Lin Jianhua: The Theory of Chinese Modernization is the Latest Major Achievement of Scientific Socialism

Professor Lin Jianhua, Party Committee Secretary of the Research Institute of Chinese-path Modernization at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), points out that modernization is the necessary path for the development of human society and the progress of human civilization. Achieving modernization has been the dream of the Chinese people since modern times and is the shared vision of people across all nations. From a historical perspective, Marx and Engels established the value orientation for modernization and the future social system, while Lenin initiated the preliminary exploration of socialist modernization through the formula of "Soviet power plus..." ^[1]. Grounded in China's national conditions, the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC ^[2] defined the Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles of Chinese-path modernization. Since then, and particularly through the Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee ^[3], the theoretical system of Chinese-path modernization has been further enriched and developed. It has achieved a major transcendence of Western-style modernization and a significant innovation in global modernization, standing as the latest major achievement of scientific socialism. He emphasized that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s scientific assertions—that "the essence of Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of the person," and that "the ultimate goal of Chinese-path modernization is to achieve the free and well-rounded development of the individual"—are highly consistent with the Marxist historical mission of "seeking liberation for humanity" and are theoretically thorough. Advancing the theoretical and practical innovation of Chinese-path modernization, while constructing the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems ^[4] as well as the independent knowledge system of Chinese-path modernization, is an inevitable requirement for continuously advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.