Changes in the World and Chinese Governance

At present, the sharp contrast between Chinese governance and Western chaos, the predicament of the capitalist system and the revitalization of the world socialist movement, and other international political phenomena coexist. Debates among major world powers over issues such as democracy, human rights, and freedom have become more acute, and competition over systems and paths has grown increasingly fierce. Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China. It shares the common features of modernization in all countries and is more distinctly Chinese in terms of its national conditions. China is willing to work with all countries to strive to provide new opportunities for world development with new achievements in Chinese-path modernization, to offer new impetus for humanity’s exploration of modernization paths and better social systems, and to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

当前，中国之治与西方之乱形成鲜明对比，资本主义体系困境与世界社会主义运动振兴等国际政治景象并存。世界大国有关民主、人权、自由等问题的争论更加尖锐，围绕制度、道路的竞争日益激烈。中国式现代化，是中国共产党领导的社会主义现代化，既有各国现代化的共同特征，更有基于自己国情的中国特色。中国愿同各国一道，努力以中国式现代化新成就为世界发展提供新机遇，为人类探索现代化道路和更好的社会制度提供新助力，推动构建人类命运共同体。

I. What are the political guarantees and key secrets of the success of Chinese-path modernization?

一、中国式现代化成功的政治保证及关键秘诀是什么？

In 1949, at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the CPC, the Communist Party of China solemnly put forward the task of “modernization.” In 1964, the First Session of the Third National People’s Congress formally proposed the grand goal of the “Four Modernizations” [1] and the great vision of achieving the “Four Modernizations” in two steps. In 1978, with the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC as a new historical starting point, the focus of the Party’s work and the attention of the people across the country were further shifted to socialist modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has remained true to its original aspiration and

1949年，在党的七届二中全会上，中国共产党郑重提出“现代化”这一任务；1964年召开的第三届全国人民代表大会第一次会议正式提出了“四个现代化”的宏伟目标，以及分两步走实现“四个现代化”的伟大设想；1978年，以党的十一届三中全会为新的历史起点，全党的工作重点和全国人民的注意力进一步转移到社会主义现代化建设上；党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央不忘初心、牢记使命，深入阐释了对中国式现代化道路的认识，强调中国式现代化体现科学社会主义的先进本质。

Chinese-path modernization differs from Western modernization in value essence, implementation path, and ultimate goal. The process of Western societies moving toward modernization is filled with blood and tears, guns and fire—external colonial expansion and internal brutal oppression—constituting a modernization that is internally unequal, externally unjust, imbalanced, and fractured. In contrast, Chinese-path modernization benefits the entire people, with the ultimate goal of achieving a better life for the people and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Chinese-path modernization adheres to a people-centered approach and prioritizes development, emphasizing proceeding from reality in all things and achieving self-reliance and self-strengthening; these are the key factors for its smooth progress.

中国式现代化与西方现代化在价值本质、实现路径以及最终目标上均有不同。西方社会迈向现代化的进程中充斥着血与泪、炮与火，对外殖民扩张，对内残酷压迫，是对内不平等、对外不公平的、失衡的、断裂的现代化。而中国式现代化让全体人民获益，最终目标是实现人民美好生活和中华民族伟大复兴。中国式现代化坚持以人为本、以发展为先，强调一切从实际出发，自立自强，这是其顺利前行的关键因素。

Chinese-path modernization has three distinct political characteristics: first, consistently upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China; second, consistently adhering to a people-centered approach; and third, consistently upholding autonomy and subjectivity. Chinese-path modernization consistently upholds a systemic perspective and dialectical thinking, adheres to the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, and coordinates the advancement of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, thereby maximizing the synergy of development efforts.

