Yan Xiaofeng: The Historical Process and Empirical Insights of the Step-by-Step Evolution of Chinese Modernization | Marxism Research Network

Professor Yan Xiaofeng, Dean of the School of Marxism at Tianjin University, has systematically outlined the historical sequence of Chinese-path modernization as a step-by-step progression. Over the more than 100 years since the Party's founding, this process has traversed two great spatio-temporal domains: "creating the fundamental social conditions" and "initiating developmental practice." Within the 70-plus years of the New China, there has been a significant conceptual leap from the "Four Modernizations" ^[1] to comprehensive modernization. In the 20 years spanning from the 16th to the 20th National Congresses, a transition was achieved from the First Centenary Goal to the Second Centenary Goal ^[2]. The next 30 years are divided into a "two-step" ^[3] process: "basically realizing modernization" and "building a great modern socialist country." Within this framework, the period from 2020 to 2035 is further subdivided into three five-year "steps": the "opening" of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the "critical stage" of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and the "sprint" of the 16th Five-Year Plan.

He summarizes four experiential insights: this step-by-step progression is the product of combining the universal laws of modernization with China’s actual conditions; it is the result of unifying developmental trends with the Party’s historical initiative ^[4]; it is a manifestation of the convergence between continuity and stages of development; and it embodies the interconnected advantages of the Party’s long-term governance and the relay-like efforts of successive generations. These factors highlight the systematic nature and historical necessity of Chinese-path modernization.

Notes

↩ [1] 四个现代化 (sì gè xiàn dài huà): The "Four Modernizations" (agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology) were first set forth by Zhou Enlai in the 1960s and became the defining objective of China's development during the early Reform and Opening-up era.

↩ [2] 两个一百年奋斗目标 (liǎng gè yī bǎi nián fèn dù mù biāo): The "Two Centenary Goals." The first was to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the centenary of the CPC (2021); the second is to build China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the centenary of the People's Republic of China (2049).

↩ [3] 两步走 (liǎng bù zǒu): The "two-step" strategic plan for the New Era, formulated at the 19th National Congress. Step one (2020–2035) is to basically realize socialist modernization; step two (2035–mid-21st century) is to build a great modern socialist country.

↩ [4] 历史主动 (lì shǐ zhǔ dòng): "Historical initiative" refers to the conscious, proactive capacity of the subject (the Party and the people) to understand objective historical laws and act upon them to transform reality, rather than being passivly driven by material forces.