Julio Ceballos: A Spaniard's Observations on Chinese-style Modernization
Not long ago, Julio Ceballos, a Spanish business consultant and author, released his Spanish-language monograph Xuanjitu. Drawing on his observations and reflections from 18 years of working and living in China, the book provides an in-depth analysis of China’s developmental path and experience from an eyewitness perspective, offering a positive appraisal of China's practice of planning its development over timescales of decades. Upon its publication, the book garnered widespread attention in Western society. Guangming Daily invited Ceballos to contribute this article for our readers.
Why I Wrote the Book — China is Not an Insoluble Mystery, but a Living Puzzle
On the 21st-century international stage, China is one of the most significant participants. Whether in global economic development, technological innovation, or addressing climate change, China plays a pivotal role. Understanding how China interacts with the world is not merely a matter of satisfying intellectual curiosity; it is a compulsory course for anticipating the future direction of the globe.
The two characters Xuanji [1] originate from an instrument used by ancient Chinese astronomers to observe the movements of the stars. Just as ancient stargazers calibrated their decisions based on celestial phenomena, Europe today must recalibrate its own strategic compass. The Xuanjitu [2] is a palindrome poem created by Su Hui, a talented woman of the Northern and Southern Dynasties; this imagery is profoundly meaningful: there have always been diverse methods for addressing global challenges, and China’s developmental practice proves that there is by no means only one path to modernization. This book focuses on the positioning and choices of China, Chinese enterprises, and the Chinese people within a complex global landscape.
One of the most important insights China has given me is that development is not a series of improvised impulses, but a path measured in decades. In Europe, political vision is often confined by election cycles, and changes in government frequently make it difficult to sustain projects. In China, what I see is a continuity that spans time—long-term goals remain constant, while the actions to advance those goals never cease.
Having lived and worked in China for 18 years, this experience taught me to observe China's development with a focused and unbiased eye, looking beyond the surface to understand the underlying causes and values. This journey also led me to realize that China is neither a monolithic entity nor an insoluble mystery, but a living puzzle—where tradition and innovation coexist, pragmatism and ambition move in parallel, and strategic patience and executive efficiency are equally prominent.
Xuanjitu does not intend to be an exhaustive portrait or a definitive guide. It is more an invitation to understand, through concrete experience, the lessons I learned in China that are of value to any society—such as how to conduct long-term planning, how to invest in people, how to drive innovation with clear objectives, and how to cultivate collective resilience. This is neither blind praise nor idealized comparison, but an honest attempt to build a bridge between Europe and China. In an increasingly interdependent world, the true challenge lies in how to understand one another and move forward hand-in-hand.
Strategic Patience — Sustainable Development is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
If there is anything that defines China's approach to development, it is certainly long-term planning. For Europeans accustomed to measuring political agendas by four- or five-year terms and judging business Decisions by quarterly financial reports, encountering a country that formulates 20-, 30-, 50-, or even centennial vision plans is a profound experience. This long-term perspective and mindset are ubiquitous in China, felt clearly not only in the decision-making of various levels of government but also in local agencies, small and micro-enterprises, and rural cooperatives.
I first realized this in the office of a local official in a fourth-tier city in Sichuan. The office was modestly furnished, with a giant regional planning map hanging on the wall, color-coded to delineate agricultural zones, residential areas, logistics infrastructure, and ecological corridors.
The official, gentle in manner and slow in speech, pointed to the map and explained to me: the planning was done in 2005, a time when almost no obvious benefits could be seen, yet today, 20 years later, this plan is helping the locality form a more diverse economic model, a more livable environment, and a more efficient transportation network. "Our job is not to rush to 'be number one,' but to pave the track for future generations so they can start running when the time is right." These words made me realize: sustainable development is a marathon, not a sprint; planning is not rigidity, but institutional wisdom.
During our conversation, another remark he made remains unforgettable to this day: "Our job is to plant the trees under whose shade we ourselves may never sit." This sentence encapsulates the "continuity thinking" I saw in China—people work for a future they may not see with their own eyes, yet they remain willing to lay the foundation for subsequent generations.
This spirit of "forward positioning" has an institutional carrier—the "Five-Year Plan." In China, the Five-Year Plan acts as a "hinge" connecting grand strategies—each plan inherits the developmental results of the previous stage, rectifying and optimizing them according to actual conditions, while opening the door for the next stage of development.
An example I saw in a county in Shandong is typical. Initially, the county planned to build a rural road to connect several agricultural villages with the nearest city. Later, this road was widened to connect with a newly built industrial park. Eventually, it was linked to a highway leading to the province's largest port. What originally seemed like a negligible project gradually became a strategic hub for regional trade over time.
