Gao Xiang: Revealing the Laws of the Rise and Fall of Civilizations and Mapping the Path of Their Development — The Theoretical Implications and Practical Value of the Global Civilization Initiative
At the CPC with World Political Parties High-Level Dialogue, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative for the first time. This initiative provides a profound answer to the "questions regarding the modernization of human society," injecting confidence and strength into the promotion of inclusive coexistence, mutual learning, and exchange among different civilizations. It further advances the modernization process of human society and flourishes the "garden of world civilizations." The Global Civilization Initiative originates from the exploration and practice of Chinese-path modernization, draws upon the experiences and lessons of various civilizations, and contains the historical laws and practical logic of human civilizational progress. Possessing rich theoretical connotations and significant practical value, the initiative demonstrates the wisdom and responsibility of an ancient civilizational power with over 5,000 years of history. It is another important scientific solution provided by China in the New Era to address the common challenges facing humanity.
Profoundly Revealing the Historical Laws of the Rise and Fall of Human Civilizations
The various civilizations created by humanity possess their own distinct characteristics; together, they have made important contributions to the development and progress of human society and accumulated a profound heritage. Based on a deep understanding of the historical process of human civilizational development and the new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization, the Global Civilization Initiative emphasizes respecting the diversity of world civilizations and promoting a view of civilization characterized by equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness. In any historical period, as long as emphasis is placed on civilizational exchange, mutual learning, and inclusiveness, it is possible to realize a state where civilizations "appreciate their own beauty and the beauty of others, and share that beauty together" [1]. Conversely, advocating for civilizational barriers, conflict, and superiority, or engaging in zero-sum games where the winner takes all, may allow one side to gain the upper hand through force temporarily, but in the long run, such a civilization will eventually vanish in the long river of history. Every civilization is the crystallization of labor and wisdom, condensing and continuing the spiritual lineage of a country and a nation. Its historical inheritance, development, and innovation must follow the laws of historical development and conform to historical trends. As the only great civilization in the world that has continued without interruption to the present day, Chinese civilization is rooted in the fertile soil of multi-ethnic culture characterized by "harmony in diversity" [2], and achieves inclusive development through exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations.
Transcending civilizational barriers through civilizational exchange. "Learning alone without friends makes one ignorant and ill-informed" [3]. The exchange and interaction between civilizations are the foundation for the harmonious coexistence of humanity. In historical practice, due to differences in geography, language, and cognition, exchanges between various civilizations have faced various constraints, leading to long-standing barriers. Despite this, humanity’s efforts to promote civilizational exchange have never slackened. For example, the opening of the ancient Silk Road provided an important channel for exchange and interaction between Eastern and Western civilizations. Through the Silk Road, economic, cultural, and technological exchanges between ancient China, India, Persia, Arabia, Rome, and other countries continued to expand, greatly promoting the progress of human civilization. The formation and development of ancient Chinese and Western philosophical thoughts also absorbed many results from folk exchanges, possessing a deep foundation of civilizational exchange. The similarities between the thoughts of Confucius and Plato are by no means a historical accident; their historical and cultural roots can be traced back to the exchange and integration of early human civilizations. In modern times, exchanges and cooperation between countries have become more frequent and extensive, and human society has thus created a more integrated modern civilization. At the beginning of the 20th century, Marxism spread from the West to China. China and European countries, as representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations respectively, entered an important turning point in civilizational exchange. After the birth of the Communist Party of China, it took Marxism as its guiding ideology, opened up a new realm for the Chinese revolution and construction, displayed the contemporary style of Chinese civilization, and promoted the enrichment and development of world civilization to a greater extent.
Transcending civilizational conflict through mutual learning. "The beauty of a harmonious soup lies in the integration of different ingredients" [4]. Civilizational diversity endows different civilizations with unique charm; only when different civilizations complement each other's strengths and learn from one another can they enhance their own quality and promote the creative development of human civilization. There is no perfect civilization in the world, nor is there a civilization that is entirely without merit. Civilizations are enriched through mutual learning and sublimated through integration. In the current era, the strong vitality shown by Chinese civilization lies in its extensive drawing upon and absorption of the advanced achievements of human civilization. The Communist Party of China has integrated the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China's fine traditional culture, forming a series of major theoretical achievements. These have led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to create a form of civilization characterized by the coordinated development of material, political, spiritual, social, and ecological civilizations, providing valuable experience and beneficial reference for the development and revitalization of other national civilizations. China has established an independent foreign policy of peace, vigorously advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and continuously expanded friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation with countries around the world possessing different cultures and ideologies. Unlike some Western scholars and politicians who vigorously advocate the "clash of civilizations" theory in the international community, the Chinese people both deeply recognize the differences between their own civilization and others and are committed to promoting a wider and higher level of civilizational dialogue, striving to transcend civilizational conflict through mutual learning.
