Advancing the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation through Chinese-Path Modernization

The century-long struggle of the Communist Party of China has been magnificent and stirring, writing the most epic chapter in the millennia-long history of the Chinese nation. The overarching goal of this century has been to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and to build a great modern socialist country. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC: "Over the past hundred years, all the struggles, sacrifices, and creations the CPC has united and led the Chinese people in carrying out have been centered on one theme: realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." This major judgment fully demonstrates to us that the Party's century-long history of struggle is a history of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. And in practice, the history of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is also a history of exploration to shake off subjugation and oppression and to become a modern and powerful country. Since modern times, the history of national rejuvenation and the history of modernization exploration have been intertwined, forming a most magnificent historical picture of advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly stated in his report to the 20th National Congress of the

中国共产党的百年奋斗波澜壮阔，书写了中华民族几千年历史上最恢宏的史诗。这一百年的总目标就是实现中华民族伟大复兴，建成社会主义现代化强国。习近平总书记在庆祝中国共产党成立100周年大会上指出：“一百年来，中国共产党团结带领中国人民进行的一切奋斗、一切牺牲、一切创造，归结起来就是一个主题：实现中华民族伟大复兴。”这一重大判断向我们充分展示了，党的百年奋斗史就是一部中华民族的复兴史。而中华民族的复兴史在实践中也是一部摆脱受奴役、受压迫，走向现代化强国的探索史。近代以来，民族复兴史与现代化探索史相互交织，形成了一副最为壮观的以中国式现代化推进中华民族伟大复兴的历史画卷。习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中明确指出：“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“两个全面”的历史使命进一步深刻揭示了中国式现代化与中华民族伟大复兴内在逻辑关联，指明了民族复兴的正确方向和路径。

I. The Century-Long History of Struggle of the Communist Party of China Is a History of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation

一、中国共产党百年奋斗史就是一部中华民族伟大复兴史

The birth of the Communist Party of China was an inevitability in the development of modern and contemporary Chinese history, a fervent call from the Chinese people in their arduous exploration to save the nation from subjugation and ensure its survival. The Chinese nation possesses a civilization history spanning over 5,000 years, creating a splendid and brilliant Chinese culture and making outstanding contributions to human civilization. However, in modern times, China gradually descended into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, with the nation subjected to humiliation, the people subjected to suffering, and its civilization subjected to obscurity, as the Chinese nation endured unprecedented calamities. From that point onward, achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation became the greatest dream of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. To save the nation from peril, countless people with lofty ideals undertook painstaking explorations and unyielding struggles. From the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, the Hundred Days' Reform, to the Boxer Rebellion, the Chinese people rose up in resistance time and again, only to fail each time. The Xinhai Revolution overthrew the rule of the Qing dynasty and ended the autocratic monarchy that had lasted for over two thousand years, yet it failed to change the social nature of old China or the tragic fate of the Chinese people. Only a nation that has created brilliance can understand the meaning of rejuvenation; "only a nation that has endured suffering can have such a profound longing for rejuvenation." History tells us: China urgently needed a new organization to consolidate the strength for rejuvenation.

中国共产党的诞生，是近现代中国历史发展的必然，是中国人民在救亡图存艰辛探索中的深情呼唤。中华民族有着5000多年源远流长的文明历史，创造了灿烂辉煌的中华文化，为人类文明作出了卓越贡献。但近代以来，中国逐步沦为了半殖民地半封建社会，国家蒙辱、人民蒙难、文明蒙尘，中华民族遭受了前所未有的劫难。从那时起，实现中华民族伟大复兴，就成为中国人民和中华民族最伟大的梦想。为了拯救民族危亡，无数仁人志士进行了千辛万苦的探索和不屈不挠的斗争。从太平天国运动、戊戌变法到义和团运动，中国人民的一次次奋起抗争，又一次次失败了。辛亥革命推翻了清王朝的统治，结束了长达两千多年的君主专制制度，但也未能改变旧中国的社会性质和中国人民的悲惨命运。只有创造过辉煌的民族，才懂得复兴的意义；“只有经历过苦难的民族，才对复兴有如此深切的渴望”。历史告诉我们：中国迫切需要新的组织来凝聚复兴的力量。

