The 8th Socialist International Forum Held via Video Conference

On December 20, 2021, the 8th Socialist International Forum, co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences, and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, was held simultaneously via video conference in Beijing, Vientiane, and Hanoi. The forum’s theme was “Coordinated Economic and Social Development in Socialist Construction in the New Era.” Over a hundred experts and scholars from China, Laos, and Vietnam engaged in in-depth discussions around three topics: “Economic Development and Cultural Development,” “Economic Growth and Improvement of People’s Livelihoods,” and “Economic Growth and Social Harmony.”

2021年12月20日，由中国社会科学院、老挝经济社会科学院和越南社会科学翰林院主办的第八届社会主义国际论坛，以视频会议方式在北京、万象与河内同期举行。论坛主题为“新时代社会主义建设中的经济社会协调发展”。来自中国、老挝、越南的百余位专家学者围绕“经济发展和文化发展”、“经济增长和改善人民生活”、“经济增长与社会和谐”三个议题进行了深入讨论。

In his opening address, Dr. Sonethanou Thammavong, President of the Lao National Academy of Social and Economic Sciences, which hosted this year’s forum, pointed out that realizing the socialist ideal is a common historical mission for socialist countries, and is a great, profound, comprehensive, tortuous, and long-term historical process. In socialist construction in the New Era, socialist countries should attach great importance to coordinated economic and social development, and through exchange and mutual learning, jointly address the risks and challenges in socialist construction.

本届论坛承办方老挝国家社会经济科学院院长宋塔努·塔马旺（Sonethanou Thammavong）博士在开幕式致辞中指出，实现社会主义理想是社会主义国家共同的历史使命，是伟大、深刻、全面、曲折和长期的历史过程。在新时代的社会主义建设中，社会主义国家应高度重视经济社会协调发展，通过交流互鉴，共同应对社会主义建设中的风险与挑战。

In his address, Jiang Hui, Researcher, Vice President and Member of the Party Leadership Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Director of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies, and President of the Academy of Marxism, pointed out that since its establishment in 2013, the Socialist International Forum has focused on major historical and practical issues such as the historical experience of adapting Marxism to local conditions in socialist countries, the contemporary process of socialist construction and reform, and the laws governing the building of Marxist ruling parties. It has provided an important academic platform and valuable academic resources for multi-level and multi-field ideological exchange and theoretical mutual learning among Marxist theoretical circles and social science circles in socialist countries. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ruling parties of socialist countries have consistently adhered to a people-centered development philosophy, overcoming numerous difficulties to maintain stability, promote development, and plan for the future, fully demonstrating the mission and responsibility of Marxist ruling parties in socialist countries and the strong institutional advantages of socialism. In the new historical period, socialist countries regard alignment with the fundamental interests and development needs of their own people as the fundamental value principle of socialist modernization, and on this basis, continuously explore and improve the theory and practice of socialist modernization. Against the backdrop of changes unseen in a century, only through unity, mutual trust, and solidarity can socialist countries achieve the great rejuvenation of world socialism in the 21st century and the beautiful vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.

中国社会科学院副院长、党组成员、当代中国研究所所长、马克思主义研究院院长姜辉研究员在致辞中指出，社会主义国际论坛自2013年创立以来，聚焦社会主义国家马克思主义本土化的历史经验、社会主义建设与改革的时代进程、马克思主义执政党建设规律等重大历史与现实问题，为社会主义国家马克思主义理论界与社科学界开展多层次、多领域的思想交流与理论互鉴提供了重要的学术平台和宝贵的学术资源。自新冠肺炎疫情暴发以来，社会主义国家执政党始终坚持以人民为中心的发展理念，克服重重困难，保稳定，促发展，谋未来，充分体现了社会主义国家马克思主义执政党的使命担当和社会主义强大的制度优势。在新的历史时期，社会主义国家把符合本国人民根本利益和发展需要视为社会主义现代化的根本价值遵循，并在此基础上不断探索和完善社会主义现代化的理论与实践。在百年未有之大变局背景下，社会主义国家唯有团结互信，同舟共济，才能实现21世纪世界社会主义的伟大复兴和人类命运共同体的美好愿景。

In his address, Dr. Dang Xuan Thanh, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that although the institutional exploration of socialist countries over the past century has encountered many difficulties, socialism remains an irreversible inevitable trend for human society. Today, the Communists, the working class, and the working people of socialist countries must not only continue to develop the Marxist-Leninist theory of socialism but also continuously explore and innovate more diverse development paths that conform to the specific conditions of each country. The economy is the foundation of social development, and social development creates resources and impetus for economic development. In the New Era of building socialism, promoting harmonious economic and social development is an important mission for social science researchers in socialist countries.