Transcending civilizational superiority through civilizational inclusiveness. "Harmony creates life, while sameness leads to cessation" [5]. Civilizations are not superior or inferior, only different in their characteristics. All civilizational achievements deserve respect; this is the broad-mindedness one must possess when approaching different civilizations. History shows that human civilization possesses the internal drive for exchange and mutual learning precisely because of inclusiveness; only by transcending civilizational superiority can civilizations achieve development, progress, and lasting prosperity through mutual learning. Some Western countries, relying on the economic, technological, and military advantages they have held since modern times, have broadcast theories of Western racial, cultural, and civilizational superiority everywhere, portraying Western civilization as the "end of history." This view of civilization, which bears the distinct marks of capitalist ideology, not only makes Western culture increasingly narrow and closed but will also inevitably intensify civilizational conflict and trigger ethnic hatred and turmoil. Throughout the 5,000-year development process of its civilization, the Chinese nation has always followed the principle of "harmony without uniformity" [6]. While remaining firm in cultural self-confidence, it understands and respects the civilizations of other countries, and has thus made indelible contributions to the civilizational progress of humanity. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese government and people have resolutely advocated for mutual respect and mutual learning between different civilizations, maintaining that all countries should follow a path of civilizational development that suits their own national conditions and the needs of their people. China absolutely does not engage in cultural colonialism or the export of ideology, does not seek to change the political systems and development models of other countries, and does not interfere in the internal affairs of others. It clearly opposes all forms of civilizational superiority and practices that insist on transforming or even attempting to replace other civilizations, striving instead to realize the harmonious coexistence and shared beauty of different civilizations.
Deeply Grasping the Practical Logic of Human Civilizational Progress
The Global Civilization Initiative not only provides ideological guidance for the progress of human civilization but also defines value pursuits, identifies the direction of advancement, and provides a practical path from a rational and pragmatic perspective. It has thus become an action manual for promoting the modernization process of human society and flourishing the garden of world civilizations.
Upholding the value pursuits of human civilizational progress. Throughout the thousands of years of its development process, human civilization has gradually condensed the common values of humanity—peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom—which have become the distinct hallmarks of advanced civilization. Peace and development are the common cause of humanity; equity and justice are the common ideal; democracy and freedom are the common pursuit. Facing a complex world, the common values of humanity draw a "concentric circle" that condenses a broad consensus for all mankind, finding the "greatest common divisor" for the people of all countries longing for a better future, and guiding the value orientation toward building a better world together. To promote the common values of humanity is to be an advocate for these values with a high sense of responsibility for the future and destiny of mankind; to understand the perceptions of value connotations held by different civilizations with a broad mind; and to respect the exploration of value realization paths by people of different countries. It means not imposing one's own values and models on others and not engaging in ideological confrontation, but rather concretely and realistically manifesting the common values of humanity in the practice of realizing the interests of one's own people.
Identifying the direction of advancement for human civilizational progress. Throughout history, human society has generally progressed toward the development of productive forces, political equity and justice, and the liberation of human personality; it has moved toward peace, cooperation, development, and win-win results. However, this progress is not a chasm that severs history, but rather continuous innovation within civilizational inheritance. At the practical level, this means fully excavating the contemporary value of each country’s history and culture, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of the fine traditional cultures of all nations within the modernization process. Fine traditional culture is the foundation for the inheritance and development of a country and a nation. It needs to be passed down like a torch from generation to generation and protected; it also needs to advance with the times and "bring forth the new from the old" [7] within the modernization process. In the process of its formation and development, traditional culture will inevitably be limited and constrained by the cognitive levels, era conditions, and social systems of the people at the time; it will inevitably bear the imprint of the old era and contain obsolete elements. This requires a correct approach of selection and rejection based on the requirements of modernization when studying and applying traditional culture. We must persist in "making the past serve the present" and "using the past as a mirror for today," adhering to a treatment characterized by discernment and inheritance characterized by "sublation" [8], thereby promoting the integration and connection between traditional and modern culture through creative transformation and innovative development. All countries in the world should conform to the new requirements of the times, strengthen the excavation of their own historical culture, and promote the spirit of fine traditional culture that transcends time and space, crosses national borders, possesses eternal charm, and holds contemporary value. They should ensure that their most basic cultural genes adapt to the trends of the times, coordinate with modern society, and coexist with the rich and colorful civilizations created by the people of all countries, providing correct spiritual guidance and powerful spiritual momentum for the progress of human civilization.