中国式现代化具有三个鲜明的政治特征：一是始终坚持中国共产党的领导，二是始终坚持以人民为中心，三是始终坚持自主性和主体性。中国式现代化始终坚持系统观念和辩证思维，坚持“五位一体”，统筹推进“四个全面”战略布局，从而实现了发展合力最大化。

The key to the success of Chinese-path modernization lies in scientifically handling the relationship among reform, development, and stability, achieving coordinated and orderly economic and social development, and realizing the unity of stability and order, the unity of development and coordination, and the unity of systemicity and effectiveness.

中国式现代化成功的关键在于科学处理了改革、发展、稳定的关系，做到了经济社会发展的协调有序，实现了稳定性与秩序性的统一、发展性与协调性的统一、系统性与效能性的统一。

II. What Does Chinese-Path Modernization Bring to the World?

二、中国式现代化为世界带来了什么？

The achievements of Chinese-path modernization constitute “governance in China,” thereby injecting greater stability into the changes unseen in a century in the world. Over more than 70 years of construction practice since the founding of New China, China has created a miracle, breaking through the theoretical dogmas and logical constraints stubbornly upheld by the Western world, shattering the “myth” of the universal and invincible dominance of the Western-style liberal democracy and free market model. It has not only ushered in a great leap for the Chinese nation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong but has also contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for the vast number of developing countries seeking independent development to explore new options.

中国式现代化成就“中国之治”，从而为世界百年未有之大变局注入更多稳定性。新中国70多年的建设实践成就中国奇迹，冲破了西方世界固守的理论教条和逻辑束缚，打破了西式自由民主和自由市场模式一统天下、无往而不胜的“神话”，不仅迎来了中华民族从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，也为世界上谋求自主发展的广大发展中国家探索新的选择贡献了中国智慧和中国方案。

From the Belt and Road Initiative to the China International Import Expo, from the Boao Forum for Asia to the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, the international public goods and platforms for exchange and mutual learning that China provides for world development are consistently underpinned by the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. This is also an important component of the blueprint outlined by Chinese-path modernization.

从“一带一路”倡议到中国国际进口博览会，从博鳌亚洲论坛到全球安全倡议、全球发展倡议、全球文明倡议，中国为世界发展提供的国际公共产品和交流互鉴平台，背后秉持的始终是构建人类命运共同体理念，这也是中国式现代化所擘画蓝图的重要组成部分。

Amid the changes unseen in a century in the world, China, with the concept of shared development, promotes extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, advancing the idea that each civilization in the world can appreciate its own beauty and share the beauty of others, jointly moving toward universal peace and great harmony. This unique contribution of Chinese-path modernization to the world holds significant and profound meaning for enhancing future certainty and demonstrating the bright prospects for the development of human society.

世界百年未有之大变局下，中国以共同发展的理念，推动共商、共建、共享，推进世界各国文明各美其美、美美与共，共同迈向天下太平、世界大同。中国式现代化向世界提供的这一独特性贡献，对于增强未来的确定性和展现人类社会发展的光明前景具有重大而深远的意义。

III. What Valuable Experience Does Chinese-Path Modernization Provide?

三、中国式现代化提供了怎样的宝贵经验？

Thought manifests strength, direction determines destiny, the path determines success or failure, the system determines rise or decline, strength determines might or weakness, and policy determines victory or defeat. Chinese-path modernization is a great and successful political practice in the contemporary world. It has broadened the development paths of countries around the world, provided valuable development experience for non-Western countries, and, with Chinese logic, showcased the main landscape of diverse world development. Currently, the development of world history is at a crossroads; where it will go is marked by strong and distinct uncertainty. Under today's complex international situation, Chinese-path modernization demonstrates increasingly valuable shared value implications and universal significance.

