Opening Up a New Path for Humanity’s March toward Modernization

Achieving modernization is the common pursuit of the people of all countries. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “For a country to march toward modernization, it must both follow the general laws of modernization and, even more importantly, act in light of its own realities and with its own characteristics.” Looking back on the course of development of Chinese-path modernization, the Communist Party of China has united and led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in carrying out revolution, construction, and reform, making continuous innovations in both theory and practice, and exploring the path of Chinese-path modernization. This path has not only opened up broad prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation but also provided a new option for the vast number of developing countries to achieve modernization, and it possesses profound connotations and worldwide significance.

实现现代化是世界各国人民的共同追求。习近平总书记指出，“一个国家走向现代化，既要遵循现代化一般规律，更要符合本国实际，具有本国特色”。回溯中国式现代化的发展历程，中国共产党团结带领全国各族人民进行革命、建设、改革，在理论和实践上不断创新，探索出中国式现代化道路。这条道路不仅为中华民族伟大复兴开辟了广阔前景，也为广大发展中国家实现现代化提供了新的选择，具有深刻内涵和世界意义。

The Western modernization path is fraught with drawbacks

西方现代化道路弊端丛生

For several centuries, Western countries, by virtue of their first-mover advantages and technological hegemony, once shaped the Western modernization path into the sole, universal template for development. In fact, Western modernization is a path built on specific historical conditions, centered on capital, and riddled with internal contradictions. With the deepening development of economic globalization, the inherent, deep-seated structural predicaments of the Western modernization model have become increasingly prominent, and in reality it also faces a sustainability crisis that is difficult to overcome.

数个世纪以来，西方国家凭借其先发优势和技术霸权，一度将西方现代化道路塑造成唯一的、普世的发展模板。事实上，西方现代化是一条建立在特定历史条件之上、以资本为中心、充满内部矛盾的道路。随着经济全球化的深入发展，西方现代化模式固有的、深层次的结构性困境日益凸显，在现实中也面临着难以克服的可持续性危机。

Western modernization completed its primitive accumulation through the systematic plunder and expansion of other countries and regions, and it is characterized by injustice and exclusivity. In *Capital*, Marx profoundly revealed the essence of primitive accumulation of capital, pointing out that this accumulation “is written in the annals of mankind in letters of blood and fire.” This means that Western modernization, at its starting point, relied on the dispossession of other countries and regions of the world. For late-developing countries, this model is morally and factually unrepeatable. Furthermore, according to Wallerstein’s world-systems theory, the Western developed countries located at the so-called core of the world system, through unequal exchange, technological monopoly, and financial hegemony, continuously extract resources and surplus value from the vast number of developing countries located at the so-called periphery, reducing the latter to appendages of the West. Therefore, the development and wealth of Western countries are, to a certain extent, achieved at the cost of the long-term underdevelopment, single economic structure, and political instability of developing countries.

西方现代化通过对其他国家和地区的系统性掠夺和扩张完成原始积累，具有非正义性与排他性。马克思在《资本论》中深刻揭示了资本原始积累的本质，指出这种积累“是用血和火的文字载入人类编年史的”。这意味着，西方现代化在起点上就依赖于对世界其他国家和地区的剥夺。这种模式对于后发国家而言，在道德上和事实上都是不可复制的。此外，根据沃勒斯坦的世界体系理论，处于所谓世界体系中心地带的西方发达国家通过不平等交换、技术垄断和金融霸权，持续地从处于所谓边缘地带的广大发展中国家攫取资源和剩余价值，使后者沦为西方的附庸。因此，西方国家的发达和富裕，在一定程度上是以发展中国家的长期欠发达、经济结构单一和政治动荡为代价的。

Western modernization takes the infinite multiplication and expansion of capital as its core driving force, leading to the alienation of human beings and the tearing apart of society. Under a system that takes the multiplication of capital as its highest principle, people are treated as tools and means for multiplication, rather than as the end of development. This alienation leads to widespread spiritual emptiness, loss of meaning, and the swelling of materialism, running counter to the ultimate goal of modernization—the free and comprehensive development of the human person. At the same time, capital’s instinct to maximize profits leads to a high concentration of social wealth in the hands of a few capital owners. This polarization of wealth not only erodes social fairness but also triggers consequences such as the solidification of social strata, the rise of populism, and the collapse of social trust, making it difficult to maintain stability and cohesion within society, thereby shaking the social foundation of modernization.

