Overseas Scholars’ Perceptions and Evaluations of Chinese-Path Agricultural and Rural Modernization

Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization, that is, the path of agricultural and rural modernization with Chinese characteristics, refers to the historical process, led by the Communist Party of China and based on the laws governing the development of productive forces and national conditions, of comprehensively modernizing agricultural production, rural development, and farmers’ lives, centered on farmers’ interests and oriented toward rural revitalization and common prosperity. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: “Without agricultural and rural modernization, there can be no modernization of the entire country”; “If China is to be strong, agriculture must be strong; if China is to be beautiful, the countryside must be beautiful; if China is to be prosperous, farmers must be prosperous.”

中国式农业农村现代化，即中国特色的农业农村现代化道路，是指中国共产党领导全国人民在遵循生产力发展规律和国情的基础上，以农民利益为中心，以乡村振兴和共同富裕为指向的农业生产、农村发展和农民生活全面现代化的历史过程。习近平总书记强调：“没有农业农村现代化，就没有整个国家现代化”；“中国要强农业必须强，中国要美农村必须美，中国要富农民必须富”。

After the founding of New China, the Communist Party of China made unremitting efforts to realize China’s agricultural and rural modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [1]1 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2012, marking the beginning of the New Era under Xi Jinping’s leadership., the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has insisted on making resolving the “three rural issues” [2]2 “Three rural issues” (三农问题) refers to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, a standard policy term in China. the top priority of the Party’s work, adhered to the general policy of prioritizing agricultural and rural development, promoted historic achievements in agricultural and rural development, and explored a path of agricultural and rural modernization with Chinese characteristics. The international community has paid close attention to this and widely affirmed it. Not only have well-known international academic journals such as *The China Quarterly*, *Journal of Contemporary China*, and *China Perspectives* published numerous articles on this topic, but world-renowned think tanks or international organizations such as the International Institute for Environment and Development (UK) and the Asian Development Bank have also devoted considerable attention and discussion to it. Research on Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization has already become an important component of overseas China studies.

新中国成立后，中国共产党就为实现中国的农业农村现代化而不懈努力。中共十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持把解决好“三农”问题作为全党工作的重中之重，坚持农业农村优先发展总方针，推动农业农村发展取得历史性成就，并探索出了一条具有中国特色的农业农村现代化道路。对此，国际社会给予了密切关注与广泛肯定。不仅《中国季刊》《当代中国》《中国展望》等知名国际学术期刊围绕该议题刊发了诸多文章，而且诸如英国国际环境和发展研究所、亚洲开发银行等世界知名智库或国际组织亦有大量关注与讨论。有关中国式农业农村现代化的研究，已然成为海外中国研究的重要组成部分。

In recent years, domestic academia has tracked and interpreted overseas research on China’s countryside, but has mainly focused on the scholar teams, theories, and methods of overseas China rural studies. Based on this, the author takes English-language literature from the past decade as a sample to systematically sort out and analyze overseas scholars’ perceptions and evaluations of China’s agricultural and rural modernization in the New Era, hoping to provide an “other” perspective for understanding Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization, and to offer reference for advancing related research and telling the story of China’s rural revitalization well.

近年来，国内学界对于海外关于中国农村的研究多有追踪与阐释，但主要聚焦于海外中国农村研究的学者队伍、理论、方法等方面。基于此，笔者以近十年来的英文文献为样本，就海外学者对新时代中国农业农村现代化的认知和评价进行系统性梳理与分析，以期为理解中国式农业农村现代化提供“他者”视角，为推进相关研究、讲好中国乡村振兴故事提供参考借鉴。

Achievements of Chinese-Path Agricultural and Rural Modernization

中国式农业农村现代化发展成就

Entering the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to agricultural and rural development, made a series of major deployments, and introduced a series of reform plans, pushing agricultural and rural modernization to a new level. The international community has largely affirmed this, discussing it mainly from four aspects: agricultural development, farmers’ income, rural public services, and grassroots governance.

进入新时代，以习近平同志为核心的党中央高度重视农业农村发展，做出了一系列重大部署，出台了一系列改革方案，推动农业农村现代化建设迈上了新的台阶。对此，国际社会多有肯定，并主要从农业发展、农民收入、农村公共服务和基层治理四个方面进行了探讨。

(I) Significant Enhancement of Comprehensive Agricultural Strength

（一）农业综合实力显著增强

Overseas scholars believe that the increase in agricultural production capacity and innovative development are landmark achievements of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization. An OECD report points out that due to farmland consolidation and increased mechanization of production, China’s agricultural output achieved sustained growth from 2012 to 2019, averaging an annual increase of 2%. Zhang Qian of Singapore Management University argues that China’s rural economy has made significant progress in recent years, with agricultural production exhibiting new characteristics, including the emergence of various new types of production entities, the adoption of new organizational forms, the restructuring of supply chains, and the influx of new capital and advanced technology. He concludes: “China’s agricultural development is a success story.” Professor Henry Bernstein of the University of London notes that the transformation of Chinese agriculture constitutes an important case “from which trajectories alternative to Western development paths can be identified.”

海外学者认为，农业的产能提高与创新发展是中国式农业农村现代化发展的标志性业绩。经济合作与发展组织报告指出，由于农田的整合和生产机械化程度的提高，2012—2019 年中国农业产量实现了持续增长，平均每年增长 2%。新加坡管理大学的张谦认为，中国的农村经济在近年来取得了显著进展，农业生产呈现出新的特征，出现了各类新型生产实体，采用了新的组织形式，重构了供应链，并涌入了新的资本和先进技术。他总结道：“中国的农业发展是一个成功的故事”。英国伦敦大学教授亨利·伯恩斯坦指出，中国农业的变革构成了一个重要的案例，“从中可以找出替代西方发展道路的轨迹”。

Some overseas scholars have also noted the gradual integration and interconnection of agriculture with the secondary and tertiary industries. New agricultural industries and business forms represented by e-commerce and rural tourism are showing vigorous development, becoming new engines of the rural economy. Ren Yitian of the University of Manchester points out that by September 2020, the number of “Taobao villages” [3]3 “Taobao villages” are rural clusters where e-commerce, primarily on Alibaba’s Taobao platform, becomes a major economic activity, officially designated by Alibaba based on sales volume thresholds. had reached 5,425. Over the past decade, online shopping platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, and Pinduoduo have not only integrated remote and impoverished areas into the modern economy but have also triggered new rural development models based on e-commerce platforms. An article in *China Perspectives*, a journal of the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China, states that the rise of e-commerce has changed the rural economic ecology, enabling full utilization of rural resources and generating job opportunities in express delivery services and goods warehousing. This trend has undoubtedly boosted the rural economy and opened up a new path to bridge the urban-rural gap. Moreover, China’s rural tourism is also becoming increasingly diversified, gradually transitioning from sightseeing tourism to vacation-style experiential tourism. The combination of agriculture and tourism has diversified farmers’ income channels and created additional employment opportunities.

部分海外学者还注意到，农业与第二三产业逐渐互通融合，以电子商务、乡村旅游等为代表的农业新产业新业态呈现出蓬勃发展之势，成为农村经济发展的新引擎。英国曼彻斯特大学的任一天指出，至 2020 年 9 月，“淘宝村”已达到 5425 个。10 年来，淘宝、京东、拼多多等网络购物平台不仅使偏远贫困地区融入现代经济中，引发了基于电子商务平台的新的乡村发展模式。法国现代中国研究中心刊物《中国展望》发文指出，电子商务的兴起改变了农村的经济生态，使农村资源得以充分利用，并产生了快递服务、货物仓储等工作机会。这一趋势无疑提振了农村经济，开辟了一条弥合城乡差距的新路径。不仅如此，中国的乡村旅游也日益多样化，从观光旅游逐渐过渡到了度假式的体验旅游，农业和旅游业的结合使农民的收入渠道更加多样，并创造了额外的就业机会。

In summary, overseas scholars believe that under a series of strategic measures, China’s high-quality agricultural development has achieved remarkable results, with significantly improved comprehensive benefits and competitiveness, and the foundation of agricultural support has been continuously consolidated.