In Europe, a single change of government can lead to the suspension or major overhaul of projects under construction. In China, although there are adjustments to developmental priorities, core policies remain stable, ensuring that major investments gain meaning and are implemented over the long term.
Behind this continuity lies a cadre promotion system oriented toward experience, actual performance, and results. To manage an important city, an official must undergo training in multiple posts and withstand rigorous testing of their executive capability. in Europe, political leaders are often elected based on personal charisma, oratorical skills, or media exposure. In China, the core of evaluation is tangible results; officials must prove they possess high executive efficiency, strategic vision, and comprehensive management skills before promotion.
Selecting the virtuous and the capable [3] is not elitism but a form of duty and responsibility. In China, entering politics is a profession requiring the accumulation of merit, the tempering of seniority, reserves of experience, and professional training. I call this "performance-oriented governance." It is a continuation of the traditional Chinese concept of "meritocracy"—in every post, an official’s performance is meticulously scrutinized to judge whether they are fit to undertake greater responsibilities. Of course, this model cannot eliminate all problems—no system can—but it establishes a logic: credentials and performance records are far more important than media exposure.
I saw a very vivid example in the suburbs of an inland city: a straight, wide asphalt road had already been built, though the surrounding area was still empty land and streetlights were not yet connected. I later learned that the locality was planning an industrial science park to move high-pollution enterprises out of the city center, freeing up land to build parks and residential areas. "Building the road before the development" is precisely to avoid disorder and chaos in future growth.
This long-term thinking by no means implies that China develops slowly. On the contrary, once conditions are ripe, China’s executive efficiency is staggering. High-speed rail lines and industrial parks appear within months precisely because the preliminary planning has already thoroughly resolved the questions of "why to do it" and "how to do it."
Education and Innovation — Governance is Not Only Managing the Present, but Also Planning the Future
When I first arrived in China 20 years ago, I held curiosity and respect. I had learned much about China before then, but I soon discovered that nothing substitutes for first-hand experience—whether it be the details of daily life, the logic of business dealings, or those cultural traits that can only be perceived from within. Over the years, I have witnessed China change at a speed unimaginable to Europeans. Former small towns have risen into metropolises connected by high-speed rail; once-dusty villages now sell agricultural products thousands of miles away through digital services; startups that began in modest workshops are now leading in frontier fields like artificial intelligence and renewable energy.
The most important thing China has taught me is that education is the most valuable investment. Being educated is not just a right, but a requirement for survival. In the past five years, China’s number of high-level global science and technology talents has jumped to the first in the world. In 2024, China's total social R&D investment exceeded the average of EU countries, and its total number of R&D personnel is the highest in the world. This is no accident, but the result of a national strategic choice. Science education, technical training, and a cultural atmosphere of diligent learning together constitute the pillars of China's competitiveness.
In Shenzhen, Guangdong, I met a young female AI engineer who had been taking robotics-related courses since she was 11. Like most Chinese families, her home prioritized education above all else. This concept of learning, rooted in tradition, has cultivated a citizenry that is highly adaptable, resilient, and always pursuing progress and continuous self-improvement.
Even after experiencing such rapid social transformation, reading still plays the role of a "spiritual anchor" and a "cognitive compass" in Chinese society. I have been to public libraries in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, that were packed to capacity; I have visited 24-hour bookstores in Beijing; and I have seen cases where digital platforms drive the daily reading habits of urban and rural residents. In China, reading is not just a cultural habit but a knowledge reserve and a competitive advantage—it shapes better-informed and more well-rounded citizens to deal with an unpredictable world. In Nanjing, Jiangsu, a taxi driver told me he spends at least 60 minutes every night reading on his phone: "This way I can better understand the world and educate my children more effectively." He said that for Chinese people, reading is not a luxury, but an investment in the future.
China’s developmental trajectory proves to the world: whoever seizes the initiative in the Fourth Industrial Revolution will gain the upper hand in 21st-century development. From mobile payments to smart cities, and from facial recognition to intelligent robotics, innovation in China is not just a scientific practice in labs, but has integrated into every aspect of daily life.
A few years ago, in a remote village in Sichuan, I saw that local farmers were already accustomed to using electronic payments to sell vegetables. The penetration of digital technology into every corner of China is no accident, but the result of the state’s promotion of a comprehensive digitalization strategy. The core secret lies in actively encouraging application and helping the public form habits, while simultaneously building infrastructure and promoting early technological popularization. China's digital transformation is not the promotion of a fashionable lifestyle, but the solid implementation of a national strategy.