越南社会科学院副院长邓春青（Dang Xuan Thanh）博士在致辞中指出，百年来社会主义国家的制度探索虽然遇到了诸多困难，但社会主义仍然是人类社会不可逆转的必然趋势。当今社会主义国家的共产党人、工人阶级和劳动人民不仅要继续发展马克思列宁主义的社会主义理论，还应不断探索和创新更加多样的、符合各国特定条件的发展道路。经济是社会发展的基础，社会发展为经济发展创造资源和动力。在建设社会主义的新时代，推动经济社会和谐发展是社会主义国家社会科学研究人员的重要使命。

In his keynote speech titled “The Good Life and Social Harmony,” Xin Xiangyang, Researcher, Party Secretary and Vice President of the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the Communist Party of China has always made creating a good life for the people its goal and realizing the people’s happiness its original aspiration and founding mission. To achieve a good life, it is necessary to grasp the principal contradiction in society, continuously meet the people’s growing needs for a good life, and diligently practice the people-centered development philosophy.

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院党委书记、副院长辛向阳研究员在《美好生活与社会和谐》的主题发言中指出，中国共产党始终把创造人民美好生活作为自己的奋斗目标，把实现人民幸福作为自己的初心使命。要实现美好生活，就必须抓住社会主要矛盾，不断满足人民日益增长的对美好生活的需要，努力践行以人民为中心的发展思想。

In his keynote speech titled “Chinese-Path Modernization and the Harmonious Society,” Lin Jianhua, Researcher and Vice President of the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that in the perspective of the Chinese Communists, the harmonious society has six main characteristics: democracy and the rule of law, fairness and justice, integrity and fraternity, full of vitality, stability and order, and harmony between humanity and nature. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that fully reflects China’s basic national conditions and specific realities. China’s advancement of people-centered modernization is of great significance to the process of world modernization and the development of human society.

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院副院长林建华研究员在《中国式现代化与和谐社会》的主题发言中指出，在中国共产党人的视域中，和谐社会具有六个方面的主要特征——民主法治、公平正义、诚信友爱、充满活力、安定有序、人与自然和谐相处。中国式现代化是充分体现中国基本国情和具体实际的现代化。中国推进以人民为中心的现代化，对于世界现代化进程和人类社会发展意义重大。

In his keynote speech titled “China’s Whole-Process People’s Democracy and China’s Harmonious Society,” Fan Jianxin, Researcher, Party Secretary and Deputy Director of the Institute of Political Science of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the reason socialist China can maintain long-term social stability, harmony, and tranquility is that the construction of socialist democratic politics has played a crucial role. China’s whole-process people’s democracy is an important way to realize the essence of people’s democracy. It is the organic unity of procedural democracy and outcome democracy, procedural democracy and substantive democracy, direct democracy and indirect democracy, and people’s democracy and the will of the state. Socialist democracy is a brand-new form of democracy in the history of human political development, possessing unique advantages incomparable to Western capitalist democracy.

中国社会科学院政治科学研究所党委书记、副所长樊建新研究员在《中国全过程人民民主与中国和谐社会》的主题发言中指出，社会主义中国之所以能够保持社会长期稳定、和谐安宁，社会主义民主政治建设发挥了至关重要的作用。中国全过程人民民主是人民民主本质的重要实现方式，是过程民主和成果民主、程序民主和实质民主、直接民主和间接民主、人民民主和国家意志的有机统一。社会主义民主是人类政治发展史上崭新的民主形态，具有西方资本主义民主无可比拟的独特优势。

In his keynote speech titled “Paths to Achieving Common Prosperity in Socialism,” Hou Weimin, Researcher at the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China [1]1 The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in November 2012, marking the beginning of the Xi Jinping era and the introduction of key concepts such as the Chinese Dream and the core socialist values., China’s understanding of “common prosperity” has continuously deepened, and two phased goals for achieving common prosperity have been proposed. Seeking common prosperity should follow objective economic laws, continuously improve the ownership structure and income distribution structure, and establish a livelihood-oriented development model and a long-term mechanism for alleviating relative poverty.

