The Party Leadership Logic of Chinese-Path Modernization

Modernization is an important engine for the progress of human society and the development of civilization, profoundly revealing the universal characteristics of modern society and the trends of the times. Due to differences in the historical contexts and actual development conditions of various countries, the logic by which countries initiate modernization and the paths they choose differ. The path of Chinese-path modernization was explored by the Chinese Communist Party leading the Chinese people through hardships. The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party over Chinese-path modernization endows it with a unique logic of party leadership. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out: "Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization led by the Chinese Communist Party." The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC further emphasized: "Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization." It can be seen that Chinese-path modernization cannot be separated from the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party; only the Chinese Communist Party can unite the strength of the people, thereby converging into a powerful force for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. On the new historical journey, to comprehensively advance Chinese-path modernization and properly resolve the various contradictions and problems that arise in the process of modernization, it is necessary to unswervingly and unequivocally adhere to the Party's overall leadership without wavering.

现代化是人类社会进步与文明发展的重要引擎，深刻揭示了现代社会的普遍特征与时代发展潮流。由于不同国家的历史情境和现实发展情况存在差异，世界各国开启现代化的逻辑以及道路选择各不相同。中国式现代化道路是中国共产党领导中国人民历尽艰辛而探索出来的，中国共产党对中国式现代化的领导使中国式现代化表现出独特的政党领导逻辑。党的二十大报告指出：“中国式现代化，是中国共产党领导的社会主义现代化。”党的二十届三中全会进一步强调：“党的领导是进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的根本保证。”可见，中国式现代化离不开中国共产党的领导，只有中国共产党才能将人民的力量凝聚起来，从而汇聚成全面建设社会主义现代化国家的强大合力。在新的历史征程上，要全面推进中国式现代化，妥善解决现代化建设过程中出现的各种矛盾和问题，就必须始终如一、旗帜鲜明地坚持党的全面领导不动摇。

From a global perspective, whether in early endogenous modernization or late exogenous modernization, political parties are an important force driving modernization in various countries. Although the role and direction of political parties vary by time and place, their driving or leading role in modernization is irreplaceable. In countries with early endogenous modernization, although political parties are a product of national modernization transformation, they play an irreplaceable role in promoting the modernization of national governance, especially by performing functions such as interest coordination, representation of public opinion, and social integration, thereby promoting the democratization and rule of law in national governance. In countries with late exogenous modernization, political parties are often the constructors of the modern state and the key force in organizing and driving national modernization. Therefore, the modernization of late exogenous modernization countries often follows the logic of institutional change under the "party-state" system.

从世界范围来看，无论是早发内生型现代化，还是后发外生型现代化，政党都是推动各国现代化的重要力量。尽管政党的作用大小和作用方向因时因地而异，但其对于现代化的推动或主导作用却是不可替代的。在早发内生型现代化国家，政党虽然是国家现代化变革的产物，但它们在推动国家治理现代化进程中发挥着不可替代的作用，特别是它们通过发挥利益协调、民意代表、社会整合等功能促进了国家治理民主化和法治化。在后发外生型现代化国家，政党往往是现代国家的建构者，是组织和推动国家现代化的关键力量，故而，后发外生型现代化国家的现代化往往遵循“政党—国家”体制下的制度变迁逻辑。

Chinese-path modernization exhibits "the characteristic of party dominance." The Chinese Communist Party organically integrates the Party's original aspiration and founding mission with the goal of modernization, leading Chinese-path modernization to "start in exploration, develop in reform, and improve in innovation," successfully forging a modernization path suited to China's national conditions. The successful practice of Chinese-path modernization provides new material and perspectives for the theoretical study of modernization. That is, when studying the global modernization process, especially the modernization paths of late-developing countries, political parties must be taken as a key variable, and their unique roles in political mobilization, resource integration, and state construction must be deeply examined. In view of this, on the basis of examining the theoretical logic, historical logic, and practical logic of the Chinese Communist Party leading Chinese-path modernization, this article summarizes the basic experience of the Chinese Communist Party leading Chinese-path modernization, analyzes the ways in which the Chinese Communist Party leads and ensures the smooth progress of Chinese-path modernization, and explores the path choices for the Chinese Communist Party leading Chinese-path modernization on the new journey, with a view to providing theoretical support and practical guidance for promoting the steady and sustained progress of Chinese-path modernization.

中国式现代化呈现出“政党主导的特征”，中国共产党将党的初心使命与现代化目标有机结合，领导中国式现代化“在探索中起步，在改革中发展，在创新中提高”，成功走出一条适合我国国情的现代化道路。中国式现代化的成功实践为现代化理论研究提供了新的素材和观察视角，即在研究世界现代化进程，特别是后发现代化国家的现代化道路时，必须将政党作为关键变量，深入考察其在政治动员、资源整合、国家构建等方面的独特作用。鉴于此，本文在考察中国共产党领导中国式现代化的理论逻辑、历史逻辑和实践逻辑的基础上，总结中国共产党领导中国式现代化的基本经验，剖析中国共产党是以怎样的方式领导和确保中国式现代化顺利推进的，探讨新征程上中国共产党领导中国式现代化的路径选择，以期为推动中国式现代化行稳致远提供学理支撑和实践指引。

I. Adhering to the Leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the Basic Experience and Fundamental Principle for Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization

一、坚持中国共产党的领导是推进中国式现代化的基本经验与根本遵循

The theory of party-centered modernization reveals the central position and core role of political parties in the modernization process of late-developing countries, that is, the leadership of a strong political party is the key factor for late-developing countries to achieve modernization. Chinese-path modernization is not a natural process, but was created by the Chinese Communist Party leading the people to give full play to the historical initiative spirit and undergo arduous exploration. Guided by Marxist theory, the Chinese Communist Party seizes the opportunity of historical change, grasps the development characteristics of China as a late-developing modernization country, continuously plans and lays out the strategy for Chinese-path modernization, implements the strategic deployment of modernization step by step, and has achieved brilliant achievements in promoting Chinese-path modernization. Adhering to Party leadership is not only a consistent principle upheld by Marxist political parties, but also a valuable experience from over a century of exploration of Chinese-path modernization, and a scientific summary of the laws of success and failure in the modernization construction of other countries.

政党中心主义现代化理论揭示了政党在后发国家现代化进程中的中心地位和核心作用，即强大政党的领导是后发国家实现现代化的关键因素。中国式现代化不是自然而然的过程，而是中国共产党领导人民充分发挥历史主动精神、历经艰辛探索而开创出来的。中国共产党以马克思主义理论为指导，抓住历史变革时机，把握中国作为后发现代化国家的发展特点，不断为中国式现代化建设谋篇布局，分步落实现代化的战略部署，推动中国式现代化建设取得了辉煌成就。坚持党的领导既是马克思主义政党坚持的一贯原则，也是中国式现代化百余年探索的宝贵经验，还是对其他国家现代化建设成败规律的科学总结。

(I) Adhering to the Chinese Communist Party's Leadership of Chinese-Path Modernization is an Inheritance and Development of Marxist Party Theory and Construction Experience

（一）坚持中国共产党对中国式现代化的领导是对马克思主义政党理论和建设经验的继承与发展

The Marxist theory of the leadership of the proletarian political party is the theoretical basis for the proletariat to lead socialist revolution, construction, and reform, and provides a scientific theoretical guide for the Chinese Communist Party to lead the construction of a modern socialist country. Engels pointed out: "Where history begins, the course of thought must also begin." [1]1 Engels, "Karl Marx, 'A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy'", 1859. Marxist party theory emerged in the political struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie, providing powerful theoretical guidance for the proletarian political party and the proletarian revolution it leads. Marx and Engels believed that the proletarian revolution and dictatorship cannot be separated from the leadership of the proletarian political party. In the "Rules of the Communist League," they clearly stipulated the institutional setup and operational rules of the League, emphasizing that all branches and districts must accept the unified command and leadership of the Central Committee. [2]2 Marx and Engels, "Rules of the Communist League", 1847. Regarding the problem of loose connections between individual districts, branches, and the Central Committee, Marx and Engels clearly pointed out that all branches and districts must maintain close contact with the Central Committee, "because revolutionary activity can only exert its full strength under centralized conditions." [3]3 Marx and Engels, "Address of the Central Committee to the Communist League", March 1850. In the 1860s, the anarchists represented by Bakunin advocated erroneous ideas such as "branch autonomy" and "free association," which seriously misled the international proletarian movement. Engels severely criticized this erroneous idea, pointing out that those who oppose the leadership and authority of the proletarian political party "are merely verbal revolutionaries" and do not know what revolution is at all. [4]4 Engels, "On Authority", 1872-1873. Without the leadership of a strong political party, even with powerful political and social forces, the proletarian revolution would find it difficult to accomplish its arduous tasks. Those who emphasize full branch autonomy and regard "the principle of autonomy as absolutely good" [5]5 Engels, "On Authority", 1872-1873. will only lead the proletarian revolution into the danger of failure. Just as an orchestra needs a conductor, the deployment of revolutionary forces also requires unified leadership. "To ensure the success of the revolution, there must be unity of thought and action," [6]6 Engels, "On Authority", 1872-1873. and "the Paris Commune was destroyed precisely because of a lack of centralization and authority." [7]7 Engels, "On Authority", 1872-1873.

