The “View of Mutual Learning Among Civilizations” Embodied in Chinese-Path Modernization

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “All civilizations created by human

习近平总书记指出：“人类社会创造的各种文明，都闪烁着璀璨光芒，为各国现代化积蓄了厚重底蕴、赋予了鲜明特质，并跨越时空、超越国界，共同为人类社会现代化进程作出了重要贡献。”纵观人类社会发展历史，任何一个国家走向现代化的发展模式，必然是各种文明要素相互学习、借鉴融合下沉淀和创新的结果。中国式现代化在坚守民族文化主体性的基础上，“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图景，是一种全新的人类文明形态”。其中，“以文明交流超越文明隔阂、文明互鉴超越文明冲突、文明共存超越文明优越”的新型文明观，是中国式现代化区别于西方现代化模式的独特之处，是对“世界现代化理论和实践的重大创新”。基于此，深刻理解中国式现代化蕴含的“文明互鉴观”，是世界大变局中应对人类文明共同挑战、推动文明发展进步的现实要求，对繁荣世界文明百花园具有重要意义。

I. Advocating the Diverse Coexistence of Civilizations, Breaking the Myth of “Civilizational Unilinearism”

一、倡导文明多样共存，打破“文明一元论”迷思

“The diversity of human civilizations is a basic feature of the world.” Yet because the Western origin of modernity first created the Western form of human civilization, mainstream Western views have held that the development of human society is singular, and that only the view of civilization led by Western developed countries represents the direction of human civilizational progress. On this basis, they have put forward a “singular view of civilization” equating “Western civilization = modernization.” Consequently, clamorous claims promoting Western civilizational centrism—such as “modernization = Westernization” and “modern civilization = Western civilization”—have become rampant. The historical emergence of Chinese-path modernization “has thoroughly ended, with facts, the old logic that only capitalist modernization exists,” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Conference Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China” (July 1, 2021). proving that the Western civilizational form is merely one form among the evolving forms of human civilization, not the sole or ultimate form of human civilizational development, and still less the standard or model for measuring the modernization of other countries. It thus demonstrates the legitimacy and rationality of the diversity of human civilizations and their development.

“人类文明多样性是世界的基本特征”，但因现代性问题起源上的西方属性率先创造了人类文明的西方形态，西方主流观点便认定人类社会的发展是单数的，代表人类文明进步方向的只能是西方发达国家主导的文明观，借此抛出了“西方文明=现代化”的“单数文明观”。于是，“现代化=西方化”“现代文明=西方文明”等鼓噪西方文明中心主义的言论甚嚣尘上。中国式现代化的历史出场，“用事实彻底结束了世界上只有资本主义现代化的旧有逻辑”，证明西方文明形态只是人类文明形态演进中的某一形态，并不是人类文明发展的唯一或终极形态，更不是衡量其他国家现代化的标准和样板，彰显了人类文明多样性和发展的正当性和合理性。

(I) Chinese-Path Modernization Insists That Civilizations Are Colorful

（一）中国式现代化坚持文明是多彩的

Civilization is not singular but appears and develops in plural forms. The UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity explicitly states that “culture takes diverse forms across time and space.” [2]2 UNESCO, Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, Article 1, adopted November 2, 2001. On the one hand, from the temporal dimension of civilizational development, the development of human society must successively pass through five main social forms: primitive society, slave society, feudal society, capitalist society, and communist society. Correspondingly, human civilization also sequentially passes through primitive civilization, agricultural civilization, industrial civilization, and information or digital civilization, forming a variety of colorful civilizational forms. It is noteworthy that these several forms of civilization are not mutually isolated or unrelated; rather, they exhibit a relationship of progressive succession and replacement—that is, while inheriting the beneficial elements of old civilizations, new civilizations absorb new factors and integrate them into their own components, so that old and new civilizations are intricately linked. On the other hand, from the spatial dimension of civilizational development, due to vast differences in historical traditions, natural geography, modes of production, cultural conditions, and other factors, different countries and nations have given birth to civilizations with distinct characteristics, markers, and forms of expression, mainly reflected in their mutually divergent religious beliefs, languages and scripts, literature and art, customs and habits, and so forth. Looking across the globe, “there are over two hundred countries and regions, more than two thousand five hundred ethnic groups, and multiple religions in the world.” [3]3 Xi Jinping, “Working Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” (January 18, 2017). In the course of their emergence and development, these different countries and ethnic groups have strengthened their own particular traits and formative elements, forming unique cultural development trajectories, thereby making human civilization richer and more colorful. In summary, whether across different temporal sequences or different regions, the nature of civilization lies in diversity. Most importantly, there is no unified or universal human civilization; even the currently existing capitalist civilization and socialist civilization possess distinct regional and national characteristics. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: “Civilizations have diversity, just like the diversity of species in nature, together forming the source of life on our planet.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, “Carry Forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” (June 28, 2024).

文明并非单数，而是以复数的形式出现和发展的。《世界文化多样性宣言》明确指出“文化在不同的时代和不同的地方具有各种不同的表现形式”。一方面，从文明发展的时间向度来看，人类社会的发展要先后经历原始社会、奴隶社会、封建社会、资本主义社会和共产主义社会五种主要的社会形态。相应地，人类文明也依次经历原始文明、农耕文明、工业文明、信息文明或数字文明等，形成了多姿多彩的文明形态。值得关注的是，这几种文明不是相互割裂、毫无关系的，而是存在递进更替关系，即新的文明在继承旧文明有益成分的同时，吸纳新的因素融合为自身成分，新旧文明之间具有千丝万缕的联系。另一方面，从文明发展的空间向度来看，由于历史传统、自然地理、生产方式、文化条件等因素千差万别，不同国家和民族孕育出了具有不同特点标识和表现形式的文明，主要体现在彼此殊异的宗教信仰、语言文字、文学艺术、风俗习惯等方面。放眼全球，“世界上有二百多个国家和地区，二千五百多个民族和多种宗教”，这些不同的国家和民族在产生和发展过程中，强化自身特质及形成要素，形成了独特的文化发展脉络，使人类文明更加丰富多彩。概言之，无论是不同时序还是不同地域，文明的本性都在于多样性。最重要的是，世界上并不存在统一或普世的人类文明，即使是现存的资本主义文明和社会主义文明，也具有鲜明的区域性和民族性。正如习近平总书记强调的：“文明具有多样性，就如同自然界物种的多样性一样，一同构成我们这个星球的生命本源。”

(II) Chinese-Path Modernization Contributes to Restoring the Diversity of Civilizational Forms

（二）中国式现代化为还原文明形态多样性作出贡献

On the coordinates of world history, the replacement of the feudal mode of production by the capitalist mode of production created, within a short period, productive forces that the era of agricultural civilization could not match, propelling capitalist civilization to the forefront of the process of human civilizational development and playing an important role in accelerating the pace of human civilizational progress. Based on this, the first-mover advantage of Western capitalist countries in initiating the modernization process and exerting a profound global influence often leads people to regard the Western modernization development model as an infallible standard, even falling into the myth of “modernization = Westernization.” At the same time, the apologists of capitalism vigorously export abroad a civilizational narrative that “the Western development model is the only correct model,” “Europe is the sole creator of world history,” and “Western civilization is superior to any other civilization,” demanding that non-Western countries follow the civilizational model set by the West to achieve their own modern renewal. They attempt to terminate the possibility of non-Western countries independently exploring their own paths of modernization, deny the existence and development of heterogeneous civilizational forms, and thereby establish the dominant position of the West within the entire world system.

在世界历史的坐标上，资本主义生产方式代替封建生产方式，在短时期内创造出农业文明时代无法比拟的生产力，推动资本主义文明走在人类文明发展进程的最前沿，对加快人类文明发展步伐起到重要的推动作用。基于此，这种由西方资本主义国家率先开启现代化进程并在全球范围产生深远影响的先发优势，往往致使人们将西方现代化发展模式奉为圭臬，甚至陷入“现代化=西方化”的迷思。与此同时，资本主义的卫道士们极力对外输出“西方发展模式是唯一正确的模式”“欧洲是世界历史的唯一创造者”“西方文明优于其他任何文明”的文明叙事，要求非西方国家遵循西方设定的文明模式实现自我的现代更新，企图终结非西方国家自我探索现代化发展道路的可能性，否定异质文明形态的存续和发展，借此确立西方在整个世界体系中的主宰地位。

Looking at reality, apart from a few developed countries that have achieved notable results in modernization, most countries in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia have not only failed to achieve modernization but have also lost their autonomy and initiative in development, leading to continuous regression or even falling into the “modernization trap” of political turmoil, fractured cultural values, and social disintegration. This also proves that the Western-style path of modernization is not a universal model; reducing the development paths of different civilizations to a single development model not only violates the law of diverse civilizational development but also does not conform to the overall trend of human modernization. In his reflections on the paths of different types of countries toward modernization, Marx long ago stated that the Russian rural commune “could appropriate the fruits with which capitalist production has enriched humanity, without passing through the capitalist regime (which, from the mere point of view of its possible duration, is insignificant in social life).” [5]5 Karl Marx, “Letter to Vera Zasulich” (First Draft, March 8, 1881), in Marx and Engels Collected Works, vol. 24. That is to say, influenced by different natural environments, economic structures, social conditions, and other factors, the paths and methods by which different countries and nations advance modernization will differ from one another. On this basis, the civilizational forms and development prospects they create will also exhibit distinct particularities, after all, “in terms of modernization models, there are the Anglo-Saxon model, the Rhine model, the Nordic model, the East Asian model, and many other cases.” [6]6 Reference to a common typology of modernization models in comparative political economy.

