Two Integrations: Theoretical evolution and its contemporary significance to Xi Jinping Thought on Culture

Abstract Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology upon which the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the country are founded and thrive. During the revolutionary period, the CPC successfully explored the path of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities (the “First Integration”), achieving the theoretical breakthrough of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context: Mao Zedong Thought. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the CPC led the people in embarking on the journey of socialist modernization. Since the reform and opening-up, the CPC has continued to advance this integration, constantly enriching and developing the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics in keeping with the times. Entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the “Second Integration”—the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s fine traditional culture. Together with “the First Integration,” they constitute the “Two Integrations,” a significant theoretical innovation. These two are dialectically unified: the First Integration serves as the logical premise for the Second Integration, while the second completes this logic, elevating “integration” to a new height. As another form of mental emancipation, the Second Integration fosters confidence in China’s history, culture, and civilization. It defines the Chinese civilizational dimension of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, transforming fine traditional Chinese culture into a valued, structural, and constructive force for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Two Integrations, especially the Second Integration, represent an original contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It not only opens a new realm for adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times but also provides theoretical guidance for renewing the ancient Chinese civilization with a new mission and creating a new model for human advancement, demonstrating the Communist Party of China’s commitment to its civilizational responsibility for all humanity.