시진핑시대, 중국 전통문화의 재정립과 문제점

Abstract

Under Xi Jinping’s administration, traditional Chinese culture has been redefined as a key component of China’s socialist system, rather than simply a collection of historical heritage. This approach selectively extracts elements deemed useful for the socialist framework, integrates them with Marxism, and employs them for governance, constituting a “Sinicization project” of traditional culture. This study examines the CCP-led modernization of traditional culture, focusing on the background of this initiative, the redefinition of “excellent Chinese traditional culture”, and the resulting challenges. Xi Jinping sees traditional culture as essential for addressing domestic and international challenges and elevating China’s global standing. By adding “cultural confidence” to Hu Jintao’s “Three Confidences”, Xi has positioned traditional culture as a core element of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Domestically, this strategy aims to unify China’s diverse ethnic groups by fostering shared values. Internationally, it leverages traditional culture to counter Western cultural dominance and enhance China’s soft power. However, this approach has significant drawbacks. The CCP’s exclusive authority to define the “excellence” of traditional culture risks politically motivated distortions, such as excluding Confucian ideas that conflict with its rule. These interventions undermine traditional culture’s intrinsic value, restrict academic freedom, and limit autonomous cultural discourse. Additionally, they may strain cultural exchanges with neighboring countries that share China’s heritage.