Gu Hailiang: The System Integration of Chinese Modernization and Its New Frontiers
With the theme of "further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization," the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee focused closely on further comprehensively deepening reform around the advancement of Chinese-path modernization, creating a new realm and systemic integration for Chinese-path modernization. In the Explanatory Notes on the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed: "Strengthening systemic integration" lies in "strengthening the overall planning and systemic layout of reform, so that reforms in all aspects complement each other with synergy and efficiency." This provides a feasible path for exploring how to implement the strategic deployment of Chinese-path modernization and turn its blueprint into reality.
I. From "Strategic Deployment" to "Theoretical System"
In October 2020, at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping provided the first overview of the five characteristics of Chinese-path modernization: "modernization of a huge population," "modernization of common prosperity for all," "modernization of material and cultural-ethical advancement in harmony," "modernization of harmony between humanity and nature," and "modernization of peaceful development." He pointed out that "Chinese-path modernization both suits China's reality and reflects the laws of socialist construction, as well as the laws governing the development of human society. Our country must unswervingly advance Chinese-path modernization, use it to advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and continuously make new and greater contributions to humanity."
In October 2022, the 20th CPC National Congress further established the goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects and clarified the central task of comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping provided a comprehensive exposition on the Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles of Chinese-path modernization, making a strategic deployment for its comprehensive advancement.
In exploring the five Chinese characteristics of Chinese-path modernization, the 20th CPC National Congress highlighted innovative epochal and theoretical features such as maintaining historical patience, conforming to historical processes, inheriting Chinese culture, adhering to sustainable development, and maintaining world peace. In the exposition of the essential requirements, it proposed: upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China; adhering to socialism with Chinese characteristics; achieving high-quality development; developing whole-process people's democracy; enriching the people's cultural-ethical world; achieving common prosperity for all; promoting harmony between humanity and nature; promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity; and creating a new form of human civilization. From the height of developing a new form of human society, it demonstrates the Chinese style and Chinese wisdom of the path of Chinese-path modernization. In explaining the major principles, it proposed: upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership; adhering to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics; staying committed to a people-centered development philosophy; remaining dedicated to deepening reform and opening up; and persisting in carrying forward the fighting spirit [1]. At the same time, Chinese-path modernization is deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture, containing cultural characteristics of the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress noted: "We must integrate the essence of Marxist thought with the cream of fine traditional Chinese culture and with the common values that the people practice unconsciously in their daily lives [2]. We must continuously endow scientific theory with distinct Chinese characteristics and consolidate the historical and mass foundations for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, so that Marxism takes firm root in China."
Shortly after the 20th CPC National Congress, in an important speech at the opening of a study session for principal officials at the provincial and ministerial levels [3] in February 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping—from the strategic height of achieving the Second Centenary Goal [4]—proposed for the first time to provide a systemic exposition of the profound connotation, deep thought, grand vision, and political significance of Chinese-path modernization from the perspective of a "theoretical system." He pointed out the need to "further deepen the understanding of the connotation and essence of Chinese-path modernization, summarize and form its Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles, and preliminarily construct the theoretical system of Chinese-path modernization, making it clearer, more scientific, and more perceptible and feasible." This highlights the Party's spirit of the times and intellectual wisdom in the theoretical innovation of Chinese-path modernization, demonstrating the latest major achievements of scientific socialism.
The important judgment of "preliminarily constructing the theoretical system of Chinese-path modernization" is based on the Big View of History [5] of the CPC's century of struggle and the epochal theme of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It provides a staged overview of the exploration process and developmental characteristics of Chinese-path modernization from the perspective of a "theoretical system." It proposes that Chinese-path modernization "is both a theoretical generalization and a practical requirement; it points out a broad path (kangzhuang dadao) [6] for building a great modern socialist country in all respects and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Since the founding of the People's Republic, and especially since the start of reform and opening up, we have completed the industrialization process that took Western developed countries hundreds of years in just a few decades, creating the miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and opening up broad prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Practice has proven that Chinese-path modernization is viable and steady; it is the only correct path for building a strong country and national rejuvenation." These discourses profoundly reflect the epochal significance and ideological realm of Chinese-path modernization.
The judgment of "preliminarily constructing the theoretical system of Chinese-path modernization" summarizes various aspects of the theoretical system assembled since the 18th CPC National Congress. First, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has been enriched and developed in the new historical journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, achieving a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and providing fundamental guidance for Chinese-path modernization. Second, regarding the theoretical qualities of advancing with the times and upholding the fundamentals while breaking new ground, Chinese-path modernization has developed significantly since the New Era. Through a series of transformative practices, it has achieved breakthrough progress and established landmark outcomes. Historic achievements and shifts have occurred in all undertakings of the Party and the state, "providing a more complete institutional guarantee, a more solid material foundation, and more proactive spiritual strength for Chinese-path modernization." Third, it has further deepened the understanding of the connotation and essence of Chinese-path modernization, making new explorations into its rationale (daoli), academic logic (xueli), and philosophical underpinnings (zheli), and preliminarily constructing its theoretical system. Fourth, the overall strategic planning and coordinated tactical arrangements, progressing while maintaining stability with perseverance, have forged the theoretical depth of Chinese-path modernization.
