Chinese-Path Modernization Lights Up the Light of Human Civilization

The Chinese nation is a people with a strong sense of mission and far-reaching aspirations, a people with a broad global vision and deep concern for the world. In the early days of the founding of New China, Comrade Mao Zedong said, “China ought to make a greater contribution to humanity.” What kind of contribution can be considered a “greater contribution”? General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “China’s modernization is unparalleled, unprecedented, and magnificently great.” Chinese-path modernization has paved the broad road for us to comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. At the same time, the new form of human civilization it creates is a bright light of civilization that the Chinese nation offers to humanity.

中华民族是一个有着强烈使命担当和远大抱负的民族，是一个有着远大世界眼光、深广天下情怀的民族。新中国成立之初，毛泽东同志曾说，“中国应当对于人类有较大的贡献”。什么样的贡献才能算得上是“较大的贡献”呢？习近平总书记指出：“中国现代化是绝无仅有、史无前例、空前伟大的。”中国式现代化铺平了我们全面推进强国建设、民族复兴的康庄大道，同时，它所创造的人类文明新形态也是中华民族奉献给人类的一道亮丽的文明之光。

I

一

The emergence of human civilization was an epoch-making event that brought our planet out of chaos and opened up the primordial world. Since the advent of human civilization, the history of this planet has turned a new page from being-in-itself to being-for-itself. The recorded history of human civilization spans approximately 5,000 to 6,000 years. During this period, human civilization has evolved and progressed, moving from relative isolation and segregation toward increasing exchange and integration, and from relatively lower stages to increasingly higher stages, giving rise to diverse forms of civilization. From a spatial perspective, based on different geographical environments and resource endowments, various regionally distinctive forms of civilization emerged, such as ancient Egyptian civilization, ancient Babylonian civilization, ancient Indian civilization, Chinese civilization, and ancient Greek civilization. From a temporal perspective, with the improvement of scientific and technological levels and the corresponding development of productive forces, forms of civilization marking different modes of production and ways of life were generated, such as hunting civilization, agricultural civilization, industrial civilization, and information civilization. These two dimensions highlight the richness and diversity of the forms of human civilization.

人类文明的出现，是我们这个星球走出混沌、开辟鸿蒙、石破天惊的事件。自从有了人类文明，这个星球的历史就翻开了从自在到自为的新篇章。人类有记载的文明史大约有5000年至6000年。此间，人类文明递嬗演进，从相对隔绝孤立向日益交流交融、从相对低级的阶段向日益高级的阶段发展，形成了多姿多彩的文明形态。从空间分布看，基于不同的地理环境和资源禀赋，孕育出了各具地域特色的文明形态，如古埃及文明、古巴比伦文明、古印度文明、中华文明、古希腊文明等；从时间链条看，随着科学技术水平的提高以及与之相应的生产力水平的发展，催生出了标示不同生产和生活方式的文明形态，如狩猎文明、农耕文明、工业文明以及信息文明等。这两个向度，凸显了人类文明形态的丰富性、多样性。

The world modernization process began in Western capitalist countries. After the 1760s, with the development of science and technology, the Western Industrial Revolution triggered profound changes in the mode of production and way of life. The social division of labor became more developed, the scale of industry and commerce expanded continuously, and capitalist relations of production gradually took shape. Marx pointed out: “The bourgeoisie, during its rule of scarce one hundred years, has created more massive and more colossal productive forces than have all preceding generations together.” In the process of capital expansion and economic globalization, the bourgeoisie “brought civilization to every corner of the world.” Because modernization was first achieved in a few developed Western countries, this created the illusion that modernization means Westernization and that Western civilization is modern civilization.

世界现代化进程是从西方资本主义国家开始的。18世纪60年代以后，随着科学技术的发展，西方的工业革命引发了生产方式和生活方式的深刻变革，社会分工更加发达，工商业规模不断扩大，资本主义生产关系逐步形成。马克思指出：“资产阶级在它的不到一百年的阶级统治中所创造的生产力，比过去一切世代创造的全部生产力还要多，还要大。”在资本扩张和经济全球化进程中，资产阶级“把文明带到世界的各个角落”。由于现代化是在少数西方发达国家率先实现的，这给人们一种错觉，似乎现代化就是西方化、西方文明就是现代文明。

