Major Historical Lessons from Modernization since the Founding of New China

Constantly summing up experience, upholding truth, and correcting errors is the recipe for the success of the Chinese Communist Party. Summing up and analyzing the historical lessons of 75 years of modernization in New China has important practical and theoretical significance for people to thoroughly study and deeply understand General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on Chinese-path modernization, for implementing the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, and for constructing a knowledge system of modernization with Chinese characteristics. Based on the historical facts of New China’s modernization, we believe the following major lessons are worth remembering:

不断总结经验，坚持真理，修正错误，是中国共产党的成功之道。总结和分析新中国75年来现代化建设的历史经验，对于人们学深悟透习近平总书记关于中国式现代化的重要论述，对于贯彻落实党的二十届三中全会精神，对于建构中国特色现代化知识体系，具有重要的现实意义和理论意义。以新中国现代化建设的史实为根据，我们认为有以下主要经验值得记取：

I. Politically, adhere to the correct political direction and principles, and, on the premise of the organic unity of upholding the Party’s leadership, taking the socialist road, and being people-centered, push forward the development of China’s modernization.

一 、在政治上，坚持正确的政治方向和原则，在坚持党的领导、走社会主义道路和以人民为中心有机统一的前提下，推进中国现代化建设向前发展

Before the birth of the Chinese Communist Party, generations of progressive Chinese, repeatedly bullied by the great powers relying on their superiority in modernized strength, pursued the dream of building China from a traditional agricultural country into a modernized industrial country. However, whether it was the feudalist policy of “learning from the barbarians to control the barbarians,” the Westernization Movement, or the “New Policies,” or the capitalist-road proposals of the Hundred Days’ Reform, the Revolution of 1911, or the cultural enlightenment, along with other ideas and explorations, all ended in failure. The failure of Chinese diplomacy at the Paris Peace Conference not only sparked patriotic movements among students, workers, and urban residents across the country but also plunged many Chinese into a predicament of having no way to save the nation. The October Revolution and the Soviet government’s declaration to China, however, kindled new hope in some of them—to take the Russian road. The Chinese Communist Party was thus born in response to the times. Of course, from the Party’s founding to the eve of the victory of the All-Out War of Resistance against Japan, Chinese Communists focused on the prerequisite for China to become a modernized country—national independence and the liberation of the people. On the eve of the victory of the War of Resistance, Chinese Communists became even more confident in taking the socialist road to transform China from a backward agricultural country into a powerful industrial country. Mao Zedong pointed out in his political report to the Seventh National Congress of the CPC: “After the political conditions of New Democracy are obtained, the Chinese people and their government must take concrete steps to gradually establish heavy and light industry over a number of years, turning China from an agricultural country into an industrial country.” On the eve of the founding of New China, he again pointed out that this country would take the people’s democratic dictatorship as its condition, “making it possible, under the leadership of the working class and the Communist Party, to steadily advance from an agricultural country to an industrial country, from a New Democratic society to a socialist society and a communist society, to eliminate classes and realize Great Harmony.” [1]1 “Old path” refers to the rigid, Soviet-style model of socialism; “evil path” refers to the path of capitalist liberalization. From this, it can be seen that during the New Democratic Revolution, the Chinese Communist Party already regarded upholding the Party’s leadership, taking the socialist road, and being people-centered as the political prerequisite and fundamental guarantee for China’s modernization. Since the founding of New China, the Chinese Communist Party has always been unwavering on this point, especially emphasizing and elaborating on it at major historical junctures.

在中国共产党诞生之前，一代代先进的中国人在屡遭列强凭借近代化实力优势欺凌的情势下，追求着把中国从一个传统的农业国家建设成一个近代化的工业化国家的梦想。但是，无论是奉行封建主义的师夷制夷、洋务运动、“新政”，还是主张走资本主义道路的戊戌变法、辛亥革命、文化启蒙，以及其他种种想法和探索，均以失败而结束。巴黎和会上中国外交的失败既激发了全国学生、工人、市民的爱国运动，又使许多中国人陷入了救国无路的窘境。而十月革命以及苏俄政府对华宣言则燃起了他们中的一部分人新的希望——走俄国人的路。中国共产党由是应运而生。当然，从党创建到全民族抗战胜利前夕，中国共产党人关注的是中国成为现代化国家的前提条件——民族独立和人民解放。在抗战胜利前夕，中国共产党人更加坚定了通过走社会主义道路，把中国从一个落后的农业国建设成为一个强大工业国的信心。毛泽东在党的七大政治报告中指出：“在新民主主义的政治条件获得之后，中国人民及其政府必须采取切实的步骤，在若干年内逐步地建立重工业和轻工业，使中国由农业国变为工业国。”新中国成立前夕，他再次指出，这个国家将以人民民主专政为条件，“有可能在工人阶级和共产党的领导之下稳步地由农业国进到工业国，由新民主主义社会进到社会主义社会和共产主义社会，消灭阶级和实现大同”。由此可以看出，在新民主主义革命时期，中国共产党已经将坚持党的领导，走社会主义道路，以人民为中心视为中国现代化建设的政治前提和根本保证。新中国成立以来，中国共产党始终对此坚定不移，尤其是在重大历史关头都予以特别的强调和阐述。

In the early days of New China, after successfully completing the tasks of the New Democratic Revolution, consolidating the new regime, restoring the national economy, and smoothly carrying out democratic reforms, the Party Central Committee promptly announced the general line for the transition period, namely, “to realize, over a relatively long period, the socialist industrialization of the country step by step, and to realize, step by step, the socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts, and capitalist industry and commerce.” This highlighted the close connection between China’s industrialization and the basic socialist economic system, indicating that taking the socialist road was the fundamental prerequisite for its realization. In September 1954, in his opening address to the First Session of the First National People’s Congress, Mao Zedong pointed out: “The core force leading our cause is the Chinese Communist Party.” The “our cause” he referred to was “to prepare, within several five-year plans, to build our country, which is now economically and culturally backward, into a great industrialized country with a high degree of modern culture.” In other words, China’s modernization cause—whether economic industrialization or high-level cultural modernization—must adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party and take the socialist road. When the socialist transformation achieved decisive victory, the Eighth National Congress of the CPC clearly stated that the Party’s task was “to develop the national economy in a planned way, to realize national industrialization as quickly as possible, to systematically and step-by-step carry out the technological transformation of the national economy, so that China will have a powerful modernized industry, modernized agriculture, modernized transportation and communications, and modernized national defense.” It also particularly emphasized: “The fundamental purpose of all the Party’s work is to satisfy to the maximum extent the material and cultural needs of the people. Therefore, on the basis of the development of production, the people’s living conditions must be gradually and continuously improved, and this is also a necessary condition for raising the people’s enthusiasm for production.” It can be seen that, at the very beginning of socialist modernization, the Chinese Communist Party closely linked adhering to the basic socialist economic system, improving the people’s lives, and raising the people’s enthusiasm for production with the promotion of national industrialization in its planning and layout. By the end of 1964, the Chinese Communist Party had clearly proposed the strategic steps and strategic goals for China’s modernization, namely, to achieve the “four modernizations” [2]2 The term “归宿” (guīsù) here carries the sense of ultimate purpose or final destination, implying the fundamental goal to which all efforts are directed. and build a powerful socialist country in “two steps.” [3]3 The War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950–1953) is the official Chinese name for the Korean War, framed as a defensive intervention against U.S. forces approaching the Chinese border. At the same time, this goal was closely tied to the basic socialist economic system, to improving the people’s lives, and to mobilizing the people’s enthusiasm.

