The Position of the 75 Years of New China in Modern World History

China is a populous and territorially vast country, and also an ancient state with a long history and a civilization that has never been interrupted. After the founding of New China, it put an end to the humiliating history of semi-colonial and semi-feudal society that had existed since modern times, chose a socialist system different from the capitalist system that was mainstream in the world, and at the end of the 1970s implemented reform and opening up, embarking on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Given China’s enormous size, long history, and advanced social system, it was destined to occupy an extraordinary position in modern world history.

中国是世界上的人口大国和地域大国，也是历史悠久且文明从未中断的古国。新中国成立后，结束了自近代以来的半殖民地半封建社会的屈辱历史，选择了与处于世界主流的资本主义制度不同的社会主义制度，并在20世纪70年代末实行改革开放，走上了中国特色社会主义道路。以中国这样的巨大体量、悠久历史和先进的社会制度，注定了在世界现代史上具有不同凡响的地位。

Since the Second World War, although various local wars, armed conflicts, and proxy wars have never ceased, a third world war has so far not broken out. Among the reasons for this, apart from the strategic balance among nuclear powers, the main ones are that, with the collapse of the colonial system and the subsequent end of the Cold War, the forces of the former colonies and semi-colonies have gradually grown stronger, the trend toward a multipolar world has gradually strengthened, and the calls for opposing war, hegemony, and interference, and for peace, independence, and development have become the trend of the times. In this process, New China, as a force for peace, a force for justice, a force for democracy, and a force for progress, has always stood on the right side of history, and has created miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, increasingly becoming the initiator, advocate, and organizer of international organizations, international conferences, and international actions, with its international influence and appeal continuously growing.

第二次世界大战以来，尽管各种局部战争、武装冲突、代理人战争从未停止，但第三次世界大战至今一直未能打起来。个中原因，除了核大国之间的战略平衡外，主要是随着殖民体系的崩溃，以及后来的“冷战”结束，原殖民地半殖民地国家力量逐渐壮大，世界多极化趋势逐渐增强，反战争反霸权反干涉、要和平要自主要发展的呼声成为时代潮流。在这个过程中，新中国作为和平的力量、正义的力量、民主的力量、进步的力量，始终站在历史正确的一边，而且创造出经济快速发展、社会长期稳定的奇迹，越来越多地成为国际组织、国际会议、国际行动的发起者、倡导者、组织者，国际影响力、感召力不断增强。

The influence of New China’s 75 years on modern world history has been exerted mainly through five methods, namely: diplomatic methods, including the establishment of diplomatic relations between states, bilateral dialogue, multilateral consultation, and inter-party exchanges; advocacy methods, including issuing statements, principles, concepts, and global initiatives on international issues; aid methods, including providing military, material, and moral support to developing countries in their struggles for national liberation and to defend their sovereign independence, as well as providing economic assistance to help them escape poverty; economic and trade methods, including international trade, economic and technological cooperation, and investment; and demonstration methods, including its own development, the introduction of its experience, and the display of its cultural soft power. In its foreign exchanges, New China has only made necessary counterattacks against aggression and armed provocation, and has never used force otherwise.

新中国的75年对世界现代史的影响，主要是通过五种方式，即：外交的方式，包括国与国建交、双边对话、多边磋商、党际交流等；呼吁的方式，包括提出关于国际问题的声明、原则、理念和全球倡议等；援助的方式，包括对发展中国家争取民族解放、捍卫主权独立的斗争给予军事的物资的道义的支持，以及为它们摆脱贫困给予经济援助等；经贸的方式，包括国际贸易、经济技术合作以及投资等；示范的方式，包括自身发展、经验介绍以及文化软实力展示等。在对外交往中，新中国只对侵略和武装挑衅做过必要反击，此外从未动用过武力。

The influence of New China’s 75 years on modern world history has manifested itself correspondingly in different stages and different aspects. But no matter which stage, China has given positive answers and made positive responses

新中国的75年对世界现代史的影响，在各个不同阶段、不同方面，都有着相应的表现。但无论在哪个阶段，中国对于人类的共同问题都给出了积极答案，作出过正面回应；无论在哪个方面，中国的行动和声音都体现了对“全球南方”诉求的支持、对世界和平事业的维护和推动、对人类进步事业的捍卫和促进，从没有辜负国际社会的期待。

I. Opposing Hegemonism and Safeguarding World Peace and Stability

一、反对霸权主义，维护世界的和平稳定

After the end of the Second World War, the world saw the emergence of a situation where two blocs confronted each other and national independence and liberation movements surged like a storm. In the early period after the founding of New China, on the one hand, China explicitly declared its entry into the world socialist camp, firmly standing on the side of the people's democracies and the Asian, African, and Latin American national states; on the other hand, it proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, advocating peaceful coexistence between countries with different social systems, and used these principles to carry out a series of diplomatic activities. For example, through its diligent mediation at the Geneva Conference, it ended colonial rule on the Indochina Peninsula and eased tensions in Asia; by expressing its position of seeking common ground while reserving differences at the Asian-African Conference, it prevented the conference from falling into ideological disputes, formulated principles promoting unity and cooperation, and created the Bandung Spirit of defending national independence and upholding world peace. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit transcended differences in social systems and ideologies, embodied the Eastern wisdom of handling relations between states, and became basic norms of international relations and fundamental principles of international law.

第二次世界大战结束之后，世界上出现了两大阵营对峙、民族独立解放运动风起云涌的局面。新中国成立初期，一方面，中国明确宣布自己加入世界社会主义阵营，坚定站在人民民主国家和亚非拉民族国家一边；另一方面，提出和平共处五项原则，主张不同社会制度国家之间和平相处，并运用这一原则开展了一系列外交活动。例如，通过在日内瓦会议上的努力斡旋，结束了印度支那半岛上的殖民统治，缓和了亚洲的紧张局势；通过在亚非会议上表达求同存异的立场，使会议避免了陷入意识形态争论，制定了促进团结合作的原则，形成了捍卫民族独立、拥护世界和平的万隆精神。和平共处五项原则和万隆精神超越了社会制度和意识形态差异，体现出处理国与国关系的东方智慧，成为国际关系的基本准则和国际法的基本原则。

Modern China was in a semi-colonial position, long subjected to imperialist aggression and humiliation. Therefore, New China empathized with the plight of the vast number of colonial and semi-colonial countries and, from its very founding, firmly stood on their side, jointly carrying out the struggle against imperialism and colonialism. As early as the early 1950s, when there was a vast disparity between New China and the United States in terms of national strength and weaponry, it resolutely sent troops and ultimately achieved victory in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. This victory "postponed the Third World War"[1]1 Mao Zedong, "Speech at the Supreme State Conference" (September 5, 1958), in *Selected Works of Mao Zedong*, vol. 7 (Beijing: People's Publishing House, 1999), p. 413.; "shook the world, established New China's important position in Asia and international affairs... fully demonstrated the Chinese people's firm determination to safeguard world peace"[2]2 Xi Jinping, "Speech at a Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' Departure for the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea" (October 23, 2020), in *Xi Jinping: The Governance of China*, vol. 4 (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2022), p. 107., and made the imperialists realize that the Chinese people "are not to be provoked. If they are provoked, it will not be easy to deal with."[3]3 Mao Zedong, "Speech at the Supreme State Conference" (September 5, 1958), in *Selected Works of Mao Zedong*, vol. 7, p. 413.

