Academics must remake Marxism for 21st century, says China’s President Xi Jinping

Communist Party chief Xi Jinping has again underscored Marxism as key to advancing communist orthodoxy and the development of the country.

In a seminar in Beijing yesterday with leading academics in philosophy and the social sciences, Xi said the mainland’s rapid development required innovation in theory and further advances in Marxism.

The seminar was also attended by party propaganda chiefs from across the country and focused on the development of philosophy and social sciences.

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Xi called for the development of a system of philosophy and social sciences “with Chinese characteristics that incorporates the country’s socialist practices”, Xinhua reported.

Xi said the widespread and profound social changes under way would be fertile ground for advances in the two areas.

Xi, who is also the state president, called on academics and party ideologues to focus equally on absorbing Marxist classics and adapting the theory to contemporary conditions.