The Only Correct Path to Building a Strong Country and Rejuvenating the Nation

We will soon mark the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Over these 74 years, the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country, united in heart and mind and working hard through struggle, have achieved great accomplishments that have impressed the world. One of these great accomplishments is that the Communist Party of China, leading the people of all ethnic groups across the country, through long-term exploration and practice, enduring countless hardships and paying a tremendous price, has achieved the major outcome of Chinese-path modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Practice has proven that Chinese-path modernization is workable and stable; it is the only correct path to building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech In moving forward, we must not forget the path we have traveled. A careful review of the course in which our Party has led the people to explore, advance, and expand Chinese-path modernization will help deepen our understanding and grasp of Chinese-path modernization, so that on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country we may doubly cherish, consistently uphold, and continuously advance and expand Chinese-path modernization, and strive in unity for the comprehensive advancement of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

我们即将迎来中华人民共和国成立74周年。74年来，全党全国各族人民同心同德、艰苦奋斗，取得了令世界刮目相看的伟大成就。其中一个伟大成就，就是中国共产党领导全国各族人民在长期探索和实践中历经千辛万苦、付出巨大代价，取得了中国式现代化这一重大成果。习近平总书记指出：“实践证明，中国式现代化走得通、行得稳，是强国建设、民族复兴的唯一正确道路。”一切向前走，都不能忘记走过的路。认真回顾我们党领导人民探索、推进、拓展中国式现代化的历程，有助于加深对中国式现代化的理解和把握，在全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程中倍加珍惜、始终坚持、不断推进和拓展中国式现代化，为全面推进中华民族伟大复兴而团结奋斗。

The Period of Socialist Revolution and Construction Laid the Fundamental Political Precondition and Valuable Experience, Theoretical Preparation, and Material Foundation for Modernization

社会主义革命和建设时期为现代化建设奠定根本政治前提和宝贵经验、理论准备、物质基础

The rooster’s crow heralded the dawn of a new day. [2] On October 1, 1949, the Communist Party of China united and led the Chinese people in establishing the People’s Republic of China, in which the people are the masters of the country, achieving national independence and the liberation of the people. The Chinese people stood up, becoming the masters of their country, society, and own destiny. The era in which the Chinese nation was subjected to arbitrary slaughter and bullying by others was gone forever. China’s development from then on opened a new epoch, creating the fundamental social conditions for achieving modernization.

一唱雄鸡天下白。1949年10月1日，中国共产党团结带领中国人民建立了人民当家作主的中华人民共和国，实现了民族独立、人民解放，中国人民站起来了，成为国家、社会和自己命运的主人，中华民族任人宰割、饱受欺凌的时代一去不复返了，中国发展从此开启了新纪元，为实现现代化创造了根本社会条件。

Regarding what kind of new China to build on the basis of the victory of the New Democratic Revolution, our Party, at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee [3] held on the eve of the nationwide victory of the revolution, clearly set forth the development direction of transforming China from an agricultural country into an industrial country and from a New Democratic society into a socialist society. After the founding of New China, our Party led the people in rapidly healing the wounds of war and restoring the national economy; by the end of 1952, national industrial and agricultural production had reached the highest historical levels. On this basis, our Party lost no time in proposing the general line for the transition period, leading the people in creatively opening up a path of socialist transformation suited to China’s characteristics, and gradually carrying out socialist transformation of agriculture, handicraft industry, and capitalist industry and commerce. In 1956, China basically completed the socialist transformation of private ownership of the means of production and established the socialist economic system. During this period, the Party led the establishment of the system of people’s congresses, the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the system of regional ethnic autonomy, providing institutional guarantees for the people to be the masters of the country.

