The Openness Effect of Chinese-Path Modernization

General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed: “Reform and opening up is not only a crucial

习近平总书记强调：“改革开放是决定当代中国命运的关键一招，也是决定中国式现代化成败的关键一招。”新中国成立特别是改革开放以来长期探索的历史进程表明，中国式现代化是以开放包容的姿态面向世界的，是在中外文明交流互鉴中创新发展的。中国式现代化具有鲜明的开放标识，并将以更高水平开放为世界和平发展、繁荣进步带来更多积极效应。

Opening up is the distinctive hallmark of Chinese-path modernization.

开放是中国式现代化的鲜明标识

Chinese-path modernization follows the historical trend of globalization, advances steadily through reform and opening up, and will open up even broader prospects through further high-standard opening up. As the distinctive hallmark of Chinese-path modernization, opening up continuously creates new conditions and shapes new driving forces for advancing Chinese-path modernization. It is an inevitable choice dictated by both history and reality.

中国式现代化顺应全球化的历史潮流，在改革开放中不断推进，也将在进一步高水平开放中开辟更加广阔前景。作为中国式现代化的鲜明标识，开放为推进中国式现代化不断创造新的条件和塑造新的动力，是历史和现实的必然选择。

Opening up is a necessary condition for advancing Chinese-path modernization. As an important means of promoting the allocation of resources on a global scale, opening up has become an indispensable condition for advancing Chinese-path modernization. On the one hand, opening up created the necessary prerequisites for the rapid advancement of Chinese-path modernization. From the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty onward, the development gap between China and the world kept widening. When New China was founded, the country was impoverished and weak, the land was scarred and in ruins, with a hundred things waiting to be done, and the vast majority of the people lived below the poverty line. From the founding of New China to the period before reform and opening up, major changes took place in the country's appearance, and the foundations for agricultural and industrial modernization were laid. In order to accelerate the realization of the "Four Modernizations,"[1] China made the great decision to implement reform and opening up, introducing large amounts of foreign capital, technology, and managerial expertise, which provided strong support for achieving economic takeoff. Reform and opening up became an important magic weapon enabling the cause of the Party and the people to catch up with the times in great strides. On the other hand, opening up continuously creates new conditions for advancing Chinese-path modernization in the New Era. In recent years, the trend of anti-globalization has risen, unilateralism and protectionism have markedly increased, and the global trade system faces unprecedented challenges. At the same time, as its comprehensive national power continues to rise, China faces increasingly fierce external competition. Some countries regard China's development as a threat, adopt policies of containment and suppression, and attempt to construct a "parallel system" that excludes China. Facing a complex and volatile international situation, China adheres to the basic state policy of opening up, actively promotes higher-standard opening up, and continuously creates a favorable environment and advantageous conditions for cultivating new advantages in international competition and building a new development paradigm.

开放是推进中国式现代化的必要条件。作为促进全球范围资源配置的重要途径，开放成为推进中国式现代化不可或缺的条件。一方面，开放为快速推进中国式现代化创造了必要前提。从明朝中后期开始，中国与世界的发展差距不断拉大。新中国成立之初，国家积贫积弱，中华大地满目疮痍、百废待兴，绝大多数民众生活在贫困线以下。从新中国成立到改革开放之前，国家面貌发生了重大变化，农业和工业现代化的基础得以建立。为了更快推进实现“四个现代化”，中国作出实行改革开放的伟大决策，引进了大量外国资金、技术和管理经验，为实现经济腾飞提供了有力支撑。改革开放成为党和人民事业大踏步赶上时代的重要法宝。另一方面，开放为新时代推进中国式现代化不断创造新的条件。近年来，逆全球化思潮抬头，单边主义、保护主义明显上升，全球贸易体系面临前所未有的挑战。同时，随着综合国力的不断提升，中国面临的外部竞争越来越激烈，有的国家将中国发展视为威胁，推行遏制打压政策，试图构筑将中国排除在外的“平行体系”。面对纷繁复杂的国际形势，中国坚持对外开放的基本国策，积极推动更高水平对外开放，为培育国际竞争新优势和构建新发展格局不断营造良好环境和有利条件。

Opening up is an important driving force for advancing Chinese-path modernization. On the one hand, opening up is a key driver of economic and technological development. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC[2] points out: "Without a solid material and technological foundation, it is impossible to build a great modern socialist country in all respects." In the economic sphere, opening up facilitates the optimal allocation of resources and the expansion of market scale, propelling China's continuous integration into global industrial, supply, and value chains, and enabling its own development amidst a high degree of interdependence with other countries. In the technological sphere, opening up promotes the accumulation of human capital and the diffusion of technology, driving China's deep participation in international technological exchange, cooperation, and governance, thereby achieving independent innovation. On the other hand, opening up serves as a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations. Chinese-path modernization is a product of absorbing and drawing upon the achievements of advanced world civilizations. Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are a source of driving force for advancing Chinese-path modernization, and opening up is the key pathway for promoting such exchanges and mutual learning. Through various means such as information dissemination, knowledge sharing, dialogue, and interaction, opening up can transmit the advanced civilizations of the world to China, providing necessary nourishment for Chinese-path modernization, while also transmitting China's advanced civilization to countries around the world, garnering more support and recognition for Chinese-path modernization.

