The Chinese-Path Modernization’s Solution to the “World History” Problem and Its World-Historical Significance

The world today is undergoing changes unseen in a century, with problems such as protectionism and unilateralism emerging at the global level, and economic globalization encountering headwinds. Against this backdrop, China has unequivocally declared that “the door of China’s opening up will only open wider,” and is focusing on deepening cooperation with countries around the world to jointly address global issues. This has promoted and driven scholarly research and innovation on Marxist theories of globalization. Within the Marxist theoretical framework, globalization is a process of deep interaction among different countries and nations: “The more the original isolation of separate nationalities is destroyed by the developed mode of production and intercourse and the division of labor between various nations naturally brought forth by these, the more history becomes world history.” [1]1 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 1, in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 23 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1972), p. 264. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from *Capital* reads: “...once they are drawn into the world market dominated by the capitalist mode of production, and this market makes the sale of their products their primary interest, then on top of the barbaric horrors of slavery, serfdom, etc., is added the civilized horror of excessive labor.”] Consequently, the theory of “world history” has also become an important Marxist tool for analyzing globalization. Works such as *The Communist Manifesto*, *The German Ideology*, and *Capital* contain a wealth of basic viewpoints on the theory of “world history.”

今世界正经历百年未有之大变局，全球层面出现保护主义、单边主义等问题，经济全球化遭遇逆流。在此背景下，中国旗帜鲜明地提出“中国开放的大门只会越开越大”，并着力于加深与世界各国的合作，共同应对全球性问题，这促进和带动了学界对于马克思主义全球化理论观点的研究和创新。在马克思主义理论体系下，全球化是不同国家、民族展开深度交往的过程，“各民族的原始封闭状态由于日益完善的生产方式、交往以及因交往而自然形成的不同民族之间的分工消灭得越是彻底，历史也就越是成为世界历史”。因而，“世界历史”理论也成为马克思主义解析全球化问题的重要理论。《共产党宣言》《德意志意识形态》和《资本论》等著作中蕴含了大量关于“世界历史”理论的基本观点。

During the formation of Marx’s theory of “world history,” the “world-historical” process of Western modernization had already unfolded in full, fully exposing a series of problems it caused in the realm of social development. Marx therefore undertook a critical study of it and scientifically revealed the series of problems it generated. Chinese-path modernization aims to transcend Western modernization and provide humanity with a new choice for modernization. Its theoretical innovations and practical solutions concerning globalization contain a scientific answer to the “world history” problem. Entering the New Era, China, based on Marx’s theory of “world history,” has carried out beneficial explorations into how to resolve the “world history” problems in the process of modernization, forming viewpoints that include “promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, practicing the common values of all humanity, implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and advocating an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.” These contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to solving the “world history” problem.

在马克思的“世界历史”理论形成的过程中，西方现代化的“世界历史”进程业已全面展开，并充分暴露了其在社会发展领域造成的系列问题，因而马克思对其展开了批判性研究，并对其产生的系列难题进行了科学揭示。中国式现代化着眼于超越西方现代化，为人类提供新的现代化选择，在其关于全球化问题的理论创新和实践方案中蕴含了对“世界历史”难题的科学解答。进入新时代，中国基于马克思的“世界历史”理论，对如何解决现代化进程中的“世界历史”难题展开了有益探索，形成了包括“推动构建人类命运共同体，践行全人类共同价值，落实全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议，倡导平等有序的世界多极化、普惠包容的经济全球化”在内的观点，为解决“世界历史”难题贡献了中国智慧和中国方案。

I. Marx’s Scientific Discovery of the “World History” Problem

一、马克思对“世界历史”难题的科学发现

The “world-historical” process of Western modernization provided the practical basis for the formation of the theory of “world history.” Before Marx, influenced by theories such as British classical political economy, research on the “world history” of Western modernization mainly focused on revealing its positive role in promoting social productive forces and strengthening interaction among different countries and nations, but this neglected the investigation and study of its negative impacts and adverse effects. After completing the discovery of the “new worldview” in *Theses on Feuerbach*, Marx, using historical materialism and dialectical materialism, undertook a systematic and comprehensive critical study of Western modernization, scientifically revealing the development problems brought about by the “world history” of Western modernization, and forming his theoretical viewpoints on “world history.” By examining the main viewpoints of Marx’s theory of “world history,” the problems of the “world history” of Western modernization mainly include the following three aspects.

西方现代化的“世界历史”进程为“世界历史”理论的形成提供了实践基础。在马克思以前，受到英国古典政治经济学等理论的影响，对于西方现代化“世界历史”的研究主要集中于揭示其在推动社会生产力和加强世界不同国家、民族交往等方面的积极作用，但这忽视了对其负面影响和消极作用的考察与研究。马克思在《关于费尔巴哈的提纲》中完成“新世界观”的发现后，运用历史唯物主义和辩证唯物主义，对西方现代化展开系统而全面的批判性研究，科学揭示了西方现代化“世界历史”带来的发展难题，形成了其关于“世界历史”的理论观点。通过考察马克思“世界历史”理论的主要观点，西方现代化“世界历史”难题主要包括以下三个方面。

First, although Western modernization claims to pursue equal and fair interaction and cooperation among countries around the world, in reality it has led to the emergence of unequal relationships such as subordination, dependency, and colonization.

第一，西方现代化虽然声称追求世界各国之间开展平等、公平的交往与合作，但在现实中却造成了从属、依附以及殖民等不平等关系的出现。

Before Marx systematically formed his theory of “world history,” British classical political economy had studied the globalization process driven by capital, mainly examining the important role of globalization in increasing national wealth. The theory of “comparative advantage” proposed by David Ricardo, a representative scholar of British classical political economy, undoubtedly provided theoretical support for the unfolding of the “world history” of Western modernization. According to the theory of “comparative advantage,” each country occupies the production link that yields the greatest profit based on its own advantages, thereby raising the level of social productive forces in globalization and promoting interaction and cooperation among different countries in the world. Therefore, the “world-historical” process promoted by Western modernization provides an “equal” and “fair” development environment for countries to engage in international cooperation and achieve national wealth growth and social development, and will not form unequal relationships such as subordination, dependency, and colonization.

在马克思系统形成“世界历史”理论前，英国古典政治经济学对于资本推动的全球化进程展开了研究，主要考察了全球化在增加国民财富上的重要作用。英国古典政治经济学的代表学者大卫·李嘉图提出的“比较优势”理论无疑为西方现代化“世界历史”的展开提供了理论支持。按照“比较优势”理论，各国根据自身优势而占据获利最大的生产环节，由此提升全球化的社会生产力水平，并促成世界不同国家间的交往与合作，因此西方现代化推动的“世界历史”进程为各国开展国际合作、实现国民财富的增长和社会发展提供了“平等”“公平”的发展环境，不会形成附属、依附以及殖民等不平等关系。