马克思主义无产阶级政党领导权的理论是无产阶级领导社会主义革命、建设和改革的理论基础，为中国共产党领导社会主义现代化国家建设提供了科学的理论指南。恩格斯指出：“历史从哪里开始，思想进程也应当从哪里开始。”马克思主义政党理论是在无产阶级反对资产阶级的政治斗争中产生的，为无产阶级政党及其领导的无产阶级革命提供了强大的理论指导。马克思恩格斯认为，无产阶级革命与专政离不开无产阶级政党的领导，他们在《共产主义者同盟章程》中就明确规定了同盟的机构设置及其运作规则，强调各支部和区部必须接受中央委员会的统一指挥与领导。针对个别区部、支部与中央委员会联系松散的问题，马克思恩格斯明确指出，各支部和区部必须经常同中央委员会保持密切联系，“因为革命活动只有在集中的条件下才能发挥全部力量”。19世纪60年代，以巴枯宁为代表的无政府主义者主张的“支部自治”“自由联合”等错误思想，给国际无产阶级运动带来严重的误导。恩格斯对这种错误思想进行了严厉批判，他指出，那些反对无产阶级政党领导与权威的人，“只不过是口头革命派”，根本不知道什么是革命。无产阶级革命如果没有强大的政党来领导，即使拥有强大的政治社会力量，也难以完成艰巨的革命任务，那些强调支部充分的自治，“把自治原则说成是绝对好的东西”的言行，只会使无产阶级革命陷入失败的危险境地。就像乐队要有一个指挥一样，革命力量的调配同样需要进行统一领导，“为了保证革命的成功，必须有思想和行动的统一”，而“巴黎公社遭到灭亡，就是由于缺乏集中和权威”。

On the basis of inheriting Marx and Engels' theory of the proletarian political party, Lenin conducted in-depth theoretical and practical explorations of the issue of the leadership of the proletarian political party according to the requirements of the times and the actual situation of Soviet Russia. After the victory of the October Revolution, the newly born Soviet regime faced a very severe domestic and international environment. Lenin pointed out that the Communist Party "should be established according to the principle of democratic centralism." [8]8 Lenin, "The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government", 1918. If the proletarian political party "also lacks a sufficiently authoritative and strong leadership center" [9]9 Lenin, "The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government", 1918. to unify the will and actions of the people, the socialist construction of Soviet Russia would be impossible to advance. Lenin believed that strict party discipline is a powerful weapon for maintaining Party leadership. Only with strict discipline as a guarantee can the Party's line, principles, and policies be implemented without deviation or distortion in every link. He proposed that "iron discipline, similar to military discipline, must be implemented within the Party" [10]10 Lenin, "The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government", 1918. to unify thought, will, and action. Lenin resolutely opposed factional activities and decentralism that challenged Party authority, pointing out that "any factional activity is harmful and impermissible" [11]11 Lenin, "The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government", 1918. and must be severely punished. In the process of socialist construction in Soviet Russia, Lenin emphasized that the entire Party must unconditionally submit to the unified will of the Party Central Committee, "the will of tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of people can be embodied by one person," [12]12 Lenin, "The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government", 1918. and "to completely eliminate the state of destruction, only centralization can be implemented, abandoning purely local interests." [13]13 Lenin, "The Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government", 1918. In other words, only under the unified leadership and command of the Party could the socialist construction of Soviet Russia proceed in an orderly manner.

列宁在继承马克思恩格斯关于无产阶级政党理论的基础上，根据时代要求和苏俄的实际情况，对无产阶级政党的领导权问题进行了深入的理论和实践探索。十月革命胜利后，新生的苏维埃政权面临十分严峻的国内外环境，列宁指出，共产党“应该是按照民主集中制的原则建立起来的”，如果无产阶级政党“也缺乏享有足够威信的和强有力的领导中心”来统一人民的意志和行动，苏俄的社会主义建设就会寸步难行。列宁认为，严格的政党纪律是维护党的领导的有力武器，党的路线、方针、政策只有以严格的纪律作为保障，才能在实施的各个环节中不走样不变形，他提出必须“在党内实行近似军事纪律那样的铁的纪律”，以统一思想、统一意志、统一行动。对于派别活动和分散主义等挑战政党权威的行为，列宁是坚决反对的，他指出“任何派别活动都是有害的，都是不能容许的”，必须严惩不贷。在苏俄社会主义建设过程中，列宁强调，全党必须无条件服从党中央的统一意志，“几万和几十万人的意志可以由一个人体现出来”，“而要完全消除破坏状态，只有实行集中制，放弃纯地方主义的利益”。换言之，只有在党的统一领导和指挥下，苏俄的社会主义建设才能有条不紊地推进。

Since its founding, the Chinese Communist Party has attached great importance to the issue of leadership, combining the Marxist-Leninist theory of political party leadership with the realities of China’s revolution, construction, and reform, thereby forming a theory of political party leadership with Chinese characteristics. Mao Zedong pioneered the important principle of “building the Party branch on the company level,”[14]14 “Building the Party branch on the company level” (支部建在连上) is a principle established by Mao Zedong during the 1927 Sanwan Reorganization, ensuring Party leadership at the basic military unit level. clarifying the significance of Party leadership in commanding the military. To strengthen the Party’s centralized and unified leadership, Mao Zedong resolutely opposed “subjectivism,” “sectarianism,” “mountain-stronghold mentality,” and “dispersalism.”[15]15 These terms refer to deviations within the Party: subjectivism (subjective thinking divorced from reality), sectarianism (factionalism), mountain-stronghold mentality (localism or factionalism based on regional or organizational bases), and dispersalism (lack of centralized unity). During the Long March, in response to Zhang Guotao’s act of setting up an alternative “Central Committee,” the Party Central Committee, represented by Mao Zedong, resolutely opposed it. At the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Party,[16]16 The Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee was held in 1938 in Yan’an; it affirmed Mao Zedong’s leadership and emphasized Party unity. Mao Zedong proposed the Party’s political discipline centered on the “Four Obediences.”[17]17 The “Four Obediences” (四个服从) are: the individual is subordinate to the organization, the minority is subordinate to the majority, the lower level is subordinate to the higher level, and the entire Party is subordinate to the Central Committee. After the founding of New China, the Party Central Committee further improved the institutional design of Party leadership. Mao Zedong emphasized: “Among the seven sectors—industry, agriculture, commerce, education, the military, government, and the Party—the Party leads everything.” After reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping explicitly proposed “improving the Party’s leadership system” and strengthening the Party’s leadership over the state and social life. In the 1990s, amid volatile international situations and heavy domestic reform and construction tasks, Comrade Jiang Zemin stressed strengthening Party building by “reforming and improving the Party’s leadership and governance methods.” Entering the 21st century, Comrade Hu Jintao closely linked Party building with Party leadership, emphasizing the need to strengthen the Party’s governance capacity and advanced nature. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed strengthening Party leadership, requiring the entire Party to resolutely achieve the Two Upholds, and explicitly stating that “upholding Party leadership is a matter of direction” that must never waver in the slightest.

中国共产党自成立之日起，就非常重视领导权问题，将马克思列宁主义政党领导权理论与中国革命、建设、改革的实际相结合，形成了具有中国特色的政党领导权理论。毛泽东首创“支部建在连上”的重要原则，明确了党的领导在统领军队方面的重要意义。为了加强党的集中统一领导，毛泽东坚决反对“主观主义”“宗派主义”“山头主义”和“分散主义”。在长征途中，针对张国焘另立“中央”的行为，以毛泽东为代表的党中央坚决反对。在党的六届六中全会上，毛泽东提出以“四个服从”为核心内容的党的政治纪律。新中国成立后，党中央进一步完善了党的领导的制度设计，毛泽东强调：“工、农、商、学、兵、政、党这七个方面，党是领导一切的。”改革开放之后，邓小平同志明确提出要“改善党的领导制度”，并加强党对国家和社会生活的领导。20世纪90年代，江泽民同志在国际局势风云变幻、国内改革和建设任务繁重的情况下，强调通过“改革和完善党的领导方式和执政方式”来加强党的建设。进入21世纪，胡锦涛同志将党的建设与党的领导紧密联系在一起，强调要加强党的执政能力建设和先进性建设。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记多次强调加强党的领导，要求全党上下坚决做到“两个维护”，明确指出“坚持党的领导是方向性问题”，绝不能有丝毫动摇。

In summary, the Marxist theory on the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee profoundly elucidates the major historical mission borne by the proletarian political party, providing a solid theoretical foundation and a scientific guide to action for the proletarian political party to lead the people in socialist revolution and modernization. Looking back over more than a century of history, upholding the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party over Chinese-path modernization is not only an inheritance and development of Marxist political party theory but also an important component of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on China’s new type of political party system and Chinese-path modernization.

综上，马克思主义关于党中央权威和集中统一领导的理论，深刻阐明了无产阶级政党所肩负的重大历史使命，为无产阶级政党领导人民进行社会主义革命和现代化建设提供了坚实的理论基础与科学的行动指南。纵观百余年历史，坚持中国共产党对中国式现代化的领导，既是对马克思主义政党理论的继承与发展，也是习近平总书记关于中国新型政党制度和中国式现代化重要论述的重要内容。

(II) Upholding the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party over Chinese-path modernization is a theoretical summation of the experience of China’s modernization since modern times

（二）坚持中国共产党对中国式现代化的领导是对近代以来中国现代化建设经验的理论总结

Building China into a modernized strong country has been a goal persistently pursued by the Chinese nation since modern times. In a certain sense, the Chinese Communist Party’s more than one hundred years of struggle history is a history of the Party leading the people to brave winds and waves, forge ahead with determination, explore and build modernization. Generations of Chinese Communists have continued to explore the path of Chinese-path modernization in a journey interwoven with hardship and glory, striving tirelessly for national prosperity and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is precisely under the strong leadership of the Party that China’s modernization has achieved remarkable results from theory to practice, creating a new paradigm distinct from the Western path of modernization.