开放是推进中国式现代化的重要动力。一方面，开放是经济技术发展的重要驱动力。党的二十大报告指出：“没有坚实的物质技术基础，就不可能全面建成社会主义现代化强国。”在经济方面，开放有利于优化资源配置和扩大市场规模，推动中国不断融入全球产业链、供应链和价值链，在同世界各国的高度相互依存中不断实现自身发展。在技术方面，开放有利于促进人力资本积累和技术扩散，推动中国深度参与国际技术交流、合作和治理，实现自主创新。另一方面，开放是实现中外文明交流互鉴的桥梁。中国式现代化是吸收借鉴世界先进文明成果的产物，文明交流互鉴是推进中国式现代化的动力之源，而开放是促进文明交流互鉴的关键途径。通过信息传播、知识共享、对话互动等多种途径，开放能够将世界各国先进文明传播到中国，为中国式现代化提供必要的养分，同时也将中国先进文明传播到世界各国，为中国式现代化争取更多的支持与认同。

Opening up is the inevitable choice for Chinese-path modernization to conform to the historical trend of economic globalization. Economic globalization is an inevitable result of the development of human history to a certain stage.

开放是中国式现代化顺应经济全球化时代潮流的必然选择。经济全球化是人类历史发展到一定阶段的必然结果。国家主席习近平明确指出：“经济全球化是社会生产力发展的客观要求和科技进步的必然结果，不是哪些人、哪些国家人为造出来的。”尽管经济全球化加剧了国际竞争和世界经济的不平衡、不平等，也给当今世界带来了许多新的问题和挑战，但不能把困扰世界的问题简单归咎于经济全球化。对世界而言，经济全球化是不可逆转的时代潮流；对中国而言，经济全球化是我们谋划发展所要面对的时代潮流。因此，经济全球化是推动中国式现代化的历史大背景。这意味着，在新的历史时期，推进中国式现代化不仅不能搞封闭主义，还要推动更高水平对外开放，在融入经济全球化的过程中不断产生更多积极效应。

Chinese-path modernization continuously advances common development of the world

中国式现代化不断推进世界共同发展

China’s development cannot be separated from the world, and the world’s prosperity also needs China. China and other countries have long formed an indivisible development community with a shared future. Relying on high-standard opening up, Chinese-path modernization continuously generates positive spillover effects, powerfully promoting world development.

中国的发展离不开世界，世界的繁荣也需要中国，中国与世界各国早已形成不可分割的发展命运共同体。依托高水平对外开放，中国式现代化不断产生积极的溢出效应，有力促进了世界发展。

Chinese-path modernization fosters a new pattern of world development. Economic globalization has promoted economic growth on a global scale, but it has also been accompanied by problems of unbalanced and inadequate global development, and these problems are particularly pronounced in some countries and regions. The problems of unbalanced and inadequate global development are mainly manifested in two aspects: on the one hand, the North-South gap between emerging market and developing countries and developed countries remains very wide; on the other hand, development gaps also exist to varying degrees within each country. In the process of advancing Chinese-path modernization, China has not only achieved rapid economic growth but has also greatly changed the long-standing pattern of unbalanced North-South development. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that from 1979 to 2023, China’s economy grew at an average annual rate of 8.9%, far exceeding the world average growth rate of 3.0% over the same period, and its average annual contribution rate to world economic growth was 24.8%, ranking first in the world. Thanks to the continuous expansion of China’s total economic output, the status of emerging market and developing countries in the world economic structure has been rising, rewriting the global development pattern. At the same time, through targeted poverty alleviation methods such as industrial poverty alleviation, China has helped nearly 800 million people escape poverty over more than 40 years, directly changing the distribution pattern of the global poor population and providing replicable experience for the global cause of poverty reduction.

