Over the course of a century of endeavor, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has integrated Marxist philosophy with China’s specific realities and fine traditional culture, and taken it as the fundamental guideline for the creative application and development of Marxist philosophy, which is both a theoretical principle and a practical principle. The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee held in 2021 put an emphasis on upholding historical and dialectical materialism and looking back on the CPC’s endeavors over the past century to help us see why we were successful and how we can continue to succeed in the future and better develop socialism with Chinese characteristics. The development of today’s Chinese Marxist philosophy is intertwined with China’s modernization process. It always emphasizes the combination of theory and practice, thus requiring a problem-oriented attitude in terms of academic consciousness in seeking innovative development of Marxist philosophy. This dialogue centers on academic consciousness and the century-long exploration of developing Marxist philosophy in China. It can be seen that modern Chinese Marxist philosophers need to think deeply about the internal mechanism of adapting Marxism to China’s fine traditional culture and strengthen problem-oriented philosophical studies, so as to contribute to the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences.

With the great cause in mind and after a century of arduous struggles, the Communist Party of China abides by its aspirations and strives to lead the whole people on the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and works to create new glories in realizing national rejuvenation. Summarizing the experience behind this century of success, the most fundamental one is that the Communist Party of China has always been great at adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China’s specific realities, adapting Marxism and Marxist philosophy to the Chinese context, and consciously applying them to guide China’s practice.

As a significant exposition, promoting the “two adaptions” of the basic tenets of Marxism holistically relates to the essence of Marxism. In the realistic dimension, adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China’s specific realities is essentially to enable Marxism to blossom and bear fruits in China, which include seeking a right path for China to solve the principal contradiction facing Chinese society and the fundamental issues and advance its development and progress, as well as pursuing innovation of Marxism. In the historical dimension, adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China’s fine traditional culture is essentially to help Marxism take root in China, and to use Marxist standpoints, viewpoints, and methods to transform and develop traditional Chinese culture in a creative and innovative manner. In the theoretical dimension, the “two adaptions,” which are fundamental to pursuing innovation of Marxism, have created Marxism adapted to the Chinese context. To advance the “two adaptions,” it is necessary to systematically and thoroughly sum up and adhere to the experience of “two adaptions,” draw the essence of China’s fine traditional culture, combine “advantage combination” with “functional complementation,” and grasp the connotation of China’s specific realities from the perspective of “historical juncture,” “principal social contradiction,” “fundamental issues” and “Chinese path.”

In the context of the profound changes never seen in a century, China is in urgent need of the guidance of Marxism adapted to the Chinese context in order to modernize its governance capacity and develop a new form of human advancement. The research on value philosophy in China synchronizes with minds emancipation and reform and opening up. It fully demonstrates the value dimension of Marxist philosophy and has led to fruitful research results. How to turn these achievements from knowledge to wisdom and get them integrated into the transformation of people’s thoughts and the shaping of values is of great significance for adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. In the process of such transformation in thought, what really matters is the accurate understanding and proper use of the concept of value in order to clear up misunderstandings in theory, which we cannot ignore.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has always been focused on the thought and practice of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Historical practice has shown that different patterns of transplantation and grafting determine whether or not the adaption is successful. Adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times does not mean mechanically transplanting the basic tenets of Marxism to China physically and locationally. Instead, we should graft them in the way that chemical reaction is produced, thus adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China’s specific realities. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as a landmark result of the CPC’s ten-year theoretical innovation on adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, is the product of adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China’s specific realities and its fine traditional culture (“two adaptions”). This theoretical innovation formed by the “two adaptions” marks a new leap in the adaption of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. To realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, we must continue opening new chapters in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

Modernity is the philosophical representation of modern society in which capital is a core concept. How can socialism with Chinese characteristics be within modernity but surpass it? Historical materialism holds that the economic base determines the superstructure. Socialist public ownership, along with its capital forms, starts from the relations of production and takes them as the intermediary to harness the traditional capital logic. It not only activates “the civilising aspects of capital,” but also overcomes the productive contradiction of capital and avoids falling into capital metaphysics. Featured by socialist market economy and public capital, Chinese modernization provides a feasible solution for human society to solve the dilemma of modernity and realize human emancipation.