近代中国处于半殖民地地位，长期受帝国主义侵略、欺辱，所以，新中国对广大殖民地半殖民地国家的处境感同身受，从成立起便坚定地站在它们一边，共同进行反对帝国主义、反对殖民主义的斗争。早在20世纪50年代初，新中国在国力、武器等方面与美国相差悬殊的情况下，就曾毅然出兵并最终取得了抗美援朝战争的胜利。这一胜利“推迟了第三次世界大战”(1);“震动了全世界，奠定了新中国在亚洲和国际事务中的重要地位……充分展示了中国人民维护世界和平的坚定决心”(2),使帝国主义认识到，中国人民“是惹不得的。如果惹翻了，是不好办的”(3)。

Subsequently, China, through practical actions such as sending military advisors and air defense, logistics, and other troops, as well as providing aid materials and proposing the convening of international conferences, supported the anti-French and anti-American patriotic struggles of the three Indochinese countries; through aid funds and economic and trade cooperation, it supported the Egyptian government's war against the British and French seizure of the Suez Canal, the Arab people's resistance to armed aggression launched by Israel, the Algerian people's armed uprising against France, the Cuban government's resistance to the invasion by U.S.-organized mercenaries, and the anti-colonial and anti-racist struggles of the countries and peoples of sub-Saharan Africa.

随后，中国又以派遣军事顾问和防空、后勤等部队，以及援助物资、提议召开国际会议等实际行动，支援了印支三国的抗法、抗美爱国斗争；以援助资金和经贸合作等方式，支持了埃及政府反抗英、法侵占苏伊士运河的战争，阿拉伯人民抗御以色列发动的武装侵略，阿尔及利亚人民反法武装起义，古巴政府抗击美国组织雇佣军的入侵，以及撒哈拉以南非洲国家和人民的反殖民主义、反种族主义斗争。

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, targeting the two hegemonic powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, Mao Zedong put forward the theory of the "two intermediate zones," namely, one being Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and the other being Europe; subsequently, he also put forward the theory of the division of the "three worlds," namely, the United States and the Soviet Union as the First World, Europe, Australia, Canada, and Japan as the Second World, and Asia, Africa, and Latin America as the Third World. The theory of the division of the "three worlds" provided theoretical support for uniting the forces of developing countries, enhancing the voice of developing countries in international affairs, narrowing the distance between China and developing countries, and promoting the trend toward a multipolar world, producing enormous effects. As Deng Xiaoping said: "This international strategic principle played an immeasurable role in uniting the people of the world against hegemonism and changing the balance of world political forces..."[4]4 Deng Xiaoping, "Speech at a Meeting of the Central Military Commission" (March 20, 1978), in *Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping*, vol. 2 (Beijing: People's Publishing House, 1994), p. 160. It was under the influence of this theory that Sino-U.S. relations, following changes in the international situation, moved from confrontation to détente and eventually to the establishment of diplomatic relations, thereby paving the way for the normalization of China's relations with the West, and also creating conditions for China's restoration of its lawful seat in the United Nations and for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam.

20世纪50年代末60年代初，针对美苏两个霸权主义大国，毛泽东提出“两个中间地带”的理论，即一个是亚非拉，一个是欧洲；接着，又提出“三个世界”划分的理论，即美苏是第一世界，欧洲、澳大利亚、加拿大、日本是第二世界，亚非拉是第三世界。“三个世界”划分的理论为凝聚发展中国家的力量、增强发展中国家在国际事务中的声音、拉近中国同发展中国家的距离、促进世界多极化的趋势，提供了理论支撑，产生了巨大效应。正如邓小平所说：“这一国际战略原则，对于团结世界人民反对霸权主义，改变世界政治力量对比……起了不可估量的作用。”(4)正是在这一理论的作用下，中美关系随着国际形势的变化，由对峙走向缓和并最终建交，进而为中国同西方关系正常化铺平了道路，也为中国恢复在联合国合法席位和美国从越南撤军创造了条件。

Entering the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the Central Committee of the CPC, based on changes in the international situation, judged that the theme of the era had shifted from war and revolution to peace and development; at the same time, it continued to take opposing hegemonism and safeguarding world peace as the main tasks of foreign work, took the independent foreign policy of peace as the main policy of foreign work, and made appropriate adjustments to foreign strategy, proposing non-alignment, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third country, determining its own position based on the merits of the matter and the fundamental interests of the Chinese people and the people of the world, and establishing and developing relations in all aspects with all countries of the world on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. In handling relations with major powers, China normalized Sino-Soviet relations and, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, established and deepened Sino-Russian friendship; while resisting and smashing US-Western sanctions, it stabilized Sino-US relations and also consolidated relations with Western Europe and Japan. In handling relations with neighboring countries, China put forward the policy of “building friendships and partnerships with neighbors” and the policy of “bringing harmony, security, and prosperity to neighbors,” developed good-neighborly and friendly relations with surrounding countries, and built a stable neighboring geostrategic support for playing an international role and maintaining regional peace. In handling relations with developing countries, China strengthened traditional Sino-African friendship and increased cooperation; ushered in a wave of establishing diplomatic relations with Latin American countries and established strategic partnerships with several major countries among them; in addition, it respected the choices of the peoples of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and maintained and developed friendly relations with countries in this region. In handling multilateral relations, China advocated the establishment of a just and reasonable new international political order and the conduct of global cooperation, proposed the initiative of jointly building a “harmonious world,” promoted the democratization of international relations, and actively carried out cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, participating in UN peacekeeping operations that are in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and conducive to safeguarding the sovereignty and independence of the countries concerned; it initiated, co-initiated, or actively participated in global and regional international organizations and multilateral dialogue mechanisms. For example, it jointly initiated the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS leaders’ regular meetings, and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the World Trade Organization, and actively participated in the China-ASEAN “10+3” and “10+1” dialogue mechanisms, the China-Latin America Rio Group dialogue mechanism, etc.