中国式现代化推动形成世界发展新格局。经济全球化促进了全球范围内的经济增长，但也伴随出现了全球发展不平衡、不充分的问题，并且这些问题在一些国家和地区的表现还很突出。全球发展不平衡、不充分的问题主要表现在两个方面：一方面，新兴市场国家和发展中国家同发达国家的南北差距仍很明显；另一方面，在各国内部也都不同程度存在发展差距。在推进中国式现代化的进程中，中国不仅实现了经济快速增长，而且极大地改变了长期以来存在的南北发展不平衡格局。国家统计局数据显示，1979—2023年我国经济年均增长8.9%，远高于同期世界经济3.0%的平均增速，对世界经济增长的年均贡献率为24.8%，居世界第一位。得益于中国经济总量的持续扩大，新兴市场国家和发展中国家在世界经济格局的地位不断上升，并改写了全球发展格局。同时，中国通过产业扶贫等精准扶贫方式，40多年来帮助近8亿人脱贫，不仅直接改变了全球贫困人口分布格局，还为全球减贫事业提供了可复制的经验。

Chinese-path modernization continuously creates new opportunities for world development. China firmly pursues a win-win strategy of opening up, continuously providing new opportunities for the world with its new development, promoting the building of an open world economy, and better benefiting the people of all countries. It is particularly noteworthy that Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of a huge population. China has a population of over 1.4 billion, exceeding the total population of existing developed economies. A huge population means a huge market, which provides vast market space for global enterprises. With the continuous advancement of consumption upgrading and industrial transformation, China provides more opportunities for the development of all countries in the world. At present, China is the world’s largest trader in goods, the second-largest recipient of foreign capital, and the third-largest source of outbound investment, and it is a major trading partner of more than 150 countries and regions. By actively participating in international trade and investment cooperation, China provides huge market opportunities and investment sources for all countries, promotes long-term world economic growth, and expands the space for world economic development. In the past decade, China’s contribution rate to world economic growth has remained at around 30%, providing a strong impetus for the world economy. In addition, in fields such as 5G communications, high-speed rail, and new energy, China’s technological innovation is at the world’s leading level. Through technological cooperation and diffusion, China will provide strong support for global technological progress and industrial upgrading.

中国式现代化持续创造世界发展新机遇。中国坚定奉行互利共赢的开放战略，不断以中国新发展为世界提供新机遇，推动建设开放型世界经济，更好惠及世界各国人民。尤其值得关注的是，中国式现代化是人口规模巨大的现代化。中国拥有14亿多人口，人口规模超过现有发达经济体人口的总和。巨大的人口规模意味着巨大的市场，这为全球企业提供了广阔的市场空间。随着消费升级和产业转型的持续推进，中国为世界各国发展提供了更多的机遇。目前，中国是全球最大的货物贸易国、第二大外资流入国和第三大对外投资国，是150多个国家和地区的主要贸易伙伴。通过积极参与国际贸易和投资合作，中国为世界各国提供了巨大的市场机会和投资来源，促进了世界经济长期增长，拓展了世界经济发展空间。近10年来，中国对世界经济增长的贡献率持续保持在30%左右，为世界经济提供了强劲动力。此外，在5G通信、高铁、新能源等领域，中国的技术创新处于世界领先水平，通过技术合作和扩散，中国将为全球技术进步和产业升级提供有力支持。

Chinese-path modernization continuously contributes new solutions for world development. Chinese-path modernization has broken the myth that “modernization equals Westernization,” expanded the path of modernization for late-developing countries, provided a Chinese solution for developing countries exploring modernization paths suited to their national conditions, and offered new pathway choices for humanity to achieve modernization. China has successively proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, putting forward Chinese solutions for global governance from the perspectives of the world economy, politics (security), and culture, and coalescing a joint force for promoting common development within the international community. At present, China has signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with over 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations, and the Belt and Road Initiative has become a widely welcomed international public good and international cooperation platform. As the positive effects of the Belt and Road Initiative continue to be released, the role and influence of the Chinese solution are also increasingly prominent. Data from World Bank report estimates show that the “Belt and Road” infrastructure connectivity has significant potential to promote trade and investment and improve the living conditions of people in participating countries. Thanks to Belt and Road international cooperation, the completed and planned “Belt and Road” transportation projects will reduce freight time in “Belt and Road” countries and regions by an average of 1.7% to 3.2%, decrease global average shipping time by 1.2% to 2.5%; increase real income in “Belt and Road” countries and regions by 1.2% to 3.4%, and raise global real income by 0.7% to 2.9%. The “three major global initiatives” focus on prominent issues in world economic development and social progress, contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the process of world modernization. China, together with relevant parties, is jointly promoting the implementation of these initiatives, continuously achieving new progress and making new contributions to promoting common development.