放眼现实，除了个别发达国家取得了明显的现代化成效外，非洲、拉丁美洲和南亚的大多数国家不仅没有实现现代化，反而失去了发展的自主性和主动权，导致发展不断退化甚至落入政治动荡、文化价值观断裂、社会分裂的“现代化陷阱”。这也证明了西式现代化发展之路并非万能模式，将不同文明的发展道路归于单一的发展模式，既违背了文明多样性发展的规律，也不符合人类现代化的总体态势。马克思在对不同类型国家走向现代化的思考中早就说过，俄国农村公社“能够不经历资本主义制度（这个制度单纯从它可能延续的时间来看，在社会生活中是微不足道的）而占有资本主义生产使人类丰富起来的那些成果”。也就是说，受不同自然环境、经济结构、社会状况等因素的影响，不同国家和民族推进现代化的道路和方式会各不相同，在此基础上创造的文明形态和发展前景也将呈现出鲜明的殊异性，毕竟“就现代化模式而言，就有盎格鲁-撒克逊模式、莱茵模式、北欧模式、东亚模式等多种情况”。

The Communist Party of China upholds the concept of the diversity of human modernization models, deeply absorbs the historical lesson that many late-developing countries have fallen into development traps by copying the Western model, insists on basing itself on China’s historical culture and actual national conditions, unswervingly follows its own path, and has successfully advanced and expanded Chinese-path modernization, achieving innovation in modernization theory and practice. On the one hand, the process by which the CPC initiated Chinese-path modernization is a process of promoting the development of the diversity of human civilizations and their mutual reference and integration in the era of economic globalization. In particular, the transformation from an “exogenous passive type” to an “endogenous autonomous type” confirms that human civilizations and their development paths are diverse: “There is no single modernization model that is set in stone, nor is there any modernization standard that is universally applicable.” [7]7 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting” (December 1, 2017). Looking back at history, unlike endogenous Western-style modernization, China’s modernization was dragged into the global wave of modernization by Western colonizers, so China’s early modernization exploration bore a strong color of passive imitation and learning. Whether it was the “Chinese learning as the essence, Western learning for practical use” [8]8 A slogan from the Self-Strengthening Movement (1861–1895), advocating adopting Western technology while preserving Chinese Confucian values. of the Westernization Movement, the “reform for national strength” of the Reform Movement, or the New Culture Movement’s “development of democracy and science,” all were attempts to learn or replicate the Western-style modernization model, “but they did not work; the ideals could never be realized.” [9]9 Mao Zedong, “On the People’s Democratic Dictatorship” (1949). It was not until “the salvo of the October Revolution brought Marxism-Leninism to China” [10]10 A standard CPC formulation referring to the 1917 Russian Revolution’s impact on China. that China’s exploration of the modernization path gained scientific theoretical guidance and the leadership of an advanced political organization. Since then, “the CPC has combined the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture,” [11]11 A formulation from the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC (2022), describing the Two Integrations. successively proposing major propositions such as “industrialization,” “the Four Modernizations,” [12]12 A policy goal first proposed by Zhou Enlai in 1964, targeting modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology. “Chinese-style modernization,” and “Chinese-path modernization,” uniting and leading the Chinese people to open up a socialist modernization path that is both suitable for China and full of infinite vitality, forming a new situation where different Eastern and Western modernization models and different cultural values coexist, and demonstrating the diversity of world modernization.

中国共产党秉持人类现代化模式多样性理念，深刻吸取不少后发国家照抄西方模式而陷入发展陷阱的历史教训，坚持立足中国的历史文化和国情实际，坚定不移走自己的路，成功推进和拓展了中国式现代化，实现了现代化理论和实践的创新。一方面，中国共产党开创中国式现代化的过程，是在经济全球化时代促进人类文明多样性发展、相互借鉴融合的过程，尤其是从“外源被动型”到“内生自主型”的转变，更是确证了人类文明及其发展路径具有多样性，“世界上既不存在定于一尊的现代化模式，也不存在放之四海而皆准的现代化标准”。回顾历史，不同于内源性的西方式现代化，中国的现代化是被西方殖民者裹挟进世界现代化浪潮中的，所以中国在早期现代化探索中带有浓厚的被动模仿和学习色彩。无论是“中体西用”的洋务运动、“变法图强”的维新运动，还是“发展民主和科学”的新文化运动，都是力图学习或复制西式现代化模式，“但是行不通，理想总是不能实现”。直到“十月革命一声炮响，给中国送来了马克思列宁主义”，中国的现代化道路探索才有了科学理论指导和先进政治组织领导。自此，“中国共产党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”，相继提出“工业化”“四个现代化”“中国式的现代化”“中国式现代化”等重大命题，团结带领中国人民开辟了一条既适用于中国又富有无限生机的社会主义现代化道路，形成了东西不同现代化模式、不同文化价值并存的新局面，展现了世界现代化的多样性。

On the other hand, in the process of understanding and grasping the diversity of the development of human civilization forms, Chinese-path modernization “respects the right of each country’s people to independently choose their own development path,” [13]13 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the General Debate of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly” (September 28, 2015). and is a broad road that both hopes for harmonious coexistence and makes new contributions to humanity’s exploration of modernization paths. Chinese-path modernization does not advocate universalizing its own path and then unilaterally exporting its civilization outward or forcibly interfering in the modernization development of other countries, nor does it endorse the imitation and copying of foreign models to achieve modernization. It strongly rejects arguments such as “world civilization = Western civilization” and “modernization can only emerge on Western soil,” holding that such arguments negate and eliminate the diversity and interactivity of human civilizations, which is detrimental to the overall development of human civilization. That is to say, resolutely opposing the “West as the standard” and the Western-centric theory centered on “civilizational monism,” and vigorously advocating the coexistence and integration of diverse civilizations, are the important principles by which Chinese-path modernization handles the blending and mutual learning of different civilizations within the same temporal and spatial environment.

另一方面，在认识和把握人类文明形态发展多样性的过程中，中国式现代化“尊重各国人民自主选择发展道路的权利”，是一条既希冀和谐共存又为人类对现代化道路探索作出新贡献的阳光大道。中国式现代化并不主张将自己的道路普遍化后对外单向输出自己的文明或强行干涉他国现代化发展，也不赞成效仿照搬外国模式实现现代化，更是强烈拒斥“世界文明=西方文明”“现代化只能在西方土壤中产生”等论调，认为这种论调否定和消除了人类文明的多样性和互动性，不利于人类文明的整体发展。也就是说，坚决反对“以西为尊”和以“文明一元论”为核心的西方中心论，大力提倡多样文明的共存共融，才是中国式现代化处理不同文明在同一时空环境下交融互鉴的重要原则。

In summary, the CPC has united and led the people to successfully walk out a completely new path different from Western-style modernization, achieving a profound transformation from suffering under the suppression of first-mover modernized countries to rewriting the map of world modernization, endowing modernization with the “Chinese-path” label, completely breaking the single modernization development thinking dominated by Western civilization, dispelling the fog of “only capitalist modernization can make a country strong,” refuting the Western-centric “single linear” development view and the fallacy of “civilizational monism,” and transcending the Western civilizational centrism of “modernization equals Westernization.” Furthermore, from a more far-reaching significance, Chinese-path modernization has created a new form of civilization within the picture of human modernization. Its very existence highlights that the evolution of human civilization history must be the unity of diversity and integration. It is in this sense that General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, “There is no one-size-fits-all development model in the world; all parties should respect the diversity of world civilizations and the diversity of development models.” [14]14 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting” (December 1, 2017).