进入改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，中共中央根据国际形势的变化，判断当今时代主题由战争与革命变为和平与发展；同时，继续把反对霸权主义、维护世界和平作为对外工作的主要任务，把独立自主的和平外交政策作为对外工作的主要政策，并对外交战略作出了适当调整，提出不结盟、不对抗、不针对第三国，根据事情的是非曲直和中国人民及世界人民的根本利益决定自己的立场，在和平共处五项原则基础上同世界一切国家建立和发展各方面关系。在处理大国关系上，中国实现了中苏关系正常化，在苏联解体后建立和深化了中俄友谊；在抵制和粉碎美西方制裁的同时，稳定了中美关系，也巩固了同西欧、日本的关系。在处理周边关系上，中国提出“与邻为善、以邻为伴”方针和“睦邻、安邻、富邻”政策，发展了同周边国家的睦邻友好关系，为发挥国际作用、维护地区和平构筑了稳定的周边地缘战略依托。在处理同发展中国家的关系上，中国加强了中非传统友谊，加大了合作力度；迎来了与拉丁美洲国家的建交高潮，并同其中几个主要国家建立了战略伙伴关系；另外，尊重原苏东地区各国人民的选择，保持和发展了与这一地区各国的友好关系。在处理多边关系上，中国倡导建立公正合理的国际政治新秩序和开展全球合作，提出共同建立“和谐世界”的倡议，推进国际关系民主化，并积极开展同联合国及其所属专门机构的合作，参加按照联合国宪章宗旨和原则、有利于维护有关国家主权和独立的联合国维和行动；发起、参与发起或主动参加全球性、地区性的国际组织及多边对话机制。例如，共同发起上海合作组织、金砖国家领导人定期会晤、中非合作论坛，加入亚太经合组织、世贸组织，主动参与中国与东盟“10+3”“10+1”对话机制、中国与拉丁美洲里约集团对话机制等。

In the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the world faces changes unseen in a century, with increasing uncertainties and unpredictable factors. Hegemonism, politically, clings to Cold War mentality and zero-sum games, goes in for camp-based and exclusive small circles, and wantonly suppresses emerging forces; economically, the trend of de-globalization is rising, protectionism and unilateralism are increasing, and it frequently “builds walls and sets up barriers,” “decouples and severs supply chains,” imposes unilateral sanctions, and applies maximum pressure. However, peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit remain the aspiration of the people and the trend of the times. Facing new changes in the international situation, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, issued the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and called on all countries to work together to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. This has aroused strong repercussions in the international community, received widespread approval from people of insight, and been incorporated into resolutions, documents, agreements, and declarations by the United Nations and other international organizations, playing a positive role in promoting the global governance system to develop in a more just and reasonable direction.

中国特色社会主义新时代，世界面临百年未有之大变局，不确定性、难预料因素增多。霸权主义在政治上固守冷战思维、零和博弈，大搞阵营化和排他性小圈子，肆意打压新兴力量；在经济上逆全球化思潮抬头，保护主义、单边主义上升，动辄“筑墙设垒”“脱钩断链”、单边制裁、极限施压。但是，和平、发展、合作、共赢仍是人心所向，大势所趋。面对国际形势的新变化，习近平总书记提出构建人类命运共同体的理念，发出全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议，呼吁各国推动建设持久和平、普遍安全、共同繁荣、开放包容、清洁美丽的世界，引起国际社会强烈反响，得到有识之士的广泛赞同，并被联合国等国际组织载入决议，写进文件、协议、声明，为推动全球治理体系朝着更加公正合理方向发展发挥了积极作用。

Guided by the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, although China has encountered trade wars, technology wars, financial wars, and “using Taiwan to contain China” from the United States, as well as various acts of containment and suppression using so-called “issues” related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, the South China Sea, etc., it still proceeds from stabilizing the overall world situation, adheres to non-conflict and non-confrontation, and resolves differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation. At the same time, the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia has been continuously deepened, political mutual trust has been constantly enhanced, and practical cooperation in various fields has been solidly advanced, setting a model for a new type of major-country relations and playing an important role in maintaining global strategic stability. Since entering the New Era, in handling relations with neighboring countries, China, on the basis of adhering to the policy of “building friendships and partnerships with neighbors,” has prominently emphasized the concept of “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness,” consolidated and deepened traditional friendship and cooperation with the DPRK, [5]5 The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). strengthened mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation with ASEAN and Central Asian countries, promoted the deepening and solidification of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with Pakistan, and maintained the stability and improvement of relations with India. In relations with developing countries, it has further strengthened “South-South cooperation,” elevated relations with all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China to the strategic level, strongly supported the efforts of the people of Arab countries and regions to resist power politics, promoted the reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the national unity among Palestinian factions, strengthened solidarity with Latin American and Caribbean countries, established the China-CELAC Forum, and built strategic partnerships with eight South Pacific island countries. It has developed relations with the UN system, promoted the resolution of international and regional hotspot issues such as the Russia-Ukraine and Palestine-Israel conflicts, actively participated in multilateral diplomatic activities such as the G20 and the BRICS cooperation mechanism, initiated and hosted the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, promoted the expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the development of the Boao Forum for Asia, and contributed Chinese voice and Chinese wisdom to improving global governance mechanisms.

在人类命运共同体理念指导下，中国尽管遇到来自美国的贸易战、科技战、金融战和“以台制华”,以及利用涉港、涉疆、南海等所谓“问题”进行的种种遏制和打压行径，但仍然从稳定世界大局出发，坚持不冲突、不对抗，通过对话协商解决分歧和争端。同时，中俄之间全面战略协作伙伴关系不断深化，政治互信不断提升，各领域务实合作扎实推进，构建了新型大国关系的典范，为维护全球战略稳定发挥了重要作用。进入新时代以来，中国在对待周边国家关系方面，在坚持“与邻为善、以邻为伴”方针的基础上，突出强调“亲、诚、惠、容”理念，巩固和深化了同朝鲜的传统友谊与合作，密切了同东盟、中亚国家的互利、友好合作，推动了同巴基斯坦全面战略合作伙伴关系走深走实，保持了同印度关系的稳定和改善。在与发展中国家的关系上，进一步加强了“南南合作”,将所有同中国建交的非洲国家的关系都提升到了战略关系层面，并大力支持阿拉伯国家和地区人民抵抗强权政治的努力，促进了伊朗与沙特的和解以及巴勒斯坦各派之间的民族团结，加强了同拉美和加勒比国家的团结，成立了中国—拉共体论坛，还同南太平洋八个岛国建立了战略伙伴关系。发展了同联合国系统的关系，推动了俄乌、巴以等国际和地区热点问题的解决，积极参与二十国集团与金砖国家合作机制等多边外交活动，创立和主办了“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛，推动了上海合作组织扩容、博鳌亚洲论坛发展，为完善全球治理机制发出了中国声音，贡献了中国智慧。

