The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held its 20th briefing session on issues of major concern in Beijing on Nov 1.

The theme of the session was advancing research and interpretation of the origins of Chinese civilization. Shao Hong, vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and executive vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Jiusan Society, attended the meeting, while Zhen Zhanmin, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), gave a briefing on recent progress in related work. 

Zhen said that, through decades of archaeological and historical research, significant breakthroughs have been made in tracing the origins of Chinese civilization. China's framework on defining civilization and the criteria for entering a civilized society has been developed, contributing Chinese wisdom to exploring the origins of global civilizations, according to Zhen. The research has clarified the stages of emergence, formation, and early development of Chinese civilization, providing supporting evidence from archaeological findings for the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, he said. This research has also provided a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of pluralistic unity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization, he said, adding that CASS will further integrate multidisciplinary research, strengthen organized scientific research, innovate publicity strategies and expand international exchanges to further advance the research on the origins of Chinese civilization.

Qiao Yunfei, deputy head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, gave a rundown on the comprehensive studies on the origins and early development of Chinese civilization, noting substantial achievements in the tracing of the origins of Chinese civilization. To better advance the research project, Qiao called for more efforts in project coordination, interdisciplinary collaboration, site excavations, talent cultivation and publicity work, to further clarify the fundamental landscape of Chinese civilization, its internal dynamics and the evolution of its regional components.

During the meeting, CPPCC National Committee members and officials from relevant departments discussed related topics.

Attendees included representatives from CASS, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the CPPCC National Committee leadership and members, and those from the central committees of non-Communist political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.