当今世界从未如此的紧密联系，如同习近平主席提倡的 “人类命运共同体” (“Common Destiny of Mankind” or “a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind”)，“全人类共同价值” (“Common Values of Mankind”)。

在多个演讲和发表中，习主席领导着中国将诸多中国智慧，中国道理，中国方案分享给世界，照耀、滋润和启迪人心。深刻了解真实温暖和美好的中国，可让在不同国家的你获得全面启发和学习借鉴。

在新时代的征程上，习主席带领中国创造了一系列中国奇迹，这些奇迹也是重大的世界奇迹。面向未来，会有更多重大的历史性时刻，这是值得每一位在海外和台湾的你都感到特别兴奋与激励的。

在2023年6月2日的文化传承发展座谈会上，习近平总书记以贯通古今的文化自觉，鲜明提出中华文明 五个突出特性—连续性、创新性、统一性、包容性、和平性。

“中华民族共同体” 象征着民族团结和伟大复兴，此重要理念，应拥护在各位心中。

文化承载着一个国家民族的基因。中华文化承载着中华民族的基因，血脉，和珍贵的共同回忆。中华文化的特别更是在其源远流长的历史连续性。习主席将中华文化连续性的重要意义做出了深刻阐述，习主席指出，中华文明“是世界上唯一没有中断、发展至今的文明“ 。两岸的团结统一，能够给予当代世界重要的模范案例，即呈现祖源的连续性、创新性、统一性、包容性、和平性。

人们越来越努力地期盼了解中国，中国本身也积极地以更大和更开放的姿态拥抱世界，以促进相互理解，相互珍惜，共同合作，携手共建更加美好的世界。

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.

Core values not only directly impact personal morality, but also instill precious virtue in the nation. Core values not only are the spiritual ties that a nation relies upon but also are the common ideological and moral foundation of a country.

As President Xi Jinping pointed out:

“Core values are an important stabilizer of a country. Whether we can build core values with strong appeal is related to social harmony and stability, and to the long-term stability of the country.”

“The history of the development of human society shows that, for a country or a nation's community, the most lasting and deepest strength is the core values recognized by the whole society. Core values carry the spiritual pursuit of a nation's community and the country. They embody the value standard by which a society judges as correct or wrong.”

“The development of core values is by no means a day’s work. It is necessary for us to persist in moving from easy to difficult, from near to afar, and strive to turn the requirements of core values into daily codes of conduct, and subsequently form beliefs and concepts that we consciously pursue.”

“We ought to pay attention to making the socialist core values daily, concrete, visual, and life-like, so that everyone can feel, perceive and understand them, internalize them into spiritual pursuits, and externalize them into practical actions.”


Cultural Trio:
The primary direction of cultural construction can be summarized in the following: 

1. Inherit China's excellent traditional culture,

2. Carry forward revolutionary culture, and

3. Develop advanced socialist culture. 

President Xi’s Cultural Thought encompasses logicality in three domains: Theory, History, and Practice.

1. Theory (Theoretical logic): President Xi's cultural thought emphasizes the significance of continuing the Chinese cultural context to protect and inherit Chinese historical and cultural heritage, while promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of China's traditional culture -- thereby extending China's traditional culture's eternal charm and style and meanwhile emphasizing the promotion of common values for mankind through mutual learning, exchange, reference, and inspirations among world civilizations

2. History (Historical logic): Chinese-style modernization is a modernization that harmonizes material civilization and spiritual civilization. The new journey in the new era has embarked on the importance of improving and tightly integrating and synthesizing the following five civilizations - material civilization, political civilization, spiritual civilization, social civilization, and ecological civilization -- thereby building a modern and powerful Chinese socialist country.

3. Practice (Practical logic): Practice enables theoretical development, uncovers traces to wisdom treasure, examines the validity of theoretical thesis and application. President Xi’s Cultural Thought is the upgraded theoretical summary of the Party's cultural construction experience in the new era and is the precious crystalization of Marxist cultural theory. It provides a series of new ideas, new perspectives, and new judgments that present great specifics in theoretical practicality. 

