After more than four decades of restoration and reconstruction, Chinese sociology has moved beyond its initial phases of establishment and translation, now entering a new stage of increasing maturity. As China’s economy continues to grow and flourish, the international environment it faces has become increasingly complex and unpredictable. Globalization, anti-globalization, and de-globalization are intertwined, while the world undergoes a period of continuous upheaval and transformation, marked by the shift between old and new driving forces. The rapid changes in the global power balance between China and the West present a significant opportunity for building the three major systems in sociology with Chinese characteristics. Zheng Hangsheng and his academic team were among the earliest to scientifically assess and keenly perceive the necessity and feasibility of theoretical consciousness. As pioneers in fostering theoretical consciousness within Chinese sociology, they were the first to advocate for the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese sociology, responding to the call of the times.