中国式现代化不断贡献世界发展新方案。中国式现代化打破了“现代化=西方化”的迷思，拓展了后发国家现代化道路，为发展中国家探索适合本国国情的现代化道路提供了中国方案，为人类实现现代化提供了新的路径选择。中国先后提出共建“一带一路”倡议以及全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议和全球文明倡议，从世界经济、政治（安全）和文化视角提出了全球治理的中国方案，在国际社会凝聚了促进共同发展的合力。目前，中国已与150多个国家和30多个国际组织签署了共建“一带一路”合作文件，共建“一带一路”倡议成为深受欢迎的国际公共产品和国际合作平台。随着共建“一带一路”倡议积极效应不断释放，中国方案的作用和影响也不断凸显。世界银行报告的测算数据显示，“一带一路”基础设施互联互通具有显著促进共建国家贸易投资和改善民众生活条件的潜力。得益于“一带一路”国际合作，已完成和规划中的“一带一路”交通运输项目将使“一带一路”国家和地区货运时间平均减少1.7%～3.2%，使全球平均航运时间下降1.2%～2.5%；“一带一路”国家和地区的实际收入增长1.2%～3.4%，全球实际收入增长0.7%～2.9%。“三大全球倡议”聚焦世界经济发展和社会进步等领域的突出问题，为世界现代化进程贡献了中国智慧和中国方案。中国与相关各方携手推动倡议落实，不断取得新进展，为促进共同发展作出新贡献。

Chinese-path modernization leads the transformation of the global governance system and order.

中国式现代化引领全球治理体系和秩序变革

Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that follows the path of peaceful development. This means that China does not take the old path of some countries that achieved modernization through war, colonization, plunder, and other means, but firmly stands on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization progress, continuously promoting world peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes. At the same time, China effectively responds to a series of major issues and major challenges facing the world today, actively advocating for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. Chinese-path modernization conforms to the deepening advancement of economic globalization, will push global governance towards a more just and reasonable direction, and plays an important leading role in the transformation of the international system and order.

中国式现代化是走和平发展道路的现代化。这意味着中国不走一些国家通过战争、殖民、掠夺等方式实现现代化的老路，而是坚定站在历史正确的一边、站在人类文明进步的一边，不断促进世界和平、发展、合作、共赢。同时，中国有效应对当今世界面临的一系列重大问题、重大挑战，积极倡导平等有序的世界多极化和普惠包容的经济全球化。中国式现代化顺应经济全球化深入推进，将推动全球治理朝着更加公正合理的方向发展，对国际体系和秩序变革发挥着重要引领作用。

Chinese-path modernization advocates an equal and orderly multipolar world. Sovereign equality is an important principle that has regulated relations between states for centuries and has become a principle jointly followed by the United Nations and its agencies and organizations. The key to sovereign equality lies in the fact that regardless of a country’s size, strength, or wealth, its sovereignty and dignity must be respected, which is of great significance for ensuring the normal development of international relations, promoting international peace and cooperation, and especially for protecting the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. Stability and order are the basic prerequisites for global development and prosperity, and also an important foundation for international cooperation. An equal multipolar world means adhering to sovereign equality in the field of global governance, fully reflecting equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal rules for all countries. An equal multipolar world means that all countries can participate equally in international affairs in the multipolar process, enjoy legitimate rights and interests, and make their respective contributions; it also means that all countries must achieve a balance of rights and responsibilities in the field of global governance. An orderly multipolar world means jointly abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, jointly adhering to universally recognized basic norms of international relations, acting within the international system centered on the United Nations, and breaking away from the traditional international pattern of camp-based division, fragmentation, and disorder.

中国式现代化倡导平等有序的世界多极化。主权平等是几百年来规范国与国关系的重要原则，并已成为联合国及其机构、组织共同遵循的原则。主权平等的关键在于国家不分大小、强弱、贫富，主权和尊严必须得到尊重，这对于保证国际关系正常发展、促进国际和平与合作，特别是保护广大发展中国家的正当权益具有重要意义。稳定有序是全球发展繁荣的基本前提，也是国际合作的重要基础。平等的世界多极化，就是在全球治理领域坚持主权平等，充分体现各国权利平等、机会平等、规则平等。平等的世界多极化，意味着所有国家都能在多极化进程中平等参与国际事务，享受合法权益，作出各自贡献，也意味着所有国家都要在全球治理领域实现权责平衡。有序的世界多极化，就是共同恪守联合国宪章宗旨和原则，共同坚持普遍认同的国际关系基本准则，在以联合国为核心的国际体系内行事，跳出阵营化、碎片化、无序化的传统国际格局。