II. Opposing Old and New Colonialism, Supporting and Assisting Developing Countries in Safeguarding Sovereignty, Eradicating Poverty, and Moving Toward Modernization

二、反对新老殖民主义，支持并帮助发展中国家维护主权、摆脱贫困和走向现代化

In the 1970s, while putting forward the theory of the “three worlds,” Mao Zedong clearly stated that China belonged to the Third World; in the speech at the UN General Assembly special session reviewed and approved by him, Deng Xiaoping emphasized that “China is not now, nor will it ever be, a superpower.” [6]6 The “three worlds” theory, articulated by Mao Zedong in 1974, divided the world into the First World (the US and the USSR), the Second World (other developed countries), and the Third World (developing and non-aligned nations). Deng Xiaoping’s speech at the Sixth Special Session of the UN General Assembly in April 1974, reviewed by Mao, formally stated China’s identity as a Third World country and its rejection of superpower status. It was precisely this concept of Mao Zedong that strengthened the close ties among newly independent and struggling nation-states and narrowed the distance between China and them. Around this time, although they were referred to as developing countries, underdeveloped countries, or Global South countries, the term “Third World” was more deeply rooted in people’s hearts and has been used to this day.

20世纪70年代，毛泽东在提出“三个世界”划分理论的同时，明确表示中国属于第三世界；由他审阅批准的邓小平在联大特别会议上的发言稿中强调，“中国现在不是，将来也不做超级大国”(5)。正是毛泽东的这一理念，加强了新独立和正在争取独立的民族国家间的紧密联系，并拉近了中国与它们之间的距离。在此前后，尽管它们被称作发展中国家、欠发达国家、全球南方国家，但“第三世界”的称呼更深入人心，一直沿用到今天。

China is the largest Third World country, and Africa is the continent with the highest concentration of Third World countries. Common experiences, destinies, and development aspirations have closely linked China and Africa. In a certain sense, Africa is the representative of the Third World, and Sino-African relations are the most representative relations between China and Third World countries. In the 1960s and 1970s, China’s main method of supporting Africa’s poverty alleviation and revitalization was unilateral economic, technological, and material assistance, including the construction of hospitals and infrastructure. A typical example was the construction of the 1,800-kilometer Tanzania-Zambia Railway, aided with interest-free loans, equipment, and engineering and technical personnel. After reform and opening up, as China’s economy developed and its thinking broadened, it gradually changed the traditional method of assistance and formulated the 16-character principle of “equality and mutual benefit, emphasis on practical results, diversity of forms, and common development.” Apart from humanitarian relief to the least developed countries and refugees, it generally adopted development-oriented assistance methods, including both bilateral trade and loans, as well as joint ventures, contracted projects, labor and management cooperation, etc.; these involved not only traditional projects such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and construction, but also projects closer to modernization such as hydropower, industry, commerce, and other services. According to statistics, by the end of 2020, the number of various Chinese enterprises in Africa had exceeded 3,500, and the cumulative direct investment of Chinese enterprises in Africa had exceeded US$43 billion. [7]7 This citation refers to a statistical source in the original text, not provided here.

中国是最大的第三世界国家，非洲是第三世界国家最集中的大陆。共同的遭遇、命运和发展梦想，把中国和非洲紧紧联系在了一起。从一定意义上说，非洲是第三世界的代表，中非关系是中国与第三世界国家之间最具代表性的关系。20世纪六七十年代，中国支持非洲脱贫、振兴的主要办法，是单方面的经济、技术、物资援助，包括援建医院和基础设施。其中一个典型，便是以提供无息贷款、设备和工程技术人员的方式援建的长达1800公里的坦赞铁路。改革开放后，中国随着经济的发展、思路的开阔，逐渐改变了传统援助方式，制定了“平等互利、讲求实效、形式多样、共同发展”的16字原则，除对最不发达国家和难民进行人道主义救援外，一般采取开发式援助方式，其中既有双边贸易和贷款，也有合资企业、承包工程、劳务和管理合作等；既涉及农、林、渔和建筑等传统项目，也涉及水电、工业、商业和其他服务业等与现代化更接近的项目。据统计，截至2020年年底，中国在非洲的各类企业已超过3500家，中国企业对非直接投资累计超过430亿美元(6)。

In the New Era, China-Africa cooperation has entered a fast track, achieving even more remarkable results and becoming a model for South-South cooperation. Today, China is not only firmly Africa’s largest trading partner but also one of the continent’s main sources of foreign investment, with investment volumes more than double those of the United States. A recent Gallup poll shows that China has become the most influential major power in Africa. The reason is actually quite simple: US aid always comes with conditions and is always condescending and overbearing, using the pretext of democracy and human rights, not only applying double standards but also creating wars and turmoil; whereas Chinese aid not only comes without any conditions but also consistently maintains an attitude of equality and respect toward recipient countries, always proceeding from Africa’s actual conditions and thinking about the welfare of the African people, “giving people fish” and also “teaching people how to fish.” [8]8 “授人以鱼” (give a man a fish) and “授人以渔” (teach a man to fish) are Chinese idioms contrasting temporary relief with sustainable empowerment. As a recent article on an Australian website put it: “The main motto guiding US actions is ‘let’s go to war,’ while China’s motto is ‘let’s get to work.’” [9]9 The Australian website article is cited by the author as a contemporary source; no further identification is provided in the original text.

新时代，中非合作进入快车道，取得了更加显著的成就，成为南南合作的典范。现在，中国不仅稳居非洲第一大贸易伙伴国地位，而且是非洲最主要的外资来源国之一，投资额超过美国两倍。盖洛普最近的民调显示，中国已成为在非洲最有影响力的大国。原因其实很简单，美国的援助总是附加条件，而且总是居高临下、颐指气使，打着民主、人权的幌子，不仅搞双重标准，还制造战乱和动乱；而中国的援助不仅不附加任何条件，而且对受援国一贯保持平等和尊重的态度，始终从非洲实际情况出发，为非洲人民着想，“授人以鱼”,也“授人以渔”。正如澳大利亚一家网站最近的文章所说：“指导美国行动的主要座右铭是‘让我们开战吧’,而中国的座右铭是‘让我们开工吧’。”(7)

President Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, titled “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a Community with a Shared Future,” has drawn a new blueprint for the modernization that China and Africa are jointly advancing and has planned ten partnership actions for deepening China-Africa cooperation over the next three years. These include both traditional agricultural, industrial, and trade projects, as well as projects involving knowledge networks, digital technology, and other areas related to the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial revolution; both large-scale infrastructure projects and “small yet beautiful” livelihood projects; and projects for training technical personnel, increasing employment opportunities, as well as projects for clean energy and biodiversity protection. The speech also pledged that to realize these actions, the Chinese government will provide financial support amounting to 360 billion yuan. [10]10 360 billion yuan is approximately US$50 billion at prevailing exchange rates. The speech fully demonstrates the fraternal friendship between the Chinese people and the African people, expresses the common aspiration of the 2.8 billion people of China and Africa, elevates China-Africa relations to a new height, and will certainly promote the modernization of Global South countries.