西方现代化将资本的无限增殖和扩张作为核心驱动力，导致人的异化和社会的撕裂。在以资本增殖为最高准则的体系下，人被当作增殖的工具和手段，而非发展的目的。这种异化导致了普遍的精神空虚、意义丧失和物质主义膨胀，与实现人自由而全面的发展这一现代化的最终目标背道而驰。同时，资本追求利润最大化的本能，导致社会财富向少数资本所有者高度集中。这种贫富分化不仅侵蚀社会公平，更会引发社会阶层固化、民粹主义兴起、社会信任崩塌等后果，使得社会内部的稳定与凝聚力难以维系，进而动摇现代化的社会基础。

In reality, the internal contradictions of the Western modernization model are manifested in the following aspects. First, a decline in governance effectiveness. The shortcomings of Western political systems have become apparent; they find it difficult to reach effective consensus on major issues concerning the long-term development of the country, causing governments to increasingly lose their ability to cope with major challenges, and public trust in the political system continues to decline. Second, continuous economic crises. The basic contradictions inherent in the capitalist mode of production have led to the ongoing evolution of periodic economic crises. Currently, Western economies are experiencing a serious trend of financialization and virtualization. Capital is increasingly detached from the real economy, circulating and arbitraging within the financial system. The excessive expansion of the virtual economy not only exacerbates the fragility and instability of the economic system but also further plunders social wealth through debt, speculation, and other means, aggravating the atrophy of the real economy and the hollowing out of industry. Third, hegemonism and interventionism are intensifying. For economic motives such as maintaining financial hegemony and controlling strategic resources, as well as political schemes to export their own systems and maintain geopolitical advantages, even after the end of World War II, some major Western countries still frequently launch or intervene in wars abroad. It can be seen that Western modernization is not a path of peaceful development and win-win cooperation; its prosperity is often accompanied by turmoil in other parts of the world, creating a huge peace deficit.

在现实中，西方现代化模式的内部矛盾具体表现在以下方面。一是治理效能下降。西方政治制度弊端显现，难以就关乎国家长远发展的重大议题达成有效共识，使得政府日益丧失应对重大挑战的能力，民众对政治体制的信任度持续下滑。二是经济危机不断。资本主义生产方式固有的基本矛盾导致了周期性的经济危机持续演变。当前，西方经济正出现严重的金融化、虚拟化趋势。资本日益脱离实体经济，在金融体系内空转套利，虚拟经济的过度膨胀不仅加剧了经济体系的脆弱性和不稳定性，还通过债务、投机等方式进一步掠夺社会财富，加剧实体经济萎缩和产业空心化。三是霸权主义和干涉主义愈演愈烈。出于维护金融霸权、控制战略资源的经济动因，以及输出自身制度、维护地缘政治优势的政治图谋，即便在二战结束后，部分西方大国仍频繁对外发动或介入战争。可见，西方现代化并非一条和平发展、合作共赢之路，其繁荣往往与世界其他地区的动荡相生相伴，造成了巨大的和平赤字。

Exploring and advancing Chinese-path modernization

探索推进中国式现代化

History has repeatedly proven that in a super-large developing country like China, there is no ready-made template to copy for achieving modernization. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Unique cultural traditions, unique historical destiny, and unique basic national conditions have determined that we must take a development path suited to our own characteristics.” After the birth of the Communist Party of China, it historically assumed the heavy responsibility of achieving modernization, leading the Chinese people in continuous exploration and blazing a new path of Chinese-path modernization.

历史一再证明，在中国这样一个超大规模的发展中国家，实现现代化没有现成模板可以套用。正如习近平总书记指出的：“独特的文化传统，独特的历史命运，独特的基本国情，注定了我们必然要走适合自己特点的发展道路。”中国共产党诞生后，历史性地承担起了实现现代化的重任，带领中国人民不断探索，走出一条中国式现代化新道路。

Carrying out modernization in a country as vast in territory, long in history, and large in population as China, the arduousness and complexity of the task determine that we cannot copy the Western model; we can only explore independently and self-reliantly.

