Culture sparks human intelligence and motivation to create transformational changes.

President Xi's Cultural Thought is based on rational extraction, knowledge distillation, and scientific investigation of more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization history that absorbs and accumulates the in-depth cultural wisdom and charm formed within.

As President Xi Jinping summarized Chinese civilization's five outstanding characteristics at a symposium on cultural inheritance and development in Beijing on June 2, 2023:

1. Continuity: “Chinese civilization is the only great civilization in the world that has continued and developed to this day in the form of a country.”
2. Innovation: “Chinese civilization is a civilization that reforms the rigid and brings forth new innovations, and its glory is renewed day by day. The deep flow of quiet waters is intertwined with the magnificent waves (“中华文明是革故鼎新、辉光日新的文明，静水深流与波澜壮阔交织”). Continuity is not stagnation, let alone rigidity. It is a process of historical progression  supported by innovation.”
3. Unity: “The long-term tradition of great unity in Chinese civilization has formed a unity of diversity, unity and concentration. The pursuit of unity of "inward cohesion" (“向内凝聚”) is the premise of civilization continuity and the result of civilization continuity. Unity is a blessing (“团结统一是福”).”
4. Inclusiveness: The more inclusive the civilization is, the more it will be recognized and maintained, and the more it can be continuous. The inclusiveness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the historical orientation of the Chinese nation's exchanges and integration.”
5. Peacefulness: "Chinese civilization is characterized by outstanding peace. Peace, cohesiveness, and harmony are the concepts that have been passed down in Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years, advocating the construction of a world where individuals and groups are united through moral order."

President Xi Jinping  innovatively strengthened the theory of Chinese nation’s cultural gene and Marxist's cultural theory through both and especially the "Second Merge", bringing strong vitality to the Chinese nation in the modern era.

• “Two Merge” is the organic combination of Marxism and China's practical reality and China's excellent traditional culture.
• “Second Merge” is the deepened integration between Marxism and China’s traditional culture. This special merge achieves a duo-elevation of material civilization and spiritual civilization, which is reinforced by the "Five-in-One" overall layout.  

The Second Merge enables Marxism’s critical ideology to adapt to the demands of the new era, promotes the creative transformation and innovative development of China's traditional culture, and merges the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's traditional culture to form a new cultural entity. This approach ensures that Chinese-style modernization not only inherits the long-standing cultural traditions of China but also keeps pace with the evolving needs of modern society.

The “Second Merge” has achieved major thought liberation stemming from the cohesive, mutually synergistic, and chemically organic relationship between Marxism and China’s fine traditional culture.

Chinese-style modernization is guided by scientific socialist theory and meanwhile leverages the strengths of China's exceptional traditional culture. It aims to establish a new form of socialist modern civilization with distinct Chinese characteristics. 

For thousands of years, China's traditional culture encompass distinct and unique ideas, wisdom, intelligence, and charm. It is the source of the confidence, identity, and spiritual nutrients of the Chinese community, and the core of Chinese civilization's sustainable development.