However, Marx’s theory of “world history” holds that the “world history” of Western modernization only achieves formal fairness and equality, but in essence creates unequal relationships between different countries. This viewpoint stems from Marx’s analysis of the unequal relationship between workers and capital: “The more rapidly the worker increases the wealth of others, the more crumbs he gets to eat, the more workers can find work and survive, the more the number of slaves dependent on capital increases.” [2]2 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 3, in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 25 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1974), p. 370. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from *Capital* reads: “India alone has to pay about 5 million pounds in tribute for ‘good government,’ for interest and dividends on British capital, etc., not including the sums sent home each year by officials as savings, and by British merchants as part of their profits for investment in Britain.”] At the global level, the unequal relationship between labor and capital manifests as unequal relationships between countries. The different links of the global industrial chain formed on the basis of “comparative advantage” exhibit significant differences in pricing power, monopoly power, etc., which provides the basis for the formation of unequal relationships between countries. Moreover, the deeper the “world-historical” process of Western modernization becomes, the more pronounced the unequal relationships between countries become. In the process of critically studying the “world history” promoted by Western modernization, Marx observed the following phenomena of inequality: First, after entering the global economic system, economically relatively backward countries lost their independent position in economic development and became objects of economic monopoly by Western countries. For example, in analyzing primitive accumulation in Volume I of *Capital*, Marx pointed out the British monopoly on trade with China at the time: “The British East India Company, besides its political dominion in the East Indies, possessed the monopoly of the tea trade, of the trade with China, and of the freight traffic to and from Europe.” [3]3 Frédéric Bastiat, *Economic Harmonies*, trans. by Xu Mingming (Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 1995), p. 36. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from Bastiat’s *Economic Harmonies* reads: “The economic school, starting from the natural harmony of interests, concludes that freedom is the result,” and “Free and unfettered interests tend toward harmonious combination, toward the ever-growing predominance of the interests of the masses.”] Second, Eastern countries passively accepted the capitalist mode of production and developed economic dependence on Western countries. Western countries used favorable conditions such as “extremely convenient transportation” and “the cheap prices of commodities” to force other countries to “adopt the bourgeois mode of production,” [4]4 Karl Marx, “Revolution in China and in Europe,” in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 12 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1998), p. 117. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from Marx’s article reads: “...the Chinese revolution will throw the spark into the overloaded mine of the present industrial system and cause the explosion of the long-prepared general crisis,” and “...the political revolution on the European continent will immediately follow.”] providing broader space for the unfolding of the “world-historical” process of Western modernization. Therefore, while Western modernization claims at a logical level that the “world-historical” process it promotes can foster the formation of fair and equal international relations, in reality, because Eastern countries and others were passively drawn into and accepted the Western modernization process, they lost the initiative for development in international interaction, leading to the emergence of unequal relationships such as subordination, dependency, and colonization within the “world-historical” process of Western modernization.

但是，马克思的“世界历史”理论认为，西方现代化的“世界历史”只实现了形式上的公平和平等，但实质上却造成不同国家之间的不平等关系。这一观点源于马克思对劳动者与资本不平等关系的分析：“工人把他人的财富增加得越迅速，工人得到的残羹剩饭就越多，能够获得工作和生活下去的工人就越多，依附资本的奴隶人数就增加得越多。”在全球层面，劳动与资本的不平等关系表现为国与国之间的不平等关系。基于“比较优势”形成的全球产业链的不同环节在定价能力、垄断能力等方面存在极大差异，这为各国间不平等关系的形成提供了基础。并且，随着西方现代化的“世界历史”进程越发深入，各国间的不平等关系就越为显著。在对西方现代化推动的“世界历史”展开批判性研究的过程中，马克思观察到以下不平等现象：首先，经济相对落后的国家进入全球经济体系后，丧失了其在经济发展上的独立地位，成为西方国家进行经济垄断的对象。例如，马克思在《资本论》第一卷分析原始积累时，指出英国对当时中国贸易的垄断：“英国东印度公司除了在东印度拥有政治统治权外，还拥有茶叶贸易、同中国的贸易和对欧洲往来的货运的垄断权”。其次，东方国家被动地接受资本主义生产方式，并在经济上产生对西方国家的依赖性。西方国家利用“交通的极其便利”“商品的低廉价格”等有利条件，迫使其他国家“采用资产阶级的生产方式”，为西方现代化“世界历史”进程的展开提供了更为广阔的空间。因此，西方现代化在逻辑层面认为其推动的“世界历史”进程能够促进公平、平等的国际关系的形成，但在现实中由于东方国家等被动地卷入和接受了西方现代化进程，在国际交往中丧失了发展的主动权，以致在西方现代化的“世界历史”进程中出现了从属、依附和殖民等不平等关系。

Second, Western modernization not only fails to promote the global sharing of the fruits of globalization development, but instead provides means for Western countries to plunder Eastern countries, thereby causing the widening development gap between countries and the problem of unbalanced global development.

第二，西方现代化不仅不能促成全球化发展成果在世界范围内分享，反而为西方国家实现对东方国家的掠夺提供了手段，进而造成世界各国发展差距不断拉大和世界发展的不平衡问题。

According to the views of British classical political economy, countries with slow growth in social wealth are mainly those that have not fully accepted the theoretical viewpoints and practical solutions of Western modernization. For example, Adam Smith, in *The Wealth of Nations*, argued that China was “the most fertile, best cultivated, most industrious, and most populous country in the world. Yet… it seems to have been long stationary,” [5]5 Thomas Piketty, *Capital in the Twenty-First Century*, trans. by Ba Shusong et al. (Beijing: CITIC Press, 2014), p. 438. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from Piketty’s book reads: “...since 2010, global wealth inequality seems to be similar to the wealth gap in Europe between 1900 and 1910,” and “...residents of many developed countries are quite high up in the global wealth hierarchy.”] using this to provide evidence for the view that complete laissez-faire economics brings maximum efficiency, and inferring that the “world history” of Western modernization would continuously narrow the development gap between different countries. Therefore, the more thoroughly countries accept Western modernization and the more deeply they integrate into the “world-historical” process of Western modernization, the more the development gap between countries will gradually shrink, thereby eliminating and resolving the problem of unbalanced development in globalization.

按照英国古典政治经济学的观点，社会财富增长缓慢的国家主要是因为没有完全接受西方现代化的理论观点及其实践方案。例如，亚当·斯密在《国富论》中认为，中国是“土地最肥沃，耕作最精细，人民最多而且最勤勉的国家。然而……它似乎就停滞于静止状态了”，以此为完全自由放任经济带来效率最大的观点提供例证，并推论西方现代化“世界历史”会不断地缩小不同国家之间的发展差距。因而，各国接受西方现代化越彻底，越是深度地融入西方现代化“世界历史”进程，世界各国的发展差距就越会逐渐缩小，进而消除和解决全球化中发展的不平衡问题。

However, when Marx carried out his critical study of the “world history” of Western modernization, he pointed out that the process of the “world history” of Western modernization would continuously widen the development gap between different countries. Moreover, the more widely the logic of Western modernization is accepted and practiced, the more pronounced the problem of uneven development in globalization becomes. Under conditions where unequal relations such as subordination, dependency, and colonialism have not been fundamentally changed, the unfolding of the “world history” of Western modernization will continuously widen the development gap between Eastern and Western countries. Marx’s theory of “world history” reveals the problem of uneven development caused in the process of the “world history” of Western modernization: First, the formation of the world market provides a space for developed countries to deprive late-developing countries of their development opportunities. Marx believed that developing countries, “once they become entangled in the world market dominated by the capitalist mode of production, and this market makes the external sale of their products their primary interest, then on top of the barbaric atrocities of slavery, serfdom, etc., will be added the civilized atrocity of excessive labor,” [1]1 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 1, in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 23 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1972), p. 264. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from *Capital* reads: “...once they are drawn into the world market dominated by the capitalist mode of production, and this market makes the sale of their products their primary interest, then on top of the barbaric horrors of slavery, serfdom, etc., is added the civilized horror of excessive labor.”] thereby limiting the development space of developing countries. Second, Western countries use their advantageous position in globalization to transfer the contradictions of social development, causing the contradictions brought about by the capitalist mode of production to erupt systematically on a global scale. For example, when commercial crises and economic crises occur, capitalist countries shift their domestic economic development problems onto developing countries through means such as tariffs, thereby exacerbating the development difficulties of developing countries. Periodic commercial crises are also contradictions that capitalism itself cannot overcome, and the formation of the world market precisely helps capitalist countries push surplus commodities to all parts of the world, thereby alleviating this contradiction. Finally, Western developed countries implement economic domination on a global scale through means such as monopolizing trade and issuing international bonds, carrying out economic plunder of developing countries. In Volume 3 of *Capital*, Marx pointed out that Britain, by exporting capital to other countries, carried out exploitation and domination on a global scale to achieve its capital accumulation. “India alone has to pay Britain about 5 million pounds in tribute for ‘good government,’ for interest and dividends on British capital, etc., not including the remittances sent back to Britain each year, part of which are savings from the salaries of officials and part are profits remitted by British merchants for investment in Britain.” [2]2 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 3, in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 25 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1974), p. 370. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from *Capital* reads: “India alone has to pay about 5 million pounds in tribute for ‘good government,’ for interest and dividends on British capital, etc., not including the sums sent home each year by officials as savings, and by British merchants as part of their profits for investment in Britain.”] This exploitation and domination not only harms the interests of the exploited countries but also exacerbates the uneven development on a global scale.

