Xin Xiangyang: Four Remarkable Advantages of Chinese Modernization
Today, "Chinese-path modernization" has become a buzzword garnering global attention because it will profoundly reshape the world map of human modernization. It is deeply scouring the long-established channels of human modernization to break through into new riverbeds and shorelines for the future of humanity's progress. On March 10, 2023, Yuri Tavrovsky, Chairman of the Russian Expert Advisory Board of the Russian-Chinese Committee for Friendship, Peace, and Development, stated during a Moscow-Beijing video link hosted by the Russia Today news agency that Chinese-path modernization is a gift from Chinese civilization to all of humanity. Tavrovsky remarked: "Chinese civilization has long been bestowing gifts upon humanity, the most famous among them being gunpowder, papermaking, and the compass. Now, the Chinese have presented another gift: Chinese-path modernization. Much like gunpowder, this modernization was born after countless experiments. Through repeated experimentation, China found the correct dosage of planned economy and market economy, placing the interaction of these two forces under the supervision of the Communist Party of China." Tavrovsky further noted: "The correct 'gunpowder' made possible the construction of the first stage of the 'rocket'—'reform and opening up'—which propelled China into the orbit of an industrial power. The next stage of the rocket is called 'socialism with Chinese characteristics,' which has placed China among the world's leaders." He pointed out: "Now, the launch of the latest stage, 'Chinese-path modernization,' has been announced. This stage primarily utilizes domestic achievements, committed not only to helping realize the Chinese Dream [1] but also to demonstrating the efficiency of the Chinese model to all humanity." From reform and opening up to socialism with Chinese characteristics, and finally to Chinese-path modernization, the metaphor of a "three-stage rocket" is very vivid. Of course, our "three-stage rocket" provides integrated thrust; Chinese-path modernization both upholds socialism with Chinese characteristics and takes reform and opening up as its vitality and momentum.
I. Chinese-path modernization is proactive modernization under the leadership of the Communist Party
At the opening ceremony of a study session for new members and alternate members of the Central Committee, as well as principal leading officials at the provincial and ministerial levels, focusing on the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping provided a profound explanation of the Party’s leading position in the construction of Chinese-path modernization. He pointed out: "The Party's leadership is directly related to the fundamental direction, the future and destiny, and the ultimate success or failure of Chinese-path modernization." He particularly emphasized: the Party's leadership determines the fundamental nature of Chinese-path modernization; the Party's leadership ensures that Chinese-path modernization anchors its struggle targets to achieve steady and sustained progress; the Party's leadership stimulates the powerful momentum for building Chinese-path modernization; and the Party's leadership converges the majestic strength for building Chinese-path modernization. This is a major judgment concerning the rise or fall of Chinese-path modernization.
First, the Party's leadership determines the fundamental nature of Chinese-path modernization. Only by unswervingly upholding the Party's leadership can Chinese-path modernization have bright prospects and prosper; otherwise, it will veer off course, lose its soul, and even commit subversive errors. To begin with, the Party’s nature and purpose determine that Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization, rather than any other kind. The Communist Party of China is the vanguard of the Chinese working class, as well as the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation; it is the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This dictates that the modernization chosen by the CPC is socialist modernization and can never be capitalist modernization. This is because capitalist modernization serves a small number of capitalists; it is modernization determined by the logic of capital and centered on capital. The CPC always represents the developmental requirements of China’s advanced productive forces, the forward direction of China’s advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. Whether it is the developmental requirements of advanced productive forces, the direction of advanced culture, or the fundamental interests of the vast majority, all require us to follow the path of socialist modernization.