在中国这样一个幅员辽阔、历史悠久、人口众多的国家进行现代化建设，其艰巨性和复杂性决定了我们不能照搬西方模式，只能独立自主探索。

After the founding of New China, our Party united and led the people in carrying out the socialist revolution, achieving the most extensive and profound social transformation in the history of the Chinese nation, establishing an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system, and providing valuable experience, theoretical preparation, and material foundation for modernization.

新中国成立后，我们党团结带领人民进行社会主义革命，实现了中华民族有史以来最为广泛而深刻的社会变革，建立起独立的比较完整的工业体系和国民经济体系，为现代化建设提供了宝贵经验、理论准备、物质基础。

During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, our Party made scientific decisions and overall plans, established the basic line of “one central task, two basic points” [1]1 “One central task, two basic points” refers to the basic line of the Party during the primary stage of socialism: taking economic construction as the central task, upholding the Four Cardinal Principles, and upholding reform and opening up. and the reform goal of a socialist market economy system, implemented opening up to the outside world, created the miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and provided Chinese-path modernization with an institutional guarantee full of new vitality and the rapid material conditions for development.

改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，我们党科学决策、统筹谋划，确立了“一个中心、两个基本点”的基本路线和社会主义市场经济体制的改革目标，推行对外开放，创造了经济快速发展和社会长期稳定的奇迹，为中国式现代化提供了充满新的活力的体制保证和快速发展的物质条件。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has continued to advance on the existing foundation, adhered to a problem-oriented approach, focused on solving the prominent contradictions and problems existing in modernization construction, comprehensively deepened reform, continuously achieved innovative breakthroughs in theory and practice, and successfully advanced and expanded Chinese-path modernization. First, deepening understanding continuously, establishing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieving a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and providing fundamental guidance for Chinese-path modernization. Further deepening the understanding of the connotation and essence of Chinese-path modernization, summarizing and forming the Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles of Chinese-path modernization, initially constructing the theoretical system of Chinese-path modernization, making Chinese-path modernization clearer, more scientific, and more tangible and feasible. Second, continuously improving strategy, making the “two-step” strategic arrangement [2]2 The “two-step” strategic arrangement refers to the plan to basically achieve socialist modernization by 2035 and to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of this century. to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of this century, clarifying the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, and deeply implementing a series of major strategies such as the strategy of invigorating China through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the nation through talent, and the rural revitalization strategy, providing solid strategic support for Chinese-path modernization. Third, continuously enriching practice, advancing a series of transformative practices, achieving a series of breakthrough progress, and obtaining a series of landmark achievements, especially eliminating absolute poverty, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, promoting historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of the Party and the state, and providing Chinese-path modernization with a more complete institutional guarantee, a more solid material foundation, and a more proactive spiritual force.

党的十八大以来，我们党在已有基础上继续前进，坚持问题导向，围绕解决现代化建设中存在的突出矛盾和问题，全面深化改革，不断实现理论和实践上的创新突破，成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化。一是在认识上不断深化，创立了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃，为中国式现代化提供了根本遵循。进一步深化对中国式现代化的内涵和本质的认识，概括形成中国式现代化的中国特色、本质要求和重大原则，初步构建中国式现代化的理论体系，使中国式现代化更加清晰、更加科学、更加可感可行。二是在战略上不断完善，作出到本世纪中叶把我国建成富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国“两步走”的战略安排，明确“五位一体”总体布局和“四个全面”战略布局，深入实施科教兴国战略、人才强国战略、乡村振兴战略等一系列重大战略，为中国式现代化提供坚实战略支撑。三是在实践上不断丰富，推进一系列变革性实践、实现一系列突破性进展、取得一系列标志性成果，特别是消除了绝对贫困问题，全面建成小康社会，推动党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，为中国式现代化提供了更为完善的制度保证、更为坚实的物质基础、更为主动的精神力量。

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC made systematic arrangements for further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-path modernization. The recently concluded Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC adopted the “Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development,” clarifying the overall thinking, important principles, main objectives, strategic tasks, and major measures for economic and social development during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period [3]3 The “15th Five-Year Plan” period covers the years 2026–2030., pointing the way forward and gathering immense strength for seizing the momentum and deeply advancing Chinese-path modernization.

