The Complete Collection of Bronzes Unearthed in China Photo: PROVIDED TO CSST

On Jan. 8, Renmin University of China (RUC) hosted a press conference in Beijing to showcase the latest achievements in philosophy and the social sciences for the construction of China’s independent knowledge system in 2023. The presented outcomes included the Interpretation and Commentary on the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China (10 Volumes), The Complete Collection of Bronzes Unearthed in China (20 Volumes), and an article titled “CPC’s Innovative Development, Global Contributions, and Basic Experiences on Marxist Political Economy.” 

Vice President of RUC Wang Yi provided an overview of the new research works on China’s Civil Code, including the award-winning Interpretation and Commentary on the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China (10 Volumes), and China Civil and Commercial Series. 

According to Wang, the Interpretation and Commentary on the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China (10 Volumes) won the Grand Prize at the 17th Beijing Philosophy and Social Sciences Outstanding Achievement Awards in December 2023. The series of books, compiled under the chief editorship of Wang Liming, a distinguished professor of law at RUC, comprises over 6 million Chinese characters and provides in-depth interpretations, analysis, and commentary on core tenets, relevant legal provisions, legislative background, and judicial applications of 1,260 articles in the Civil Code. Featuring refined theories and clear highlights, the volumes have the height of lawmaking experts, depth of academic research, and breadth of judicial applications. They represent a major achievement in the field of civil and commercial law made by RUC in practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Rule of Law and building an independent knowledge system of China. 

Shen Ruiwen, dean of the School of Archaeology and Museology at Peking University, presented The Complete Collection of Bronzes Unearthed in China (20 Volumes), which also secured the Grand Prize at the 17th Beijing Philosophy and Social Sciences Outstanding Achievement Awards. The compilation, which involved nearly 1,000 scholars over an 11-year period, encompasses more than 5,000 bronzes (excluding bronze mirrors) dating to the pre-Qin era (prior to 221 BCE) and the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), many of which are being unveiled for the first time. 

Arranged by provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities, the collection includes representative artifacts from all eras and regions of Chinese history, demonstrating the evolution of techniques and regional variations of Chinese bronzeware. The books offer essential resources for the study of ancient Chinese bronzes and reliable benchmarks for authentication, thereby facilitating the further advancement of archaeological research on bronze articles in both scope and depth. 

Liu Fengyi, head of the publicity department of the Party committee of Nankai University, introduced the paper “CPC’s Innovative Development, Global Contributions, and Basic Experiences on Marxist Political Economy,” winner of the Grand Prize at the 18th Tianjin Philosophy and Social Sciences Outstanding Achievement Awards in December 2023. 

Drawing from the Communist Party of China’s century-long efforts to unite and lead the Chinese people, the article generalizes the Party’s theoretical innovations in Marxist political economy into several aspects and clarifies the significance of the innovations. It proposes focusing on major topics arising during the advancement of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation across the board through a Chinese path to modernization, to continuously break new ground in Marxist political economy in contemporary China. 

Additionally, the conference unveiled an annual report on the construction of China’s independent knowledge system. The report elaborates on the definition, features, and value of “original academic concepts,” exemplifying the selection process and analysis of certain original concepts, while predicting future research and academic evaluation trends. 

Edited by CHEN MIRONG