Furthermore, the Party's original aspiration and founding mission determine the socialist nature of Chinese-path modernization. This mission is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. On what does the realization of a happy life for the people depend? It depends on modernization—specifically, socialist modernization. On what does the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation depend? It depends on modernization—specifically, Chinese-path modernization. History has fully proven that pursuing modernization through a capitalist path will never succeed in China. How has the happy life of the Chinese people been realized? It is precisely because we followed a path of socialist modernization. A fundamental reason why the Chinese nation is so close to its great rejuvenation is that we are comprehensively building a great modern socialist country. Finally, the Party's faith, beliefs, and policy positions determine the socialist nature of Chinese-path modernization. The Party’s faith is Marxism; its supreme ideal and ultimate goal is the realization of communism. To realize this lofty ideal in the contemporary era means persisting in and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the most important task therein is advancing Chinese-path modernization. Not only do faith and belief determine this socialist nature, but the Party’s policy positions do as well, for all the Party’s policies are designed to better develop the cause of socialism within the modernization process, making it more prosperous and robust.
Second, our Party’s struggle goals have been consistent, pursued through successive generations, achieving brilliant results that have attracted worldwide attention and earned a place in the annals of history. From the first generation of the Party's central collective leadership proposing the grand goal of the "Four Modernizations" [2], to the second generation proposing "Chinese-style modernization" [3], to the third generation proposing a "prosperous, strong, democratic, and culturally advanced socialist modern country," then the central collective leadership with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary proposing a "prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious socialist modern country," and finally the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core proposing a "prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful great modern socialist country, as well as a great modern socialist country leading in comprehensive national strength and international influence"—this has been a process of drawing one blueprint after another. We not only draw the blueprints but also consistently work in relays to realize them. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "From the First Five-Year Plan to the 14th Five-Year Plan, the consistent theme has been building our country into a socialist modern country. We have taken detours and encountered unexpected difficulties and setbacks, but our will and determination to build a socialist modern country have never wavered." Step by step, we have advanced the historical process of modernization, overcoming countless hardships, avoiding the traps and quagmires into which many countries have fallen, and successively resolving fundamental social conditions, fundamental political prerequisites, and theoretical preparations for achieving modernization. We have also resolved major issues such as the institutional guarantee full of new vitality, the material conditions for rapid development, a more refined institutional guarantee, a more solid material foundation, and a more proactive spiritual force.
Third, our Party has the courage for reform and innovation, constantly eliminating institutional and mechanistic defects in all areas to inject inexhaustible momentum into Chinese-path modernization. We have not only established a socialist market economy system, allowing the market to play a fundamental role in resource allocation, but we have also refined this system to allow the market to play a decisive role. On this basis, reform has provided people with more convenience and space for doing business. By the end of 2022, the number of enterprises exceeded 52 million, individual industrial and commercial households exceeded 110 million, and the total number of market entities exceeded 160 million—three times the number a decade ago—showing a significant enhancement in the internal drive for development. In the process of deepening reform, we have continuously improved the basic economic system. We moved from the basic economic system of the primary stage of socialism to the basic socialist economic system [4], expanding from "public ownership as the mainstay with multiple forms of ownership developing together" to also include "distribution according to work as the mainstay with multiple modes of distribution existing side-by-side" and the socialist market economy system. This has powerfully driven economic and social development. "The combination of the basic socialist system with the market economy, and the joint development of the public and non-public sectors, is a great pioneering undertaking of our Party to promote the liberation and development of productive forces." China's reform has entered a "deep-water zone" [5]. The breadth of fields covered, the depth of interest adjustments touched, the sharpness of the contradictions and problems involved, and the difficulty of institutional barriers are all unprecedented. Leading the people with the courage of "knowing well there are tigers in the mountains, yet heading into the mountains anyway" (明知山有虎，偏向虎山行) [6], our Party has tackled a series of "tough bones" [7], crossed one dangerous shoal after another, and continuously pushed reform toward greater depth. We have also come to a profound understanding that the relationship between the rule of law and the rule of men is a basic issue in the history of human political civilization and a major issue that all countries must face and resolve in the process of modernization. "Looking at modern world history, of all the countries that have successfully achieved modernization, not one has failed to properly handle the relationship between the rule of law and the rule of men. Conversely, although some countries once achieved rapid development, they did not smoothly cross the threshold of modernization; instead, they fell into one 'trap' or another, resulting in economic and social stagnation or even regression. The latter situation is largely related to the failure of the rule of law." We have resolved many complex problems in the legal field, ensuring that Chinese-path modernization always advances on the track of the rule of law. For instance, some organized crime and gang elements had long engaged in illegal activities like picking quarrels, monopolizing operations, extortion, and running gambling dens, while the ordinary people were "filled with fury but dared not speak out" (敢怒不敢言). By striking back in accordance with the law, we have resolved major issues in this area, making the foundation of public support for modernization more solid.
