Source: "Chinese Social Science Digest" Issue 8, 2022, P13—P14
Author's unit: Academic Research Institute of Chinese Ethnic Theory and Ethnic Policy of Central University for Nationalities , original title "The Centennial Discourse of the Communist Party of China on the "Chinese Nation" and its Discourses Development, excerpted from " Guizhou Ethnic Research " Issue 1, 2022, Zhou Xuejun extracted
" Chinese nation " As one of the basic and core concepts of understanding modern China, although it is a relatively recent product in the strict academic sense, it connects our common history in the origin of civilization and cultural heritage. From a realistic perspective, the "Chinese nation" not only constitutes the population basis of modern Chinese countries, but also is a key link in confirming the two-way correspondence between "state" and "national". As a political party with a high degree of historical awareness and theoretical awareness, the Communist Party of China's discourse analysis and innovative development of the "Chinese nation" comes from the "metaphysical" refinement of specific historical situations and the specific and subtle observation of China's national conditions.
New Democratic Revolution Period
The definition and grasp of the connotation and concept of the "Chinese nation" is directly related to the goals it points to and the objects of unity. Around the May Fourth Movement, the concept of "Chinese nation" was widely disseminated. Influenced by High-World War IHM National Liberation Movement, October Revolution and Lenin's theory of national self-determination, the theoretical construction of nationalism during this period was national self-determination, that is, liberating the Chinese nation from the oppression and slavery of the imperialist powers and realizing national independence and freedom. It was also during this period that the Communist Party of China began to gradually enter the historical stage. As a key link in understanding Chinese society and interpreting its own political propositions, "Chinese nation" is naturally an unavoidable proposition. Regarding the issues of how China was saved and how the Chinese revolution united the people, early leaders of the Communist Party of China, such as Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu, devoted a lot of effort to the topic of "Chinese nation" and conducted in-depth discussions and discussions. They believe that the Chinese should inspire a "new Chinese nation" consciousness based on the integration of various ethnic groups to achieve China's independence and national rejuvenation. During the National Revolution and the First Agrarian Revolution, with the development of the in-depth revolutionary movement and the mobilization of people of all walks of life in China, especially after having direct and in-depth contact with various ethnic minorities, the Communist Party of China has a deeper understanding and feeling about the necessity and inevitability of uniting the "Chinese nation" and carrying out internal and external struggles.
Anti-Japanese War is not only an important historical node for the development, growth and maturity of the Communist Party of China, but also another climax period for the heated discussions on the "Chinese nation" in all sectors of China. At this stage, in order to fight back against the "East Asian nationalism" and "East Asian collaborative theory" proposed by Japanese imperialism, the Communist Party of China carried out relatively systematic thinking and discussion on issues such as the basic concepts and connotation categories of the "Chinese nation", and the creative views and opinions were widely scattered in the documents and policies of the Communist Party of China during this period and the writings and speeches of its leaders.
In addition to systematically discussing the basic concepts and connotation categories of the "Chinese nation", the Communist Party of China also conducted a profound analysis of the dialectical relationship between nationalism of the Chinese nation and Marxism World Revolution . This not only effectively promoted the rooting and growth of Marxism in the Chinese situation and Chinese soil, but also relatively properly solved the potential tension of the interests of the Chinese nation and the interests of the international proletariat.
Socialist Revolution construction period and Since the reform and opening up
Realizing the complete unification of the Chinese nation is not only the common wish of all Chinese people at home and abroad, but also a great historical responsibility for generations of Chinese Communists to always remember and work tirelessly for it.In the revolutionary era and even in the early stages of socialist construction, Marxist guiding ideology and the systematic socialist system of have made great contributions to promoting the unity and cohesion of the Chinese nation. It not only assumed the role of ideological guidance and institutional adhesion, but also successfully integrated differentiated people of all ethnic groups into a "people" with a common political identity, so that the Chinese nation can be forged and consolidated in the dual sense of structure and people's hearts. But the situation is different in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, because it involves the issue of how different political systems and social economies coexist with each other. This requires the national will and national sentiment of the Chinese nation, and through the deep understanding of the common "Chinese nation" identity of each region, we must govern and transcend each other's specific differences in the system. Therefore, the significance and value of the "Chinese nation" can be further demonstrated: not only the unity and cohesion of the Chinese nation itself requires the guidance and support of political countries, but the peaceful reunification and territorial sovereignty of political countries also require the Chinese nation to provide it with internal emotional identity and moral support.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the international socialist movement suffered major setbacks. Under this severe situation, the Communist Party of China has emphasized the need to give full play to the internal cohesion of the Chinese nation. Through in-depth analysis of the historical generative and internal cohesion of the "Chinese nation", it clarifies the inheritance and connection role of the Chinese nation in the unified multi-ethnic state in different historical periods, so as to directly link the inseparability of the Chinese nation with the unity of China's political and state.
