China sets example in developing Marxism while maintaining national traditions

China sets a good example in practicing Marxism by allowing it to exist alongside traditional culture and values, a Russian professor has commented.

Vladilen Burov, professor and head research fellow at the Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that it is important to abandon dogmatism in the practice of Marxism.

“The error of Soviet and Russian theorists... is that they absolutize the general laws of socialist construction and the Chinese leadership correctly emphasizes the role of national traditions,” Burov said.

He said the Chinese leadership learned lessons from past experiences while taking into account negative and positive contact with the West, thus strengthening the ideological, political and educational work.

“In China there is freedom of thought, creativity and discussions. Issues of culture, ideology and education are paid great attention to,” the Russian scholar said.

Burov said he supports China’s efforts to build socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as China’s own adapted version of Marxism that serves as the principle guiding ideology of the Communist Party of China.

After the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, Marxism ceased to be the leading ideology in Russia and no longer has the state support, Burov said, citing the fact that there are currently only groups devoted to Marxism mostly based in Moscow and St. Petersburg instead of a national research center. Among Russians who continue to study Marxism, there are many dogmatists with a thinking that makes no contribution to developing Marxism, “repeating only what were in the official teachings on Marxist philosophy,” he said.

Burov suggested Russia learn from China’s study of Marxism, especially now that Russia’s interest in Marxism is now growing again. “In Russia, people know about China’s economy and its successes, but they know much less about the developments in the social sciences,” he said.

The Russian professor said Russia should look to China’s approach to Marxism, while acknowledging a mutual interest by both countries to cooperate in the study of Marxism. “Now the Chinese institutes are interested in contacting us, and we are interested too,” he said.