Fourth, our Party adheres to the Party's mass line, persists in the people-centered development philosophy, develops whole-process people's democracy, and fully stimulates the sense of ownership among all the people. In the New Era, we have firmly grasped the historical shift in the needs of the masses from material and cultural needs to the need for a "better life." We are not only realizing higher material and cultural needs but also satisfying growing demands for democracy, the rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment. We have moved beyond the question of "whether there is something" to addressing "how good things are"—such as better education, more stable jobs, more satisfactory incomes, more reliable social security, higher-level medical and health services, more comfortable living conditions, a more beautiful environment, and a richer spiritual and cultural life. The drive of the masses to pursue a better life has grown stronger. For any great cause to succeed, it must find its roots among the people, gather strength from the people, and be completed by the people. The completion of the great cause of Chinese-path modernization requires the strength of the masses even more. Our Party firmly believes that: the country is the people, and the people are the country; to win and protect the country is to win and protect the hearts of the people. Chinese-path modernization is an undertaking to make the "country of the people" more grand and beautiful. "The movement of a roc is not due to the lightness of a single feather; the speed of a stallion is not due to the strength of a single leg" (大鹏之动，非一羽之轻也；骐骥之速，非一足之力也) [8]. If China is to fly high and run fast, and if Chinese-path modernization is to find the power for "overtaking on a curve" [9], it must gather and stimulate the majestic and immense power of over 1.4 billion people.
II. Chinese-path modernization is a leapfrog modernization with distinct characteristics of time-space compression
The historical process of human modernization is essentially a process of using the characteristics of capital to continuously compress space through time. It was precisely on this point that Marx grasped the characteristics of time-space compression in modernization. In Capital, Marx paid particular attention to the temporality of capital, stating: "The time spent in moving the commodity from one place to another is reduced to a minimum. The more capital is developed... the more does it strive for an even greater extension of the market and for the greater annihilation of space by time." Marx also wrote: "The more production comes to rest on exchange value, and thus on exchange, the more important do the physical conditions of exchange—the means of communication and transport—become for production. Capital by its nature drives beyond every spatial barrier. Thus the creation of the physical conditions of exchange—of the means of communication and transport—becomes an extraordinary necessity for it." In a certain sense, modernization is the process by which spatial distances are greatly shortened and transaction methods are drastically changed through the revolutionization of transport tools and the speed of transaction means. Chinese-path modernization is precisely a modernization that continuously "annihilates space with time," primarily reflected in the following three aspects.
First, transportation infrastructure is becoming increasingly comprehensive, and traveling speeds continue to accelerate. As early as September 2019, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Outline for Building a Transport Power, proposing that by 2035, the country will have basically become a transport power. By then, a modern comprehensive transportation system will have largely taken shape, public satisfaction will have increased significantly, and the capacity to support national modernization will have been markedly enhanced. This system will feature a sophisticated express network, a refined trunk network, and an extensive basic network, bringing the coordinated development of urban and rural regional transportation to new heights. We will have basically formed the "National 123 Travel Circle" (one-hour commute in metropolitan areas, two-hour reach within city clusters, and three-hour coverage of major national cities) and the "Global 123 Express Logistics Circle" (one-day delivery within China, two-day delivery to neighboring countries, and three-day delivery to major global cities). Passenger intermodal transport will be convenient and smooth, while multimodal freight transport will be efficient and economical. To date, we have built the world’s largest and most advanced networks of high-speed rail and expressways. The 2023 Government Work Report, summarizing the achievements of the past five years, noted that the operating mileage of high-speed railways increased from 25,000 kilometers to 42,000 kilometers, while expressway mileage grew from 136,000 kilometers to 177,000 kilometers. Over the 40-plus years of reform and opening up, China has been constantly accelerating. From the early 1980s when trains traveled at 40–60 kilometers per hour, to 120 km/h in the 1990s, to CRH bullet trains (dongche) [10] at 200 km/h around 2008, and now to the Fuxing [11] trains in the New Era traveling at 300–350 km/h. In the future, there will be high-speed rail at 400 km/h and maglev trains at 600 km/h. This has greatly accelerated the travel speed of the Chinese people. The dream expressed in the past as "returning from the thousand miles of Jiangling in a single day" [12] has been realized, and the era described by "the road to Shu is difficult, harder than climbing to the blue heavens" [13] has ended. Cities separated by thousands of kilometers can now be reached and returned from within a single day. The characteristic of "time-space compression" in Chinese-path modernization has become increasingly evident.
