Basics of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

The high-level Office for The Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project pays meticulous and consistent efforts to prepare all kinds of cognitive learning materials, which will reflect and expound on the brand new academic achievements attained in the study of Chinese Marxism. Among them, the textbook "Mao Zedong Thought and The Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics," has been a unique work which has been highly praised by readers from all walks of people, promising young people including college students. By courtesy of the ministry of education, colleges and universities across the country have made great contributions and achievements in transforming the rich contents of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics into teaching materials, a part of which can be utilized in schools. This book—The Basics of the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics—we present to readers, was prepared by the most prominent scholars of the subject from the Marxism School of the Renmin University of China especially designed for college students.

Throughout the writing and editing of this book, we have both enjoyed the advantage of certain comprehension basis, and a certain degree of difficulty, certain comprehension basis as an advantage, firstly because we had already edited the "Introduction to Deng Xiaoping Theory", "Introduction to the Important Thought of Three Represents", since their publication in 2003, the titles were re-published for dozens of times, and the aggregate print of them has nearly reached 3 million, most of which have reached the readers. Secondly, the writers of this textbook are all in the front line of teaching and research, they have a certain degree of research accretion on the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and have abundant teaching experience on the subject. Thirdly, the academic community has made abundant research on “Deng Xiaoping Theory”, and on the “Important Thought of Three Represents” and also on “The Scientific Concept of Development” and other major strategic thoughts, which are component parts of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and have produced numerous precious research results. These above favorable conditions have laid a virtuous foundation in the writing and editing of this book.

We have faced certain degree of difficulty, firstly because the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics still encounters enrichment and perfection. The academic circles have different understandings of its theme, its historical starting point, main content and the logical structure of this theoretical system. There still exist differences in the understanding and interpretation of many major issues regarding it. Secondly, we have encountered a considerable difficulties, as in the following, how to break through the previous framework of Deng Xiaoping Theory and unify the three strategic thoughts of—Deng Xiaoping Theory, Important Thought of Three Represents, and The Scientific Concept of Development—and integrate them into one and same book, because all the three not only represent major theoretical achievements having their own unique characteristics, but also have succession and development relations among them, besides they follow the same strain and have included successive times characteristics.

Xu Zhihong graduated from the Department of Philosophy of Peking University with a Master of Philosophy. He is currently the Director of the Organization Department of the Party Committee of Renmin University of China, a doctoral supervisor and a professor of the School of Marxism. In 2015, Xu Zhihong became the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Capital Normal University. He has co-edited several books, including the textbook History of Marxism, History of Mao Zedong Thought, China's Market Economic System and Changes in Economic and Socio-Political Structure, A Concise History of Marxism and A Study of Deng Xiaoping's Unifying Power, and edited and co-edited Introduction to Deng Xiaoping Theory for adults and undergraduates.

Qin Xuan, PhD in Law, is a Professor at Renmin University of China in a second-level post, a PhD supervisor, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Teaching and Research at Renmin University of China, and former Dean of the School of Marxism. He is currently the Director of the Institute of Xi Jingping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at Renmin University of China. He is one of the leading talents in philosophy and social sciences in the third batch of the National "Ten Thousand People Plan". Head of the Expert Steering Group of the Steering Committee for the Integration of Civics and Political Science Courses in Universities and Schools.