新中国成立初期，在胜利完成新民主主义革命任务，新生政权获得巩固，国民经济得以恢复，民主改革顺利进行的形势下，党中央及时宣布了过渡时期总路线，即要“在一个相当长的时期内，逐步实现国家的社会主义工业化，并逐步实现国家对农业、对手工业和对资本主义工商业的社会主义改造”。这里凸显了中国工业化和社会主义基本经济制度的密切关联，说明走社会主义道路是它得以实现的根本前提。1954 年 9 月，毛泽东在一届人大一次会议所致开幕词中指出：“领导我们事业的核心力量是中国共产党。”他所说的“我们事业”是“准备在几个五年计划之内，将我们现在这样一个经济上文化上落后的国家，建设成为一个工业化的具有高度现代文化程度的伟大的国家”。换言之，中国的现代化建设事业 , 无论是经济上的工业化，还是文化上的高度现代化，都要坚持共产党领导，走社会主义道路。在社会主义改造取得决定性胜利的时候，党的八大明确指出，党的任务就是“有计划地发展国民经济，尽可能迅速地实现国家工业化，有系统、有步骤地进行国民经济的技术改造，使中国具有强大的现代化的工业、现代化的农业、现代化的交通运输业和现代化的国防”，还特别强调：“党的一切工作的根本目的，是最大限度地满足人民的物质生活和文化生活的需要，因此，必须在生产发展的基础上，逐步地和不断地改善人民的生活状况，而这也是提高人民生产积极性的必要条件。”可见，在开始社会主义现代化建设时，中国共产党就将坚持社会主义基本经济制度、改善人民生活与提高人民生产积极性，同推进国家工业化紧密联系在一起谋划布局。1964 年年底，中国共产党明确提出了分“两步走”，建成“四个现代化”社会主义强国的中国现代化建设战略步骤和战略目标。同时，这个目标与社会主义基本经济制度，与改善人民的生活和调动人民的积极性紧紧相连。

At the beginning of reform and opening up, when Chinese Communists assessed the situation and re-planned the goals and steps of China’s modernization, they particularly emphasized the political direction of modernization. Deng Xiaoping clearly pointed out: “The Central Committee believes that to realize the four modernizations in China, we must, in the ideological and political spheres, uphold the Four Cardinal Principles. [4]4 “One transformation and three reforms” (一化三改) refers to the general line for the transition period: socialist industrialization (the “one transformation”) and the socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts, and capitalist industry and commerce (the “three reforms”). This is the fundamental prerequisite for realizing the four modernizations.” After the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee, the Chinese Communist Party’s understanding of the connotation of the basic line deepened: “Economic construction, the Four Cardinal Principles, and reform and opening up are an interconnected, interdependent, and inseparable organic whole.” After the 16th National Congress of the CPC, while achieving major successes in domestic economic construction, Chinese Communists became even more convinced that upholding the Four Cardinal Principles was the fundamental guarantee and fundamental prerequisite for the major achievements of China’s modernization. “We must combine upholding the Four Cardinal Principles with upholding reform and opening up, firmly grasp economic construction as the central task, and always maintain the correct direction of reform and opening up.”

改革开放之初，中国共产党人在审时度势，对中国现代化建设目标和步骤做出重新布局时，特别强调现代化建设的政治方向。邓小平明确指出：“中央认为，我们要在中国实现四个现代化，必须在思想政治上坚持四项基本原则。这是实现四个现代化的根本前提。”党的十三届四中全会后，中国共产党对基本路线内涵的认识更加深入，“经济建设和四项基本原则、改革开放，是相互贯通、相互依存、不可分割的统一整体”。党的十六大后，在国内经济建设取得重大成就的同时，中国共产党人更加坚定地认为坚持四项基本原则是中国现代化建设取得重大成就的根本保证和根本前提。“必须把坚持四项基本原则同坚持改革开放结合起来，牢牢扭住经济建设这个中心，始终保持改革开放正确方向。”

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, facing risks, challenges, and tests from the political, economic, ideological, and natural spheres, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the entire Party, the military, and the people of all ethnic groups in China to resolutely carry out a great struggle with many new historical features. The cause of the Party and the state has achieved historic accomplishments and undergone historic transformations, and socialist modernization has entered the entirely new realm of Chinese-path modernization. In the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping listed “upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China” as the first of the essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization, and listed “upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership,” “upholding the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” and “upholding a people-centered development philosophy” as the first three of the five major principles that must be firmly grasped to continuously advance the cause of “Chinese-path modernization” on the new journey of the New Era. “Upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership” requires, first, resolutely safeguarding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership—this is an important manifestation, a basic requirement, and the key to upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership; second, it requires upholding the Party’s leadership over all work, implementing Party leadership in every field, aspect, and link of the cause of the Party and the state. Only in this way can the Party always become the most reliable backbone of the entire people when storms strike, ensuring the correct direction of modernization; only then can it ensure that the Party possesses strong political cohesion and developmental confidence for the people to unite and strive together, thereby gathering the mighty force of millions united as one to overcome difficulties together. “Upholding the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics” means upholding the Party’s basic line for the primary stage of socialism, meaning that the path must not change and the will must not waver, neither taking the “old path” nor the “evil path,” [1]1 “Old path” refers to the rigid, Soviet-style model of socialism; “evil path” refers to the path of capitalist liberalization. and adhering to acting within one’s capacity and determining one’s own destiny. “Upholding a people-centered development philosophy” means firmly standing on the value orientation of “putting the people first,” continuously realizing the goal of modernization development for the people, by the people, and with the fruits shared by the people, so that the achievements of modernization benefit all the people more and more fairly.

党的十八大以来，面对来自政治、经济、意识形态、自然界等方面的风险挑战考验，以习近平同志为核心的党中央团结带领全党全军全国各族人民义无反顾进行具有许多新的历史特点的伟大斗争，党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，社会主义现代化建设进入中国式现代化全新境界。在党的二十大报告中，习近平总书记将“坚持中国共产党领导”列为中国式现代化的本质要求之首，将“坚持和加强党的全面领导”“坚持中国特色社会主义道路”“坚持以人民为中心的发展思想”列为新时代新征程上不断推进“中国式现代化”建设事业向前发展必须牢牢把握的五项重大原则中的前三项原则。“坚持和加强党的全面领导”，首先要坚决维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，这是坚持和加强党的全面领导的重要体现、基本要求和关键所在；其次要坚持党对一切工作的领导，把党的领导落实到党和国家事业各领域各方面各环节。这样才能使党始终成为风雨来袭时全体人民最可靠的主心骨，确保现代化建设正确方向；也才能确保党对人民拥有团结奋斗的强大政治凝聚力、发展自信心，从而集聚起万众一心、共克时艰的磅礴力量。“坚持中国特色社会主义道路”，就是坚持党在社会主义初级阶段的基本路线，就是要做到道不变、志不改，不走“老路”，不走“邪路”，坚持量力而行，命运自主。“坚持以人民为中心的发展思想”，就是站稳“人民至上”的价值导向，不断实现现代化建设的发展为了人民、依靠人民、成果由人民共享的目标，让现代化建设成就更多更公平地惠及全体人民。

In summary, since the founding of New China, Chinese Communists have consistently adhered to a firm and correct political direction, firmly grasped correct political principles, united and led the Chinese people not only to achieve major accomplishments in modernization and to bring about earth-shaking changes in the people’s living standards, but also to continuously consolidate the material and spiritual foundations for the Party’s long-term governance. Scientific socialism has radiated strong vitality in 21st-century China, and the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics has been raised high in the world. Within the composition of political direction and political principles, upholding the Party’s leadership is the essential requirement and fundamental guarantee for adhering to the socialist path and being people-centered; adhering to the socialist path is an important manifestation and institutional guarantee for upholding the Party’s leadership and being people-centered; and being people-centered is the starting point, the end point, and the fundamental pursuit of spiritual belonging [2]2 The term “归宿” (guīsù) here carries the sense of ultimate purpose or final destination, implying the fundamental goal to which all efforts are directed. for upholding the Party’s leadership and adhering to the socialist path. The three are organically unified, ensuring that the modernization of New China upholds the fundamentals, remains steadfast, and advances steadily and far.