思想展现力量，方向决定命运，道路决定成败，制度决定兴衰，力量决定强弱，政策决定输赢。中国式现代化是当代世界伟大而成功的政治实践，拓宽了世界各国的发展道路，为非西方国家提供了宝贵的发展经验，用中国的逻辑展示了世界多样化发展的主要景观。当前，世界历史发展正处于十字路口，何去何从，具有强烈而鲜明的不确定性。在当今复杂的国际形势下，中国式现代化彰显出愈加宝贵的共同价值意蕴和普遍意义。

Chinese-path modernization is an organic unity of political values and governance elements such as leadership and popular support, governance and progress, rule of law and rule of virtue, freedom and order, rights and responsibilities, integrity and efficiency, and development and security. The Chinese rationale, Chinese learning, and Chinese way embedded in Chinese-path modernization possess Chinese characteristics while also sharing certain commonalities and universality.

中国式现代化，是领导与民心、治理与进步、法治与德治、自由与秩序、权利与责任、廉洁与效能、发展与安全等政治价值和治理要素的有机统一。中国式现代化蕴含的中国之理、中国之学、中国之道既有中国特色，同时也具有一定的共性和普遍性。

In today's world, governance in China is a stable and splendid landscape amid the changes unseen in a century. The “copyright” of Chinese-path modernization belongs to China, but its practical application is shared by the world. As the world's largest developing country, China faces development issues and goals similar to those of other vast developing countries. For the latter to achieve their own modernization, Chinese-path modernization undoubtedly provides a useful reference of Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions. Therefore, Chinese-path modernization is both Chinese and global.

当今世界，中国之治是世界百年未有之大变局中稳定而靓丽的壮丽景观。中国式现代化的“版权”属于中国，而实践应用为世界共享。中国作为世界最大的发展中国家，面临的发展问题和发展目标与其他广大发展中国家具有相近性，对于后者实现自身现代化而言，中国式现代化无疑提供了中国智慧和中国方案的有益借鉴。因此，中国式现代化既是中国的，也是世界的。

IV. Decoding Governance in China, Constructing Chinese Learning, and Promoting the Chinese Way

四、解码中国之治、建构中国之学、弘扬中国之道

“Governance in China” is a vivid and unique political expression of Chinese-path modernization. Governance in China transcends the “Western-style democratization” path of Western theory and resolves the “paradox” between modernization and democratization. Governance in China not only follows the stipulations of the system and the path but also emphasizes the agency of practice, promoting reform with flexible, diverse, timely, and effective key policies.

“中国之治”是中国式现代化生动而独特的政治表达。中国之治超越了西方理论的“西式民主化”路径，破解了现代化和民主化之间的“悖论”。中国之治既遵循制度与道路的规定性，也重视实践的能动性，以灵活多样、及时有效的关键之策推动改革。

Governance in China, with its profound cultural heritage and humanistic concern, manifests the resilient spirit and value pursuit of great-power governance. In today's world, governance in China is the integrated unity of the Chinese path, Chinese experience, and Chinese theory, and it is the fertile soil for the growth of China's independent knowledge system. China's independent knowledge system must transcend the academic perspective of Western-centrism, break free from Western discourse and logical assumptions, and raise and respond to major issues of the times, the nation, and the world. China's independent knowledge system must also look to the world, extracting from China's development, China's miracle, and governance in China the philosophy, principles, and theories that can be shared with the world, refining the core concepts of governance in China, and disseminating the Chinese way to the world.

中国之治以深厚的文化底蕴和人文关怀，彰显了大国治理的韧性精神与价值追求。在当今世界，中国之治是中国道路、中国经验、中国理论的融合统一，是中国自主知识体系成长的丰厚土壤。中国自主的知识体系要超越西方中心主义的学术视角，跳出西方话语及逻辑假设，提出和回应那些时代性、民族性、全球性的重大问题。中国自主知识体系还要放眼世界，从中国发展、中国奇迹、中国之治中提炼出可以与世界分享的哲理、道理、学理，提炼中国之治的核心概念，向世界传播中国之道。

(Author bio: Zhang Shuhua, Director of the Institute of Political Science at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Political Science Association)

（作者简介：张树华，中国社会科学院政治学研究所所长，中国政治学会常务副会长）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心