习近平主席2024年在中非合作论坛北京峰会开幕式上作的题为《携手推进现代化，共筑命运共同体》的主旨讲话，对中非携手推进的现代化擘画了新的蓝图，并对未来3年深化中非合作规划了十项伙伴行动。其中既有传统农业、工业、贸易项目，也有知识网络、数字技术等涉及新一轮科技革命、产业革命的项目；既有大型基础设施项目，也有“小而美”的民生项目；既有培训技术人员、增加就业岗位的项目，也有清洁能源和生物多样性保护的项目。讲话还承诺，为实现这些行动，中国政府将提供3600亿元人民币额度的资金支持(8)。讲话充分展示了中国人民与非洲人民的兄弟情谊，表达了中非28亿人民的共同心声，把中非关系提到了新的高度，也必将对全球南方国家现代化起到推动作用。

Beyond material support, China’s assistance to Global South countries also includes its own exemplary role and the transmission of its experience. For example, in just 75 years, China grew from a poor and backward foundation into the world’s second-largest economy and largest manufacturing country, completing an industrialization process that took Western developed countries several hundred years; in just over 40 years, it lifted approximately 800 million people out of poverty, accounting for 75% of the global poverty reduction population in the same period; since 2013, its total goods import and export volume has consistently ranked first in the world, and its contribution rate to global economic growth has exceeded the total of the G7 countries. These achievements themselves have enormous persuasive power. Another example: China’s experience shows that learning from other countries’ systems and paths must proceed from one’s own national conditions and cultural realities; implementing democracy requires not only giving the people the right to vote but also giving them the right to participate in daily political life; implementing a market economy requires combining the market’s allocation of resources with the role of the government; while utilizing capital and improving efficiency, it is necessary to prevent the disorderly expansion of capital and avoid polarization; in carrying out poverty reduction actions, the government must conduct prior investigation and research, formulate feasible plans, organize a clean and capable team, and both “transfuse blood” and “create blood”; in implementing opening up, it is necessary to safeguard sovereign independence and prevent ill-intentioned forces from taking the opportunity to carry out political and cultural infiltration, using ethnic and religious contradictions to create turmoil and subvert the regime; and so on. The above experiences are not only crucial but also feasible. These achievements and experiences have inspired Global South countries, given them hope, and built their confidence; they have also made hegemonism and colonialism feel inexplicable threats and fears, turning China into their primary adversary, which from the opposite side highlights the strength of China’s influence and appeal.

中国对全球南方国家的支持、帮助，在物质方面之外，还有自身的榜样作用和经验传授。例如，中国仅用短短75年时间，便在一穷二白的基础上成长为世界第二大经济体和第一制造业大国，走完了西方发达国家用几百年才走完的工业化历程；用短短40多年时间，使大约8亿人脱贫，占同期全球减贫人口的75%;2013年以来，货物进出口总额始终位居世界第一，对全球经济增长的贡献率超过了G7国家的总和。以上成就本身就具有巨大的说服力。再如，中国经验说明，借鉴别国的制度、道路一定要从本国国情和文化实际出发；实行民主不仅要给人民投票权，还要给人民在日常政治生活中的参与权；实行市场经济，要把市场对资源的配置与政府的作用结合在一起；在利用资本、提高效率的同时，要防止资本的无序扩张，避免两极分化；开展减贫行动，政府要事先调查研究，制定切实可行的计划，组织廉洁能干的队伍，既要“输血”,也要“造血”;实行对外开放，要维护主权独立，防止居心叵测的势力乘机进行政治、文化渗透，利用民族和宗教矛盾制造动乱、颠覆政权；等等。以上经验不仅至关重要，而且切实可行。这些成就和经验，使全球南方国家得到了启发，看到了希望，树立了信心；也使霸权主义、殖民主义感到莫名的威胁和恐惧，把中国当成了它们的头号对手，从反面更加凸显出中国影响力和感召力的强大。

III. Opposing Unilateralism and Protectionism, Actively Participating in and Promoting International Trade, Technological Cooperation, and Ecological Protection

三、反对单边主义、保护主义，积极参与和推动国际贸易、技术合作与生态保护

A basic principle of Marxism is that the proletariat can only liberate itself by liberating all of humanity. Guided by Marxism, the Communist Party of China works not only for the liberation of the working class but also for the happiness of the Chinese people, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the progress of humanity, and the common good of the world. Therefore, after the CPC came to power, it has consistently advocated friendly exchanges among the world’s peoples and mutual exchange of needed goods among countries, actively engaged in foreign trade and scientific and technological exchanges, and proactively responded to all international initiatives conducive to safeguarding the interests of all humanity, even when encountering obstacles, it has tried every means to remove them and forge ahead despite difficulties.

马克思主义的一个基本原理是，无产阶级只有解放全人类才能最终解放自己。中国共产党以马克思主义为指导，既为工人阶级谋解放，也为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴，为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同。因此，中国共产党取得政权后，一贯主张世界人民友好交往、世界各国互通有无，并积极开展对外贸易、科技交流，主动响应国际上一切有利于维护全人类利益的倡议，即使遇到阻力也想方设法排除障碍，迎难而上。

Just one month after the founding of New China, the United States instigated more than ten European countries, including Britain and France, to establish in Paris an organization specifically for restricting the export of high-tech and strategic materials to socialist countries—the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom). Two years later, within CoCom, a special body targeting China was set up, with its embargo list containing over 500 more items than those targeting the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, CoCom was disbanded in 1994, but immediately afterward, in Wassenaar, the Netherlands, an organization composed of more than 40 countries was established, specifically for embargoing so-called dual-use goods and technologies—such as advanced materials, electronic devices, computers, telecommunications and information security, sensors and lasers, navigation and avionics instruments, and ship and maritime equipment—to developing countries, known as the Wassenaar Arrangement, which continues to exist today. For 75 years, China’s foreign trade and technological exchanges have been conducted under such conditions of encirclement and blockade from all sides.

