Reconsidering the Chinese-Path Modernization from the Perspective of World History

Modernization is an inevitable trend in the development of human society. It not only brings about tremendous progress in human society, an overall transformation of social life, and global social change, but also inaugurates the modern civilization of human society. The American scholar C. E. Black proposed that the transformation of modern society “this great revolutionary transition is the most dynamic.” [1]1 C. E. Black, *The Dynamics of Modernization: A Study in Comparative History* (New York: Harper & Row, 1966), p. 7. He argued that in the entire history of humanity, only two social changes—the emergence of humankind and the rise of civilization—can be compared with modernization. Modernization is the major trend in the development of human civilization. Yet how various nation-states integrate into the tide of modernization and what path they take to achieve the goal of modernization development can involve different choices. The Chinese-path modernization forged by the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people has, in just a few decades, created the twin miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability that have astonished the world, and it is now creating a new form of human civilization in a manner that transcends capitalist civilization. For China to comprehensively build a great modern socialist country by the middle of the 21st century and create a new form of human civilization, it must grasp the laws of history, conform to the general trend of history, give play to the historical initiative, strengthen confidence in the path, and unswervingly continue to develop along the Chinese-path modernization. Questions such as whether the Chinese-path modernization, as a non-capitalist modernization path, is possible and how it is possible, how the Chinese-path modernization was explored and established, and what world-historical significance the Chinese-path modernization possesses, all need to be elucidated from the perspective of world history. “World history” is an important perspective for deeply understanding the historical inevitability, practical legitimacy, subjective initiative, and creative innovation of the Chinese-path modernization.

现代化是人类社会发展的必然趋势，不仅会带来人类社会的巨大进步、社会生活的整体变革、全球性的社会变迁，还将开启人类社会的现代文明。美国学者布莱克提出，现代社会的变迁“这场伟大的革命性转变是最富动力性的”。他认为，在整个人类历史上，只有人类的诞生和文明的出现这两次社会变革，可以和现代化相提并论。现代化是人类文明发展的大趋势，然而各民族国家如何融入现代化潮流，走什么样的道路实现现代化发展目标，却可以有不同选择。中国共产党带领中国人民走出的中国式现代化道路，用短短几十年时间创造了令世界惊叹的经济快速发展和社会长期稳定奇迹，并且正在以超越资本主义文明的态势创造着人类文明新形态。中国要在21世纪中叶全面建成社会主义现代化强国，创造人类文明新形态，必须把握历史规律，顺应历史大势，发挥历史主动精神，增强道路自信，必须坚定不移沿着中国式现代化道路继续发展。作为非资本主义现代化道路的中国式现代化道路是否可能、何以可能，中国式现代化道路是如何探索确立的，中国式现代化道路具有何种世界历史意义等问题，需要从世界历史视角进行阐释。“世界历史”是深刻理解中国式现代化道路的 历史必然性、现实合法性、主体能动性、创造创新性的重要视角。

I. World History Has Changed the Mode of Realization of the Laws of History

一、世界历史改变了历史规律的实现方式

(1) The Role of Capitalism in the Transformation from “National History” to “World History”

（一）资本主义在“民族历史”向“世界历史”转变过程中的作用

Capitalism played a “pioneering” role in the transformation from “national history” to “world history.” In the capitalist era, the state of society’s productive forces, the division of labor, and intercourse all made considerable progress. The development of social productive forces, along with the development and refinement of the division of labor that followed, gave rise to the differentiation of interests among individuals and the need for intercourse. The ever-expanding intercourse ultimately facilitated the formation of the world market. The bourgeoisie’s promotion and transformation of productive forces and relations of production greatly advanced the developmental process of human history, moving it from a relatively closed, independent state of development among various nationalities into the stage of “world history.” Regarding the role of capitalism in the transformation from “national history” to “world history,” Marx actually made evaluations from two dimensions: historicism and moralism. From the historicist dimension, capitalism played a significant positive role in promoting the development of social productive forces, advancing and transforming relations of production, and pushing forward the developmental process of human history. From the moralist dimension, Marx was also full of moral critique and condemnation of the “evil” of capitalism. Human history is a process of continuous development from lower to higher stages. Each new mode of production represents progress relative to the old, outdated mode of production that no longer meets the requirements of the development of productive forces, regardless of what brutal exploitation and oppression this new mode of production might bring; after all, the forward wheel of history cannot be stopped, and the general trend of historical development cannot be changed. Based on such a dialectic of history, Marx and Engels made a comprehensive and scientific evaluation of the role capitalism played in the transformation of history into world history, adhering to the unity of historicism and moralism, and of factual evaluation and value evaluation.