After its founding, the Communist Party of China unhesitatingly shouldered the historical responsibility of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The birth of the Communist Party of China was a momentous event that profoundly changed the direction and course of the development of the Chinese nation in modern times, profoundly changed the future and destiny of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, and profoundly changed the trends and patterns of world development." History and practice tell us that since the emergence of the Communist Party of China, the face of the Chinese revolution has taken on an entirely new look, and the strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has found its "backbone." To realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, whether in times of weakness or strength, whether in favorable or adverse circumstances, our Party has remained true to its original aspiration and founding mission, unwavering in its commitment. It has united and led the Chinese people in creating great achievements across four historical periods: the "New Democratic Revolution," "Socialist Revolution and Construction," "Reform and Opening Up and Socialist Modernization," and "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." General Secretary Xi Jinping, with a grand historical perspective, scientifically summarized the great achievements of these four historical periods: they created the fundamental social conditions for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, laid the fundamental political prerequisite and institutional foundation, provided a dynamic institutional guarantee and material conditions for rapid development, and offered more complete institutional guarantees, a more solid material foundation, and a more proactive spiritual force. Through a century of struggle, the great achievements of these four historical periods have fundamentally changed the future and destiny of the Chinese nation in modern times. The Chinese nation has achieved a great leap from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process!

中国共产党成立后就义无反顾地肩负起实现中华民族伟大复兴的历史重任。习近平总书记指出：“中国产生了共产党，这是开天辟地的大事变，深刻改变了近代以后中华民族发展的方向和进程，深刻改变了中国人民和中华民族的前途和命运，深刻改变了世界发展的趋势和格局。”历史和实践告诉我们，自从有了中国共产党，中国革命的面貌就焕然一新了，中华民族伟大复兴的力量就有了“主心骨”。为了实现中华民族伟大复兴，无论是弱小还是强大，无论是顺境还是逆境，我们党都初心不改、矢志不渝，团结带领中国人民围绕实现中华民族伟大复兴，在“新民主主义革命”“社会主义革命和建设”“改革开放和社会主义现代化建设”“新时代中国特色社会主义”四个历史时期创造了伟大成就。习近平总书记以大历史的眼光科学地概括了这四个历史时期的伟大成就：为实现中华民族伟大复兴创造了根本社会条件，奠定了根本政治前提和制度基础，提供了充满活力的体制保证和快速发展的物质条件，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。百年奋斗，四个历史时期的伟大成就彻底改变了近代以来中华民族的前途和命运，中华民族迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，实现中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程！

II. The Century-Long History of Struggle of the Communist Party of China Is Also a History of Exploring Chinese-Path Modernization