新中国刚成立一个月，由美国策动英法等欧洲十多个国家，在巴黎成立了一个专门限制向社会主义国家出口高科技和战略物资的组织——巴黎统筹委员会(简称巴统)。过了两年，巴统内部又设立了一个专门对付中国的机构，其禁运清单上的商品竟比针对苏联和东欧国家的还要多500余种。苏联解体后，巴统于1994年宣告解散，但紧接着在荷兰亚森纳又成立了一个由40多个国家组成的专门对发展中国家禁运先进材料、电子器件、计算机、电信与信息安全、传感与激光、导航与航空电子仪器、船舶与海事设备等所谓军民两用商品和技术的组织，称亚森纳协定(简称亚协),一直存在到今天。75年来，中国的对外贸易和技术交流就是在这种被四面封控的情况下进行的。

Initially, China could only conduct trade and technological exchanges with socialist countries, but even so, it still tried every means to engage in trade with capitalist countries. Besides using the Hong Kong channel, starting in 1957, China held the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) twice a year in Guangzhou, spring and autumn, targeting capitalist countries, which continued even during the Cultural Revolution and has been held for 135 sessions to date. However, in the years before reform and opening up, because China, with a weak industrial base, low agricultural commercialization rate, and severe capital shortage, concentrated its efforts on construction focused on heavy industry, it could only offer some textiles, light industrial products, as well as agricultural and sideline products, handicrafts, and other labor-intensive goods for trade with foreign merchants. After reform and opening up, because China had an independent and complete industrial system and national economic system as support, its level of industrialization and informatization greatly improved, and the traded goods gradually shifted from being mainly labor-intensive to being mainly technology-intensive and capital-intensive. Through the Canton Fair and other import and export trade channels, China successfully broke through the Western blockade and periodic economic sanctions, opened the door to the world, and achieved equality, mutual benefit, and the exchange of needed goods with other countries.

最初，中国只能与社会主义国家开展贸易和技术交流，但即便如此，仍然想尽办法同资本主义国家进行贸易往来。除了利用香港这个渠道外，中国还从1957年起，每年在广州举办春秋两届面向资本主义国家的中国进出口商品交易会(简称广交会),即使在“文化大革命”时期也没有中断过，至今已举办了135届。然而，改革开放前的那些年，由于中国在工业基础薄、农业商品率低、资金极其短缺的情况下，集中力量进行以重工业为重点的建设，所以只能拿出一些纺织品、轻工业品以及农副产品、工艺品等劳动密集型商品，跟国外商人进行交易。改革开放后，中国因为有了独立完整的工业体系和国民经济体系作支撑，工业化、信息化水平有了大幅度提高，交易商品由劳动密集型为主逐渐变为技术密集型、资金密集型为主。通过广交会和其他进出口贸易渠道，中国成功突破了西方的封锁和时不时进行的经济制裁，打开了通向世界的大门，实现了与各国的平等互利和互通有无。

Entering the New Era, in order to break through the Western encirclement and suppression, China, in addition to expanding import and export trade and establishing the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the China International Import Expo, also proposed in 2013 the initiative to build the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” (abbreviated as the Belt and Road Initiative), thereby further strengthening China’s trade links with the Eurasian and African continents and promoting global common prosperity and sustainable development. As of now, 152 countries and 32 international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with China, with over 230 cooperation documents forming more than 3,000 cooperation projects. These involve not only infrastructure such as railways, ports, energy, and communications, but also service industries such as finance, logistics, and tourism. The China-Europe Railway Express alone has operated over 60,000 trips, and more than 80 economic and trade cooperation zones have been established. The facts over the past decade and more show that the Belt and Road is a path of peaceful development, win-win cooperation, and civilizational exchange. The construction of the Belt and Road has promoted economic prosperity and regional cooperation in countries along the route, played a role in promoting global connectivity and creating a new engine for the world economy, and is of great significance in breaking through Western restrictions on the economic and technological development of developing countries and curbing the trend of anti-globalization. It has made important contributions to global economic recovery and growth, and has injected greater certainty and stability into a turbulent world.

进入新时代，中国为了冲破西方的围堵、打压，除了扩大进出口贸易，新办中国国际服务贸易交易会、中国国际进口博览会外，还在2013年提出建设“丝绸之路经济带”和“21世纪海上丝绸之路”(简称“一带一路”)的倡议，从而进一步加强了中国与欧亚非大陆的贸易往来，促进了全球共同繁荣和可持续发展。截至目前，与中国签署“一带一路”合作文件的国家和国际组织已分别有152个和32个之多，合作文件超过了230份，形成了3000多个合作项目，其中既涉及铁路、港口、能源、通信等基础建设，也涉及金融、物流、旅游等服务业，仅中欧班列就开行了6万多列，经贸合作区也建了80多个。十多年来的事实说明，“一带一路”是和平发展之路、合作共赢之路、文明交流之路，“一带一路”建设促进了沿线国家的经济繁荣和区域合作，起到了推动全球互联互通和打造世界经济新引擎的作用，对于突破西方在经济、科技上对发展中国家发展的限制，抑制逆全球化思潮具有重要意义，为全球经济复苏和增长作出了重要贡献，也为动荡不安的世界注入了更多的确定性和稳定性。

Ecological issues are a product of industrialization at a certain stage of development. How to handle the relationship between humans and nature is also an important aspect distinguishing socialism from capitalism. The capitalist system of private ownership of the means of production determines that it inevitably exploits natural resources irrationally for the sake of maximizing profits, disregarding environmental pollution, while simultaneously stimulating social “overconsumption,” causing more severe waste of natural resources and further imbalance in the ecosystem, transferring ecological crises to underdeveloped countries, and spreading pollution across the entire globe.

生态问题是工业化发展到一定阶段的产物。如何处理人与自然的关系，也是社会主义区别于资本主义的一个重要方面。资本主义生产资料私人占有制决定了它必然为追逐利润最大化而不合理地开发利用自然资源，不顾及环境污染，同时，刺激社会“过度消费”,造成自然资源更严重的浪费、生态系统的进一步失衡，并把生态危机向不发达国家转移，把污染扩散到整个地球。

In the early days of the founding of New China, large-scale industrialization had just begun, and industrial pollution was not yet a prominent issue. However, faced with problems such as insufficient natural endowments and frequent disasters, the Party and government had already begun work on resource conservation and environmental protection. At that time, Mao Zedong issued the call to build the country through diligence and frugality and to run all undertakings with economy; he emphasized the need to bring the Huai River, Hai River, and Yellow River under permanent control to address flood disasters, pay attention to soil and water conservation, and vigorously promote afforestation to green the motherland; he demanded that “in all possible places, trees must be planted according to specifications to achieve greening” [11]11 Mao Zedong, “Directive on Afforestation,” December 1958.. By 1978, before reform and opening up, China’s forest coverage rate had increased from 8.6% at the time of the founding of New China to 14%.