“When will the sinking land of China be lifted from its plight?” [1]1 A line from a poem by the modern Chinese writer and revolutionary Lu Xun (1881–1936), expressing grief over China’s semi-colonial plight in the early 20th century. From the time when enlightened figures “opened their eyes to see the world” in the modern era, the Chinese people began their arduous exploration of modernization. From the Westernization Movement to the Reform Movement of 1898 and then to the Xinhai Revolution, from the debate over Chinese essence and Western utility to the dispute between revolution and reform, all ended in failure. [2]2 The Westernization Movement (1860s–1890s) was a self-strengthening effort by Qing officials to adopt Western military and industrial technology while preserving Confucian values; the Reform Movement of 1898 was a short-lived attempt at political and institutional reform; the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 overthrew the Qing dynasty and established a republic. All failed to achieve full modernization. After the founding of the Communist Party of China, it united and led the people to abolish the old and establish the new, transforming heaven and earth, enabling China to undergo tremendous changes and a magnificent transformation, and opening up a path of Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization has reached the forefront of human scientific and technological development, is linked to the most advanced productive forces in the world today, and stands at the tide of human modernization. It has achieved a comprehensive transformation from tradition to modernity in various fields, from economy to politics, culture, society, and ecology; therefore, it is modern. Chinese-path modernization is rooted in Chinese soil, guided by Marxism, adheres to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and upholds socialism with Chinese characteristics; therefore, it is Chinese. Chinese-path modernization has created a new form of human civilization, embodying a unique worldview, values, view of history, view of civilization, view of democracy, and view of ecology.

“震旦方沉陆，何年得解悬。”从近代有识之士“睁眼看世界”开始，中国人民就开启了探索现代化的艰辛历程。从洋务运动到维新变法再到辛亥革命，从中西体用之争到革命与改良之辩，皆以失败告终。中国共产党成立后，团结带领人民革故鼎新、改天换地，使中国实现了沧桑巨变、华丽转身，开辟了一条中国式现代化道路。中国式现代化抵近了人类科技发展最前沿，与当今世界最先进的生产力相联系，立于人类现代化之潮头，从经济到政治、文化、社会、生态等各个领域，实现了从传统到现代的全面转型，因而它是现代的；中国式现代化根植于中国土地，以马克思主义为指导，坚持中国共产党的领导，坚持中国特色社会主义，因而它是中国的。中国式现代化创造了人类文明新形态，蕴含独特的世界观、价值观、历史观、文明观、民主观、生态观。

II

二

As a new form of human civilization, Chinese-path modernization is new in that it has historically overcome the congenital defects of Western modernization linked to the capitalist mode of production. It has made the modernization process truly a process of achieving common prosperity for all the people, continuously creating a better life and future for the people; a process of realizing the complete emancipation of humanity and advancing people’s free and comprehensive development; a process of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, consciously safeguarding the common home of the earth; and a process of peaceful development, win-win cooperation, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. It has opened up a new path for humanity to achieve modernization.

中国式现代化作为人类文明新形态，新就新在它历史性地克服了西方现代化与资本主义生产方式相联系的先天性弊端，使现代化进程真正成为了实现全体人民共同富裕、不断创造人民美好生活和未来的进程，成为实现人的彻底解放、推进人的自由而全面发展的进程，成为人与自然和谐共生、自觉守护地球共有家园的进程，成为和平发展、合作共赢、构建人类命运共同体的进程，开辟了人类通向现代化的新路径。

In terms of the relationship between people. The Western modernization process has not and cannot solve the problems of excessive disparity between rich and poor and polarization, which is determined by the basic contradictions of capitalist society. In capitalist society, what occupies the dominant position is capital, and the sole purpose of capital is to pursue value augmentation. The socialization of production and the private ownership of the means of production lead to numerous contradictions in capitalist society. Although contemporary capitalist countries have adopted a series of reformist policies, polarization continues to intensify. The “Occupy Wall Street” movement that spread across the United States in 2011, with its slogan “99% against 1%,” was a protest against the unfair distribution pattern caused by monopoly financial capital. [3]3 The Occupy Wall Street movement, beginning in September 2011 in New York City’s Zuccotti Park, protested economic inequality, corporate influence on politics, and the power of the financial sector, with the slogan “We are the 99%.” Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics, a modernization that adheres to the basic socialist economic and political systems and embodies the essential requirements of socialism. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we have won the battle against poverty as scheduled, historically solving the problem of absolute poverty that had plagued China for thousands of years. Over 1.4 billion Chinese people have achieved moderate prosperity in general. Our Party takes the people’s aspiration for a better life as its goal, and regards achieving high-quality development, developing whole-process people’s democracy, and achieving common prosperity for all the people as essential requirements of Chinese-path modernization, ensuring that the broad masses of the people participate in modernization with the spirit of being masters of the country and full enthusiasm.

