The 18th Wanshou Forum Held in Beijing

The 18th Wanshou Forum was held in Beijing on May 11. It was co-sponsored by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and Renmin University of China and hosted by the Research Institute on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Renmin University of China. The forum focuses on "Marxism in the 21st Century and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." Jin Nuo, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Renmin University of China, addressed the opening ceremony, and Blade Nzimande, General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), made a keynote speech.  

Blade Nzimande said that as the world is faced with challenges currently, we should continue to carry out innovation-oriented analysis on Marxism. SACP firmly believes that localization is a very important aspect of the reform of Marxism, that is to say, we have to adapt Marxism to specific situations in different regions and countries, rather than implement it in a dogmatic manner. He thought SACP should strengthen the study on Chinese socialism, especially the cooperation between both parties in party history study. He stressed that "on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth, it is necessary to gather the Marxist parties together to study the history of each party, because the history contains the development course and methodology of the parties."  

Jin Nuo shared her understanding of Marxism in the 21st Century and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era from three dimensions: combination of history and contemporary society, integration of theory and practice, and comparison between China and the world. She pointed out that to discuss Marxism in the 21st Century and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we have to sum up experience and theories of both China and other countries, answer such questions as "What is wrong with the world" and "Where will humans go" with the lessons drawn from the comparison between China and the world, and constantly deepen the awareness of laws concerning the CPC's governance, socialist construction and human social development, so as to have the beautiful prospect of human society spread out before us vividly. She said, "We hope the CPC and the SACP can get together to constantly deepen and expand their cooperation and drive the relations between the two parties and two countries to move towards a higher level." 

According to Luan Jianzhang, Director of the Research Office, International Department of the CPC Central Committee, the SACP was founded in July 1921, roughly at the same time of CPC's establishment. As Marxist parties, both the CPC and the SACP shoulder the important responsibility to build their own countries more beautifully. With the theme of Marxism in the 21st Century and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, this forum was held to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth, exchange ideas and experience of the CPC and the SACP concerning state governance and the latest theoretical results of the localization of Marxism in China and South Africa, and discuss the trends and prospects of socialism development in the world.  

At the forum, participants exchanged ideas on two topics: "Chinese Path and African Development" and "New Cooperation between China and Africa and Responsibilities of Political Parties."