新中国成立初期，大规模工业化建设刚刚开始，工业污染问题还不显著，但面对中国自然禀赋不足、灾害频发等问题，党和政府已经着手进行资源节约和环境保护工作。当年，毛泽东就发出过勤俭建国、节约办一切事业的号召；强调要针对水患灾害根治淮河、海河、黄河，注意水土保持，并大力提倡植树造林，绿化祖国；要求“在一切可能的地方，均要按规格种起树来，实行绿化”(9)。至改革开放前的1978年，中国森林覆盖率从新中国成立时的8.6%提高到了14%。

Entering the 1970s, as factories established during large-scale industrial infrastructure construction were successively put into operation, industrial pollution began to emerge, and the Party and government promptly carried out environmental protection work. In 1972, the Chinese government sent a delegation to attend the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. Premier Zhou Enlai instructed that this opportunity should be used to understand the world’s environmental conditions and the significant impact of environmental issues on economic and social development in various countries. The following year, the State Council convened the first National Environmental Protection Conference, which established the first environmental protection work policy and passed the first regulatory document on environmental protection. It required the gradual completion of urban drainage systems and sewage treatment facilities, timely treatment of industrial waste residue, wastewater, and waste gas (abbreviated as the “three wastes”), reduction of noise, strengthening of soil and plant protection and management of waters and seas, and implementation of environmental monitoring. It also formulated emission standards for industrial “three wastes” and proposed that pollution prevention measures must be designed, constructed, and put into operation simultaneously with the main project, thereby ending the history of having no rules to follow in pollution control.

进入20世纪70年代，鉴于大规模工业化基础建设中建立的工厂陆续投产，工业污染问题开始显现，党和政府及时开展了环境保护工作。1972年，中国政府派出代表团出席联合国第一次环境会议，周恩来总理指示要利用这个机会，了解世界环境状况和各国环境问题对经济、社会发展的重大影响。翌年，国务院召开了第一次环境保护会议，确定了第一个环境保护工作方针，通过了第一个环境保护的法规性文件，要求逐步完成城市排水系统和污水处理设施建设，及时处理工业废渣、废水、废气(简称“三废”),减少噪声，加强对土壤、植物的保护和对水域、海域的管理，开展环境监测，并且制定了工业“三废”排放标准，提出防治污染措施必须与主体工程同时设计、施工、投产，从而结束了治理污染无章可循的历史。

After reform and opening up, economic construction once again became the focus of New China’s work, and resource and environmental protection received further attention. In June 1979, Chen Yun, then director of the State Council’s Financial and Economic Commission, proposed that economic construction should pay early attention to water resources and industrial pollution issues, demanding that “the handling of pollution problems must be placed in the primary position of design, truly achieving prevention before harm” [12]12 Chen Yun, “Economic Construction Must Pay Attention to Water Resources and Industrial Pollution,” June 1979.. In 1982, protecting and improving the living environment and ecological environment, and preventing and controlling pollution and other public hazards, were written into the Constitution. At the second National Environmental Protection Conference held in 1983, environmental protection was designated as a basic national policy. At the third National Environmental Protection Conference held in 1989, a long-term environmental protection planning outline was passed, proposing principles such as “who pollutes, who controls” and charging fees for pollutant discharge. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the State Council also successively promulgated a series of laws and regulations, including the Marine Environment Protection Law, the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law, the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law, the Environmental Protection Law, and the Standards for Environmental Noise in Urban Areas.

改革开放后，经济建设重新成为新中国的工作重点，资源与环境保护工作同时受到进一步重视。1979年6月，时任国务院财政经济委员会主任的陈云便提出经济建设要尽早注意水资源和工业污染问题，要求“必须把处理污染问题放在设计的首要位置，真正做到防害于先”(10)。1982年，保护和改善生活环境和生态环境，防治污染和其他公害，被写入了宪法。在1983年召开的第二次全国环保会议上，环境保护被确定为基本国策。在1989年召开的第三次全国环保会议上，通过了长期的环境保护规划纲要，提出了谁污染谁防治和排污要收费等原则。全国人大常委会和国务院还先后颁布了海洋环境保护法、水污染防治法、大气污染防治法、环境保护法和城市区域环境噪声标准等一系列法律法规。

Entering the New Era, based on General Secretary Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thoughts such as “humans and nature are a community of life,” “protecting the ecological environment means protecting productive forces,” “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” “a good ecological environment is the most equitable public product,” and “ecological civilization is the historical trend of human civilization development,” harmonious coexistence between humans and nature has been placed in a more prominent position. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “In modern times, the modernization of Western countries has mostly gone through a stage of wanton plundering of natural resources and vicious destruction of the ecological environment. While creating enormous material wealth, it often causes serious problems such as environmental pollution and resource depletion. China’s per capita endowment of energy and resources is severely insufficient, and accelerating development faces more constraints in terms of energy, resources, and the environment. This determines that China cannot follow the old path of Western modernization.” [13]13 Xi Jinping, speech at the 29th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee, April 2021. It is precisely based on this thought that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, “ecological civilization construction” has been written into the Constitution of the Communist Party of China and the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, becoming an important component of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan. “Green” has become one of the five development concepts of the new development philosophy. “Adhering to the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature” has become a major feature among the five Chinese characteristics of Chinese-path modernization. “Beautiful” has become one of the five prefixes for building a modern socialist country by the middle of the 21st century. “Pollution prevention and control” has become one of the three tough battles in the decisive period of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The State Council also established the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, which integrates the responsibilities of pollution prevention and ecological protection, constructed a system for the development and protection of territorial space, actively addressed serious problems of air, water, and soil pollution, responded to the invasion of alien species, completely banned the import of foreign garbage, and promoted the green transformation of production and lifestyle. In response to the United Nations agreement on limiting greenhouse gas emissions, President Xi Jinping, when attending the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, announced that China will adopt more forceful policies and measures, “striving to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060” [14]14 Xi Jinping, statement at the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 2020., demonstrating China’s sense of responsibility as the world’s largest developing country.

进入新时代，依据习近平总书记关于“人与自然是生命共同体”“保护生态环境就是保护生产力”“绿水青山就是金山银山”“良好生态环境是最公平的公共产品”“生态文明是人类文明发展的历史趋势”等生态文明思想，人与自然和谐共生被放在了更加突出的位置。习近平总书记指出：“近代以来，西方国家的现代化大都经历了对自然资源肆意掠夺和生态环境恶性破坏的阶段，在创造巨大物质财富的同时，往往造成环境污染、资源枯竭等严重问题。我国人均能源资源禀赋严重不足，加快发展面临更多的能源资源和环境约束，这决定了我国不可能走西方现代化的老路。”(11)正是基于这一思想，党的十八大以来，“生态文明建设”被写入了《中国共产党章程》和《中华人民共和国宪法》,成为统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局中的重要一位，“绿色”成为新发展理念的五大发展理念之一，“坚持人与自然和谐共生”成为中国式现代化五个中国特色中的一大特色，“美丽”成为21世纪中叶建成社会主义现代化强国的五个前置词之一，“污染防治”成为全面建成小康社会决胜期三大攻坚战中的一战。国务院还组建了把污染防治与生态保护职责相统一的生态环境部，构建了国土空间开发保护制度，积极解决大气、水、土壤污染严重的问题，应对外来物种的入侵，全面禁止洋垃圾入境，推进生产和生活方式向绿色转型。为了响应联合国关于限制温室气体排放的协议，国家主席习近平在出席第七十五届联合国大会时宣布，中国将采取更加有力的政策和措施，“二氧化碳排放力争于二○三○年前达到峰值，努力争取二○六○年前实现碳中和”(12),彰显出中国作为世界上最大发展中国家的责任担当。