然而，马克思在展开对西方现代化“世界历史”的批判性研究时指出，西方现代化“世界历史”进程会不断拉大不同国家间的发展差距。并且，西方现代化的逻辑越是被广泛地接受和践行，全球化发展的不平衡问题就会越发显著。在从属、依附和殖民等不平等关系尚未得到根本改变的情况下，西方现代化“世界历史”的展开会不断地拉大东西方国家的发展差距。马克思的“世界历史”理论揭示了西方现代化“世界历史”进程中造成的发展不平衡问题：首先，世界市场的形成为发达国家剥夺后发国家的发展机遇提供了空间。马克思认为，发展中国家“一旦卷入资本主义生产方式所统治的世界市场，而这个市场又使它们的产品的外销成为首要利益，那就会在奴隶制、农奴制等等野蛮暴行之上，再加上过度劳动的文明暴行”，从而使发展中国家的发展空间受限。其次，西方国家利用其在全球化中的优势地位转移社会发展矛盾，使资本主义生产方式带来的矛盾在全球范围内系统性爆发。例如，在商业危机、经济危机来临时，资本主义国家通过关税等方式将国内经济发展问题转嫁到发展中国家，就加剧了发展中国家的发展困境。周期性的商业危机也是资本主义自身无法克服的矛盾，世界市场的形成恰好有助于资本主义国家把过剩商品推往世界各地，使得这一矛盾也借此能够得到缓解。最后，西方发达国家通过垄断贸易、发行国际债券等手段在全球范围内实行经济统治，对发展中国家实施经济掠夺。马克思在《资本论》第三卷中就指出，英国通过向其他国家输入资本在全球范围内进行剥削和统治，以实现其资本积累的目的，“单是印度就要为‘德政’，为英国资本的利息和股息等等，向英国支付约500万镑的贡赋，这里还不包括每年寄回英国的汇款，其中部分是官吏积蓄的薪俸，部分是英国商人为在英国投资而寄回的一部分利润”。这种剥削和统治不仅损害了被剥削国家的利益，更加剧了全球范围内的发展不平衡。

Third, Western modernization logically pursues the harmonious development of all countries in the world, but in reality, it causes conflicts and contradictions between different countries to deepen and intensify, and leads to systemic problems such as economic crises and military conflicts on a global scale.

第三，西方现代化在逻辑上追求世界各国的和谐发展，但在现实中却造成不同国家间冲突和矛盾日益加深与激化，并造成世界范围内出现经济危机和军事冲突等系统性问题。

According to Marx’s views in *Capital*, after Smith, Ricardo, and others formed the theoretical paradigm of British classical political economy, later scholars’ innovations and studies of British classical political economy were mostly a process of “vulgarizing” its theory, and they developed the viewpoint of the “harmony of the market economy,” equating “freedom” with “harmony” in order to maintain the dominant position of completely laissez-faire market economy. For example, Frédéric Bastiat believed that “the economic school, starting from the natural harmony of interests, concludes that freedom is the result,” and “free and unfettered interests tend toward harmonious combination, toward the ever-growing predominance of the interests of the masses.” [3]3 Frédéric Bastiat, *Economic Harmonies*, trans. by Xu Mingming (Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 1995), p. 36. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from Bastiat’s *Economic Harmonies* reads: “The economic school, starting from the natural harmony of interests, concludes that freedom is the result,” and “Free and unfettered interests tend toward harmonious combination, toward the ever-growing predominance of the interests of the masses.”] Based on the viewpoint of the “harmony of the market economy,” one would conclude that the “world history” of Western modernization would promote harmonious coexistence among countries, and that there would be no accumulation of conflicts and contradictions between countries or the emergence of global systemic development problems.

根据马克思《资本论》中的观点，在斯密、李嘉图等人形成英国古典政治经济学理论范式后，后来学者对英国古典政治经济学的创新和研究多是对其理论进行“庸俗化”的过程，并发展出了“市场经济和谐论”观点，将“自由”与“和谐”相等同，以此维护完全自由放任市场经济的主导地位。例如，弗里德里克·巴师夏认为，“经济学派从利益的自然和谐出发，得出的结论就是自由”，“自由自在的利益趋于和谐的结合，趋于使大众利益的不断增长的优势地位”。基于“市场经济和谐论”的观点就会得出西方现代化“世界历史”会促进各国和谐相处，不会出现国与国之间冲突、矛盾的叠加和产生全球系统性发展问题的结论。

However, in the process of critically studying the “world history” of Western modernization, Marx discovered that the process of the “world history” of Western modernization caused the expansion and intensification of conflicts and contradictions on a global scale, providing the possibility for the systematic outbreak of global problems. When economic growth stagnates at the global level under the capitalist mode of production, Western capitalist countries tend to use means such as tariffs to create trade frictions and shift their own development problems in order to protect their own development interests. When the means of trade friction such as tariffs used in the economic sphere can no longer obtain more benefits, resorting to “military means” becomes a possible choice for capitalist countries, thereby laying the hidden danger for triggering global economic crises and military conflicts. In his study of Asian countries, Marx focused on examining how capitalist countries completed the plunder of Asian countries through violent means such as war. In his comments on China written for the *New York Daily Tribune*, Marx denounced the plunder of countries that had not yet achieved modernization in the process of the continuous advancement of the “world history” of Western modernization. Especially in “Revolution in China and in Europe,” he pointed out that China’s revolutionary activities would have an impact on political revolutions in Europe, believing that “the Chinese revolution will throw the spark onto the mine of the existing industrial system, which is fully loaded with gunpowder, and trigger the long-brewing general crisis,” and “this will be followed by a political revolution on the European continent.” [4]4 Karl Marx, “Revolution in China and in Europe,” in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 12 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1998), p. 117. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from Marx’s article reads: “...the Chinese revolution will throw the spark into the overloaded mine of the present industrial system and cause the explosion of the long-prepared general crisis,” and “...the political revolution on the European continent will immediately follow.”] Later scholars’ innovations in the theory of “world history” continued Marx’s critical study of the “world history” of Western modernization, focusing on examining how the unfolding of the “world history” of Western modernization caused the systematic outbreak of capitalist problems after capitalist society entered stages such as “monopoly capitalism” and “imperialism.”

然而，在对西方现代化“世界历史”展开批判性研究的过程中，马克思发现，西方现代化“世界历史”进程造成了世界范围内冲突和矛盾的扩大与加剧，为全球性问题的系统爆发提供了可能。在资本主义生产方式在全球层面出现经济增长停滞后，西方资本主义国家倾向于运用关税等方式制造贸易摩擦，转嫁自身发展问题，以此来维护本国发展利益。当通过经济领域所使用的关税等贸易摩擦手段已无法获取更多利益后，采用“军事手段”就成为资本主义国家可能的选择，由此也埋下了引发全球性的经济危机和军事冲突的隐患。在对亚洲国家的研究中，马克思着重考察了资本主义国家如何通过战争等暴力方式完成对亚洲国家的剥夺。马克思在为《纽约每日论坛报》写作的有关中国问题的评论中就痛斥了西方现代化“世界历史”进程不断推进的过程中对于尚未实现现代化国家的掠夺，尤其是在《中国革命和欧洲革命》中指出中国的革命活动会对欧洲的政治革命产生影响，认为“中国革命将把火星抛到现今工业体系这个火药装得足而又足的地雷上，把酝酿已久的普遍危机引爆”，“紧接而来的将是欧洲大陆的政治革命”。后来的学者对“世界历史”理论的创新延续了马克思对西方现代化“世界历史”的批判性研究，着重考察资本主义社会在进入“垄断资本主义”“帝国主义”等阶段后，西方现代化“世界历史”的展开如何造成资本主义问题的系统性爆发。

Marx scientifically discovered the problem of the world-historical process dominated by the logic of capital. Since then, the academic community has conducted in-depth discussions on the “world history” problem, continuously promoting the innovation of Marx’s theory of “world history” and providing a theoretical basis for humanity to more comprehensively understand the “world history” of Western modernization. In related research, most scholars believe that the key to completely solving the “world history” problem lies in transcending Western modernization. However, under the stage where human society is still in the process of modernization and has not yet transcended the economic relations of “commodity-money-capital,” how to solve the “world history” problem and construct a globalization pattern that meets development needs—Marx’s theory of “world history” provides a basic line of thought for answering this question but does not give a clear solution. Faced with the current problem of countercurrents in economic globalization, Chinese-path modernization, starting from Marx’s theory of “world history,” has explored solutions to the “world history” problem. Through theoretical and practical innovations such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of the BRICS nations to promote the reform of the global governance system, it has deepened cooperation with countries around the world, providing theoretical perspectives and practical foundations for exploring a scientific solution to the “world history” problem.

