Cui Lihua: Comprehensively Promoting the Building of a Strong Country and National Rejuvenation Through Chinese-Style Modernization
At the reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, President Xi pointed out: "Using Chinese-path modernization to comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the nation is the central task of the Party and the state on the new journey of the New Era. Today, the best action we can take to celebrate the birthday of the Republic is to continuously push forward this unprecedented and great cause." President Xi profoundly summarized the world-renowned developmental achievements attained through the unremitting struggle of the Party in uniting and leading the people of all ethnic groups across the country over the past 75 years. He searchingly analyzed the current major international and domestic trends, further clarified the strategic requirements for advancing Chinese-path modernization, and provided the fundamental compliance [1] for continuously pushing this great cause forward.
Chinese-path modernization is the only correct road for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation
Realizing modernization is a hallmark of the development and progress of human civilization, a common goal pursued assiduously by all countries in the world, and the collective ideal and unremitting pursuit of all Chinese people since the dawn of the modern era. The Chinese nation once created splendors that attracted the world's attention; however, after the Opium War of 1840, the country was humiliated, the people suffered, and our civilization was shrouded in dust [2]. The Chinese nation endured an unprecedented catastrophe. From that time on, realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation became the greatest dream of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. The historical challenges and temporal conditions faced by modern China determined that the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the realization of China's modernization—as well as the exploration of the path to national rejuvenation and the exploration of the road to China's modernization—are integrated and advance together. Since the day of its birth, all the struggles carried out by the Chinese Communist Party in uniting and leading the people have been for the purpose of building our country into a great modern socialist power and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Seventy-five years ago, the founding of the People’s Republic of China symbolized that the Chinese people had stood up [3], opening a new historical era for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and creating the fundamental social conditions for achieving modernization. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, our Party made the historical decision to shift the center of the Party and state's work toward economic construction and to implement reform and opening up. We vigorously promoted theoretical, institutional, and cultural innovation, alongside other forms of innovation based on practice. We implemented the socialist market economy system, achieving a historical breakthrough from a state of relatively backward productive forces to becoming the world's second-largest economy. We achieved a historical leap in the people's lives from insufficient food and clothing to overall moderate prosperity [4], and then toward comprehensive moderate prosperity. This provided the institutional guarantee full of new vitality and the material conditions for rapid development necessary for Chinese-path modernization.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, our Party has continued to move forward, constantly achieving innovative breakthroughs in theory and practice, and successfully advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization. In just a few decades, we completed the industrialization process that took Western developed countries several centuries, creating the miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, opening up broad prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. After 75 years of profound changes [5], the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process; after 75 years of hacking through thorns and briers, the magnificent vista of Chinese-path modernization has already unfolded.
All great achievements are the result of continuous struggle, and all great causes must be advanced by carrying forward the past and opening up the future. Using Chinese-path modernization to comprehensively advance the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation is the central task of the Party and the state on the new journey of the New Era, and the greatest politics of the New Era. Standing at a new historical starting point, the 20th CPC National Congress mapped out the grand blueprint for building a modern socialist country in all respects and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, pointing out the direction and establishing the guide for action for the cause of the Party and the state. To implement the strategic deployments made by the 20th CPC National Congress, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee planned and deployed reforms closely around the Party's central task, sounding the clarion call of the times to open up broad prospects for Chinese-path modernization by further comprehensively deepening reform. This demonstrates the firm determination and strong sense of mission of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to carry reform through to the end, and it holds major and far-reaching significance for the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. At the reception celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, President Xi, with a focus on realizing the central task of the Party and the state on the new journey of the New Era, put forward clear requirements and made major deployments for advancing these goals, providing us with the fundamental compliance to stride forward along the broad avenue of Chinese-path modernization.
Advancing Chinese-path modernization is an unprecedentedly great cause
The report to the 20th CPC National Congress clearly summarized five Chinese characteristics of Chinese-path modernization: it 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. Realizing modernization in China by following the socialist road is like climbing a mountain where no human has trod; there is no straight highway to take, and no ready-made path to follow. We can only find answers through the repetitive process of "practice, knowledge, again practice, and again knowledge" [6]. Comrade Deng Xiaoping once pointed out that by the middle of the 21st century, when we reach the level of a moderately developed country, it will mean we have "completed a very arduous and difficult task," which "truly makes a contribution to human society" and "can even better reflect the superiority of the socialist system." By that time, we will be able to use facts "to show humanity that socialism is the inevitable road, and socialism is superior to capitalism."
