[Original] Zhang Xiaoping: Basic Connotation, Distinctive Features, and Unique Contributions of Chinese Modernization
Chinese-path modernization is a modernization produced on the soil of China. While it possesses the general characteristics of modernization, it is particularly defined by Chinese characteristics and is a modernization rooted in the more than five-thousand-year history of the development of Chinese civilization. Chinese-path modernization has endowed the ancient Chinese civilization with the power of modernity, greatly elevating its standing among world civilizations, transforming the material and spiritual lives of the Chinese people, and displaying the elegance of Chinese civilization in the New Era to the world. At the same time, it demonstrates that Chinese-path modernization is not a modernization that destroys or interrupts ancient civilization, nor is it a modernization transplanted from other countries, nor is it Westernization; rather, it is the modernization of the continuity and renewal of Chinese civilization. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Chinese-path modernization is deeply rooted in fine traditional Chinese culture, embodies the advanced nature of scientific socialism, draws on and absorbs all outstanding achievements of human civilization, represents the developmental direction of human progress, presents a new picture different from the Western model of modernization, and is a brand-new form of human civilization."
As a new form of human civilization, Chinese-path modernization is committed to promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and making a unique contribution to the progress of human civilization.
I. The Basic Connotations of Chinese-path Modernization
Chinese-path modernization contains rich connotations, mainly reflected in the following aspects:
First, Chinese-path modernization contains deep roots in Chinese civilization. It is rooted in the fertile soil of over five thousand years of Chinese civilization; it is not a modernization that destroys or interrupts ancient civilization, but one that continues and renews it. The prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization—namely, its prominent continuity, creativity, unity, inclusiveness, and peaceful nature—constitute the deep civilizational foundation of Chinese-path modernization. The ideological essence of Chinese civilization provides precious resources for Chinese-path modernization. The spirit of the Chinese nation provides a powerful spiritual impetus for Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization will effectively promote the creative transformation and innovative development [1] of Chinese civilization, constantly endowing Chinese civilization with new connotations of the times, and striving to build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
Second, Chinese-path modernization respects the diversity of world civilizations and the developmental paths chosen by each other. Diversity is a basic feature of the world; without diversity, there is no human civilization. Civilizations are equal, inclusive, and open. Chinese-path modernization advocates for transcending civilizational barriers through exchange, transcending civilizational conflict through mutual learning, and transcending civilizational superiority through coexistence. Chinese-path modernization moves beyond zero-sum game thinking, rejects ideological prejudice, crosses the "trap" of civilizational conflict [2], and establishes the consciousness of a community with a shared future and the concept of win-win cooperation where "you are in me and I am in you." It respects the developmental paths and models independently chosen by all countries, making the diversity of world civilizations an inexhaustible driving force for the progress of human society. The "garden" of human civilization is colorful and diverse; it is precisely based on this diversity that social development and civilizational progress can be promoted through competition, exchange, mutual learning, and integration.
Third, Chinese-path modernization contains a people-centered view of civilization. Chinese-path modernization takes the people as the fundamental purpose of modernization development, adheres to the principal status of the people, and unswervingly follows the path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics to ensure that the people manage state affairs through various channels and forms in accordance with the law. It emphasizes that the development of modernization must benefit all the people, achieve common prosperity for all, and enable all the people to share the fruits of modernization.
Fourth, Chinese-path modernization differs from Western modernization. It is not a modernization driven by a one-dimensional [3] civilizational advancement of one-sided development, but a modernization that persists in the coordinated development of holistic civilization. Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of coordinated development between material and spiritual civilizations. Material civilization is highly developed, and spiritual civilization is highly enriched. Material civilization is the foundation of spiritual civilization, providing material conditions and practical experience for its development. Spiritual civilization provides spiritual motivation, intellectual support, and ideological guarantees for the development of material civilization. The coordinated development and comprehensive enhancement of the "Five Civilizations"—material, political, spiritual, social, and ecological—is the strategic goal of building a great modern socialist country.
Fifth, Western modern civilization is merely one of many modern civilizations; it must never be said that Western civilization is modern civilization. Modernization is a profound transformation of human civilization, an irreversible trend of the times, a necessary path for human society to seek progress, and a historical stage that every country and region must pass through in its own way. Just like the modernization of Western civilization, the modernization of other non-Western civilizations manifests as a transition from their own traditional civilizations to modern civilization. Non-Western civilizations, provided they do not abandon their own traditional culture, are fully capable of achieving their respective modernizations in different ways.
Sixth, Chinese-path modernization organically integrates Chinese civilization, socialist civilization, and other modern civilizations, creating a new form of human civilization. Chinese-path modernization is the generative vehicle for this new form of human civilization, and the new form of human civilization is the inevitable result of Chinese-path modernization.