Second, the digital economy, network economy, and platform economy are flourishing, and transaction methods have broken through the physical space constraints of the past. Thousands of years ago in the era of the Yellow Emperor, Chinese trade followed the rule of "holding the market at midday"; later came the natural economy of "working at sunrise and resting at sunset." Today, transactions occur 24 hours a day, and shopping can be conducted anytime and anywhere. We have continuously promoted network speed increases and fee reductions, developed "Internet+," and the number of mobile internet users has increased to 1.45 billion. The proportion of online retail sales of physical goods in the total retail sales of consumer goods has risen from 15.8% to 27.2%. In February 2023, the Plan for the Overall Layout of Building a Digital China issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council pointed out: By 2025, an integrated promotion pattern that is horizontally connected, vertically integrated, and powerfully coordinated will basically be formed, and significant progress will be made in building a Digital China. By 2035, the level of digital development will rank among the world's leaders, and the construction of Digital China will have achieved major successes. The systematic layout of Digital China will be more scientific and complete, and digital development in the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological civilization fields will be more coordinated and sufficient, providing strong support for the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country. To this end, in this year's reform of State Council institutions, it was specifically proposed to establish a National Data Bureau [14], responsible for coordinating the construction of basic data systems and the overall planning and construction of Digital China, the digital economy, and digital society. This will make Chinese economy and society even more digitized and networked.
Third, the government’s self-revolution and the modernization of national governance have greatly liberated and developed the productive forces, especially by saving the time and business costs for those starting enterprises. In the five years from the 19th Party Congress to the 20th Party Congress, we deepened the reform of Party and state institutions, further releasing market and social vitality. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "From the history of the reform of Party and state institutions, we can see that Party and state organs belong to the superstructure and must adapt to the requirements of the economic base. As the economy develops, society progresses, and people's lives improve, the superstructure must continuously advance and reform to meet new requirements. This is a universal law of human social development." The State Council has persevered in advancing reforms that touch upon the government’s own interests, further streamlining administration and delegating power, relaxing market access, and fully implementing the negative list system for market access. Over the years, more than 1,000 items requiring administrative licensing have been canceled or delegated to lower levels. The number of investment projects requiring central government approval has been reduced by over 90%, and industrial product production licenses have been reduced from 60 categories to 10. The entire approval process for engineering construction projects has been compressed to no more than 120 working days. We have reformed the commercial system and implemented the "separation of permits and licenses" reform. The time required to start a business has been compressed from more than a month to an average of less than four working days, and a simplified cancellation system for small, medium, and micro enterprises has been implemented.
III. Chinese-path modernization is a vital modernization that prevents class solidification by increasing social mobility
From a global perspective, the process of modernization is a process of differentiation that generates new social strata and groups, as well as a process of fragmentation where original social strata and groups continuously generate new demands and needs. In this process, a series of problems that negatively impact modernization can arise: First, the needs of new social strata and groups cannot be met under the existing system and organizational framework, leading them to overflow outside the system and generate a cross-current that attacks the embankments of existing institutions. In other words, a large amount of "street politics" behavior occurs. Second, a conflict of interest arises between the needs of existing social groups and the new demands of new strata; sometimes only the demands of some strata can be met at once, or some are even satisfied at the expense of others. This creates incompatibility between classes. Third, some social strata and groups possess a strong ability to monopolize social resources, which may block the upward mobility of other strata. How does Chinese-path modernization solve this puzzle?