This judgment also provides methodological guidance for advancing Chinese-path modernization, the main components of which can be summarized as the "Six Perspectives" and "Six Major Relationships." Chinese-path modernization contains the rationale, academic logic, and philosophical underpinnings—and their practice—of perspectives on the world, values, history, civilization, democracy, and ecology. It is a major innovative contribution to the theory and practice of global modernization. Advancing Chinese-path modernization is a systemic project that "requires overall planning, systemic design, and comprehensive advancement," correctly handling six "major relationships": between top-level design and practical exploration, between strategy and tactics, between upholding fundamentals and breaking new ground, between efficiency and equity, between vitality and order, and between self-reliance and opening up to the outside world.
II. The Inevitable Requirements and Guiding Ideology of Systemic Integration
The Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-path Modernization (hereinafter the Decision) adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made the strategic judgment that this is a "critical period for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization." The Decision focuses on exploring how to implement the strategic deployment and turn the blueprint into reality. It emphasizes the systemic, holistic, and synergistic nature of reform. In terms of the depth and breadth of systemic integration, it puts forward the new requirement to "further comprehensively deepen reform and continuously improve systems and mechanisms in all aspects to provide an institutional guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization."
The Session's emphasis on "focusing on systemic integration" is determined by the six "inevitable requirements" (birán yāoqiú) for further comprehensively deepening reform. In the Decision, these six requirements represent a profound grasp of the necessity of the general goal of comprehensively deepening reform, serving as the internal logic and fundamental requirement for the systemic integration of Chinese-path modernization. From the perspective of systemic integration: first, upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the state governance system and capacity is its internal requirement and fundamental provision. Second, implementing the new development philosophy and better adapting to the change in the principal contradiction in Chinese society is its primary direction and important basis. Third, adhering to a people-centered approach and ensuring that the fruits of modernization benefit all people more extensively and fairly is its basic standpoint and value orientation. Fourth, responding to major risks and challenges and ensuring the steady and long-term progress of the Party and state's cause is its strategic planning and fundamental guarantee. Fifth, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity and gaining strategic initiative amid the accelerated evolution of world changes unseen in a century is its global concern and world vision. Sixth, further advancing the new great project of Party building in the New Era and building a stronger and more powerful Marxist party is its political guarantee.
The emphasis on "focusing on systemic integration" is also determined by the guiding ideology for further comprehensively deepening reform. In explaining this ideology, the Session proposed from the standpoint of adhering to a systemic concept: "Completely, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy; adhere to the general keynote of seeking progress while maintaining stability; persist in liberating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and being realistic and pragmatic; further liberate and develop the productive forces and stimulate and enhance social vitality; coordinate the domestic and international situations; coordinately advance the 'Five-Sphere Integrated Plan' and the 'Four Comprehensives' strategic layout; use economic system reform as the lever; take the promotion of social fairness and justice and the enhancement of people's well-being as the starting point and end point; pay more attention to systemic integration, highlighting key areas, and the actual results of reform; and promote the better adaptation of relations of production to productive forces, the superstructure to the economic base, and state governance to social development, so as to provide powerful momentum and institutional guarantees for Chinese-path modernization." This guiding ideology serves as an important guide for providing powerful developmental momentum, vitality, and systemic institutional guarantees for Chinese-path modernization within the overall development and layout of further comprehensively deepening reform.
Finally, the emphasis on "focusing on systemic integration" is determined by the general goal of further comprehensively deepening reform. The Session pointed out: "By 2035, a high-level socialist market economy system will be fully established, the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics will be further improved, the modernization of the state governance system and capacity will be basically realized, and socialist modernization will be basically achieved, laying a solid foundation for the comprehensive building of a great modern socialist country by the middle of this century." This is a holistic and systemic goal covering the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" and the "Four Comprehensives," possessing significant comprehensiveness, systematicity, and synergy, demonstrating the inherent necessity of the systemic integration to be strengthened and achieved in Chinese-path modernization.
The general goal of comprehensively deepening reform proposed by the Third Plenary Session clarifies the reform tasks to be completed by 2029, the 80th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Seven "Focuses" (jiūjù) of the general goal—focusing on building a high-level socialist market economy system, focusing on developing whole-process people's democracy, focusing on building a great socialist cultural power, focusing on improving the people's quality of life, focusing on building a Beautiful China, focusing on building a higher-level Peaceful China, and focusing on improving the Party's leadership level and long-term governing capacity—all require "strengthening systemic integration" in both practical and theoretical innovation. This strengthens the overall planning and systemic layout of reform, ensuring that all aspects of reform and development in Chinese-path modernization complement each other with synergy and efficiency.