关于在新民主主义革命胜利基础上建设一个什么样的新中国，我们党在全国革命胜利前夕召开的七届二中全会上，明确提出了中国由农业国转变为工业国、由新民主主义社会转变为社会主义社会的发展方向。新中国成立后，我们党带领人民迅速医治战争创伤、恢复国民经济，全国工农业生产在1952年底已经达到历史最高水平。在此基础上，我们党不失时机提出过渡时期总路线，领导人民创造性地开辟了一条适合中国特点的社会主义改造的道路，逐步对农业、手工业和资本主义工商业进行了社会主义改造。1956年，我国基本上完成对生产资料私有制的社会主义改造，建立起社会主义经济制度。这一时期，党领导确立人民代表大会制度、中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度、民族区域自治制度，为人民当家作主提供了制度保证。

The founding of New China and the establishment of the basic socialist system realized the most extensive and profound social transformation in the history of the Chinese nation, achieving a great leap in which a large Eastern country, poor and blank and with a huge population, strode into socialist society. Thereafter, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the people of all ethnic groups in our country, full of vigor and vitality, threw themselves into the steaming socialist construction that had never before existed in Chinese history. During this period, our Party creatively explored a path of socialist construction suited to China’s conditions, formulated the strategic plan to build our country into a powerful socialist state, and gradually built up a large part of the material and technological foundation on which New China relied for modernization, especially establishing an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Party led the people in achieving original theoretical achievements and tremendous accomplishments, laying the fundamental political precondition and valuable experience, theoretical preparation, and material foundation for modernization.

新中国的成立、社会主义基本制度的确立，实现了中华民族有史以来最为广泛而深刻的社会变革，实现了一穷二白、人口众多的东方大国大步迈进社会主义社会的伟大飞跃。此后，在中国共产党坚强领导下，我国各族人民意气风发投身中国历史上从来不曾有过的热气腾腾的社会主义建设。这一时期，我们党创造性地探索适合中国情况的社会主义建设道路，制定了把我国建设成为一个强大的社会主义国家的战略部署，逐步建设起新中国赖以进行现代化建设的很大一部分物质技术基础，特别是建立了独立的比较完整的工业体系和国民经济体系。社会主义革命和建设时期，党领导人民取得了独创性理论成果和巨大成就，为现代化建设奠定了根本政治前提和宝贵经验、理论准备、物质基础。

The New Period of Reform and Opening Up and Socialist Modernization Provided Chinese-Path Modernization with an Institutional Guarantee Full of New Vitality and the Material Conditions for Rapid Development

改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期为中国式现代化提供了充满新的活力的体制保证和快速发展的物质条件

After the end of the “Cultural Revolution,” [4] at a major historical juncture when the Party and the country faced the question of which direction to take, our Party deeply recognized that only by implementing reform and opening up was there a way out; otherwise, our modernization cause and socialist cause would be ruined. In December 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Party was convened. [5] At this plenary session, our Party, based on a profound grasp of the future and destiny of the Party and the country, a deep summation of the practice of socialist revolution and construction, a keen insight into the trends of the times, and a profound understanding of the expectations and needs of the people, made the historic decision to shift the focus of the work of the Party and the country to economic construction and to implement reform and opening up, ushering in the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization.

“文化大革命”结束后，在党和国家面临何去何从的重大历史关头，我们党深刻认识到，只有实行改革开放才是唯一出路，否则我们的现代化事业和社会主义事业就会被葬送。1978年12月，党的十一届三中全会召开。在这次全会上，我们党基于对党和国家前途命运的深刻把握、对社会主义革命和建设实践的深刻总结、对时代潮流的深刻洞察和对人民群众期盼和需要的深刻体悟，作出把党和国家工作中心转移到经济建设上来、实行改革开放的历史性决策，开启了改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期。

During this period, the modernization construction led by the Communist Party of China began to advance in big strides along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Our Party deeply summed up the positive and negative experiences since the founding of New China, centered on the fundamental question of what socialism is and how to build it, profoundly revealed the essence of socialism, and initiated, upheld, defended, and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics. Our Party made the major judgment that Chinese society is in and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism, established and adhered to the basic line for the primary stage of socialism of “one central task and two basic points,” [6] clearly proposed taking our own path and building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and scientifically answered a series of basic questions concerning building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