综上所述，新中国成立以来，中国共产党人始终坚持坚定正确的政治方向，牢牢掌握坚定正确的政治原则，团结和带领中国人民不但取得了现代化建设的重大成就，人民的生活水平发生了天翻地覆的变化，而且党的长期执政物质基础、精神基础不断巩固，科学社会主义在 21 世纪的中国焕发出强大生机活力，中国特色社会主义的旗帜已然在世界上高高举起。在政治方向和政治原则的组成中，坚持党的领导是坚持走社会主义道路和以人民为中心的本质要求和根本保证；坚持走社会主义道路是坚持党的领导和坚持以人民为中心的重要体现和制度保障；坚持以人民为中心是坚持党的领导和坚持走社会主义道路的出发点、落脚点和根本归宿，三者有机统一，保证了新中国现代化建设守正固本、行稳致远。

II. Ideologically, adhere to the Marxist ideological line, continuously deepen the understanding of the laws of modernization, and promptly adjust strategic steps and strategic goals

二、在思想上，坚持马克思主义思想路线，不断深化现代化建设规律的认识，及时调整战略步骤和战略目标

Combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, and adhering to the use of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, are important pathways to the success of the Communist Party of China. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their main representative, adhered to the Marxist epistemological stance and the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, endured countless hardships, blazed the correct revolutionary path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing state power by armed force, and founded the theory of New Democratic Revolution, pointing the correct direction for winning the New Democratic Revolution. Similarly, since the founding of New China, generations of Chinese Communists have adhered to the epistemological stance of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, emancipated the mind, sought truth from facts, kept pace with the times, and pursued practical results. Overcoming difficulties and obstacles, they have continuously deepened the understanding of the laws of modernization and promptly adjusted strategic steps and strategic goals, ensuring the smooth and healthy development of the modernization cause of New China.

把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，坚持运用辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义，是中国共产党成功的重要途径。在新民主主义革命时期，以毛泽东同志为主要代表的中国共产党人，坚持马克思主义认识论立场和实事求是的思想路线，历经千辛万苦，开辟了农村包围城市、武装夺取政权的正确革命道路，创立了新民主主义革命理论，为夺取新民主主义革命胜利指明了正确方向。同样，新中国成立以来，一代代中国共产党人坚持辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义认识论立场，解放思想，实事求是，与时俱进，求真务实，克服艰难险阻，不断深化现代化建设规律的认识，及时调整战略步骤和战略目标，保证了新中国现代化建设事业顺利、健康发展。

(I) The Stage of Initial National Industrialization

（一）初建国家工业化阶段

During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese Communists’ understanding and practical process of China’s modernization were relatively tortuous and complex. In June 1950, the Third Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the CPC planned to take 3-5 years to restore production, then carry out large-scale economic construction. With the comprehensive recovery of the national economy and the smooth progress of various constructions, as well as the victorious conclusion of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, [3]3 The War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950–1953) is the official Chinese name for the Korean War, framed as a defensive intervention against U.S. forces approaching the Chinese border. the reform of the land system, and various democratic reforms, in June 1953 the Politburo of the Central Committee confirmed the general line for the transition period, whose main content was “one transformation and three reforms,” [4]4 “One transformation and three reforms” (一化三改) refers to the general line for the transition period: socialist industrialization (the “one transformation”) and the socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts, and capitalist industry and commerce (the “three reforms”). and planned economic construction and socialist industrialization formally began. The “Government Work Report” adopted at the First Session of the First National People’s Congress in September 1954, while proposing the strategic goal of “building China into a powerful, socialist, modernized industrial country,” also proposed building “modernized industry, modernized agriculture, modernized transportation, and modernized national defense.”

在社会主义革命和建设时期，中国共产党人对中国现代化建设的认识和实践过程较为曲折复杂。1950 年 6 月召开的党的七届三中全会计划用 3-5 年的时间恢复生产，然后进行大规模的经济建设。随着国民经济的全面恢复和各项建设的顺利开展，抗美援朝战争、土地制度改革和各项民主改革的胜利进行，1953 年 6 月中央政治局确认了“一化三改” 为主要内容的过渡时期总路线，有计划的经济建设和社会主义工业化正式起步。1954 年9 月召开的一届人大一次会议通过的《政府工作报告》，在提出“把中国建设成为一个强大的社会主义的现代化的工业国家”的战略目标的同时，提出了建设“现代化的工业、现代化的农业、现代化的交通运输业和现代化的国防”。

The Eighth National Congress of the CPC proposed basically completing a complete industrial system within approximately three five-year plan periods, as well as the economic system reform idea of “three mainstays and three supplements” [5]5 “Three mainstays and three supplements” (三个主体，三个补充) was an economic reform idea proposed at the Eighth National Congress of the CPC in 1956, suggesting that under the planned economy, state-run industry should be the mainstay, supplemented by private industry; collective agriculture the mainstay, supplemented by household sideline production; and state-run commerce the mainstay, supplemented by free markets. to break through the Soviet-style planned economy model. In May 1958, the Second Session of the Eighth National Congress of the CPC, from the perspective of the goal of economic construction, proposed the strategic vision of “building our country as quickly as possible into a great socialist country with modern industry, modern agriculture, and modern science and culture.” From the end of 1959 to the beginning of 1960, Mao Zedong proposed, “In building socialism, the original requirements were the modernization of industry, modernization of agriculture, and modernization of science and culture; now we must add the modernization of national defense.” In January 1962, Mao Zedong for the first time proposed a centennial economic development strategy for New China: “To greatly develop the productive forces, to catch up with and surpass the most advanced capitalist countries in the world, I think it will not be possible without a period of over a hundred years.”

党的八大提出，在大约三个五年计划时期内基本建成一个完整的工业体系，以及突破苏式计划经济模式的“三个主体，三个补充” 经济体制改革设想。1958 年 5 月，党的八大二次会议从经济建设的奋斗目标角度，提出“尽快地把我国建设成一个具有现代工业、现代农业和现代科学文化的伟大社会主义国家”的战略设想。1959 年底至 1960 年初，毛泽东提出，“建设社会主义，原来要求是工业现代化、农业现代化、科学文化现代化，现在要加上国防现代化。”1962 年 1 月，毛泽东首次提出了新中国百年经济发展战略：“要使生产力很大地发展起来，要赶上和超过世界上最先进的资本主义国家，没有一百多年的时间，我看是不行的。”

(II) The Stage of Exploring the “Four Modernizations”

（二）探索“四个现代化”阶段

Based on Mao Zedong’s opinion, the Communist Party of China proposed a strategic plan for modernization, solemnly announced by Zhou Enlai at the First Session of the Third National People’s Congress: “Within a not too long historical period, build our country into a powerful socialist country with modern agriculture, modern industry, modern national defense, and modern science and technology, catching up with and surpassing the world’s advanced levels.” In January 1975, Zhou Enlai reaffirmed this strategic plan at the First Session of the Fourth National People’s Congress. From a macro perspective, throughout the entire process of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese Communists’ understanding and exploration of China’s modernization evolved from referencing the Soviet model to gradually aligning with China’s national conditions, from aspiring to Soviet industrialization to responding to global modernization. On the one hand, they firmly grasped the characteristics of national conditions, emphasizing that among the “four modernizations,” agriculture is the foundation, industry is the leading factor, national defense is the guarantee, and science and technology are the key. On the other hand, they kept pace with the trends of world modernization, emphasizing that the hallmark of agricultural modernization was agricultural mechanization, irrigation, chemical fertilization, and electrification; the hallmark of industrial modernization was mechanization, automation, electrification, and chemicalization of industrial production, equipping all aspects of industry with the world’s newest technologies; the hallmark of national defense modernization was to more quickly develop atomic energy, electronics, missiles, and aviation, establishing a modernized national defense industry and modernized national defense forces; the core of “science and technology modernization” was to conform to the “atomic and electronic age,” “gradually realizing and gradually improving.” During the 29 years after the founding of New China, China’s modernization cause achieved great accomplishments, providing valuable experience, conducting theoretical exploration, and laying a material foundation for the modernization of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new period.