把我国建设成为一个现代化强国是近代以来中华民族孜孜追求的目标。在一定意义上说，中国共产党的百余年奋斗史就是一部党领导人民劈波斩浪、砥砺奋进的现代化探索史和建设史。一代又一代中国共产党人在苦难与辉煌交织的历程中赓续探索中国式现代化道路，为实现国家繁荣昌盛、民族伟大复兴而不懈奋斗。正是在党的坚强领导下，我国现代化建设从理论到实践都取得了显著成就，开创了区别于西方现代化道路的全新范式。

Chinese-path modernization was initially a passive modernization, “starting under the historical background of ‘external aggression—internal response.’” As a late-developing, externally induced modernization country, before the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, modern China’s modernization exploration was a passive or even forced act. Whether in terms of the stimulus for modernization, demonstration effects, or the methods and pathways of modernization, it was influenced by the external world. The modernization plans proposed by the landlord class, the peasant class, and the bourgeoisie to save the nation and its people mostly took imitating Western countries as their blueprint, with learning from Western material technology, institutions, and ideological culture as their content, but these plans all ended in failure. In 1921, the birth of the Chinese Communist Party gave China’s modernization a strong leading core, and “the Chinese people then shifted from passivity to initiative in spirit.” From the day of its founding, the Chinese Communist Party never ceased exploring the path of modernization, clearing the way for Chinese-path modernization by leading revolutionary movements and creating a proletarian state power. In 1938, Mao Zedong first used the term “modernization,” explicitly stating that “reforming the military system cannot be separated from modernization.” As the revolutionary situation became increasingly clear, the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Party[18]18 The Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee was held in March 1949 in Xibaipo, Hebei Province, on the eve of the nationwide victory of the Chinese Communist Party. proposed the strategic goal of “steadily transforming China from an agricultural country into an industrial country,” establishing a modernization path for China’s transition from a backward agricultural country to an advanced industrial country. In short, during the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the Chinese Communist Party, in the process of leading national independence and people’s liberation, gradually recognized that China had already been drawn into the global wave of modernization. To completely free China from political oppression and economic exploitation and build it into a prosperous, strong, free, and democratic advanced country, it had to follow the trend of the times and take the path of modernization and transformation. The Chinese Communist Party combined the democratic revolution with the promotion of national modernization, pushing China’s modernization from “passive response” to “active pursuit,” accumulating valuable experience for the Party to find the correct path of modernization.

中国式现代化一开始是被动的现代化，“是在‘外部侵略—内部回应’的时代背景下起步的”。作为后发外生型现代化国家，在中国共产党成立之前，近代中国的现代化探索是一种被动甚至是被迫的行为，无论是现代化的刺激动力、示范效应，还是现代化的方式和途径，都受外部世界的影响。地主阶级、农民阶级和资产阶级提出的救国救民的现代化方案，大多以仿效西方国家为蓝图，以学习西方器物、制度和思想文化为内容，但这些方案均以失败告终。1921年，中国共产党的诞生使中国的现代化有了坚强的领导核心，“中国人民就从精神上由被动转为主动”。自诞生之日起，中国共产党就从未停止对现代化道路的探索，通过领导革命运动、创建无产阶级政权为中国式现代化开辟道路。1938年，毛泽东首次使用“现代化”一词，明确指出“革新军制离不了现代化”。随着革命局势日渐明朗，党的七届二中全会提出了“使中国稳步地由农业国转变为工业国”的战略目标，确立了我国从落后农业国向先进工业国转变的现代化道路。简言之，在新民主主义革命时期，中国共产党在领导民族独立和人民解放的过程中，逐渐认识到中国已经被卷入世界现代化浪潮之中，要想使我国彻底摆脱政治上受压迫、经济上被剥削的命运，把中国建设成为一个繁荣富强、自由民主的先进国家，就必须顺应时代发展潮流，走现代化变革之路。中国共产党把民主革命与推进国家现代化结合起来，推动我国现代化由“被动应变”转为“主动求变”，为中国共产党找到正确的现代化道路积累了宝贵经验。

During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Chinese Communist Party’s strategic conception of China’s modernization focused on industrialization and aimed at achieving the “Four Modernizations.”[19]19 The “Four Modernizations” (四个现代化) refer to the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology, formally proposed by Zhou Enlai in 1964. Starting in 1953, guided by the general line of “one industrialization and three transformations,”[20]20 The general line of “one industrialization and three transformations” (一化三改) was the Party’s general line for the transition period (1953–1956), referring to socialist industrialization and the socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts, and capitalist industry and commerce. the Chinese Communist Party launched large-scale industrialization construction. In 1957, the First Five-Year Plan was overfulfilled, the national economy achieved rapid growth, industrialization construction made significant achievements, and China built a large number of major projects and key engineering works, raising industrial production capacity and technical levels to a new stage. The industrialization exploration of this period laid an important foundation for proposing the strategic concept of the “Four Modernizations.” In 1957, Mao Zedong first discussed the issue of “three modernizations,” namely modern industry, modern agriculture, and modern science and culture. Subsequently, due to rapid changes in the world situation, the Chinese Communist Party made new judgments on national security. Mao Zedong added “national defense modernization” on the basis of the “three modernizations.” In 1964, Zhou Enlai explicitly proposed the construction task of the “Four Modernizations,” elevating it to the strategic level of socialist construction, and proposed a “two-step” approach to comprehensively realize the “Four Modernizations.” In 1975, Zhou Enlai made specific time arrangements for the “two-step” strategy and called on the entire nation to strive hard to comprehensively realize the “Four Modernizations” within the 20th century. From modernization to socialist modernization, from “one modernization” to “four modernizations,” from a backward agricultural country to an industrial country with a complete industrial system, the Chinese Communist Party’s goals for leading China’s modernization construction became increasingly specific, gradually forging a path of modernization construction suited to China’s actual conditions.

社会主义革命和建设时期，中国共产党关于中国现代化的战略构想以工业化为重点、以实现“四个现代化”为目标。从1953年起，中国共产党以“一化三改”总路线为指导，开启了大规模工业化建设。1957年，“一五”计划超额完成，国民经济实现快速增长，工业化建设取得重大成就，我国建成了一大批重大项目和重点工程，工业生产能力和技术水平上升到一个新的台阶。这一时期的工业化探索为提出“四个现代化”战略构想奠定了重要基础。1957年，毛泽东首先探讨了“三个现代化”的问题，即现代工业、现代农业和现代科学文化。此后，由于世界形势的急剧变化，中国共产党对国家安全形势作出新判断，毛泽东在“三个现代化”的基础上提出了“国防现代化”。1964年，周恩来明确提出“四个现代化”的建设任务，并将其上升到社会主义建设的战略高度，提出分“两步走”全面实现“四个现代化”。1975年，周恩来对“两步走”战略作出了具体的时间安排，并号召全国人民努力奋斗，力争在20世纪内全面实现“四个现代化”。从现代化到社会主义的现代化，从“一化”到“四化”，从落后农业国到具备完整工业体系的工业国，中国共产党领导我国现代化建设的目标越来越具体，逐步走出了一条适合中国实际的现代化建设道路。

During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Communist Party of China led the people in blazing a Chinese-style path to modernization. After reform and opening up, Chinese Communists represented by Comrade Deng Xiaoping integrated reform and opening up with socialist modernization, driving China’s modernization to achieve achievements that attracted worldwide attention. In 1979, at a Party theoretical work conference, Deng Xiaoping pointed out that China’s modernization could not mechanically copy the Western model but must proceed from reality and “blaze a Chinese-style path to modernization.” [21]21 Deng Xiaoping, “Uphold the Four Cardinal Principles,” March 30, 1979. To vividly and profoundly explain the unique implications of the “Chinese-style path to modernization,” Deng Xiaoping emphasized that Chinese-style modernization is not like that of the West but is rather a “moderately prosperous society.” [22]22 “Moderately prosperous society” (小康之家, *xiaokang zhi jia*) is a traditional Chinese ideal of a comfortably well-off household, repurposed by Deng Xiaoping as a concrete, non-Western goal for China’s modernization. “Moderate prosperity” represents the Chinese nation’s deep longing and pursuit since ancient times for an ideal society of abundance, well-being, fairness, and justice. Deng Xiaoping’s use of the expression “moderately prosperous society” to interpret the Chinese-style path to modernization is not only easy to understand but also embodies the distinctive features of this path. As the modernization process advanced, the CPC came to recognize that “the tasks of modernization are multifaceted and require comprehensive balance in all aspects”; the “four modernizations” [23]23 The “four modernizations” (四个现代化) were the official goals set in the 1960s–1970s for modernizing agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology. were discussed more in material and technological terms, but for a large developing country like China, achieving modernization also required attention to cultural-ethical progress. Entering the 21st century, China smoothly achieved an overall moderately prosperous society, and the phased goals of modernization were basically accomplished. However, the moderately prosperous society attained at that time was still low-level, incomplete, and very uneven. It was against this backdrop that the Party Central Committee put forward the strategic goal of “building a moderately prosperous society in all respects” and clearly planned the steps for advancing from an overall moderately prosperous society to a comprehensive one. At this point, the requirements of China’s modernization “began to shift from meeting standards toward developing in the direction of high quality.”

改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，中国共产党领导人民走出了一条中国式的现代化道路。改革开放之后，以邓小平同志为代表的中国共产党人将改革开放与社会主义现代化建设结合起来，推动我国现代化建设取得了举世瞩目的成就。1979年，邓小平在党的理论工作务虚会上指出，我国现代化建设不能生搬硬套西方模式，而是要从实际出发，“走出一条中国式的现代化道路”。为了形象和深刻地阐释“中国式的现代化道路”的独特意蕴，邓小平强调，中国式的现代化不是像西方那样的，而是“小康之家”。“小康”代表了中华民族自古以来对富足、安康、公平、正义的理想社会的深切向往和追求，邓小平用“小康之家”这一表述来诠释中国式的现代化道路，不仅通俗易懂，而且体现了中国式的现代化道路的鲜明特色。随着现代化建设进程不断推进，中国共产党认识到“现代化建设的任务是多方面的，各个方面需要综合平衡”，“四个现代化”更多是从物质和技术层面讲的，但对中国这样一个发展中的大国来说，实现现代化还必须重视精神文明建设。进入21世纪，我国顺利实现总体小康，现代化建设的阶段性目标基本完成，但当时达到的小康还是低水平的、不全面的、发展很不平衡的小康。正是在这一背景下，党中央提出了“全面建设小康社会”的战略目标，并明确规划了从总体小康到全面小康的推进步骤。至此，我国现代化建设的“要求开始从达标性向优质性发展的方向迈进”。

Entering the New Era, the CPC has led the people in driving Chinese-path modernization forward through struggle and elevating it through development. Chinese-path modernization has entered a new stage where it has shifted from growth in material terms to holistic advancement and high-quality development across all aspects and fields. Under the Party’s overall leadership, China’s comprehensive national strength has continued to strengthen, common prosperity for all the people has advanced steadily, the socialist system has become more mature and well-defined, and Chinese-path modernization has developed in depth. The 20th National Congress of the CPC drew up a grand blueprint for comprehensively building a modern socialist country, and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee specifically studied “issues of further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese-path modernization,” charting the course for Chinese-path modernization.

