Zhang Zhongjun: A Scientific Guide to Comprehensively Advancing the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation Through Chinese-Style Modernization
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on Chinese-path modernization have made Chinese-path modernization clearer, more scientific, and more perceptible and feasible. They have further deepened our Party’s understanding of the nature of the socialist modern power we are building and how to build it, providing a scientific guide for comprehensively building a modern socialist power and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization in the New Era and on the new journey. We must correctly understand and vigorously promote Chinese-path modernization, engaging in down-to-earth work and arduous effort to ensure a good start for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.
Chinese-path modernization is the result of long-term practical exploration by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people, representing a major innovation in global modernization theory and practice. General Secretary Xi Jinping provided a profound exposition of Chinese-path modernization in his report to the 20th CPC National Congress. Furthermore, at the opening ceremony of a study session for newly elected members and alternate members of the Central Committee, as well as principal provincial and ministerial-level officials, he further elaborated on a series of major theoretical and practical issues regarding Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on Chinese-path modernization have further deepened our Party’s understanding of what kind of modern socialist power to build and how to build it, providing a scientific guide for comprehensively building a modern socialist power and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization in the New Era and on the new journey.
Advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization calls for the guidance of scientific theory
Building our country into a modern socialist country is a historical aspiration the CPC has kept constantly in mind [1] and a goal of struggle it has remained unswervingly committed to. For over 100 years since its founding, all the struggles led by the CPC have been for the purpose of building China into a modern power and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Generations of Chinese Communists have conducted arduous explorations and unremitting struggles toward this end. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in maintaining confidence and self-reliance, upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, adopting a series of strategic measures, advancing a series of transformative practices, achieving a series of breakthrough developments, and attaining a series of landmark results. They have successfully advanced and expanded Chinese-path modernization, pushing the cause of the Party and the state toward historical achievements and historical transformations. Practice has proven that Chinese-path modernization is viable and stable; it is the only correct path toward building a powerful country and achieving national rejuvenation.
A great cause cannot succeed without the guidance of scientific theory. The further the historical process of the Party and the people advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization proceeds, the stronger the demand becomes for the scientific guidance of the Party’s innovative theories. In the decade of the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has persisted in applying the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method. Rooted in the Party’s mission and tasks for the New Era and the new journey, he has coordinated the overall strategy for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the world's profound changes unseen in a century. He has scientifically summarized our Party’s valuable experience in socialist modernization, actively drawn lessons from the modernization experiences of other countries, and learned from the outstanding achievements of human civilization. He has profoundly answered the major question of our times—what kind of modern socialist power to build and how to build it—and produced a series of important discourses on Chinese-path modernization.
In the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping comprehensively and systematically expounded on the leadership, Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles of Chinese-path modernization, as well as the strategic arrangements and target tasks for comprehensively building a modern socialist power. At the opening ceremony of the study session for members of the Central Committee and provincial-level officials, General Secretary Xi Jinping further elaborated on a series of major theoretical and practical issues, greatly enriching and developing the theory of Chinese-path modernization. These discourses have made Chinese-path modernization clearer, more scientific, and more perceptible and feasible, providing scientific theoretical guidance for its advancement and expansion.
Profoundly grasping General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on Chinese-path modernization
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on Chinese-path modernization provide the fundamental following for the whole Party to engage in forward-looking thinking, overall planning, and holistic advancement of Chinese-path modernization. We must study and grasp them deeply and implement them earnestly.
Regarding the leadership of Chinese-path modernization: General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China," and "the Party’s leadership directly relates to the fundamental direction, future destiny, and ultimate success or failure of Chinese-path modernization." The Party’s leadership determines the fundamental nature of Chinese-path modernization, ensures it anchors its goals for steady progress, stimulates strong momentum for its construction, and gathers the monumental strength required. To advance Chinese-path modernization, we must persist in and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership, giving full play to the Party’s core leadership role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties.
Regarding the Chinese characteristics of Chinese-path modernization: General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Chinese-path modernization has both the common characteristics of modernization in all countries and distinct features based on our own national conditions." First, it is the modernization of a huge population; China’s over 1.4 billion people entering modern society as a whole exceeds the combined population of all existing developed countries, presenting unprecedented difficulty and complexity. Second, it is the modernization of common prosperity for all, insisting that meeting the people’s aspirations for a better life is the starting point and ultimate goal. Third, it is the modernization of material and cultural-ethical [2] advancement in coordination, promoting the abundance of material goods alongside the comprehensive development of the individual. Fourth, it is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, unswervingly following the path of civilized development centered on production growth, affluent life, and a sound political ecosystem. Fifth, it is the modernization of peaceful development, seeking domestic development while resolutely maintaining world peace and development, and better upholding world peace through our own development. These five characteristics profoundly reveal the scientific connotation of Chinese-path modernization.
Regarding the essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization: General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "The essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization are: upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characters, 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, building a community with a shared future for humanity, and creating a new form of human civilization." The unique worldviews, values, and views on history, civilization, democracy, and ecology inherent in Chinese-path modernization and its great practice represent major innovations in global modernization theory. We must profoundly grasp these requirements and ensure they are implemented in all aspects of our work.
Regarding the major principles of Chinese-path modernization: First, persist in and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership. Only by grasping this can we ensure the correct direction of socialist modernization and possess strong political cohesion and development confidence. Second, persist in the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only by doing so can we avoid the old path of rigid closure or the "evil path" [3] of changing flags. Third, persist in the people-centered development philosophy. This ensures that the fruits of modernization benefit all people more fairly. Fourth, persist in deepening reform and opening up. This continuously enhances the momentum and vitality of socialist modernization. Fifth, persist in carrying forward the spirit of struggle. This allows us to overcome all difficulties and challenges on the road ahead and open up new vistas [4] through tenacious struggle.
Regarding the strategic arrangements and target tasks for building a modern socialist power: In his report to the 20th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping outlined a two-step strategic arrangement, clarifying the objectives for 2035 and the mid-century. This provides a timetable and roadmap that reflect the Party’s consistency in strategic goals while adapting to the developmental stages of the times.
Regarding the major relationships to be handled: General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that advancing Chinese-path modernization is a systemic project. We must correctly handle relationships such as top-level design versus practical exploration, strategy versus tactics, upholding the fundamentals versus breaking new ground, efficiency versus fairness, vitality versus order, and self-reliance versus opening up. We must enhance our capacity for strategic, historical, dialectical, systemic, innovative, rule-of-law, and bottom-line thinking.
Ensuring a good start for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country
On the new journey, we must act with vigor and move forward with courage. We must persist in and strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, the highest principle of the Party’s leadership. The whole Party must profoundly understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, resolutely achieve the Two Upholds, and continuously improve political judgment, political understanding, and political execution.
We must put the major decisions of the 20th National Congress into action, accelerating the creation of a new development pattern and promoting high-quality development. This includes implementing the strategy for invigorating China through science and education, developing whole-process people’s democracy, advancing the rule of law, and promoting cultural self-confidence and self-improvement. We must improve people’s livelihoods, promote green development, and modernize our national security system.
Building a high-quality cadre corps capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation is essential. We must adhere to the principle of the Party supervising cadres, selecting those who are loyal, clean, and responsible. Finally, we must persist in united struggle. As long as we unite as a "piece of solid steel" [5] under the Party’s flag and the core leadership of Comrade Xi Jinping, we will surely win new victories in building a modern socialist country.