二、中国共产党百年奋斗史也是一部中国式现代化的探索史

Modernization has been the trend and direction of world development in modern times, and achieving modernization is an inevitable requirement for modern China to step onto the world historical stage. Since the Opium War, the Chinese nation, forced open its doors, demanded national independence and people's liberation, and had to complete the historical task of opposing imperialism and feudalism. Faced with the strong ships and powerful cannons of the great powers, advanced Chinese elements opened their eyes to see the world, recognizing that learning from the West and taking the path of modernization was the only way to achieve national prosperity and strength. In other words, a history of modern China's struggle for national salvation and strength is also a history of China being forced to open up to the world and arduously exploring the path of modernization. Before the birth of the Communist Party of China, various forces in Chinese society made numerous attempts at modernization, all ending in failure. The Westernization Movement, the Hundred Days' Reform, and the "New Policies" of the late Qing dynasty—these feudal reform movements to save the nation from subjugation and ensure its survival ultimately failed to change their fate of demise due to congenital underdevelopment and postnatal malnutrition. The success of the Xinhai Revolution established a republic of a bourgeois nature, pioneering China's political modernization, but it was prematurely aborted due to warlord conflicts and political strife. Subsequently, the invasion by Japanese imperialism interrupted the capitalist modernization model led by the Kuomintang. Facts have proven that feudal self-strengthening movements, various forms of reformism, bourgeois democratic revolutions, and various schemes copying Western institutional models could not complete the historical task of opposing imperialism and feudalism, let alone provide a scientific plan for China's modernization. From the day of its founding, the Communist Party of China has shouldered the banner of national rejuvenation, continuously calling for, integrating into, and advancing the historical process of China's modernization. During the period of Kuomintang-Communist cooperation, it helped reorganize the Kuomintang; during the Agrarian Revolution, it built red political power; during the War of Resistance Against Japan, it constructed anti-Japanese democratic base areas—making efforts to promote China's modernization from multiple dimensions, including politics, economy, culture, and social life. With the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, our Party gained the leading role in modernization and began to lead the Chinese people on an independent path of exploring modernization.

现代化是近代以来世界发展的潮流和趋势，实现现代化是近代中国走向世界历史的必然要求。鸦片战争以来，被迫打开国门的中华民族要求民族独立、人民解放，必须完成反帝反封建的历史任务。面对列强的坚船利炮，中国先进分子睁眼看世界，认识到学习西方，走现代化之路是实现富国强民的必由之路。换句话说，一部中国近代救亡图强史，也是一部中国被迫走向世界、艰难探索现代化道路的历史。中国共产党诞生之前，中国社会各种力量对现代化做过种种尝试，均以失败而告终。洋务运动、百日维新和清末“新政”等等，这些封建救亡图存的革新运动，终因其先天发育不足、后天营养不良而没能改变其灭亡的命运。辛亥革命的成功，建立了资产阶级性质的共和国，开创了中国政治现代化的先河，却因军阀混战与政治纷争等原因而过早夭折。而后日本帝国主义的入侵又中断了国民党主导的资本主义现代化模式的推进。事实证明，封建式的自强运动、各种名目的改良主义、资产阶级的民主主义革命、照搬西方制度模式的各种方案，都不能完成反帝反封建的历史任务，更谈不上为中国实现现代化提供科学方案。中国共产党自成立之日起就把民族复兴大旗扛在肩上，不断号召、融入、推进中国现代化的历史进程。国共合作时期帮助国民党改组，土地革命时期的红色政权建设，抗日战争时期的抗日民主根据地建设，从政治、经济、文化、社会生活等多个层面为推动中国现代化作出过努力。1949年中华人民共和国成立，我们党取得了现代化的主导权，开始领导中国人民走上了现代化的独立探索之路。

In the process of advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the exploration of the path to modernization constitutes another important thread running through the century-long history of the CPC’s struggle. The Party deeply recognized that modern and contemporary China faced two great historical tasks: achieving national independence and the liberation of the people, and realizing national prosperity and strength and the common prosperity of the people. Achieving national independence and the liberation of the people meant changing the status of being exploited and subjugated, which required fundamentally overthrowing the rule of the semi-colonial and semi-feudal system. Realizing national prosperity and strength and the common prosperity of the people meant changing the situation of China’s economic and cultural backwardness in modern times, which required achieving modernization. To resolve these two great historical tasks, the CPC united and led the Chinese people in bloody struggles and unyielding efforts, winning victory in the New Democratic Revolution and establishing the People’s Republic of China, thereby laying a fundamental guarantee for launching large-scale autonomous modernization. After the founding of New China, the Party united and led the Chinese people in self-reliance and determined efforts, carrying out the socialist revolution and undertaking socialist construction, thereby laying a solid industrial foundation and institutional guarantee for advancing China’s modernization. Against the backdrop of peace and development becoming the themes of the era, the Party united and led the people in emancipating the mind and forging ahead with keen determination, carrying out reform and opening up, and successfully embarking on the path of Chinese-path modernization. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, the Party united and led the Chinese people in self-confidence and self-reliance, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, promoting historic achievements and historic transformations in the cause of the Party and the state, and the path of Chinese-path modernization has shown even brighter prospects. Looking back over the Party’s century-long struggle, the great cause of national rejuvenation and the great cause of building a modernized and powerful country have been intertwined and advanced in tandem. It can be said that the Party’s century-long history of struggle is both a history of the Party leading the people in striving for national independence and liberation and a history of the Party leading the people in continuously exploring modernization to achieve national prosperity and strength and the common prosperity of the people. The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee [8]8 The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee was held in November 2021. wrote “advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization” into the *Historical Resolution* [9]9 The *Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century* was adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021., which is a scientific grasp and summary of experience from the Party’s century-long history of struggle.