总之，中国共产党团结带领人民成功地走出了一条完全不同于西方式现代化的崭新道路，实现了从苦于先发现代化国家的打压到改写世界现代化版图的深刻转变，赋予了现代化以“中国式”标识，彻底打破了由西方文明主导的单一现代化发展思路，拨开了“只有资本主义现代化才能使国家强盛”的迷雾，驳斥了西方中心主义的“单一线性”发展观和“文明一元论”谬谈，超越了“现代化等同于西方化”的西方文明中心论。此外，从更深远的意义来看，中国式现代化创造了人类现代化图景中一种新的文明形态，其自身的存在凸显出人类文明历史的演进必然是多样性与交融性的统一。正是在此意义上，习近平总书记强调，“世界上没有放之四海而皆准的发展模式，各方应该尊重世界文明多样性和发展模式多样化”。

II. Advocating Equality and Mutual Respect Among Civilizations, Breaking the Myth of “Civilizational Superiority”

二、主张文明平等互尊，破除“文明优越论”神话

“Every country’s and every nation’s civilization has its own color, strengths, and merits, all of which have value and deserve respect and cherishing.” [15]15 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the UNESCO Headquarters” (March 27, 2014). Relying on the historical achievements of modernization, Western countries, which have long monopolized the dominant discourse on global governance and modernization, inherit the Western colonizers’ “barbaric-civilized” dichotomous world schema, dividing the world into the Western world and the non-Western world, believing that the Western world represents human civilization while the non-Western world represents the uncivilized. Consequently, arguments such as “civilizational superiority theory,” “racial superiority theory,” and “Western civilization advanced theory” have emerged one after another. Different from Western modernization, which pursues self-aggrandizement and civilizational discrimination, Chinese-path modernization pursues balanced development, advocates exchange and mutual learning among all nations of the world on the basis of civilizational equality, and resolutely opposes interfering in other countries’ internal affairs or universalizing its own path, thereby providing a new choice for the development of human civilization.

“每个国家、每个民族的文明都有自己的本色、长处和优点，都有其价值，都值得尊重、值得珍惜。”凭借现代化历史成果，长期垄断全球治理和现代化话语主导权的西方国家，承袭西方殖民者的“野蛮-文明”两分世界图式，把世界划分为西方世界和非西方世界，认为西方世界代表着人类文明，而非西方世界则代表着未开化。于是，“文明优劣论”“种族优越论”“西方文明先进论”等论调纷纷出场。区别于西方搞唯我独尊、文明歧视的现代化，中国式现代化追求均势发展，倡导世界各个民族在文明平等的基础上交流互鉴，坚决反对干涉别国内政或把自己的道路普世化，从而为人类文明发展提供了新的选择。

(I) Chinese-Path Modernization Insists That Civilizations Are Equal

（一）中国式现代化坚持文明是平等的

Various human civilizations nurtured by different peoples and customs are equal in value. In the long river of human historical development, humanity, with its own wisdom and practice, has created numerous civilizations with their own characteristics and identities. The famous British historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee, in his book *A Study of History*, divided human history over nearly 6,000 years into 26 forms of civilization. The American political scientist Samuel Huntington, using civilization’s influence on the contemporary world as a standard, divided post-Cold War global civilizations into 7–8 civilizations. The famous Japanese cultural scholar Kishiro Kishimoto divided world civilizations into 17 “basic civilizations.” Although the standards of division are different, all these civilizations are formed on the basis of their respective histories, traditions, values, and cultures. They are all vivid expressions of the cultural traditions of each nation-state and have made indelible contributions to the progress and development of human society. For example, papermaking, printing, the compass, and gunpowder from Chinese civilization powerfully propelled the progress of all human civilization. The value system centered on freedom and democracy constructed by European civilization, and the concept of social progress based on scientific and technological advancement, created conditions for entering a higher form of civilization. Needless to say, there is no civilization in the world that is superior to others. No country should consider its own civilization nobler than other civilizations. Those who claim to represent a universal global civilization and vainly attempt to rank civilizations into grades, to command, conquer, or assimilate other civilizations, will only create contradictions, conflicts, and even wars, leading the development of human civilization into a narrow predicament. In this regard, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, “There is no perfect civilization in the world, nor is there a civilization that is worthless. Civilizations have no distinction between high and low, good and bad,” [16]16 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the UNESCO Headquarters” (March 27, 2014). and “To consider one’s own race and civilization superior and to insist on transforming or even replacing other civilizations is foolish in understanding and disastrous in practice.” [17]17 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations” (May 15, 2019). History and reality have repeatedly proven that every civilization should be respected. Only by treating all civilizations with an attitude of equality and inclusiveness, not imposing one’s own value standards on other civilizations, and actively learning from the outstanding civilizational achievements of other nations on the basis of respecting and safeguarding the uniqueness of other civilizations in the world, can one promote substantial progress in one’s own civilization.

不同民族和习俗孕育出的各种人类文明在价值上是平等的。在人类历史发展长河中，人类以自身智慧和实践，创造出众多具有自身特点和标识的文明。英国著名历史学家阿诺德·约瑟夫·汤因比在《历史研究》一书中根据人类近6000年的历史发展划分出26个文明形态，美国政治学家塞缪尔·亨廷顿以文明对当代世界的影响力为标准，把冷战后的全球文明划分为7—8个文明，日本著名文化学者岸根卓郎又将世界文明划分为17个“基本文明”。尽管划分的标准不一，但所有这些文明都是在各自的历史、传统、价值和文化基础上形成的，都是各个民族国家自身文化传统的生动表达，都对人类社会的发展进步作出不可磨灭的贡献。如中华文明中的造纸术、印刷术、指南针和火药，有力地推动了整个人类文明进步，欧洲文明构建起的以自由、民主为核心的价值体系，形成以科学技术进步为基础的社会进步观，为进入高级文明形态创造条件。毋庸讳言，世界上不存在高人一等的文明，任何国家都不可认为本国文明比其他文明高贵。那种自诩为全球普世文明，妄图把文明分为三六九等，统率、征服或同化其他文明的做法，都只会制造矛盾、冲突甚至战争，导致人类文明发展进入狭隘境地。对此，习近平总书记强调，“世界上不存在十全十美的文明，也不存在一无是处的文明，文明没有高低、优劣之分”，“认为自己的人种和文明高人一等，执意改造甚至取代其他文明，在认识上是愚蠢的，在做法上是灾难性的”。历史和现实也一再证明，每一种文明都应当受到尊重，只有秉承平等包容的态度对待各种文明，不把自己的价值标准强加于别的文明，在尊重和维护世界上其他文明的独特性基础上积极借鉴其他民族的优秀文明成果，才能推动本国文明取得长足进步。

(II) Chinese-Path Modernization Opens a New Path for Promoting Equal Development of Civilizations

（二）中国式现代化为推动文明平等发展开辟新路

“In this kind of Western modern society, the modern ‘civilized aspect’ of humanity driven by capital and the ‘anti-civilized aspect’ that causes global catastrophes occur almost simultaneously.” During the period of primitive accumulation of capital, capitalist countries intensified capital export and brutal exploitation of the vast colonies. Although this objectively spread the advanced achievements of Western civilization and played an important role in promoting the overall progress of human civilization, it achieved modernization through bloody and criminal means such as war plunder, violent conquest, trafficking and slaughter of colonial peoples, and the sacrifice of other countries’ interests, bringing profound disasters to developing countries. “According to statistics, from the end of the 15th century onward, over more than 300 years, Western colonizers seized 2.5 million kilograms of gold and 100 million kilograms of silver from Central and South America alone. Britain’s ‘Enclosure Movement’, the United States’ ‘Westward Movement’, and the criminal slave trade all marked the ‘original sin’ of Western capitalist modernization.” To this day, although they have abandoned the naked colonial methods of the past in some areas, appearances cannot change the essence. In order to prolong the dominant position of the West in the structure of international relations, certain Western powers still disregard the value of civilization with an arrogant and self-superiority complex, and construct a discourse system of “the advanced eliminating the backward” and “the superior replacing the inferior” with a domineering conqueror mentality. On the one hand, they arrange world civilizations according to a hierarchical order they presuppose among civilizations, believing that other civilizations occupying a lower status in the global civilizational landscape can only achieve modernization by aligning themselves with Western civilization. Fukuyama’s “End of History” thesis is a theoretical manifestation of this. On the other hand, they constantly suppress, obstruct, and even sabotage the process by which developing countries explore modernization using non-Western models, causing these countries either to lose their independence and become appendages of the Western modernization order, or to have their development mired in difficulties and become hopeless cases of modernization. Especially after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the US and Western countries first waged wars in Afghanistan and Iraq under the banner of “counter-terrorism”, then instigated “color revolutions”, promoted the “Indo-Pacific Strategy”, convened the “Summit for Democracy”, and attached additional political conditions to various aid and loans to other countries. This curbs the development of developing countries and serves their hegemonic interests, which is detrimental to promoting the overall progress of human civilization.