在人与人的关系方面。西方现代化进程没有也不可能解决贫富过度悬殊、两极分化的问题，这是由资本主义社会的基本矛盾决定的。在资本主义社会中，占据统治地位的是资本，资本的唯一目的是追求价值增殖，生产的社会化与生产资料的私人占有导致资本主义社会矛盾重重。当代资本主义国家虽然采取了一系列改良政策，但两极分化依然持续加剧。2011年蔓延全美的“99%反对1%”的“占领华尔街”运动，就是对垄断金融资本导致的不公平分配格局的抗议。中国式现代化是中国特色社会主义现代化，是坚持社会主义基本经济制度和政治制度、体现社会主义本质要求的现代化。党的十八大以来，我们如期打赢了脱贫攻坚战，历史性地解决了困扰中国几千年的绝对贫困问题，14亿多中国人民总体实现了小康。我们党把人民对美好生活的向往作为奋斗目标，把实现高质量发展、发展全过程人民民主、实现全体人民共同富裕等作为中国式现代化的本质要求，确保广大人民以主人翁精神满怀热忱地投入现代化建设。

In terms of the relationship between people and things. Under capitalist conditions, the relationship between people and things is inverted. People lose their subject status and are reduced to means and tools for the continuous self-augmentation of capital. In developed capitalist societies, people witness a bizarre spectacle: on the one hand, with the rapid development of science and technology, modern large-scale production creates unprecedented material wealth; on the other hand, people are generally enslaved by things and constrained by forms, life increasingly lacks a sense of direction and happiness, egoism and extreme individualism prevail, and commodity fetishism and money fetishism run rampant. Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that unifies the comprehensive enrichment of things with the comprehensive development of people, and coordinates material civilization with cultural-ethical progress. Under socialist conditions, the masses of the people are the masters of the state and society, unleashing immense enthusiasm for creating a happy life and opening up a bright future with their own hands. Our Party emphasizes that material poverty is not socialism, nor is spiritual impoverishment socialism. It places people’s modernization at the core and in the first position. While continuously strengthening the material foundation of modernization, it vigorously cultivates core socialist values, develops advanced socialist culture, continuously enriches the people’s spiritual nourishment, elevates their spiritual realm, and creates increasingly ample conditions for people’s free and comprehensive development.

在人与物的关系方面。在资本主义条件下，人与物的关系出现颠倒，人丧失主体地位，沦为资本自身不断增殖的手段和工具。在发达资本主义社会，人们看到的是一种怪异景象：一方面是随着科技迅猛发展，现代化大生产创造了前所未有的物质财富，另一方面是人们普遍身为物役、心为形役，生活越来越缺少方向感幸福感，利己主义、极端个人主义盛行，商品拜物教、金钱拜物教大行其道。中国式现代化是物的全面丰富和人的全面发展相统一、物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化。在社会主义条件下，人民群众是国家和社会的主人，焕发出了用自己的双手创造幸福生活、开辟美好未来的巨大热情。我们党强调物质贫困不是社会主义，精神贫乏也不是社会主义，把人的现代化放在现代化的核心和第一的位置，在不断厚植现代化物质基础的同时，大力培养社会主义核心价值观，发展社会主义先进文化，不断丰富人民群众的精神滋养，提升人民群众的精神境界，为人的自由而全面发展创造越来越充分的条件。

In terms of the relationship between humanity and nature. Western modernization has come at the cost of excessive exploitation and utilization of nature, causing enormous damage to the earth’s environment and ecosystems. The modernization process initiated by Western developed countries has caused more damage to nature than all previous eras combined. Currently, global warming, frequent extreme weather events, and the deteriorating ecological environment are causing increasing concern. Western developed capitalist countries are the initiators of this huge ecological deficit. Chinese-path modernization has opened up a new path of coordinated development and harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has incorporated “beautiful” into the goal system of a great modern socialist country, incorporated “ecological civilization construction” into the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan for modernization, incorporated “upholding harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature” into the basic strategy for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, incorporated “green” into the new development philosophy, and incorporated “pollution prevention and control” into the three critical battles that must be won, pushing ecological civilization construction to a new level. China has also actively participated in international cooperation on ecological protection and in global governance on climate change. Today, across the land of China, the sky is blue, the water is clear, the soil is clean, the mountains are green, and the landscape is picturesque. Human society sees hope for solving environmental problems from China’s successful practice.