根据毛泽东的意见，中国共产党提出了现代化建设的战略规划，由周恩来在三届人大一次会议庄严宣布：“要在不太长的历史时期内，把我国建设成为一个具有现代农业、现代工业、现代国防和现代科学技术的社会主义强国，赶上和超过世界先进水平。”1975 年 1 月，周恩来在四届人大一次会议上重申了这一战略规划。宏观看，在整个社会主义革命和建设过程中，中国共产党人对中国现代化建设的认识和探索从参照苏联模式到逐步贴近中国国情，从对苏联工业化的向往到对世界现代化的回应。一方面，紧紧抓住了国情特点，强调“四化”中农业为基础，工业为主导，国防为保障，科技是关键。另一方面，又紧跟世界现代化发展潮流，强调农业现代化的标志是农业机械化、水利化、化肥化、电气化；工业现代化的标志是工业生产机械化、自动化、电气化和化学化，用世界最新的技术把工业的各方面装备起来；国防现代化的标志是更快地搞起原子、电子、导弹、航空，建立起现代化的国防工业和现代化的国防力量；“科技现代化”的核心是顺应“原子、电子时代”，“逐步实现，逐步提高”。新中国成立后的 29 年间，中国现代化建设事业取得了很大的成就，为新时期中国特色社会主义现代化建设提供了宝贵经验、进行了理论探索、奠定了物质基础。

In the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Chinese Communists’ understanding and practical process of modernization were relatively stable and smooth. The First Session of the Fifth National People’s Congress, held in late February and early March 1978, reaffirmed the goals and steps of the “four modernizations.”[6]6 The “first centenary goal” refers to the goal of building a moderately prosperous society (小康社会) in all respects by the centenary of the founding of the CPC in 2021. The “second centenary goal” is to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the centenary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2049. Several major events in the following year pushed the Chinese Communists toward a more scientific understanding of modernization. First, the “great debate on the criterion of truth”[7]7 “Poor and blank” (一穷二白) was a phrase used by Mao Zedong to describe China’s economic poverty and cultural backwardness in the early years of the People’s Republic. rectified the Party’s ideological line and opened the door for people to boldly explore China’s modernization. Second, Chinese government delegations visited developed capitalist countries and personally experienced the level of modernization in the Western developed world. Third, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC not only made the major strategic decision to “shift the focus of the Party’s work and the attention of the entire people to socialist modernization,” but also specifically pointed out: “Realizing the four modernizations requires greatly raising the productive forces, which inevitably demands changing, in many respects, the relations of production and the superstructure that are incompatible with the development of the productive forces, and changing all management methods, modes of activity, and modes of thinking that are incompatible, thus it is a broad and profound revolution.” This meant that, in the view of the Chinese Communists at that time, China’s modernization was not merely modernization at the material level, but a comprehensive modernization encompassing political and cultural dimensions.

在改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，中国共产党人对现代化建设的认识和实践过程较为稳定顺畅。1978 年 2 月底 3 月初召开的五届人大一次会议重申了“四个现代化”建设的目标和步骤。其后一年间发生的几件重大事件推动中国共产党人对现代化的认识更加科学。一是“真理标准问题大讨论” 端正了党的思想路线，为人们大胆地探索中国现代化建设敞开了思想大门。二是中国政府代表团访问发达资本主义国家，亲身领略西方发达国家现代化水平。三是党的十一届三中全会不但作出了“把全党工作的着重点和全国人民的注意力转移到社会主义现代化建设上来”的重大战略决策，而且特别指出：“实现四个现代化，要求大幅度地提高生产力，也就必然要求多方面地改变同生产力发展不适应的生产关系和上层建筑，改变一切不适应的管理方式、活动方式和思想方式，因而是一场广泛、深刻的革命。”这就意味着，此时在中国共产党人看来，中国的现代化建设不仅只是物质层面的现代化，而是包含了政治、文化层面的全方位的现代化建设。

(3) The Stage of Practicing “Chinese-Path Modernization”

（三）实践“中国式的现代化”阶段

In March 1979, Deng Xiaoping first proposed the concepts of “Chinese-style four modernizations” and “Chinese-path modernization.” The 12th National Congress of the CPC absorbed Deng Xiaoping’s views and put forward the overall goal for 20 years of economic construction: “On the premise of continuously improving economic efficiency, strive to quadruple the total annual output value of industry and agriculture nationwide… so that the people’s material and cultural life can reach a moderately prosperous level.”[8]8 Deng Xiaoping’s talks during his southern tour (南方谈话) in early 1992 were a series of speeches in which he called for bolder economic reforms and clarified that the market could be used under socialism, which helped overcome ideological resistance to market-oriented reforms. Around the Spring Festival of 1983, Deng Xiaoping inspected the Yangtze River Delta and summarized six criteria for a “moderately prosperous society.” In 1984, Deng Xiaoping first proposed the two-stage goals of “Chinese-path modernization”: “Our first goal is to reach a moderately prosperous level by the end of this century; the second goal is to reach or approach the level of developed countries within 30 to 50 years.” At the end of April 1987, Deng Xiaoping for the first time fully depicted the “three-step” development strategy for Chinese-path modernization, with economic development as the main indicator. The 13th National Congress of the CPC absorbed his views and proposed: “After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee, the strategic deployment for China’s economic construction is roughly divided into three steps.” Moreover, the 13th National Congress also put forward the Party’s basic line for the primary stage of socialism: “Lead and unite the people of all ethnic groups across the country, take economic construction as the central task, uphold the Four Cardinal Principles,[9]9 The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, held in December 1978, is widely regarded as the starting point of China’s reform and opening-up era. uphold reform and opening up, be self-reliant, work hard and start undertakings, and strive to build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, and culturally advanced modern socialist country.” The connotation of the goal of building a “prosperous, strong, democratic, and culturally advanced modern socialist country” clearly surpassed the “socialist strong country” of the “four modernizations.”