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院侯为民研究员在《社会主义共同富裕的实现途径》的主题发言中指出，自中国共产党十八大以来，中国对“共同富裕”的认识不断深化，并提出了实现共同富裕的两个阶段性目标。寻求共同富裕应遵循客观经济规律，不断完善所有制结构和收入分配结构，并建立以民生为导向的发展模式和化解相对贫困的长效机制。

In his keynote speech titled “Building a New Development Pattern: Promoting the Improvement of People’s Well-being,” Zeng Xiankui, Associate Researcher at the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that China’s new development pattern is a long-term economic development strategy proposed under circumstances of significant changes in the domestic and international economic environment, in order to adapt to the new development stage and seize development opportunities. To build the new development pattern, China must further raise people’s income levels, narrow the gap between rich and poor, and improve supply efficiency, thereby continuously meeting the people’s needs for a good life.

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院副研究员曾宪奎在《构建新发展格局：促进人民福祉的提升》的主题发言中指出，中国的新发展格局是在国内外经济环境发生重大变化的情况下，为适应新发展阶段、把握发展先机而提出的长期经济发展战略。中国构建新发展格局须进一步提高人民收入水平、缩小贫富差距和提升供给效率，从而不断满足人民对美好生活的需要。

Participating Lao scholars made presentations on topics including “The Significance of Economic Development for Cultural Development,” “Rural Poverty Alleviation and Development,” “The Role of the Private Sector in Improving People’s Livelihoods,” “Improving People’s Livelihoods through Job Creation and Income Generation,” “Promoting Economic Growth and Inclusive Social Development,” “Enhancing the Creative Potential of the People in Socialist Construction,” “Empowering the People to Ensure Social Equality and Justice,” and “Strengthening Equality in Development.” Participating Vietnamese scholars made presentations on topics including “Vietnam’s Experience in Coordinating Cultural Heritage and Development,” “Vietnam’s Economic Growth Situation and Rural Livelihood Development,” and “Building Social Consensus in the Context of Vietnam’s Development of a Socialist Market Economy.”

与会的老挝学者围绕“经济发展对文化发展的重要意义”、“农村脱贫发展”、“私营部门在改善民生方面的作用”、“以创造就业和创收改善人民生活”、“促进经济增长和包容性社会发展”、“增强人民群众在社会主义建设中的创造潜能”、“赋予人民权力以确保社会平等正义”及“加强发展中的平等”等问题做了发言。与会的越南学者就“越南协调文化遗产与发展的经验”、“越南的经济增长状况和农村民生发展”及“越南发展社会主义市场经济的背景下建立社会共识”等问题做了发言。

Dr. Kikeo Chanthaboury, Vice President of the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences; Nguyen Tai Dong, Director of the Institute of Philosophy, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; and Pan Jin’e, Researcher and Director of the Department of International Communist Movement Studies, Academy of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, respectively chaired the discussions in each session. Dr. Kikeo Chanthaboury, Vice President of the Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences, delivered the closing summary of the conference. Over 40 experts and scholars from Vietnam, Laos, and some Chinese universities and research institutions participated in the online conference.

老挝社会经济科学院副院长吉乔·占塔布里（Kikeo Chanthaboury）博士、越南社会科学翰林院哲学所所长阮才东（Nguyen Tai Dong）、中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院国际共运研究部主任潘金娥研究员分别主持了各单元的讨论，老挝经济社会科学院副院长吉乔·占塔布里最后进行了会议闭幕总结。来自越南、老挝及中国部分高校、科研机构的40余名专家学者参加了线上会议。

The Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences hosted the Beijing sub-forum.

中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院承办了此次北京分论坛。

(Contributed by He Qin)

（贺钦供稿）