II. The Distinctive Features of Chinese-path Modernization
Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China. Party leadership is its greatest feature and directly relates to the value orientation of Chinese-path modernization.
First, Chinese-path modernization upholds the principle of independence and self-reliance, the core of which is "taking one's own path" and opening up a new realm for the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. It insists that Chinese problems must proceed from China's basic national conditions and be answered by the Chinese people themselves. The exploration process of the CPC leading the Chinese people to open up the road of Chinese-path modernization is also a process of profound awakening regarding the splendid civilization created by the nation itself. The road of Chinese-path modernization is both a form of "path consciousness" and "civilizational consciousness," meaning that China must explore a path that both follows the general laws of modernization and differs from the Western road. The road of Chinese-path modernization is a transcendence of the Western road; it constructs China's discourse of modernity, creates a new form of human civilization, and demonstrates the CPC's new view of civilization. Upholding the principle of independence and "taking one's own path" is the fundamental standpoint of all the Party's theories and practices, and it is the historical conclusion drawn from the Party’s century of struggle. The CPC "has always persisted in taking its own path independently, persisted in placing the development of the country and the nation on the basis of its own strength, and persisted in the principle that China's affairs must be decided and handled by the Chinese people themselves." We must firmly grasp the initiative of development and must never lose our independence or interrupt our own civilizational process.
Second, Chinese-path modernization establishes a civilizational view of common prosperity, advancing toward modernization that achieves common prosperity for all the people. Achieving common prosperity is an important feature of Chinese-path modernization. It adheres to the concept of "people first" and highlights the people-oriented nature of the direction of modernization. Eliminating poverty and achieving common prosperity is an essential requirement of a socialist country and an important mission of the CPC. One of the fundamental differences between socialism and capitalism is that socialism must both develop productive forces more advanced than those of capitalism and gradually eliminate polarization [4] to ultimately achieve common prosperity. To achieve the goal of common prosperity, it is necessary to correctly handle the relationship between growth and distribution through reasonable institutional arrangements, prevent monopolies and the "disorderly expansion of capital," strive to maintain and promote social fairness and justice, and take the realization of the people's aspirations for a better life as the starting point and goal of modernization.
Third, Chinese-path modernization contains a civilizational view of coordinated development. It is necessary not only to persist in the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilizations but also to persist in the coordinated development of the "Five Civilizations." Transitioning from the coordinated development of "two civilizations" to that of "five civilizations" and taking the path of coordinated development is an important feature of Chinese-path modernization.
Fourth, Chinese-path modernization adheres to an ecological view of civilization based on the harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. Taking the path of green development is an important feature of Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The modernization we are building is one in which humanity and nature coexist in harmony. We must not only create more material and spiritual wealth to meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life but also provide more high-quality ecological products to meet the people's ever-growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment."
Fifth, Chinese-path modernization adheres to a peaceful developmental view of civilization. China takes the path of peaceful development, avoids the old path of achieving development through aggression and expansion, and has successfully explored a new path to achieve national development and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through peaceful means. It has broken the traditional model of great power development where "a strong country must seek hegemony" [5] and provided a new choice for humanity to achieve modernization.
III. The Unique Contributions of Chinese-path Modernization
The unique contribution of Chinese-path modernization is centrally reflected in the creation of a new form of human civilization. Chinese-path modernization is the organic fusion of Chinese civilization, socialist civilization, and modern civilization, creating a new civilizational form that transcends capitalist civilization.
First, being people-centered transcends being capital-centered. The new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization takes the people as the fundamental purpose of modernization, adheres to the principal status of the people, and emphasizes that modernization must benefit all people and allow them to share in its fruits. Capitalist modernization adheres to the principal status of capital; its primary purpose is to maximize the value of capital, leading to the fruits of modernization being enjoyed primarily by a few. Classical Marxist writers profoundly criticized the phenomenon of "alienation" prevalent in capitalist society, progressing from the alienation of things, the alienation between people and things, to the alienation between people, revealing the social phenomenon where human material and spiritual production and their products become alien forces that in turn dominate humanity. Chinese-path modernization contributes a new civilizational form to humanity, opening a vast space for the free and well-rounded development of individuals and comprehensive social progress.