1979 年 3 月，邓小平首次提出了“中国式的四个现代化”“中国式的现代化”概念。党的十二大吸收邓小平的观点，提出 20 年经济建设总的奋斗目标：“在不断提高经济效益的前提下，力争使全国工农业的年总产值翻两番……人民的物质文化生活可以达到小康水平。”1983 年春节前后，邓小平到长江三角洲视察，总结出“小康社会”的六条标准。1984 年邓小平首次提出“中国式的现代化”两个阶段目标，“我们的第一个目标就是到本世纪末达到小康水平，第二个目标就是要在三十年至五十年内达到或接近发达国家的水平”。1987 年 4 月底，邓小平首次完整地描绘了以经济发展为主要指标的中国式的现代化“三步走”发展战略。党的十三大吸收了他的主张，提出：“党的十一届三中全会以后，我国经济建设的战略部署大体分三步走。”并且，党的十三大还提出了党在社会主义初级阶段的基本路线，“领导和团结全国各族人民，以经济建设为中心，坚持四项基本原则，坚持改革开放，自力更生，艰苦创业，为把我国建设成为富强、民主、文明的社会主义现代化国家而奋斗”。“富强、民主、文明的社会主义现代化的国家”建设目标的内涵显然超越了“四个现代化”的“社会主义强国”。

After the 13th National Congress, the Chinese Communists continuously adjusted the content of the strategic steps according to actual conditions. The 15th National Congress of the CPC, while affirming the Party’s basic line for the primary stage of socialism and further elaborating the theory of the primary stage of socialism, put forward the basic program for the primary stage of socialism and first proposed the “new three-step” goal. Entering the 21st century, as the Party led the people to successfully achieve the first and second steps of the “three-step” strategy and the people’s living standards generally reached a moderately prosperous level, the 16th National Congress of the CPC proposed the goal of “building a moderately prosperous society in all respects” for the first 20 years of the 21st century. In addition to the economy, politics, and culture, it also put forward specific goals for “sustainable development.” In response to changes in the situation, the 17th National Congress of the CPC proposed new and higher requirements for modernization on the basis of the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, especially incorporating “accelerating the development of social undertakings and comprehensively improving people’s lives” and “building an ecological civilization” into the specific goal system. The Party Constitution, revised and adopted by the congress, made corresponding adjustments to the content of the Party’s basic line, expressing the goal of national construction as: “Build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious modern socialist country.” In the decade after the 16th National Congress, the Chinese Communists fully utilized the favorable conditions of the strategic opportunity period to accelerate development, deepen reform, expand opening up, and maintain stability. The total economic output rose from sixth to second in the world; social productive forces, economic strength, and scientific and technological strength took a major step forward; people’s living standards, residents’ income levels, and social security levels took a major step forward; comprehensive national strength, international competitiveness, and international influence took a major step forward; and the country’s appearance underwent new historic changes. Accordingly, the 18th National Congress of the CPC proposed the goal of “completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.”

党的十三大后，中国共产党人根据实际情况不断调整战略步骤的内容。党的十五大在肯定党在社会主义初级阶段的基本路线，进一步阐释社会主义初级阶段理论的同时，提出了社会主义初级阶段的基本纲领，并首次提出了“新三步走”奋斗目标。进入 21 世纪，在党领导人民胜利实现了“三步走”战略的第一步、第二步目标，人民生活总体上达到小康水平之际，党的十六大提出了 21 世纪头 20 年“全面建设小康社会的目标”，除经济、政治、文化外，还提出了“可持续发展”具体目标。党的十七大应对形势发生的变化，提出了在全面建设小康社会目标的基础上现代化建设的新的更高要求，特别是将“加快发展社会事业，全面改善人民生活”“建设生态文明”列入到具体的目标体系中来。大会修正通过的党章，对党的基本路线的内容也相应做了调整，在国家建设目标方面表达为：“把我国建设成为富强民主文明和谐的社会主义现代化国家”。党的十六大之后的十年，中国共产党人充分利用战略机遇期各项有利条件，加快发展，深化改革，扩大开放，保持稳定，经济总量从世界第六位跃升到第二位，社会生产力、经济实力、科技实力迈上一个大台阶，人民生活水平、居民收入水平、社会保障水平迈上一个大台阶，综合国力、国际竞争力、国际影响力迈上一个大台阶，国家面貌发生新的历史性变化。据此，党的十八大提出了“全面建成小康社会”的目标。

(4) The Stage of Advancing “Chinese-Path Modernization”

（四）推进“中国式现代化”阶段

After the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at

党的十八大后，以习近平同志为核心的党中央面对不利的外部环境和国内经济发展进入新常态等一系列深刻变化，坚持稳中求进，迎难而上，开拓进取，取得了社会主义现代化建设的历史性成就：经济建设取得重大成就，全面深化改革取得重大突破，民主法治建设迈出重大步伐，思想文化建设取得重大进展，人民生活不断改善，生态文明建设成效显著，等等。在取得全方位的、开创性的成就和发生深层次的、根本性的变革面前，党中央作出重大战略判断，“经过长期努力，中国特色社会主义进入了新时代，这是我国发展新的历史方位”。“我国社会主要矛盾已经转化为人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾。”发展目标被确定为“建设成为富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国”。在“两个一百年”交汇之际，党中央就中国现代化建设的目标和步骤作出了新的重大战略安排：“第一个阶段，从二〇二〇年到二〇三五年，在全面建成小康社会的基础上，再奋斗十五年，基本实现社会主义现代化。”“第二个阶段，从二〇三五年到本世纪中叶，在基本实现现代化的基础上，再奋斗十五年，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。”与此前相比较，一方面将基本实现社会主义现代化的时间提前了近 15 年；另一方面确立了新的更高的战略目标——再用 15 年建成“社会主义现代化强国”。

After the 19th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, coordinating the strategic whole of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century, led the entire people in meeting various risks and tests, overcoming many difficulties that had long remained unsolved, accomplishing many major matters of lasting significance, advancing the development of Chinese-path modernization, successfully completing the “first centenary goal” [6]6 The “first centenary goal” refers to the goal of building a moderately prosperous society (小康社会) in all respects by the centenary of the founding of the CPC in 2021. The “second centenary goal” is to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the centenary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2049., and forming the theory of “Chinese-path modernization.” The 20th National Congress of the CPC declared: “From this day forward, the central task of the Communist Party of China is to unite and lead the people of all ethnic groups in building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, achieving the second centenary goal, and comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.” This not only deepened people’s understanding of the connotation of “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” but also deepened their comprehension of the theory of “Chinese-path modernization.” The 20th National Congress of the CPC made an overall “two-step” strategic arrangement for “building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects,” namely: from 2020 to 2035, basically realize socialist modernization; from 2035 to the middle of this century, build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. The congress also described the overall goals for the development of the “first step,” explained the main objectives and tasks for the next five years, and especially emphasized the major principles that must be firmly grasped in advancing the process of Chinese-path modernization. These clarified the direction and pointed out the future for the cause of Chinese-path modernization, playing an important guiding role in inspiring the people to strive toward the goal of a great modern socialist country.

党的十九大后，以习近平同志为核心的党中央统筹中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局，领导全国人民迎战各种风险、考验，攻克了许多长期没有解决的难题，办成了许多事关长远的大事要事，推进中国式现代化建设向前发展，胜利完成了“第一个百年”目标，形成了“中国式现代化” 理论。党的二十大宣布：“从现在起，中国共产党的中心任务就是团结带领全国各族人民全面建成社会主义现代化强国、实现第二个百年奋斗目标，以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。”这不但深化了人们对“中华民族伟大复兴”内涵的认识，而且加深了对“中国式现代化”理论的理解。党的二十大对“全面建成社会主义现代化强国”作出了总的“两步走”的战略安排，即从 2020年到 2035 年基本实现社会主义现代化；从2035 年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。大会还对“第一步”发展的总体目标作了描述，对未来五年的主要目标任务作了说明，特别强调了在推进中国式现代化进程中必须牢牢把握的重大原则。这些为中国式现代化建设事业明确了方向、指明了前途，对激发人民奔向社会主义现代化强国的目标具有重要的引导作用。