总之，海外学者认为，在一系列战略性举措下，中国农业高质量发展成效显著，综合效益和竞争力明显提高，农业基础支撑不断巩固。

(II) Steady Increase in Farmers’ Income

（二）农民收入稳步提高

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “In agricultural and rural work, no matter how much is said, increasing farmers’ income is the key.” Overseas scholars have observed that China’s implemented agricultural and rural policies have effectively eliminated absolute poverty in rural areas. Fatoumata Diallo, a researcher at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (Sweden), noted as early as 2019 that the largest-scale poverty reduction campaign in history had achieved comprehensive success. Over the past five years, the poverty reduction campaign had lifted over 68 million people in China’s rural areas out of poverty. In other words, approximately 37,000 Chinese people escaped poverty every day, and the national poverty rate fell from 10.2% to 3.1%. Donallon May of the National University of Singapore stated that since 2013, China has helped an average of about 10 million people escape extreme poverty each year, ultimately lifting all 98.99 million rural poor and 128,000 impoverished villages out of poverty below the current poverty line. China achieved the poverty reduction goals set by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ten years ahead of schedule.

习近平总书记指出：“农业农村工作，说一千、道一万，增加农民收入是关键。”海外学者观察到，中国实施的农业农村政策有力消除了农村地区的绝对贫困。瑞典安全和发展政策研究所研究员法图玛塔·迪亚洛在 2019 年时就指出，史上最大规模的减贫运动取得了全面成功。过去 5 年里，减贫运动使中国农村 6800 多万人摆脱了贫困。换言之，每天约有 3.7 万中国人摆脱贫困，全国贫困率从 10.2% 下降到 3.1%。新加坡国立大学学者唐纳隆·梅表示，2013 年以来，中国平均每年帮助约 1000 万人摆脱极端贫困，并最终使现行贫困线以下 9899 万农村贫困人口、12.8 万个贫困村全部脱贫。中国提前 10 年实现了联合国 2030 年可持续发展议程确定的脱贫目标。

Through in-depth investigation, some overseas scholars have found that Chinese farmers’ incomes have achieved leapfrog and diversified growth, and the income gap between different rural regions is also gradually narrowing. A report from the Observer Research Foundation (India) argues that the Chinese government’s efforts to diversify farmers’ income have promoted the development of satellite factories, providing farmers with stable employment opportunities and income sources. Shingo Kimura, Senior Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist at the Asian Development Bank, points out that from 1978 to 2018, China’s per capita disposable income in rural areas increased nearly 110 times, and from 1990 to 2019, rural household income grew at an average annual rate of 11.9%. Professor Gustafsson of the University of Gothenburg believes that from 2002 to 2018, per capita income in China’s rural areas achieved rapid growth, and the income gap between different regions and ethnic groups in rural China actually became smaller.

部分海外学者通过深入考察发现，中国农民的收入实现了跨越式多渠道增长， 不同地区的农村收入差距也日渐缩小。印度观察家研究基金会报告认为，中国政府促进农民收入多元化的努力推动了卫星工厂的发展，为农民提供了稳定的就业机会和收入来源。亚洲开发银行自然资源和农业高级专家木村申吾指出，1978—2018 年，中国农村人均可支配收入增长了近 110 倍，1990—2019 年农村家庭收入平均每年增长11.9%。典哥德堡大学教授古斯塔夫·森认为，2002—2018 年中国农村人均收入实现了迅速增长，且中国农村不同地区与民族之间的收入差距实际上变得更小了。

Changes in farmers’ income levels are one of the core topics in overseas academic research on China’s countryside. Scholars have found that the Chinese government attaches great importance to increasing farmers’ income. Driven by the poverty alleviation campaign and the rural revitalization strategy, farmers’ incomes have steadily increased, and the pace of common prosperity among farmers has been solid and steady.

农民收入水平的变动是海外学界中国农村研究的核心议题之一。学者们发现， 中国政府高度重视农民增收问题，在脱贫攻坚与乡村振兴战略推动下，农民收入稳步提升，农民共同富裕步伐扎实稳健。

(III) Comprehensive Improvement of Rural Public Services

（三）农村公共服务全面提升

Overseas scholars believe that, since entering the New Era, the Chinese government has placed high priority on and made substantial efforts to improve rural infrastructure and public services, accelerating the filling of shortcomings in rural social development, thereby significantly raising the level of rural infrastructure completeness, the comfort of the human living environment, and the convenience of public services. A research report from the Asian Development Bank points out that providing basic rural services and public goods and establishing a rural social safety net have become main components of China’s rural development strategy. China has not only improved agricultural infrastructure but also promoted substantial upgrades in conditions such as roads, housing, and communications. In the view of Lisa Yao Liu of Stanford University, efforts to improve rural education have been an important part of China’s agenda for promoting balanced development and social equity. The Chinese government has adopted proactive strategies (such as waiving tuition and accommodation fees) to ensure that rural children receive education, and has implemented multiple measures to raise the quality of teaching in rural schools. Furthermore, the rural medical and health service system has been increasingly improved; a series of medical and health reform measures have produced many positive effects: the coverage rate of the new rural cooperative medical system has reached 99%, drug prices have fallen substantially, and the reimbursement rate for disease insurance has also been significantly raised.

海外学者认为，进入新时代，中国政府高度重视并着力改善农村基础设施与公共服务，加快补齐农村社会发展短板，使乡村基础设施完备度、人居环境舒适度以及公共服务便利度得到显著提升。亚洲开发银行研究报告指出，提供农村基本服务和公共产品、建立农村社会安全网已成为中国农村发展战略的主要内容。中国不仅改善了农业基础设施，而且还促进了道路、住房、通信等条件大幅度升级。在斯坦福大学的姚丽莎看来，改善农村教育的努力一直是中国促进均衡发展和社会平等议题的重要组成部分。中国政府采取了积极的战略（如免除学费与住宿费）确保农村孩子获得教育，并实行了多项提升农村学校教学质量的举措。此外，农村医疗卫生服务体系也日益完善，一系列医疗卫生改革举措产生了诸多积极效果：农村新型合作医疗覆盖率达到了 99%，药品的价格大幅度下降，疾病保险报销费率也得到显著提升。

Overseas scholars have found that the effective improvement of rural public services has further won the recognition and support of farmers for the Chinese government. In the view of Liansa Liu, a scholar at Smith College in the United States, providing public goods has been one of the greatest achievements of the Chinese Communist Party’s governance. The Party Central Committee has won the support of farmers through public health campaigns, basic medical services, and the like. Kristen E. Looney, a scholar at Georgetown University in the United States, believes that the combination of village transformation with other policies (such as poverty alleviation resettlement) has promoted comprehensive changes in remote rural areas and raised farmers’ satisfaction with the regime.

海外学者研究发现，农村公共服务的有效改善使中国政府进一步赢得了农民的认可与支持。在美国史密斯学院学者刘兰沙看来，提供公共产品一直是中国共产党执政最大的成就之一。中共中央通过公共卫生运动、基本医疗服务等赢得了农民的拥护。美国乔治敦大学学者克里斯汀·E.鲁妮认为，村庄改造与其他政策（如扶贫安置）的结合促进了偏远农村地区的全面变化，并提升了农民对政权的满意度。

Building livable, workable, and harmonious villages is an inherent requirement of agricultural and rural modernization. Since entering the New Era, China’s rural human living environment has been markedly improved, the public service system has been continuously strengthened, and farmers’ sense of gain and happiness has been significantly enhanced. These positive changes have received full recognition from overseas scholars.