资本主义在“民族历史”向“世界历史”的转变过程中发挥了“先驱”的作用。在资本主义时代，社会的生产力状况、分工和交往都取得了长足进步。社会生产力的发展，以及随之而来的分工的发展和细化，产生了个人之间的利益分化和交往需要。交往的日益扩大，最终促成世界市场的形成。资产阶级对生产力、生产关系的促进和变革作用，极大推进了人类历史的发展进程，使人类历史由各民族相对封闭、独立的发展状态进入到“世界历史”阶段。对于资本主义在“民族历史”向“世界历史”转变过程中的作用，马克思实际上作出了历史主义和道德主义两种维度的评价。从历史主义维度看，资本主义对推动社会生产力发展，促进和变革生产关系，推进人类历史发展进程具有重要积极作用。从道德主义维度看，马克思又充满了对资本主义的“恶”的道德批判和谴责。人类历史是一个不断由低级向高级发展的过程。每一种新的生产方式相对于旧的、过时的、不适应生产力发展要求的生产方式而言都是一种进步，而不管这种新生产方式会带来何等残酷的剥削和压迫，毕竟历史前进的车轮无法阻挡，历史发展的大趋势无法改变。基于这样一种历史的辩证法，马克思和恩格斯对资本主义在历史向世界历史转变历程中所起的作用做出了全面、科学评价，坚持了历史主义和道德主义、事实评价和价值评价的统一。

(2) The Diversity and Selectivity of Modernization Paths for Late-Developing Countries

（二）后发国家现代化发展道路的多样性和选择性

In Marx’s view, capitalist modernization would influence and impact the modernization process of backward countries, but the latter need not necessarily take the capitalist path to enter world history; the paths for various nationalities to achieve modernization possess diversity and selectivity. In his later years, after extensive research on Eastern societies, Marx obtained more supporting arguments. In 1881, in his reply letter to Vera Zasulich, Marx denied that “all countries, because of historical inevitability, must go through the stages of capitalist production,” and proposed that the Russian commune “might possibly bypass the Caudine Forks of the capitalist system and appropriate all the positive achievements created by the capitalist system.” [2]2 Karl Marx, “Drafts of the Letter to Vera Zasulich,” in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 24 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1989), p. 346. The “Caudine Forks” refers to a pass in ancient Italy where the Samnites forced a Roman army to surrender in 321 BCE, used by Marx as a metaphor for the capitalist system. Marx’s later thought that the Russian rural commune could bypass the “Caudine Forks” of the capitalist system and achieve rebirth was a refinement and development of the theory of historical laws from the perspective of world history. With the transformation from “national history” to “world history,” intercourse between individuals and between individuals and the species increasingly broke through the narrow limits of national regions and took on a global character. This universal intercourse on a global scale changed the state of development in which various regions, nationalities, and countries had evolved in isolation and spontaneously before the emergence of “world history,” and instead they were uniformly incorporated into the overall process of world history. A mode of development transcending time and space replaced the previous model of unilinear evolution. World history reconstructed the historical premises of the development of human history, making it possible for human development to shift from a unilinear, unitary evolutionary model to a multilinear, pluralistic evolutionary model. The temporal-spatial transformation pattern it provided broadened the space for choice in the development paths of various nationalities.

