The conference releases 25 major research achievements of CASS’s Innovation Project. Photo: Zhu Gaolei/CSST

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) honored 25 research achievements from its Innovation Project at a conference on December 24, 2020. These research achievements, selected from CASS’s numerous research achievements in 2020, covered a variety of fields in the humanities and social sciences.

CASS attaches great importance to studying Marxist classics and adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. General Theory of Contemporary World Socialism summarizes the vivid experiences of socialism in different periods and countries, analyzes the current situation, problems and challenges of contemporary world socialism, and reveals the major contribution of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era to world socialism.

2020 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Friedrich Engels. Selected Writings of Engels, 1839 to 1895 revisited Engels’s rich thoughts and historic achievements.

CASS has always been problem-oriented, focusing on major theoretical and practical issues in economic and social development when conducting academic research. The New Journey of China’s Economic and Social Development addresses major topics including rural vitalization and anti-poverty, industrialization and manufacturing transformations, service industry upgrades, fiscal and taxation systems and fiscal sustainability, major financial reforms, industrial and competition policies, ownership structures, and a new pattern of opening up. Economics of Pandemics was published amid the COVID-19 pandemic, providing valuable data and materials for policy analysis and formulation.

Analysis and Forecast of China’s Economic Situation (2021) keenly captures changes in the economic situation and emerging problems, conducts a comprehensive and profound analysis of the complex economic situation, and predicts future trends. The book series on China’s finance over the past seven decades provides a scientific summary of the financial sector’s basic trajectory, basic experience and basic laws. A Study of the Industry and Industrial Pollution in the Rural Areas of China proposes changing the past industrial growth model and exploring a path that combines new-type urbanization and rural vitalization.

Society of China: Analysis and Forecast (2020) proposes further adjusting the pattern of income distribution, increasing the growth potential of residents’ consumption, vigorously implementing the national strategy concerning population aging, and intensifying efforts to align targeted poverty alleviation and rural vitalization strategies in the next five years.

40 Years Since Reform and Opening up: History and Experience comprehensively and objectively presents China’s achievements in different fields since the reform and opening up, while providing useful discussions and reflections on existing problems.

Civil Code Commentary systematically interprets and explains the spirit of the rule of law, value orientation, legislative policy, normative connotations, application points and application skills of China’s Civil Code. Chinese Rule of Law Reform takes the great process of revolution, construction, and reform since the founding of the PRC as the historical background, and focuses on legal construction in the new era.

In terms of literature, A History of Chinese Folk Literature comprehensively collects, categorizes and summarizes folk literature resources from traditional society, adding a set of foundational works to the disciplinary construction of the history of Chinese literature and the history of Chinese folk literature. A Complete Collection of Yuan Lyrical Poetry includes 4639 ci poems of 340 Yuan (1271–1368) poets, providing an authoritative version of Yuan poetry.

In terms of linguistics, the 12th edition of the Xinhua Dictionary has been published in a timely manner to follow up on the national language standards. It is a new achievement that reflects social development and progress, changes in language and life, and language research.

In terms of philosophy, A Study on Plato’s Theory of Knowledge directly refers to the original ancient Greek texts. Based on frontier research topics on Plato at home and abroad, the book integrates philosophy and classical philology methodology.

In terms of historiography, A Brief History of the Theocracy System in Tibet systematically unpacks its origin, formation and development history. The Twenty-Four Histories: An Annotated Edition of Today (the first batch of seven) provides a full annotated version of China’s 24 official histories, an authoritative ancient book collection recounting the country’s 4,000-plus-year history, which annotates all of China’s official history for the first time in history. Metallurgical and Foundry Archaeology of the Ancient Capital City of Qi carries out multi-disciplinary and comprehensive research focusing on scientific and technological archaeology. A History of Overseas Chinese in New Zealand represents the latest historical research on overseas Chinese in the South Pacific. George Thomas Staunton and the History of Early China-Britain Relations showcases the changes in the relationship between China and the world at that time. History of Chinese Sociology (Volume I) demonstrates that sociology is the crystallization of the peak of Chinese civilization in the pre-Qin period and the product of social changes in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (770–221 BCE).

CASS has actively responded to major issues in the changing landscape of contemporary international relations, and launched a series of important research achievements. An Economic Analysis of the Belt and Road uses economic approaches to conduct a systematic theoretical analysis of the fundamental issues concerning the Belt and Road. China-Latin America and the Caribbean Relations in a New Era analyzes the various fields of China-Latin America cooperation. Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Latin America analyzes the development path and governance experience of Latin American countries, deepening understanding of Latin American politics, social development and governance issues.

In addition, in order to commemorate the outstanding academic contributions of famous archaeologist Xia Nai, the conference specially released the Chinese edition of Ancient Egyptian Beads, which is based on his PhD dissertation, completed in 1943 and originally written in English, when Xia studied in London College University. This is the first time for it to be translated into Chinese for domestic readers.