进入新时代，中国共产党领导人民推动中国式现代化在奋斗中前进、在发展中提升，中国式现代化建设进入从物质水平增长转变为各方面、全领域整体性推进和高质量发展的新阶段。在党的全面领导下，我国综合国力持续增强，全体人民共同富裕稳步推进，社会主义制度更加成熟定型，中国式现代化向纵深发展。党的二十大擘画了全面建设社会主义现代化国家的宏伟蓝图，党的二十届三中全会专门研究了“进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化问题”，为中国式现代化指明了前进方向。

The path is magnificent, and the future is bright. For over a century, the CPC has always discerned the trend of development with a profound historical vision, accurately grasped the pulse of the times with broad strategic thinking, forged ahead with determination and continued the struggle while carrying forward the cause and forging ahead into the future, and driven Chinese-path modernization to achieve historic breakthroughs. The successful exploration of Chinese-path modernization demonstrates to the world with irrefutable facts that the fundamental reason for the brilliant achievements of Chinese-path modernization lies in the strong leadership of the CPC.

道路壮阔，前途光明。百余年来，中国共产党始终以深邃的历史眼光洞察发展大势，以宏阔的战略思维准确把握时代脉搏，在继往开来中砥砺奋进、接续奋斗，推动中国式现代化建设不断取得历史性突破。中国式现代化的成功探索以无可辩驳的事实向世界昭示：中国式现代化之所以能够取得举世瞩目的辉煌成就，根本在于中国共产党的坚强领导。

(3) Adhering to the CPC’s leadership over Chinese-path modernization is a theoretical reflection on the experiences and lessons of modernization in other countries

（三）坚持中国共产党对中国式现代化的领导是对其他国家进行现代化建设经验和教训的理论省思

History is the best sobering agent. Summing up the experiences and lessons of modernization in other countries can provide important mirrors for the CPC’s leadership of Chinese-path modernization. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was once one of the most powerful political parties in the world. Lenin led the Bolshevik Party to establish the world’s first socialist state, fundamentally changing the direction of human social development. In 1922, the Soviet Union was founded, and the CPSU began implementing “Five-Year Plans.” Relying on a highly centralized planned economic system, it effectively mobilized the nation’s human, material, and financial resources for industrialization and modernization, enabling the Soviet Union to transform from an agricultural country into an industrial one in just over a decade and rapidly become the world’s second-largest industrial power. At its peak, the Soviet Union demonstrated formidable strength in various fields such as the economy, science and technology, military affairs, and education, engaging in fierce competition and confrontation with the United States globally and at one point gaining the upper hand in strategic posture. However, even a socialist country as powerful as the Soviet Union, as the CPSU’s governing capacity weakened, its ideology became “Westernized,” and it became detached from the masses, ultimately fell into the predicament of institutional rigidity and developmental stagnation. During the Gorbachev period, the CPSU gradually lost its leading core position amid the so-called “new thinking” reforms, ultimately leading to the disintegration of the world’s first socialist great power, and its modernization process came to an abrupt halt. This historical tragedy profoundly warns us: the modernization of a socialist country must always uphold and strengthen the Party’s leadership; any act that weakens Party leadership will bring disastrous consequences.

历史是最好的清醒剂，总结其他国家现代化建设的经验和教训，能够为中国共产党领导中国式现代化提供重要镜鉴。苏联共产党曾经是世界上最强大的政党之一。列宁领导布尔什维克党建立了世界上第一个社会主义国家，从根本上改变了人类社会的发展方向。1922年，苏联成立，苏联共产党开始实施“五年计划”，依靠高度集中的计划经济体制有效调动全国的人力、物力和财力进行工业化与现代化建设，使苏联在短短十多年时间就实现了从农业国向工业国的转变，并迅速发展成为世界第二大工业国。巅峰时期的苏联，在经济、科技、军事以及教育等各领域都展现出强大的实力，在全球范围内与美国展开了激烈的竞争和对抗，并一度在战略态势上压倒美国。然而，即便是强大如苏联这样的社会主义国家，随着苏联共产党执政能力弱化、意识形态“西化”以及脱离群众，其现代化建设最终陷入了体制僵化、发展停滞的困境。戈尔巴乔夫时期，苏联共产党在所谓的“新思维”改革中逐步丧失领导核心地位，最终导致世界上第一个社会主义大国分崩离析，其现代化进程也随之戛然而止。这一历史悲剧深刻警示我们：社会主义国家的现代化建设必须始终坚持和加强党的领导，任何削弱党的领导的做法都将带来灾难性后果。

For late-developing modernization countries, whether they have the leadership of a strong political party is the key to determining whether they can effectively cope with complex internal and external environments and achieve modernization. “Strong party leadership is a basic experience of modernization in late-developing countries.” Looking at the modernization process of some developing countries, an important reason why they stagnate at a certain stage and fall into the “middle-income trap” is precisely the lack of leadership by a strong political party. As Huntington put it: “Those countries in the process of modernization that have actually achieved or can be considered to have achieved a high degree of political stability have at least one strong political party.” [24]24 Samuel P. Huntington, *Political Order in Changing Societies* (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1968), p. 454. After World War II, some developing countries, in the course of modernization, not only failed to achieve national prosperity and strength but instead fell into the developmental predicament of political turmoil and social disorder due to blindly copying Western democratic models. The root cause is that these countries generally lack a modern political party with strong political leadership and long-term strategic vision. This profound lesson confirms from the negative side the extreme importance of a strong political party’s leadership for a country’s modernization. It can be seen that adhering to the CPC’s leadership over Chinese-path modernization is not only a basic experience of China’s modernization but also a theoretical summary of the experiences and lessons of modernization in late-developing countries.

对后发现代化国家而言，是否拥有一个强有力的政党的领导是决定其能否有效应对复杂内外部环境以及实现现代化的关键，“强大政党领导是后发国家现代化建设的一条基本经验”。纵观一些发展中国家的现代化历程，其之所以会在一定阶段停滞不前，陷入“中等收入陷阱”，一个重要原因就在于缺乏强大政党的领导。正如亨廷顿所言：“那些在实际上已经达到或者可以被认为达到政治高度稳定的处于现代化之中的国家，至少拥有一个强大的政党。”第二次世界大战后，一些发展中国家在现代化进程中不仅未能实现国家富强繁荣，反而因盲目照搬西方民主模式而陷入政局动荡、社会失序的发展困境。究其根本，这些国家普遍缺乏一个具有强大政治领导力和长远战略眼光的现代政党。这一深刻教训从反面印证了一个强大政党的领导对于国家现代化建设的极端重要性。可见，坚持中国共产党对中国式现代化的领导，既是我国现代化建设的一条基本经验，也是对后发国家现代化建设经验和教训的理论总结。

II. Party Leadership Provides the Fundamental Guarantee for Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization

二、党的领导为推进中国式现代化提供根本保障

Modern politics is party politics; political parties are an important force driving the modernization process. In the process of China’s state-building, the CPC has the dual identity of both a leading party and a ruling party. The Party’s leadership, creativity, and governing capacity are the keys to determining the steady advancement and high-quality development of Chinese-path modernization. The CPC is the highest political leadership force for Chinese-path modernization, and Party leadership is the greatest source of confidence and fundamental guarantee that Chinese-path modernization can always adhere to the correct direction, unite China’s strength, and advance in an orderly manner in a stable and harmonious environment. Under the leadership of the CPC, Chinese-path modernization exhibits a logic of unfolding that is “active, stepwise, and gradual,” reflecting the distinctive feature of party guidance.

现代政治是政党政治，政党是推动现代化进程的重要力量。在中国的国家建构过程中，中国共产党兼具领导党与执政党的双重身份，党的领导力、创造力和执政能力是决定中国式现代化稳步推进与高质量发展的关键。中国共产党是中国式现代化的最高政治领导力量，党的领导是中国式现代化能够始终坚持正确方向、凝聚中国力量、在稳定和谐的环境中有序推进的最大底气和根本保证。在中国共产党的领导下，中国式现代化呈现出“主动式、递阶式、渐进式”的展开逻辑，体现出政党引领的鲜明特色。

(1) Party Leadership Ensures the Steady Advancement of Strategic Planning for Chinese-Path Modernization

（一）党的领导确保中国式现代化战略规划稳步推进

In the process of leading Chinese-path modernization, the CPC has demonstrated outstanding strategic planning capability and historical responsibility. This is the key to China’s successful development of a modernization path suited to its own national conditions. By formulating strategic plans for modernization, the CPC organically integrates the long-term nature of modernization with the phased nature of development, continuously creating new prospects for socialist modernization. For a large developing country like China to achieve modernization, there are no precedents to follow and no ready-made paths to take. Without the CPC’s scientific strategic planning and guidance for Chinese-path modernization, it would be difficult to smoothly realize the goals of Chinese-path modernization and the country’s long-term development.