在马克思看来，资本主义现代化会对落后国家的现代化进程产生影响和冲击，但是后者不必然一定要走资本主义道路进入世界历史，各民族走向现代化的发展道路具有多样性和选择性。晚年马克思在对东方社会进行大量研究之后，获得了更多论据支撑。1881年，马克思在给查苏利奇的复信中，否定“世界各国由于历史的必然性都应经过资本主义生产各阶段”，提出俄国公社“有可能不通过资本主义制度的卡夫丁峡谷，而占有资本主义制度所创造的一切积极的成果”。晚年马克思关于俄国农村公社可以不经过资本主义制度的“卡夫丁峡谷”而可以获得新生的思想，是基于世界历史视角对历史规律学说的完善和发展。随着“民族历史”向“世界历史”的转变，个体与个体、个体与类之间的交往日益突破民族区域的狭隘限制，而具有了全球性。这种全球范围内的普遍交往，改变了“世界历史”出现之前各地区、民族、国家各自孤立自发演进的发展状态，而是被统一纳入到世界历史的整体进程中，一种超时空的发展关系代替了之前的单线进化模式。世界历史重构了人类历史发展的历史前提，使人类发展实现从单线一元进化模式向复线多元进化模式的转变成为可能，它所提供的时空转化格局拓宽了各民族发展道路的选择空间。

II. The Exploration and Establishment of the Chinese-Path Modernization under the Conditions of World History

二、世界历史条件下中国式现代化道路的探索和确立

(1) Being Dragged into World History: The Period of the New Democratic Revolution, Creating the Fundamental Social Conditions for Initiating Genuine Modernization

（一）被卷入世界历史：新民主主义革命时期，为开启真正的现代化创造根本社会条件

Mao Zedong profoundly pointed out: “A China that is not poor and weak but prosperous and strong is linked to a China that is not colonial and semi-colonial but independent, not semi-feudal but free and democratic, and not divided but unified. In a semi-colonial, semi-feudal, and divided China, many people over many years dreamed of developing industry, building national defense, benefiting the people, and achieving national prosperity and strength—but all these dreams were shattered.” [3]3 Mao Zedong, “On Coalition Government,” in *Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung*, vol. 3 (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1965), p. 244. Because China was forcibly dragged into the historical process of world modernization, from the moment it entered world history, it occupied a subordinate position in the international system dominated by capitalism. Capitalism, as the forerunner of modernization, had already completed the most primitive accumulation of capital, and the commodity economy had developed to a relatively high level. Capitalism inaugurated the era of world history and simultaneously reconstructed the conditions of world history. As a late-developing, exogenous modernization country, China no longer possessed the possibility of both maintaining its own independence and spontaneously moving toward modernization. To achieve modernization, China first had to attain political independence and national liberation, end its subordinate position in the international system, and autonomously explore modernization on the basis of national independence. To achieve national independence, revolution was necessary. The Communist Party of China led the Chinese people in founding New China, “thoroughly ending the history of old China as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, thoroughly ending the situation of old China being a sheet of loose sand, and thoroughly abolishing the unequal treaties imposed on China by the great powers and all the privileges of imperialism in China, thereby creating the fundamental social conditions for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” [4]4 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China,” July 1, 2021. and also creating the fundamental social conditions for initiating genuine modernization.

毛泽东深刻指出：“一个不是贫弱的而是富强的中国，是和一个不是殖民地半殖民地的而是独立的，不是半封建的而是自由的、民主的，不是分裂的而是统一的中国，相联结的。在一个半殖民地、半封建的、分裂的中国里，要想发展工业，建设国防，福利人民，求得国家的富强，多少年来多少人做过这种梦，但是一概幻灭了。”由于中国被迫卷入世界现代化历史进程，所以中国从进入世界历史的时刻起就在资本主义主导的国际体系中居于从属地位。资本主义作为现代化的先行者，已经完成了最原始的资本积累，商品经济发展到较高水平。资本主义开辟了世界历史时代，同时也重构了世界历史条件。作为后发、外源式现代化国家，中国已经不具备既保持自身独立性又能自发走向现代化的可能性。要实现现代化，中国必须首先取得政治独立和民族解放，结束在国际体系中的从属地位，在民族独立的基础上自主地进行现代化探索。而要实现民族独立，就必须进行革命。中国共产党带领中国人民创建了新中国，“彻底结束了旧中国半殖民地半封建社会的历史，彻底结束了旧中国一盘散沙的局面，彻底废除了列强强加给中国的不平等条约和帝国主义在中国的一切特权，为实现中华民族伟大复兴创造了根本社会条件”，也为开启真正的现代化创造了根本社会条件。