From the above, it can be seen that since the founding of New China, the Communist Party of China’s understanding of the connotation and goals of China’s modernization has been in a constant state of development and change. On the one hand, after the Second World War, modernization on a global scale has continuously developed and changed rapidly under the guidance of the technological revolution. Chinese Communists have always paid close attention to the development trends of world science and technology and their impact on economic development and social change. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed greater emphasis on the state of contemporary world science and technology. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “A nation thrives when its science and technology thrive; a nation is strong when its science and technology is strong”; the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC specifically listed “implementing the strategy of invigorating China through science and education and strengthening the talent support for modernization” as an important component of the Party’s leadership work and gave it emphasis. On the other hand, the understanding of the basic national conditions has been continuously deepened. From being “poor and blank” [7]7 “Poor and blank” (一穷二白) was a phrase used by Mao Zedong to describe China’s economic poverty and cultural backwardness in the early years of the People’s Republic. in the period of socialist revolution and construction, to having a “weak foundation” and “a large population with little arable land” after reform and opening up, to the major judgment and theoretical elaboration of the “primary stage of socialism,” this demonstrates the scientific attitude of Chinese Communists in seeking truth from facts. Even though China has now entered the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core still emphasizes, “The basic national condition that China is still and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism has not changed, and China’s international status as the world’s largest developing country has not changed.” It is precisely because of this accurate grasp of world conditions and national conditions that the plans for Chinese-path modernization have been continuously updated in practice and continuously deepened and refined under the premise of scientifically grasping the laws.

由上可知，新中国成立以来，中国共产党对中国现代化建设的内涵、目标的认识一直处于不断的发展变化之中。一方面，二次世界大战后，全球范围内的现代化在科技革命的引领下不断发展，日新月异。中国共产党人时刻关注着世界范围内的科技发展态势及其对经济发展和社会变革带来的影响。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央更加重视当代世界科技发展状况。习近平总书记强调，“科技兴则民族兴，科技强则国家强”；党的二十大报告专门将“实施科教兴国战略，强化现代化建设人才支撑”单列为党的领导工作中一项重要组成部分予以强调。另一方面，不断深化对基本国情的认识。从社会主义革命和建设时期的“一穷二白”到改革开放后的“底子薄”“人口多，耕地少”，再到“社会主义初级阶段”的重大判断和理论阐释，彰显了中国共产党人实事求是的科学态度。即便当今中国已进入新时代，以习近平同志为核心的党中央仍然强调，“我国仍处于并将长期处于社会主义初级阶段的基本国情没有变，我国是世界最大发展中国家的国际地位没有变。”正是这种对世情、国情的准确把握，中国式现代化建设规划才在实践中不断更新，才在科学把握规律的前提下不断深化、细化。

III. In terms of method, master materialist dialectics, scientifically handle the relationships between upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and between independence and openness

三、在方法上，掌握唯物辩证法，科学处理守正与创新，自主与开放的关系

Observing, understanding, and transforming the world from the perspective of change, development, and universal connection is a basic requirement of Marxist dialectics and a scientific method for people to solve practical problems. Chinese Communists not only apply the basic requirements of Marxist dialectics to the practice of revolution, construction, and reform, but also enrich and develop the dialectical thought of the classical Marxist writers in practice, such as using dialectical rather than metaphysical, systematic rather than fragmented, historical rather than flat, and developing and changing rather than static and rigid thinking to analyze, study, and solve problems. In the great practice of leading the people in advancing China’s modernization, the Communist Party of China has accumulated rich experience in correctly handling the relationships between upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, reform, and between independence and cooperation, openness.

从变动发展和普遍联系的观点观察世界、认识世界、改造世界，是马克思主义辩证法的基本要求，是人们解决现实问题的科学方法。中国共产党人不但将马克思主义辩证法的基本要求运用于革命、建设、改革的实践中，而且在实践中丰富和发展了马克思主义经典作家的辩证法思想，如用辩证的而不是形而上学的，系统的而不是零散的，历史的而不是平面的，发展变化的而不是静止僵化的思维来分析问题、研究问题、解决问题。在领导人民推进中国现代化建设的伟大实践中，中国共产党积累了正确处理守正与创新、改革，自主与合作、开放的关系的丰富经验。

(1) Correctly handle the relationship between upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, reform

（一）正确处理守正与创新、改革的关系

The so-called “upholding fundamental principles” means adhering to the basic principles in economic, political, cultural, and other aspects that must be upheld in the practice of China’s modernization. The so-called “reform” means, under the premise of upholding fundamental principles, boldly and thoroughly innovating the systems, mechanisms, methods, and approaches in economic, political, cultural, and other aspects that constrain modernization. At a macro level, the four stages of New China’s modernization have all developed on the basis of correctly handling the relationship between upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground. At a micro level, in any period, Chinese Communists, on the one hand, adhere to the correct direction and principles of China’s modernization, and on the other hand, boldly break down and continuously innovate the systems, mechanisms, and other frameworks that are unsuitable for modernization.

所谓“守正”，就是在中国现代化建设实践中必须坚守的经济、政治、文化等各方面的基本原则。所谓“改革”，就是在守正的前提下对经济、政治、文化等各方面束缚现代化建设的体制、机制、方式、方法等进行大胆、彻底的革新。宏观而言，新中国现代化建设历经四个阶段都是在正确处理了守正与创新关系基础上而不断发展的。微观而论，在任何时期，中国共产党人一方面坚持中国现代化建设的正确方向和原则，另一方面对不适应现代化建设的体制、机制等条条框框大胆破除，不断创新。

Taking the economic system reform in the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization as an example, before this, the Communist Party of China pursued and implemented a highly centralized and unified planned economic system. After reform and opening up, Chinese Communists increasingly felt that this system could not mobilize the enthusiasm of production units and workers, and could not adapt to the requirements of “Chinese-style modernization.” Therefore, the 12th National Congress of the CPC put forward the principle of “planned economy as the mainstay, market regulation as a supplement.” The Third Plenary Session of the 12th Central Committee pointed out: “The socialist planned economy must consciously apply and utilize the law of value; it is a planned commodity economy on the basis of public ownership. The full development of the commodity economy is an insurmountable stage of social and economic development and a necessary condition for realizing China’s economic modernization.” The 13th National Congress of the CPC proposed that “the system of a socialist planned commodity economy should be a system in which planning and the market are internally unified” and “the new economic operation mechanism should, on the whole, be a mechanism of ‘the state regulating the market and the market guiding enterprises.’” After the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee, the Party and government put forward the goal of economic system reform to “establish an economic system and operation mechanism that adapts to the development of a socialist planned commodity economy based on public ownership and combines planned economy with market regulation.” In early 1992, Deng Xiaoping, in his talks during the southern tour [8]8 Deng Xiaoping’s talks during his southern tour (南方谈话) in early 1992 were a series of speeches in which he called for bolder economic reforms and clarified that the market could be used under socialism, which helped overcome ideological resistance to market-oriented reforms., profoundly expounded on the relationship between “plan” and “market,” liberating people’s thinking. The 14th National Congress of the CPC positioned the goal of economic system reform as “establishing a socialist market economy system.” Establishing and perfecting the socialist market economy system has since become the firm goal and direction of the economic system reform led by the Party.

