Four Noes (Chinese:四个“不是”) is a political term put forth byXi Jinping,general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, at a symposium on philosophy and social sciences on May 17, 2016. They are: "The great social transformation in contemporary China is not a simple continuation of the master version of our country’s history and culture, nor is it a simple application of the template envisioned by classical Marxist writers, nor is it a reprint of the socialist practices of other countries, nor is it a copy of foreign modernization development."[1][2]
On February 4, 2016, Xi Jinping stated that thepath of socialism with Chinese characteristics is "neither 'traditional', nor 'foreign', nor 'Westernized', but rather 'original' and the right path for mankind."[3]
On May 17, 2016, Xi Jinping said in his speech at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences:[4]
The great social changes in contemporary China are not a simple continuation of the master version of our country's history and culture, not a simple application of the template envisioned by the classical Marxist writers, not a reprint of the socialist practices of other countries, nor a copy of foreign modernization development. It is impossible to find a ready-made textbook.
On May 4, 2018, Xi Jinping said in his speech at the conference commemorating the 200th anniversary ofKarl Marx’s birth:[4]
The great social changes in contemporary China are not a simple continuation of the master version of our country's history and culture, not a simple application of the template envisioned by the classical Marxist writers, not a reprint of the socialist practices of other countries, nor a copy of foreign modernization development.
Lin Jianhua, deputy director of theAcademy of Marxism at theChinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that China’s social transformation is not a “reprint” or “copy” but an “original” one.[5] Ouyang Song, former director of theCentral Party History Research Office, believes that this is a "new leap forward in theSinicization of Marxism" and an important part ofXi Jinping Thought.[6]