“在西方这种现代社会中，由资本驱动的人类现代‘文明面’与造成全球性灾难的‘反文明面’几乎是同时发生的。”在资本原始积累时期，资本主义国家加紧对广大殖民地的资本输出和残酷剥削，虽客观上传播了西方文明的先进成果，对人类文明整体性进步起到重要的推动作用，但它却是以战争掠夺、暴力征服、贩卖和残杀殖民地人民以及牺牲别国利益等血腥罪恶的方式实现现代化的，给发展中国家带来了深重灾难。“据统计，自15世纪末开始，西方殖民者在300多年间，仅从中南美洲就抢走了250万公斤黄金、1亿公斤白银。英国的‘圈地运动’、美国的‘西进运动’以及罪恶的奴隶贸易等，都标注了西方资本主义现代化的‘原罪’。”时至今日，他们虽然已在某些领域放弃昔日赤裸裸的殖民方式，但是表象无法改变本质，为了延续西方在国际关系格局中的主导地位，某些西方大国依旧以傲慢自大的优越情结漠视文明的价值，以蛮横的征服者心态构建“先进消灭落后”“高等取代低等”的话语体系。一方面，按照自己预设的文明间的等级差序排列世界文明，认为在世界文明格局中处于低等地位的其他文明只有向西方文明看齐，才能实现现代化。福山的“历史终结论”就是其理论表现形式。另一方面，不断打压、阻滞甚至破坏广大发展中国家利用非西方模式探索现代化的进程，使这些国家要么丧失独立性，成为西方现代化秩序下的附庸，要么使其发展陷入困境，成为现代化的无望者。特别是在苏联解体后，美西方国家先是打着“反恐”旗号，在阿富汗和伊拉克地区发动战争，而后又发动“颜色革命”，推行“印太战略”，举办“世界领导人民主峰会”，以及对其他国家的各种援助和贷款附加额外的政治条件等，遏制发展中国家和维护其世界霸权利益，不利于推动人类文明的整体进步。

As a late-developing modernization, Chinese-path modernization has neither transplanted the Western capitalist modernization model nor mechanically applied the template envisioned by classical Marxist writers. Instead, relying on the cultural advantage of harmony and a spirit of inclusiveness, it both humbly learns from and draws on the beneficial experiences of foreign modernizations and maintains a high degree of political sobriety and cultural consciousness, independently exploring and forming a socialist modernization development path that conforms to China’s actual conditions, thereby opening a path for equal and mutually respectful relations among civilizations. First, in terms of external development methods, unlike Western modernization, which follows the law of the jungle of the strong preying on the weak through colonial rule and barbaric plunder, “Chinese foreign policy firmly stands on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress.” With a vision and perspective of embracing the world, it unifies its own development with world peace, seeking progress for humanity and common good for the world. Taking the path of peaceful development is determined by China’s long-standing and profound cultural tradition of pacifism, is a conclusion drawn from an objective assessment of modern and contemporary history, is determined by the mission of the Communist Party of China to seek progress for humanity and common good for the world, and is a rational choice made by China based on future trends. As an important force promoting human development and progress, the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence” advocated after the founding of New China, the judgment that peace and development are the themes of the era made after reform and opening up, the enshrinement of the path of peaceful development in the constitution in the New Era, the promotion of the common values of all humanity, and the proposal of a new concept of development, a new security concept, a global governance concept, and a correct view of righteousness and benefit all clearly express China’s determination to consistently adhere to the path of peaceful development and promote the flourishing of world civilization, and its perseverance in providing more opportunities for the world and injecting strong impetus into international cooperation.

作为后发型的现代化，中国式现代化没有移植西方资本主义现代化模式，也没有套用马克思主义经典作家设想的模板，而是依靠和合的文化优势和海纳百川的气度，既虚心学习借鉴国外现代化的有益经验，又始终保持高度的政治清醒和文化自觉，自主探索形成了符合中国实际的社会主义现代化发展道路，为推动文明平等互尊开辟路径。首先，从对外发展方式来说，与遵循弱肉强食丛林原则进行殖民统治、野蛮掠夺的西方式现代化不同，“中国外交坚定站在历史正确的一边，站在人类文明进步的一边”，以胸怀天下的格局和视野把本国发展与世界和平统一起来，为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同。走和平发展道路，是中国悠久深厚的和平主义文化传统决定的，是从近现代历史的客观判断中得出的结论，也是由中国共产党为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同的使命决定的，更是中国根据未来趋势作出的理性选择。作为推动人类发展进步的重要力量，新中国成立后倡导的“和平共处五项原则”，改革开放后对时代主题作出和平与发展的判断，新时代将坚持和平发展道路写入宪法，弘扬全人类共同价值，提出新发展观、新安全观、全球治理观以及正确义利观等，均鲜明表达了中国始终坚持走和平发展道路、推动世界文明繁荣的决心，为世界提供更多机遇、为国际合作注入强劲动力的恒心。

Second, in terms of modes of interaction, Chinese-path modernization does not distinguish between civilization and barbarism based on ethnicity, nor does it advocate a “theory of superior and inferior civilizations”. Instead, it advocates that different civilizations promote the progress and development of human civilization through equal dialogue and deepened exchange. Chinese civilization has the distinctive traits of inclusiveness and peacefulness. Historically, the Chinese nation opened the Silk Road to engage in equal exchange and friendly coexistence with other civilizations of the world. In the New Era, it has proposed the Global Civilization Initiative to achieve equal treatment and mutual learning. From the very beginning, the Chinese people have had no genes for enslaving others or aggression and expansion in their bones. In this regard, General Secretary Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasizes, “Every civilization is rooted in its

其次，就交往方式来说，中国式现代化不以族群来区分文明和野蛮，不提倡“文明优劣论”，而是主张不同文明在平等对话和交流深化中推动人类文明发展进步。中华文明具有包容性、和平性的鲜明特质，历史上中华民族开通丝绸之路与世界其他文明平等交流、友好相处，新时代提出全球文明倡议来实现平等相待和交流互鉴，中国人民的骨子里自始至终都没有奴役他人和侵略扩张的基因。对此，习近平总书记反复强调，“每一种文明都扎根于自己的生存土壤，凝聚着一个国家、一个民族的非凡智慧和精神追求，都有自己存在的价值。人类只有肤色语言之别，文明只有姹紫嫣红之别，但绝无高低优劣之分”。不同民族、不同宗教和不同文明要相互尊重，通过平等对话增进了解，以和平方式妥善处理争端，以平等精神共同发展，不断扩大共同利益汇合点，有效回应了基于西方中心主义的等级文明论。

In summary, Chinese-path modernization advocates transcending the oppositional model of "civilization versus barbarism" with the concept of equal treatment, greatly shattering the myth of the "superiority of Western civilization," breaking the fallacy of the "end of history,"[18]18 "End of history" (历史终结论): A thesis advanced by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama in 1989, arguing that the end of the Cold War marked the endpoint of humanity's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of government. and opening up a new path by which one can complete modernization independently while treating other civilizations of the world with equal respect. It is worth noting that for developing countries with similar historical experiences and identical historical tasks, Chinese-path modernization provides a model for reference that need not be mechanically copied, offering a new path for those countries that wish both to maintain their own independence and to realize modernization, one that treats other civilizations of the world equally. This helps to stimulate a civilized self-awareness among all nations of mutual respect and equal exchange. At the practical level, in the past decade or so, "China has signed intergovernmental documents on cultural and tourism cooperation with 157 countries, and has accumulated more than 800 cultural exchange implementation plans,"[19]19 The quotation is from official Chinese government data on cultural exchange agreements, typically cited in policy documents and scholarly works to demonstrate the scope of China's international cultural engagement. powerfully promoting equal exchange between Chinese civilization and other civilizations of the world.

概言之，中国式现代化倡导以平等相待理念超越“文明-野蛮”的对立模式，极大地破除了“西方文明优越论”的神话，破解了“历史终结论”的谬论，开创了通过平等互尊世界其他文明、独立完成现代化的新道路。值得注意的是，中国式现代化为有着相似的历史遭遇、相同的历史任务的广大发展中国家提供的是一种可资借鉴但无须对它进行生搬硬套的方案范本，为那些既想保持自身独立性又想实现现代化的国家提供平等相待世界其他文明的新路径，有助于激发各民族相互尊重、平等交流的文明自觉意识。落实到现实层面，近十年以来，“我国已与157个国家签署文化和旅游合作政府间文件，累计签署的文化交流执行计划800余个”，有力推动了中华文明与世界其他文明的平等交流。

III. Promoting Mutual Tolerance Among Civilizations, Refuting the Fallacy of the "Clash of Civilizations"

三、推动文明相互包容，驳斥“文明对抗论”谬谈

Modernization is the trend of development in human society, and realizing modernization is the common aspiration of all peoples. Western countries such as those in Europe and America, relying on their powerful capital strength and cultural export advantages, have packaged the particularistic social-civilization values and development models of the West into values of universal significance and imposed them on other countries, triggering conflicts and confrontations among different civilizations. In contrast, the Communist Party of China advocates treating the development paths and cultural values of different countries and nations with an attitude of equality and tolerance, forging a new path that does not engage in ideological confrontation and that embodies a spirit of tolerance toward different civilizations. In a substantive sense, Chinese-path modernization represents the direction of human progress; it is a new civilization of "harmony in diversity" and "seeking common ground while reserving differences,"[20]20 "Harmony in diversity" (和而不同) and "seeking common ground while reserving differences" (求同存异): Classical Chinese idioms drawn from the Analects of Confucius and later political discourse, respectively. The first advocates unity without uniformity; the second, a principle of diplomatic and social coexistence emphasizing shared interests over disagreements. providing new concepts and new thinking for solving the common global problems facing humanity.

