Qu Futian: Jiangsu’s Exploration and Theoretical Insights from the Provincial-Level Practice of Chinese-path Modernization
Chinese-path modernization is the broad avenue for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Advancing Chinese-path modernization is an exploratory undertaking with many unknown areas. It requires us to engage in bold exploration in practice and to drive the development of our cause through reform and innovation." As governance units, provinces possess unique characteristics in terms of spatial scale, history, culture, and resource allocation; their modernization practices are of significant importance to the overall landscape of Chinese-path modernization. In 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping mapped out a grand blueprint for Jiangsu: "Strong economy, wealthy citizens, beautiful environment, and a high level of social civility" [1]. In 2023, the General Secretary further required Jiangsu to "lead the way and serve as a model in advancing Chinese-path modernization." By implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches, Jiangsu has creatively advanced the provincial practice of Chinese-path modernization. Historic progress has been made in building a "Strong, Wealthy, Beautiful, and High" new Jiangsu, exploring pathways and accumulating experience for the broader construction of Chinese-path modernization.
The Scientific Guidance of the New Practice of Chinese-path Modernization in Jiangsu
Chinese-path modernization is pioneering and exploratory in nature. Provincial practices play a pathfinding and supporting role in the overall framework of our country’s modernization. The "Strong, Wealthy, Beautiful, and High" blueprint for a new Jiangsu—drawn by General Secretary Xi Jinping from the strategic height of the overall development of the Party and the state—contains the CPC Central Committee’s profound reflections on how to lay out and advance Chinese-path modernization at the provincial level. It provides scientific guidance for the new practice of Chinese-path modernization in Jiangsu.
An innovative exploration embodying the characteristic requirements of Chinese-path modernization. The grand blueprint of "Strong, Wealthy, Beautiful, and High" conforms to the universal laws of modernization while aligning closely with the characteristic requirements of Chinese-path modernization. It possesses the distinctive hallmarks of Jiangsu and embodies a forward-looking exploration of provincial-level modernization. A "Strong economy" is an inevitable requirement for advancing "modernization of a huge population," containing the developmental logic of building an economically strong province and creating the material conditions for modernization. "Wealthy citizens" is a vivid expression of "modernization of common prosperity for all," highlighting the value pursuit of sharing development fruits with the people. A "Beautiful environment" is the spatial manifestation of "modernization of harmony between humanity and nature," representing higher expectations for building a "Beautiful Jiangsu." A "High level of social civility" is an important feature and inevitable result of "modernization of material and cultural-ethical progress" [2], demonstrating the earnest expectation for Jiangsu to explore new experiences while undertaking its cultural mission in the New Era. "Strong, Wealthy, Beautiful, and High" is a distinctive provincial expression of Chinese-path modernization; it not only guided Jiangsu’s construction of a moderately prosperous society in all respects but will continue to lead the future of Jiangsu’s modernization.
A strategic positioning guiding transformative practice in Jiangsu in the New Era. Since the dawn of the New Era, an important requirement raised by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his local inspection tours has been to firmly grasp the strategic positioning within the overall national development framework. Jiangsu persists in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, adheres to the strategic positioning of building a "Strong, Wealthy, Beautiful, and High" new Jiangsu, and unswervingly turns the grand blueprint from a "freehand brushwork" into a "meticulous painting" [3]. Focusing on the orientation of "Strong," the province has promoted a transition from a large economy to a powerful one, with per capita GDP ranking among the highest in the country and regional innovation capacity ranking second nationwide. Focusing on the goal of "Wealthy," equal emphasis is placed on "making the cake bigger" and "dividing the cake well," with the development gap between urban and rural areas and different regions continuously narrowing. Focusing on the pursuit of "Beautiful," the province synergistically promotes carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion, and growth, driving a historic transformation in the ecological environment. Focusing on the positioning of "High," material and cultural-ethical progress are advanced in coordination, where development and governance complement each other. The transformative practices in Jiangsu since the New Era fully demonstrate the power of truth and the practical might of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
A provincial model for promoting development according to local conditions. Explorations by different provinces—based on their own realities and promoting development according to local conditions—endow Chinese-path modernization with vigorous vitality. Since the beginning of Reform and Opening-up, Jiangsu created the "Sunan Model" [4] and has continuously enriched and developed it in practice, gradually forming a "New Sunan Model" characterized by market-oriented reform, an open-economy, innovation-driven growth, and urban-rural integration, creating a vivid example of a region taking the lead in development. Embarking on the new journey of building a "Strong, Wealthy, Beautiful, and High" Jiangsu, the province has focused on shifting development drivers toward comprehensive innovation, emphasizing balance and coordination in development direction, achieving internal-external linkage in resource allocation, pursuing green and low-carbon development modes, manifesting multi-party synergy in social governance, and moving toward the well-rounded development of individuals. This has formed a new paradigm for the provincial practice of Chinese-path modernization, fully embodying the practical power of the scientific methodology of "acting according to local conditions."