Chinese-path modernization advocates universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. Universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization is what people desire and the right path for humanity, and it is also the driving force and guarantee for economic globalization to move forward smoothly. Openness and inclusiveness are inevitable requirements of economic globalization. Only by adhering to openness and inclusiveness can countries in the world learn from each other’s strengths to offset weaknesses, exchange what they have for what they lack, and achieve shared beauty and peaceful coexistence. Universally beneficial economic globalization means conforming to the development demands of all countries, especially developing countries, making the “cake” of economic globalization bigger and distributing it well, so that the fruits of economic globalization fairly benefit the people of all countries, achieving common development and common prosperity for all countries in the world. To this end, all countries in the world must fully implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, push development issues back to the center of the international agenda, deepen the alignment of development strategies, jointly solve the global development deficit, promote the building of a global community of development, and enable the people of all countries to share the fruits of economic globalization. Inclusive economic globalization means practicing the spirit of harmony in diversity in the process of economic globalization, respecting each other’s development paths and development models, jointly maintaining the security and stability of global industrial chains, supply chains, and value chains, and making the world more colorful and thriving.

中国式现代化倡导普惠包容的经济全球化。普惠包容的经济全球化是人心所向、人间正道，也是经济全球化顺势前行的动力和保障。开放包容是经济全球化的必然要求。只有坚持开放包容，世界各国才能取长补短、互通有无，才能美美与共、和平共处。普惠的经济全球化，就是顺应各国尤其是发展中国家的发展要求，做大并分好经济全球化的“蛋糕”，让经济全球化的成果公平惠及世界各国人民，实现世界各国共同发展、共同繁荣。为此，世界各国要全面落实联合国2030年可持续发展议程，推动发展问题重回国际议程中心位置，深化发展战略对接，共同解决全球发展赤字，推动构建全球发展共同体，让各国人民共享经济全球化成果。包容的经济全球化，就是在经济全球化进程中践行和而不同的精神，尊重彼此的发展道路和发展模式，共同维护全球产业链、供应链和价值链安全稳定，让世界更加丰富多彩、欣欣向荣。

Chinese-path modernization advocates just and reasonable global governance. The world today has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. The shadows of Cold War mentality and power politics have not dissipated; local conflicts and turbulence occur frequently; security threats in new fields such as artificial intelligence, climate change, cybersecurity, and biosecurity come one after another. However, the current global governance system was mainly established under the leadership of Western powers after World War II. It has not only failed to effectively address a series of major challenges facing the world today, but also failed to respond to the reasonable demands of emerging market countries and developing countries, and has even degenerated into a tool for a few countries to seek hegemonic interests and a weapon to hinder the development of other countries. Chinese-path modernization upholds the common values of all humanity—peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom—builds a community with a shared future for mankind, and joins hands with the people of all countries to promote the building of a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, and clean and beautiful. This is the mission and responsibility of the Chinese nation in the new historical era to seek peace and development for humanity, and it is the fundamental strategy to effectively address the global governance deficit. Facing the ever-increasing governance deficit in today’s world, Chinese-path modernization guides the achievement of a higher level of world peace and security, higher quality global common development, and human civilization progress from a higher starting point, leading humanity towards a more just and reasonable global governance.

中国式现代化倡导公正合理的全球治理。当今世界已进入新的动荡变革期，冷战思维和强权政治阴霾不散，局部冲突和动荡频发，人工智能、气候变化、网络安全、生物安全等新领域的安全威胁接踵而来。但现行全球治理体系主要是由二战后西方大国主导建立，不仅未能有效应对当今世界面临的一系列重大挑战，更未能回应新兴市场国家和发展中国家的合理诉求，甚至还沦为少数国家谋求霸权利益的工具和阻碍他国发展的武器。中国式现代化秉持和平、发展、公平、正义、民主、自由的全人类共同价值，构建人类命运共同体，携手世界各国人民推动建设一个持久和平、普遍安全、共同繁荣、开放包容、清洁美丽的世界。这是新的历史时代中华民族为人类谋和平、谋发展的使命担当，是有效应对全球治理赤字的根本之策。面对当今世界有增无减的治理赤字，中国式现代化引导实现更高水平的世界和平与安全、更高质量的全球共同发展、更高起点的人类文明进步，引领人类迈向更加公正合理的全球之治。

(The author is a researcher and director of the Department of Sino-Foreign Comparative Studies, Institute of Chinese-Path Modernization, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.)

（作者系中国社会科学院中国式现代化研究院中外比较研究部研究员、主任)

Online editor: Ma Jingren

网络编辑：马京仁