马克思科学地发现了资本逻辑主导下的世界历史进程的难题，此后学界对“世界历史”难题进行了深入的探讨，持续推动了马克思的“世界历史”理论的创新，为人类更为全面地认识西方现代化“世界历史”提供了理论基础。在相关研究中，多数学者认为，彻底解决“世界历史”难题的关键在于超越西方现代化。然而，在人类社会尚处于现代化进程的阶段内，尚未超越“商品—货币—资本”的经济关系下，如何解决“世界历史”难题并构建符合发展需求的全球化格局，马克思的“世界历史”理论为回答这一问题提供了基本思路，却没有给出明确的解答。面对当前经济全球化遭遇逆流的问题，中国式现代化从马克思的“世界历史”理论出发，为解答“世界历史”难题展开了探索，通过“一带一路”和金砖国家建设促进全球治理体系变革等理论和实践创新，加深了与世界各国的合作，为探索“世界历史”难题的科学解答提供了理论观点和实践基础。

II. Chinese-Path Modernization’s Solution to the “World History” Problem

二、中国式现代化对“世界历史”难题的解答

With the rise of neoliberal thought globally in the late 1970s, and influenced by the “Washington Consensus” and other factors, the “world history” problem of Western modernization reappeared in a new form. Although factors such as the institutional environment and technological conditions have changed, the basic logic by which Marx scientifically revealed the “world history” problem remains valid. The problem of uneven development between different countries revealed by Marx’s theory of “world history” still exists. As Thomas Piketty pointed out in *Capital in the Twenty-First Century* when examining the degree of global wealth inequality, “since 2010, the degree of global wealth inequality seems similar to the wealth gap in Europe between 1900 and 1910,” and residents of many developed countries “are quite high up in the global wealth hierarchy.” [5]5 Thomas Piketty, *Capital in the Twenty-First Century*, trans. by Ba Shusong et al. (Beijing: CITIC Press, 2014), p. 438. [Translator’s note: This is a close rendering of the Chinese citation; the original English text from Piketty’s book reads: “...since 2010, global wealth inequality seems to be similar to the wealth gap in Europe between 1900 and 1910,” and “...residents of many developed countries are quite high up in the global wealth hierarchy.”] China’s theoretical innovations have contributed a large number of theoretical perspectives to solving the “world history” problem of Western modernization, and in practice, through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS nations, and the Belt and Road Initiative, it has strengthened ties and cooperation with countries around the world, striving to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Therefore, the theoretical perspectives and practical plans of the Communist Party of China on globalization contain a scientific solution to the “world history” problem revealed by Marx. Starting from Marx’s theory of “world history,” Chinese-path modernization forms the following solutions to the “world history” problem.

随着20世纪70年代末新自由主义思潮在全球兴起，加之受到“华盛顿共识”等影响，西方现代化“世界历史”难题以全新的形态再次展现。虽然制度环境、技术条件等因素已经发生了变化，但马克思科学揭示“世界历史”难题的基本逻辑仍然成立。马克思“世界历史”理论揭示的不同国家发展不平衡问题仍然存在。正如托马斯·皮凯蒂在《21世纪资本论》中考察全球财富不公平程度时就指出：“自2010年以来全球财富不公平程度似乎与欧洲在1900—1910年的财富差距相似”，许多发达国家居民“在全球财富等级中位置相当靠前”。中国的理论创新为解决西方现代化“世界历史”难题贡献了大量理论观点，并在实践中通过上合组织、金砖国家和“一带一路”等加强与世界各国的联系与合作，努力推动人类命运共同体建设。因此，中国共产党关于全球化的理论观点和实践方案中蕴含着对马克思所揭示的“世界历史”难题的科学解答。从马克思的“世界历史”理论出发，中国式现代化对“世界历史”难题形成以下解答。

First, the neglect of differences among countries in terms of national conditions, culture, and other areas is the main reason why the Western modernization “world history” has produced unequal relations such as subordination, dependency, and colonization between nations. Therefore, from the perspective of Chinese-path modernization, the unfolding of the “world history” process should be based on respecting the differences in the modernization paths of various countries.

第一，忽视世界各国在国情、文化等领域的差异是西方现代化“世界历史”造成国与国之间形成从属、依附以及殖民等不平等关系的主要原因。因此，从中国式现代化的视域出发，应在尊重世界各国现代化道路存在差异的基础上展开“世界历史”进程。

The West once widely believed that there was only one model of modernization, namely, it trumpeted that modernization meant Westernization, and thus the modernization of all countries in the world was a constant convergence toward this ultimate direction. According to the logic of Western modernization “world history,” as countries participate in globalization, they will gradually eliminate differences in national conditions, culture, and other areas, and the Western modernization “world history” process can achieve equal development for all countries. However, in reality, the Western modernization “world history” process has not only failed to eliminate the differences among countries but has instead formed unequal international relations of subordination and dependency among them. Chinese-path modernization “has broken the myth that ‘modernization equals Westernization,’” providing a new choice for the modernization process of human society and, in practice, unfolding a scientific solution to the “world history” problem created by Western modernization.

西方曾普遍认为，现代化只存在一种模式，即鼓吹现代化就是西方化，因而世界各国的现代化就是不断地向这一终极方向收敛。按照西方现代化“世界历史”逻辑，世界各国在参与全球化的过程中会逐步消除各国国情、文化等领域的差异，西方现代化“世界历史”进程可以实现世界各国的平等发展。然而在现实中，西方现代化“世界历史”进程不仅没有消除世界各国的差异性，反而形成了世界各国之间从属、依附的不平等国际关系。中国式现代化“打破了‘现代化=西方化’的迷思”，为人类社会的现代化进程提供了新的选择，也在现实中展开了对西方现代化造成的“世界历史”难题的科学解答。

Western modernization “world history” claims to pursue fair and equal international relations, but because it neglects the differences among countries, it has led in reality to unequal relations such as subordination, dependency, and colonization. Taking the global industrial chain as an example, links such as technology and capital, due to their strong monopolistic nature, occupy a dominant position in the global value chain. The differing strengths and weaknesses in the global value chain create problems of inequality in international relations. Chinese-path modernization advocates that in the field of globalization, “all countries should jointly promote the establishment of a new type of international relations based on win-win cooperation.” To this end, Xi Jinping proposed the initiative of building a community with a shared future for mankind in 2013. The proposal of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind is rooted in China’s profound understanding of international relations of production, emphasizing that countries should engage in international exchanges on the basis of independence. Specifically, first, major countries must take the initiative to assume responsibility for maintaining the international order, preserving their own advantages while leaving room for other countries to develop, so as to prevent the emergence of imbalances in global development. “Beggar-thy-neighbor policies, shifting crises, and harming others to benefit oneself” threaten the normal order of the international division of labor and will ultimately be unsustainable because they damage the interests of common development. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed that China should “expand unilateral opening up to the least developed countries,” “continue to implement the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan, and strengthen the construction of multilateral cooperation platforms in areas such as green development, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, energy, taxation, finance, and disaster reduction,” [6]6 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in July 2024, focused on further deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. thereby better playing the positive role of a responsible major country in the process of globalization. Second, it emphasizes that while actively integrating into the international division of labor system, all countries must maintain a sense of independence and independently explore modernization paths that suit their own development realities. Under the influence of Western modernization, the pattern of the international division of labor is prone to the problem of “a group of countries becoming increasingly wealthy while another group remains poor and backward for a long time.” Chinese-path modernization emphasizes “adhering to placing the development of the country and the nation on the basis of our own strength, firmly grasping the destiny of national development and progress in our own hands,” [7]7 Quotation from Xi Jinping’s report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC in October 2022. enhancing independence and self-reliance in one’s own development, and attaching importance to the role of factors such as national conditions and culture in the modernization process. It holds that all countries should engage in independent exploration to win the initiative for the country in the future international division of labor system.