党的二十届三中全会围绕进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化作出系统部署。近期召开的党的二十届四中全会通过了《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议》，明确了“十五五”时期经济社会发展的总体思路、重要原则、主要目标、战略任务和重大举措，为乘势而上、深入推进中国式现代化指明了前进方向、凝聚了磅礴力量。

The worldwide significance of the Chinese-path modernization path

中国式现代化道路的世界意义

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Achieving modernization is the right and inevitable choice of the people of all countries. The key is to find a development path that suits national conditions and conforms to the laws of human social development.” The successful practice of Chinese-path modernization has contributed Chinese wisdom to humanity’s exploration of the path to modernization.

习近平总书记指出：“实现现代化是世界各国人民的权利和必然选择，关键是找到符合国情、符合人类社会发展规律的发展道路。”中国式现代化的成功实践，为人类对现代化道路的探索贡献了中国智慧。

Breaking the myth that “modernization equals Westernization.” Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of a huge population, the modernization of common prosperity for all, the modernization of material and cultural-ethical progress in tandem, the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, and the modernization of a path of peaceful development. Chinese-path modernization presents a picture different from that of Western modernization, breaks through people’s original stereotypes and formulaic understandings of modernization, declares the bankruptcy of the “end of history” thesis, declares the bankruptcy of the unilinear view of history that all countries must ultimately end up with the Western institutional model, expands the path choices for developing countries moving toward modernization, and provides a new path for those countries and nations that both hope to accelerate development and hope to maintain their own independence. It can be seen that Chinese-path modernization not only promotes the development of the country itself but also rewrites the paradigm of world modernization, representing a major transcendence of the theory and practice of Western-style modernization.

打破“现代化＝西方化”的迷思。中国式现代化是人口规模巨大的现代化、全体人民共同富裕的现代化、物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化、人与自然和谐共生的现代化、走和平发展道路的现代化。中国式现代化展现了不同于西方现代化的另一幅图景，突破了人们对现代化原有的刻板印象和程式化认识，宣告了“历史终结论”的破产，宣告了各国最终都要以西方制度模式为归宿的单线式历史观的破产，拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的路径选择，给世界上那些既希望加快发展又希望保持自身独立性的国家和民族提供了新路径。可见，中国式现代化不但推动了本国发展，还改写了世界现代化范式，是对西方式现代化理论和实践的重大超越。

Successfully interpreting a path of independent development. Many developing countries commonly face the predicament of “dependent development” in the process of modernization, while an important reason China can achieve independent development is that the CPC, as the leading core, can ensure the long-term stability of the national development strategy. By formulating and firmly implementing medium- and long-term development plans, it pools the strength of the whole country to complete the historic tasks of poverty alleviation and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This institutional advantage of concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks enables China to achieve leapfrog development. At the same time, China focuses on building an independent and complete national economic system, from the construction of the industrial system in the early days of the founding of New China to the current maintenance of the security of industrial and supply chains; economic autonomy has become an important guarantee for China to resist external risks. More importantly, China integrates the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, insisting on exploring a development path and governance model that suit its own national conditions. This enlightens the vast number of developing countries: any development model must fit the actual conditions of the country itself and be tested by its own practice.

成功诠释独立自主的发展道路。不少发展中国家在现代化进程中普遍面临“依附性发展”困境，而中国能够实现独立自主发展的重要原因，就在于中国共产党作为领导核心，能够确保国家发展战略的长期稳定。通过制定并坚定执行中长期发展规划，汇聚全国之力完成脱贫攻坚、全面建成小康社会的历史任务。这种集中力量办大事的制度优势使中国能够实现跨越式发展。与此同时，中国注重构建独立完整的国民经济体系，从新中国成立初期的工业体系建设到如今维护产业链供应链安全，经济自主性成为中国抵御外部风险的重要保障。更为重要的是，中国将马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，坚持探索符合自身国情的发展道路和治理模式。这启示着广大发展中国家：任何发展模式都必须契合本国实际，经过本国实践的检验。

Correcting the purpose of development. Unlike Western modernization, which aims to achieve capital proliferation, our Party, in advancing Chinese-path modernization, has always adhered to a people-centered approach. From the unprecedented battle against poverty to the continuously promoted projects to improve people’s livelihoods, all reflect the value orientation of development achievements being shared by the people. This development model not only brings rapid economic growth but also promotes long-term social stability, forming a virtuous cycle of “economic development—improvement of people’s livelihoods—social stability.” In addition, China focuses on the coordinated development of material and cultural-ethical progress, strengthening cultural construction while promoting economic development, meeting the people’s aspirations for a better life, and promoting the well-rounded development of the individual.