建设宜居宜业的和美乡村是农业农村现代化的题中应有之义。进入新时代，中国农村人居环境得到明显改善，公共服务体系不断健全，农民的获得感与幸福感显著提升，这些积极变化得到了海外学者的充分认可。

(4) Rural grassroots governance has improved in quality and efficiency

（四）农村基层治理提质增效

Villager self-governance is the foundational system of rural grassroots governance; its essence is the state’s “delegation of power” at the governance level, granting farmers the democratic right to autonomously manage rural public affairs. Overseas scholars have found that villager self-governance in China in the New Era has continuously developed, not only promoting the improvement of rural governance but also raising farmers’ enthusiasm for political participation and their satisfaction with the government. Nancy Qian, a professor at Northwestern University in the United States, believes that China’s rural elections have improved grassroots governance, namely the provision and redistribution of public goods, reduced unpopular policies, and raised villagers’ satisfaction with the regime. Other scholars, based on field research in southern China’s rural areas, have concluded that villagers’ enthusiasm for participating in grassroots elections is increasing, and villagers’ influence over village affairs decision-making is continuously rising. It can be seen that China’s rural grassroots democracy is developing; socialist grassroots democracy is broad, genuine, and effective, and is a truly effective mode of social governance.

村民自治是农村基层治理的基础性制度，其本质是国家在治理层面的“权力下放”，赋予农民自主管理农村公共事务的民主权利。海外学者研究发现，新时代中国的村民自治不断发展，不仅促进了乡村治理的完善，还提高了农民政治参与的积极性和对政府的满意度。美国西北大学教授钱楠筠认为，中国的农村选举改善了基层治理，即公共产品的提供和再分配，减少了不受欢迎的政策，并提高了村民对政权的满意度。还有学者基于对中国南方农村地区的调研得出结论，村民参与基层选举的积极性越来越高，村民对村务决策的影响力不断提升。可见，中国农村基层民主在发展，社会主义基层民主广泛、真实、管用，是切实有效的社会治理方式。

The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the fundamental guarantee for the modernization of China’s grassroots governance. For some time, because some rural Party organizations and Party cadres had become detached from the masses and lax in organizational discipline, rural grassroots governance revealed problems of weakened political leadership functions and insufficient political guiding force. Overseas scholars have found that since entering the New Era, the guiding force, organizational capacity, and executive ability of China’s rural grassroots governance have been strengthened. Fatoumata Diallo points out that in 2016, 775,000 government officials were dispatched to rural areas. To improve conditions in rural areas, the Chinese Communist Party has proactively integrated into the grassroots; this both reflects the political importance of rural policy and has driven a rapid decline in poverty figures. Ben Hillman, Director of the Australian National University’s Centre for China in the World, points out that since 2012, the role of Party organizations in village governance has become increasingly prominent. The first secretary stationed in the village [4]4 The “first secretary stationed in the village” (驻村第一书记) is a Party cadre dispatched from higher-level Party or government organs to a village to lead grassroots Party building and coordinate poverty alleviation and rural revitalization work. helps to offset the influence of local social relations; their main responsibility is to train village Party branch secretaries and to provide rich experience and social resources for village development.

中国共产党的领导是中国基层治理现代化的根本保证。一段时间以来，由于部分农村党组织和党员干部脱离群众和组织纪律松弛，农村基层治理暴露出政治领导功能弱化、政治引领力不足的问题。海外学者发现，进入新时代，中国农村基层治理的引领力、组织力与执行力得到增强。法图玛塔·迪亚洛指出，2016 年有 77.5 万名政府官员被派往农村。为改善农村地区状况，中国共产党主动融入基层，这既反映出农村政策的政治重要性，也推动了贫困数字的迅速下降。澳大利亚国立大学中华全球研究中心主任本·希尔曼指出，自 2012 年起，党组织在乡村治理中的角色日益凸显。驻村第一书记有助于抵消当地社会关系的影响，其主要责任是培训村支部书记，并为村庄发展提供丰富的经验和社会资源。

Overseas scholars generally believe that China has, on the one hand, stimulated the vitality of grassroots governance and enhanced the legitimacy of governance by deepening the practice of villager self-governance; on the other hand, it has ensured the correct direction of grassroots governance by highlighting political guidance. The synergy of these two aspects has promoted the improvement of rural grassroots governance in quality and efficiency.

海外学者总体上认为，中国既通过深化村民自治实践，激发了基层治理的活力， 增强了治理的合法性；亦通过突出政治引领，确保了基层治理的正确方向，二者协同促进了农村基层治理的提质增效。

The Dynamic Mechanisms of Chinese-Path Agricultural and Rural Modernization Development

中国式农业农村现代化发展的动力机制

In discussing the characteristics of the modernization process, American political theorist Samuel Huntington pointed out that modernization is a revolutionary process, a complex process, and a systemic process. The same is true of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization development; its driving forces are not singular but form a system. In the view of overseas scholars, the strong leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the active impetus of the peasant masses, the flexible application of institutions, and the innovative promotion of technology constitute the dynamic mechanisms of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization development.

美国政治理论学者塞缪尔·亨廷顿在论述现代化过程的特征时指出，现代化是一个革命的过程、复杂的过程、系统的过程。中国式农业农村现代化发展亦是如此，其动力不是单一的，而是一个系统。在海外学者看来，中国共产党的坚强领导、农民群众的积极推动、制度的灵活性运用以及技术的创新推广构成了中国式农业农村现代化发展的动力机制。

(1) Dominant Driving Force: The Strong Leadership of the Chinese Communist Party

（一）主导性动力：中国共产党的坚强领导

The Chinese Communist Party is the leader, promoter, and practitioner of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization, and is the strong leading core. Overseas scholars believe that an important reason for the major achievements of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization is the high priority and outstanding leadership given to agricultural and rural development by the Party Central Committee. China’s leadership has been actively advancing the agenda of agricultural modernization; a consensus is emerging among policymakers that modernization will improve the efficiency and quality of agricultural production, thereby helping to raise farmers’ incomes, narrow the urban-rural income gap, and enhance the international competitiveness of agriculture. In the view of Jon Taylor, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, agriculture and rural areas have always been policy priorities for China; Xi Jinping’s emphasis on rural revitalization is part of the effort to promote Chinese-path modernization. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, an American expert on China, points out: “The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the greatest political advantage in vigorously carrying out the fight against poverty.”

中国共产党是中国式农业农村现代化的领导者、推动者和践行者，是坚强的领导核心。海外学者认为，中国式农业农村现代化取得重大成就的重要原因在于中共中央对农业农村发展的高度重视和卓越领导。中国的领导层一直在积极推行农业现代化议题，政策制定者之间正在形成的共识是现代化将提高农业生产的效率和质量，从而既有助于提高农民的收入，缩小城乡收入差距，又能够提升农业的国际竞争力。在得克萨斯大学圣安东尼奥分校教授乔恩·泰勒看来，农业和农村一直是中国的政策优先事项，习近平对乡村振兴的重视是推动中国式现代化努力的一部分。美国中国问题专家罗伯特·劳伦斯·库恩指出：“中国共产党的领导是强力开展脱贫攻坚最大的政治优势”。

Many overseas scholars have found that, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, the policy execution capacity of local Party cadres has played a crucial role in the process of agricultural and rural modernization. Brantly Womack, an American economist and expert on East Asian studies, believes that local governments have played a core role in poverty reduction. Scholars such as Gunter Schubert, a professor at the University of Tübingen in Germany, point out that when implementing rural development policies, county and township cadres are active promoters of national development. They carefully plan local development blueprints, promote local development through ideological mobilization and the creation of “models,” and create win-win situations for stakeholders through effective policy implementation. Their policy implementation pays attention both to the people’s needs for economic and social welfare and to the state’s needs for development, urbanization, and stability. County and township cadres have evolved into “cooperative gatekeepers,” committed to coordinating the interests of the state, local people, and themselves.

有不少海外学者发现，在中共中央的领导下，地方党员干部的政策执行力在农业农村现代化进程中发挥了至关重要的作用。美国经济学家和东亚问题研究专家毕儒博即认为，地方政府在减贫中发挥了核心作用。德国图宾根大学教授舒耕德等学者指出，在实施农村发展政策时，县乡干部是国家发展的积极推动者。他们认真规划地方发展蓝图，通过意识形态动员和创造“模式”来促进地方发展，并通过有效的政策执行为利益相关者创造共赢的局面，其政策执行既重视人民对经济和社会福利的需求，也重视国家对发展、城市化和稳定的需求。县乡干部已经演变成“合作守门人”，致力于协调国家、当地民众和自我的利益。

Indeed, as overseas scholars have observed, the top-down leadership force of the Chinese Communist Party is the dominant driving force of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization. Since entering the New Era, the Chinese Communist Party has formulated and solidly implemented strategies such as the fight against poverty, rural revitalization, and common prosperity, treating agricultural and rural modernization as an important link in the overall plan for comprehensively building a modern socialist country, and has achieved historic accomplishments.

