General Secretary Xi Jinping’s summary of the “five prominent features” of Chinese civilization, including the “consistency, originality, unity, inclusivity, and peaceful nature,” not only characterizes Chinese history and culture, but also bridges history and reality. It is important for Chinese people to inherit and promote their own culture and civilization, uphold integrity and innovation, keep up with the times, and set sails.

Consistency: The consistency of Chinese civilization is unique among all ancient civilizations in the world. Among the world’s six major primitive civilizations (Chinese, Mesopotamian, ancient Egyptian, ancient Indian, Mayan, and Incan civilizations), only Chinese civilization has endured uninterrupted since its emergence more than 5,000 years ago. Chinese culture and civilization continue to flow, generating numerous original ideas and forming its own cultural genes, nurturing successive generations of outstanding figures who have made significant contributions to human development. Throughout its origins, formation, and development, Chinese civilization has engaged in varying degrees of communication and interaction with foreign cultures at each stage. However, since her inception, China has been locally rooted with the confluence of multiple origins, resulting in unity in diversity. In the long-term development that followed, communication with the outside world varied over time, but China embraced excellent aspects of foreign cultures and adapting them to the Chinese context. The consistency of Chinese civilization plays an important reference role in world history studies.

Originality: The originality of Chinese civilization is exemplified by its commitment to integrity and innovation, as well as its respect for traditional culture without being bound to it. Chinese civilization has always been characterized by a willingness to embrace new ideas and adapt to changing times.

The traditional Chinese culture that has accumulated and developed over the course of history is not static. There are two mechanisms that drive changes in cultural traditions: firstly, traditional culture often evolves in response to changes within its own society; secondly, traditional culture gains new vitality by incorporating elements from foreign cultures.

Building a modern Chinese civilization, which is closely linked to Chinese modernization, requires the integration of fine traditional culture with scientific culture. To achieve this, first we must incorporate the values of respecting and advocating science into the original value system of fine traditional Chinese culture. Secondly, it is suggested to integrate the truth-seeking spirit of scientific research into fine traditional Chinese culture. Thirdly, it is advised to incorporate the analytical and critical thinking methods used in scientific research into China’s fine traditional culture. Fourthly, in undergraduate education, we should constantly update or introduce high-quality teaching materials to meet the demands of the forefront of science and technology. This will enable students to acquire latest knowledge of the “new sci-tech civilization,” connect the basic university education system with the forefront of sci-tech development, and cultivate students’ creativity and innovation abilities to meet the needs of the evolving society.

Unity: The unity of Chinese civilization, which encompasses national unity, ethnic cohesion, and cultural integration, is an essential requirement for the development path of China’s history and the formation of national identity and ethnic cohesion. From the perspective of the development process of the community for the Chinese nation, the historical trajectory of “Yanhuang (Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang) – Huaxia (the Han people) - Zhonghua (China)” is a distinctive feature. Within this trajectory, “China” and “the Chinese nation” are inseparably interlinked.

The Chinese nation was formed through a unified national structure with the system of prefectures and counties as a mechanism, beginning with the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BCE–220 CE). The Chinese nation is an ethinic community, with the unified country served as its framework. This is how Chinese history developed, and how the Chinese nation came to be. Therefore, we say that the relationship between “the Chinese nation” and “China,” which is one entity with two sides, is a characteristic of China’s historical development, determined by the internal relationship between the state and the nation in Chinese history.

Inclusivity: The inclusivity of Chinese civilization is not only a national trait but also a cultural characteristic that spans both history and reality. Throughout history, the inclusivity of the Chinese nation has often been presented as the colorful unity of Chinese culture. Its “colorfulness” refers to the convergence of numerous ethnic cultures. The “unity” refers to both its carriers, Chinese language and Chinese characters, and the integration at the level of national culture.

Ethnic exchanges that occurred throughout China’s history can be described as a process of “mutual integration” in terms of culture. The inclusivity of the Chinese nation and culture is also reflected in the fact that foreign cultures have become an important component of Chinese culture after being adapted to the Chinese context.

The inclusivity of Chinese culture has played a role in enhancing cohesion domestically and drawing upon foreign civilizations throughout history. In the contemporary era, it not only serves as the soil for the cohesion of the Chinese nation, but also enables Chinese culture to keep pace with the times and integrate into the trend of the “new sci-tech civilization.”

Peaceful nature: The peaceful nature of Chinese civilization emphasizes the importance of harmony in social relationships between individuals, with the characteristic of “harmony in diversity.”

The peaceful nature is also manifested in the interactions between countries. The pursuit of peace is not only a fine tradition of the Chinese nation, but also the universal aspiration of all peace-loving people around the world. In the pursuit of peace, today we advocate exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and initiate the building of a community with a shared future. May peaceful development always be the guiding principle of human civilization!

Wang Zhenzhong is a CASS Member.