(2) Conforming to World History: The Period of Socialist Revolution and Construction, China Began to Independently Explore the Socialist Modernization Path

（二）顺应世界历史：社会主义革命和建设时期，中国开始独立自主地探索社会主义现代化道路

In the early period after the founding of New China, China faced a relatively severe domestic and international situation. Domestically, New China’s financial and economic situation was “poor and blank,” [5]5 “Poor and blank” (一穷二白) is a Chinese idiom used by Mao Zedong to describe the backwardness of China’s economy and culture after 1949, meaning “poor in material terms and blank like a sheet of white paper.” facing serious difficulties, while all undertakings were in a state of ruin awaiting reconstruction. Internationally, the opposition between the two social systems and two ideologies of capitalism and socialism had already taken shape. The United States and Western countries adopted measures of economic blockade, political isolation, and military threats against New China, attempting to strangle it in the cradle. From the perspective of the needs of national construction at that time, the technological blockade by developed capitalist countries made it difficult for New China’s modernization construction to obtain external technical support. Coupled with the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations and the withdrawal of Soviet experts, China could only adopt a development policy of relying mainly on self-reliance while seeking external assistance as a supplement to carry out modernization construction.

新中国成立初期我国面临比较严峻的国内外形势。在国内，新中国的财政经济“一穷二白”，面临严重困难，同时各项事业百废待兴；国际上，资本主义和社会主义两种社会制度、两种意识形态对立的局面已经形成。美西方国家对新中国采取经济上封锁、政治上孤立、军事上威胁的措施，试图把新中国扼杀在摇篮之中。从当时开展国家建设的需要来说，发达资本主义国家的技术封锁，使得新中国的现代化建设难以获得外部技术支持，再加上中苏关系恶化和苏联专家的撤离，中国要进行现代化建设只能采取自力更生为主、争取外援为辅的发展方针。

In September 1954, Zhou Enlai first put forward the goal of “four modernizations” [6]6 The “four modernizations” (四个现代化) — originally agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology — were the core modernization goals of the PRC from the 1950s through the 1970s. in the government work report at the First Session of the First National People’s Congress. Later, in the government work report of December 1964, he reaffirmed the grand goal of the “four modernizations,” proposing the construction of a “powerful socialist country with modern agriculture, modern industry, modern national defense, and modern science and technology.” In this version of the “four modernizations” goal, modern transportation was replaced by modern science and technology. Overall, before reform and opening up, the theme of China’s socialist modernization was centered on economic modernization and national defense modernization, a choice determined by the domestic and international environment, the principal tasks, the level of social productive forces, and the principal social contradiction that needed to be resolved at that time.

1954年9月周恩来在第一届全国人民代表大会第一次会议的政府工作报告中首次提出“四个现代化”的现代化建设目标，后又在1964年12月的政府工作报告中重申了“四个现代化”的宏伟目标，提出要建设“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”，这次提出的“四个现代化”目标中，现代化的交通运输业换成了现代科学技术。总体来看，改革开放前，我国社会主义现代化建设的主题是围绕经济现代化和国防现代化展开的，这是由当时我国面临的国内外环境、主要任务、社会生产力水平以及需要解决的社会主要矛盾决定的。

(3) Integrating into World History: During the new period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, China committed itself to forging a “Chinese-style modernization road”

（三）融入世界历史：改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，中国致力于走出一条“中国式的现代化道路”

