Books on a new form of human advancement Photo: CFP

Throughout history, the Chinese nation has created a splendid civilization, and will continue to contribute significantly to the advancement of civilizations in the present era. In the process of advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese modernization, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led the Chinese people to inherit and promote fine traditional Chinese culture, while also embracing and incorporating positive achievements from diverse global civilizations, to innovate civilizational theories and practices, and to have created a new form of human advancement with distinctive Chinese characteristics, style, and ethos.

Based on General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping’s interpretation on key topics such as socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and Chinese modernization, this new form of human advancement encompasses a diverse and vibrant range of content, which can be summarized into the following five key aspects.

The first aspect is the material civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics that upholds the value orientation of achieving common prosperity for all. The basic economic system in China observes the principle of public ownership as the mainstay with the common development of diverse forms of ownership, distribution according to work as the mainstay with multiple forms of distribution existing alongside it, and the socialist market economy system. This economic model seeks benefits for all rather than benefiting a select few. Socialism with Chinese characteristics upholds the value orientation of achieving common prosperity for all and has established a socialist material civilization that fundamentally differs from the capitalist civilization.  

The second aspect is the people-centered political civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Political civilization is an important hallmark of a modern country, including the design and arrangement of modern social systems, the rights and obligations of the people, and the level of political party development. Over more than four decades of reform and opening up, China has made remarkable strides in advancing its political civilization. Socialist political civilization with Chinese characteristics is a form of socialist political civilization with distinctive Chinese characteristics created by the Party and the people in the process of promoting Chinese modernization.

The third aspect is the intellectual civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics guided by core socialist values. The report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 201w stressed that “we should promote prosperity, democracy, civility and harmony, uphold freedom, equality, justice, and the rule of law, and advocate patriotism, dedication, integrity and friendship.” These provide a clear and defined value objective for the construction of the intellectual civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This includes the understanding, judgment, and selection of values pertaining to fundamental issues such as the type of country, society, and individuals to cultivate. The value guidance of core socialist values in the construction of the intellectual civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics is evident in both the physical world and the virtual online realm.

The fourth aspect is the main themes of the social civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics including fairness and justice, and people’s well-rounded development. Social civilization reflects the level achieved by a country in promoting social governance, maintaining social fairness and justice, and cultivating the comprehensive quality of its citizens. A significant feature of the social civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the establishment of a social governance system based on cooperation, participation and common interests. This system aims to uphold and attain social fairness and justice. A key objective of the social civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics is to establish a vibrant and well-ordered society that embodies principles of justice.

The fifth aspect is the ecological civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics highlighting harmony between humanity and nature. The CPC has led the Chinese people to adhere to the concept of green development, implement the ecological civilization development strategy, adopt an environmentally-friendly and resource-conserving economic development model, and commit to building a beautiful China, and to have built an ecological civilization of socialism with Chinese characteristics that embodies harmony between humanity and nature. Chinese modernization is guided by the Marxist viewpoint of nature and ecological ethics. It is a modernization that embodies the wisdom of Chinese ecological ethics and genuinely embraces the principles of sustainable development.

Xiang Yuqiao is a professor from the Center for Ethics & Culture Studies at Hunan Normal University.

Edited by ZHAO YUAN