Ecosocialism and Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

Abstract

The study of ecosocialism or eco-Marxism in a broad sense as an academic subject in China began in the mid-1980s. The three major themes or foci in Chinese ecosocialism research are Marx and Engels’s thoughts on the relationship between humanity and nature, Western ecosocialists’ theories or writings, and ecosocialist analyses of or reflections on the theory and practice of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. With the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in 2007, the integration of the socialist eco-civilization concept and strategy into the theoretical system of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics has become an important issue for the study of ecosocialism in China. At the 8th National Ecological and Environmental Protection Conference held in May 2018, Xi Jinping’s Thought on Eco-Civilization was officially recognized to conceptualize the main theoretical achievements, general plans of governing the country, and key policy measures concerning promoting the construction of socialist eco-civilization in the new era. This is now widely regarded as one of the key aspects or elements in Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era, the authoritative expression of contemporary China’s political ideology established at the 19th National Congress of CPC in 2017.