The emergence of “China’s experience” as a cultural symbol is quite recent. Originally, the phrase described the vast transformation of Chinese society. In a local context, China’s experience can be interpreted as an inside-out perspective: China expressing its story to the world. However, as a form of social discourse, the phrase was born in the process of internal development and external recognition.

In this light, China’s experience, as innovative and catchy as it sounds, is not a monologue by Chinese scholars. It is, on the one hand, a reflection, ideal and keyword of academics in the field of Chinese philosophy and social sciences. On the other hand, it also provides a channel for the international community to learn about China.

As renowned Chinese sociologist Li Peilin puts it, China’s experience as a scholarly concept carries three key connotations. First, the experience refers to every unique path China has taken in the last few decades, including both achievements and lessons. Second, it mainly talks about new practices China pioneered, rather than an exhaustive review of the past. Finally, China’s experience is an open, inclusive and evolving concept that is not intended to stress its universality nor to stand against the Western experience.

To say the least, Chinese scholars have a comparative edge in interpreting the China experience while the shift from studying China’s experience to tackling “China’s problems” represents an important contemporary academic topic.

In modern times, thanks to the all-round development of the West, Western discourse holds a dominant position in the international arena, including in the academic field. It is common to find philosophical and social sciences researchers who resort to prevailing Western concepts, theories and methods to solve the problems facing China.

It is certain that Western theories are conducive to analyzing and studying China’s problems to an extent. However, we must realize philosophy and social sciences research in China have distinctive geographical, cultural and ideological aspects. The level of effective communication or discourse confidence is deemed to rely on the objective expression and value orientation of Chinese scholars who have fundamental care for China. It is also crucial to note that only when Chinese scholars examine China’s realities using a down-to-earth approach, not borrowing or transplanting issues, can it be possible for the research to generate the expected results.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed out, the feature, style and spirit of philosophy and social sciences are the products of its development when it hits a certain stage. They are signs of maturity, symbols of strength and displays of confidence.

China is a leading nation in philosophy and social science in terms of research teams, number of publications, and government investment, but China’s performance in academic themes, thoughts and perspectives, as well as standard and discourse does not match the country’s comprehensive national power and international status, Xi said.

“China is undergoing the most profound and widespread social reform in its history, while it is also carrying out the most ambitious and unique innovation in human history. Such unprecedented practices will generate enormous power and broad space for developing theory. The present time requires great theory and great minds. We cannot let down our times,” Xi said.

To meet such expectations, philosophy and social science researchers should follow the logic of China’s problems and constantly innovate by searching for new perspectives to examine China’s experience so that the findings are close to Chinese realities, thus in turn gaining wide recognition in the international community.

In this revolutionary era, boosting “China’s confidence” in philosophy and social sciences research by studying the China experience and solving China’s problems constitutes a key element in the renaissance of Chinese culture.

 

Wang Zhaojing is from the Research Center for the Educational Development of Minorities at Northwest Normal University.