Through continuous ecological and environmental governance, especially the battle against pollution that began in 2015, the national ecological environment has further improved on the existing foundation. By 2020, through the battles to defend blue skies, clear waters, and clean soil, the proportion of days with good air quality in cities at the prefectural level and above reached over 80%; the water quality compliance rates for surface water and major rivers and lakes functional zones exceeded 70% and 80% respectively; and the safe utilization rate of contaminated farmland reached around 90%. The forest coverage rate increased from 21% in 2012 to 24% in 2023. In addition, the water quality at the sources of the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River has remained at Class I–II, and the vast majority of rare and endangered species and their habitats have been effectively protected. Particularly noteworthy is that by 2020, China had overfulfilled its internationally pledged target of reducing carbon emission intensity by 40%–45% compared with 2005, basically reversing the rapid growth of carbon dioxide emissions. Compared with 2005, the share of coal in total energy consumption fell from 72.4% to 56.8%, while the share of non-fossil energy rose from 7.4% to 15.9%. China’s output of polysilicon, photovoltaic cells, and photovoltaic modules all ranked first globally, and these products were exported to more than 200 countries and regions, significantly reducing the cost of global clean energy use. At the same time, China has also committed itself to ecological restoration. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period [15]15 The 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016–2020) was China’s national economic and social development plan for those years., it completed desertification prevention and control on over 10 million hectares, added 310,000 square kilometers of comprehensive soil erosion control, and added or restored nearly 700,000 hectares of wetlands, thereby further enhancing the carbon sink function of ecosystems [16]16 Carbon sink refers to natural or artificial systems that absorb more carbon dioxide than they release, thereby reducing atmospheric CO₂., playing an important role in reducing global greenhouse gases. In the first half of 2024, the share of clean energy in China’s electricity output had risen to over 37%. It is no wonder that American experts have exclaimed: “China’s clean energy transition is more forceful than that of the United States” [17]17 Quotation from an American expert; source not specified in the original., and “China is becoming a global leader in addressing climate change” [18]18 Quotation from an American expert; source not specified in the original..

经过接续不断的生态环境治理，尤其是2015年开始的污染防治攻坚战，全国生态环境在原有基础上有进一步改观。到2020年，通过蓝天保卫战、碧水保卫战、净土保卫战，地级及以上城市空气质量优良天数比率达到80%以上，地表水和重要江河湖泊水功能区的水质达标率分别大于70%和80%,受污染耕地安全利用率达到90%左右；森林覆盖率由2012年的21%提高到2023年的24%。另外，长江、黄河、澜沧江源头的水质均保持在Ⅰ—Ⅱ级，绝大多数珍稀濒危物种及其栖息地得到了有效保护。尤其值得一提的是，至2020年，中国碳排放强度已超额完成了向国际社会承诺的比2005年下降40%—45%的目标，基本扭转了二氧化碳排放快速增长的局面；与2005年相比，能源消费总量中的煤炭占比由72.4%下降为56.8%,非化石能源的占比由7.4%提高至15.9%;中国多晶硅、光伏电池、光伏组件等产品产量均位居全球第一，出口到200多个国家和地区，大大降低了全球清洁能源的使用成本。与此同时，中国还致力于生态环境的修复，“十三五”期间累计完成防沙治沙面积1000多万公顷，新增水土流失综合治理面积31万平方公里，新增和修复湿地面积近70万公顷，使生态系统的碳汇功能得到了进一步提高(13),为全球减少温室气体发挥了重要作用。2024年上半年，清洁能源在中国电力产量中的占比已提升至37%以上，难怪美国专家惊呼：“中国清洁能源转型力度超美国”(14),“中国正成为全球应对气候变化引领者”(15)。

General Secretary Xi Jinping has said: “After the end of the Second World War, third-world countries represented by China and Africa achieved independence and development one after another, constantly correcting historical injustices in the process of modernization.” [19]19 Xi Jinping, speech at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting, March 15, 2023. He also pointed out: “Human society is facing unprecedented challenges. The world has once again come to a historical crossroads, and where it goes depends on the choices of the people of all countries.” [20]20 Xi Jinping, Report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, October 16, 2022. As long as people review modern world history, they will clearly see that whenever the world is at a historical crossroads, China has always unhesitatingly stood on the side of peace, on the side of developing countries, and on the side of the common interests of humanity, upholding the basic norms of international relations and international fairness and justice, opposing all forms of hegemonism, power politics, unilateral sanctions, and maximum pressure, and contributing to the historical trend of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes. Half a century ago, when Mao Zedong spoke of China becoming a powerful socialist industrial country in the 21st century, he said: “China should be like this. Because China is a country with 9.6 million square kilometers of land and a population of 600 million, China should make greater contributions to humanity.” [21]21 Mao Zedong, “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People,” February 27, 1957. It can be affirmed that, at the historical crossroads of today’s world, China will, as always, firmly stand on the right side of history, spare no effort to continue its struggle, and make new and greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

习近平总书记说：“第二次世界大战结束后，以中国和非洲为代表的第三世界国家相继实现独立和发展，不断纠正现代化进程中的历史不公。”(16)他还指出：当前，“人类社会面临前所未有的挑战。世界又一次站在历史的十字路口，何去何从取决于各国人民的抉择”(17)。人们只要回顾世界现代史就会清楚地看到，世界每逢处在历史十字路口，中国总会毫不犹豫地站在和平一边、发展中国家一边、人类共同利益一边，维护国际关系的基本准则和国际公平正义，反对一切形式的霸权主义、强权政治、单边制裁、极限施压，为推动和平、发展、合作、共赢的历史潮流贡献力量。半个世纪前，毛泽东讲到中国在21世纪将会变为一个强大的社会主义工业国时说过：“中国应当这样。因为中国是一个具有九百六十万平方公里土地和六万万人口的国家，中国应当对于人类有较大的贡献。”(18)可以肯定，处在当今世界的历史十字路口，中国仍会一如既往地坚定站在历史正确的一边，不遗余力地继续奋斗，为构建人类命运共同体作出新的更大贡献。

(Author’s bio: Zhu Jiamu, former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, President of the Society of the History of the People’s Republic of China)

（作者简介：朱佳木，中国社会科学院原副院长，中华人民共和国国史学会会长）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心