在人与自然的关系方面。西方现代化是以对大自然的过度开发利用、造成地球环境和生态系统的巨大破坏为代价的。由西方发达国家肇端的现代化进程对自然的破坏超过了以往各个时代。当前，地球变暖、极端天气频发、生态环境每况愈下越来越引起人们的担忧，西方发达资本主义国家是这种巨大生态赤字的始作俑者。中国式现代化开辟了一条人与自然协调发展、和谐共生的新路。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央把“美丽”纳入社会主义现代化强国的目标体系，把“生态文明建设”纳入现代化建设“五位一体”总体布局，把“坚持人与自然和谐共生”纳入新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的基本方略，把“绿色”纳入新发展理念，把“污染防治”纳入必须打好的三大攻坚战，推动生态文明建设迈上了新台阶。中国还积极参与国际生态保护合作，参与应对气候变化全球治理。今日神州大地，天蓝水碧，土净山青，江山如画，人类社会从中国的成功实践中看到了解决环境问题的希望。

In the relationship between one’s own country and other countries, and between a single nation and the world. Western modernization took the path of colonial rule and brutal plunder of weak and late-developing nations, followed the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak, and pursued the gangster logic of the strong bullying the weak. The history of the rise of Western capitalism is a history of crime written in blood and fire; their development was built on the underdevelopment of other countries. Chinese-path modernization takes the path of peaceful development and upholds the concept of win-win cooperation. The Chinese nation has always regarded making those near happy and those far come, and harmonizing all nations, as the way of governance and the sign of a flourishing age. On the international political stage of today’s world, China firmly stands on the right side of history, on the side of human civilization and progress, seeking its own development while safeguarding world peace and development, and in turn better safeguarding world peace and development through its own development. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping, proceeding from the future and destiny of all humanity, has put forward the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, distilled the common values of all humanity of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, and proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, providing a Chinese solution to the epochal question of “What is wrong with the world, and what should we do about it?” This has received response and support from a growing number of countries and peoples.

在本国与他国、一国与世界的关系方面。西方现代化走的是对弱小民族和后发民族进行殖民统治、野蛮掠夺的道路，遵循的是弱肉强食的丛林法则，奉行的是恃强凌弱的强盗逻辑。西方资本主义发迹史就是一部血与火写成的罪恶史，它们的发展建立在别国不发展的基础之上。中国式现代化走的是和平发展道路，秉持的是合作共赢理念。中华民族素以近者悦、远者来、协和万邦为治国之道、盛世之象。在当今世界国际政治舞台，中国坚定地站在历史正确的一边，站在人类文明进步的一边，在维护世界和平与发展中谋求自身发展，又以自身发展更好地维护世界的和平与发展。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记从全人类前途命运出发，提出了构建人类命运共同体理念，凝练了和平、发展、公平、正义、民主、自由的全人类共同价值，提出了全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议，为破解“世界怎么了、我们怎么办”这一时代课题提供中国方案，受到越来越多国家和人民响应和拥护。

III

三

Chinese-path modernization is being carried out in a large Eastern country with a population of over 1.4 billion, encountering difficulties, risks, and challenges rarely seen in the world. To this day, the total population of countries worldwide that can be considered modernized does not exceed 1 billion people. The dazzling emergence of Chinese-path modernization as a new form of human civilization has not only fundamentally changed the fate of the Chinese nation in modern times but also profoundly altered the international political landscape and world pattern. Its impact and significance are undoubtedly world-historical.

