The seminar on the new book The Creative Transformation of Political Unification: A New Theory of China's Modern State-Building will be held on April 2, 2026, at Renmin University of China (Zhongguancun Campus).

This book attempts to examine the construction of China's modern state from the perspective of the interconnection between Chinese history and world history. Grounded in the approach of historical politics, it addresses the questions of "Why China", "What is China", and "How to articulate China". Through a historical inquiry into the Great Unity (Da Yitong), the book explores the inherent logic and formative mechanisms of the modern state type that emerged in China, thereby offering a new theoretical interpretation of China's modern state-building. Geopolitics, multi-ethnic community, social revolution, vanguard leadership, and democratic centralism—factors that have exerted a significant impact on the formation of China's modern state, together with their unique mode of interconnection—constitute the analytical framework for this historical process. Political Great Unity represents the continuous tradition of China's political civilization, and its substantive content is political centralization. The creatively transformed political Great Unity forms the deep structure of China's modern state, shaping its regime form, institutional structure, and operational system, thereby presenting a new type of modern state with strong vitality and institutional advantages.

The seminar is hosted by Chenghai Institute of Global Development and Security. Du Xinlei, Editor of Journal of Renmin University of China, moderates the seminar.

Yang Guangbin, Dean of the School of International Relations, Director-general of Chenghai Institute of Global Development and Security, Renmin University of China, will give a speech at the seminar.

Wang Shikai, Author of The Creative Transformation of Political Unification: A New Theory of China's Modern State-Building, and Shi Zhenjing, Responsible Editor of the book, will give keynote address.

The seminar also gathers experts to discuss on the book and related topics: Jing Yuejin, Professor of the School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University; Huang Daoxuan, Professor of the School of History, Peking University; Pang Jinyou, Professor of the School of Political Science and Public Administration, China University of Political Science and Law; Yao Zhongqiu, Professor of the School of International Relations, Renmin University of China; Ren Feng, Professor of the School of International Relations, Renmin University of China; Li Huan, Lecturer of the School of International Relations, Renmin University of China; and Feng Yulin, Postdoctoral Fellow of School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University.