Providing the practical path for human civilizational progress. All countries in the world have nurtured their own brilliant civilizations which shine upon one another, providing a solid foundation for international people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation. Such cooperation is an important way to promote mutual understanding and affinity among peoples and to jointly advance the progress of human civilization; more importantly, it is an essential pillar for building a new type of international relations in the New Era. To this end, the Global Civilization Initiative proposes a pragmatic path for strengthening international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. The focus lies in exploring the construction of a global network for civilizational dialogue and cooperation, enriching the content of exchanges, and expanding cooperation channels, so that diverse cultural exchanges can drive the development of diverse human civilizations. First, we must improve the mechanisms and innovate the methods of people-to-people exchange, leveraging the roles of various regions, departments, and sectors. We should actively carry out cooperation in various forms involving parliaments, political parties, think tanks, and local governments, making exchange activities regular and institutionalized while building an all-dimensional, multi-tiered, and broad-ranging network for international cooperation. Second, we must continuously enrich the content of international people-to-people exchanges, extensively carrying out large-scale exchanges in fields such as academia, education, health, sports, and tourism to consolidate the foundation of public support. Third, we should comprehensively utilize cultural forms such as literature, drama, film, television, music, dance, fine arts, photography, acrobatics, literary criticism, and art education, while appropriately using various methods such as mass communication, group communication, and interpersonal communication to jointly create diverse and effective channels for exchange. In May 2019, the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations and other platforms established by China provided new venues for promoting mutual learning among Asian and world civilizations and for jointly transcending civilizational conflict. As long as the international community continues to strengthen people-to-people exchange and cooperation and carries out deep-level, diversified exchanges of thoughts and emotions, it will surely open a new situation of cultural integration and "people-to-people connectivity" [9], making the garden of world civilizations more colorful and full of vitality.
Actively Responding to the Realistic Challenges of Modernization in Human Society
Currently, changes in the world, in the times, and in history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. One important manifestation of this is that acts of hegemony, domination, and bullying—such as the strong preying on the weak, predatory behavior, and zero-sum games—are causing profound harm. The deficits in peace, development, security, and governance are worsening, and human society faces unprecedented challenges. The fundamental way to respond to the severe challenges facing modernization is to advance the modernization of human society and jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity. The Global Civilization Initiative is committed to overcoming the common challenges hindering the modernization of human society, profoundly reflecting a realistic concern for safeguarding the achievements of human civilization.
Overcoming the peace deficit to fully manifest the inherent peaceful nature of the modernization of human society. For over a century, human society has endured two successive world wars, and the people of all nations have suffered the ravages of conflict. Although no large-scale global war has broken out since the end of World War II, conflicts and upheavals occur frequently in certain countries and regions. Unstable factors in the international situation continue to mount, posing a serious threat to international peace. In the current era, a small minority of major powers still cling to the old mindsets of the Cold War and zero-sum games. They frequently resort to the use or threat of force, wielding the cudgels of hegemonism, power politics, and neo-interventionism to provoke incidents and exacerbate contradictions for their own selfish interests, rendering the world situation more complex and turbulent. In June 2022, the "Global Trends Report" released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees showed that in 2021, approximately 89.3 million people worldwide were displaced due to war, violence, persecution, and human rights violations—an 8% increase over the previous year and more than double the figure from ten years ago. The growing peace deficit indicates that the peaceful attributes of the modernization of human society are facing severe challenges, and the "modernization" of some countries and regions is deviating from the fundamental direction of the progress of human civilization. The Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation, and the Communist Party of China is a party that pursues the achievement of true, lasting peace for all humanity as its noble ideal. Particularly since the start of the New Era, the series of peace concepts proposed by China has demonstrated China’s image as a peacemaker.