现代化是人类社会的发展趋势，实现现代化是各国人民的共同向往。欧美等西方国家凭借其强大的资本实力和文化输出优势，将具有特殊性的西方社会文明价值观、发展模式包装成普遍性意义上的价值后强加给他国，引发了不同文明之间的冲突和对抗。与此不同，中国共产党主张以平等包容的态度对待不同国家、民族的发展道路和文化价值，走出一条不搞意识形态对抗、对不同文明有包容精神的新路径。在实质意义上，中国式现代化代表人类进步的发展方向，是一种“和而不同”“求同存异”的新文明，为破解人类共同面临的世界性难题提供了新理念和新思维。

(I) Chinese-path modernization insists that civilization is tolerant.

（一）中国式现代化坚持文明是包容的

Essentially, “all civilizations created by humanity are the crystallization of labor and wisdom,” and each is unique. It is precisely the characteristics of various civilizations that distinguish them from one another in their essential content. However, some countries deliberately ignore the positive significance of mutual cooperation among different civilizations, presupposing that heterogeneous civilizations are fundamentally incompatible, and that different civilizations can ultimately only determine their survival through conflict. In recent years, as geopolitical conflicts have intensified, certain politicians in the United States and the West have hyped the rhetoric that “the clash of civilizations will determine the world’s geopolitical landscape,” and discordant voices such as the “clash of civilizations theory” and the “system confrontation theory” have proliferated, seriously hindering the harmonious coexistence of human civilizations. Looking back at the history of human civilization, one can discover that it is precisely because of the objective differences among different civilizations that a splendid and colorful tapestry of human civilization has been painted. If one were to blindly pursue the homogeneity of civilizations, this would violate the objective laws of the creative development of human civilization. In other words, beyond their differences, different civilizations are more characterized by mutual tolerance and mutual learning. Surpassing “conflict and confrontation” with “tolerance and mutual learning” is the basic law of civilizational development. In short, differences cannot become the root or reason for conflict and confrontation. Every civilization should engage in mutual exchange with other civilizations while preserving its own civilizational characteristics. Taking Chinese civilization as an example, from Zhang Qian’s mission to the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty, which introduced cultural achievements from the Western Regions, to the “great exchange” of the Tang Dynasty, Zheng He’s seven voyages across the oceans in the Ming Dynasty, and the early Qing Dynasty’s study of European knowledge such as astronomy, geometry, and geography, the Chinese nation has always upheld an attitude of harmony in diversity and seeking common ground while reserving differences, engaging in mutual exchange and learning with other civilizations of the world. With a mindset of embracing all rivers and being inclusive, it has promoted the harmonious coexistence and peaceful development of different civilizations, thereby creating the profound, extensive, and enduring nature of Chinese civilization. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Different civilizations should coexist in harmony, complement each other, and jointly provide spiritual strength for human development.”

从本质上说，“人类创造的各种文明都是劳动和智慧的结晶”，都是独一无二的。正是各种文明特色将不同文明在本质内容上区别开来。但是，有些国家刻意忽视不同文明之间相互合作的积极意义，预设异质文明在本质上互不相容，不同文明最终只能通过冲突来决定存亡。近年来，随着地缘政治冲突日益加剧，美西方一些政客炒作“文明的冲突将决定世界的地缘政治状况”言论，“文明冲突论”“制度对抗论”等杂音频传，严重阻碍人类文明的和谐共处。回溯人类文明史，人们可以发现，正是因为不同文明存在的客观差异，才绘制出绚丽多彩的人类文明图谱，而如若一味追求文明的同质性，则违反了人类文明创造性发展的客观规律。换言之，不同文明之间除了差异外，更多的是相互包容、相互借鉴，以“包容互鉴”超越“冲突对抗”才是文明发展的基本规律。总之，差异不能成为冲突和对抗的根源或理由，每一种文明都应当在保持自身文明特性的前提下，与其他文明进行相互交流。以中华文明为例，从汉代张骞出使西域引进西域文化成果，到唐朝的“大交流”、明代郑和七次远洋航海，再到清初学习欧洲的天文学、几何学、地理学等知识，中华民族总是秉持和而不同、求同存异的态度，与世界其他文明相互交流学习，以海纳百川、兼容并蓄的心态推动不同文明和谐相处、和平发展，从而造就了中华文明的博大精深和源远流长。恰如习近平总书记所强调的，“不同文明应该和谐共生、相得益彰，共同为人类发展提供精神力量”。

(II) Chinese-Path Modernization Sets an Example for Promoting Mutual Tolerance Among Civilizations

（二）中国式现代化为推动文明相互包容树立典范

Currently, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. While the interdependence of the international community continues to deepen, anti-globalization sentiments are on the rise, threats of hegemonism and unilateralism are increasing, and more critically, local conflicts erupt one after another, geopolitical tensions are tense, and the global development process has been severely impacted. Human civilization once again stands at a crossroads of history. Whether to choose “confrontation” or “dialogue,” “conflict” or “tolerance,” has become an important issue that must be addressed to create a bright future for civilization. As the two main forms of civilization in modern human history, capitalist civilization and socialist civilization have significantly different ways of addressing this issue. Western society, dominated by the logic of capital, chooses to ignore the objective fact of the diversity of world civilizations, vigorously promotes the “clash of civilizations theory,” sets civilizations in opposition to each other, adopts a negative attitude toward civilizations other than Western civilization, and even imposes its own civilization and culture as a model on other countries and nations, severely damaging the balance of the human cultural ecosystem. From a practical perspective, capitalist civilization has fallen into a predicament of one-way communication and identity recognition. While severely squeezing the living space of other civilizations, it exacerbates hatred and estrangement among different civilizations, which is detrimental to the survival of human civilization. It also seriously deviates from the pursuit of diverse modernization paths by late-developing modernizing countries, the political principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and the requirement for tolerance of one’s own or other countries’ cultural characteristics, hindering various nation-states from joining hands to address the common crises of human society.

当前，世界进入新的动荡变革期，国际社会相互依存不断加深的同时，逆全球化思潮有所抬头，霸权主义和单边主义威胁上升，更为严峻的是局部冲突接连不断，地缘政治局势紧张，全球发展进程遭受严重冲击，人类文明又一次站在了历史的十字路口，是“对抗”还是 “对话”，“冲突”还是“包容”，成为开创文明美好未来面临且必须解决的重要问题。作为近现代以来人类发展史上主要的两种文明形态，资本主义文明和社会主义文明解决这一问题的方式具有显著区别。由资本逻辑主宰的西方社会，选择无视世界文明多样性这一客观事实，大力吹捧“文明冲突论”，将文明之间的关系对立起来，对西方文明以外的其他文明持否定态度，甚至把自己的文明和文化作为样板强加于其他国家和民族，严重破坏人类文化生态的平衡。从现实情况来看，资本主义文明陷入了单向沟通的认同困境，在严重挤压其他文明生存空间的同时加剧不同文明之间的仇恨与隔阂，不利于人类文明的存续，也与后发型现代化国家追求多样性的现代化发展道路、不干涉他国内政的政治原则以及对自身或他国文化特色的包容性要求严重偏离，不利于各个民族国家携起手来应对人类社会的共同危机。

Chinese-path modernization adopts a more tolerant attitude toward different types of civilizational forms, transcending the binary model of conflict and confrontation in Western civilization, and has become a civilizational development path that serves as a model in acknowledging differences, tolerating differences, and seeking common ground while resolving differences. First, Chinese-path modernization contains both the universal characteristics of modernization in various countries and distinct Chinese features, embodying inclusiveness in the organic unity of commonality and difference. On the one hand, Chinese-path modernization, in following the law of contradictory movement between the economic base and the superstructure, continuously liberates and develops productive forces, creates and accumulates abundant social wealth to promote civilizational development, and possesses the common characteristics of previous modernizations. On the other hand, the Communist Party of China continuously advances the “Two Integrations,” [21]21 The Two Integrations: The integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of its fine traditional culture. endowing Chinese-path modernization with distinct national characteristics.

