China has developed an extremely rich, systematic and complete, yet quite distinctive national governance system through the evolution of successive dynasties. In terms of governance philosophy, this book summarizes and proposes thirteen basic concepts, covering the most fundamental ideological propositions of ancient Chinese governance; with regard to governance system, thirteen institutions featuring super-stability and continuity are outlined, and they are one of the fundamental forces that have sustained ancient China for 5,000 years; concerning governance methodology, the author has concluded nine major methods, which are the classic wisdom of ancient Chinese statesmen in governing the country, the primary cultural character and ways of thinking accumulated by the Chinese people throughout history, and the quintessence of Chinese spirit and temperament.

Xu Weixin, the former vice president of the Central Party School of the CPC, was the editor-in-chief and president of the Study Times, director of the Department of Continuing Education, director of the Training Department, dean of the Graduate School, and secretary of the Party Committee for Organizations under the Central Party School of CPC. She is the vice president of the China Dialectical Materialism Research Association, member of the 8th, 9th and 10th Executive Committees of the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF)，and member of the 11th Standing Committee of the ACWF. She has been awarded the title of "National Expert with Remarkable Contributions" and enjoys the Special Government Allowances of the State Council. Her major publications include The Splendor of the Setting Sun-The “Golden Age” of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong in the Global Transformation of the 17th and 18th Centuries, The Theory of Social Dynamics, The New View of Social Dynamics, The Study of Socialist Core Values, A New Perspective on Culture, and China's New Normal, etc.

Where have we come from, and where are we going? In this day and age for China, I am always reminding myself to maintain this sense of history.

– Xi Jinping

From Xi’s speech when meeting with foreign attendees of the Second Understanding China Conference in Beijing, People’s Daily, January 5, 2016 Vf9wFeoEsPBe+ekpeuETqM016gv1OSVoxFbymSVIkAiMgomQBekIESly3WRTYAsK