诚如海外学者所观察到的，中国共产党自上而下的领导力量是中国式农业农村现代化的主导性驱动力。进入新时代，中国共产党制定并扎实落实脱贫攻坚、乡村振兴、共同富裕等战略，把农业农村现代化作为全面建设社会主义现代化强国的重要环节进行统筹布局，取得了历史性成就。

(2) Subjective Driving Force: The Active Impetus of the Peasant Masses

（二）主体性动力：农民群众的积极推动

The masses are the creators of history and the true heroes. Overseas scholars believe that the strength and wisdom of China’s peasant masses drive the transformation and development of rural society. Some scholars argue that the urbanization of rural areas is a spontaneous bottom-up process, one that is more a self-generated growth propelled by peasants, occurring with relatively little government involvement. At the same time, scholars have found that “new farmers” (xinnongren) are an important medium for promoting structural change in the countryside; with their professional skills and novel management concepts, they inject new momentum and vitality into agricultural and rural development. René Trappel argues that “new farmers” are a key force in rural revitalization and in organizing smallholder farmers; they play a role in driving modern agriculture and are crucial for increasing and stabilizing rural incomes. Youth are the vanguard force and the main source of innovation in modernization. With the introduction of various pro-agriculture policies, more and more young people are returning to their hometowns to start businesses and join the ranks of “new farmers.” Dai Xingran of the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon points out that returning youth—i.e., “new farmers”—are playing the role of rural entrepreneurs in various ways. By creating marketing channels for the products of smallholder farmers, they become social entrepreneurs contributing to rural development; by developing supply chains and safe food markets, they become independent or cooperative entrepreneurs. They not only promote improvements in production practices but also achieve innovations in distribution methods.

人民群众是历史的创造者，是真正的英雄。海外学者认为，中国农民群众的力量和智慧推动着乡村社会的变革与发展。有学者认为，农村的城镇化是一个自发的自下而上的过程，该过程更多是一种由农民推动的自我生成的增长状态，是在政府参与较少的情况下产生的。同时，有学者发现，“新农人”是推动乡村结构性变革的重要媒介，他们凭借着专业技能以及新颖的管理理念，为农业农村的发展注入了新动能与新活力。雷内·特拉佩尔认为，“新农人”是乡村振兴和组织小农户的重要力量，他们具有带动现代农业的作用，是增加和稳定农村收入的关键。青年是推动现代化的先锋力量与创新主体，随着各项惠农政策的出台，越来越多的青年返乡创业加入“新农人”队伍中。法国里昂高等师范学院的戴兴然指出，返乡青年即“新农人”正在以不同的方式扮演着乡村企业家的角色。他们通过为小农户的产品创造营销渠道，成为为农村发展做贡献的社会企业家；通过发展供应链和安全食品市场，成为独立或合作的企业家。他们既推动了生产实践的改进，也实现了配送方式的更新。

Agricultural and rural modernization is a necessity of the times and, even more, the aspiration and pursuit of the broad peasant masses. Overseas scholars believe that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the peasant masses play an important role in the modernization process, making indispensable contributions to achieving sustainable and comprehensive agricultural and rural development.

农业农村现代化是时代发展的需要，更是广大农民群众的向往与追求。海外学者认为，在中国共产党的引领之下，农民群众在现代化进程中扮演着重要角色，他们为实现可持续、全面的农业农村发展做出了不可或缺的贡献。

(3) Guaranteeing Dynamic: Flexible Application of Institutions

（三）保障性动力：制度的灵活性运用

New institutional economics holds that institutions play a more fundamental role in society and are the fundamental factor determining long-term economic performance. Looking back over the more than ten years of the New Era, institutional innovation has played an important guaranteeing role in China’s modernization. It is precisely because of the inherent unity of institutional supply and the policy innovations that adapt to the requirements of different development stages that Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization has achieved significant progress.

新制度经济学认为，制度在社会中具有更为基础性的作用，是决定长期经济绩效的根本因素。回顾新时代十余年，制度创新在我国现代化建设中发挥着重要的保障性作用。正是由于制度供给的内在统一性及适应不同发展阶段要求的政策创新，中国式农业农村现代化才取得重大进展。

In the view of overseas scholars, the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a solid guarantee and an important driving force for Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization. Pi Bo Ru [David M. Lampton] believes that China’s governance system has the capacity to mobilize human and financial resources on a large scale and to formulate and supervise the implementation of binding targets at all levels of government. In his view, the success of rural poverty alleviation actions cannot be separated from the institutions that achieved it; this is also a source of national pride. British political activist Carlos Martínez points out that China’s sustained achievements in poverty alleviation and common prosperity are a manifestation and proof of the role of the socialist system.

在海外学者看来，中国特色社会主义制度是中国式农业农村现代化的坚实保障与重要驱动力。毕儒博认为，中国的治理体系具有大规模调动人力和财政资源的能力，并能在各级政府层面制定和监督实施具有约束性的目标。在他看来，不能将农村扶贫行动的成功与实现它的制度分开，这也是民族自豪感的来源。英国政治活动家卡洛斯·马丁内斯指出，中国在脱贫和共同富裕方面取得的持续成就，是社会主义制度作用的彰显与证明。

Some overseas scholars believe that the CPC insists on adapting measures to local conditions and keeping pace with the times, continuously formulating and improving specific agricultural and rural development institutions and policy systems. A report from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute of Pakistan points out that behind China’s poverty alleviation plan are tailored policies, and its unique poverty alleviation measures have enabled China to achieve milestone success in poverty reduction. Shingo Kimura argues that China has successfully adjusted its rural policies and strategies in response to changes in the agricultural and rural development situation. The rural development strategy after 2010 has become more comprehensive and balanced, which is of great significance for improving the economic, social, and environmental well-being of rural areas. A report from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in the United States points out that China has carried out significant reforms to its rural land system; this is a practice of adaptive gradualism, reflecting institutional innovation and openness to detail.

部分海外学者认为，中国共产党坚持因地制宜、与时俱进，不断制定与完善具体化的农业农村发展制度与政策体系。巴基斯坦可持续发展政策研究所的报告指出， 中国扶贫计划的背后是量身定制的政策，其独特的扶贫措施使中国在减贫方面取得了里程碑式的成功。木村申吾认为，中国依据农业农村发展形势的变化成功调整了农村政策与战略。2010 年后的农村发展战略更为综合和平衡，对于改善农村的经济、社会和环境福祉具有重要意义。美国林肯土地政策研究院的报告指出，中国对农村土地制度进行了重要意义的变革，这是一种适应性的渐进主义的实践，体现出制度的创新性以及细节的开放性。

The observations of overseas scholars are basically consistent with the actual situation of China’s agricultural and rural development. They believe that, from fundamental national institutional arrangements to the design of specific policy systems, the socialist institutional system with Chinese characteristics aligns with China’s national conditions and popular will, and demonstrates a powerful driving force in the process of agricultural and rural modernization transformation.