中国式现代化以更加包容的姿态对待不同类型的文明形态，超越了西方文明冲突对抗的二分模式，成为一种在承认差异、包容差异、聚同化异方面具有示范意义的文明发展道路。其一，中国式现代化既蕴含各国现代化的普遍特征又具有鲜明的中国特色，在共同性与差异性的有机统一中体现了包容性。一方面，中国式现代化在遵循经济基础与上层建筑矛盾运动规律中不断解放和发展生产力，创造和积累丰富的社会财富以促进文明发展，具有以往现代化的共同性特征。另一方面，中国共产党不断推进“两个结合”，为中国式现代化赋予鲜明的民族特色。

Second, Chinese-path modernization, which inherits the ideas of “harmony in diversity” and “peaceful coexistence among all nations” from fine traditional Chinese culture, abandons and transcends the logic of civilizational conflict inherent in capitalist modernization, where “a strong country is bound to seek hegemony.” It accepts the existence of differences among civilizations, affirms the significance of the survival of different civilizational forms, and promotes mutual tolerance, exchange, and dialogue among different civilizations and social systems. Compared to the law of the jungle of the survival of the fittest and the robber baron rules of the winner-takes-all that serve the logic of capital hegemony, the Chinese nation has always revered civilizational concepts such as “a world of great harmony,” “harmonious coexistence,” “great virtue embraces all,” and “peaceful coexistence among all nations.” It advocates dialogue rather than confrontation among different civilizations, tolerance rather than exclusion, and jointly writes a new chapter in the development of human civilization. It is precisely based on the continuation and inheritance of these civilizational concepts from fine traditional Chinese culture that the Communist Party of China, in advancing Chinese-path modernization, has always adhered to the universal path of “harmony in diversity.” At the same time, it resolutely opposes zero-sum games and Cold War mentality, and opposes drawing lines based on ideology. This embodies respect for other nations’ preservation of their own national independence and reflects an inclusive development concept of embracing all, seeking common ground while resolving differences, and win-win cooperation. This is a new type of civilization where “harmonious coexistence” transcends Western ideological constraints such as “heterogeneous conflict,” aiming to map out a new development blueprint for the prosperity and progress of human civilization. In short, “as long as we uphold the spirit of tolerance, there will be no such thing as a ‘clash of civilizations,’ and civilizational harmony can be achieved.”

其二，传承中华优秀传统文化“和而不同”“协和万邦”思想的中国式现代化，摒弃和超越了资本主义现代化“国强必霸”的文明冲突逻辑，接纳各文明之间差异性的存在，肯定不同文明形态存续的意义，促进不同文明和社会制度相互包容、交流对话。较之于为资本霸权逻辑服务的弱肉强食丛林法则和赢者通吃的强盗规则而言，中华民族历来推崇“天下大同”“和合共生”“厚德载物”“协和万邦”的文明理念，倡导不同文明对话而不对抗、包容而不排他，共同谱写人类文明发展新篇章。也正是基于对中华优秀传统文化这些文明理念的赓续和传承，中国共产党推进中国式现代化始终坚持走“和而不同”的天下大道，同时，坚决反对搞零和博弈和冷战思维、反对以意识形态划线，蕴含了对其他民族保持自身民族独立性的尊重，体现了兼容并蓄、聚同化异、合作共赢的包容性发展理念。这是“和合共生”超越“异质冲突”等西方思想禁锢的新型文明，旨在为人类文明谋划繁荣进步的新发展图谱。总之，“只要秉持包容精神，就不存在什么‘文明冲突’，就可以实现文明和谐”。

In essence, Chinese-path modernization has created a new paradigm that organically combines the universal characteristics of modernization in various countries with China’s specific national conditions. It demonstrates with significant facts that everything is a unity of universality and particularity. We cannot negate particularity based on universality, nor can we negate universality based on particularity. Instead, we must dialectically view the relationship between commonality and individuality, especially objectively view the modernization paths explored based on different national conditions and cultural characteristics. This also shows that modernization has never had a predetermined textbook or a fixed development model. Western-style modernization is by no means a modernization model universally applicable to all countries, as touted by Western powers. In the process of the universal unfolding of world history, different countries, while embodying the requirements of symbiosis, can choose development paths and promotion methods different from other countries based on their own specific circumstances, forming a modern civilizational development path that suits their own reality. Chinese-path modernization advocates treating the development paths of other countries and nations with different characteristics with an attitude of tolerating differences, appreciation, and understanding. It resolutely opposes the practice of sacrificing the individuality of civilizations and advocating civilizational homogenization with a narrow, confrontational perspective. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “There is no inherent conflict between civilizations; one only needs to have eyes that appreciate the beauty of all civilizations. We must not only make our own civilization full of vitality but also create conditions for the development of other civilizations, so that the garden of world civilizations will be filled with a riot of colors.”

质言之，中国式现代化创造了各国现代化的普遍特征与中国特殊国情有机结合的新范式，它用显著的事实表明，任何事物都是普遍性和特殊性的相统一，我们不能就普遍性否定特殊性，也不能就特殊性否定普遍性，而是要辩证看待共性与个性之间的关系，特别是要客观看待立足不同国情和文化特质探索出的现代化道路。这也表明，现代化从来没有什么既定的教科书，也没有固定的发展模式，西方式现代化绝不是西方大国所宣扬的普遍适用于所有国家的现代化模式。不同的国家在世界历史普遍展开的过程中，在体现共生特征要求的同时，能够依据本国具体情况的不同，选择不同于其他国家的发展途径和推进方式来形成符合本国实际的现代文明发展道路。中国式现代化主张以包容差异、欣赏理解的态度去对待其他国家和民族具有不同特色的发展道路，坚决反对那种以牺牲文明的个性为代价，以对立的偏狭视野主张文明同质化的做法。正如习近平总书记所强调的，“各种文明本没有冲突，只是要有欣赏所有文明之美的眼睛。我们既要让本国文明充满勃勃生机，又要为他国文明发展创造条件，让世界文明百花园群芳竞艳”。

IV. Promoting Openness and Integration Among Civilizations, Surpassing the Narrowness of the “Civilizational Isolation Theory”

四、促进文明开放会通，超越“文明隔绝论”偏狭

The Age of Discovery and the opening of new sea routes broke down the geographical boundaries of nation-states, gradually making the world an integrated whole. Today, world multipolarization, economic globalization, and cultural diversification continue to develop. Economic and technological ties between countries are closer than ever before, and the modernization process is characterized by “you have me, and I have you.” However, certain Western powers, in order to safeguard their own selfish interests, frequently wield the big sticks of unilateralism and trade protectionism to curb the development of other countries, which clearly runs counter to the trend of world historical development. In contrast, Chinese-path modernization conforms to the general trend of economic globalization, resolutely opposes erroneous views and arguments such as the “civilizational estrangement theory” and “self-centeredness,” and emphasizes the need to absorb the achievements of world civilizations with a broad mind to promote the development and progress of one’s own civilization, seeking win-win cooperation.

地理大发现、新航路的开辟，打破了民族国家的地域界限，使世界逐渐成为一个整体。今天，世界多极化、经济全球化、文化多样化持续发展，各国之间的经济技术联系比以往任何时候都更密切，现代化进程更是“你中有我、我中有你”。然而，某些西方大国为维护一己私利，频频挥舞单边主义、贸易保护主义大棒来遏制别国发展，显然不符合世界历史发展潮流。与之不同，中国式现代化顺应经济全球化发展大势，坚决反对“文明隔阂论”“自我中心主义”等错误观点和论调，强调要以宽广的胸襟吸纳世界文明成果来促进自身文明的发展与进步，寻求合作共赢。

(I) Chinese-Path Modernization Insists That Civilization Is Open

（一）中国式现代化坚持文明是开放的

“Openness is an important driving force for the progress of human civilization and the necessary path to world prosperity and development.” [22]22 Xi Jinping, “Working Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva, January 18, 2017. The history of the development of human civilization proves that the vitality of civilization lies in open dialogue and innovative development; no civilization can achieve modernization entirely through its own strength in a state of closed isolation. It is precisely through the open exchange of various civilizations that human civilization in the true sense has come into being. Especially after national history transformed into world history, the open world greatly enhanced the symbiosis of various civilizations, and exchange and mutual learning became an inherent determination of civilization. Therefore, for any civilization to gain inexhaustible momentum, it can only draw on and absorb all advanced achievements from the world through openness and interaction, so as to maintain its own vigorous vitality and creativity. The deep reason why Chinese civilization has continued for several millennia in human history without interruption lies in its broad and magnanimous civilizational vision. In the course of its development and evolution, through various forms of interaction, it absorbed civilizational achievements from other civilizations that could serve as references, continuously promoting its own innovation and development. At the same time, with a broad cultural spirit of inclusiveness, it disseminated its own civilizational innovations to the world, powerfully advancing the overall progress of human civilization. As Marx pointed out, “Whether the productive forces created in a certain region, especially inventions, will be lost in subsequent development depends entirely on the extent of the expansion of intercourse.” [23]23 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *The German Ideology* (1845-1846), in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 5, p. 52. Under the tide of contemporary economic globalization, civilizational isolationism can no longer persist; no civilization can develop independently outside world civilization. In short, dialogue and exchange between different civilizations are necessary conditions for the progress and development of civilization. Whoever does not participate in this kind of open dialogue will inevitably fall behind or even fail to achieve their own sustainable development. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes: “All living organisms need metabolism, otherwise life will cease. The same is true for civilization; if it remains self-enclosed for a long time, it will inevitably decline.” [24]24 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations,” May 15, 2019. In this regard, only by breaking through various barriers and closures, adopting a more open posture to draw on the outstanding civilizational achievements of other countries and nations, and promoting exchange and mutual learning among different civilizations through mutual learning, interaction, and interpenetration, can we stimulate people’s innovative and creative vitality and jointly advance the development of all human civilization.