First, Chinese-path modernization is a process of continuously giving rise to new social strata and groups. On November 19, 2013, Liu Yunshan, then a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, published an article in People's Daily titled "Strengthening and Improving the Party's Leadership over Comprehensively Deepening Reform," stating: "We must carefully study the interest and policy demands of different groups such as workers, farmers, cadres, and intellectuals, including paying attention to newly emerged groups in society such as 'ant tribes' [15], 'Beijing drifters' [16], 'sea turtles' (returnees) [17], 'seaweed' (unemployed returnees) [18], and individual investors. We should analyze which are common needs and which are individual needs to carry out our work with a clear objective." Due to the advancement of urbanization, the deepening development of the market economy, industrial restructuring, the application of new technologies, and opening up to the outside world, the speed of social change has accelerated, and many new social strata and groups have emerged. By the end of 2020, there were 17.28 million truck drivers in the industry; by the end of 2021, the national security guard force reached 6.4 million; by the end of July 2022, there were 3 million express delivery workers and 15 million registered food delivery workers—meaning the "delivery brothers" [19] totaled 18 million. By the end of 2022, the number of ride-hailing drivers reached 5.7 million. Beyond these, many other new social groups have emerged. The Central Rural Work Conference in December 2013 pointed out the need to address the "three left-behind" groups [20] in rural areas and improve the care and service systems for left-behind children, women, and the elderly. In March 2022, when General Secretary Xi Jinping visited members of the CPPCC national committee from the agriculture, social welfare, and social security sectors, the "three left-behind" groups were still on his mind. He pointed out the need to mend the shortcomings in rural social welfare and strengthen care for vulnerable groups. In June 2015, Zhu Yaoyin, Deputy Director of the Department of Primary-level Governance and Community Building of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, noted that estimates suggested there were over 60 million left-behind children, 47 million left-behind women, and about 50 million left-behind elderly in rural China. These people face various difficulties in production and daily life; protecting their legitimate rights is a major task. Not only do we have the rural "three left-behind" groups, but we also have many "people in new social strata." In a speech at the Central United Front Work Conference on May 18, 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that intellectuals in new economic and social organizations—such as lawyers, accountants, appraisers, and tax agents—are social groups that have grown rapidly since reform and opening up. With the rapid development of the internet, a large number of "internet people," including new media practitioners and online "opinion leaders," have emerged. In these two groups, some operate networks and "set the stage," while others speak online and "perform the play"; they can often influence internet agendas, and their energy should not be underestimated. The emergence of these new groups is an inevitable result of the modernization process and an important force driving modernization.
Second, in its development, Chinese-path modernization must include these newly emerged social groups, especially vulnerable ones, rather than leaving them behind the "modernization train." We emphasize that Chinese-path modernization involves the entry of more than 1.4 billion people into modernization as a whole—not one ethnic group, and not one person, shall be left behind. Through the development of socialist democratic politics, the demands of various social groups are realized through the system of people's congresses and other channels through which the people act as masters of the country. We continuously expand the people's orderly political participation. The people have realized their status as masters of the country across a broad range of content and levels, and the interest requirements of various strata and groups can be reflected in a timely and effective manner. We persist in developing the broadest possible patriotic united front and the uniquely characteristic socialist consultative democracy, effectively pooling the wisdom and strength of all parties, organizations, ethnic groups, strata, and sectors. This allows for full consultation and coordination between different social strata and groups, forming a unified force. We strive to build decision-making mechanisms that understand public conditions, reflect public will, pool public wisdom, and cherish public resources, enhancing transparency and public participation to ensure that decisions align with the interests and aspirations of the people, including all strata and groups.
