The contemporary significance of classical Marxism for Chinese Marxism

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63931/ijchr.v7iSI1.333

Keywords:

blueing, conceptual transformation, cultural integration, dialectical materialism, philosophical synthesis, socio-economic development, systemic adaptation

Abstract

The transformation of classical Marxist concepts in national philosophical systems is increasingly relevant in the search for effective models of social development amid the global challenges of the twenty-first century. This study examined the reception and adaptation of classical Marxism in modern Chinese philosophical thought to understand the factors behind China’s socio-economic success. The methodology employed historical, comparative, and systematic analyses of theoretical texts, official Communist Party documents, and socio-economic data from 2000 to 2020. Findings reveal that the transformation of classical Marxism within Chinese philosophy involved reinterpreting the role of the peasantry in revolution and adapting class struggle theory to the complex structure of a semi-colonial society. Methodological innovations emerged through dialectical approaches such as the principle of “seeking truth from facts” and the pragmatic method of “crossing the river by feeling for stones,” which integrated planned economic principles with market mechanisms. The interaction of Marxism and traditional Chinese philosophy provided a theoretical foundation for far-reaching socio-economic changes. These are reflected in China’s reduction of poverty from 30.7% to 0.6% between 2000 and 2019 and sustained GDP growth averaging 8–10% annually over two decades. The study concludes that the mechanisms of conceptual transformation and practical application of Marxist theory illustrate how philosophical systems adapt to distinct cultural contexts. Such insights are valuable for developing socio-economic strategies that align with national conditions while addressing global development challenges.

References

[1] Ahmed, W. (2023). Understanding “Marxist development” in Marx’s terms in a world of climate change. Area Development and Policy, 8(4), 460–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/23792949.2023.2199070 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23792949.2023.2199070

[2] Alnaimat, M. A., Rudyk, N., Al-Naimi, A. A., Panchenko, A., & Turski, I. (2023). The impact of international economic sanctions on the use of financial technologies. WSEAS Transactions on Business and Economics, 20, 682–693. https://doi.org/10.37394/23207.2023.20.63 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37394/23207.2023.20.63

[3] An, J., Mikhaylov, A. Yu., & Yousif, N. B. A. (2024). Financial and investment model for social security and sustainable economic growth. Finance Theory and Practice, 28(5), 133–145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26794/2587-5671-2024-28-5-133-145

[4] Auanasova, A., Auanassova, K., Nurpeissov, Y., & Ibrayeva, A. (2025). The role of the Jadid movement in state-building processes in Central Asia: the creation and legacy of Turkestan autonomy. National Identities. https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2025.2477043 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2025.2477043

[5] Blackledge, P. (2020). Marxism and normative theory. Critique, 48(2–3), 287–297. https://doi.org/10.1080/03017605.2020.1759196 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03017605.2020.1759196

[6] Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. (2016). The 13th five-year plan for economic and social development of the People’s Republic of China (2016–2020). Central Compilation & Translation Press. https://en.ndrc.gov.cn/policies/202105/P020210527785800103339.pdf

[7] Chaplinska, I., & Kabanova, P. (2021). Risks of cybersocialization: Present and the near future. Scientific Studios on Social and Political Psychology, 27(1), 160–179. https://doi.org/10.61727/sssppj/1.2021.160 DOI: https://doi.org/10.61727/sssppj/1.2021.160

[8] Cousins, B. (2022). Social differentiation of the peasantry (Marxist). Journal of Peasant Studies, 49(7), 1387–1398. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2022.2125805 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2022.2125805

[9] Debele, E. T. (2021). Critical review of classical sociological theories. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350974758_CRITICAL_REVIEW_OF_CLASSICAL_SOCIOLOGICAL_THEORIES

[10] Deng, X. (1982-1992). Selected works of Deng Xiaoping: Modern day contribution to Marxism-Leninism. https://dengxiaopingworks.wordpress.com/selected-works-vol-3-1982-1992/