“开放是人类文明进步的重要动力，是世界繁荣发展的必由之路。”人类文明发展史证明，文明的生命力在于开放对话、创新发展，没有任何一种文明可以在封闭孤立的状态下，完全依靠自身的力量实现现代化。正是各种文明的开放交流，才有了真正意义上的人类文明，尤其是在民族历史转变为世界历史后，开放的世界极大增强了各种文明的共生性，交流互鉴成为文明的内在规定。因此，任何一种文明要想获得生生不息的动力，唯有在开放和交往中借鉴和汲取世界上一切先进成果以保持自身旺盛的生命力和创造力。中华文明之所以在人类历史上延绵几千年且没有中断，其深层原因在于具有博大宽宏的文明视野，在发展演进过程中通过多种形式的交往，将其他文明中具有可借鉴性的文明成果吸收进来不断促进自身的创新和发展，又以宽阔的文化包容情怀，将自身文明的创新成果传播到世界，有力推动人类文明的整体进步。正如马克思所指出的，“某一个地域创造出来的生产力，特别是发明，在往后的发展中是否会失传，完全取决于交往扩展的情况”。在当今经济全球化浪潮的席卷下，文明上的孤立主义更不可能存续，任何一种文明都不可能超脱于世界文明之外独立发展。总之，不同文明之间进行对话交流，是文明得以进步和发展的必要条件，谁不参与这种开放性的对话，谁就必然落后甚至无法实现自身的可持续发展。习近平总书记强调：“一切生命有机体都需要新陈代谢，否则生命就会停止。文明也是一样，如果长期自我封闭，必将走向衰落。”就此而言，只有冲破各种隔阂和封闭，以更加开放的姿态借鉴其他国家和民族的优秀文明成果，并在相互学习、相互作用和相互渗透中促进不同文明交流互鉴，才能激发人们创新创造活力，共同推动全人类文明的发展。

(II) Chinese-Path Modernization Injects Momentum into Promoting Openness and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations

（二）中国式现代化为促进文明开放互鉴注入动能

Before national history transformed into world history, due to the limitations of objective conditions, exchanges between different types of civilizations were accidental and limited; people did not form universal social connections. With the opening of new sea routes and the rise of the Industrial Revolution, production factors such as capital and labor became globalized, productive forces continuously developed, the relatively isolated and regionally divided state of various civilizations was broken, and people’s forms, scope, and space of interaction continuously expanded. Human civilization developed toward globalization and integration, and “history becomes world history.” [25]25 Marx and Engels, *The German Ideology*, *MECW*, vol. 5, p. 49. “Because it makes the satisfaction of the needs of every civilized country and every individual in those countries dependent on the entire world,” [26]26 Marx and Engels, *Manifesto of the Communist Party* (1848), *MECW*, vol. 6, p. 488. and “the one-sidedness and narrow-mindedness of nations become increasingly impossible.” [27]27 Ibid. In other words, the process of modernization is undoubtedly also a historical process of exchange and integration among civilizations. Entering the 21st century, with the advent of economic globalization and the information age, especially the development of new technologies such as the Internet and smart terminals, exchange and mutual learning among different civilizations have become more frequent. “Countries are interconnected and interdependent to an unprecedented degree; humanity lives in the same global village, in the same time and space where history and reality intersect, increasingly becoming a community with a shared future where you have me and I have you.” [28]28 Xi Jinping, “Working Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” 2017. In this community with a shared future, any country or region has extensive and profound connections with the external world. However, Western countries, which operate on the premise of the law of capital operation and pursue the maximization of individual interests, are mired in economic and social development difficulties under the impact of populist waves and ecological environmental degradation. To maintain their dominance in economic globalization, they do not hesitate to frequently “withdraw from groups” and “build walls and set up barriers,” [29]29 “Withdraw from groups” and “build walls and set up barriers” refer to actions such as the United States withdrawing from international agreements (e.g., the Paris Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership) and imposing trade tariffs and restrictions, particularly under the Trump administration. continuously inciting and hyping the “theory of civilizational isolation,” hoping to change their predicament of suffering losses in the benefits of globalization through “deglobalization.” This practice not only violates the open nature of world history but also profoundly exposes the inherent drawbacks of the self-interested and exclusionary nature of Western-style modernization, bringing challenges to the sustained and healthy development of civilizations in various countries and seriously affecting the stability of world political and economic development and international relations. In contrast, the Communist Party of China has always adhered to a global vision, firmly pursuing a mutually beneficial and win-win open strategy, closely linking Chinese-path modernization with the future and destiny of people around the world. It not only extensively learns from foreign advanced experience and useful knowledge to enrich itself but also shares the experience accumulated in the process of Chinese-path modernization with the whole world. It actively contributes Chinese solutions and Chinese wisdom to the international community, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the common values of all humanity, and the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, fully demonstrating China’s global vision and mission to develop together with the world.

在民族历史转变为世界历史之前，由于客观条件的限制，不同类型的文明交流是偶然的、有限的，人们之间并没有形成普遍的社会联系。伴随新航路的开辟和工业革命的兴起，资本、劳动等生产要素世界化，生产力不断发展，各文明相对孤立与区域性的分割状态被打破，人们的交往形式、交往范围、交往空间不断拓展，人类文明向全球化一体化方向发展，“历史也就越是成为世界历史”。“因为它使每个文明国家以及这些国家中的每一个人的需要的满足都依赖于整个世界”，“民族的片面性和局限性日益成为不可能”。进言之，现代化的进程无疑也是各文明交流交融的历史过程。进入21世纪，随着经济全球化和信息化时代的到来，特别是互联网、智能终端等新技术的发展，不同文明之间的交流互鉴更为频繁，“各国相互联系、相互依存的程度空前加深，人类生活在同一个地球村里，生活在历史和现实交汇的同一个时空里，越来越成为你中有我、我中有你的命运共同体”。在这个命运共同体中，任何国家或地区都与外部世界发生着广泛而深刻的联系。然而，以资本运行规律为前提，追求个人利益最大化的西方国家，在民粹浪潮、生态环境恶化的冲击下深陷经济社会发展困境，为保持经济全球化的主导权，不惜频频“退圈”“筑墙设垒”，持续煽动和炒作“文明隔绝论”，以期通过“去全球化”改变自身在全球化利益中受损的困境。这一做法不仅违背了世界历史的开放性规律，也深刻暴露出西方式现代化自利排他性的固有弊端，给各国文明的持续健康发展带来挑战，严重影响了世界政治经济发展和国际关系的稳定。与之相较，中国共产党始终坚持胸怀天下，坚定互利共赢的开放战略，将中国式现代化与世界人民的前途命运紧密相连，既广泛学习国外先进经验和有益知识来丰富自己，又把在中国式现代化进程中积累的经验分享给全世界，并积极为国际社会贡献“一带一路”倡议、全人类共同价值和人类命运共同体理念等中国方案和中国智慧，充分展现了中国愿与世界共同发展的全球视野和使命担当。

First, Chinese-path modernization adheres to the unity of national character and global character, actively absorbing and drawing on beneficial elements from the development of civilizations in various countries around the world. In modern history, due to factors such as seclusion and arrogance, China missed the historical opportunity of the Industrial Revolution and fell into the passive situation of “lagging behind leaves one vulnerable to attack.” [30]30 A common Chinese expression summarizing the lesson of the “century of humiliation” (c. 1839-1949), when China was subjected to foreign military and economic domination. The Chinese Communists deeply recognized the importance of learning from and drawing on advanced modernization experience. In advancing Chinese-path modernization, they not only consciously integrated into the tide of the world modernization era, adopting an open and rational posture to learn from all outstanding achievements of human civilization, especially the scientific components and advanced experience of the capitalist modernization model, and continuously expanded the breadth and depth of opening up, achieving a leapfrog development of socialist modernization. In “On the Ten Major Relationships,” [31]31 Mao Zedong’s 1956 report analyzing ten key contradictions in China’s socialist construction, including the relationship between China and other countries. Comrade Mao Zedong clearly expressed that China should learn from the world through opening up, that is, “the strengths of all nations and all countries must be learned; all truly good things in politics, economy, science, technology, literature, and art must be learned.” [32]32 Mao Zedong, “On the Ten Major Relationships” (April 25, 1956), in *Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung*, vol. 5. On the basis of analyzing new situations and new problems in international and domestic conditions, Comrade Deng Xiaoping proposed new ideas for opening up, repeatedly emphasizing, “Any nation or any country needs to learn from the strengths of other nations and other countries, and learn from their advanced science and technology.” [33]33 Deng Xiaoping, “Emancipate the Mind, Seek Truth from Facts, and Unite as One in Looking to the Future” (December 13, 1978), in *Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping*, vol. 2. Under the new historical conditions, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Openness brings progress, while seclusion inevitably leads to backwardness.” [34]34 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018,” April 10, 2018. It is necessary to firmly grasp the internal connections and development trends between China and the world in politics, economy, culture, and science and technology, achieve complementary advantages by learning from foreign advanced management systems and methods, and continuously make Chinese contributions to the open and inclusive development of human society.