Second, common prosperity transcends polarization. Common prosperity is a difficult problem in the development of human civilization; to date, no country in human society has perfectly solved this issue. Large wealth gaps and polarization are common problems in capital-led modernization. The new form of civilization created by Chinese-path modernization takes the common prosperity of all people as the starting point and important goal. It advocates for the organic unity and coordinated development of material wealth, spiritual enrichment, and ecological beauty through the collective struggle of all people, promoting the free and well-rounded development of individuals and truly realizing social fairness and justice. In contrast, the starting point and end point of capitalist modernization lie in the valorization of capital; capital maintains its interests through the appropriation of surplus value and the conscious use of polarization. Humans are alienated into tools for capital valorization, and the polarization between rich and poor becomes an insoluble internal contradiction, making it difficult to truly achieve social fairness and justice.
Third, the coordinated development of the "Five Civilizations" transcends one-dimensional development. In the new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization, material civilization provides material and technical conditions; political civilization provides the leading force and institutional guarantees; spiritual civilization provides the spiritual bond, moral strength, and intellectual support; social civilization provides support for people's livelihoods, social order, and social organization; and ecological civilization provides a good ecological foundation. The internal tension and dialectical movement of these five civilizations drive the progress of the civilization as a whole. Conversely, capitalist modernization is prone to an imbalanced state of one-dimensional development: focusing only on wealth growth while the well-rounded development of people is distorted, the environment is seriously damaged, and fairness and justice cannot be guaranteed.
Fourth, the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature transcends the opposition between humanity and nature. The new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization regards humanity and nature as a community of life, believing that a good ecological environment is the most universal benefit for people's livelihoods. Adhering to the concepts of "ecology first" and green development, it creates more material and spiritual wealth while revereing, respecting, understanding, conforming to, and protecting nature. In contrast, capitalist modernization follows anthropocentrism, pitting humanity against nature; humanity occupies the principal status of modernization while nature is the object, and through the powerful force of modern technology, the ecological balance between the two is destroyed.
Fifth, peaceful development and win-win cooperation transcend hegemonism, colonialism, and external plunder.
The new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization persists in seeking development through peace, promoting peace through development, creating win-win outcomes through cooperation, and promoting cooperation through win-win outcomes. A strong nation need not be a hegemon. In contrast, capitalist modernization achieved the expansion of capitalist markets by plundering world wealth on a massive scale during colonial movements. Through hegemonic intervention and the control of the development strategies and economic policies of the vast number of developing countries, it exerts every effort to seize economic interests from them. The old path of "Western-style modernization," achieved through war, colonization, and plunder, brought profound suffering to the peoples of the developing world. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has possessed a cultural gene that prizes peace; "harmony without uniformity" [6] is an intrinsic quality of Chinese culture, and the pursuit of peace, amity, and harmony is deeply rooted in the spiritual world of the Chinese nation. Chinese-path modernization follows the path of peaceful development and maintains a peaceful and stable environment for development.
Sixth, transcending cultural estrangement through civilization exchanges, transcending civilization clashes through mutual learning between civilizations, and transcending civilization superiority through the coexistence of civilizations.
The new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization persists in promoting a view of civilization based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness. It respects the diversity of world civilizations and proposes theories of mutual learning and coexistence among civilizations to transcend "Western-centric" theories of civilizational superiority and the "clash of civilizations." Utilizing the modes of thinking characterized by "harmony without uniformity," "appreciating the beauty of others as one's own" [7], and "Great Harmony under Heaven" [8], it advocates for the building of a community with a shared future for humanity with civilizational exchange and mutual learning at its core. The unique spiritual qualities of Chinese civilization can contribute Eastern wisdom to the advancement of world civilization.
Seventh, the road of Chinese-path modernization has shattered the "myth" of capitalist modernization, reconstructed the overall picture of global modernization, and made original contributions to the history of the development of human civilization.
The Western modernization model, originating in Europe and America, was long flaunted as the only bridge to modernization. Adhering to independence and self-reliance has revealed another picture of Chinese-path modernization that differs from Westernization; it has expanded the pathways for developing countries to move toward modernization, set an example for the vast number of developing countries to move toward modernization independently, and provided them with an entirely new choice.
In short, Chinese civilization is a great civilization that has made major contributions to the cause of progress for human civilization. Opening up and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics on the profound foundation of Chinese civilization is our "only bridge" and our "greatest magic weapon." Chinese-path modernization endows Chinese civilization with modern power, while Chinese civilization endows Chinese-path modernization with profound depth. By maintaining a global perspective [9], we actively learn from and draw on all beneficial achievements of human civilization. Chinese-path modernization possesses an incomparably broad space for development. History and reality will ultimately prove that the road of Chinese-path modernization will become wider and wider.
(Author Profile: Zhang Xiaoping is a researcher at the Institute of Marxism Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Marxism of the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.)
Editor: Tong Xin Source: Marxism Studies Network (Original)