[24]. This not only demonstrated the use of the "first combination" to break through the quagmire of dogmatism but also contained the great ambition to advance the "second combination"—using Marxist truth to discard feudal dross and activate the vitality of historical traditional culture, while using fine traditional Chinese culture as the soil and the expression. This made Marxism a scientific theory that the Chinese people love to see and hear, and a set of values they "use daily without even realizing it" ^[25]. In practice, Mao continuously formed and deepened his understanding of the "second combination" and applied it brilliantly, giving Marxism Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese flavor.

The degree to which a theory is realized in a country depends on the degree to which that theory meets the needs of that country. The CPC historically chose Marxism both because the theory met the needs of the Chinese revolution and because the traditions of thinking passed down through generations influenced our value judgments and choices. The fact that Marxism entered China, took root, blossomed, and bore fruit is inseparable from both the needs of the Chinese revolution and China's historical traditions. If it is said that the CPC is the finest inheritor of all the culture, thought, and morality of our nation, then Mao Zedong was the pioneer, the precursor, and the founder who led the Party in inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture and advancing the "combination." The history of China's revolution, construction, and reform fully proves that the reason why the CPC is capable and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good is, in the final analysis, because Marxism works—specifically, Marxism that has been Sinicized and adapted to the times.

Conclusion

When we say that Mao Zedong made a historical contribution to the "second combination"—and even set a historical precedent for it—we are not suggesting that as early as the New Democratic Revolution ^[26] period, Mao already possessed a distinct cultural self-awareness and cultural confidence regarding the "second combination" or had formally proposed this major philosophical proposition. Rather, we mean that within the historical logic of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, Mao had in fact initiated and advanced the combination of the universal truths of Marxism-Leninism with fine traditional Chinese culture. This combination emphasized both content and form, though it placed greater emphasis on form. Nevertheless, Mao Zedong's historical contribution to the "second combination" at the very least demonstrated theoretically that the basic tenets of Marxism can "be combined"—that they are capable of being combined with fine traditional Chinese culture.

Based on the long-term exploration, practice, and accumulation of the Chinese Communists, General Secretary Xi Jinping has continuously deepened our understanding of the "second combination," proposing and fully demonstrating this new proposition and category. Unlike Mao Zedong’s factual initiation and advancement of the "second combination," General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly proposed the "second combination" as a philosophical proposition. In essence, this represents our Party's profound summary of the historical experience of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and a profound grasp of the laws governing the development of Chinese civilization. It signifies that our Party’s understanding of the Chinese path, theory, and system has reached a new height; that our Party’s historical and cultural confidence has reached a new height; and that our Party’s consciousness in promoting cultural innovation while inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture has reached a new height.

The "second combination" enlightens us that in the great process of advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, we must never abandon the soul-conduit ^[27] of Marxism, nor the root-conduit ^[28] of fine traditional Chinese culture. Adhering to this "soul" and "root" is the foundation and prerequisite for theoretical innovation. Theoretical innovation must speak in a new language, but it cannot abandon the "old ancestors" ^[29]. To forget one's ancestors ^[30] is equivalent to severing the soul-conduit and root-conduit, which would ultimately lead to a subversive error of losing both. We must remain unswerving in upholding Marxism as the foundation upon which our Party and country are established and thrive. We must never stop developing Marxism by rooting it in the fertile soil of our own country’s and nation’s history and culture. We must strengthen our historical and cultural confidence, adhere to the principle of "making the past serve the present" (gǔ wèi jīn yòng) and "weeding through the old to bring forth the fresh" (tuī chén chū xīn).

Under the guidance of Marxism, we must conduct a comprehensive excavation of the treasure house of over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, using Marxism to activate the vital and excellent elements within fine traditional Chinese culture while imbuing them with new connotations of the era. By injecting the great spirit and rich wisdom of the Chinese nation more deeply into Marxism, we can effectively integrate the essence of Marxist thought with the cream of fine traditional Chinese culture, fusing them into a new theoretical advantage to continuously scale new heights of thought. We must broaden our theoretical horizons, learning from and drawing upon all the outstanding civilizational achievements of human society with an open mind that "incorporates hundreds of rivers" ^[31]. We must draw upon excellent ideological and cultural resources from the "sum of human knowledge" to innovate and develop the Party’s theory, forming a grand theoretical landscape characterized by inclusiveness and the integration of diverse strengths.

In short, the "second combination" represents "another liberation of the mind" ^[32] in the history of the Sinicization of Marxism. It allows 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. Our best commemoration of Mao Zedong is to continue advancing the "two combinations" ^[33] and to push forward the great cause he inaugurated. On the new journey of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation, we shall comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.