The Central Compilation and Translation Bureau () was an organ under the
Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, officially the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is the Central committee, highest organ when the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, national congress is not ...
established in 1953. Its primary responsibility, according to official sources, is to "research key Marxist works" and translate foreign language Marxist writings.
Under the plan on deepening reform of Party and State Institutions, the Compilation and Translation Bureau was abolished, and the functions were merged with the Institute of Party History and Literature in March 2018.
Work
The main duties of the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau were to compile, translate, and research classical Marxist works. They researched the theory of Marxism and its development in the contemporary era and its history with a focus on
Marx
Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
and
Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
. It has also translated the works of Chinese Leaders into different languages.
After founding the Party, intellectuals and Communist Party members made it very important to translate Marxist works so they could introduce them to China. The party established the Marxism–Leninism College in 1938, located in Yan’an.
The Bureau was originally the Office for the Translation of
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
’s Works, and it later became better known as the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau.
Impact
The Central Compilation and Translation Bureau compiled and translated the first edition of the Collected Works of Marx and Engels (50 volumes), the first edition of the Collected Works of Lenin (38 volumes), the second edition of the Collected Works of Lenin (60 volumes) and the Collected Works of Stalin (13 volumes). The CCTB also published a number of selected works like collections of
monograph
A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...
s, collections of statements on various issues, selected readings, and single-volume works.
The CCTB was listed as a national high-end
think tank
A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
in 2015.
The CCTB was known as being "one of the premier institutions devoted to the research of Marxism in China." It was still one of the most prominent organs that is authorized to translate the writings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin.
Compilation & Translation Press
Affiliated with the Central Compilation & Translation Bureau, the Central Compilation & Translation Press was established in 1993 to translate and publish works of scholarly works on politics, economics, philosophy and culture in the word. The CCTP emphasized Marxism and their goal was to “be a cultural bridge between the east and west.”
Theoretical research
One of the main tasks of CCTB was theoretical research, which was mostly done by the Institute of Contemporary Marxism and the Institute of World Socialism. The main task of theoretical research was to follow the lead of the Central Committee's Project to Study and Develop Marxist Theory. The CCTB participated in over 200 investigations and research projects, they also published over 400
monograph
A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...
s, compilations, translations, and academic papers.
List of directors
* Wei Jianhua (July 1996 - February 2010)
* Yi Junqing (February 2010 - January 2013)
* Jia Gaojian (January 2013 - March 2018)
In February 2010, Yi Jinqing was promoted to director of the CCTB. While in this position, he played a major role in developing the Confidence Doctrine, a political philosophy that "calls for Communist Party members, government officials, and the Chinese people to be 'confident in our chosen path, confident in our political system, and confident in our guiding theories.'" He stayed in this position until January 17, 2013, when he was dismissed for his "improper lifestyle" and was replaced by Jia Gaojian.
Documentary Information Department
The Documentary Information Department, also known as the Library, was one of the main institutions of the CCTB. Its main responsibilities were
Marxism
Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...
and
socialism
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
. They also constructed and serviced documents that provided information related to the business field of the CCTB. The Documentary Information Department edited the website, and did maintenance work while being responsible for the compilation and research of public opinion information.
History
The Central Compilation and Translation Bureau has advocated for new and innovative ideas for political and economic reforms. Many foreign scholars and organizations have worked with the CCTB, including the
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a $25,000 (about $550,000 in 2023) gift from Edsel Ford. ...
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter. He and his wife Rosalynn Carter partnered with Emory University after his defeat in the 1980 United States presidential ele ...
. The origins of the CCTB can be traced back to at least three other places: the Translation Department of Marx-Lenin College in the early 1940s, the Russian Translation Group during 1946–1949, and the Russian Compilation Translation Bureau in Beijing in 1949. These groups specialized in translating important policies and works. In 1962, the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau took over the Central Liaison Department. This office translated works of Chinese Leader and Chinese documents into foreign languages. The CCTB played an instrumental role in opening up Chinese academia to many foreign ideas and trends.