中国式现代化是在中国这个14亿多人口的东方大国进行的，所遇到的困难、风险和挑战世所罕有。时至今日，世界范围内堪称现代化国家的总人口加起来也不超过10亿人。中国式现代化这一人类文明新形态的耀世而出，不仅从根本上改变了近代以来中华民族的命运，也深刻改变了国际政治版图和世界格局，其所具有的影响和意义无疑是世界历史性的。

Chinese-path modernization has cast a new epochal radiance on Marxism, and the theory of Chinese-path modernization is the latest major achievement of scientific socialism. After the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, facing some people’s doubts about “whether Marxism still works” and concerns about the future and destiny of the socialist cause, Comrade Deng Xiaoping foresightedly pointed out: “I firmly believe that more and more people in the world will come to believe in Marxism, because Marxism is science.” More than 30 years have passed, and the successful practice of Chinese-path modernization has proven this prediction. In the process of Chinese-path modernization, our Party has adhered to integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, continuously opening up new horizons in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Marxism has further demonstrated its scientific truth in guiding China’s socialist modernization practice, and scientific socialism is brimming with vigorous vitality in 21st-century China.

中国式现代化让马克思主义放射出了新的时代光辉，中国式现代化理论是科学社会主义的最新重大成果。苏东剧变后，面对一些人对“马克思主义还灵不灵”的疑问、对社会主义事业前途命运的关切，邓小平同志高瞻远瞩地指出：“我坚信，世界上赞成马克思主义的人会多起来的，因为马克思主义是科学。”30多年过去了，中国式现代化的成功实践证明了这一预见。在中国式现代化进程中，我们党坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，不断开辟马克思主义中国化时代化新境界。马克思主义在指导中国社会主义现代化实践中进一步彰显了其科学真理性，科学社会主义在21世纪的中国焕发出蓬勃生机。

Chinese-path modernization has irresistibly initiated and irreversibly advanced the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In modern times, China was impoverished and weak, falling behind the tide of modernization. The historical process of the Chinese nation seeking national rejuvenation is precisely the process of seeking to achieve modernization. Without modernization, there can be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The successful advancement and expansion of Chinese-path modernization have enabled us to comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation with conditions and advantages unmatched at any time in the past. The ancient Chinese civilization is being reborn from the ashes in the process of modernization, radiating a captivating and rejuvenated brilliance in the garden of human civilizations.

中国式现代化不可遏止地开启、不可逆转地推进了中华民族伟大复兴的历史进程。近代中国积贫积弱，落在了现代化潮流的后面。中华民族谋求民族复兴的历史进程，就是寻求实现现代化的进程。没有现代化，就没有中华民族的伟大复兴。中国式现代化的成功推进和拓展，使我们全面推进强国建设、民族复兴拥有了以往任何时候都无法比拟的条件和优势。古老的中华文明正在现代化的进程中浴火重生，在人类文明百花园中放射出夺人心魄、青春焕发的光华。

Chinese-path modernization has broken the myth of “modernization = Westernization,” providing new choices and new ideas for developing countries on their path to modernization. In today’s world, because the countries that first entered the ranks of modernization are all Western developed capitalist countries, and because the apologists of capitalism have vigorously promoted “Western-centrism,” defining modernization by the institutional templates, values, and ideologies of Western capitalism, the myth of “modernization = Westernization” has long bound the minds of some people. Some developing countries, in their pursuit of modernization, have blindly copied Western models, taken many detours, paid heavy costs, and some are still struggling in the mire. Chinese-path modernization is deeply rooted in the best of traditional Chinese culture, embodies the advanced nature of scientific socialism, draws on and absorbs all outstanding achievements of human civilization, represents the direction of progress in human civilization, and demonstrates a new path different from the Western modernization model. It has significant enlightening and exemplary significance for countries seeking to achieve modernization.

中国式现代化打破了“现代化=西方化”的迷思，为广大发展中国家走向现代化提供了新的选择、新的思路。当今世界，由于率先进入现代化行列的国家都是西方发达资本主义国家，同时资本主义的卫道士们又极力渲染“西方中心主义”，用西方资本主义的制度模板、价值观念、意识形态等来定义现代化，导致“现代化=西方化”的迷思长期束缚着一些人的头脑。一些发展中国家在谋求现代化中盲目照搬西方模式，走了不少弯路，付出沉重代价，有的至今还在泥淖中挣扎。中国式现代化深深植根于中华优秀传统文化，体现科学社会主义的先进本质，借鉴吸收一切人类优秀文明成果，代表人类文明进步的发展方向，展现了不同于西方现代化模式的新途径，对各国实现现代化具有重大的启示和示范意义。

(The author is a specially appointed researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Ministry of Education)

（作者系教育部习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员）

Online editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