Overcoming the development deficit to strive for the creation of driving forces for the modernization of human society. At present, the recovery of the world economy is sluggish, and global development momentum is insufficient. In recent years, adverse factors facing world economic growth have increased significantly; particularly under the impact of sudden factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, economic growth rates have shown an overall downward trend. In January 2023, an International Monetary Fund report showed that the global economic growth rate in 2022 was 3.4%, a decrease of 2.8 percentage points from 2021; it is estimated that the global growth rate will further drop to 2.9% in 2023. Meanwhile, the problems of unbalanced and insufficient global development remains prominent. The "World Inequality Report 2022" released by the World Inequality Lab showed that in 2021, the richest 10% of the global population held 52% of total global income, while the poorest 50% held only 8.5%. Currently, more than 700 million people worldwide still live in extreme poverty, unable to meet their most basic needs in areas such as healthcare, education, water, and sanitation; the poverty rate in rural areas worldwide is 17.2%, more than three times that of urban areas. From this, it is evident that the global development deficit is further expanding and continuously eroding the foundations of the modernization of human society. Facing the increasing global development deficit, China persists in following a path of peaceful, open, cooperative, and common development. We strive to achieve higher-quality, more efficient, more equitable, and more sustainable development, and actively promote economic globalization toward a more open, inclusive, balanced, and win-win direction that benefits all. This ensures that the developmental fruits of Chinese-path modernization continuously consolidate the foundation of human civilization’s progress and create new driving forces for the modernization of human society.
Overcoming the security deficit to comprehensively build security guarantees for the modernization of human society. Currently, global traditional and non-traditional security threats are intertwined, and the global security situation is complex and grim. In the field of traditional security, geopolitical competition among major powers is intensifying; the trends toward "bloc-based" [10] world politics and confrontation between blocs are increasingly evident, and the threat of nuclear war has also risen. There are approximately 22,000 nuclear weapons currently existing in the world, and over 2,000 nuclear tests have been conducted to date—enough to pose a massive threat to the security of all humanity. In the field of non-traditional security, issues in areas such as climate change, the ecological environment, food and energy, information networks, and public health are becoming rapidly more prominent. According to the "State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022" report released by the FAO and other agencies, between 702 million and 828 million people faced hunger in 2021—an increase of about 46 million over 2020 and a cumulative increase of about 150 million since 2019. Meanwhile, the global energy production and supply situation continues to deteriorate, with energy prices fluctuating at high levels. Eliminating the global security deficit must rely on the unity and cooperation of all humanity. However, due to a lack of mutual trust, it is difficult for the international community to consolidate a consensus for cooperation or take cooperative action. In response, China persists in mutual consultation and understanding, winning respect through respect, dissolving suspicion through sincerity, and promoting common progress through cooperation. The Global Civilization Initiative proposed by the Chinese side draws experience and wisdom from the history of the development of human civilization, dedicating itself to providing more comprehensive, long-term, and thorough security guarantees for the modernization of human society.
Overcoming the governance deficit to continuously improve the governance system for the modernization of human society. That the peace, development, and security deficits are currently not being effectively controlled is inextricably linked to the serious governance deficit existing in the international community. On one hand, the increasing prominence of global issues places greater demand and higher requirements on global governance, creating greater expectations for the roles major powers play in international affairs. On the other hand, the capacity and willingness of some major powers to provide global public goods have declined. As the world's largest economy, the United States pursues its own interests first, wantonly implementing "beggar-thy-neighbor" and self-serving unilateralist policies, making the phenomena of failure, ineffectiveness, and dysfunction within the current global governance system more prominent. In recent years, the United States has repeatedly withdrawn from or threatened to withdraw from international mechanisms, showing an obsession with establishing exclusive "small circles" and "small blocs." It has politicized, instrumentalized, and weaponized global governance, obstructing the process of reform and construction of the global governance system and undermining the institutional foundation of global governance. As important participants and contributors to global governance, the representation and voice of emerging market countries and developing nations are severely constrained. Facing a world of turbulent change, the global governance system needs to advance with the times and change according to the situation. To this end, China has proposed and practiced a global governance outlook of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, advocating that all countries in the world pool their wisdom, contribute their strengths, and share the results. As a new international public good, the Global Civilization Initiative has become an important component of the global governance system. It will push the global governance system toward a more just and reasonable direction and lead the modernization of human society into a new stage—moving from disorder to order [11], and from order to prosperity.