III. Strategic Layout and Tactical Deployment of Systemic Integration in Comprehensively Advancing Chinese-path Modernization
The systemic integration of Chinese-path modernization is centrally reflected in the strategic layout and tactical deployment made by the Third Plenary Session for reforms in the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization fields, as well as in national security, national defense, and the military. To implement these strategies and tactics and turn the blueprint into reality, it is necessary to further comprehensively deepen reform, continuously improve and develop systems and mechanisms in all aspects, and achieve the systemic integration of Chinese-path modernization. This integration takes Chinese-path modernization as the theme and main thread, and is realized through the systemic implementation and comprehensive execution of these strategies and tactics.
In the Decision, the systemic integration of Chinese-path modernization is centrally embodied in the arrangements for various aspects of comprehensively deepening reform, covering the following primary contents. A high-level socialist market economy system is an important guarantee for Chinese-path modernization; it is a fundamental requirement both in terms of the economic system [7] and the economic mechanism. High-quality development is the primary task in building a modern socialist country in all respects. We must be guided by the New Development Philosophy, base ourselves on the New Development Stage, deepen supply-side structural reform, improve the incentive and constraint mechanisms for promoting high-quality development, and shape new drivers and advantages for development, thereby systemically exerting holistic and coordinated efficacy. Education, science and technology, and talent are the foundational and strategic supports for Chinese-path modernization; deepening the reform of systems and mechanisms in these fields possesses significant relevance and holism for Chinese-path modernization. Scientific macro-regulation and effective government governance are inherent requirements for leveraging the advantages of the socialist market economy system. This emphasizes improving the system of macro-regulatory institutions, advancing reforms in key areas such as finance and taxation, and enhancing the consistency of macro-policy orientations. Integrated urban-rural development is an inevitable requirement of Chinese-path modernization; we must coordinate new-type industrialization, new-type urbanization, and comprehensive rural revitalization, comprehensively raising the level of integration in urban-rural planning, construction, and governance. Opening up is a defining hallmark of Chinese-path modernization. Adhering to the basic state policy of opening up and building a new system for a higher-level open economy is a "key move" [8] for advancing Chinese-path modernization. Developing whole-process people's democracy is an essential requirement of Chinese-path modernization; following the path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics and adhering to and improving our country's fundamental, basic, and important political systems possesses important systematicity and synergy within the reform of the national governance system. The rule of law is an important guarantee for Chinese-path modernization. Strengthening the mechanisms for ensuring everyone is equal before the law, promoting the spirit of socialist rule of law, maintaining social fairness and justice, and advancing the rule of law in all areas of national work share close internal links and a comprehensive relationship of coordination. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that coordinates material and spiritual civilizations; we must enhance cultural self-confidence and stimulate the cultural innovation and creative vitality of the entire nation. Ensuring and improving people's livelihoods in the course of development is a major task of Chinese-path modernization. Properly resolving the most immediate and practical interest issues of greatest concern to the people and continuously satisfying the people's aspirations for a better life is the "most fundamental interests of the nation" [9]. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. To accelerate the improvement and implementation of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" [10], we need to deepen reforms of systems and mechanisms in various aspects and develop coordination and interactivity. National security is the important foundation for the steady and sustained progress of Chinese-path modernization. Achieving a benign interaction between high-quality development and high-level security to earnestly ensure the long-term peace and stability of the state possesses holistic characteristics. The modernization of national defense and the armed forces is an important component of Chinese-path modernization. Adhering to the Party's absolute leadership over the people's armed forces, deeply implementing the strategy of strengthening the military through reform, achieving the centenary goal of military building as scheduled, and basically achieving the modernization of national defense and the armed forces provide a powerful guarantee for advancing Chinese-path modernization. Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. We must profoundly grasp the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, enhance the Four Consciousnesses, firm up the Four Confidences, and achieve the Two Upholds. We must maintain a high level of consciousness in leading social revolution through the Party’s self-revolution, persist in governing the Party with the spirit of reform and strict standards, improve the system of norms for the Party's self-revolution, and continuously promote the Party's self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation, and self-surpassing to ensure the Party always remains the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization following the path of peaceful development, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and creating a favorable external environment for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization.
The specific reform arrangements and development strategies proposed by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, on one hand, take the comprehensive advancement of Chinese-path modernization as the theme and main thread, centering on the fundamental tasks of Chinese-path modernization to promote the systematicity and comprehensiveness of reforms in all aspects. On the other hand, they focus on the systematicity, holism, and synergy of deepening reforms in various areas, thereby achieving the systemic integration of Chinese-path modernization. This requires us to work together with one heart, forge ahead with enterprise, and strive hard to build a great modern socialist country in all respects and to comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!
Source: Social Sciences in Chinese Higher Education Institutions, Issue 5, 2024. Web Editor: Jing Mu.