Zhang Guanzi: Opening a New Path for Humanity Toward Modernization
The realization of modernization is the common pursuit of people all over the world. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "For a country to move toward modernization, it must both follow the general laws of modernization and, more importantly, conform to its own reality and possess its own characteristics." Looking back at the developmental trajectory of Chinese-path modernization, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has united and led the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country in revolution, construction, and reform. Through continuous innovation in theory and practice, the Party has explored and discovered the road of Chinese-path modernization. This path has not only opened up broad prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation but has also provided a new choice for the vast number of developing countries to achieve modernization, possessing profound connotations and world significance.
The Maladies of the Western Path to Modernization
For several centuries, Western countries, relying on their first-mover advantage and technological hegemony, once shaped the Western path to modernization into the sole, universal template for development. In reality, Western modernization is a path built upon specific historical conditions, centered on capital, and riddled with internal contradictions. With the deepening development of economic globalization, the inherent and deep-seated structural dilemmas of the Western modernization model have become increasingly prominent, and it faces an insurmountable crisis of sustainability in practice.
Western modernization completed its primitive accumulation through the systematic plunder and expansion of other countries and regions, characterized by injustice and exclusivity. In Capital, Marx profoundly revealed the essence of the primitive accumulation of capital, noting that such accumulation "is written in the annals of mankind in letters of blood and fire." This means that, at its starting point, Western modernization depended on the dispossession of other countries and regions of the world. This model is irreplicable for late-developing countries, both morally and factually. Furthermore, according to Wallerstein’s World-Systems Theory, the developed Western countries at the so-called "core" of the world system continue to extract resources and surplus value from the vast number of developing countries in the "periphery" through unequal exchange, technological monopoly, and financial hegemony, reducing the latter into Western dependencies. Consequently, the development and prosperity of Western countries have been achieved, to a certain extent, at the cost of long-term underdevelopment, monolithic economic structures, and political instability in developing countries.
Western modernization takes the infinite appreciation and expansion of capital as its core driving force, leading to the alienation of human beings and the tearing apart of society. Under a system where capital appreciation is the supreme criterion, humans are treated as tools and means for appreciation rather than the purpose of development. This alienation leads to widespread spiritual emptiness, loss of meaning, and the swelling of materialism, running counter to the ultimate goal of modernization: the realization of free and well-rounded human development. At the same time, the instinct of capital to pursue maximum profit leads to a high concentration of social wealth in the hands of a few capital owners. This polarization between rich and poor not only erodes social equity but also triggers consequences such as the solidification of social strata, the rise of populism, and the collapse of social trust, making it difficult to maintain internal stability and social cohesion, thereby shaking the social foundation of modernization.
In practice, the internal contradictions of the Western modernization model are manifested in the following aspects. First, governance efficacy has declined. The flaws of Western political systems have become apparent, making it difficult to reach an effective consensus on major issues concerning the long-term development of the country; this has caused governments to increasingly lose the ability to respond to major challenges and led to a continuous slide in public trust in the political system. Second, economic crises occur incessantly. The basic contradictions inherent in the capitalist mode of production have led to the continuous evolution of periodic economic crises. Currently, Western economies are showing a serious trend toward financialization and "virtualization." Capital is increasingly detached from the real economy, circulating idly within the financial system for arbitrage. The excessive expansion of the virtual economy not only intensifies the vulnerability and instability of the economic system but also further plunders social wealth through debt and speculation, exacerbating the shrinkage of the real economy and industrial hollowing-out. Third, hegemonism and interventionism are intensifying. Driven by the economic motivation to maintain financial hegemony and control strategic resources, as well as the political plot to export their own systems and maintain geopolitical advantages, some Western powers have frequently launched or intervened in wars even after the end of World War II. It is clear that Western modernization is not a path of peaceful development and win-win cooperation; its prosperity is often accompanied by turmoil in other parts of the world, creating a massive "peace deficit."
Exploring and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization
History has proven time and again that in a mega-sized developing country like China, there is no ready-made template to follow for achieving modernization. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Unique cultural traditions, a unique historical destiny, and unique basic national conditions have destined us to follow a developmental path suited to our own characteristics." Since its birth, the CPC has historically shouldered the heavy responsibility of realizing modernization, leading the Chinese people in continuous exploration to carve out a new road of Chinese-path modernization.
Carrying out modernization in a country with such a vast territory, long history, and huge population determines that we cannot mechanically copy Western models; the difficulty and complexity dictate that we must explore independently.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, our Party united and led the people in carrying out the socialist revolution, achieving the most extensive and profound social transformation in the history of the Chinese nation. We established an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system, providing valuable experience, theoretical preparation, and the material foundation for modernization.