以改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期经济体制改革为例，此前中国共产党追求和实行的是高度集中统一的计划经济体制。改革开放后，中国共产党人日益感到这一体制无法调动生产单位、劳动者的积极性，无法适应“中国式的现代化”建设的要求，于是党的十二大提出了“计划经济为主、市场调节为辅”的原则。党的十二届三中全会指出：“社会主义计划经济必须自觉依据和运用价值规律，是在公有制基础上的有计划的商品经济。商品经济的充分发展，是社会经济发展的不可逾越的阶段，是实现我国经济现代化的必要条件。”党的十三大提出，“社会主义有计划商品经济的体制，应该是计划与市场内在统一的体制”“新的经济运行机制，总体上来说应当是‘国家调节市场，市场引导企业’的机制”。党的十三届四中全会后，党和政府提出了“建立适应以公有制为基础的社会主义有计划商品经济发展的、计划经济与市场调节相结合的经济体制和运行机制”的经济体制改革目标。1992 年初，邓小平在南方谈话中对“计划”和“市场”的关系作了深刻阐述，解放了人们的思想。党的十四大将经济体制改革的目标定位于“建立社会主义市场经济体制”。建立和完善社会主义市场经济体制从此成为党领导的经济体制改革的坚定目标和方向。

If the economic system reforms discussed above reveal the “development” stance and method adopted by the Chinese Communists in the matter of China’s modernization, then the Party’s principles and measures for political system reform in the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics show even more clearly its “interconnection” characteristic. As noted earlier, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Party demonstrated the comprehensiveness of reform from the perspective of the systemic nature of society.[9]9 The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, held in December 1978, is widely regarded as the starting point of China’s reform and opening-up era. In the early period of the New Era, the pioneering nature of economic system reform gave birth to the resolve for political system reform: “Every step forward in economic system reform today makes us deeply feel the necessity of political system reform.” Reforming the Party’s leadership system is, of course, the primary task of political system reform, but for a long time there have also been within the Party many problems of vague understanding and weak action regarding upholding the Party’s leadership, many problems of weakening, hollowing out, and downplaying the implementation of the Party’s leadership, and many problems of lax and soft governance of the Party. After the 18th National Congress of the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping promptly raised a thought-provoking question: “If our Party becomes weak, scattered, or collapses, what meaning would other political achievements have?”[10]10 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Party Building Work,” October 8, 2014. Centering on the most fundamental political issue of how to strengthen the Party’s leadership, General Secretary Xi Jinping provided a profound exposition. First, he further clarified the historical and contemporary positioning of the Chinese Communist Party in China: “The cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, for which history and the people chose the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, is correct”; “The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which the Chinese Communist Party has led the Chinese people in opening up, is correct”; “The strategy of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people, rooted in China’s soil, absorbing the outstanding achievements of human civilization, and independently realizing national development, is correct.” These three points must be adhered to for a long time and never wavered. “In today’s China, there is no political force or other force greater than the Chinese Communist Party.” “The Chinese Communist Party is the ruling party, and the Party’s leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing all work of the Party and the state well, and the fundamental point for China’s political stability, economic development, ethnic unity, and social stability; it absolutely cannot be shaken in the slightest.” Second, he further elucidated the connotation of upholding the Party’s overall leadership. This means, first, upholding the Party’s leadership over all aspects of work: “The Party leads everything — Party, government, military, civilian, and academic affairs, east, west, south, north, and center”; second, consciously safeguarding the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, achieving the Two Upholds;[11]11 The Two Upholds (两个维护) refers to upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the Party Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership. third, the Party exercising absolute leadership over the people’s military, public security work, procuratorial work, and the work of the people’s courts; and fourth, earnestly upholding the Two Establishments.[12]12 The Two Establishments (两个确立) refers to establishing Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Third, he emphasized advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity under the premise of upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Fourth, in March 2018, the Central Committee of the Party issued the “Plan for Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions,” making new arrangements and layouts for the Party’s leadership system and leadership structure. There is no doubt that the cause of China’s modernization is multifarious, complex, and interlinked; the principal contradiction to be resolved boils down to “the contradiction between the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development,” and the fundamental method for resolving this contradiction is to uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership.

如果说上述经济体制改革展现中国共产党人在中国现代化建设问题上所持的“发展” 立场和方法的话，那么中国特色社会主义新时代党对政治体制改革的方针、举措更能显示出其“联系”的特色。如前所述，党的十一届三中全会从社会构成的系统性展示了改革的全面性。新时期之初，经济体制改革的先行性催生了政治体制改革的坚定性，“现在经济体制改革每前进一步，都深深感到政治体制改革的必要性”。改革党的领导体制当然是政治体制改革的首要任务，但是长期以来，党内也存在不少对坚持党的领导认识模糊、行动乏力问题，存在不少落实党的领导弱化、虚化、淡化问题，存在不少管党治党宽松软问题。党的十八大后，习近平总书记及时提出了发人深省的问题：“如果我们党弱了、散了、垮了，其他政绩又有什么意义呢？”围绕如何加强党的领导这一最根本政治议题，习近平总书记给出了深刻阐述。一是进一步明确了中国共产党在中国的历史和现实定位，“历史和人民选择中国共产党领导中华民族伟大复兴的事业是正确的”“中国共产党领导中国人民开辟的中国特色社会主义道路是正确的”“中国共产党和中国人民扎根中国大地、吸纳人类文明优秀成果、独立自主实现国家发展的战略是正确的”，这三点必须长期坚持、永不动摇。“在当今中国，没有大于中国共产党的政治力量或其他什么力量。”“中国共产党是执政党，党的领导是做好党和国家各项工作的根本保证，是我国政治稳定、经济发展、民族团结、社会稳定的根本点，绝对不能有丝毫动摇。”二是进一步阐明坚持党的全面领导的内涵。首先是坚持党对各方面工作的领导，“党政军民学，东西南北中，党是领导一切的”；其次是自觉维护党中央权威和集中统一领导，做到“两个维护”；再次是党对人民军队，对公安工作、检察工作、人民法院工作采取绝对领导方式；最后是切实拥护“两个确立”。三是强调在坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度前提下，推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化。四是 2018 年 3 月中共中央印发《深化党和国家机构改革方案》，对党的领导制度和领导体制作出了新的安排和布局。毫无疑义，中国现代化建设事业千头万绪，纷繁错杂，环环相接，要解决的主要矛盾归结起来就是“人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾”，而解决这一矛盾的根本方法就是坚持和加强党的全面领导。

(2) Correctly Handling the Relationship between Independence and Self-Reliance, and Cooperation and Opening Up

（二）正确处理自主与合作、开放的关系

Dialectical materialism holds that external causes are the condition for change, internal causes are the basis for change, and external causes act through internal causes. “For a political party to lead a revolution to victory, it must rely on the correctness of its own political line and the consolidation of its organization.” “Independence and self-reliance” is an important experience gained from the victory of China’s New Democratic Revolution and one of the “living souls” of Mao Zedong Thought. In leading the cause of New China’s modernization, the Chinese Communist Party has consistently adhered to the stance of “independence and self-reliance,” successfully resolving the contradictions between modernization and modernity, and between modernization and national independence, which many developing countries have yet to resolve.

唯物辩证法认为外因是变化的条件，内因是变化的根据，外因通过内因而起作用。“一个政党要引导革命到胜利，必须依靠自己政治路线的正确和组织上的巩固。”“独立自主”是中国新民主主义革命取得胜利的重要经验，是毛泽东思想“活的灵魂”之一。在领导新中国现代化建设的事业中，中国共产党始终坚持“独立自主，自力更生”的立场，成功解决了许多发展中国家至今无法解决的现代化与现代性、现代化与民族独立性之间的矛盾问题。

In the early period of reform and opening up, Deng Xiaoping, on the basis of summing up experiences and lessons, provided a contemporary interpretation of the principle of “taking self-reliance as the mainstay and seeking foreign assistance as a supplement.” Regarding “independence and self-reliance,” within the international communist movement, “integrating the universal truth of Marxism with China’s concrete reality, taking our own path, and building socialism with Chinese characteristics — this is the basic conclusion we have drawn from summing up long-term historical experience.” From the standpoint of safeguarding national and ethnic interests, “no foreign country should expect China to become its vassal, nor should it expect China to swallow the bitter fruit that harms our interests.” This includes “resolutely resisting the erosion of decadent foreign ideologies and absolutely not allowing bourgeois lifestyles to spread in our country.”

