From June 17 to 24, 2024, Yu Haiqing, Vice President of Academy of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), led a delegation to Spain and Portugal for academic exchanges. The members of the delegation are Sun Yingshuai, Zhang Jian and Zeng Xiankui as Research Fellows, and Lou Yu as Assistant Research Fellow of Academy of Marxism, CASS.
From June 17 to 20, the delegation conducted academic exchanges in Spain, had talks with institutions and scholars on contemporary Chinese studies, leftist think tanks, and the Communist Party of Spain (CPS), and explored the development of contemporary Chinese studies overseas, how to tell better China’s story, the trend of leftist political parties and the contemporary world socialism.
The delegation visited the Centre for East Asian Studies of Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and that of Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) to learn more about the teaching of contemporary Chinese studies and its library resources. Associate Prof. Lin Yue of UAM gave lectures on China’s socio-economy and foreign investment. Associate Prof. Luo Huiling of UCM teaches contemporary Chinese culture, Chinese and Western politics, and introduction to cultural exchange. The two professors have been engaged in Chinese academic translation for a long time and actively spreading Chinese culture in Spain. The delegation held talks with Lin Yue and Luo Huiling, and exchanged views on Chinese studies overseas, Spanish academics’ and the public’s perception of contemporary China, the dissemination and acceptance of contemporary Chinese publications in Spain, and communicated views on how to tell better China’s story to the world, the construction of external discourse system, and the enhancement of international dissemination of Xi Jinping thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era.
The delegation met with Marcelo Muñoz, President of the Cátedra China Foundation, a renowned Spanish think tank for Chinese studies, and Marta Montoro, Director of Institutional Relations, to discuss how to tell better China’s story in Europe. Cátedra China was founded in 2012, consisting of scholars, entrepreneurs, and former dignitaries engaged in the studies of China’s politics and economy as well as cooperation with China. It is an important platform for Spanish people to learn more about China. The Foundation highly identifies with China’s model of political, economic and social development, and plays an active role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries, and deepening civilization exchanges and mutual learning.
(Yu Haiqing presented the Spanish version of Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road and the English version of The New Era in the Eyes of Foreigners to Muñoz.)
The delegation had a discussion with Marga Ferré, co-chair of the think tank “Transform! Europe”, focusing on the current development and challenges of the European left and world socialism. “Transform! Europe” is a leftist think tank network that brings together 39 organizations from 23 countries to promote peaceful relations between peoples and changes in today’s world.
(Yu Haiqing presented Marga Ferré with the Spanish edition of Xi Jinping: the Governance of China, the English edition of The New Era in the Eyes of Foreigners, and World Socialism Studies.)
The delegation met with Marta Martín Morán, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Spain (CPS), and scholar of the Center for Belt and Road Studies and Work of the CPS, on the development of the CPS, the achievements related to the contemporary Chinese studies in recent years, and how to deepen the understanding and study of Xi Jinping thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era in Spain. Marta Martín Morán is mainly responsible for the work of international relations of the CPS, and was invited to the World Socialism Forum in November 2023, together with the President of the CPS, José Luis Centella Gomez.
(Yu Haiqing presented Marta Martín Morán with the Spanish editions of Xi Jinping: the Governance of China, A Brief History of the Communist Party of China, and World Socialism Studies.)
The delegation had a discussion with Pablo Rovetta, a renowned expert on China, on how to tell better China’s story. Rovetta has made outstanding contributions in spreading Chinese culture to Spanish-speaking countries, introducing contemporary China and promoting exchanges and mutual understanding between Chinese and foreign civilizations, etc. In 2016, Rovetta was awarded the National Achievement Medal of Honor of the Kingdom of Spain, which is a governmental award signed by King Felipe VI of Spain, and aims to recognize Rovetta for his promotion of Spanish culture dissemination as well as the cultural exchanges between China and Spanish-speaking countries. In 2020, the first volume of Rovetta’s trilogy Memories of China was published, which recorded his daily life, study, and work in China with sincere and documentary strokes, and depicted the historic changes and great achievements of China in the past decades.
(Yu Haiqing presented the Spanish version of Xi Jinping: the Governance of China to Pablo Rovetta)
From June 21 to 22, the delegation conducted academic exchanges in Portugal, and held discussions with scholars of contemporary Chinese studies and the Communist Party of Portugal (CPP) on how to tell better China’s story and promote China’s image abroad, as well as the current situation and development of the CPP.
Accompanied by Prof. Antônio dos Santos Queirós of Universidade de Lisboa (UL), the delegation visited the university’s library, Instituto Confúcio and the School of Arts and Humanities, focusing on the books and documents related to Chinese studies.
The delegation had a discussion with Prof. Antônio dos Santos Queirós. Queirós highlighted his main achievements related to contemporary Chinese studies, recounted his experience of fighting against anti-Chinese stigmatization through writing academic papers, participating in international conferences, and giving interviews. He also put forward suggestions on how to better publicize China’s propositions, wisdom, and solutions, and to promote academic exchanges between China and the world. Over the past decades, Queirós has actively publicized the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the realms of economy, politics, society and ecology, and established the Portuguese-Chinese Association for Cooperation and Development, which brings together people who know and are friendly to China, and has made positive contributions to telling better China’s story and building a fine image of China overseas.
(Yu Haiqing presented the Portuguese version of Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road and the English version of The New Era in the Eyes of Foreigners to Queirós.)
The delegation visited the headquarters of the CPP. Accompanied by staff from the International Affairs Department of the CPP, the delegation also visited exhibitions of the CPP’s history and bookstores of leftist publications under the charge of the CPP, to learn about the history and development of the CPP as well as the publication and dissemination of Marxist classics in Portugal.
The delegation met with Albano Nunes, member of the Central Cadre Committee as well as the Central Supervisory Committee of the CPP, and editor-in-chief of the magazine O Militante; Francisco Melo, member of the Central Supervisory Committee of the CPP, president of Editorial Avante! and Página a Página; and Luís Carapinha, member of the Executive Committee of the International Affairs Department of the CPP. They exchanged views on the current situation and development of the CPP, the challenges faced by leftist political parties in Europe, the experience of the Communist Party of China in governing the country, and the sinicization of Marxism.
(Yu Haiqing presented the Portuguese versions of Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road and Xi Jinping: the Governance of China to the scholars of the CPP.)
Yu Haiqing led the delegation to have friendly talks with think tanks, leftist scholars and communists who know and are friendly to China in Spain and Portugal, actively propagandizing and presenting Xi Jinping thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, and reaching a number of consensus on the development of academic exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, thus successfully completing the mission of the academic exchanges.
ACADEMY OF MARXISM CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