In the late 1970s, the world格局 [7]7 The Chinese term 格局 (géjú) means “configuration” or “pattern” of forces; here it refers to the international configuration of power. showed a trend toward multipolarization. The mutual checks and balances and mutual reliance among these diverse, multi-level international forces were objectively conducive to promoting world peace and stability. Based on his analysis and judgment of the characteristics of the era and the international situation, Deng Xiaoping proposed that “a large-scale world war is unlikely to occur for a considerable period, and there is hope for maintaining world peace,” i.e., the scientific judgment that peace and development remain the themes of the present era. This scientific judgment became an important basis for the Party and the state to formulate domestic and foreign policies, and also provided the ideological prerequisite for China to form a consensus on “forging a Chinese-style modernization road.” At the Twelfth National Congress of the CPC, Deng Xiaoping clearly stated: “Our modernization construction must proceed from China’s actual conditions. … Combine the universal truth of Marxism with China’s specific realities, take our own road, and build socialism with Chinese characteristics — this is the basic conclusion we have drawn from summing up our long-term historical experience.” Deng Xiaoping opened a new stage of building “Chinese-style modernization.” Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and others united and led the Chinese people to advance steadily along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, continuously enriching and developing the understanding, positioning, layout, and goal design of Chinese-style modernization, and China’s modernization development achieved considerable progress.

20世纪70年代后期，世界格局出现多极化发展趋势。这种多元化、多层次国际力量的相互制约和相互借重，客观上有利于促进世界和平稳定。邓小平基于对时代特征和国际形势的分析研判，提出“在较长时间内不发生大规模的世界战争是有可能的，维护世界和平是有希望的”，即和平与发展仍是当今时代主题的科学判断。和平与发展仍是当今时代主题的科学论断成为党和国家制定内外方针政策的重要依据，也为我国形成“走出一条中国式的现代化道路”的共识提供了思想前提。邓小平在党的十二大上明确提出：“我们的现代化建设，必须从中国的实际出发。……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。”邓小平开启了建设“中国式的现代化”的新阶段，江泽民、胡锦涛等团结领导中国人民沿着中国特色社会主义道路持续前进，不断丰富发展对中国式的现代化的认识、定位、布局和目标设计，中国的现代化发展取得了长足进步。

The Chinese Communist Party’s understanding of the connotation of modernization has undergone a process of continuous deepening. Modernization expanded from initial economic modernization to a comprehensive development process encompassing social economy, politics, culture, etc., with mutual promotion and overall development; the layout of modernization gradually expanded from the “two-sphere integrated plan” [8]8 The “two-sphere integrated plan” (两位一体) refers to the combination of economic and political construction; the “three-sphere integrated plan” (三位一体) adds cultural construction; the “four-sphere integrated plan” (四位一体) adds social construction; the “five-sphere integrated plan” (五位一体) adds ecological civilization construction. These are successive expansions of the overall layout of socialist modernization. to the “three-sphere integrated plan” and the “four-sphere integrated plan,” and then to the “five-sphere integrated plan” covering economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, and ecological civilization construction. Thus, the overall layout of Chinese-path modernization was basically formed, achieving a leap from partial development to overall development. In terms of modernization goal design, a successive advancement strategy was adopted, upgrading from the earliest realization of industrial modernization, the “four modernizations,” and “socialist modernization” to the comprehensive building of a great modern socialist country, achieving a transformation from economic modernization to comprehensive modernization, and realizing the unity of continuity and phasing.

中国共产党对现代化内涵的理解经历了不断深化的过程。现代化由最初的经济现代化，拓展为包括社会经济、政治、文化等在内的综合发展、相互促进的整体发展过程；现代化布局由“两位一体”“三位一体”“四位一体”，逐步拓展到经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设、生态文明建设“五位一体”。由此基本形成了中国式现代化的总体布局，实现了由局部发展到整体发展的跃迁。在现代化目标设计方面，采取逐步推进的接续发展战略，从最早的实现工业现代化、“四个现代化”、“社会主义现代化”升级到全面建成社会主义现代化强国，实现了从经济现代化到全面现代化的转变，做到了连续性与阶段性的统一。

(4) Leading World History: In the New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Striving to Comprehensively Build a Great Modern Socialist Country

（四）引领世界历史：中国特色社会主义新时代，为全面建成社会主义现代化强国而奋斗

Creating a new pattern of all-round opening up. Entering the New Era, China’s door to the outside world has been opening wider and wider, and China’s opening up has entered a new stage. On the basis of achieving its own development, China hopes to provide new opportunities for the development of all countries in the world, allowing them to board the express train, the convenient train, and the tailwind train of China’s development, achieving win-win, multi-win, and all-win development.