From emphasizing education to increasing investment in science and technology, China is constructing a future-oriented governance model—one that integrates strong institutional guarantees with advanced technological tools, while also containing deep humanistic care. Taking artificial intelligence as an example, China is actively building an ethical governance framework to ensure technological development benefits the widest possible population and bridges the digital divide. In Jinan, Shandong, a researcher once explained an important point to me: to make AI truly benefit everyone, one cannot rely entirely on the market; there must be explicit institutional rules, clear social goals, and a long-term strategic vision. In China, governance is not only managing the present, but also planning the future.
Resilience and Solidarity — The Resilience to Never Give Up, to Advance and Strive Together, is a Vital Component of the Chinese Spirit
The way China strengthens its people's identification with Chinese culture left a very deep impression on me. Whether through educational inheritance, cinematic dissemination, culinary culture, or daily rituals, the Chinese culture presented is not only a "memory of the past" but a "promise for the future." This sense of cultural pride and value identification explains "where China came from" and "who it is today," becoming a powerful force for social cohesion.
Over the past 20 years, I have witnessed China face many challenges, such as natural disasters, sudden public health emergencies, and profound economic transformations. What impressed me was that, in the face of difficulties, China can always rapidly integrate resources, maintaining a collective consciousness and team spirit of unified goals and coordinated action. Unlike some countries that view solidarity as a "temporary, improvised reaction," in China, cohesion and shared values are social resources that already exist and can be rapidly activated whenever the situation demands.
Shared values always demonstrate extraordinary resilience. China continuously transforms the resilience forged in responding to challenges into a motive force for progress—this is not only the result of public policy, but a collective mindset deeply rooted in society. That resilience to never give up, to advance and strive together, is a vital component of the Chinese spirit, manifesting the tenacious will and spirit of solidarity and collaboration of the Chinese nation when facing difficulties and challenges.
In the current moment of frequent global crises and increasingly close connections between nations, social cohesion, just like technology and infrastructure, possesses significant strategic importance. China has long recognized this deeply: mutual assistance [4] not only mitigates the impact of crises but, more importantly, accelerates the recovery process. Europe also possesses a rich tradition of communal cooperation, but in many regions, this tradition is being weakened by growing individualism and social fragmentation. From financial crises to sudden public health emergencies, practice has repeatedly proven that when social cohesion is weak, the recovery process becomes slow and uneven. China's experience reveals that cultivating resilience is not a temporary measure; rather, it requires maintaining cooperation in daily life.
From an international perspective, this experience opens vast space for Europe-China exchange. Both sides possess unique communal traditions and models for building resilience, and they exhibit significant complementarity. If a convergence point can be found between these two visions, it would not only benefit both Europe and China but also provide valuable reference for a world that urgently needs to join hands to meet challenges.
At the same time, it is necessary to see that China's resilience is by no means passive endurance; it contains the wisdom of proactive initiative: even when in adversity, one can keenly capture opportunities. This mindset melds survival instinct with strategic vision, aiming to develop on a more solid new foundation while always maintaining a clear sense of purpose. No society can completely avoid crises, but they can prepare in advance and respond with composure. The construction of social cohesion and resilience cannot be achieved overnight [5]; it requires sustained investment in the cultivation of trust, public education, and the building of cooperative mechanisms. China's path of development has not been entirely smooth sailing, but its experience shows that when these key elements are present, the restorative capacity of a society increases manifold. In the present world, this is undoubtedly an important insight worthy of profound reflection.
It is precisely on this basis that new opportunities for cooperation are emerging. If Europe and China can carry out cooperation under the premise of respecting differences and maintaining their own characteristics—sharing experiences in the fields of resilience building, social cohesion, and community collaboration—they can build a bridge of understanding that transcends the current situation. This is not a pursuit of "homogenization," but rather a commitment to mutual respect and an acknowledgment that "there is more than one path to the same goal." Building more resilient societies together can both withstand risks and challenges and transform crises into the momentum for moving forward.
In a global landscape currently affected by atmospheres of tension and divisive tendencies, cooperation centered on resilience, social cohesion, and the public interest has the potential to become fertile ground for constructive dialogue. The revelation that Chinese practice offers Europe is that a crisis is not only a threat but can also become a catalyst for innovation and progress—just as the Chinese word for "crisis" (wēijī) contains both "danger" [6] and "opportunity" [7]. European traditions also remind us that cultural diversity and organized solidarity are powerful forces for maintaining stability and driving development. At the intersection of these two visions lies enormous potential for mutual learning and space for common benefit.
One equation, many solutions. China’s experience tells us: there is no fixed recipe for modernization. Every civilization can base itself on its own uniqueness and irreplaceable advantages to explore a development path suited to itself through the organic integration of political governance, the universalization of education, innovation-driven development, social cohesion, and spiritual values.
(The author is a Spanish business consultant and writer; translated by People's Daily reporter Yan Huan) Source: People's Daily (October 20, 2025) Web Editor: Huihui