改革开放初期，邓小平在总结经验教训的基础上，对“自力更生为主，争取外援为辅”的方针作了时代化的阐释。在“独立自主”方面，就国际共产主义运动内部而言，“把马克思主义的普遍真理同我国的具体实际结合起来，走自己的道路，建设有中国特色的社会主义，这就是我们总结长期历史经验得出的基本结论”。从维护国家民族利益立场出发，“任何外国不要指望中国做他们的附庸，不要指望中国会吞下损害我国利益的苦果”。包括“坚决抵制外来腐朽思想的侵蚀，决不允许资产阶级生活方式在我国泛滥”。

After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Party, while adhering to the premise of independence and self-reliance, we “unswervingly implemented the policy of opening up to the outside world, actively expanding foreign exchanges on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.” Opening up was all-dimensional. In terms of targets and objectives: first, opening up to Western developed countries, including absorbing foreign capital and introducing technology; second, opening up to the Soviet Union and Eastern European socialist countries — even if state-to-state relations could not be normalized, exchanges could still occur, such as doing business, technical cooperation, and even joint ventures and technological transformation; third, opening up to developing countries in the Third World, which have their own characteristics and strengths, offering much to explore. After the end of the Cold War, the Chinese Communists advocated expanding the geographical scope of opening up, forming a pattern of multi-level, wide-ranging, and all-dimensional opening up; broadening the fields for utilizing foreign capital; exploring international markets, promoting the diversification of foreign trade, and developing an export-oriented economy. In particular, after 15 years of negotiations to restore China’s status as a contracting party to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and to join the World Trade Organization, China acceded to the WTO in December 2001. By 2021, China’s trade in goods had risen from sixth place in the world to first, trade in services from eleventh to second, the utilization of foreign capital remained the highest among developing countries, and outward direct investment had risen from twenty-sixth place to first. This profoundly changed the relationship between China and the world economic system, enabling China to deeply participate in the international division of labor and rapidly develop into the world’s most important trading and investment power. China’s international influence also rose continuously, effectively promoting domestic economic system reform.

党的十一届三中全会后，在坚持独立自主的前提下，我们“坚定不移地实行对外开放政策，在平等互利的基础上积极扩大对外交流”。对外开放是全方位的开放，就对象和目标而言，一是对西方发达国家的开放，包括吸收外资、引进技术等等；二是对苏联和东欧社会主义国家的开放，即使国家关系不能够正常化，但是可以交往，如做生意，搞技术合作，甚至于合资经营，技术改造；三是对第三世界发展中国家的开放，这些国家都有自己的特点和长处，这里有很多文章可以做。冷战结束后，中国共产党人主张扩大对外开放的地域，形成多层次、宽领域、全方位开放的格局；拓宽利用外资的领域；开拓国际市场，促进对外贸易多元化，发展外向型经济。尤其是经过 15 年恢复关税及贸易总协定缔约国地位、入世的谈判，2001年 12 月，中国加入世界贸易组织。到 2021年，中国货物贸易从世界第六位上升到第一位，服务贸易从世界第十一位上升到第二位，利用外资稳居发展中国家首位，对外直接投资从世界第二十六位上升到第一位，深刻改变了中国与世界经济体系的关系，使中国深入参与国际分工体系，迅速发展成为世界上最重要的贸易投资大国，中国的国际影响力也随之持续上升，有力促进了国内经济体制改革。

Entering the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has entered a new realm in adhering to the principle of independence and advancing the policy of opening up. Responding to the changes in the internal and external situation of the “two overall situations,”[13]13 The “two overall situations” (两个大局) refers to the overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the overall situation of changes unseen in a century in the world. in terms of adhering to independence, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized: “Independence and self-reliance is a fine tradition of the Chinese nation and an important principle for the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Republic of China in founding the Party and the state.” “To advance Chinese-path modernization, we must adhere to independence and self-reliance, and self-strengthening, insist on placing the development of the country and the nation on the basis of our own strength, and firmly grasp the destiny of our country’s development and progress in our own hands.” In specific work areas, he has also consistently stressed adhering to the principle of “independence and self-reliance,” such as: “Only by mastering core technologies in our own hands can we truly grasp the initiative in competition and development, and fundamentally ensure national economic security, national defense security, and other security.” As China’s comprehensive national strength and international influence have increased, the pattern and level of China’s opening up have also undergone major changes. “Continuously expanding high-standard opening up” has become a practical requirement for the Chinese Communists. From the perspective of improving systems and mechanisms, this is specifically manifested in: steadily expanding institutional opening up, deepening the reform of the foreign trade system, deepening the reform of the management system for foreign investment and outbound investment, optimizing the layout of regional opening up, and improving the mechanisms for promoting high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, all of which will expand broader development space for Chinese-path modernization.

进入新时代，以习近平同志为核心的党中央在坚持自主原则和推进开放政策方面进入全新境界。因应“两个大局”的内外变化局势，在坚持自主性方面，习近平总书记反复强调：“独立自主是中华民族的优良传统，是中国共产党、中华人民共和国立党立国的重要原则。”“推进中国式现代化，必须坚持独立自主、自立自强，坚持把国家和民族发展放在自己力量的基点上，坚持把我国发展进步的命运牢牢掌握在自己手中。”在一些具体工作方面，他也一直强调坚持“独立自主”的方针，如“只有把核心技术掌握在自己手中，才能真正掌握竞争和发展的主动权，才能从根本上保障国家经济安全、国防安全和其他安全”等等。随着中国综合国力的提升及国际影响力的增强，中国对外开放的格局和位阶也发生了重大变化，“不断扩大高水平对外开放”成为中国共产党人的现实要求。从完善体制机制角度看，具体表现为：稳步扩大制度型开放，深化外贸体制改革，深化外商投资和对外投资管理体制改革，优化区域开放布局，完善推进高质量共建“一带一路”机制等，将为中国式现代化建设拓展更加广阔的发展空间。

In sum, in the course of New China’s modernization, the Chinese Communists have always adhered to the basic requirements of dialectical materialism: upholding the unity of upholding fundamental principles and innovation, and reform while adapting to changes in the situation, neither forgetting the original aspiration and founding mission nor forging ahead and making continuous progress; upholding the unity of independence and cooperation, and openness in external cooperation, neither being arrogant nor self-deprecating, being independent and self-reliant while embracing the world. In particular, proceeding from the basic national condition that China is a developing country in the world context, the Chinese Communists have regarded opening up to the outside world as a powerful driving force for domestic reform, thereby effectively transforming the external condition of change into the basis for internal change.

总之，在新中国现代化建设进程中，中国共产党人始终坚持了唯物辩证法的基本要求：在适应形势变化中坚持守正与创新、改革相统一，既不忘记初心使命，又开拓进取、不断进步；在对外合作中坚持自主与合作、开放相统一，不妄自尊大或妄自菲薄，自主自立而又胸怀天下。尤其是中国共产党人从中国是发展中国家这一世界范围内的基本国情出发，将对外开放视为对内改革的强大动力，使外因这一变化条件切实转化为了内因变化的根据。

Author: Yang Deshan, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, School of Marxism, Fudan University

作者：杨德山，复旦大学马克思主义学院教授、博士生导师

Guo Xin, Doctoral Candidate, School of Marxism, Fudan University

郭 薇，复旦大学马克思主义学院博士研究生

Online Editor: Jin Qiu

网络编辑：金秋