中国共产党在领导中国式现代化建设过程中，展现出卓越的战略规划能力和历史担当，这是中国能够成功走出一条符合自身国情的现代化道路的关键所在。中国共产党通过制定现代化建设的战略规划，将现代化建设的长期性与发展的阶段性有机结合，推动社会主义现代化建设不断开创新局面。在中国这样一个发展中的大国实现现代化，没有先例可循，没有现成道路可走，如果没有中国共产党对中国式现代化进行科学的战略规划和引导，中国式现代化建设以及国家的长远发展目标都将难以顺利实现。

From a global perspective, only China’s modernization drive possesses stable and continuous strategic planning. This is both a distinctive feature and a notable advantage of Chinese-path modernization. Reviewing the course of Chinese-path modernization, the Communist Party of China, as its helmsman and mainstay, has consistently formulated strategic plans with reasonable time spans, comprehensive coverage, and a scientific structure, enabling China’s modernization to advance through reform and improve through development. From “industrialization” to the “four modernizations,” from the “three-step” strategy to the “new three-step” strategy and then to the “two-step” strategy, the concept of Chinese-path modernization has become increasingly comprehensive, and its strategy increasingly clear. The strategic arrangements made by the CPC for Chinese-path modernization are not only grand in scale but also span a historical period rarely seen in the world, reflecting the Party’s long-term vision and bold spirit in accurately grasping historical development trends and keenly perceiving the general trend of the times.

从世界范围来看，只有中国的现代化建设拥有稳定性、接续性的战略规划，这既是中国式现代化建设的鲜明特点，也是中国式现代化建设的显著优势。回顾中国式现代化的历程，中国共产党作为中国式现代化的领航人和主心骨，一直通过制定时间跨度合理、覆盖领域全面、组成结构科学的战略规划，使中国的现代化事业在改革中前进、在发展中提升。从“工业化”到“四个现代化”，从“三步走”战略到“新三步走”战略再到“两步走”战略，中国式现代化建设的理念越来越全面，战略越来越清晰。中国共产党对中国式现代化建设作出的战略安排，不仅气势恢宏，而且历史跨度世所罕见，反映了中国共产党准确把握历史发展趋势和深刻洞察时代发展大势的长远目光与宏大气魄。

Entering the New Era, the CPC, based on the present and looking toward the long term, has made a series of new strategic deployments and plans for Chinese-path modernization. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee [25]25 The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee was held in November 2013 and is best known for launching a new round of comprehensive reforms. opened a new journey of comprehensively deepening reform in the New Era, first proposing the major proposition of “modernizing the national governance system and governance capacity.” The 19th National Congress of the CPC [26]26 The 19th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2017 and formally established Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. painted a grand blueprint for the development of socialist modernization, putting forward strategic planning for one “historical intersection period” and two “fifteen-year” phases. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee [27]27 The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee was held in October 2020 and adopted proposals for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025)., integrating the new characteristics of modernization development, emphasized promoting the synchronized development of the “new four modernizations” [28]28 The “new four modernizations” refers to the synchronized development of new industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization. and set realizing the “new four modernizations” as one of the visionary goals for basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035. The 20th National Congress of the CPC [29]29 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022. systematically planned the central tasks of the Party and the state for the coming period, clearly stating the need to “comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.” The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee [30]30 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was held in July 2024 and focused on further deepening reform to advance Chinese-path modernization. made specialized plans for comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization, providing basic guidelines and action guides for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. These strategic deployments and plans, mutually interconnected and mutually supportive, form a systematic and complete strategic planning system for modernization construction, fully reflecting the CPC’s profound grasp of the laws of modernization construction and demonstrating the significant advantages of the Party’s leadership and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.

进入新时代，中国共产党立足当前，着眼长远，对中国式现代化建设作出了一系列新的战略部署和战略规划。党的十八届三中全会开启了新时代全面深化改革的新征程，首次提出“推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化”的重大命题。党的十九大描绘了社会主义现代化发展的宏伟蓝图，提出关于一个“历史交汇期”、两个“十五年”的战略谋划。党的十九届五中全会结合现代化发展的新特点，强调推动“新四化”同步发展，并把实现“新四化”作为到2035年基本实现社会主义现代化的远景目标之一。党的二十大对未来一个时期党和国家事业的中心任务进行了系统谋划，明确提出要“以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴”。党的二十届三中全会对全面深化改革和推进中国式现代化问题作出专门规划，为全面建设社会主义现代化国家提供了基本遵循和行动指南。这些战略部署和规划，相互衔接、相互支撑，形成了系统完整的现代化建设战略规划体系，充分体现了中国共产党对现代化建设规律的深刻把握，展现了党的领导和中国特色社会主义制度的显著优势。

(II) Party Leadership Ensures That Chinese-Path Modernization Always Advances Along the Socialist Path

（二）党的领导确保中国式现代化始终沿着社会主义道路前进

The choice of a modernization path has always been a major challenge for countries around the world, especially late-developing modernization countries, and is a fundamental issue concerning the future of the country, the destiny of the nation, and the well-being of the people. Fundamentally, the choice and formation of a country’s modernization path are determined by its historical traditions and actual national conditions. The differences in historical traditions and actual development among countries in the world determine the diversity of modernization development paths. In the historical narrative of world modernization, Western countries have followed a hegemonic and predatory path of modernization. Utilizing the first-mover advantages of economic globalization and modernization to continuously colonize and plunder resources from other countries is the key to the success of modernization in those old imperialist countries. However, the modernization path of Western countries is non-replicable and offers little reference for late-developing modernization countries that pursue an autonomous, endogenous, and peaceful development path. Historical experience shows that choosing a modernization path suited to national conditions can promote rapid national development, while blindly imitating other countries and adopting a “take-it-as-it-is” strategy will plunge the country into a development crisis.

现代化道路的选择问题一直是困扰世界各国尤其是后发现代化国家的一大难题，是关乎国家前途、民族命运、人民幸福的根本性问题。从根本上说，一个国家现代化道路的选择和形成是由该国的历史传统和现实国情所决定的，世界各国的历史传统和现实发展的差异性，决定了现代化发展道路的多样性。在世界现代化的历史叙事中，西方国家现代化走的是一条霸权式和掠夺式的现代化道路。利用经济全球化和现代化的先发优势不断对其他国家进行殖民征服与资源掠夺，是那些老牌帝国主义国家现代化取得成功的关键。然而，西方国家的现代化道路具有不可复制性，对于走自主性、内生性以及和平发展道路的后发现代化国家而言并没有太多借鉴意义。历史经验表明，选择适合国情的现代化道路能够推动国家快速发展，而一味模仿他国、采取拿来主义的策略则会使国家陷入发展危机之中。

Chinese-path modernization has distinct characteristics of Party leadership. Without the Party’s leadership, Chinese-path modernization would lose its mainstay and deviate from the correct direction. The most fundamental reason why Chinese-path modernization can continuously break new ground, write new chapters, and embark on new journeys is that the CPC has always adhered to the socialist path in leading and advancing the process of Chinese-path modernization. First, as a mission-oriented political party, the CPC closely integrates its original aspiration and founding mission with the mission of national prosperity and national rejuvenation, becoming the dominant force in modern state construction and leading national modernization. In the process of China’s transition from a traditional society to a modern society, the CPC not only led the people to complete the New Democratic Revolution, enabling Chinese-path modernization to shift from imitating the Western path to independently exploring its own path, but also combined Marxist theory with China’s construction and reform practice, opening up a new path of Chinese-path modernization with Chinese characteristics and a socialist nature. Second, as a development-and-reform-oriented political party, the CPC can, based on the actual situation of national governance and changes in the social environment, reform policies and systems that are unsuitable for the development of the times, and formulate new strategies and policies that meet the expectations of the people in light of the characteristics of the times. From reform to comprehensively deepening reform, and then to further comprehensively deepening reform, the CPC has taken the initiative, leading the people to dare to gnaw on hard bones, dare to wade through dangerous shoals, dare to cut into the deep-seated maladies of the institutional mechanisms, resolutely remove all institutional and mechanistic obstacles hindering the smooth progress of Chinese-path modernization, and promote Chinese-path modernization to continuously achieve new breakthroughs on the socialist path. Finally, as a vanguard political party, the CPC ensures that Chinese-path modernization always manifests a people-centered value orientation, provides scientific guidance for the path of Chinese-path modernization with the theoretical achievements of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, effectively resists the ideological infiltration and “color revolution” attempts of Western countries, and ensures that the socialist nature of Chinese-path modernization does not change and its direction does not deviate.

中国式现代化具有鲜明的政党引领特征，离开了党的领导，中国式现代化就会失去主心骨，就会偏离正确方向。中国式现代化之所以能够不断开创新局面、谱写新篇章、开启新征程，最根本的原因在于中国共产党在领导和推进中国式现代化进程中始终走社会主义道路。首先，中国共产党作为使命型政党，将自身初心使命与国家富强、民族复兴的使命紧密结合，成为现代国家建构和引领国家现代化的主导力量。在中国从传统社会走向现代社会的发展过程中，中国共产党不仅领导人民完成了新民主主义革命，使中国式现代化实现了从模仿西方道路到自主探索本国道路的转变，而且将马克思主义理论与中国建设、改革实际相结合，开辟了具有中国特色的社会主义性质的中国式现代化新道路。其次，中国共产党作为发展改革型政党，能够根据国家治理的实际情况和社会环境的变化，对一些不适应时代发展的政策和制度进行改革，并结合时代特征制定出符合人民群众期待的新战略和新政策。从改革到全面深化改革，再到进一步全面深化改革，中国共产党主动作为，带领人民敢于啃硬骨头，敢于涉险滩，敢于向体制机制痼疾开刀，坚决清除一切妨碍中国式现代化顺利推进的体制机制障碍，推动中国式现代化在社会主义道路上不断取得新突破。最后，中国共产党作为先锋型政党，使中国式现代化始终彰显人民性的价值导向，并以马克思主义中国化时代化的理论成果为中国式现代化道路提供科学指引，有效抵制了西方国家的意识形态渗透和“颜色革命”企图，确保中国式现代化的社会主义性质不发生改变、方向不发生偏移。

(III) Party Leadership Gathers Chinese Strength for Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization

（三）党的领导为推进中国式现代化凝聚中国力量

Political parties, as the core component of the modern political system, are the indispensable subject for integrating social forces and consolidating the joint force for modernization construction. The fundamental reason why some developing countries stagnate in the process of modernization and find it difficult to escape the “middle-income trap” is the lack of a strong political party to carry out political and social integration. In other words, for late-developing modernization countries, the integrating function of political parties is an important way to promote national modernization. “China is undergoing a ‘compressed modernization,’ and in this short and intense process,” how to make various social groups and organizations strive toward a common goal is a major issue that Chinese-path modernization must resolve. In a large country like China, gathering the wisdom and strength of over 1.4 billion people for modernization construction is an unprecedented great undertaking. Without a strong political party that is organized, disciplined, and can truly represent the interests of the people as the leading core to integrate social forces, the goal of Chinese-path modernization is impossible to achieve. The CPC is the supreme leading force and the sole leading force in Chinese-path modernization construction. It possesses strong organizational capacity, appeal, and cohesion, and can gather the wisdom and strength of all Chinese people in the process of Chinese-path modernization construction.