海外学者的观察与中国农业农村发展实际基本相符合，认为从根本性的国家制度安排到各项具体的政策体系设计，中国特色社会主义制度体系与中国国情、民意相契合，并在农业农村现代化转型过程中展现出强大的驱动力。

(4) Supporting Dynamic: Technological Innovation and Diffusion

（四）支撑性动力：技术的创新推广

“Every source of growth can be reduced to the role of innovation and technological change.” In the view of American economist Walt Rostow, the distinguishing mark between “tradition” and “modernity” lies in the existence of self-sustaining growth, and the dynamic of this self-sustaining growth lies in stable, regular technological innovation. Many overseas scholars believe that China’s agricultural and rural modernization is closely dependent on technological innovation and progress. Zhou Yugeng and Mihaela Boehm of the Sino-German Agricultural Center argue that the rapid diffusion of modern agricultural machinery, digital tools, and biotechnology has effectively raised China’s agricultural productivity and grain output levels. At the same time, the spread of the internet and mobile networks has accelerated the application of information and communication technology in rural areas, and e-commerce platforms have played a key role in connecting farmers with end consumers and in guiding agriculture to become more demand-driven. Ren Yitian points out that digital forces such as e-commerce have become emerging technological catalysts for agricultural transformation and upgrading, the de-agriculturalization of rural employment, and the growth of household economies. Information technology enhances the capabilities of low-income farmers by incorporating them into online markets, supporting their participation in or self-organization of communities of practice and business ecosystems, thereby stimulating digital entrepreneurship and grassroots innovation. Wang Xiaowei, an American writer and technology expert, proposes that, in stark contrast to the common perception that the technological revolution occurs only in cities, blockchain is one of the core technologies for China’s rural revitalization; with the help of artificial intelligence, informatics, and blockchain, tech giants are promoting the centralization of rural production and transportation.

“增长的每一种来源都可以还原为创新和技术变革的作用”。在美国经济学家罗斯托看来，“传统”与“现代”的区分标志在于是否存在自我维持的增长，这种自我维持的动力则在于稳定的、经常的技术革新。众多海外学者认为，中国农业农村的现代化发展紧密依赖于技术的创新与进步。中德农业中心的周裕耕和米哈拉·博埃姆认为，现代农业机械、数字化工具和生物技术的快速推广，使中国的农业生产率和粮食产量水平得到有力提高。同时，互联网和移动网络的普及加速了农村地区信息和通信技术的应用，电子商务平台在联系农民与终端消费者，以及引导农业更受需求驱动方面发挥了关键作用。任一天指出，电子商务等数字力量已经成为农业转型升级、农村就业去农化、家庭经济增长的新兴技术催化剂。信息技术通过将低收入农民纳入在线市场、支持他们加入或自行组织实践社区和商业生态系统，来增强他们的能力，进而激发数字创业和基层创新。美国作家和技术专家王小薇则提出，与人们通常认为的科技革命只发生在城市形成鲜明对比，区块链是中国乡村振兴的核心科技之一，在人工智能、信息学、区块链的帮助下，科技巨头们正在促进农村生产和运输的集中化。

Overseas scholars believe that, as a booster for Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization, technological innovation has created unprecedented agricultural productive forces and new rural economic models, not only supporting China’s food security but also laying the material foundation for rural revitalization and the improvement of farmers’ well-being.

海外学者认为，作为中国式农业农村现代化发展的助推器，技术创新创造出了前所未有的农业生产力和新型农村经济模式，不仅为中国粮食安全提供了支撑，更为乡村振兴与农民福祉的增进奠定了物质基础。

Distinctive Features of Chinese-Path Agricultural and Rural Modernization

中国式农业农村现代化的鲜明特征

Modernization is a common feature and trend of world development today, but history and reality show that there are various paths to modernization. As China’s agricultural and rural modernization continues to advance and expand, the international community has found that it has distinctive features in terms of governance model, promotion method, and value orientation.

现代化是当今世界发展的一个共同特征和趋势，但历史和现实反映出，现代化有各式各样的道路。随着中国农业农村现代化的不断推进和拓展，国际社会发现，其在治理模式、推进方式、价值取向等层面有着鲜明特征。

(1) Governance Model: Organic Integration of Top-Level Design and Pilot Exploration

（一）治理模式：顶层谋划与试点探索的有机结合

Overseas scholars generally believe that emphasizing top-level design is a distinctive feature of China’s modernization in the New Era. In promoting agricultural and rural modernization, China insists on systematic thinking, attaches importance to high-level planning and top-level design, and ensures the orderliness and coordination of agricultural and rural modernization by formulating agricultural and rural development strategies and issuing the No. 1 Central Document. A report from the Asian Development Bank points out that, to promote comprehensive rural development, China has formulated a systematic rural development strategy, which consists of policies such as agricultural supply-side structural reform, rural revitalization, integrated urban-rural development, and targeted poverty alleviation. Zhou Yugeng argues that the annual release of the No. 1 Central Document establishes the policy framework and formulates the guiding principles for the development of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, playing a decisive role in targeted, framework-based agricultural and rural development.

海外学者普遍认为，注重顶层设计是新时代中国现代化建设的鲜明特征。在促进农业农村现代化过程中，中国坚持系统思维，注重高屋建瓴与顶层谋划，通过制定农业农村发展战略、发布一号文件等方式确保农业农村现代化建设的有序性与协调性。亚洲开发银行的报告指出，为促进农村全面发展，中国制定了系统的农村发展战略，该战略由农业供给侧结构性改革、乡村振兴、城乡一体化发展、精准扶贫等政策构成。周裕耕认为，每年发布的中央一号文件确立了政策框架、制定了“三农”发展的指导方针，对农业农村有针对性的、框架式的发展起到了决定性作用。

Overseas scholars believe that, under scientific strategic planning, the Chinese government places emphasis on using policy pilot mechanisms; “pilot projects” and “demonstration sites” have become prominent features of the policy implementation process. Josh Friedman of Harvard University points out that rural poverty alleviation relies on a strategy of “from point to surface”; in implementing this strategy, other regions draw experience and knowledge from successful poverty alleviation areas to enhance their own wealth. The International Institute for Environment and Development in the UK points out that plans for specific problems and specific policy tools are often tested, piloted, and gradually replicated. The Chinese government frequently uses pilot projects to assess the effectiveness and impact of policies on different regions, different types of farmers, and other stakeholders, and on this basis gradually improves policies and their implementation.

海外学者认为，在科学的战略规划下，中国政府注重运用政策试点机制，“试点”与“示范”成为政策实施进程中的显著特征。哈佛大学的乔什·弗里德曼指出，农村扶贫依赖于“由点到面”的方略，在实施该方略过程中，其他地区从扶贫成功地区汲取经验和知识，以增进自身财富。英国国际环境与发展研究所指出，针对特定问题的规划以及具体的政策工具经常受到检验、试点并逐步复制。中国政府常通过试点来评估政策之于不同地区、不同类型农民和其他利益相关者的有效性及影响，并在此基础上逐步改进政策及其执行。

Through their research, overseas scholars have found that in the practice of agricultural and rural modernization, China adheres to an organic combination of top-level planning and pilot exploration, using a systematic policy framework to ensure the correct direction of development while promoting policy innovation and refining top-level design through pilot exploration.

海外学者通过研究发现，中国在农业农村现代化实践中，坚持顶层谋划与试点探索的有机结合，既以系统的政策框架确保正确的发展方向，又通过试点探索来促进政策创新、完善顶层设计。

(II) Means of Advancement: Urban-Rural Integration and Green Development

（二）推进方式：城乡融合与绿色发展

Cities and villages are the two basic fields of modernization, but they are not mutually isolated; rather, they are interdependent. Building a benignly interactive, organically coordinated urban-rural relationship is an important pathway for activating the vitality of agricultural and rural development. Overseas scholars have observed that in the New Era, the Chinese government is committed to promoting the flow of factors between urban and rural areas and achieving integrated urban-rural development. A report from the Observer Research Foundation in India points out that China’s rural revitalization strategy focuses on resolving urban-rural contradictions and bridging the urban-rural gap, aiming to establish a new type of urban-rural relationship characterized by mutual promotion of industry and agriculture, urban-rural complementarity, comprehensive integration, and common prosperity. A report from the Asian Development Bank mentions that China has been striving to achieve integrated urban-rural development. China’s urban-rural integration guidelines allow for the free flow of production factors such as labor, capital, and information between urban and rural areas. With this free flow, a new urban-rural relationship is emerging, characterized by cities driving rural areas and industry promoting agriculture.