Innovative Pathways for the New Practice of Chinese-path Modernization in Jiangsu
Jiangsu has firmly grasped the important requirements of "Strong, Wealthy, Beautiful, and High," actively exploring characteristic pathways to advance provincial modernization.
Building a modern industrial system through the integration of technological innovation and industrial cluster development. A "Strong economy" is primarily reflected in the formation of a highly competitive modern industrial system. The pathway to its realization is to promote industrial innovation through technological innovation, continuously developing new quality productive forces and improving total factor productivity. In recent years, Jiangsu has focused on the key element of technological innovation, concentrating efforts on building an industrial technology innovation center with global influence and promoting the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation. By grasping the evolution laws of industrial cluster integration, optimizing industrial structures through planning guidance and policy incentives, and seizing the opportunities of digital-real economy integration, Jiangsu has formed more industrial clusters that are competitive, growth-oriented, and deeply rooted. Currently, Jiangsu possesses 14 national advanced manufacturing clusters, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the national total. It is precisely by promoting this deep integration that Jiangsu has achieved a leap across six trillion-yuan milestones in total economic output over the past decade, with provincial industrial competitiveness continuously strengthening.
Continuously gathering development momentum through two-way opening-up. To promote high-quality development, one must cultivate new drivers of development under open conditions and improve total factor productivity through optimized resource allocation. In recent years, Jiangsu has fully leveraged its advantage as a major province with an open economy. On one hand, it has built a "two-way opening-up hub" with global convergence power to enhance its ability to integrate global resource elements. By expanding institutional opening-up, it has attracted more regional headquarters and R&D centers of foreign enterprises to settle in Jiangsu, accelerating the internationalization of enterprises and talent. On the other hand, it has created a world-class business environment to gather domestic high-end elements, actively integrating into the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and strengthening cooperation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Through this new pattern of two-way opening-up, Jiangsu provides continuous development momentum for its large economy, significantly enhancing the level and efficiency of resource element allocation.
Enhancing the coordination and balance of provincial development through urban-rural and regional coordination. Improving the level of coordinated and balanced development is the key to promoting common prosperity for all. In recent years, regarding regional structure, Jiangsu has deeply implemented the strategy of key functional zones, clarifying regional divisions of labor and optimizing economic layout. It has continuously promoted North-South joint construction, cross-river integration, and river-sea linkage to advance provincial integration. Regarding urban-rural structure, it has used the construction of metropolitan areas and city clusters to form higher-level growth poles, taking institutional reforms as a breakthrough to promote agricultural modernization and "pastoral countryside" construction, fostering deep urban-rural integration. Currently, the per capita disposable income gap between North and South Jiangsu, and between urban and rural areas, is continuously narrowing. Promoting common prosperity through coordinated and balanced development has become a distinct feature and important hallmark of Jiangsu’s development.
Promoting green and low-carbon transition through the benign interaction of high-quality development and high-level protection. Jiangsu has a high population and economic density but a thin ecological foundation, presenting unique challenges in the pursuit of a "Beautiful environment." In recent years, Jiangsu has adhered to the principle that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" [5]. It has used planning to optimize the provincial spatial development and protection layout, promoting the efficient configuration and effective protection of key resources and ecosystems. Through industrial policy adjustments and environmental regulations, it has forced the rectification of the chemical industry, phased out backward production capacity, and implemented special actions for carbon peaking, promoting a comprehensive green transition of industry. High-standard rectification of prominent environmental issues has led to a year-on-year decrease in total emissions of major pollutants. Lake Tai has achieved 17 consecutive years of "safe summers" [6], and the proportion of natural shoreline along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River has increased to 64.5%. Biodiversity protection is accelerating the restoration of natural beauty. Jiangsu’s exploration—guided by the pursuit of increasing "ecological wealth"—is carving out an innovative path for harmony between humanity and nature in a region of high population and economic density.