开创全面开放新格局。进入新时代，中国对外开放的大门越开越大，中国的对外开放进入新的阶段。中国希望在实现自身发展的基础上，为世界各国发展提供新机遇，让世界各国搭乘中国发展的快车、便车、顺风车，实现双赢多赢共赢发展。

Building a high-level socialist market economy system to provide important guarantees for Chinese-path modernization. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee changed the role of the market in resource allocation from “basic role” to “decisive role”; the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee established the socialist market economy system as a basic socialist economic system, marking a major innovation at the level of the economic system for Chinese-path modernization; the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee proposed the goal of further comprehensively deepening reform to build a high-level socialist market economy system, “to better leverage the role of the market mechanism, create a fairer and more dynamic market environment, achieve optimal allocation of resources and maximum efficiency, both ‘letting go and managing well,’ better maintain market order and compensate for market failures, smooth the national economic cycle, and stimulate the endogenous driving force and innovation vitality of the whole society.”

构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制，为中国式现代化提供重要保障。党的十八届三中全会将市场在资源配置中的“基础性作用”改为“决定性作用”；党的十九届四中全会把社会主义市场经济体制作为社会主义基本经济经济制度加以确立，标志着中国式现代化在经济制度层面的重大创新；党的二十届三中全会提出构建高水平社会主义市场经济体制的进一步全面深化改革的目标，“更好发挥市场机制作用，创造更加公平、更有活力的市场环境，实现资源配置效率最优化和效益最大化，既‘放得活’又‘管得住’，更好维护市场秩序、弥补市场失灵，畅通国民经济循环，激发全社会内生动力和创新活力”。

Building the institutional system for advancing Chinese-path modernization. As reform deepens, more and more deep-seated contradictions and institutional and mechanistic drawbacks have been revealed. To resolve deep-seated contradictions and problems, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive deepening of reform, strengthen top-level design and overall planning, and enhance the systemic, holistic, and synergistic nature of reform, so that reform can produce comprehensive effects. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee clearly stated that the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform is to improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity; the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee focused on the theme of upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, committed to promoting the maturity and finalization of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics; the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee took further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization as its agenda, highlighting the main line of institutional construction.

构建推进中国式现代化的制度体系。随着改革的深入推进，越来越多的深层次矛盾和体制机制弊端显露出来，要解决深层次矛盾和问题，必须进行全面深化改革，注重加强顶层设计、整体谋划，增强改革的系统性、整体性、协同性，使得改革能够产生综合效应。党的十八届三中全会明确提出全面深化改革的总目标是完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化；党的十九届四中全会聚焦坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化这一主题，致力于推动中国特色社会主义制度的成熟与定型；党的二十届三中全会以进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化为议题，突出制度建设这条主线。

III. The World-Historical Significance of the Chinese-Path Modernization Road

三、中国式现代化道路的世界历史意义

(1) The Chinese-Path Modernization Road Has Raised the Level of Modernization of the Entire World and Changed the World Map of Modernization

（一）中国式现代化道路提升了整个世界的现代化水平，改变了现代化的世界版图

China, as the world’s largest developing country, with a large size, a huge population, and unbalanced regional development, comprehensively building a great modern socialist country in such a super-large country not only realizes the centenary goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation but also makes a positive contribution to raising the level of modernization of the entire world. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the achievements in economic and social development have enabled China, with such a huge population, to solve the problem of survival and comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society. This in itself is a great contribution China has made to the world. China adheres to the path of peaceful development. The development of China and the development of other countries in the world are not a zero-sum game of either-or, but a mutually beneficial win-win situation moving in the same direction. Especially in the face of the general trend of digitalization, networking, and intelligentization in human society, the economic exchanges between countries in the world are becoming increasingly close, with each having a stake in the other. Only by strengthening cooperation can we jointly respond to various new risks and challenges and achieve “win-win.” China’s significant contribution to world development is also reflected in the fact that China is a responsible major country, with the vision of promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and welcomes all countries in the world to share the fruits of China’s development.