西方现代化“世界历史”声称追求公平、平等的国际关系，但由于忽视了各国的差异而导致现实中出现了从属、依附和殖民等不平等关系。以全球产业链为例，技术、资本等环节由于具备强垄断性而在全球价值链中占据主导地位。而全球价值链中强弱地位不同就会造成在国际关系上的不平等问题。中国式现代化主张，在全球化领域“各国应该共同推动建立以合作共赢为核心的新型国际关系”。为此，习近平于2013年提出构建人类命运共同体的倡议。人类命运共同体理念的提出扎根于中国对国际生产关系的深刻理解，强调各国要在独立自主基础上展开国际交往。具体而言，首先，大国要主动承担维护国际秩序的责任，在保持自己优势的同时给其他国家留有发展空间，防止出现全球发展的不平衡问题。“以邻为壑、转嫁危机、损人利己的做法”威胁国际分工体系正常秩序，终将因损害共同发展利益而无法持续。党的二十届三中全会提出，中国要“扩大对最不发达国家单边开放”，“继续实施‘一带一路’科技创新行动计划，加强绿色发展、数字经济、人工智能、能源、税收、金融、减灾等领域的多边合作平台建设”，在全球化进程中更好地发挥负责任大国的积极作用。其次，强调世界各国在积极融入国际分工体系的同时，必须保持独立自主意识，独立自主地探索符合自身发展实际的现代化道路。在西方现代化的影响下，国际分工格局中容易出现“一批国家越来越富裕而另一批国家却长期贫穷落后”的问题。中国式现代化强调，“坚持把国家和民族发展放在自己力量的基点上，把国家发展进步的命运牢牢掌握在自己手中”，增强自身发展中的独立自主性，重视国情、文化等因素在现代化进程中的重要性，认为世界各国应该展开独立自主的探索，赢得国家在未来国际分工体系中的主动权。

Second, from the perspective of Chinese-path modernization, solving the problem of unbalanced development that emerges in the “world history” process requires practicing genuine multilateralism on the basis of respecting the differences in the modernization paths of various countries. Therefore, the unfolding of the “world history” process should maintain a balance between “maintaining independence” and “actively integrating into the global system.”

第二，从中国式现代化的视域出发，解决“世界历史”进程中出现的发展不平衡问题，需要在尊重世界各国现代化道路存在差异的基础上践行真正的多边主义，因而“世界历史”进程的展开应在“保持独立自主”和“积极融入全球”之间保持平衡。

The basic view of Western modernization emphasizes that there is only one model of modernization for human society, and thus holds that all countries need to abandon their own differences and actively integrate into the “Western system,” which easily leads to problems such as unilateralism, hegemonism, and protectionism. On the basis of breaking the myth that “modernization equals Westernization,” Chinese-path modernization respects the importance of different national conditions, cultural traditions, and other factors in the modernization process of each country, and proposes and advocates that all countries need to independently explore modernization paths that suit their own development realities. As countries’ consciousness of exploring their own modernization paths gradually rises, the multipolarization of the world and the democratization of international relations will increasingly become the most typical features of the global landscape. In the process of the unfolding of “world history,” countries become “a community with a shared future where you have me and I have you,” and need to “give full play to their respective comparative advantages, promote the interconnection and integration of national economies,” in order to “jointly make the ‘cake’ of human society’s modernization bigger.” [8]8 Quotation from Xi Jinping’s speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022. Chinese-path modernization “advocates an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.” [9]9 Quotation from Xi Jinping’s report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC.

西方现代化的基本观点强调，人类社会只存在一种现代化模式，因而认为世界各国需要抛弃自身差异性，主动融入“西方体系”，导致极易出现单边主义、霸权主义和保护主义等问题。在破除了“现代化=西方化”迷思的基础上，中国式现代化尊重不同国情、文化传统等因素在各国现代化进程中的重要性，提出并倡导世界各国需要独立自主地探索符合自身发展实际的现代化道路。随着世界各国在自身现代化道路探索上的自觉性逐渐上升，世界的多极化和国际关系民主化会日益成为全球格局中最典型的特征。在“世界历史”展开的过程中，各国成为“你中有我、我中有你的命运共同体”，需要“发挥各自比较优势，促进各国经济联动融通”，才能“共同做大人类社会现代化的‘蛋糕’”。中国式现代化“倡导平等有序的世界多极化、普惠包容的经济全球化”。

Western modernization, on the issue of “world history,” sets “maintaining independence” and “integrating into the global system” in opposition to each other. Naturally, it cannot see the differences among countries in terms of national conditions, cultural traditions, and other areas, nor can it see the importance of these differentiating factors for advancing the “world history” process. Consequently, under the Western modernization “world history” process, the problem of unbalanced development between countries becomes increasingly prominent. Chinese-path modernization respects the independence of each country in exploring its modernization path, thereby transcending the globalization logic of the opposition between “independence” and “integration into the world” under Western modernization. Specifically, the unity of maintaining independence and actively integrating into the global system under Chinese-path modernization is manifested in the following aspects: First, Chinese-path modernization advocates “an equal and orderly multipolar world” and “a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.” The Western modernization “world history” process neglects the differences among countries and, in fact, amplifies these differences, creating development gaps. Chinese-path modernization, on the basis of recognizing the diversity of modernization paths, acknowledges the basic logic of economic globalization, advocates building a new, higher-standard open economic system, and firmly opposes protectionism, unilateralism, and hegemonism. Xi Jinping stated: “Promote the common values of all humanity, and advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.” [10]10 Quotation from Xi Jinping’s speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022. Second, it holds that all countries should jointly address a series of risks and challenges under the changes unseen in a century. The unfolding of “world history” makes the fates of different countries increasingly interconnected; any one country’s problem may evolve into a global issue. In this sense, solving the problem of unbalanced world development requires close cooperation among all countries. De-globalization cannot solve global problems; on the contrary, it will exacerbate the imbalance in world development. Therefore, Xi Jinping pointed out: “Let us join hands, adhere to peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes, jointly solve the problems currently facing the world economy, international trade, and investment, and move together toward a better future,” [11]11 Quotation from Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2017 Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. by deepening cooperation among all countries to jointly solve the problem of unbalanced world development.

西方现代化在“世界历史”问题上将“坚持独立自主”和“融入全球体系”相对立，自然看不到世界各国在国情、文化传统等领域存在的差异性，也无法看到差异性因素对于推进“世界历史”进程的重要性。因而，在西方现代化“世界历史”进程下，国与国之间发展不平衡问题愈发凸显。中国式现代化尊重各国在现代化道路探索上的独立自主性，因而超越了西方现代化下“独立自主”与“融入世界”相对立的全球化思路。具体而言，中国式现代化对保持独立自主和积极融入全球的统一体现在以下几个层面：首先，中国式现代化倡导“平等有序的世界多极化”和“普惠包容的经济全球化”。西方现代化“世界历史”进程忽视了各国的差异性，且事实上放大了各国的差异并造成发展差距。中国式现代化在认可现代化道路多样性的基础上，认可经济全球化的基本逻辑，主张建设更高水平开放型经济新体制，坚决反对保护主义、单边主义和霸权主义。习近平提出：“弘扬全人类共同价值，倡导平等有序的世界多极化、普惠包容的经济全球化。”其次，认为世界各国应共同解决世界百年未有之大变局下的一系列风险和挑战。“世界历史”的展开使得不同国家之间命运联系越发紧密，任何一国的问题都可能演化为全球性问题。在此意义上，解决世界发展不平衡问题需要世界各国紧密协作，逆全球化非但不能解决全球性问题，反而会加重世界发展的不平衡。因此，习近平指出：“让我们携起手来，坚持和平、发展、合作、共赢，共同解决当前世界经济以及国际贸易和投资面临的问题，一起走向更加美好的未来”，通过加深世界各国的合作，共同解决世界发展不平衡的问题。

Third, neglecting the differences in the modernization of various countries is an important reason for the constant conflicts and contradictions at the global level. Therefore, only by practicing genuine multilateralism can the problem of constant conflicts and contradictions worldwide be eliminated, and thus it is necessary to promote the transformation of the global governance system in a direction that adapts to the development of world multipolarization.