在推动中华民族伟大复兴过程中，对现代化道路的探索，构成了探秘中国共产党百年奋斗史的另一条重要线索。党深刻认识到，近现代中国面对着两大历史任务：求得民族独立和人民解放；实现国家繁荣富强和人民共同富裕。求得民族独立和人民解放，就是要改变受剥削、受奴役的地位，必须从根本上推翻半殖民地半封建的统治；实现国家繁荣富强和人民共同富裕，就是要改变近代中国经济、文化落后的状况，必须实现现代化。为了解决这两大历史任务，中国共产党团结带领中国人民，浴血奋战，百折不挠，取得新民主主义革命胜利，建立了中华人民共和国，为开启大规模自主现代化建设奠定了根本保障；新中国成立后，党团结带领中国人民自力更生、发愤图强，进行社会主义革命，开展社会主义建设，为推进中国现代化建设奠定了坚实工业化基础和制度保障；在和平与发展成为时代主题的背景下，党团结带领人民解放思想、锐意进取，进行改革开放，成功走出了中国式现代化道路；中国特色社会主义进入新时代，党团结带领中国人民，自信自强、守正创新，推动党和国家事业取得的历史性成就、发生历史性变革，中国式现代化道路展现出更为光明的前景。纵观党的百年奋斗征程，民族复兴大业和现代化强国大业相互交织、齐头并进。可以说，党的百年奋斗史，既是党领导人民争取民族独立、民族解放的斗争史，也是党领导人民不断探索现代化，实现国家繁荣富强、人民共同富裕的奋斗史。党的十九届六中全会把“以中国式现代化推进中华民族伟大复兴”写进了《历史决议》，是对党的百年奋斗史的科学把握和经验总结。

III. Advancing the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation on All Fronts through Chinese-Path Modernization Is the Central Task of the CPC on the New Journey of the New Era

三、以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴是新时代新征程中国共产党的中心任务

History and reality have repeatedly proven that realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires taking the path of modernization, but China’s modernization cannot replicate, nor can it repeat, the old path of Western modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Taking our own path is the foothold of all the Party’s theory and practice, and it is also the historical conclusion drawn from the Party’s century-long struggle.” In comprehensively building a modern socialist country, China must both follow the general laws of world modernization, reflecting the common features of modernization, and, more importantly, base itself on China’s national conditions and historical and cultural traditions, reflecting Chinese characteristics, and explore a path of modernization suited to China’s characteristics. The *Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century* [9]9 The *Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century* was adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in 2021. correctly expressed this as “the path of Chinese-path modernization,” and the 20th National Congress of the CPC [10]10 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022. further determined “advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization” as the central task of the New Era and the new journey. This is both a summary of the Party’s century-long experience in advancing modernization and a strategic deployment for continuing to advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on the new journey of the New Era.