政党作为现代政治体系的核心组成部分，是整合社会力量、凝聚现代化建设合力的不二主体。一些发展中国家在现代化进程中停滞不前，难以跳出“中等收入陷阱”，其根本原因在于缺乏一个强大政党进行政治整合和社会整合。质言之，对于后发现代化国家而言，政党发挥整合功能是其推动国家现代化建设的重要方式之一。“中国正在经历一场‘压缩式的现代化’，在这个短促而猛烈的过程中”，如何使社会各群体、各组织朝着共同目标而奋斗，是中国式现代化必须解决的重大问题。在中国这样一个人口大国，要把14亿多人的智慧和力量汇聚起来进行现代化建设，是一项前无古人的伟大事业。如果没有一个有组织、有纪律、能够真正代表人民利益的强大政党作为领导核心来整合社会力量，中国式现代化的目标是不可能实现的。中国共产党是中国式现代化建设的最高领导力量，也是唯一领导力量，具有强大的组织力、号召力、凝聚力，能够在中国式现代化建设过程中凝聚起全体中国人民的智慧和力量。

Unlike political parties in Western countries that adhere to a “capital standard” and represent the interests of partial groups, the Communist Party of China is a party that adheres to a people-centered standard and represents the fundamental interests of the entire people. Reviewing history, in the process of China’s transformation from a backward agricultural country to a modernized state, the reason it was able to continuously overcome various difficulties and challenges was precisely because the CPC could unite and rally the immense power of the people of all ethnic groups across the country. Entering the New Era, the CPC, based on changes in the principal contradiction in society, takes completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and comprehensively deepening reform as entry points, actively resolves social contradictions, coordinates the interests of all parties, and provides a powerful guarantee for Chinese-path modernization to gather strength and overcome difficulties on the new journey. Currently, China’s modernization construction is advancing at an unprecedented speed. Without the CPC’s ability to oversee the overall situation from a strategic height, concentrate on grasping major issues, and coordinate all parties to pool strength, the cause of Chinese-path modernization construction could not proceed smoothly. In a word, only by upholding the Party’s leadership can the wisdom and strength of over 1.4 billion people be gathered into an invincible force, and can all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation be fully inspired to write with a giant brush soaked in the blood of struggle, continuing to compose the magnificent chapter of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on the new journey.

与西方国家坚持“资本本位”和代表部分群体利益的政党不同，中国共产党是坚持人民本位和代表全体人民根本利益的政党。回顾历史，我国从落后农业国向现代化国家转变的过程中，之所以能够不断战胜各种困难挑战，靠的就是中国共产党能够团结和凝聚全国各族人民的磅礴伟力。进入新时代，中国共产党立足社会主要矛盾的变化，以全面建成小康社会和全面深化改革为切入点，积极化解社会矛盾，协调各方利益，为中国式现代化在新征程上凝聚力量、迎难克艰提供了强有力的保障。当前，我国现代化建设正以前所未有的速度向前推进，如果没有中国共产党高屋建瓴管全局、聚精会神抓大事、协调各方聚力量，中国式现代化建设事业不可能一帆风顺。一言以蔽之，只有坚持党的领导，才能将14亿多人民的智慧与力量汇聚成一股无坚不摧的力量，才能充分激发全体中华儿女以如椽巨笔饱蘸奋斗热血，在新征程上继续谱写中华民族伟大复兴的壮美华章。

(4) The Party’s leadership provides security guarantees for advancing Chinese-path modernization

（四）党的领导为推进中国式现代化提供安全保障

Whether a country’s steps toward modernization are steady and whether its construction goals can be smoothly achieved depends to a large extent on whether it possesses a safe and stable development environment. Without guaranteed national security, society cannot develop and progress, and the blueprint for modernization construction becomes impossible. Only by building a solid national security defense line and creating a stable and harmonious social atmosphere can a broad path be opened for modernization construction. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC pointed out: “National security is an important foundation for the steady and sustained progress of Chinese-path modernization.” [31]31 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in July 2024, adopted a resolution on further comprehensively deepening reform to advance Chinese-path modernization. This important thesis profoundly reveals the relationship between Chinese-path modernization and national security. The world today is in an era of great transformation unseen in a century. The international and domestic situations are complex and intertwined. Chinese-path modernization faces both unprecedented opportunities and numerous challenges. From the perspective of the international situation, the momentum of world economic growth is weakening, globalization is encountering headwinds, unilateralism and hegemonism are on the rise, “Cold War” thinking persists, “color revolutions” are surging beneath the surface, various traditional and non-traditional security factors are emerging, the world order is entering a historical process of great fission, great differentiation, and great reorganization, and international security faces major challenges. From the perspective of the domestic situation, with changes in the global economic environment, the domestic and international economic situations are becoming increasingly complex, the task of comprehensively deepening reform is arduous. How to better advance Chinese-path modernization, promote coordinated development between urban and rural areas and among regions, promote the coordinated development of material civilization and cultural-ethical progress, and achieve common prosperity for all the people is an exceptionally difficult task and challenge. To comprehensively advance Chinese-path modernization in accurately recognizing changes, scientifically responding to changes, and actively seeking changes, a safe and stable development environment is indispensable. Facing the complex domestic and international situation, the CPC always combines preventing risks with resolving risks, creating a favorable security environment for Chinese-path modernization.

一个国家迈向现代化征程的步伐能否稳健，其建设目标能否顺利达成，在很大程度上取决于其是否拥有一个安全稳定的发展环境。国家安全得不到保障，社会就不可能发展进步，现代化建设蓝图也就无从谈起。唯有筑牢国家安全防线，营造稳定和谐的社会氛围，才能为现代化建设开辟广阔道路。党的二十届三中全会指出：“国家安全是中国式现代化行稳致远的重要基础。”这一重要论断深刻揭示了中国式现代化与国家安全之间的关系。当今世界正处于一个前所未有的大变革时代，国际国内形势纷繁复杂，中国式现代化既面临前所未有的机遇，也伴随着诸多挑战。从国际形势来看，世界经济增长动能衰减，全球化遭遇逆流，单边主义、霸权主义抬头，“冷战”思维尚存，“颜色革命”暗流涌动，各种传统和非传统的安全因素涌现，世界秩序正进入大裂变、大分化、大改组的历史进程，国际安全面临重大挑战。从国内形势来看，随着全球经济环境的变化，国内外经济形势愈发复杂，全面深化改革任务艰巨，如何更好地推进中国式现代化，促进城乡、区域协调发展，推动物质文明与精神文明协调发展，实现全体人民共同富裕，是一项异常艰难的任务和挑战。要想在准确识变、科学应变、主动求变中全面推进中国式现代化，没有安全稳定的发展环境是不行的。面对纷繁复杂的国内外形势，中国共产党始终将防范风险与化解风险相结合，为中国式现代化营造良好的安全环境。

Entering the New Era, the Party Central Committee has continuously strengthened centralized and unified leadership over national security work. On the basis of accurately grasping new opportunities and new challenges, with a keen vision it has observed the new situation and new changes in national security and development, creatively proposed a holistic approach to national security, and continuously advanced the modernization of the national security system and capacity. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that we must coordinate the two major tasks of development and security, “integrating security development into all fields and the entire process of national development.” Under the strong leadership of the Party, the institutional mechanisms in the field of national security have been continuously improved. A scientific and complete national security governance system covering political security, territorial security, and other fields has been gradually established, creating a stable and orderly social environment for comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization, providing an indestructible security guarantee, and becoming a solid backing for the steady progress of modernization construction.

进入新时代，党中央不断加强对国家安全工作的集中统一领导，在准确把握新机遇与新挑战的基础上，以敏锐的眼光洞察国家安全与发展的新形势、新变化，创造性提出了总体国家安全观，不断推进国家安全体系和能力现代化。习近平总书记强调，必须统筹发展和安全两件大事，“把安全发展贯穿国家发展各领域和全过程”。在党的坚强领导下，我国国家安全领域的体制机制持续完善，已逐步建立起一套涵盖政治安全、国土安全等多领域的科学完备的国家安全治理体系，为全面推进中国式现代化营造了安定有序的社会环境，提供了坚不可摧的安全保障，成为现代化建设稳步前行的坚实后盾。

III. Path Choices for Upholding the CPC’s Leadership of Chinese-Path Modernization on the New Journey

三、新征程上坚持中国共产党领导中国式现代化的路径选择

The CPC is a mission-oriented political party, fundamentally different from those political parties in Western countries that are born as electoral tools. From the day of its founding, the CPC has shouldered the dual mission of national independence and national rejuvenation. It must not only lead the Chinese people to complete political revolution under the historical background of intertwined internal and external crises, but also lead the Chinese people in modern state construction and national modernization construction. In this sense, the leadership of the CPC is the prerequisite for initiating and advancing Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization cannot be separated from the leadership of the CPC. With every step forward in Party building, the pace of Chinese-path modernization construction will follow. On the new journey, only by implementing the Party’s leadership in all fields, aspects, and links of modernization construction, and consciously implementing the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments on modernization, can we better advance Chinese-path modernization to a new level.