实现发展目的的矫正。与西方现代化旨在实现资本增殖不同，我们党在推进中国式现代化进程中，始终坚持以人民为中心。从规模空前的脱贫攻坚战到持续推进的民生改善工程，都体现了发展成果由人民共享的价值取向。这种发展模式不仅带来了经济快速增长，更促进了社会长期稳定，形成了“经济发展—民生改善—社会稳定”的良性循环。此外，中国注重物质文明和精神文明协调发展，在推动经济发展的同时加强文化建设，满足了人民对美好生活的向往，促进了人的全面发展。

Gaining development experience through seeking truth from facts. Our Party creatively proposed and established the socialist market economy system, giving full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation while better playing the role of the government, ensuring the achievement of various goals and tasks of economic and social development, and providing an important reference for developing countries that oscillate between “market fundamentalism” and excessive intervention. China’s practice of reform and opening up also shows that combining top-level design with “crossing the river by feeling the stones” helps promote development while maintaining stability, which has important reference significance for developing countries facing complex transformation tasks.

在实事求是中取得发展经验。我们党创造性提出并建立社会主义市场经济体制，既充分发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，又更好发挥政府作用，确保经济社会发展各项目标任务达成，为在“市场原教旨主义”和过度干预之间摇摆的发展中国家提供了重要参考。中国的改革开放实践也表明，把顶层设计和“摸着石头过河”结合起来，有助于在保持稳定的前提下推进发展，这对面临复杂转型任务的发展中国家具有重要借鉴意义。

The practice of Chinese-path modernization influences the world through participation in global governance. The Belt and Road Initiative upholds the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, coordinating and deepening the “hard connectivity” of infrastructure, the “soft connectivity” of rules and standards, and the “heart-to-heart connectivity” among the people of the co-building countries, providing important opportunities for co-building countries to break through development bottlenecks. The Global Development Initiative proposed by China takes the most urgent issues facing developing countries, such as poverty reduction, food security, climate change, and green development, as entry points, promoting the international community to jointly address development challenges and striving to ensure that no country or individual is left behind. Particularly important is that China always adheres to equal treatment and win-win cooperation in its interactions with other developing countries; this cooperation model enhances the voice of developing countries in global affairs. At the same time, China’s rise itself is also changing the balance of international forces, creating a more favorable international environment for the development of developing countries.

中国式现代化的实践通过参与全球治理影响世界。共建“一带一路”倡议秉持共商共建共享原则，统筹深化基础设施“硬联通”、规则标准“软联通”和同共建国家人民“心联通”，为共建国家突破发展瓶颈提供了重要机遇。中国提出的全球发展倡议，以减贫、粮食安全、气候变化和绿色发展等发展中国家面临的最紧迫问题为切入点，推动国际社会合力应对发展挑战，努力不让任何一个国家、任何一个人掉队。尤为重要的是，中国在与其他发展中国家交往中始终坚持平等相待、合作共赢，这种合作模式增强了发展中国家在全球事务中的话语权。同时，中国崛起本身也正在改变着国际力量对比，为发展中国家发展创造了更有利的国际环境。

The successful experience of Chinese-path modernization originates from China and belongs to the world. With its magnificent and successful practice, it inspires developing countries around the world to courageously explore modernization paths suitable for their own countries. Against the backdrop of the current accelerating changes unseen in a century and the intertwined turmoil and transformation of the international situation, Chinese-path modernization, as a new form of human civilization, will become increasingly prominent in its world significance over time.

中国式现代化的成功经验源于中国，属于世界。它以波澜壮阔的成功实践，鼓舞着全球发展中国家勇于探索适合本国的现代化道路。在当前世界百年变局加速演进、国际形势变乱交织的大背景下，中国式现代化作为人类文明新形态，其世界意义将随着时间的推移而愈加凸显。

(The author is a Distinguished Research Fellow of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and President of the Academy of Chinese-Path Modernization.)

（作者系中国社会科学院习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、中国式现代化研究院院长）

Online editor: Chu Yang

网路编辑：初阳