Foreword

What has happened to the world and how should we respond? The world, as we know, is changing at a pace and scale that has not been seen in a century. The often bewildering transformation poses a great challenge, not only to the world, but also to the rapidly-developing nation of China. At such times, having the capacity to keep abreast of changing trends and having the courage to lead society forward despite the difficulties is precisely what the glorious tradition of the Communist Party of China (CPC) consists of. During the recently convened 19th CPC National Congress, President Xi Jinping, who is also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, analyzed the challenges and opportunities in the world today and proposed new and greater contributions for China to make to the human race. He also stated that we must intensify theoretical research and development, and quicken our pace to develop philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. We, as theoreticians of the Party, have a bounden duty in this regard. Based on my years of research, I think one of the theoretical and strategical imperatives now is to keep in mind the overall situation at home and abroad, follow the guidelines based on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, carry out in-depth research on the trend of economic globalization and China's peaceful development road, and on this basis, develop our own theories on development and international relations.