中国共产党是一个使命型政党，与西方国家那些作为选举工具而生的政党有着根本性区别。中国共产党从诞生之日起就肩负着国家独立和民族复兴的双重使命，不仅要领导中国人民在内外危机交织的历史背景下完成政治革命，而且要领导中国人民进行现代国家建构和国家现代化建设。从这个意义上说，中国共产党的领导，是开启和推进中国式现代化的先决条件，中国式现代化离不开中国共产党的领导，党的建设每前进一步，中国式现代化的建设步伐便会跟进一步。新征程上，只有将党的领导落实到现代化建设的各领域各方面各环节，自觉贯彻落实党中央关于现代化的决策部署，才能更好推进中国式现代化迈上新台阶。

(1) Uphold the Party’s centralized and unified leadership, and give play to the Party’s leading core role in Chinese-path modernization

（一）坚持党的集中统一领导，发挥党在中国式现代化中的领导核心作用

Affairs are in all directions, but the key lies in the central authorities. “Upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is the highest political principle.” [32]32 This formulation, “upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is the highest political principle,” was formally codified in the Party Constitution and the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China in the late 2010s. To advance Chinese-path modernization, if the Party Central Committee does not have the authority to set the one standard, the Party’s organizational system will face the risk of dispersion and disorder, the Party’s leadership will be greatly diminished, and the grand blueprint for building a modern socialist country will be difficult to realize. On the new journey, to continue writing the “great essay” of Chinese-path modernization, fundamentally it depends on the Party’s centralized leadership and unified command, fully leveraging the Party’s leading core role in the process of comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization. Only in this way can we steer the direction and plan the overall situation for Chinese-path modernization.

事在四方，要在中央，“坚持党中央集中统一领导是最高政治原则”。推进中国式现代化，如果党中央没有定于一尊的权威，党的组织体系将会面临分散无序的风险，党的领导力亦将大打折扣，社会主义现代化国家建设的宏伟蓝图也将难以实现。新征程上，要继续写好中国式现代化这篇“大文章”，从根本上来讲要靠党的集中领导、统一指挥，充分发挥党在全面推进中国式现代化进程中的领导核心作用。唯有如此，方能为中国式现代化把好方向、谋好大局。

Upholding the Party’s leadership of Chinese-path modernization, the most fundamental aspect is to uphold the Party Central Committee’s centralized and unified leadership of Chinese-path modernization. This requires all Party comrades to firmly establish the “Four Consciousnesses,” resolutely achieve the “Two Upholds,” [33]33 The “Four Consciousnesses” (consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership) and the “Two Upholds” (uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and uphold the Party Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership) are numbered slogans promoted under remain clear-headed in the face of major issues of principle, maintain resolve in the face of temptations and challenges, and move in the same direction as the Party Central Committee. First, we must resolutely implement the Party Central Committee’s major decisions and deployments on Chinese-path modernization. Party organizations at all levels, from the central to local levels, must consolidate the main responsibility for various tasks in modernization construction, continuously strengthen the sense of responsibility of Party cadres at all levels in socialist modernization construction, and ensure that the entire Party always maintains a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee in actions to comprehensively build a modern socialist country. Second, we must strictly enforce the Party’s political discipline and political rules, seriously conduct political activities within the Party, persistently purify the political ecosystem, and make supervision, discipline enforcement, and accountability meticulous and substantive, ensuring the smooth progress of Chinese-path modernization. Finally, we must uphold democratic centralism. To better uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee and centralized and unified leadership, democratic centralism must be implemented throughout the entire process of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. We must both fully leverage the advantages of democracy to pool wisdom and gather insights for Chinese-path modernization construction, and fully leverage the advantages of centralization to unify thinking and concentrate strength, providing efficiency guarantees for the effective implementation of various modernization construction policies.

坚持党对中国式现代化的领导，最根本的是要坚持党中央对中国式现代化的集中统一领导。这就要求全党同志必须牢固树立“四个意识”，坚决做到“两个维护”，在大是大非面前头脑清醒，在诱惑挑战面前保持定力，与党中央同向同行。首先，必须坚决落实党中央关于中国式现代化的重大决策部署。从中央到地方各级党组织要压实现代化建设各项工作的主体责任，不断强化各级党员干部在社会主义现代化建设中的责任意识，使全党在全面建设社会主义现代化国家的行动上始终同党中央保持高度一致。其次，必须严明党的政治纪律和政治规矩，严肃党内政治生活，持之以恒净化政治生态，把监督执纪问责做细、做实，保障中国式现代化顺利推进。最后，必须坚持民主集中制。为了更好地坚持党中央权威和集中统一领导，要将民主集中制落实到全面建设社会主义现代化国家的全过程，既要充分发扬民主优势为中国式现代化建设集思广益、凝聚智慧，也要充分发扬集中优势统一思想、集中力量，为有效实施现代化建设各项政策提供效率保障。

(2) Improve the Party’s leadership system, and transform the Party’s leadership advantages into the effectiveness of Chinese-path modernization construction

（二）健全党的领导制度，把党的领导优势转化为中国式现代化建设效能

Governing the country relies on standards, and securing the state depends on norms. National governance must rely on clear systems and norms, and the same applies to the smooth progress of Chinese-path modernization. The Party’s leadership system is the fundamental leadership system of our country, occupying a central position in the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It possesses unique advantages in multiple aspects, such as maintaining political stability, building social consensus, maintaining close ties with the masses, commanding the overall situation, and coordinating all parties. It is an important institutional guarantee for Chinese-path modernization to maintain the unity of vitality and order. Therefore, to better advance Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to continuously improve the Party’s leadership system, promote the Party’s leadership system to become more mature and finalized, and better transform the Party’s leadership advantages into the effectiveness of socialist modernization construction.

治国凭圭臬，安邦靠准绳。国家治理要依靠明确的制度和规范，中国式现代化的顺利推进同样如此。党的领导制度是我国的根本领导制度，居于中国特色社会主义制度体系的中轴地位，具有保持政治稳定、凝聚社会共识、密切联系群众、总揽全局、协调各方等多方面的独特优势，是中国式现代化保持活力与秩序相统一的重要制度保障。因此，为了更好地推进中国式现代化，需要不断健全党的领导制度，促进党的领导制度更加成熟定型，更好地将党的领导优势转化为社会主义现代化国家建设效能。

First, it is necessary to enhance the relevance and synergy of the Party leadership system, and continuously improve the specific systems through which the Party leads various undertakings of Chinese-path modernization. The rule of law is an effective means for the Party to lead the construction of a modern socialist country, and an important vehicle for transforming the Party’s leadership advantages into effectiveness in national construction. To this end, we must ensure the organic unity of Party leadership and law-based governance, so that every specific system can stand firm, work smoothly, and be effective in the practice of modernization. At the same time, we must implement the Party leadership system into the construction of the legal and regulatory system in a planned, step-by-step, and guided manner, so that the Party leadership system can better adapt to the new circumstances and new requirements of comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

首先，要增强党的领导制度建设的关联性与协同性，不断完善党领导中国式现代化各项事业的具体制度。法治是党领导社会主义现代化国家建设的有效方式，是党的领导优势转化为国家建设效能的重要载体。为此，我们既要确保党的领导与依法治国的有机统一，让每一项具体制度都能在现代化建设实践中立得住、行得通、管得了，又要有领导、有计划、有步骤地将党的领导制度落实到法律法规体系建设中来，让党的领导制度更能适应全面建设社会主义现代化国家的新形势与新要求。

Second, the Party leadership system must be strictly implemented to fully release its institutional effectiveness. The vitality of a system lies in its implementation; a good system that is not put into practice becomes a “hollow shell” or “window dressing,” which not only fails to produce institutional effectiveness but also damages the system’s credibility. Only by implementing the Party leadership system into all aspects of modernization work can its institutional effectiveness be demonstrated. On the one hand, the implementation of the Party leadership system must be placed in a prominent position. The entire Party must firmly establish a sense of institutional awareness, consciously comply with the Party leadership system, and defend the authority of Party leadership, ensuring that Party organizations at all levels are connected from top to bottom and act in unison, so that the Party leadership system takes root in socialist modernization. On the other hand, supervision over the implementation of the Party leadership system must be strengthened, promoting its vigorous enforcement and ensuring that it effectively plays its role in modernization.

其次，要严格落实党的领导制度，充分释放其制度效能。制度的生命力在于执行，好的制度不抓落实，就会成为“空套子”“花架子”，不仅不能产生制度效能，反而会损害制度公信力。只有将党的领导制度落实到现代化建设的各项工作当中，才能彰显其制度效能。一方面，要把落实党的领导制度摆在突出的位置，全党上下必须牢固树立制度意识，自觉遵从党的领导制度，捍卫党的领导权威，做到各级党组织上下贯通、行动一致，确保党的领导制度在社会主义现代化建设中落地生根。另一方面，要加强党的领导制度执行的监督，推动党的领导制度得到有力执行，确保党的领导制度在现代化建设中切实发挥效用。

(III) Improve the Party’s leadership methods, embedding Party leadership throughout the entire process of Chinese-path modernization

（三）改进党的领导方式，将党的领导贯穿中国式现代化建设的全过程

The Communist Party of China is the backbone, planner, and driver of Chinese-path modernization. The Party’s leadership over Chinese-path modernization is characterized by its overall, penetrating, and comprehensive nature; it is leadership over all aspects, all fields, and the entire process of Chinese-path modernization, not leadership over a single link or a single aspect. Whether the Party’s leadership methods are scientific directly concerns the success or failure of modernization. Improving the Party’s leadership methods and raising the level of Party leadership cannot place Party leadership outside the modernization system; rather, Party leadership must be integrated as an endogenous force into all fields and the entire process of Chinese-path modernization.

