The 2023 Academic Annual Conference & Academic Seminar on “Whole-Process People’s Democracy and Chinese Modernization” hosted by the Chinese Association of Political Science (CAPS) was held in Shenzhen on November 4-5, 2023. Nearly 300 experts and scholars from colleges, universities, Party schools and research institutes all over the country participated in the conference. The conference was jointly organized by the CAPS Institute of Political Science, Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences and Shenzhen University, and the School of Government of Shenzhen University participated in the coordination of conference affairs. The annual conference also received financial support from the National Social Science Fund for society activities.
Zhao Qi, Secretary General of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in his speech that this year is the first year to fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, and all the persons working in philosophy and social science, including those working in political science, should strengthen their sense of mission, responsibility, and urgency in the Party’s propaganda, ideological and cultural work, and enhance their systematic study and scientific interpretation of Xi Jinping’s thought on socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a new era and the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, truly becoming a firm believer, faithful practitioner and active propagandist of the Party’s innovative theory. The persons working in political science should stand at a higher place to “take about politics” with the characteristics and advantages of political science; find the correct position, and speed up the construction of “three systems” and the independent knowledge system in China’s political science; have a clear direction, with focus on the whole-process people’s democracy and Chinese modernization and other major topics, to provide strong academic and intellectual support for its practical development.
Zhang Ling, Member of Standing Committee of Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee & Head of Publicity Department, pointed out in her speech that we should carry out research in full combination with China’s political practice, China’s fine traditional political thought and the achievements of world political civilization, strive to reveal the new direction of human political development marked by China’s political practice, promote the adaptability of excellent traditional political culture to modern political civilization, and in the mutual learning of civilizations and theoretical dialogue, demonstrate the research features and academic responsibilities of China’s political science. Meanwhile, she welcomed experts and scholars to conduct practical research of political science in Shenzhen and provide more intellectual support for Shenzhen to build a pilot zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Zhang Shuhua, Executive Vice President of CAPS & Director of Institute of Political Science of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, congratulated on the opening of the annual conference on behalf of CAPS President Li Shenming and welcomed all the delegates at the site. In his speech, Zhang Shuhua pointed out that in forging ahead for a new journey in in the new era, there is much to be done and great achievements can be made in China’s political science. Chinese politicians have the ambition, backbone, and confidence to tell the “t Governance of China” story well in accordance with the requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping. He stressed that first, we should grasp the general trend of world historical development, strengthen our political confidence and value confidence, and maintain strategic focus; second, we should take the academic mission of building an independent knowledge system of Chinese politics, and start from “Grand Politics” to decode the governance of China, refine the principles of China, construct the studies of China, and promote the ways of China; third, we should tell the world the story of the CPC uniting and leading the people to realize that the people are masters of the country.
In his speech, Wang Yongcheng, Member of Standing Committee of Party Committee & Vice President of Shenzhen University, reviewed the founding history of Shenzhen University and the goals and ideas of establishing the School of Government, emphasizing that the latter is an important measure for Shenzhen University to optimize the layout of disciplines, create distinctive characteristics and accelerate the development of the university. The school will be based in Shenzhen, rooted in the Bay Area, and facing the world, and will, in close combination of the national strategy and the needs of urban development, grasp the major opportunities brought by the pilot demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and promote the comprehensive development of the school in accordance with the path of connotative development, featured development and innovative development.
In the academic report session, CAPS President Li Shenming made a keynote video report entitled “Firmly Grasp the World Outlook and Methodology of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a New Era”. He pointed out that the world outlook and methodology of Xi Jinping’s thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era and the positions, viewpoints and methods that run through therein are embodied in six aspects, i.e. we must put the people first; we must insist on self-confidence and self-reliance; we must stick to integrity and innovation; we must be problem-oriented; we must adhere to the system concept; we must keep the world in mind. The six aspects are not in a side-by-side relationship. First of all, “we must put the people first” is the worldview and fundamental position of Communists, and the direction and soul of the other five aspects. Second, the six aspects are independent of each other, and also mutually compatible, interconnected and interdependent. Third, learning and applying the six aspects must combine theory with practice and serve the overall work of the Party and the country. Fourth, the six aspects are the basic principles for continuing to promote theoretical innovation on the basis of practice, as well as the basic guidelines for earnestly studying and deeply understanding Xi Jinping’s thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era and the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC.
During the speech stage of the conference, the relevant speeches were given by Wang Shaoguang, Emeritus Professor of Chinese University of Hong Kong, with respect to “The Communist Party of China and the generation of the ‘democracy’ concept”; Huang Ping, President of Chinese Society of World Politics Studies, with respect to “Modernization: the legitimacy of Chinese modernization from the perspective of comparing the United Kingdom and the United States with China; Wu Dinghai, Secretary of Party Committee & President of Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences, with respect to “Shenzhen exploration of Chinese modernization”; Zhang Mingjun, Professor of School of International and Public Affairs of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with respect to “The time and space transformation of new technological revolution and Chinese modernization”; Shi Hexing, Professor of Party School of the CPC Central Committee (Chinese Academy of Governance), with respect to “Balanced development of whole-process people’s democracy at the grassroots level”; Tang Yalin, Professor of School of International Relations & Public Affairs of Fudan University, with respect to “People’s supervision and self-revolution: shaping of a dual-power mechanism for the Communist Party of China to jump out of the historical cycle of the rise and fall of chaos”; Zhang Shiwei, Professor of School of Political Science and Public Administration of Northwest University of Political Science and Law, with respect to “The worldview foundation and methodological innovation of the theory of whole-process people’s democracy”; Xiong Yihan, Professor of School of International Relations & Public Affairs of Fudan University, with respect to “The invitation of democracy: towards the value co-creation of the government and society”, respectively.
At the round table stage, 10 experts and scholars, including Chen Jingan, Cheng Zhuru and Han Dongxue, discussed and delivered speeches on “The Development and Innovation of Politics with Chinese Characteristics”. The speeches of experts and scholars mainly focused on the research object, research method and research content of political science with Chinese characteristics.
During the round table stage, 10 experts and scholars, including Chen Jing’an, Cheng Zhuru and Han Dongxue, made discussions on “The development and innovation of politics with Chinese characteristics”, mainly covering such aspects as the research object, research method and research content of political science with Chinese characteristics.
A total of 7 parallel forums were set up at the conference, with the following themes: “two answers” for developing the whole-process people’s democracy and jumping out of the historical cycle; Chinese modernization from a comparative perspective; the development of political science in the new era and the construction of an independent knowledge system of political science with Chinese characteristics; new disciplines and new methods of political science; research on the history of political thought; public policy and the governance of China; Shenzhen reform and opening up and Chinese modernization; and 7 parallel forums with a total of 29 topics, covering the major subdivisions and research hotspots of Chinese political circles in recent years, where more than 200 experts and scholars shared their latest research results.