Leading the coordination of material and cultural-ethical progress through the well-rounded development of individuals. A "High level of social civility" is an important requirement for promoting the well-rounded development of people. Jiangsu has grasped the key of "human modernization," actively building highlands for ideological and cultural leadership, moral fashion, and the creation of fine literary and artistic works, continuously enhancing value guidance, cultural cohesion, and spiritual drive. It has strengthened the protection, inheritance, and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture, constructing the Yangtze River and Grand Canal National Cultural Parks at a high level to create new cultural hallmarks. It has prospered cultural undertakings and industries, accelerating the transition from a major cultural province to a strong cultural province. Simultaneously, it has actively promoted the "two-way conversion" between the humanities and the economy, effectively exploring a characteristic path for promoting human development through the organic integration of culture and economy, and modern civilization and traditional culture.
Experiential Enlightenment from the New Practice of Chinese-path Modernization in Jiangsu
"Leading the way and serving as a model" is the historical mission shoulder by Jiangsu in the New Era. Jiangsu’s creative pursuit of provincial modernization has yielded a series of experiential insights.
Upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership. Adhereing to the leadership of the Communist Party of China is an essential requirement of Chinese-path modernization. Jiangsu persists in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its guide, treating the General Secretary’s important speeches and instructions as the scientific compass for provincial practice. Through a series of strategic deployments—such as "Planning for 3 years, sketching for 8 years, and looking forward to 13 years"—it has continuously created new achievements in modernization. Jiangsu’s practice shows that only by upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership—and transforming the Party’s political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social mobilization into the actual driving force of provincial practice—can we gather the majestic power of all the people and ensure that Chinese-path modernization remains steady and moves far toward its goals.
Persisting in comprehensively deepening reform. Chinese-path modernization has been continuously advanced through Reform and Opening-up, and its broad prospects will surely be opened through the same. A firm commitment to "eating the bowl of reform" [7] is a prominent feature of Jiangsu’s modernization. Jiangsu has always treated comprehensively deepening reform as the key measure to drive modernization practices, aiming at the "key point" of technological institutional innovation, grasping the "ox's nose" (the crux) of market-based element allocation reform, tempering the "powerful engine" of expanding high-level opening-up, and forging the "hard brand" of a first-class business environment. Consequently, the drive and vitality of provincial modernization have been fully released and continuously strengthened.
Persisting in integrating into national development strategies. National development strategies reflect the national will and gather national strength. They are both a major opportunity for a region's development and a powerful force for breaking through regional limitations. Jiangsu has firmly grasped the major advantage of having multiple national strategies converge within its borders, deeply integrating into the Integrated Development of the Yangtze River Delta and the Yangtze River Economic Belt Development Strategy, thereby enhancing the vigorous momentum of provincial modernization.
Persisting in promoting coordinated and balanced development. Coordination and balance are both important hallmarks of modernization and key levers for addressing development shortcomings. Jiangsu persists in viewing urban-rural and regional coordination as the key path to solving unbalanced development, viewing the synergy between high-quality development and high-level protection as an internal requirement, and viewing the symbiotic fusion of culture and economy as an important feature of coordinating material and cultural-ethical progress. By coordinating development and security, Jiangsu has not only significantly improved provincial coordination but has also shaped a major advantage for its modernization construction.
Persisting in combining systematic planning with grassroots exploration. Jiangsu insists on combining the top-level design of Chinese-path modernization with General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important requirements for Jiangsu’s modernization, ensuring that the formulated plans and policy systems reflect the times, grasp the laws of development, and are full of creativity. At the same time, it treats "daring" and "innovating" (闯与创) as the humanistic spirit and value pursuit of modernization practice—letting "officials dare to act, local governments dare to venture, enterprises dare to do, and the masses dare to pioneer" [8]. This has gathered a powerful force for action and provided continuous endogenous momentum for the provincial practice of modernization.
(The author is the Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress and Chairperson of the Jiangsu Provincial Federation of Philosophical and Social Sciences.)
Source: People's Daily (December 25, 2024, Page 09)