中国共产党是中国式现代化的主心骨、规划师和推动者，党对中国式现代化的领导具有全局性、贯通性和全面性特征，是对中国式现代化全方位、全领域、全过程的领导，而不是对某一环节或某一方面的领导。党的领导方式是否科学，直接关系到现代化建设的成败。改进党的领导方式，提高党的领导水平，不能将党的领导置于现代化建设体系之外，而是要将党的领导作为一种内生力量融入中国式现代化建设的各领域和全过程。

To continuously improve the level of the Party’s leadership over Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to constantly improve the Party’s leadership methods and governance methods, making Party leadership more adaptable to the practical requirements of Chinese-path modernization. First, we must adhere to governing the country according to the constitution and the law, focus on optimizing the synergy between Party and government functions, continuously strengthen the Party’s leadership capability, and enhance government execution. For issues involving overall deployment, comprehensive planning, and major policies in modernization, the principle of collective discussion and decision by the Party committee must be upheld; for specific, routine work in modernization, government departments must manage and implement it according to their responsibilities and authority. Second, we must vigorously develop intra-Party democracy and promote the democratization and scientification of major Party decisions on leading the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country. On the one hand, the intra-Party deliberation and decision-making mechanism must be further improved to promote scientific, democratic, and law-based decision-making. For all major matters in modernization, democracy must be fully exercised, opinions must be widely solicited, and decisions must be made strictly in accordance with the principles of collective leadership, democratic centralism, individual deliberation, and decision by meeting. On the other hand, a set of scientific, standardized, and effective decision-making supervision mechanisms must be established, giving full play to the supervisory role of the vast number of Party members, cadres, and the people in major decisions concerning the construction of a modern socialist country.

为了持续提高党领导中国式现代化建设的水平，需要不断改进党的领导方式和执政方式，让党的领导更加适应中国式现代化的实践要求。首先，要坚持依宪执政和依法执政，注重党政职能优化协同，不断增强党的领导力，提高政府执行力。对于现代化建设中涉及总体部署、全面规划、重大方针的问题，要坚持由党委集体讨论决定；对于现代化建设中具体的、经常性的工作，要由政府部门按照职责权限去管理和落实。其次，要大力发展党内民主，推进实现党领导全面建设社会主义现代化国家的重大决策的民主化、科学化。一方面，要进一步完善党内议事决策机制，推进科学决策、民主决策、依法决策。凡是现代化建设中的重大事项，必须充分发扬民主、广泛征求意见，严格遵守集体领导、民主集中、个别酝酿、会议决定的原则作出决策。另一方面，要构建一套科学规范、行之有效的决策监督机制，充分发挥广大党员干部和人民群众在涉及社会主义现代化国家建设的重大决策方面的监督作用。

(IV) Advance the Party’s self-revolution, enhancing the Party’s leading power in comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization

（四）推进党的自我革命，提升党对全面推进中国式现代化建设的引领力

The Communist Party of China is a mission-oriented political party, and the courage to engage in self-revolution is its most distinctive quality. Since its founding, the Party has linked the country’s strength and prosperity with modernization, consciously shouldering the historical mission of advancing Chinese-path modernization. Party building and Chinese-path modernization have always advanced in the same direction. The Party’s self-revolution is a process of continuous self-purification, self-improvement, and self-innovation, and it is also a process in which the Party constantly responds to the epochal issues of Chinese-path modernization and drives China’s transformation from a latecomer to modernization into a frontrunner.

中国共产党是一个使命型政党，勇于自我革命是党最鲜明的品格。自创立之初，党就把国家的强盛兴衰与现代化建设联系起来，自觉肩负起推进中国式现代化的历史使命。党的建设与中国式现代化建设始终同向同行，党的自我革命是不断自我净化、自我完善、自我革新的过程，同时也是党不断回应中国式现代化的时代课题以及推动中国从现代化的后发者向赶超者转变的过程。

In different historical periods, Chinese-path modernization has faced various difficulties, and self-revolution is an important magic weapon for the Party to solve these difficulties. Entering the New Era, we are advancing towards the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation at an unstoppable pace. We are more confident and capable than ever before of building China into a great modern socialist country. The closer the goal and the more complex the situation, the more objectively it requires our Party to make good use of the weapon of self-revolution, continuously injecting vitality and momentum into the cause of Chinese-path modernization. On the new journey, facing new historical missions and tasks, the Communist Party of China uses its self-revolution to lead social revolution, continuously opening up new realms of Chinese-path modernization, and ensuring that the Party can maintain its leading and driving force over Chinese-path modernization for a long time.

在不同历史时期，中国式现代化建设都会面临各种各样的难题，而进行自我革命是党破解这些难题的重要法宝。进入新时代，我们正以不可阻挡的步伐迈向中华民族伟大复兴，我们比以往任何时候都更有信心、更有能力把中国建设成为一个现代化强国。目标越是接近、形势越是复杂，这在客观上要求我们党必须用好自我革命这把武器，持续为中国式现代化建设事业注入生机与活力。在新征程上，面临新的历史使命和任务，中国共产党以党的自我革命引领社会革命，不断开辟中国式现代化的新境界，确保党能够长期保持对中国式现代化的引领力和驱动力。

Conclusion

结语

As a new form of human civilization, Chinese-path modernization both follows the general laws of modernization and contains a special logic of political party leadership inherent in its specific historical background and actual national conditions. The domestic and international crises faced by modern China objectively determined that Chinese-path modernization must follow the historical development logic of “from the entry of an advanced political party, to leading the revolutionary movement, and then to guiding modernization construction.” [34]34 This phrase summarizes the historical sequence of the CPC’s role: first as a revolutionary party, then as the leader of national construction and modernization. Within this development logic, the Communist Party of China is not only the pioneer of the Chinese-path modernization road but also its leader. Its strong leadership has become a distinctive feature and significant advantage of Chinese-path modernization, endowing China’s modernization path with a unique “Chinese-style” connotation. With the tenacity of continuous struggle and long-term strategic planning and deployment, the Communist Party of China has led Chinese-path modernization to breakthroughs in exploration and development through innovation, creating a modernization path suited to China’s national conditions. History and reality fully demonstrate that every step forward in Chinese-path modernization is inseparable from the Party’s strong leadership. Implementing Party leadership throughout the entire process of modernization is the key to the success of Chinese-path modernization. On the new journey of comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization, we need more than ever to unswervingly uphold Party leadership, to give full play to this greatest institutional advantage of Party leadership, and to ensure that socialist modernization can cleave through the waves and sail steadily forward in the new tide of the times. Therefore, deeply summarizing the valuable experience of the Communist Party of China in leading Chinese-path modernization and systematically elucidating the fundamental guarantee role of Party leadership for Chinese-path modernization are of great and far-reaching significance for the Party to unite and lead the people in turning the grand blueprint of comprehensively building a great modern socialist country into a beautiful reality.

作为一种人类文明新形态，中国式现代化既遵循现代化的一般规律，又有基于特定历史背景和现实国情所内蕴的政党主导的特殊逻辑。近代中国面临的国内国际危机客观上决定了中国式现代化必须遵循“从先进政党入场到领导革命运动再到引领现代化建设”的历史发展逻辑。在这一发展逻辑中，中国共产党不仅是中国式现代化道路的开拓者，更是中国式现代化的领导者，其坚强领导成为中国式现代化的鲜明特征和显著优势，使中国的现代化道路展现出“中国式”的独特意蕴。中国共产党以接续奋斗的韧劲、长期性的战略规划和部署，引领中国式现代化在探索中突破、在创新中发展，开创了一条适合中国国情的现代化道路。历史和现实充分表明，中国式现代化的每一步跨越都离不开党的坚强领导，将党的领导贯彻落实到现代化建设的全过程，是中国式现代化取得成功的关键所在。在全面推进中国式现代化的新征程上，我们比以往任何时候都更需要一以贯之地坚持党的领导，需要充分发挥党的领导这一最大制度优势，确保社会主义现代化建设在新的时代浪潮中劈波斩浪、行稳致远。因此，深入总结中国共产党领导中国式现代化的宝贵经验，系统阐释党的领导对中国式现代化的根本保障作用，对于党团结带领人民将全面建成社会主义现代化强国的宏伟蓝图变为美好现实具有重大而深远的意义。

“Chinese-path modernization is a major innovation in the theory and practice of world modernization.” [35]35 This is a quotation from official Chinese Communist Party documents, likely from a speech or policy statement, emphasizing the innovative nature of Chinese-path modernization. It has abandoned the old path of Western countries achieving modernization through military expansion and colonial plunder, providing a new choice for late-developing modernization countries to explore an independent modernization path through peaceful development. This modernization path has dual significance, both national and global, making a tremendous contribution to the progress of human civilization. In short, the new path of Chinese-path modernization led by the Communist Party of China has not only factually shattered the myth that “modernization equals Westernization” but has also theoretically constructed a new paradigm that transcends Western modernization theory, contributing unique Chinese wisdom to the progress of human civilization and the modernization process.

“中国式现代化是对世界现代化理论和实践的重大创新”，其摒弃了西方国家以武力扩张和殖民掠夺实现现代化的老路，为后发现代化国家通过和平发展的方式探索自主现代化道路提供了全新选择。这一现代化道路具有民族性和世界性的双重意义，为推进人类文明进步作出了巨大贡献。简言之，中国共产党领导的中国式现代化新道路，不仅从事实上破除了“现代化=西方化”的迷思，而且在理论上构建了超越西方现代化理论的新范式，为人类社会的文明进步和现代化进程贡献了独特的中国智慧。

Online editor: Jing Mu

网络编辑：静穆