中国作为世界最大的发展中国家，体量大、人口多、地区发展不平衡，在中国这样一个超大规模的国家全面建成社会主义现代化国家，不仅实现了中华民族伟大复兴的百年奋斗目标，而且对提升整个世界的现代化水平也将是一种积极的贡献。自1949年新中国成立以来，经济社会发展取得的方方面面的成就让具有如此庞大的人口体量的中国解决了生存问题，全面建成了小康社会，这本身就是中国对世界作出的巨大贡献。中国坚持走和平发展道路，中国的发展和世界各国的发展并不是非此即彼的零和博弈，而是同向而行的互利共赢。特别是面对人类社会的数字化、网络化、智能化发展大势，世界各国经济交往日益密切，你中有我、我中有你，加强合作才能共同应对各种新的风险与挑战，实现“双赢”。中国对世界发展作出重大贡献还体现在，中国是一个负责任的大国，以推动构建人类命运共同体为愿景，欢迎世界各国共享中国发展成果。

(2) The Chinese-Path Modernization Road Has Deconstructed the “Western-Centric Theory” and Expanded the Pathways for Developing Countries to Achieve Modernization

（二）中国式现代化道路解构了“西方中心论”，拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的途径

Modernization originated in the West, but modernization is not equivalent to Westernization. The external expansion and colonization of capitalism, along with advances in science and technology, gave the West a confidence in universalism and historical progressivism. Modernization as an ideology is the result of deliberate and purposeful shaping by the United States and Western countries. The exploration, establishment, and successful practice of the Chinese-path modernization prove that multiple models of modernization can coexist. This has strengthened the Chinese people’s confidence in their path, “expanded the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization, and offered a new option for those countries and nations that wish to accelerate development while maintaining their independence.” The success and achievements of Chinese-path modernization will inspire other developing countries to explore their own suitable paths of modernization more actively, broaden their development thinking, and strengthen their confidence in taking their own path to achieve modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “We choose our own path and do our own things. We have no intention of exporting the Chinese-path modernization or the ‘Chinese model,’ but the Chinese-path modernization has set an example for developing countries to independently pursue modernization, and it will inevitably be drawn upon by some developing countries.”

现代化肇始于西方，但现代化不等于西方化。资本主义的对外扩张殖民，科学技术的进步给了西方一种普遍主义和历史进步主义的自信。作为意识形态的现代化，是美西方国家有计划、有目的塑造的结果。中国式现代化道路的探索、确立和成功实践，证明多元的现代化模式可以并存。这坚定了中国人民的道路自信，“拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的途径，给世界上那些既希望加快发展又希望保持自身独立性的国家和民族提供了全新选择”，中国式现代化的成功和成就将激励其他发展中国家更加积极主动地探索适合自身的现代化道路，开阔了发展思路，坚定了走自己的路实现现代化的信心。习近平总书记指出，“选择自己的道路、做自己的事情。我们无意也没有输出中国式现代化、‘中国模式’，但中国式现代化为广大发展中国家独立自主迈向现代化树立了典范，必然会为一些发展中国家所借鉴”。

(3) The Chinese-Path Modernization Has Strengthened the Forces of Developing Countries and Driven the Evolution of the International Pattern toward a Trend of “the East Rising and the West Declining”