[11] Efremov, A. (2025). The psychology of faith and religious identity: how theology shapes worldview and self-perception. Pharos Journal of Theology, 106(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.106.3020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.106.3020

[12] Fang, Y. (2021). The theoretical features and discourse becoming of the Chinese form of Marxist literary criticism: A review on the contemporary construction of the Chinese form of Marxist literary criticism. Foreign Literature Studies, 43(2), 165–171. http://fls.ccnu.edu.cn/EN/Y2021/V43/I2/165

[13] Forgas, J. P. (2024). The power of tribal narratives: Understanding the psychological appeal of Marxism. In J.P. Forgas, The Tribal Mind and the Psychology of Collectivism (pp. 251–272). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003395836 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003395836

[14] Gagnon, T. (2019). Ethnography for a new global political economy? Marcus (1995) revisited, through the lens of Tsing and Nash. Ethnography, 20(2), 284–294. https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138117740366 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138117740366

[15] Goonewardena, K. (2023). David Harvey, geography and Marxism. Scottish Geographical Journal, 139(3–4), 415–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2023.2260824 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2023.2260824

[16] Holdren, N., & Tucker, E. (2020). Marxist theories of Law past and present: A meditation occasioned by the 25th anniversary of Law, labor, and ideology. Law & Social Inquiry, 45(4), 1142–1169. http://doi.org/10.1017/lsi.2020.23 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/lsi.2020.23

[17] Hong, C. (2020). Teaching of Marxism in China. Science & Society, 84(3), 420–427. https://doi.org/10.1521/siso.2020.84.3.420 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1521/siso.2020.84.3.420

[18] Information Office of the State Council of the PRC. (2011). China’s peaceful development. Foreign Languages Press. http://la.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/news/201109/t20110909_1546783.htm

[19] Järvis, M., Ivanenko, L., Antonenko, I., Semenenko, T., Virovere, A., & Barantsova, T. (2022). Application of the integration model in the system of inclusive education. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 11(1), 35–44. https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v11n1p35 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v11n1p35

[20] Jun, Z., & Yichen, W. (2020). “Western Marxism” in Mao’s China. CLCWeb: Comparative Literature & Culture: A Web Journal, 22(5), 2. http://doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.3820 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.3820

[21] Khakhula, L., & lnytskyi, V. (2021). The artist vs. authoritarian power: The artistic environment of Soviet Lviv in the second half of the ХХ century. Society. Document. Communication, 6(3), 229–256. https://doi.org/10.31470/2518-7600-2021-13-229-256 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31470/2518-7600-2021-13-229-256

[22] Kiktenko, V. (2023). Sinicized phenomenological Marxism: Reception of Western ideas and search for own theoretical approaches. Sinological Studies, 3, 21–33. https://doi.org/10.51198/chinesest2023.03.021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.51198/chinesest2023.03.021

[23] Kultenko, V., & Tokhtarits, І. A. (2020). The philosophy of money in the modern conditions. Humanities Studios: Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, 8(4), 106–109. https://doi.org/10.31548/hspedagog2020.04.106 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31548/hspedagog2020.04.106

[24] Lailieva, E., Atakhanov, A., Toktosunova, C., Tkachenko, A., & Donets, D. (2025). Study of the role and impact of foreign investment on economic growth in developing countries. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(2), 372–380. https://doi.org/10.14419/k0bn3w39 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14419/k0bn3w39

[25] Lambert, A. (2020). LI Zehou: Synthesizing Confucius, Marx and Kant. In D. Elstein (Ed.), Dao Companion to Contemporary Confucian Philosophy (pp. 277-298). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56475-9_13 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56475-9_13

[26] Lazurenko, V., & Ocheretianyi, V. (2022). Agricultural work of agricultural cooperation in the years of the nep to increase the yield of peasant grain crops. Society. Document. Communication, 7(1), 49–64. https://doi.org/10.31470/2518-7600-2022-14-49-64 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31470/2518-7600-2022-14-49-64