IV. Chinese-path modernization is a world-oriented modernization that creates a new form of human advancement by building a community with a shared future for humanity
On February 7, 2023, in an important speech at the opening ceremony of a study session for principal officials at the provincial and ministerial level to study and implement the spirit of the 20th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that 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 direction of human progress, and presents a new picture different from the Western modernization model. It is a brand-new form of human advancement (人类文明新形态). What kind of new form of human advancement has Chinese-path modernization created?
First, it has created a new civilization of political parties for humanity. To begin with, this is a party civilization characterized by a purity that allows it to eliminate all forms of corruption by relying on its own internal strength and self-revolution. How to achieve self-supervision of power is a worldwide puzzle—the "Goldbach Conjecture" [21] of national governance—and a major difficulty encountered by all countries in the process of modernization. Self-revolution has forged our Party's powerful "sinews and bones" and its moral integrity. A powerful political party is forged through self-revolution; the courage to face problems head-on and the bravery to correct mistakes are distinctive characteristics and advantages of our Party. The forging of our Party through self-revolution is unique in the history of political parties: "Self-revolution is about supplementing calcium and strengthening bones, detoxifying and disinfecting, 'cutting off one’s own wrist' to save the body [22], and removing rot to allow new flesh to grow. It is a process of constantly clearing the viruses that erode the Party’s healthy organism, continuously improving its own immunity, and preventing the tragedy of 'the person's demise leading to the end of their policies' [23]."
Secondly, this is a party civilization characterized by a purity that possesses no special interests of its own. Our Party is particularly vigilant against the factor of interest groups leading to the downfall of a party. A very important reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union and the downfall of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the emergence of interest groups. In his important speech on January 11, 2021, at a seminar for provincial and ministerial-level leading officials on studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: The Soviet Union was the world’s first socialist country and achieved brilliant successes, but it later failed and collapsed. A major reason was that the Communist Party of the Soviet Union became detached from the people and turned into a privileged bureaucratic group that only maintained its own interests. We have always emphasized resolutely preventing the formation of interest groups within the Party and preventing leading officials from becoming agents or spokespersons for such groups. Relying on a spirit of thorough self-revolution, we have rid ourselves of the "hunting" [24] and erosion by all interest groups, power blocs, and privileged strata, and we have "taken the knife" to those within the Party who have become associates of these groups, blocs, and strata. It can be said that by never representing the interests of any interest group, power bloc, or privileged stratum, our Party has formed a unique new party civilization. On one hand, this can eliminate the "corporatization" tendency of Western political parties. In 2006, the House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee in the UK issued a warning about changes in Western parties: the party system that sustained itself for the last century has collapsed; party membership no longer has any meaning, and parties increasingly rely on private donations for campaigning. The world-renowned financial expert and Italian scholar Loretta Napoleoni even believes that Western parties have become "Parties Ltd.," serving whoever provides the donations. On the other hand, it can truly achieve progress for humanity, strive for the Great Harmony [25] of the world, and promote the noble cause of world peace and development.
Second, it has created a new political civilization for humanity. First, this new form of civilization is embodied in the system of people’s congresses. The system of people’s congresses is a good system that conforms to China’s national conditions and realities, reflects the nature of a socialist state, ensures that the people are masters of the country, and guarantees the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is a great creation of the Chinese people in the history of human political systems and a brand-new political system of great significance in the history of both Chinese and world political development. Second, this new form of civilization is reflected in socialist consultative democracy and the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Socialist consultative democracy has roots, sources, and vitality in China. It is a great creation of the CPC and the Chinese people for human political civilization, respecting the will of the majority while also taking into account the reasonable demands of the minority. The system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, as a basic political system in China, is a new type of party system grown from Chinese soil. It is a great political creation of the CPC, the Chinese people, various democratic parties, and personages without party affiliation. "It not only conforms to contemporary Chinese reality but also accords with the excellent traditional Chinese culture of 'all under heaven belongs to the public' [26], inclusiveness, and seeking common ground while reserving differences. It is a major contribution to human political civilization."