To understand President Xi's Cultural Thought, it is important to first understand the highly powerful national ideology of China - Marxism.

Marxism is deeply rooted in China’s political ideology. It is the spiritual DNA of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In the early days of the founding of the CPC in 1921, the Party began to explore the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and cultural elements. The Sinicization of Marxism was proposed at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party in 1938 and became the foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It remains the core ideology and emblem of the Party. President Xi Jinping emphasized the significant role of Marxism in shaping the Party's ideology and the development of China on various occasions.

President Xi Jinping highlighted that Marxism should be well utilized to observe, grasp, and lead the era. And to ensure the vitality of Marxism, the Party shall continuously adapt, progress, as well as address the major questions raised by the transformative era.

“We deeply implement the people-centered development philosophy.” —President Xi Jinping

“We must uphold the supremacy of the people. Affinity with the people is the essential attribute of Marxism. The theory of the Communist Party of China is a theory that comes from the people, for the people, and benefits the people. The people's creative practice is an inexhaustible source of theoretical innovation. All theories distanced from the people are pale and weak, and all theories that do not benefit the people have no vitality. It is necessary for us to stand firm from the people's position, grasp people's wishes, respect people's creation, consolidate people's wisdom, and form a theory that is loved, recognized and owned by the people.” —President Xi Jinping

“Scientific socialism has radiated new vitality in China in the 21st century. Chinese-style modernization provides new options for mankind to achieve modernization.” —President Xi Jinping

President Xi Jinping places high emphasis in the mutually-reinforcing and synergistic relationship between theory (scientific reasoning) and practice (practical action) - thereby fostering China's societal advancement through the Party’s adherence to its original aspiration and mission of its founding spirit, complemented by continuous effort in truth exploration.

Karl Marx also once said:  Ideas could not be profitably studied in isolation, since they were an inseparable part of the activity of individuals and groups, and were literally  unintelligible unless seen as an aspect of the total activity of men. Theory must not be viewed as something distinct from practice.

President Xi's Cultural Thought is the ideological crystallization of Marxist cultural theory. Through inheriting, developing, enriching, nourishing and upgrading Marxist cultural theory, President Xi's Cultural Thought is a special cultural chapter of Chinese-style socialism in the new era.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also holds the positions of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, is renowned for being world’s wonderful leader.

President Xi’s Cultural Thought is a special crystalization of the modern China.

In addition to his great leadership in leading China, which has made consecutive achievements and meaningful milestones for both China and the world, President Xi Jinping is also greatly notable for his wisdom in cultural, philosophical, scientific, sociology, philanthropy and multiple syntheses in intellectual domains.

In addition to his people-centric orientation, great leadership in guiding the Party and the nation, President Xi Jinping also instills great strength and warmth to China and global communities, as well as bringing Chinese cultural confidence and vitality of Chinese community both within and out of China to a historic height.

President Xi Jinping’s thought on culture and Chinese-style socialism (which we’ll discuss in later episodes) have opened the door to those who wish to explore the truth of China, and have kindled the lights in the hearts of many.

Great era calls from great thought of inspiration.
Culture is the blood and soul of a nation. It is the precious spiritual memory and moral garden of a nation. It possesses special strength to widening human mind, enlarging curiosity, and brightening the spirit. It makes people appreciate and understand each other better, beware of own perceptual limitation, heighten the awareness of joy and fond towards each other, and enable humanity to overcome various challenges and barriers.

Culture also determines the destiny of its civilization.
A country's strength, liveliness and rejuvenation have always been strongly linked and supported by the prosperity of its culture. A country's progress is also deeply impacted by its cultural resilience and prosperity.


