Consolidating the Foundations of Chinese Civilization for Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2024.10.005

Abstract： Chinese civilization serves as the essence and origins of the Chinese national community and a foundation for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. The consciousness of" the" Chinese national community is not only an integral part of modern Chinese civilization but also" a “sturdy grass rooted in the fertile soil” of contemporary Chinese civilization. “To" forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation， efforts" should be made to cultivate the awareness that" individuals" from all ethnic groups are" part of the same community， where they share weal and woe， honor and shame， life and death， and the same future.”

Firstly， a critical element of solidifying the consciousness of" the" Chinese national community is “inward cohesion”， which embodies a collective effort to sustain" national unification. Through such a constant “inward cohesion”， a unified civilization may" be established and" a community consciousness that integrates various facets of Chinese national culture may be fundamentally solidified." “Forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation”" is a special kind of “inward" cohesion”： It inherently requires the unity of the 56 ethnic groups ， so as to “firmly build a solid Great Wall of ideology to maintain national unity and ethnic solidarity”， and “effectively resist the penetration and subversion of various extremist and separatist ideas”." In addition， the core of solidifying the consciousness of" the" Chinese national community is cultural identification. This identification" is known to “transcend regional boundaries， bloodlines， and religious beliefs，" integrating different groups into a pluralistic" yet" unified Chinese nation”. The premise of" such" identification is inclusiveness; in other words， it is apparently far" easier to gain recognition and form a consciousness of" the" Chinese national community if one becomes more inclusive." What’s more， this study maintains that" the vitality of solidifying the consciousness of" the" Chinese national community" rests on" maintaining" both" integrity and innovation. “Integrity" ensures adherence to" the correct direction， and innovation" empowers the nation to undertake the role of the leader of the times.”" Furthermore，" integrity requires Chinese civilization to preserve its essence， discard its dross，" and safeguard and pass on high Chinese culture， while innovation demands that we should study new situations， discover new problems，" adapt，" and draw new conclusions." The interplay between maintaining" integrity and innovation" can be considered" both a method and a path for" an organic connection between the traditional and contemporary Chinese civilization to forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. Finally， the immediate task" of solidifying the consciousness of the Chinese national" community involves promoting the internalization of the energy of the entire Chinese nation into individual and practical consciousnesses" of the community through the synthesis of new experiences， mutual learning among various civilizations， and the construction of a modern civilization.

From the points enlisted above， it seems obvious that consolidating the cultural foundation necessary for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation， requires deep-rooted connections “in the fertile soil of Chinese civilization”. By all accounts， this approach may “give rise to luxuriant leaves”， bring unity to all ethnic groups， facilitate the achievement of Chinese-style modernization， and contribute to the consolidation of the consciousness of Chinese national community， thereby achieving new milestones in the construction of a modern Chinese civilization.

Key Words： consolidate the foundation; Chinese civilization; Chinese national community; the consciousness of forging