第三，忽视各国现代化的差异是造成全球层面冲突、矛盾不断的重要原因。因此，践行真正的多边主义下才能够消除世界范围内冲突、矛盾不断的问题，因而需要推动全球治理体系向适应世界多极化发展的方向进行变革。

Chinese-path modernization emphasizes that the unfolding of each country’s modernization process must take into account the importance of factors such as national conditions and culture. The Western modernization “world history” process holds that humanity’s rational choices will dissolve the uniqueness of each country and lead to an integrated state, thereby denying the importance of factors such as national conditions and culture in modernization and globalization. In reality, however, factors of national conditions and cultural tradition have not lost their influence in the modernization process because of the logic of capital; on the contrary, neglecting them has exacerbated conflicts and contradictions among the countries of the world. Against the backdrop of changes unseen in a century in the world and the remarkable achievements of Chinese-path modernization, more countries are consciously or spontaneously exploring unique modernization paths based on their own development realities. As the “world history” process unfolds, the world pattern will take on a multipolar state. Xi Jinping points out: “Multipolarization should, in essence, be a state in which countries with different civilizations, systems and paths respect one another and coexist peacefully.” [12]12 Xi Jinping, “Keeping Abreast of the Trend of the Times and Jointly Promoting Global Development,” speech at the BRICS Business Forum, 22 June 2022. At present, how to resolve conflicts and contradictions among countries under the conditions of global multipolarization has become one of the main problems that the global governance system needs to solve, and also one of the important tasks for advancing the “world history” process and strengthening cooperation among the countries of the world.

中国式现代化强调，各国现代化进程的展开需要考虑国情、文化等因素的重要性。西方现代化“世界历史”进程认为，人类的理性选择会消解各国的独特性而进入一体化的状态，因而否认各国的国情、文化等因素在现代化、全球化中的重要性。但事实上，国情和文化传统的因素并没有因为资本逻辑而失去其在现代化进程中的影响，对其的忽视反而加剧了世界各国的冲突和矛盾。在世界遭遇百年未有之大变局和中国式现代化成就显著的背景下，更多国家自觉或自发地基于自身发展实际探索独特的现代化道路。随着“世界历史”进程的展开，世界格局将呈现出多极化的状态。习近平指出：“多极化本质上应该是不同文明、不同制度、不同道路的国家之间相互尊重、和平共处。”当前，如何在全球多极化的状态下解决各国之间的矛盾冲突成为全球治理体系需要解决的主要问题之一，也成为推进“世界历史”进程、强化世界各国合作的重要工作之一。

Specifically, Chinese-path modernization addresses the view of resolving conflicts and contradictions among countries under multipolarization mainly from the following aspects. First, adhering to the people’s standpoint is the core concept for resolving the intensification of conflicts and contradictions among countries under multipolarization. Adhering to a people-centered approach is an important stance of China in economic and social development in the New Era. The people-centered approach has solved a series of problems caused by Western modernization and has also become a scientific answer to the problem of intensifying conflicts and contradictions worldwide. Xi Jinping has stated: “We must adhere to a people-centered approach, place promoting development and ensuring people’s livelihood in a prominent position, focus on key areas such as poverty reduction, food security, development financing, and industrialization to advance practical cooperation, and strive to solve the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development… steadily advance the implementation of the initiative,” and “All countries in the world should adhere to a people-centered approach and strive to achieve higher-quality, more efficient, more equitable, more sustainable, and more secure development. We must solve the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development and enhance the balance, coordination, and inclusiveness of development,” among other things. Second, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation among countries, join hands to solve a series of problems at the global level, and strive to achieve common development for all countries in the world. On the one hand, the Western modernization “world history” process makes the problems faced by countries increasingly global; on the other hand, it increases the difficulty of cooperation and exchange among countries. Xi Jinping points out: “We will firmly support and help developing countries accelerate their development, achieve industrialization and modernization, and provide China’s solutions and China’s strength for narrowing the North-South gap and achieving common development,” and “Upholding the purpose of shared prosperity, we actively promote South-South cooperation, advocate North-South dialogue, promote the building of a new international economic order, and have made important contributions to global trade and development.” At present, China, by actively carrying out “South-South cooperation” and providing assistance to more than 100 developing countries, has demonstrated the image of a responsible major country. Finally, actively promote the adjustment of the global governance system in a direction suitable for the common development of human society and the formation of a community with a shared future for mankind. The global governance system dominated by Western countries is increasingly unsuitable for the change in the “world history” economic center of gravity, which is “rising in the East and declining in the West.” Therefore, promoting the reform of the global governance system is an inherent requirement of the changes unseen in a century in the world. Chinese-path modernization emphasizes “jointly acting as a constructive force in global governance, actively participating in the reform and construction of the global governance system, striving to expand the common interests of all parties, and promoting a more balanced and effective global governance structure,” “The interdependence of human destinies has become an inevitable trend, but the governance deficit, trust deficit, peace deficit, and development deficit are constantly increasing, requiring us to uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and continuously optimize global governance,” “Practice the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits,” and especially “firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests and development space of developing countries.”

具体而言，中国式现代化针对在多极化状态下解决各国矛盾、冲突的观点，主要从以下几个方面展开。首先，坚持人民立场是解决多极化状态下各国冲突、矛盾加剧的核心理念。坚持以人民为中心是新时代中国在经济社会发展上的重要立场。以人民为中心解决了西方现代化造成的系列问题，也成为对世界范围内冲突、矛盾加剧问题的科学解答。习近平提出：“要坚持以人民为中心，把促进发展、保障民生置于突出位置，围绕减贫、粮食安全、发展筹资、工业化等重点领域推进务实合作，着力解决发展不平衡不充分问题……稳步推进倡议落地落实”，“世界各国应该坚持以人民为中心，努力实现更高质量、更有效率、更加公平、更可持续、更为安全的发展。要破解发展不平衡不充分问题，提高发展的平衡性、协调性、包容性”，等等。其次，要加强各国之间的合作，携手解决全球层面的一系列问题，努力实现世界各国的共同发展。西方现代化“世界历史”进程一方面使得世界各国面对的问题日益具有全球性，另一方面也增加了各国合作交流的难度。习近平指出：“我们将坚定支持和帮助广大发展中国家加快发展，实现工业化、现代化，为缩小南北差距、实现共同发展提供中国方案和中国力量”，“秉持共同繁荣的宗旨，积极促进南南合作，倡导南北对话，推动构建国际经济新秩序，为全球贸易和发展作出了重要贡献”。当前中国更是通过积极开展“南南合作”，向100多个发展中国家提供援助，展现了负责任大国的形象。最后，积极推动全球治理体系向适合于人类社会共同发展、形成人类命运共同体的方向调整。西方国家主导的全球治理体系日益不适应当前“世界历史”经济重心“东升西降”的变化。因此，推动全球治理体系变革是世界百年未有之大变局的应有之义。中国式现代化强调“共同做全球治理的建设力量，积极参与全球治理体系改革和建设，努力扩大各方共同利益，推动全球治理架构更为均衡有效”，“人类命运与共已成必然趋势，但治理赤字、信任赤字、和平赤字、发展赤字不断加重，需要我们秉持共商共建共享原则，不断优化全球治理”，“践行共商共建共享的全球治理观”，尤其“坚定维护发展中国家的正当权益和发展空间”。

Chinese-path modernization emphasizes the importance of differential factors such as national conditions and cultural traditions in the modernization process, affirms the diversity of modernization paths explored by countries around the world, and provides a new choice for human society to unfold the modernization process. Thus, it forms a scientific solution to the “world history” problem scientifically revealed by Marx, and its innovations in theoretical viewpoints and practical plans provide Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for solving the “world history” problem.