Chinese nation Multi-integer is an important theoretical achievement that elaborates on the history of the formation and development of China's multi-ethnic groups, examines the actual national conditions of China, and analyzes China's ethnic relations and pattern. It "brings the academic community's explanation of the 'Chinese nation' to a new height." But on the other hand, older scholars such as Fei Xiaotong , and from the perspective of ethnology and anthropology, made a holistic observation of the relationship between "unity" and "differentiation" between different structural levels within the Chinese nation and the "unity" and "differentiation" between different structural levels. Therefore, although it can systematically demonstrate how the Chinese nation was formed and maintained in its long-term historical development, it does not mention its direct connection with the modern Chinese country. Based on the profound insights of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, the Communist Party of China keenly discovered and responded to this fundamental problem. Through the emphasis and extension of " Chinese nation's diversity and integration pattern ", the discourses related to the Chinese nation's diversity and integration directly constitute an important part of the Chinese Communist Party's national theory.
The speeches of the leaders of the Party and the state show that "the diversity and unity of the Chinese nation" has become an important logical basis and theoretical support for the Party and the state to explain China's national conditions, elaborate on policies and guidelines, and handle national affairs. Its direction is no longer limited to the cultural level, but is three-dimensional. Therefore, "diversity and unity of the Chinese nation" is not only an academic discourse, but has further risen to become a political discourse of the Party and the country. It is closely integrated with the historical struggle process of the Communist Party of China to unite and lead the Chinese nation to strive for freedom, independence and establish and develop a unified multi-ethnic country in a socialist form a holistic historical narrative and theoretical system.
Since the new era
Since the new era, the status and significance of the "Chinese nation" in the relevant discourses of the Communist Party of China have become more prominent. In the analysis of the ontological concept of "Chinese nation" and its connotation attributes, the Communist Party of China has given it a deeper internal structure and a broader space of meaning - Chinese National Community .
From emphasizing the "Chinese nation" to emphasizing the "Chinese nation community", the two are not only a change in discourse, but also profoundly shows that the Communist Party of China has always maintained a clear mind of seeking truth from facts and an excellent quality of keeping pace with the times in its understanding and grasp of China's actual national conditions and historical mission.Adding a "community" after the "Chinese nation" means that compared with previous historical periods, the Communist Party of China should highlight the "unity" and "commonity" of the "Chinese nation" in the new era. Moreover, this "unity" and "commonity" are different from the period of the new democratic revolution and socialist construction. At that time, it was mainly based on the in-depth consideration of promoting the unity of multi-ethnic countries, and it was to push the Chinese nation to "unity" from the outside to the inside. The "unity" and "commonity" emphasized in the new era are confirmation of the inner spiritual elements of the Chinese nation and "unity" from the inside out, which has taken a big step forward in terms of degree and nature. At the same time, on the basis of the "Community of the Chinese Nation", it is also emphasized that we should "forge a firm" at the level of "consciousness". This means that in the new era, we must not only pursue the externalization of the "unity" and "commonity" of the Chinese nation, but also internalize it in our hearts and consolidate it on the level of human hearts and souls. In general, the ultimate goal of the Communist Party of China to build a community of the Chinese nation and forge a strong sense of community of the Chinese nation is to better unite the masses of all ethnic groups and gather them together at a deeper level, thereby establishing a firm and close two-way correspondence between the socialist country and the people, and on this basis, fully mobilize the enthusiasm and creativity of the people of all ethnic groups in China, so that they can be aggregated under the grand goal of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and work together to build a socialist motherland.
"The Chinese nation's diversity and unity" has become a political discourse of the Party and the country, its connotation and significance have been further explored and refined in the new era. In short, "the diversity and unity of the Chinese nation" is not only a systematic adjustment and organic combination of the commonality and personality, the whole and part, the universality and particularity of the Chinese nation, but also an important theoretical concept that can fully and accurately summarize the nature and characteristics of the Chinese nation and truly achieve a high degree of self-consistent in history and practical logic. This statement of the Communist Party of China on "diversity and unity of the Chinese nation" in the new era also means that in the understanding and grasp of the "Chinese nation" and its in-depth issues, it has achieved a metaphysical "crossover" process and a clearer and more thorough theoretical awareness.
