Xi Focus: Nation inspired to foster modern Chinese civilization

BEIJING - The remarks made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at a meeting on cultural inheritance and development last week received an enthusiastic response from all sectors of the Chinese society.

Experts and scholars in the relevant fields said that under the guidance of the speech by Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, efforts should be made to shoulder the new cultural mission of further promoting cultural prosperity and developing a great culture in China and a modern Chinese civilization from a new starting point.

At Friday's meeting, Xi summarized five prominent features regarding Chinese civilization -- consistency, originality, uniformity, inclusivity, and peaceful nature.

From a strategic perspective encompassing the holistic development of both the Party and the country, Xi has introduced fresh views on the inheritance, promotion and innovative development of Chinese civilization, creatively enriching and developing the Party's thinking on cultural development, said Wang Bo, vice president of Peking University.

"These five prominent features point the way forward for the advancement of the modern Chinese civilization," Wang added.

Xing Guangcheng, director of the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said these five interconnected features constitute the general attribute of Chinese civilization.

"At such a historical juncture critical to realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, it is all the more important to unify the whole nation as a community with a shared future with a higher degree of identity and cohesion," Xing said.

Xi pointed out that a profound understanding of the history of Chinese civilization is essential to promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture in a more effective manner.

Xu Qinhua, a professor at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, said Xi's words have struck a chord with her.

"The rise of all countries is spearheaded and based on cultural innovation and civilizational progress," said Xu. "Only by creating a new form of civilization can the strength of a country be translated into civilizational prosperity."

When addressing Friday's meeting, Xi said that it is natural to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and fine traditional culture if we are to create and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics on the basis of the profound Chinese civilization of more than 5,000 years.

"The integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's fine traditional culture highlighted by Xi represents another endeavor to emancipate our minds, which has brought new vitality to Marxism," said Han Zhen with the Beijing Normal University.

Han's views were echoed by Lyu Jian, president of Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House.

"We will employ the strength of Marxism to energize traditional culture, inject new vitality into the publishing of ancient books, and make efforts for the innovation of Chinese civilization," Lyu said.

According to Su Bomin, president of the Dunhuang Academy, Xi's speech has enabled him to better understand the far-reaching significance of openness and inclusiveness to Chinese civilization.

Su said that the academy will leverage its advanced concepts and technologies in the fields of murals, earthen sites, and digitalization of cultural relics to increase global cooperation and facilitate the advancement of modern Chinese civilization.

Fan Di'an, president of the Chinese Artists Association, said he found great inspiration in Xi's comprehensive insights and analysis of major theoretical and practical issues concerning the inheritance and development of Chinese culture.

"As art workers, we should adhere to innovation on the basis of what has worked in the past, and contribute to the building of a modern Chinese civilization," Fan added.