历史和现实反复证明，实现中华民族伟大复兴必须走现代化道路，但中国的现代化不能重复，也重复不了西方现代化的老路。习近平总书记指出：“走自己的路，是党的全部理论和实践立足点，更是党百年奋斗得出的历史结论。”在中国全面建设社会主义现代化国家既要遵循世界现代化的一般规律，体现现代化的共同特征，更要立足于中国国情和历史文化传统，体现中国特色，探索符合中国特点的现代化道路。《中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议》将之正确表述为“中国式现代化道路”，党的二十大进而把“以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴”确定为新时代新征程的中心任务。这既是对中国共产党推动现代化百年历史的经验总结，又是对新时代新征程上继续推进中华民族伟大复兴的战略部署。

Surveying the Party’s century-long history, our Party has always persistently advanced modernization as a strategic task, closely linking the rise and fall of the nation with modernization. From “committing to China’s industrialization” to building the “Four Modernizations” [11]11 The “Four Modernizations” refers to the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology, a goal first articulated by Zhou Enlai in 1964 and reaffirmed in the 1970s., the historical state of China’s backwardness and vulnerability to attack was thoroughly changed. From the exploration of “Chinese-style modernization” to the creation of the “path of Chinese-path modernization,” the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process, and it has also made China’s contribution to human civilization. Advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization is the most valuable experience the Party has gained over a century in promoting national rejuvenation. Today, our Party, leading the people, has comprehensively built a moderately prosperous society on the land of China and has embarked on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Chinese-path modernization has also been endowed with new connotations of the times. It “has the common features of modernization in various countries, but more importantly, it has Chinese characteristics based on its own national conditions,” manifested as “modernization of a huge population,” “modernization of common prosperity for all the people,” “modernization of the coordination of material civilization and cultural-ethical progress,” “modernization of harmony between humanity and nature,” and “modernization of taking the path of peaceful development.” These basic connotations contain the code of experience for the past success of Chinese-path modernization. On the new journey of the New Era, we must correctly apply these valuable experiences, follow the “essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization” established by the 20th National Congress, under the strong leadership of the Party, always adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, strive to promote the realization of high-quality development, actively develop whole-process people’s democracy, work hard to enrich the people’s spiritual world, solidly advance common prosperity for all the people, vigorously promote harmony between humanity and nature, commit to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, shape a new pattern of human civilization with a new form of human civilization, and provide more and better Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength for solving the common problems facing humanity.

纵览党的百年历史，我们党始终把现代化建设作为一项战略任务持续推进，把国家的兴衰成败同现代化紧密地联系在一起。从“致力于中国的工业化”到建设“四个现代化”，我国落后挨打的历史颓态得到了彻底改变，从走“中国式的现代化”的探索到“中国式现代化道路”的创造，中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程，也为人类文明做出了中国贡献。以中国式现代化推进中华民族伟大复兴是党百年来推进民族复兴最为宝贵的经验。今天，我们党领导人民在中华大地上全面建成了小康社会，开启了全面建设社会主义现代化国家的新征程，中国式现代化也被赋予新的时代内涵。它“既有各国现代化的共同特征，更有基于自己国情的中国特色”，体现为“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”。这些基本内涵蕴含了中国式现代化过去之所以取得成功的经验密码，在新时代新征程上，我们必须正确运用这些宝贵经验，按照二十大确立的“中国式现代化的本质要求”，在党的坚强领导下，始终坚持走中国特色社会主义道路，着力推动实现高质量发展，积极发展全过程人民民主，努力丰富人民精神世界，扎实推进全体人民共同富裕，大力促进人与自然和谐共生，致力于推动构建人类命运共同体，以人类文明新形态塑造了人类文明新格局，为解决人类面临的共同问题提供更多更好的中国智慧、中国方案、中国力量。

(Author’s bio: Zhang Qingwei, Dean and Professor of the School of Marxism at Hebei University of Technology, Doctoral Supervisor, Tianjin University Yingcai Professor, Researcher at the Hebei Provincial Research Center for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics)

（作者简介：张青卫，河北工业大学马克思主义学院院长，教授、博士生导师，天津大学英才教授，河北省中国特色社会主义研究中心研究员）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心