“The prosperity of a country and a nation‘s community is always supported by cultural prosperity. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the development and prosperity of Chinese culture.” —President Xi Jinping

“The more than 5,000 years of civilization history of the Chinese community has given birth to a splendid Chinese civilization. This is not only the crystallization of the wisdom of ancient Chinese people, but also a precious spiritual wealth provided to future generations. ” —President Xi Jinping

With strong heart-to-heart unity, President Xi Jinping is leading China towards the historic moment of national rejuvenation through cultural prosperity whilst providing inspirational gifts of Chinese-style wisdom, logic, path, and solutions to the world. 

Hi you! Welcome to Modern China in the New Era. This podcast series is dedicated to truth explorers around the world who hold a curious mind. In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, there is a growing effort to comprehend China, while China itself is embracing greater openness to foster understanding. To understand China, it is vital to understand China's then and now.

Culture is the cumulative deposit of knowledge, the deepest embodiment of human thought, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, skills, hierarchies, material objects and possessions of people in the course of generations that transcends time.
 
Now, why is culture so important?

Culture carries on the wisdom of a civilization and provides special influences and guidance for aggregate actions. It is the root of a nation, the fundamental basis for its societal progress, transformation and advancement - which altogether constitute the path of civilizational modernization.

As President Xi Jinping pointed out:

“Chinese-style modernization is a modernization that continues ancient civilization, not a modernization that eliminates ancient civilization... it is the result of civilization renewal, not a modernization that destroys ancient civilization, nor is it a product of the rupture of civilization."  - President Xi Jinping

Albert Einstein had a message to humanity, he said: “Without changing our pattern of thought, we will not be able to solve the problems we (humanity) created with our current patterns of thought.” 

The curiosity to uncover undiscovered knowledge and spark imaginations is vital to the progress and growth of humanity. The curiosity to explore truth also encircle the world.

Let's hop on and enjoy the journey of truth discovery!

当今世界从未如此的紧密联系，如同中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平主席提倡的 “人类命运共同体” (“Common Destiny of Mankind” or “a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind”)，“全人类共同价值” (“Common Values of Mankind”)。

在多个演讲和发表中，习主席领导着中国将诸多中国智慧，中国道理，中国方案分享给世界，照耀、滋润和启迪人心。深刻了解真实温暖和美好的中国，可让在不同国家的你获得全面启发和学习借鉴。

在新时代的征程上，习主席带领中国创造了一系列中国奇迹，这些奇迹也是重大的世界奇迹。面向未来，会有更多重大的历史性时刻，这是值得每一位在海外和台湾的你都感到特别兴奋与激励的。

在2023年6月2日的文化传承发展座谈会上，习近平总书记以贯通古今的文化自觉，鲜明提出中华文明 五个突出特性—连续性、创新性、统一性、包容性、和平性。

“中华民族共同体” 象征着民族团结和伟大复兴，此重要理念，应拥护在各位心中。

文化承载着一个国家民族的基因。中华文化承载着中华民族的基因，血脉，和珍贵的共同回忆。中华文化的特别更是在其源远流长的历史连续性。习主席将中华文化连续性的重要意义做出了深刻阐述，习主席指出，中华文明“是世界上唯一没有中断、发展至今的文明“ 。两岸的团结统一，能够给予当代世界重要的模范案例，即呈现祖源的连续性、创新性、统一性、包容性、和平性。

人们越来越努力地期盼了解中国，中国本身也积极地以更大和更开放的姿态拥抱世界，以促进相互理解，相互珍惜，共同合作，携手共建更加美好的世界。

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.

Core values not only directly impact personal morality, but also instill precious virtue in the nation. Core values not only are the spiritual ties that a nation relies upon but also are the common ideological and moral foundation of a country.

As President Xi Jinping pointed out:

“Core values are an important stabilizer of a country. Whether we can build core values with strong appeal is related to social harmony and stability, and to the long-term stability of the country.”

“The history of the development of human society shows that, for a country or a nation's community, the most lasting and deepest strength is the core values recognized by the whole society. Core values carry the spiritual pursuit of a nation's community and the country. They embody the value standard by which a society judges as correct or wrong.”