其一，中国式现代化坚持民族性与世界性相统一，积极吸收和借鉴世界各国文明发展的有益元素。近代历史上，因闭关自守、盲目自大等因素，中国错失了发展工业革命的历史机遇，陷入“落后就要挨打”的被动局面。中国共产党人深刻认识到学习和借鉴先进的现代化经验的重要性，在推进中国式现代化进程中，不仅自觉融入世界现代化时代大潮，以开放、理性的姿态镜鉴人类文明一切优秀成果特别是资本主义现代化模式的科学成分和先进经验，不断拓展对外开放的广度和深度，实现了社会主义现代化的跨越式发展。在《论十大关系》中，毛泽东同志明确表达中国要通过开放向世界学习，即“一切民族、一切国家的长处都要学，政治、经济、科学、技术、文学、艺术的一切真正好的东西都要学”。邓小平同志在分析国际国内形势的新情况、新问题基础上，提出对外开放的新思路，反复强调，“任何一个民族、一个国家，都需要学习别的民族、别的国家的长处，学习人家的先进科学技术”。在新的历史条件下，习近平总书记指出，“开放带来进步，封闭必然落后”。要紧紧把握住中国与世界政治、经济、文化、科技发展的内在联系及发展趋势，通过学习借鉴国外先进的管理制度和方法实现优势互补，不断为人类社会的开放包容发展作出中国贡献。

Second, to address the problems encountered by all humanity in exploring the path of modernization, China actively shares the civilizational achievements and successful experiences of Chinese-path modernization with countries around the world, realizing exchange and mutual learning among multiple civilizations. “The Global Civilization Initiative is precisely the Communist Party of China sharing Chinese experience with the world, committed to reaching an international consensus of ‘appreciating the beauty of others and achieving shared beauty’ among different civilizations.” [35]35 “Global Civilization Initiative” was proposed by Xi Jinping in March 2023, calling for respect for the diversity of civilizations and enhanced international cultural exchange. “Appreciating the beauty of others and achieving shared beauty” is a phrase from the Chinese sociologist Fei Xiaotong (1910-2005), summarizing the ideal of mutual respect and coexistence among cultures. This initiative adheres to the unity of openness and practicality, focuses on conducting inclusive civilizational exchanges, advocates for building a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations, and sincerely calls on all civilized countries to create new civilizational forms and enrich the paths of human civilization development in promoting mutual learning among civilizations. It injects profound and lasting strength into promoting mutual understanding and consensus among humanity in the process of modernization, solving various complex and acute problems facing humanity, and jointly building a civilized, harmonious, and peaceful world. “Chinese-path modernization, as a new form of human civilization, will inevitably greatly enrich the garden of world civilizations through mutual learning with other global civilizations.” [36]36 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting,” March 15, 2023.

其二，为解决全人类在探索现代化进程中遇到的问题，中国主动与世界各国分享中国式现代化发展的文明成果和成功经验，实现了多种文明的交流互鉴。“全球文明倡议正是中国共产党在向世界分享中国经验，致力于达成不同文明之间‘美人之美、美美与共’的国际共识”。这一倡议坚持开放性和实践性相统一，着力开展兼收并蓄的文明交流，倡导构建全球文明对话合作网络，真挚呼吁各文明国家在推动文明互鉴中创造新的文明形态和丰富人类文明发展路径，对促进人类在现代化进程中通过相互了解和强化共识，解决人类面临的各种复杂尖锐难题，携手共建文明和谐、和平发展的美好世界注入深厚而持久的力量。“中国式现代化作为人类文明新形态，与全球其他文明相互借鉴，必将极大丰富世界文明百花园”。

In sum, the development of Chinese-path modernization has benefited from broadly drawing on the excellent achievements and advanced experience of human civilization, while at the same time providing opportunities and contributing strength to the development of the world and all of humanity. In particular, as a form of modern civilization that always maintains an open posture and keeps pace with the times, it has repeatedly proven through facts and practice that openness is a basic attribute of modern society and a basic condition for the path to modernization, and that exploring modernization cannot be carried out in isolation by severing ties with the entire history of the development of human civilization. Especially at present, “if countries return one by one to isolated islands of self-enclosure, human civilization will lose its vitality because of non-intercourse between neighbors.” [37]37 Xi Jinping, “Working Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva, January 18, 2017. That is to say, only by grasping historical initiative, participating actively in world history and the process of economic globalization with an open posture, and advocating mutual exchange and integration among different countries, can one make the correct choice for achieving modernization, and moreover, it is the reasonable logic for seeking the development of civilization and the progress of humanity.

总之，中国式现代化的发展得益于广泛借鉴人类文明的优秀成果和先进经验，同时也为世界及全人类的发展提供机遇、贡献力量。尤其是作为始终保持开放姿态、与时代同行的现代文明形态，它一再用事实和实践证明，开放是现代社会的基本属性和走向现代化道路的基本条件，探索现代化不能割裂与整个人类文明发展历史的联系而孤立地进行。特别是在当下，“如果各国重新回到一个个自我封闭的孤岛，人类文明就将因老死不相往来而丧失生机活力”。也就是说，唯有把握历史主动性，以开放的姿态积极参与世界历史与经济全球化进程，倡导不同国家的相互交流交融，才是实现现代化的正确选择，更是求得文明发展和人类进步的合理逻辑。

V. Conclusion

五、结语

Following from the above discussion, Western modern civilization does not possess any special superiority; on the contrary, the acute problems it continuously exposes, such as economic crises, cultural crises, and ecological crises, prove that the practical utility of Western civilization has its limitations and cannot provide a “yardstick” or “model” for the future development of human civilization. In stark contrast, Chinese-path modernization contains within it a demand for peaceful development. It firmly stands on the side of human progress, works with a win-win cooperation mindset to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and injects Chinese vitality into solving the problem of poverty, resolving the ecological crisis, and promoting the integrated development of world civilizations. At the same time, based on the basic fact of the diverse coexistence of civilizations, it is committed to promoting mutual learning among civilizations, breaking the long-propagated fallacies of the “Western-centric theory” and the “clash of civilizations theory,” [38]38 “Western-centric theory” (西方中心论) refers to the view that Western European civilization is the primary driver of world history and the universal standard for modernity; “clash of civilizations theory” (文明冲突论) is Samuel Huntington’s thesis that post-Cold War conflict would be primarily cultural and religious. confirming the diversity of the evolution of human civilization, imprinting the background color of equality, mutual respect, openness, and inclusiveness on the garden of human civilizations, and demonstrating another choice different from the Western modernization model. This has referential significance for other countries firmly exploring a path of civilizational development suited to their own national conditions. Needless to say, Chinese-path modernization is a contemporary form that guides human civilization toward a bright future; the view of civilization it contains conforms to the development trend of human civilization and points the direction for “where human civilization should go.”

承上所论，西方现代文明并不具有特殊优越性，反倒是其不断暴露出的经济危机、文化危机、生态危机等尖锐问题证明了西方文明实际效用有其局限性，无法为人类文明的未来发展提供“尺度”和“样板”。与之迥异，中国式现代化内蕴和平发展诉求，既坚定站在人类进步一边，以合作共赢思维致力于构建人类命运共同体，为破解贫困难题、解决生态危机以及世界文明的融合性发展注入中国活力，又基于文明多样共存的基本事实，致力于推动文明交流互鉴，打破了西方长期宣扬的“西方中心论”“文明冲突论”等谬论，确证人类文明演进的多样性，给人类文明百花园打上了平等互尊、开放包容的底色，展现出不同于西方现代化模式的另一种选择，对其他国家坚定探索适合自己国情的文明发展道路具有借鉴意义。毋庸讳言，中国式现代化是指引人类文明走向美好未来的当代形态，其蕴含的文明观符合人类文明发展态势，为“人类文明何去何从”指明了方向。

(Authors: Liu Xianchun, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Marxism, Lanzhou University; Zhang Yanxia, 2021-level Doctoral Student at the School of Marxism, Lanzhou University)

（作者：刘先春，兰州大学马克思主义学院教授、博士研究生导师；张艳霞，兰州大学马克思主义学院2021级博士研究生）

Online Editor: You Heng

网络编辑：有恒