Fully Manifesting the World Significance of Chinese-path Modernization
For over 100 years, the Communist Party of China has consistently upheld the common values of all humanity—peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom—and has striven to advance the great cause of human civilization's progress. Through continuous exploration and practice, it has created a new form of human civilization through Chinese-path modernization. This new form of human civilization created by the CPC emerged from over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, from the exchange and mutual learning between human civilizations, and, crucially, from the "two combinations" [12]—the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China's fine traditional culture. Consequently, it is a new form of human civilization possessed of rich contemporary connotations and powerful vitality. The Global Civilization Initiative is a major theoretical innovation produced during the process of Chinese-path modernization, fully manifesting its world significance.
Actively practicing new concepts that promote the progress of human civilization. The core concept of the new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization is to persist in remaining people-centered and continuously realizing the people's aspiration for a better life. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution [13], the CPC, guided by Marxism-Leninism, formed and developed value concepts to lead the practice of revolutionary struggle, completely ending the history of old China as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, and achieving a great leap for China from thousands of years of feudal politics to people's democracy. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the CPC united and led the people of all ethnic groups in self-reliance and arduous struggle, creating extraordinary developmental achievements that have made the Chinese people immensely proud. During the long practice of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the CPC united and led the people in unremitting exploration, ushering in the great leap of the Chinese people from standing up to becoming prosperous and then becoming strong. Entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing, making "sharing" the starting point and ultimate goal of development, leading the Chinese people in taking a historic step toward the well-rounded development of the individual and the common prosperity of the entire population.
China's "Belt and Road" Initiative is currently writing a magnificent chapter of international win-win cooperation, and people are the most beautiful scenery along the "Belt and Road."
Successfully forging a new path to promote the progress of human civilization. The core content of the new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization is the successful forging of a path of Chinese-path modernization. Since the day of its founding, the CPC has been profoundly aware of the various maladies of capitalist modernization and has deeply summarized the historical lessons of many developing countries that fell into "development traps" by indiscriminately copying Western models. To this end, the CPC persisted in independently exploring a modernization path suited to its own national conditions. Within the few short decades of the modernization process since the founding of the PRC, it united and led the people of all ethnic groups to achieve historic accomplishments that have caught the world's attention. Entirely different from the modernization paths of Western developed countries, the new path of Chinese-path modernization not only shatters the myth that modernization can only be achieved by following the capitalist model but also expands the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization. It provides a new choice for the many countries and nations in the world that desire to develop independently and offers a new solution for resolving the problems generated by the modernization of human society and responding to challenges to human civilization.
Stably developing new institutions to promote the progress of human civilization. The great practice of creating a new form of human civilization through Chinese-path modernization is a historical process of exploring, establishing, consolidating, and developing the socialist system; even more so, it is a great cause leading the world socialist movement. For over 100 years, the CPC has united and led the people in an arduous struggle, completing the socialist revolution, establishing and developing the socialist system, and promoting the revival and development of the world socialist movement. The new form of human civilization founded by the CPC, which possesses powerful vitality and lasting influence, manifests the incomparable superiority of the socialist system. Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era is profoundly influencing the global landscape and the developmental process of human society through even more brilliant developmental achievements. It is continuously pushing the world socialist movement into a new historical stage, allowing scientific socialism to radiate new vigor and vitality in 21st-century China.
Promoting the establishment of a new order to promote the progress of human civilization. The new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization is one that advocates openness, inclusiveness, cooperation, and win-win results. From an international perspective, it calls for promoting the establishment of a more just and reasonable new international order and creating a new world of lasting peace and universal prosperity. As a Marxist party striving to achieve social equity and justice, the CPC has consistently supported the efforts of developing countries to establish a new international order. It maintains that the new international order should reflect the universal aspirations and common interests of the people of all countries and embody the requirements of historical development and the progress of the times. This new order aims to end hegemonism and power politics, promote the democratization of international relations, and ensure that every member of the international community has a voice in international affairs. China will continue to practice true multilateralism, maintaining that international affairs should be handled through consultation among all parties. China will act as an advocate and defender of the international rule of law, a firm guardian of international equity and justice, and a contributor and builder of the global governance system.
The Global Civilization Initiative conforms to the trend of historical development, providing a Chinese answer to the "question of the modernization of human society." It offers ideological guidance and a blueprint for action for the progress of human civilization. As more countries actively respond to and promote the implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative, human society will surely embark on a new journey of modernization and build a more prosperous "garden of world civilizations."
(The author is the President and Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)