[27] Li, X. (2022). British New Left’s multiple paradigm analysis and theoretical review of Marxist cultural theory. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 10(1), 240–255. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2022.101020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2022.101020

[28] Liao, X. (2023). Leading high-quality development of the discipline of Marxist theory with the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China: A review of the 8th University Marxism Forum of West China. Journal of Chuxiong Normal University, 38(6), 145–152. http://cxtc.magtechjournal.com/EN/Y2023/V38/I6/145

[29] Luo, Q. (2024). A review of research on Marxist theoretical education in the new era: Quantitative analysis based on CiteSpace. Frontiers in Educational Research, 7(8), 70812. http://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2024.070812 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2024.070812

[30] Mao, Z. (2004). Problems of strategy in China’s revolutionary war. https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_12.htm

[31] Mao, Z. (2022). On practice, on contradiction. The November 8th Publishing House. https://michaelharrison.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/On-Practice-and-On-Contradiction.pdf

[32] Martins, C. E. (2022). The longue durée of the Marxist theory of dependency and the twenty-first century. Latin American Perspectives, 49(1), 18–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X211052029 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X211052029

[33] Marx, K. (2013). Capital: A critique of political economy. Cosimo. https://books.google.com.ua/books/about/Capital.html?id=WNy3Zngbnm0C&redir_esc=y

[34] Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1970). The German ideology. International Publishers. https://books.google.com.ua/books/about/The_German_Ideology.html?id=d1XGAQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

[35] Marx, K., & Engels, F. (2009). Manifesto of the Communist Party. Cosimo. https://books.google.co.ck/books?id=dAVRSJqtmRUC&hl=ru&source=gbs_navlinks_s

[36] Matviienko, I. (2024). Modern education system and intercultural communication. Humanities Studios: Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, 12(2), 274–279. https://doi.org/10.31548/hspedagog15(2).2024.274-279 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31548/hspedagog15(2).2024.274-279

[37] National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2020). China statistical yearbook 2020. China Statistics Press. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/ndsj/2020/indexeh.htm

[38] Pata, U. K. (2025). How to progress towards sustainable development by leveraging renewable energy sources, technological advances, and human capital. Renewable Energy, 241, 122367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2025.122367 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2025.122367

[39] Perry, M. (2021). Marxist history’s wide panorama. In M. Perry, Marxism and History (pp. 9–28). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69511-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69511-8

[40] Radzhapov, A. (2024). The threat of famine in Turkestan in 1917-1918 (on the example of the Syrdarin region). Bulletin of the Jusup Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University, 16(4), 268–273. https://doi.org/10.58649/1694-8033-2024-4(120)-268-273

[41] Roberts, M. (2020). Ricardo and/or Marx?: A review of classical political economics and modern capitalism: Theories of value, competition and trade. Marxist Studies, 17(1), 220–238. https://doi.org/10.26587/marx.17.1.202002.008

[42] Royle, C. (2020). Ecological Marxism. In A. Callinicos, S. Kouvelakis, & L. Pradella (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Marxism and Post-Marxism (pp. 443–450). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315149608 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315149608-52

[43] Rudenko, S., Turenko, V., Petrenko, I., Yarmolitska, N., Vilkov, V., & Horbatenko, V. (2023). Philosophical and anthropological issues in Chinese Marxism: Key ideas and concepts. Synesis, 15(2), 278–289. https://seer.ucp.br/seer/index.php/synesis/article/view/2544

[44] Samus, H., Tsyhanenko, O., & Medvid, A. (2023). Public debt of Ukraine: Essence, current trends and management. Scientific Bulletin of Mukachevo State University. Series “Economics”, 10(1), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.52566/msu-econ1.2023.018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.52566/msu-econ1.2023.018