城市和乡村是现代化建设的两个基本场域，但二者并非相互割裂，而是互相依赖。构建良性互动、有机协调的城乡关系，是激活农业农村发展活力的重要途径。海外学者观察到，新时代的中国政府致力于促进城乡要素流动，实现城乡融合发展。印度观察家研究基金会的报告指出，中国乡村振兴战略聚焦于解决城乡矛盾、弥合城乡差距，旨在建立工农业相互促进、城乡互补、全面融合和共同富裕的新型城乡关系。亚洲开发银行研究的报告提到，中国一直在努力实现城乡的一体化发展。中国的城乡一体化指导方针允许劳动力、资本、信息等生产要素在城乡间自由流动。随着自由流动，一种新的城乡关系即将出现，其特征是城市拉动农村、工业促进农业。

At the same time, overseas scholars point out that green development is a distinctive feature of China’s rural revitalization, and Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization pursues a development path that is resource- and environment-friendly and ecologically sustainable. Donnelon May believes that the goals of the rural revitalization strategy are intertwined with important policy objectives such as ecological civilization and a Beautiful China, and align with national policies on green development and green agriculture, demonstrating the Chinese government’s growing attention to environmental protection. Russian scholar Vasily Erokhin notes that China has implemented many supporting projects aimed at ensuring sustainable rural development, prioritizing the protection of the ecological environment, pollution control, and the development of low-carbon agricultural chains.

同时，海外学者指出，绿色发展是中国乡村振兴的鲜明底色，中国式农业农村现代化追求的是资源环境友好与生态可持续的发展路径。唐纳隆·梅认为，乡村振兴战略目标与生态文明、美丽中国等重要政策目标相交织，与国家绿色发展、绿色农业发展等政策相契合，表现出了中国政府对环境保护的日益关注。俄罗斯学者瓦西里·埃罗钦指出，中国实施了许多旨在确保农村可持续发展的配套项目，并将保护生态环境、治理污染、发展低碳农业链作为农村可持续发展的优先事项。

As overseas scholars have observed, since entering the New Era, China’s urban-rural relationship has gradually shifted from a static dualistic relationship in the past to a dual mutual-construction relationship. Agricultural and rural modernization is no longer confined to the rural sphere but is placed within the context of urbanization. China has successfully explored a path of urban-rural integrated development with Chinese characteristics, featuring urban-rural complementarity and shared prosperity. At the same time, unlike the modernization path of Western developed countries, which follows a “pollute first, treat later” approach, Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization advocates for reaping “gold and silver mountains” [7]7 Mihaela Boem and Zhou Yugeng: names as given in the source text; no further identification available. in the process of protecting lucid waters and lush mountains [8]8 Alexander Chipman Koty: name as given in the source text; no further identification available. and respecting and conforming to nature.

正如海外学者所观察到的，进入新时代，我国的城乡关系已从过去静态的二元关系逐渐走向双重互构关系，农业农村现代化不再局限于乡村场域，而是被置于城镇化的背景之下，中国成功探索出了一条具有中国特色的城乡互补、共同繁荣的城乡融合发展之路。同时，与西方发达国家的“先污染，后治理”的现代化发展路径不同，中国式农业农村现代化主张在保护绿水青山、尊重顺应自然的过程中收获“金山银山”。

(III) Value Orientation: Enhancing Farmers’ Well-Being

（三）价值导向：增进农民福祉

Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization is a people-centered modernization, with enhancing farmers’ well-being as its fundamental value goal. Overseas scholars point out that rural reform and development under the leadership of the Communist Party of China have always taken poverty eradication and the realization of common prosperity as important focal points. A report from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Pakistan states that the Chinese government has never wavered in its commitment to improving people’s well-being. Xi Jinping, as the national leader, pays particular attention to rural

中国式农业农村现代化是以农民为中心的现代化，增进农民福祉是其根本价值旨归。海外学者指出，中国共产党领导下的农村改革与发展始终把消除贫困、实现共同富裕作为重要关注点。巴基斯坦可持续发展政策研究所的报告指出，中国政府从未动摇过改善人民福祉的承诺。作为国家主席的习近平尤其关注农村地区，在他看来，为农民提供更好的生活方式和经济机会是一项艰巨但重要的任务。乔什·弗里德曼认为，消除贫困、改善生活、实现共同富裕是社会主义的本质要求。习近平高度关注消除贫困的问题，在言语和行动上都把消除贫困放在首位，并在 4 年内走访了 30 个村庄。乔恩·泰勒表示，乡村振兴战略最根本目的是提高农民的生活质量，并有可能真正改善数亿农村人口的生活。在造福农民的政策价值导向下，农业农村现代化建设有力提升了农民群众的幸福感与获得感。新加坡国立大学学者顾清扬认为，伴随着贫困地区的建设和保障日趋完善，民众的幸福感更强烈了。“脱贫攻坚、乡村振兴等是中国社会重视弱势群体发展的缩影，中国正阔步迈向共同富裕的目标”。

Overseas scholars believe that Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization is a modernization that consistently places the interests of the peasant masses at its core, and that continuously meeting the peasant masses’ needs for a better life and promoting social fairness and justice in rural areas constitute the value orientation and intrinsic driving force of agricultural and rural modernization.

海外学者认为，中国式农业农村现代化是始终把农民群众利益置于核心地位的现代化，不断满足农民群众对美好生活的需要、促进农村社会公平正义是农业农村现代化的价值导向和内在动力。

The Global Significance of Chinese-Path Agricultural and Rural Modernization

中国式农业农村现代化的世界意义

What significance does China’s agricultural and rural modernization hold? Along with the continuous enhancement of China’s comprehensive national strength and international influence, overseas scholars have discovered that Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization has not only changed the destiny of Chinese peasants and the development landscape of rural areas but has also provided new forces, new opportunities, and new solutions for global development.

中国的农业农村现代化发展有何意义？伴随着中国综合国力和国际影响力的不断提升，海外学者发现，中国式农业农村现代化不仅改变了中国农民的前途命运和农村的发展面貌，而且还为世界发展提供了新力量、新机遇与新方案。

(I) Contributing China’s Strength to Promoting Global Food Security

（一）为促进全球粮食安全贡献中国力量

Food security is a fundamental guarantee for world peace and development, bearing on the future destiny and sustainable development of human society. In the view of some overseas scholars, as the world’s most populous country, China’s steady growth in grain production has become a cornerstone of global food security. A report from Goldman Sachs in the United States points out that as of 2019, China’s self-sufficiency rate for major grains remained above 95%, while grains (wheat and rice) maintained absolute self-sufficiency. Mihaela Boem and Zhou Yugeng note that China’s agricultural productivity and grain output levels have been continuously rising, with annual grain output exceeding 650 million tons, achieving basic grain self-sufficiency for many years and alleviating pressure on the global food supply. [7]7 Mihaela Boem and Zhou Yugeng: names as given in the source text; no further identification available.

粮食安全是世界和平与发展的基本保障，关系着人类社会的前途命运和永续发展。在一些海外学者看来，作为世界第一人口大国，中国粮食生产的稳健增长成为全球粮食安全的基石。美国高盛集团的报告指出，截至 2019 年，中国主要粮食自给率保持在 95% 以上，同时粮食（小麦和大米）保持绝对自给。米哈拉·博埃姆和周裕耕指出，中国农业生产率和粮食产量水平不断提高，粮食年产量超过 6.5 亿吨，多年来基本实现粮食自给，缓解了全球粮食供应压力。

While achieving grain self-sufficiency, China actively assumes the responsibilities of a major country, providing material and technical assistance to developing countries and making every effort to promote global food security. A research report from the UK Government Office for Science points out that China’s agricultural technology system has demonstrated significant effectiveness, and by providing high-yield rice varieties to developing countries, it has made positive contributions to South-South technology transfer and regional food security. With the development of China’s crop breeding technology and its increasing emphasis on sustainable agricultural production, its contributions are expected to continue to rise. Lila Buckley, a senior researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development, believes that the assumption that vast developing countries can achieve grain self-sufficiency has driven China’s foreign agricultural aid, trade, and investment. Through planting plans and technical training programs, China is actively helping developing countries improve agricultural production efficiency and address food security issues.