“The development of core values is by no means a day’s work. It is necessary for us to persist in moving from easy to difficult, from near to afar, and strive to turn the requirements of core values into daily codes of conduct, and subsequently form beliefs and concepts that we consciously pursue.”

“We ought to pay attention to making the socialist core values daily, concrete, visual, and life-like, so that everyone can feel, perceive and understand them, internalize them into spiritual pursuits, and externalize them into practical actions.”


Cultural Trio:
The primary direction of cultural construction can be summarized in the following: 

1. Inherit China's excellent traditional culture,
2. Carry forward revolutionary culture, and
3. Develop advanced socialist culture. 

President Xi’s Cultural Thought encompasses logicality in three domains: Theory, History, and Practice.

1. Theory (Theoretical logic): President Xi's cultural thought emphasizes the significance of continuing the Chinese cultural context to protect and inherit Chinese historical and cultural heritage, while promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of China's traditional culture -- thereby extending China's traditional culture's eternal charm and style and meanwhile emphasizing the promotion of common values for mankind through mutual learning, exchange, reference, and inspirations among world civilizations
2. History (Historical logic): Chinese-style modernization is a modernization that harmonizes material civilization and spiritual civilization. The new journey in the new era has embarked on the importance of improving and tightly integrating and synthesizing the following five civilizations - material civilization, political civilization, spiritual civilization, social civilization, and ecological civilization -- thereby building a modern and powerful Chinese socialist country.
3. Practice (Practical logic): Practice enables theoretical development, uncovers traces to wisdom treasure, examines the validity of theoretical thesis and application. President Xi’s Cultural Thought is the upgraded theoretical summary of the Party's cultural construction experience in the new era and is the precious crystalization of Marxist cultural theory. It provides a series of new ideas, new perspectives, and new judgments that present great specifics in theoretical practicality. 

To understand President Xi's Cultural Thought, it is important to first understand the highly powerful national ideology of China - Marxism.

Marxism is deeply rooted in China’s political ideology. It is the spiritual DNA of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

In the early days of the founding of the CPC in 1921, the Party began to explore the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and cultural elements. The Sinicization of Marxism was proposed at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party in 1938 and became the foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It remains the core ideology and emblem of the Party. President Xi Jinping emphasized the significant role of Marxism in shaping the Party's ideology and the development of China on various occasions.

President Xi Jinping highlighted that Marxism should be well utilized to observe, grasp, and lead the era. And to ensure the vitality of Marxism, the Party shall continuously adapt, progress, as well as address the major questions raised by the transformative era.

“We deeply implement the people-centered development philosophy.” —President Xi Jinping

“We must uphold the supremacy of the people. Affinity with the people is the essential attribute of Marxism. The theory of the Communist Party of China is a theory that comes from the people, for the people, and benefits the people. The people's creative practice is an inexhaustible source of theoretical innovation. All theories distanced from the people are pale and weak, and all theories that do not benefit the people have no vitality. It is necessary for us to stand firm from the people's position, grasp people's wishes, respect people's creation, consolidate people's wisdom, and form a theory that is loved, recognized and owned by the people.” —President Xi Jinping

“Scientific socialism has radiated new vitality in China in the 21st century. Chinese-style modernization provides new options for mankind to achieve modernization.” —President Xi Jinping

President Xi Jinping places high emphasis in the mutually-reinforcing and synergistic relationship between theory (scientific reasoning) and practice (practical action) - thereby fostering China's societal advancement through the Party’s adherence to its original aspiration and mission of its founding spirit, complemented by continuous effort in truth exploration.

Karl Marx also once said:  Ideas could not be profitably studied in isolation, since they were an inseparable part of the activity of individuals and groups, and were literally  unintelligible unless seen as an aspect of the total activity of men. Theory must not be viewed as something distinct from practice.

President Xi's Cultural Thought is the ideological crystallization of Marxist cultural theory. Through inheriting, developing, enriching, nourishing and upgrading Marxist cultural theory, President Xi's Cultural Thought is a special cultural chapter of Chinese-style socialism in the new era.