这一时期，中国共产党领导的现代化建设开始在中国特色社会主义道路上大踏步推进。我们党深刻总结新中国成立以来正反两方面经验，围绕什么是社会主义、怎样建设社会主义这一根本问题，深刻揭示社会主义本质，开创、坚持、捍卫、发展了中国特色社会主义。我们党作出我国社会处于并将长期处于社会主义初级阶段的重大论断，确立和坚持“一个中心、两个基本点”的社会主义初级阶段基本路线，明确提出走自己的路、建设中国特色社会主义，科学回答了建设中国特色社会主义的一系列基本问题。

The reason socialism with Chinese characteristics is full of vitality is that it is socialism that implements reform and opening up. China’s reform first broke through in the countryside with the implementation of the household contract responsibility system, gradually shifted to urban economic system reform and unfolded comprehensively, while simultaneously carrying out institutional reforms in the political, cultural, social, and other fields; opening up progressed from establishing special economic zones like Shenzhen, developing and opening up Pudong, promoting opening up in coastal, border, riverine, and inland central cities, to joining the World Trade Organization, from “bringing in” to “going global,” making full use of both international and domestic markets and resources. To accelerate the advancement of socialist modernization, the Party led the people in carrying out economic, political, cultural, and social construction, implementing major strategies such as the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of sustainable development, and the strategy of strengthening the country through human resources, advancing the development of the western region, revitalizing old industrial bases such as those in the northeast, promoting the rise of the central region, supporting the eastern region in taking the lead in development, promoting coordinated urban-rural and regional development, promoting the reform and development of state-owned enterprises, encouraging and supporting the development of the non-public sector of the economy, accelerating the transformation of the economic development model, strengthening ecological and environmental protection, promoting sustained and rapid economic development, and greatly enhancing comprehensive national power. Through sustained advancement of reform and opening up, China achieved a historic transformation from a highly centralized planned economy to a vibrant socialist market economy, and from a closed and semi-closed state to all-round opening up; achieved a historic breakthrough from a state of relatively backward productive forces to becoming the world’s second-largest economy; and achieved a historic leap in the people’s standard of living from inadequate food and clothing to an overall moderate prosperity and then to a comprehensive moderate prosperity, providing Chinese-path modernization with an institutional guarantee full of new vitality and the material conditions for rapid development.

中国特色社会主义之所以具有蓬勃生命力，就在于它是实行改革开放的社会主义。我国改革从农村实行家庭联产承包责任制率先突破，逐步转向城市经济体制改革并全面铺开，同时进行政治、文化、社会等各领域体制改革；对外开放从兴办深圳等经济特区、开发开放浦东、推动沿海沿边沿江沿线和内陆中心城市对外开放到加入世界贸易组织，从“引进来”到“走出去”，充分利用国际国内两个市场、两种资源。为了加快推进社会主义现代化，党领导人民进行经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设，实施科教兴国战略、可持续发展战略、人才强国战略等重大战略，推进西部大开发，振兴东北地区等老工业基地，促进中部地区崛起，支持东部地区率先发展，促进城乡、区域协调发展，推动国有企业改革和发展，鼓励和支持发展非公有制经济，加快转变经济发展方式，加强生态环境保护，推动经济持续快速发展，综合国力大幅提升。经过持续推进改革开放，我国实现了从高度集中的计划经济体制到充满活力的社会主义市场经济体制、从封闭半封闭到全方位开放的历史性转变，实现了从生产力相对落后的状况到经济总量跃居世界第二的历史性突破，实现了人民生活从温饱不足到总体小康、奔向全面小康的历史性跨越，为中国式现代化提供了充满新的活力的体制保证和快速发展的物质条件。

The New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Successfully Advanced and Expanded Chinese-Path Modernization

中国特色社会主义新时代成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化

Looking back at history, from the First Five-Year Plan to the 14th Five-Year Plan, the consistent theme has been to build our country into a modern socialist country. We have taken detours and encountered some unexpected difficulties and setbacks, but our will and determination to build a modern socialist country have never wavered.

