On May 8, Professor Zhang Weiwei, a prominent voice in China’s global discourse and dean of the China Institute at Fudan University, addressed more than 600 students and faculty at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology. Speaking at the university’s Bajiao Forum, Zhang delivered a lecture titled “A Century of Change and Great-Power Choices,” unpacking the realignment of the world order and China’s rising confidence.
Zhang, widely known for his theory of the “civilizational state,” framed today’s international situation as a moment of “global turmoil and historic turning point.” He argued that China’s ascent is rooted in its singular character as a civilizational state — a political entity defined by what he calls “four superlatives and one combination”: a super-large population, super-vast territory, super-long historical tradition, super-rich cultural accumulation, and the creative fusion of the ancient and the modern.
The lecture laid out what Zhang sees as an irreversible shift of “the East rising and the West declining.” He built his case by mapping three paradigm shifts — in theories of the state, democracy, and political parties — that, in his view, constitute the intellectual foundation of China’s development path. At the same time, he pointed to tangible pillars of the global order — economic, technological, military, and discursive — to show why China’s trajectory is not merely aspirational. “With the deep resilience of a civilizational state and the solid strength of an industrial powerhouse,” Zhang told the audience, “China has every reason to navigate risks with composure and to advance steadily, no matter the turbulence.”
During a lively question-and-answer session, students challenged Zhang on how to deconstruct hostile Western narratives, how young people can tell China’s story from their own vantage point, and which core skills will prove most durable in a fast-changing world. Zhang offered pointed, accessible replies, urging the students to combine factual mastery with a genuinely international outlook.
At the event, university leaders accepted a donation of Zhang’s latest book, the This Is China trilogy, and appointed him a special adviser on ideological and political education.
Later that evening, Zhang visited the university’s School of Marxism for a seminar titled “Broadening International Vision, Telling China’s Story Well.” Tracing his research journey from the best-selling China Shock trilogy to his more recent works, he stressed the importance of problem awareness, global consciousness, and hands-on engagement. Drawing on his experience as host of the political talk show China Now, Zhang underscored that international communication must be rooted in verifiable facts — only then can one escape the trap of “having a solid argument but failing to make it heard.” The seminar, punctuated by energetic exchanges, sharpened participants’ ability to view China’s story within a wider global context.