[45] Sheikh, M. K. (2018). Recursion or rejection? Securitization theory faces Islamist violence and foreign religions. Global Discourse, 8(1), 26–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/23269995.2017.1411644 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23269995.2017.1411644

[46] Sheikh, M. K. (2022). Transnational Jihad as a Bundled Conflict-Constellation. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2022.2058346 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2022.2058346

[47] Sheikh, S. A. (2023). Theoretical overview of Marxism: Critical study of The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, State and Revolution by Lenin, and its contemporary relevance. Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 12(2), 39–50. https://www.galaxyimrj.com/V12/n2/Sheikh.pdf

[48] Sheyshekanov, T. (2024). Research by Zhusup Abdrakhmanov into the history of the national liberation uprising of 1916. Bulletin of the Jusup Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University, 16(4), 273–279. https://doi.org/10.58649/1694-8033-2024-4(120)-273-279

[49] Sliusarevskyi, M. (2018). Scientific ideas on the large groups development: A critical analysis on the background of small group models development. Scientific Studios on Social and Political Psychology, 24(2), 3–19.

[50] State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China. (2019). The Belt and Road Initiative: Progress, contributions and prospects. https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/p/86739.html

[51] State Council of the People’s Republic of China. (2015). Made in China 2025 plan unveiled. https://english.www.gov.cn/policies/latest_releases/2015/05/19/content_281475110703534.htm

[52] Sun, Y. (2021). Education research on Marxism religious concept from the perspective of cultural security. In M. Li, & R. Huseynov (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2021 2nd International Conference on Modern Education Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Social Science (MEMIESS 2021) (pp. 161–167). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210728.032 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210728.032

[53] Ullah, A. (2022). An analysis of Marxism in industrial relations theory. Middle East Journal of Business, 17(2), 5–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.5742/MEJB.2022.93900

[54] Wang, C., Peters, M. A., Wang, Y., Wu, X., Nie, J., Zhang, L., Xue, J., Lei, C., Yang, L., Liu, Y., & Liu, X. (2022). Contemporary Chinese Marxism: Basic research orientations. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 54(11), 1740–1753. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2021.1981858 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2021.1981858

[55] Wang, Q., & Niu, H. (2024). Marxist theory of international relations. Advances in Education, Humanities and Social Science Research, 12(1), 30–35. https://doi.org/10.56028/aehssr.12.1.30.2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.56028/aehssr.12.1.30.2024

[56] Xi, J. (2014). The governance of China. Foreign Languages Press. https://books.google.com.ua/books/about/The_Governance_of_China.html?id=wpn5oQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

[57] Xu, F. (2000). The change of employment structure in China’s urban areas. Department of Economics Staff Paper Series, 141. http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/econ_staffpaper/141

[58] Yarar Aksoy, F. N. (2023). Discussions on the “Revival of Marxism”: A literature review on post-2008 Marxist film studies. Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 40(5), 514–539. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509208.2022.2054267 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10509208.2022.2054267

[59] Yu, X., & Fu, Y. (2023). Phenomenological Marxism in China. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 55(8), 931–941. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2022.2140655 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2022.2140655

[60] Zhang, D., Gao, W., & Lv, Y. (2020). Rural revitalization in China: A historical evolution perspective. Agriculture, 10(4), 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10040125 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10040125

[61] Zhang, X. (2021). Exploring the sinicization of Marx’s social capital reproduction theory. China Political Economy, 4(2), 170–185. https://doi.org/10.1108/CPE-11-2021-0015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CPE-11-2021-0015

Downloads

Published

2025-09-09

How to Cite

Hu, X., Ouyang, F., Saadanbekova, C., Kasymova, N., & Aidarbekov, Z. (2025). The contemporary significance of classical Marxism for Chinese Marxism. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI1), 665–692. https://doi.org/10.63931/ijchr.v7iSI1.333

Similar Articles

<< < 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.