Chinese-path modernization has shattered the myth that "modernization = Westernization" and displayed a new picture distinct from the Western modernization model. On the road of Chinese-path modernization, we have created a new form of human civilization, expanded the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization, and provided a brand-new choice for those countries and nations in the world that wish to speed up their development while maintaining their independence.
"Follow the Way, but one must strive even halfway; the point of resonance is not far, but do not begrudge the toil to reach the summit" [7]. The forward journey of Chinese-path modernization cannot be a smooth plain; there will certainly be difficulties and obstacles, and we may encounter major tests of high winds, surging waves, or even perilous storms. Currently, the world’s once-in-a-century great changes are accelerating, local conflicts and turbulence occur frequently, global issues are intensifying, and external suppression and containment are continuously escalating. Our country’s development has entered a period where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. Various "black swan" and "gray rhino" events may occur at any time. The current period and the period ahead are critical for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization. We must stay alert to danger in times of peace, prepare for rainy days, and rely closely on the whole Party, the whole army, and the people of all ethnic groups to resolutely overcome all uncertain and unpredictable risks and challenges.
Pooling strength to advance Chinese-path modernization
Comprehensively advancing the building of a strong nation and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization is by no means something that can be achieved easily with the beating of drums and gongs [8]; it requires us to think with one mind and work toward the same goal, pooling our strength to turn the beautiful blueprint into a grand reality.
Upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the fundamental guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization. We must always uphold the Party's core leadership role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties, and resolutely uphold the Party Central Committee’s authority and centralized, unified leadership. We must profoundly recognize that "the leadership of the Party directly relates to the fundamental direction, future destiny, and ultimate success or failure of Chinese-path modernization." The Party’s nature, purpose, original aspiration and founding mission, ideals and beliefs, and policy propositions determine that Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization, and not any other kind. The Party's leadership ensures that Chinese-path modernization anchors its goals and achieves steady and long-term progress, enabling it to unite and lead the people to work generation after generation with great exertion and courage. The Party's leadership stimulates a powerful internal drive for building Chinese-path modernization; we must persist in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and remain committed to leading the great social revolution with the Party's great self-revolution. The Party’s leadership assembles the majestic force for building Chinese-path modernization; we must unite all forces that can be united, mobilize all positive factors that can be mobilized, and maximize the cohesion of forces for common struggle.
Adhering to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the inevitable road for advancing Chinese-path modernization. "Only the wearer knows if the shoes fit" [9]. President Xi pointed out: "The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the inevitable road to realizing our country's socialist modernization and the inevitable road to creating a better life for the people." Persistent adherence to socialism with Chinese characteristics is an essential requirement for the social system of Chinese-path modernization and the fundamental distinction between Chinese-path modernization and the Western modernization path. We must strengthen our determination and will to neither change our path nor alter our resolve, deeply implement the Party’s basic theory, basic line, and basic strategy, further comprehensively deepen reform and expand opening up, focus on promoting high-quality development, and strive to keep the fate of the country’s development and progress firmly in the hands of the Chinese people.
Persisting in the people-centered approach is the value pursuit of advancing Chinese-path modernization. Whether the road of Chinese-path modernization can ultimately succeed and proceed steadily depends crucially on whether we always persist in a people-centered approach. Chinese-path modernization is the collective cause of all the people. President Xi emphasized: "The people are the main body of Chinese-path modernization; we must rely closely on the people, respect the people's creative spirit, and collect the wisdom and strength of all the people to continuously push Chinese-path modernization forward." We must always keep the Party's nature and purpose in mind, persist in the supremacy of the people, do everything for the people, rely on the people for everything, and strive to let all the people share the fruits of reform and development through common struggle.
Persisting in the path of peaceful development is a distinct feature and inevitable choice of Chinese-path modernization. President Xi emphasized: "China is comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization. We do not pursue a modernization that serves China alone; rather, we look forward to achieving modernization together with all countries, including the vast number of developing countries. Global modernization should be a modernization of peaceful development, a modernization of mutually beneficial cooperation, and a modernization of common prosperity." This not only reflects the CPC's active strategic shaping of a favorable international environment but also endows Chinese-path modernization with a broad global vision and strong moral power. Looking back at the extraordinary path we have traveled and forward to an even more magnificent future, Chinese-path modernization is a major result of the Party's long-term exploration and practice in leading the people; it is the broad avenue for building a strong country and national rejuvenation. We must use unity to gather strength and struggle to forge great achievements, jointly composing a magnificent chapter in the cause of comprehensively advancing building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization.
(Study Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Central Party School [National Academy of Governance])