回望历史，从第一个五年计划到第十四个五年规划，一以贯之的主题是把我国建设成为社会主义现代化国家。我们曾经走过弯路，也遭遇过一些意想不到的困难和挫折，但建设社会主义现代化国家的意志和决心始终没有动摇。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the cause of the Party and the state has achieved historic accomplishments and undergone historic transformations. The Chinese nation has experienced a great leap from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, and Chinese-path modernization has opened a new chapter. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has continued to advance on the existing foundation, constantly achieving innovative breakthroughs in theory and practice, and successfully advancing and expanding Chinese-path modernization.” We have deepened our understanding, established Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieved a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and provided fundamental guidance for Chinese-path modernization. We have further deepened our understanding of the connotation and essence of Chinese-path modernization, summarized and formed its Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles, initially constructed a theoretical system for Chinese-path modernization, and made it clearer, more scientific, and more tangible and feasible. We have continuously improved our strategy, coordinated the advancement of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, promoted the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy in a balanced manner, and deeply implemented a series of major strategies such as the strategy of invigorating China through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the nation through talent, and the rural revitalization strategy, providing solid strategic support for Chinese-path modernization. We have continuously enriched our practice, advanced a series of transformative practices, achieved a series of breakthrough progress, and obtained a series of landmark results, driving the cause of the Party and the state to historic accomplishments and historic transformations. In particular, we have eliminated absolute poverty, completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and provided Chinese-path modernization with more complete institutional guarantees, a more solid material foundation, and a more proactive spiritual force.

党的十八大以来，中国特色社会主义进入新时代。在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，中华民族迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，中国式现代化开启了新的篇章。习近平总书记指出：“党的十八大以来，我们党在已有基础上继续前进，不断实现理论和实践上的创新突破，成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化。”我们在认识上不断深化，创立了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃，为中国式现代化提供了根本遵循。我们进一步深化对中国式现代化的内涵和本质的认识，概括形成中国式现代化的中国特色、本质要求和重大原则，初步构建中国式现代化的理论体系，使中国式现代化更加清晰、更加科学、更加可感可行。我们在战略上不断完善，统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局，协调推进“四个全面”战略布局，深入实施科教兴国战略、人才强国战略、乡村振兴战略等一系列重大战略，为中国式现代化提供坚实战略支撑。我们在实践上不断丰富，推进一系列变革性实践、实现一系列突破性进展、取得一系列标志性成果，推动党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，特别是消除了绝对贫困问题，全面建成小康社会，为中国式现代化提供了更为完善的制度保证、更为坚实的物质基础、更为主动的精神力量。

Looking to the future, General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his report to the 20th National Congress of the

面向未来，习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中提出了新时代新征程中国共产党的使命任务：“从现在起，中国共产党的中心任务就是团结带领全国各族人民全面建成社会主义现代化强国、实现第二个百年奋斗目标，以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。”我们要深刻认识到，中国式现代化是中国共产党领导的社会主义现代化，党的领导决定中国式现代化的根本性质，确保中国式现代化锚定奋斗目标行稳致远，激发建设中国式现代化的强劲动力，凝聚建设中国式现代化的磅礴力量，推进和拓展中国式现代化必须坚持党的领导；习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃，为中国式现代化提供了根本遵循，推进和拓展中国式现代化必须坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为科学指引。我们要深刻认识到，中国式现代化是党领导人民在长期探索和实践中取得的重大理论和实践成果，为中华民族伟大复兴开辟了广阔前景；中国式现代化是一种全新的人类文明形态，其所蕴含的独特世界观、价值观、历史观、文明观、民主观、生态观等及其伟大实践，是对世界现代化理论和实践的重大创新。推进中国式现代化，是一项前无古人的开创性事业。要守好中国式现代化的本和源、根和魂，深刻洞察世界发展大势，准确把握人民群众的共同愿望，深入探索经济社会发展规律，坚持统筹兼顾、系统谋划、整体推进，正确处理好顶层设计与实践探索、战略与策略、守正与创新、效率与公平、活力与秩序、自立自强与对外开放等一系列重大关系。新征程上，我们要坚持独立自主、自立自强，坚持把国家和民族发展放在自己力量的基点上，坚持把我国发展进步的命运牢牢掌握在自己手中，在中国式现代化道路上不断开辟中华民族伟大复兴更加广阔的前景。

Online editor: Zhang Fujun

网络编辑：张福军