（三）中国式现代化道路壮大了发展中国家力量，推动国际格局向“东升西降”的趋势演进

The dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of the 20th century was a major event in the history of the international communist movement, drawing attention from countries around the world. Various ideologies converged on this event, and the situation in the ideological sphere became exceptionally complex for a time. Regardless of the perspective from which it is considered, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe dealt a severe blow to the world socialist cause. The achievements of Chinese-path modernization “have brought about a profound shift in the historical evolution and contest between the two ideologies and two social systems in the world, in favor of Marxism and socialism, making socialism with Chinese characteristics the mainstay of world socialism.” In the current era, the changes unseen in a century are accelerating. The collective rise of the “Global South,” primarily represented by emerging market economies and developing countries, is a distinct hallmark of the great transformation of the world. The collective rise of the “Global South” is profoundly reshaping the world economic landscape, injecting more stability and positive energy into the advancement of world multipolarity and the democratization of international relations. The achievements of China’s modernization development and the “phenomenal” changes that have occurred have made China an important force in reshaping the international pattern and a member of the first echelon of the “Global South.” In October 2024, President Xi Jinping pointed out in an important speech at the BRICS meeting: “As the first echelon of the ‘Global South,’ we must demonstrate collective wisdom and strength, and shoulder the responsibility for building a community with a shared future for mankind.” To this end, he proposed upholding peace to achieve common security; revitalizing development to achieve universal prosperity; and promoting civilization to achieve diverse harmony.

20世纪末期的苏联解体是国际共产主义运动史上的大事件，引发了世界各国的关注。各种思想也汇聚这一事件，意识形态领域的形势一时变得异常复杂。不管从哪个方面考量，苏联解体、东欧剧变都使世界社会主义事业遭受了严重挫折。中国式现代化取得的成就，“使世界范围内两种意识形态、两种社会制度的历史演变及其较量发生了有利于马克思主义、社会主义的深刻转变，中国特色社会主义成为世界社会主义的中流砥柱”。当今时代，世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，以新兴市场国家和发展中国家为主要代表的“全球南方”群体性崛起，是世界大变局的鲜明标志。“全球南方”的群体性崛起正在深刻改写世界经济版图，为推进世界多极化和国际关系民主化发展注入了更多稳定性和正能量。中国现代化发展取得的成就和发生的“现象级”变化，使得中国成为重塑国际格局的重要力量，成为“全球南方”的第一方阵成员。2024年10月，习近平主席在金砖会议上发表的重要讲话中指出：“作为‘全球南方’的第一方阵，我们要展现集体智慧和力量，为构建人类命运共同体挺膺担当。”为此，他提出要坚守和平，实现共同安全；要重振发展，实现普遍繁荣；要共兴文明，实现多元和谐。

(4) The Chinese-Path Modernization Has Created a New Form of Human Civilization, Guiding the Direction of World Historical Development

（四）中国式现代化道路创造了人类文明新形态，引领世界历史发展方向

As “a completely new form of human civilization,” Chinese-path modernization is a new type of civilization with a socialist nature. It has achieved a reconstruction and transcendence of Western civilization in terms of material civilization, political civilization, cultural-ethical progress, social civilization, and ecological civilization, creating a new type of human civilization with Eastern charm and the ethos of a great power. Some scholars have proposed that Chinese-path modernization has created a pure party civilization capable of eliminating all kinds of corruption through its own strength and self-revolution; created a new form of human political civilization embodied in the system of people’s congresses; created a new form of human urban civilization without large-scale social unrest and urban slums; and created a new form of peaceful civilization that follows the path of peaceful development and continuously uses powerful modern forces to stop wars. General Secretary Xi Jinping, from the perspective of comparison and transcendence, revealed the transcendence and superiority of the new form of human civilization created by Chinese-path modernization: “It is a high-level summary of the historical and world significance of China’s practice and creation, marking a new positioning of China’s modernization path and a new height in the development of Chinese civilization.”

中国式现代化作为“一种全新的人类文明形态”，是一种社会主义性质的新文明类型，在物质文明、政治文明、精神文明、社会文明、生态文明等方面实现了对西方文明的重构和超越，开创了具有东方气韵、大国气象的新型人类文明。有学者提出，中国式现代化创造了能够靠自身力量、靠自我革命消除各种腐败的纯洁性的政党文明；创造了体现为人民代表大会制度的人类政治新文明；创造了没有出现大规模社会动荡和城市贫民窟的人类城市新文明；创造了走和平发展道路并以强大的现代化力量不断制止战争的和平的文明新形态。习近平总书记从对比、超越的角度揭示了中国式现代化创造的人类文明新形态的超越性和优越性，“是对中国实践、中国创造的历史意义和世界意义的高度概括，标注了中国现代化道路的新定位、中华文明发展的新高度”。

Online Editor: Jing Mu

网络编辑：静穆