Finally, it has established new standards for measuring national political civilization. One standard is the "Eight Whethers": to evaluate whether a country’s political system is democratic and effective, one should mainly look at [21] whether the state leadership can be replaced in an orderly and law-based manner; [22] whether the entire people can manage state, social, economic, and cultural affairs according to the law; [23] whether the masses can smoothly express their interest demands; [24] whether all sectors of society can effectively participate in national political life; [25] whether national decision-making can achieve scientific and democratic rigor; [26] whether talents in all fields can enter the national leadership and management system through fair competition; [27] whether the governing party can achieve leadership over state affairs in accordance with the constitution and laws; and [28] whether the exercise of power can be effectively constrained and supervised. These "Eight Whethers" cover the main content of political construction. Another standard is the "Four Looks and Four More-so Looks": whether a country is democratic depends on whether the people are truly masters of the country. One must look at whether the people have the right to vote, and even more so, whether they have the right to extensive participation; one must look at what verbal promises the people received during the election process, and even more so, how many of those promises were fulfilled after the election; one must look at what kind of political procedures and rules are stipulated by systems and laws, and even more so, whether these systems and laws are truly implemented; one must look at whether the rules and procedures for the exercise of power are democratic, and even more so, whether power is truly supervised and constrained by the people. These "Four Looks and Four More-so Looks" emphasize the judgement of the entire process of political power operation. These two standards are organically unified and provide a new scientific standard for evaluating human political civilization.
Third, it has created a new industrial civilization for humanity. China’s new industrial civilization is reflected in the following: First, it has greatly improved the lives of people around the world with high-quality and reasonably priced industrial products. China provides trillions of dollars worth of industrial products to all countries and regions every year, enabling the public in many nations to enjoy material goods of excellent quality and low price. Second, through an independent industrial system, it has avoided being "locked in" or "strangled," escaped the dependency trap, and thus effectively compressed the space for Western exploitation—carried out in the name of "industrial freedom"—of the vast number of developing countries. In What Is to Be Done?, written in 1902, Lenin pointed out: "Freedom is a grand word, but under the banner of industrial freedom, the most predatory wars were waged; under the banner of labor freedom, the workers were robbed." In the name of industrial freedom, from 1818 to 1836, British exports of cotton yarn to India increased 5,200 times. The colonial authorities decreed that British goods entering India would be subject to extremely low or even no taxes, while Indian textiles sold within their own country were subject to extremely high internal duties. Under British control, the Indian cotton industry declined sharply; in the famous textile center of Dhaka, the population plummeted from 150,000 to 30,000–40,000, and countless artisans went bankrupt, struggling on the brink of death. Lord Bentinck, the Governor-General of India from 1828 to 1835, had to admit: Such a catastrophe is almost unparalleled in the history of commerce. The bones of the cotton weavers are bleaching the plains of India. This disaster was not an exception but a universal phenomenon. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress pointed out: "China does not follow the old path of some countries that achieved modernization through war, colonization, and plunder. That old path, which benefited oneself at the expense of others and was filled with bloody crimes, brought deep suffering to the people of many developing countries." Modernization in Western countries is a modernization dominated by violence, using "strong ships and sharp cannons" [27] to plunder the wealth of developing countries, destroy their civilizations, and enslave their people, causing them to lose the ability and initiative for development for a long historical period. Such is the truth of history.
Chinese-path modernization is deeply rooted in excellent traditional Chinese culture, drawing inexhaustible nutrients from the fertile soil of Chinese civilization, and will eventually grow into a towering tree. Chinese-path modernization embodies the advanced nature of scientific socialism; it reflects the advanced nature of scientific socialism’s vision of a new future society in its fundamental goals and reflects the essential requirements of scientific socialist values in the unique values it contains. Chinese-path modernization draws on and absorbs all the outstanding achievements of human civilization, represents the developmental direction of human civilizational progress, and presents a new picture different from the Western modernization model. It breaks the myth that "modernization = Westernization," displays another picture of modernization, expands the path options for developing countries to move toward modernization, and provides a Chinese solution for humanity’s exploration of better social systems.
(The author is currently the Party Committee Secretary and President of the Institute of Marxism Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)