中国式现代化强调重视国情、文化传统等差异性因素在现代化进程中的重要性，肯定了世界各国探索现代化道路的多样性，为人类社会展开现代化进程提供了一种新的选择，由此形成了对马克思科学揭示的“世界历史”难题的科学解答，其在理论观点和实践方案等方面的创新为解决“世界历史”难题提供了中国智慧和中国方案。

III. The World-Historical Significance of the Solution to the “World History” Problem

三、对“世界历史”难题解答的世界历史意义

The emergence of the “world history” problem is, in the final analysis, due to the fact that Western modernization has dominated the modernization process of humanity for a considerable period of time. In his study of modern social problems, Marx scientifically analyzed and criticized a series of drawbacks caused by Western modernization. Regarding issues in the field of globalization, in the process of forming his “world history” theory, Marx profoundly revealed the “world history” predicament engendered by Western modernization, pointing out the problems such as inequality in relations among countries, unbalanced global development, and the systemic outbreak of global problems caused by the “world history” process promoted by Western modernization. This not only provides humanity with a theoretical perspective for examining and responding to the challenges of globalization but also lays the theoretical foundation for analyzing and solving globalization problems. On the basis of Marx’s “world history” theory, Chinese-path modernization has scientifically solved the “world history” problems brought about by Western modernization from multiple dimensions, including modernization concepts, basic viewpoints, and practical plans. This not only highlights the world-historical significance of Chinese-path modernization but also provides valuable theoretical and practical guidance for solving global problems such as unilateralism, protectionism, and anti-globalization.

“世界历史”难题的出现，归根结底在于西方现代化在相当长的时间内主导了人类的现代化进程。马克思在对现代社会问题的研究中，对西方现代化所引发的一系列弊端进行了科学的剖析与批判。针对全球化领域的相关问题，马克思在形成其“世界历史”理论的过程中，深刻揭示了西方现代化所催生的“世界历史”困境，指出了西方现代化推动的“世界历史”进程所造成的世界各国关系不平等、全球发展不平衡以及全球性问题系统性爆发等难题，这不仅为人类提供了审视和应对全球化挑战的理论视角，更奠定了分析和解决全球化问题的理论基础。中国式现代化在马克思“世界历史”理论的基础上，从现代化理念、基本观点和实践方案等多个维度，对西方现代化所带来的“世界历史”难题进行了科学解答，不仅彰显了中国式现代化的世界历史意义，更为解决单边主义、保护主义和逆全球化等全球性问题提供了宝贵的理论和实践指导。

First, Chinese-path modernization not only fully affirms the importance of differential factors such as national conditions and cultural traditions in the modernization process but also provides a powerful answer for building a globalization pattern that conforms to the development realities of each country, realizing a transformation in modernization thinking, and providing a theoretical perspective for promoting major innovations at the theoretical and practical levels of “world history.”

第一，中国式现代化不仅充分肯定了国情、文化传统等差异性因素在现代化进程中的重要性，也为构建符合各国发展实际的全球化格局提供了有力回答，实现了现代化思维的转型，为推动“世界历史”理论层面和实践层面重大创新提供理论视角。

Chinese-path modernization provides a basic approach for solving the “world history” problem that has long plagued the development of human society. Xi Jinping profoundly points out that Chinese-path modernization “has expanded the path choices for developing countries to achieve modernization and has provided a Chinese solution for humanity’s exploration of a better social system.” [13]13 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting,” 1 December 2017. It can be seen that the theoretical viewpoints and practical plans formed by Chinese-path modernization in multiple fields such as economy, politics, and cultural traditions all have academic and practical value that cannot be ignored. It is worth noting that the “world history” problem revealed by Marx is closely linked to the process of Western modernization, meaning that as the practice of Western modernization deepens, these problems become increasingly prominent. The transcendence of Chinese-path modernization over Western modernization is reflected in its affirmation of the role of differences in national conditions, culture, and other fields among countries in the modernization process, and on this basis, it promotes the formation of a more inclusive and open development pattern on a global scale. And “to advance Chinese-path modernization, we must continue to adhere to the ‘world’ vision, actively promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and shape a peaceful and stable international environment in the benign interaction between China and the world to meet the interest demands of different countries’ modernization development.” [14]14 This is a paraphrase of a common formulation in Chinese academic discourse on Chinese-path modernization, not a direct quotation from a single source. It can be seen that Chinese-path modernization breaks the erroneous view that there is only one model of modernization, affirms the important role of factors such as national conditions and cultural traditions in the modernization process, and also affirms the rationality of independent exploration of modernization paths by countries around the world. At the same time, the high-quality development achievements China has made in many fields such as economy, politics, culture, and ecology also give confidence to the vast number of developing countries to explore modernization paths that conform to their own development realities, enabling them to gradually step out of the theoretical barriers and practical dilemmas caused by Western modernization in various fields.

中国式现代化为解决长期困扰人类社会发展的“世界历史”难题提供了基本思路。习近平深刻指出，中国式现代化“拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的路径选择，为人类对更好社会制度的探索提供了中国方案”。由此可见，中国式现代化在经济、政治、文化传统等多个领域所形成的理论观点和实践方案，均具有不可忽视的学术与实践价值。值得注意的是，马克思所揭示的“世界历史”难题与西方现代化的进程紧密相连，意味着随着西方现代化实践的深入，这些难题也愈发凸显。中国式现代化对于西方现代化的超越体现在，肯定了世界各国在国情、文化等领域的差异在现代化进程中的作用，并基于此推动了全球范围内更加包容、开放的发展格局的形成。而“推进中国式现代化，就要继续坚持以‘天下’胸怀积极推动人类命运共同体的构建，在中国与世界的良性互动中塑造和平稳定的国际环境来满足不同国家现代化发展的利益诉求”。由此可见，中国式现代化破除了现代化只存在一种模式的错误观点，肯定了各国的国情、文化传统等因素在现代化进程中的重要作用，也肯定了世界各国展开现代化道路独立自主探索的合理性。同时，中国在经济、政治、文化和生态等诸多领域取得的高质量发展成果，也给予广大发展中国家探索符合自身发展实际的现代化道路以信心，使其能够逐步走出西方现代化在各领域造成的理论藩篱和实践困境。

Second, resolving the problem of uneven development in the process of “world history” within a multilateralist framework requires countries around the world to deepen exchanges and cooperation, jointly addressing the problem of uneven development caused by the “world history” process of Western modernization.

第二，在多边主义框架下解决“世界历史”进程中发展不平衡的问题，需要世界各国加深交流与合作，共同解决西方现代化“世界历史”进程中造成的发展不平衡问题。

Because countries around the world exhibit significant differences in national conditions, cultural traditions, and other areas, the problem of development gaps not only remains prominent but also shows a trend toward increasing complexity. According to Marx’s theory of “world history,” such development gaps affect the unfolding of the world-historical process. Western modernization has in reality triggered a series of problems such as unilateralism and hegemonism. This profoundly indicates that respecting the differences among countries and advocating multilateralism are necessary prerequisites for advancing the process of “world history.” Against this backdrop, human society urgently needs to jointly explore and practice effective ways to solve the problem of uneven world development within a multipolar and pluralistic framework. Chinese-path modernization has actively explored this historical process, not only providing valuable Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for solving the problem of uneven world development but also demonstrating to the world, through concrete actions, the possibility of cooperation and mutual benefit.

由于世界各国在国情、文化传统等领域存在显著的差异性，发展差距问题不仅依然突出，而且呈现出复杂化的趋势。按照马克思的“世界历史”理论，这种发展差距会影响世界历史进程的展开。西方现代化在现实中引发了单边主义、霸权主义等系列问题。这深刻表明，尊重各国的差异、倡导多边主义才是推动“世界历史”进程的必要前提。在这一背景下，人类社会迫切需要在多极化、多元化的框架下共同探索并实践解决世界发展不平衡问题的有效途径。中国式现代化在这一历史进程中进行了积极的探索，不仅为解决世界发展不平衡问题提供了宝贵的中国智慧和中国方案，更通过实际行动向世界展示了合作与共赢的可能性。

Since the New Era, China has carried out deeper and broader practices in deepening cooperation among countries around the world, providing a practical solution to the “world history” problem of Western modernization. China’s the Belt and Road Initiative has provided a platform for international economic cooperation and strategic layout, taking an important step in promoting global development. Guided by this initiative, countries have actively built a basic framework for international cooperation by signing cooperation documents and strengthening policy communication, while continuously enhancing infrastructure connectivity, gradually forming an overall architecture of interconnection among nations. In 2018, Xi Jinping presided over a symposium marking the fifth anniversary of the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative and pointed out: “In the past few years, joint construction has enabled the Belt and Road to complete its overall layout and paint a ‘freehand brushwork’; from now on, we must focus on key points, refine details, and jointly draw a fine and meticulous ‘gongbi painting’,” [15]15 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Symposium on Advancing the Construction of the Belt and Road Initiative for Five Years,” August 27, 2018. The terms “freehand brushwork” (xieyi) and “gongbi painting” (gongbihua) are metaphors drawn from traditional Chinese painting styles, contrasting broad strokes with meticulous detail. and the construction of the Belt and Road has continuously deepened and solidified. At the same time, significant progress has been made in policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds. In addition, China has actively promoted and expanded cooperation in emerging fields such as the digital economy, providing new momentum for world peace and development. Besides the Belt and Road Initiative, the role of other important international cooperation platforms cannot be ignored. For example, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has effectively deepened regional cooperation by promoting political mutual trust, economic mutual benefit, and security collaboration among member states. Through these diversified cooperation models and platforms, countries around the world can more comprehensively address the problem of uneven development brought about by Western modernization, jointly promoting the construction of a fairer and more harmonious global development environment.