在实现粮食自给自足的同时，中国积极承担大国责任，向发展中国家提供物质与技术援助，全力促进全球粮食安全。英国政府科学办公室的研究报告指出，中国的农业技术体系展现出显著成效，其通过向发展中国家提供高产水稻品种，为南南技术转让和区域粮食安全做出了积极贡献。随着中国农作物育种技术的发展以及对可持续性农业生产的日益重视，其贡献有望持续提升。国际环境与发展研究所高级研究员莉拉·巴克利认为，对广大发展中国家能够实现粮食自给自足的假设，推动了中国对外的农业援助、贸易与投资。通过种植计划和技术培训项目，中国正积极帮助发展中国家提升农业生产效率并解决粮食安全问题。

(II) Providing New Opportunities for Win-Win Cooperation in World Economic Development

（二）为世界经济发展提供合作共赢新机遇

Currently, the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, with the acceleration of these changes, the rise of anti-globalization waves, and a sluggish global economic recovery. Against this backdrop, the development of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization has injected new momentum into world economic development. Overseas scholars believe that China’s rural market has enormous potential, and the increase in peasant incomes, along with rural development strategies, has created opportunities for foreign investment. Professor Christopher Marquis of the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge believes that China’s consumer market exists not only in cities but also in rural areas, where there are a large number of middle-income earners aspiring for a better life; in the future, domestic and foreign enterprises will increasingly rely on the vast rural market to write success stories. Canadian political scientist Alexander Chipman Koty argues that under the rural revitalization strategy, foreign companies will encounter development opportunities in areas such as agricultural technology, food security, environmental restoration, and waste management. He also predicts that “the total value of China’s digital agricultural economy will grow from USD 94.9 billion in 2021 to USD 189.8 billion in 2025.” [8]8 Alexander Chipman Koty: name as given in the source text; no further identification available.

当前，世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，逆全球化浪潮抬头，全球经济复苏乏力。在此背景下，中国式农业农村现代化的发展为世界经济发展注入了新动能。海外学者认为，中国农村市场潜力巨大，农民收入的增加以及农村发展战略为外国投资创造了契机。剑桥大学贾奇商学院教授孟睿思认为，中国的消费市场不仅存在于城市，农村也有着大量渴望美好生活的中等收入者，未来国内外企业将日益依靠庞大的农村市场来书写成功故事。加拿大政治学家亚历山大·奇普曼·科蒂认为，在乡村振兴战略下，外国公司将在农业技术、粮食安全、环境修复与垃圾管理等领域迎来发展机遇。他还预测“中国数字农业经济总值将从 2021 年的 949 亿美元增长到 2025 年的1898 亿美元”。

Some overseas scholars also believe that China’s vision for agricultural and rural development and the experience it has accumulated have laid a foundation for deepening international cooperation and promoting common development. Zhou Yugeng [9]9 Zhou Yugeng (周裕耕): A German scholar specializing in agricultural policy and China studies. proposed that realizing rural revitalization and rural modernization is conducive to jointly addressing current and future challenges, such as achieving sustainable development and establishing environmentally friendly agriculture, which are areas of interest for cooperation between Germany and China. He further stated that by learning from each other’s experience, Germany and China have the potential to cooperate in formulating solutions to overcome multiple crises, achieve mutual benefit, and contribute to building a fair, healthy, and sustainable food system. Bob Holden, President of the U.S. Heartland China Association, believes that China’s focus on poverty alleviation and rural revitalization during its agricultural transformation presents rare opportunities for agricultural cooperation and exchange between the United States and China. As the two countries work together to find solutions to the world’s most pressing problems, it is highly likely that many achievements will be made in promoting the world economy and agricultural development.

还有海外学者认为，中国农业农村发展愿景以及积累的经验为深化国际合作、促进共同发展奠定了基础。周裕耕提出，实现乡村振兴和乡村现代化有利于共同应对当前和未来的挑战，如实现可持续发展、建立环境友好型农业等，这些都是德中两国感兴趣的合作领域。他进一步表示，通过借鉴彼此的经验，德中两国有望合作制定克服多重危机的方案，实现互惠互利，并为建立公平、健康和可持续的粮食体系做出贡献。美国腹地中国协会主席鲍勃·霍顿认为，中国在农业转型过程中注重扶贫与乡村振兴，这使美中两国在农业合作与交流方面有着难得的机遇。随着两国共同努力寻找解决世界上最紧迫问题的方案，极有可能在促进世界经济和农业发展方面取得诸多成就。

(3) Providing New Approaches to Rural Governance for Developing Countries

（三）为发展中国家提供乡村治理新方案

The development process of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization is a concentrated manifestation of Chinese wisdom and experience in the rural sphere. It not only benefits the Chinese people but also contributes Chinese solutions to solving rural problems globally, especially in developing countries. Overseas scholars believe that China’s systematic and comprehensive agricultural and rural development policies provide a useful reference for developing countries. A report from the Asian Development Bank points out that as countries enter the middle-income stage, there is an increasing need for comprehensive rural development policies, particularly those focusing on rural environmental and social well-being. China’s comprehensive and balanced rural development policies offer valuable insights for policymakers in ADB member countries. Liu Lansha [10]10 Liu Lansha (刘兰沙): A scholar whose work focuses on comparative rural governance. argues that China faces challenges similar to those of developing countries but has successfully addressed them through a unique set of rural governance policies, making it a valuable case study. Vasily Erokhin [11]11 Vasily Erokhin: A Russian scholar researching agricultural economics and rural development. notes that China’s rural revitalization strategy is not only instructive in promoting the sustainable development of small-scale agricultural production but also inspires us to pay attention to the development of education, culture, sports, leisure, and tourism in rural areas.

中国式农业农村现代化的发展进程是中国智慧和经验在乡村领域的集中展现，其不仅惠及中国民众，亦为全球特别是发展中国家乡村问题的解决贡献了中国方案。海外学者认为，中国系统而全面的农业农村发展政策为发展中国家提供了有益参考。亚洲开发银行的报告指出，随着各国进入中等收入阶段，愈来愈需要综合性的农村发展政策，特别是需要关注农村的环境和社会福祉。中国采取的综合性和平衡性的农村发展政策为“亚行”成员国的政策制定者提供了有价值的见解。刘兰沙认为，中国面临着与发展中国家同样的挑战，但其通过一套独特的农村治理政策成功应对了挑战，这使之成为一个有价值的研究案例。瓦西里·埃罗钦指出，中国的乡村振兴战略不仅在促进小规模农业生产的可持续发展方面具有启发性，它亦启发我们应重视农村地区的教育、文化、体育、休闲和旅游的发展。

Overseas scholars also specifically point out that China’s effective poverty alleviation programs and models provide powerful experience for poverty governance in other countries’ rural areas. A report from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute of Pakistan [12]12 Sustainable Development Policy Institute of Pakistan: An Islamabad-based think tank conducting policy-oriented research. states that only by understanding China’s poverty alleviation model can better policies be formulated while utilizing limited resources effectively. The effectiveness of China’s poverty alleviation policies has not only convinced countries like Bangladesh and India but has also promoted the adoption of multidimensional poverty eradication measures by the United Nations. Shingo Kimura [13]13 Shingo Kimura: A Japanese economist specializing in agricultural and rural development. summarized four key points of China’s rural poverty alleviation: flexible policies, institutional innovation, infrastructure investment, and a strong social safety net, and believes these four points provide particularly important lessons for developing countries in Asia.

海外学者还特别指出，中国有效的脱贫方案与脱贫模式为他国农村贫困治理提供了有力的经验借鉴。巴基斯坦可持续发展政策研究所的报告指出，只有了解中国的脱贫模式，才能在有效利用有限资源的情况下制定更好的政策。中国脱贫政策的有效性不仅说服了孟加拉国、印度等国，也促进了联合国采取多层面的消除贫困的措施。木村申吾总结了中国农村脱贫的四个要点，即政策灵活、体制创新、基础设施投资和强大的社会保障，并认为这四点为亚洲发展中国家提供了特别重要的借鉴。

In summary, in the process of advancing agricultural and rural modernization, China adheres to the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and an open strategy of mutual benefit, promoting world development through its own development, and working with countries around the world to drive global agricultural and rural development towards a more prosperous and sustainable future. This has received broad recognition from overseas academia.