During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, our Party made scientific decisions and overall plans, establishing the basic line of "one center, two basic points" [1] and the reform goal of a socialist market economy system. We implemented the policy of opening up to the outside world, creating miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, providing institutional guarantees full of new vitality and material conditions for rapid progression for Chinese-path modernization.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has moved forward on existing foundations. Adhering to a problem-oriented approach and focusing on resolving prominent contradictions and issues in modernization, we have comprehensively deepened reform, continuously achieved innovative breakthroughs in theory and practice, and successfully promoted and expanded Chinese-path modernization. First, we have continuously deepened our understanding. We created Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, providing a fundamental guide for Chinese-path modernization. We have further deepened our understanding of the connotation and essence of Chinese-path modernization, summarizing its Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles, and initially constructing a theoretical system for it, making Chinese-path modernization clearer, more scientific, and more perceptible and feasible. Second, we have continuously improved our strategy. We made the "two-step" strategic arrangement [2] to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of this century. We clarified the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" and the "Four Comprehensives" strategic layout, and deeply implemented a series of major strategies such as the strategy for invigorating China through science and education, the strategy on developing a quality workforce, and the rural revitalization strategy, providing solid strategic support for Chinese-path modernization. Third, we have continuously enriched our practice. We have advanced a series of transformative practices, achieved a series of breakthrough developments, and obtained a series of landmark results. In particular, we eliminated absolute poverty and completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. We have pushed for the cause of the Party and the country to undergo historical achievements and historical changes, providing more perfect institutional guarantees, a more solid material foundation, and more proactive spiritual strength for Chinese-path modernization.
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made systematic deployments regarding further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. Recently, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee [3] adopted the Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, clarifying the general ideas, important principles, main goals, strategic tasks, and major measures for economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. This has pointed out the direction and gathered majestic strength for riding the momentum to deeply advance Chinese-path modernization.
The World Significance of the Road of Chinese-path Modernization
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Realizing modernization is the right and inevitable choice of the people of all countries; the key is to find a developmental path that conforms to national conditions and the laws governing the development of human society." The successful practice of Chinese-path modernization has contributed Chinese wisdom to humanity’s exploration of the path to modernization.
Breaking the myth that "Modernization = Westernization." Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. Chinese-path modernization presents a different picture from Western modernization, breaking through existing stereotypes and formulaic understandings of modernization. It announces the bankruptcy of the "End of History" thesis and the collapse of the unilinear view of history which posits that all countries must eventually find their home in the Western institutional model. It has expanded the path choices for developing countries to move toward modernization, providing a new path for those countries and nations in the world that wish to speed up their development while maintaining their independence. Clearly, Chinese-path modernization not only promotes China's own development but also rewrites the paradigm of world modernization, representing a major transcendence of Western-style modernization theory and practice.
Successfully interpreting the path of independent development. Many developing countries generally face the dilemma of "dependent development" in their modernization processes. A key reason why China has been able to achieve independent development is that the CPC, as the leadership core, can ensure the long-term stability of national development strategies. By formulating and firmly executing medium- and long-term development plans, the country has pooled national strength to complete the historical tasks of poverty alleviation and the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This institutional advantage of "concentrating resources to accomplish major undertakings" has enabled China to achieve leapfrog development. Simultaneously, China emphasizes building an independent and complete national economic system—from the construction of the industrial system in the early days of the PRC to the current maintenance of industrial and supply chain security—economic autonomy has become an important safeguard for China against external risks. More importantly, China has combined the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of China's traditional culture, persisting in exploring a developmental path and governance model that fits its own national conditions. This inspires the vast number of developing countries: any development model must fit the country’s actual conditions and withstand the test of its own practice.
Realizing the correction of the purpose of development. Unlike Western modernization, which aims to realize capital appreciation, our Party has always adhered to a people-centered approach in the process of advancing Chinese-path modernization. From the unprecedented battle against poverty to the continuous promotion of projects to improve people’s livelihoods, the value orientation that the fruits of development should be shared by the people is fully reflected. This development model has brought not only rapid economic growth but also long-term social stability, forming a virtuous cycle of "economic development – improvement of livelihoods – social stability." Furthermore, China emphasizes the coordinated development of material and cultural-ethical civilizations. While promoting economic development, it strengthens cultural construction, fulfilling the people’s aspirations for a better life and promoting well-rounded human development.
Obtaining developmental experience through "seeking truth from facts." Our Party creatively proposed and established the socialist market economy system, which gives full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation while also better exerting the role of the government to ensure the achievement of various economic and social developmental goals and tasks. This provides an important reference for developing countries swaying between "market fundamentalism" and excessive intervention. China's practice of reform and opening up also shows that combining top-level design with "crossing the river by feeling the stones" [4] helps advance development while maintaining stability, which possesses significant reference value for developing countries facing complex transitional tasks.
The practice of Chinese-path modernization influences the world through participation in global governance. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) adheres to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. It coordinates the deepening of "hard connectivity" in infrastructure, "soft connectivity" in rules and standards, and "heart connectivity" with the people of participating countries, providing important opportunities for these countries to break through development bottlenecks. The Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China takes the most urgent issues facing developing countries—such as poverty reduction, food security, climate change, and green development—as entry points, promoting the international community to work together to meet developmental challenges and striving to ensure that no country or individual is left behind. Most importantly, China always adheres to equality and win-win cooperation in its interactions with other developing countries. This cooperation model enhances the voice of developing countries in global affairs. At the same time, the rise of China itself is changing the international balance of power, creating a more favorable international environment for the development of developing countries.
The successful experience of Chinese-path modernization originates in China but belongs to the world. Through its magnificent and successful practice, it encourages developing countries throughout the globe to bravely explore modernization paths suited to their own nations. Against the current backdrop of the accelerating evolution of changes unseen in a century and the intertwined turbulence of the international situation, Chinese-path modernization, as a new form of human advancement, will see its world significance become increasingly prominent over time.