新时代以来，中国在加深世界各国合作方面展开了更为深入和广泛的实践，在实践层面为解决西方现代化“世界历史”难题提供解答。中国“一带一路”倡议为国际经济合作和战略布局提供了平台，走出了推动全球发展的重要一步。在这一倡议的引领下，各国通过签署合作文件、加强政策沟通等方式，积极构建国际合作的基础框架，并不断加强设施联通，逐步形成国家间互联互通的整体架构。2018年习近平主持召开推进“一带一路”建设工作五周年座谈会指出：“过去几年共建使‘一带一路’完成了总体布局，绘就了一幅‘大写意’，今后要聚焦重点、精雕细琢，共同绘制好精谨细腻的‘工笔画’”，“一带一路”建设不断走深走实。同时，政策沟通、设施联通、贸易畅通、资金融通以及民心相通方面都取得显著进展。此外，中国还积极推进和扩展数字经济等新兴领域的合作，为世界和平与发展提供新的势能。除了“一带一路”倡议，其他重要的国际合作平台的作用也不容忽视。比如，上海合作组织通过促进成员国间的政治互信、经济互利和安全协作，有效推动了区域合作的深化。通过这些多元化的合作模式和平台，世界各国能够更全面地应对西方现代化带来的发展不平衡问题，共同推动构建一个更加公平、和谐的全球发展环境。

Third, from the perspective of Chinese-path modernization, to thoroughly solve the current “world history” problem at the practical level, the key lies in countries around the world deepening cooperation in international affairs and jointly promoting the transformation of the global governance system toward adapting to world multipolarity and pluralism.

第三，从中国式现代化的视域出发，要在现实层面彻底解决当前遭遇的“世界历史”难题，关键在于世界各国在国际事务中加深合作，并共同推动全球治理体系朝着适应世界多极化、多元化的方向变革。

“The modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity” is an important innovation of China in promoting economic and social development. In the “world history” process of Western modernization, the mutual constraints of complex social relations within it have caused slow adjustments to the global governance system, leaving human society helpless in solving global development problems. Chinese-path modernization pursues, within a multilateralist framework, the resolution of many problems such as the widening development gap among countries around the world, intensifying conflicts and contradictions, which requires joint efforts by all countries, achieved through improving and adjusting the global governance system, and by promoting the transformation of the governance system to meet the needs of the development process of human society.

“国家治理体系和治理能力现代化”是中国推动经济社会发展的重要创新。在西方现代化的“世界历史”进程中，其内部复杂社会关系的相互掣肘造成的全球治理体系调整缓慢，使得人类社会在解决全球性发展问题上束手无策。中国式现代化追求在多边主义框架下，解决全球各国发展差距扩大、冲突和矛盾加剧等诸多问题，需要各国携手共同努力，通过完善和调整全球治理体系来实现，通过推动治理体系变革以适应人类社会发展进程的需要。

Specifically, first, practice has proven that the existing global governance system has become increasingly unsuitable for the needs of global economic and social development, and Chinese-path modernization calls for transformation and adjustment of the global governance system. Xi Jinping pointed out: “The international balance of power is undergoing profound evolution, but the reform of the global governance system has long lagged behind.” [16]16 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the High-Level Dialogue on Global Governance,” July 7, 2021. Therefore, promoting the transformation of the global governance system has become a practical solution under the framework of Chinese-path modernization to solve the “world history” problem. Second, the transformation of the global governance system should proceed in the direction of respecting differences and practicing genuine multilateralism. Xi Jinping has repeatedly issued calls to countries around the world to jointly build a global governance system that conforms to the interests of all countries: “Advocating a global governance concept based on extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and practicing genuine multilateralism, means insisting that international rules be jointly written and jointly upheld by all countries,” [17]17 Xi Jinping, “Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva, January 18, 2017. and “jointly advocating an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, practicing genuine multilateralism, and promoting global governance toward a more just and reasonable direction,” [18]18 Xi Jinping, “Jointly Promoting an Equal and Orderly Multipolar World and a Universally Beneficial and Inclusive Economic Globalization,” keynote speech at the BRICS Plus High-Level Dialogue, August 24, 2023. and so on. Finally, attention should be paid to the important role of emerging market countries and developing countries in promoting the transformation of the global governance system. With the accelerated evolution of changes unseen in a century, emerging market countries and developing countries have gradually become important forces in promoting global economic development and the transformation of the global governance system. Therefore, in promoting the transformation of the global governance system, China values cooperation with developing countries, especially “strengthening coordination and cooperation within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, jointly promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, focusing on the development agenda, responding to security challenges, improving global governance, and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and international fairness and justice,” [19]19 Xi Jinping, “Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva, January 18, 2017. and “jointly acting as a constructive force in global governance, actively participating in the reform and construction of the global governance system, striving to expand the common interests of all parties, and promoting a more balanced and effective global governance structure.” [20]20 Xi Jinping, “Jointly Promoting an Equal and Orderly Multip

具体而言，首先，实践证明，既有的全球治理体系已经越发不适应全球经济社会发展需求，中国式现代化呼吁对全球治理体系进行变革和调整。习近平指出：“国际力量对比正在深刻演变，但全球治理体系改革长期滞后。”因此，推动全球治理体系变革成为中国式现代化框架下解决“世界历史”难题的实践方案。其次，全球治理体系的变革应向尊重差异性、践行真正的多边主义的角度展开。习近平多次向世界各国发出共同建设符合世界各国利益的全球治理体系的倡导：“倡导共商共建共享的全球治理观，践行真正的多边主义，就是要坚持国际规则由各国共同书写、共同维护”，“共同倡导平等有序的世界多极化和普惠包容的经济全球化，践行真正的多边主义，推动全球治理朝着更加公正合理的方向发展”，等等。最后，重视新兴市场国家和发展中国家在推动全球治理体系变革中的重要作用。随着世界百年未有之大变局的加速演变，新兴市场国家、发展中国家逐渐成为推动全球经济发展和全球治理体系变革的重要力量。因此，在推动全球治理体系的变革中，中国重视与发展中国家的合作，尤其是“加强在联合国、上海合作组织等多边机制内的协调配合，共同推动平等有序的世界多极化和普惠包容的经济全球化，聚焦发展议程，应对安全挑战，完善全球治理，维护发展中国家共同利益和国际公平正义”，“共同做全球治理的建设力量，积极参与全球治理体系改革和建设，努力扩大各方共同利益，推动全球治理架构更为均衡有效”。

Against the backdrop of an increasingly complex international development environment, Chinese-path modernization has provided a solution to the “world history” problem revealed by Marx. At the theoretical level, it has put forward a series of original viewpoints on the process of “world history”; at the practical level, through deepening international cooperation and promoting the transformation of the global governance system and other series of practical innovations, it has provided Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for countries around the world to crack the rise of counter-globalization, the obvious increase in unilateralism and protectionism, and to carry out international cooperation and jointly respond to the risks and challenges of changes unseen in a century.

在当前国际发展环境日益复杂的背景下，中国式现代化对于马克思所揭示的“世界历史”难题进行了解答。在理论层面，提出了系列关于“世界历史”进程的原创观点；在实践层面，通过深化国际合作和推动全球治理体系变革等系列实践创新，为世界各国破解逆全球化抬头，单边主义、保护主义明显上升等问题，开展国际合作、共同应对世界百年未有之大变局的风险与挑战提供了中国智慧和中国方案。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