总之，在推进农业农村现代化过程中，中国坚持人类命运共同体理念与互利共赢的开放型战略，以自我发展促进世界发展，与世界各国共同推动全球农业农村发展走向更加繁荣和可持续的未来，这得到了海外学界的广泛认可。

Conclusion

结语

Overseas academia has conducted a panoramic examination of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization from multiple perspectives. It can be found that their research exhibits certain characteristics, providing us with reference and insight. At the same time, the research of a minority of overseas scholars also has limitations that require us to analyze and critique.

海外学界从多角度对中国式农业农村现代化进行了全景式考察。可以发现，他们的研究呈现出一定的特征，为我们提供了参考和借鉴，同时，少数海外学者的研究亦存在局限之处，需要我们加以辨析和批驳。

Research Characteristics. First, the research subjects are rich and diverse. In terms of professional distribution, researchers include not only experts and scholars from fields such as sociology, political science, economics, and history, but also individuals from national or international think tanks, political, and business circles that have close interactions with China. In terms of national distribution, researchers are mainly scholars from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, India, Pakistan, and other countries. Second, the scope of research is relatively broad. Influenced by factors such as academic background and research perspective, some overseas scholars focus on macro-level development strategy research, while others focus on the micro level, such as taking a specific region as an entry point to explore the specific implementation process and impact of policies. Overall, overseas scholars’ research on Chinese agricultural and rural modernization covers a wide range of areas, including politics, economy, society, ecology, and more. Third, research methods are diverse. Some overseas scholars emphasize the use of comparative research methods, exploring the driving mechanisms and characteristics of Chinese agricultural and rural modernization through comparisons of institutions and policies. Some scholars use relatively rich materials in their research, either adopting data published by the Chinese government or collecting relevant data through field research, striving to make their research conclusions more objective and fair. Some scholars are not limited to the research methods of a single discipline but use interdisciplinary methods, promoting the deepening of research on Chinese agriculture and rural areas. Fourth, there is a relatively strong pragmatic research motivation. Overseas scholars’ research on China mostly starts from practical strategic demands, and their research on Chinese agricultural and rural modernization is no exception. They attempt to analyze the reality of China’s agricultural and rural development and the impact of related strategies on other countries or the world, in order to formulate corresponding policies towards China, or to provide reference for specific countries or regions by summarizing experience.

研究特征 第一，研究主体丰富多元。在职业分布上，研究者不仅包括社会学、政治学、经济学、历史学等领域的专家学者，还包括与中国交往较为密切的国家或国际智库、政商界。在国家分布上，研究者主要以美国、英国、德国、日本、印度、巴基斯坦等国的学者为主。第二，研究范围较为广泛。受学术背景、研究视角等因素影响，有的海外学者侧重宏观的发展战略研究，有的侧重微观层面，如以某地区为切入点，探讨政策的具体实施过程及其影响。整体来看，海外学者对中国农业农村现代化的研究覆盖范围广泛，涉及政治、经济、社会、生态等多个领域。第三，研究方法多样化。一些海外学者重视运用比较研究法，通过制度、政策等的比较探讨中国农业农村现代化发展的动力机制与特征。有些学者在研究时运用了较为丰富的资料，或采用中国政府公布的数据，或通过实地调研收集相关资料，力求使研究结论更为客观公正。亦有学者不局限于单一学科的研究方法，将多学科方法交叉使用，促进了中国农业农村研究的深化。第四，具有较为强烈的务实主义研究动机。海外学者对中国的研究多以现实的战略诉求为出发点，对中国农业农村现代化的研究也不例外，他们试图分析中国的农业农村发展现实与相关战略对他国或世界的影响，以期制定相应的对华政策，或通过总结经验为特定国家或地区提供借鉴。

Contributions and Limitations of the Research. On the one hand, the research of overseas academia has, to some extent, compensated for the shortcomings of domestic academia, helping us to understand the development of Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization more comprehensively and objectively. Overall, most scholars can maintain a relatively objective attitude in their research on Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization, and some scholars have further put forward pertinent suggestions such as “diversifying environmental policy tools” and “strengthening policy support for returning youth,” providing reference for us to improve relevant policies. On the other hand, we should also note that research constrained by “Western-centrism” still exists. A small number of scholars still have a problem of “preconceived positions,” discussing Chinese issues divorced from China’s history and national conditions. At the same time, a few scholars lack dialectical thinking, one-sidedly exaggerating the problems and challenges in China’s rural development process, thereby neglecting the overall positive aspects of China’s agricultural and rural development.

研究的贡献与局限之处 一方面，海外学界的研究在一定程度上弥补了国内学界的不足，有助于我们更加全面、客观地理解中国式农业农村现代化的发展。总体来看，多数学者都能秉持相对客观的态度对中国式农业农村现代进行研究，并有学者进一步提出了“使环境政策工具多样化、加强对返乡青年的政策支持”等中肯建议，为我们完善相关政策提供了参考。另一方面，我们也应注意到，囿于“西方中心论”的研究成果仍然存在，仍有少数学者存在“立场现行”的问题，脱离中国历史与国情谈中国问题。同时，还有少数学者缺乏辩证思维，片面夸大中国农村发展进程中的问题与挑战，从而忽略了中国农业农村发展的总体积极面相。

The German philosopher Nietzsche believed: “The more eyes, different eyes, we can use to observe a thing, the more complete our ‘concept’ of this thing, our ‘objectivity’ will be.” The research of overseas scholars inspires us: First, we should broaden our research horizons, attach great importance to overseas scholars’ research on Chinese-path agricultural and rural modernization, promptly track international research trends, and actively integrate into the global academic community. On the basis of accurately grasping the social and historical conditions, motivations, and purposes of others’ research on Chinese agricultural and rural modernization, we should both absorb reasonable viewpoints, theories, and methods, and maintain a high capacity for discernment, be vigilant against erroneous statements, and provide targeted responses and refutations to misunderstandings and slanders. Second, we should strive to construct a discourse system that is both in line with China’s reality and integrates Chinese and foreign elements. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “When it comes to interpreting Chinese practice and constructing Chinese theory, we should have the most say.” [14]14 Xi Jinping’s remark at a symposium on philosophy and social sciences in May 2016. To this end, we must firmly grasp the initiative. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we should actively carry out the external academic interpretation of the history, theory, and practice of Chinese agricultural and rural modernization, generate theories and concepts of rural revitalization that have both Chinese characteristics and universal human values, and enhance the persuasiveness and influence of Chinese discourse.

德国哲学家尼采认为：“我们越是善于让更多的眼睛、各种各样的眼睛去看同一事物，我们关于此事物的‘概念’，我们的‘客观性’就越加全面。”海外学者的相关研究启发我们：第一，应拓宽研究视野，高度重视海外学者对中国农业农村现代化的研究，及时追踪国外研究动向，积极融入世界学术共同体。在准确把握他者研究中国农业农村现代化的社会历史条件、动机与目的的基础上，既汲取合理的观点、理论与方法，又保持高度的鉴别能力，警惕其中的错误言论，并对误解与抹黑之处予以针对性回应与批驳。第二，应努力构建一套既符合中国实际、又融通中外的话语体系。习近平总书记强调：“在解读中国实践、构建中国理论上，我们应该最有发言权。”为此，我们应牢牢把握主动权，在习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的指导下，积极做好中国农业农村现代化的历史、理论与实践的对外学术阐释工作，生成既具有中国标识又具有全人类共同价值的乡村振兴理论和概念，提升中国话语的说服力与影响力。

(Author’s bio: Chen Yitao, doctoral candidate, School of Marxism, East China Normal University)

（作者简介：陈奕涛，博士研究生，华东师范大学马克思主义学院）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心