Last Monday, Prof. Dr. WANG Yiwei, Jean Monnet Chair Professor, Vice President of Academy of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, conducted a training session for foreign journalists focusing on China’s modernization and its worldwide impact. He touched upon a broad range of issues and showered journalists with the existing reality of China by citing multiple sources in an attention-grabbing way.
All the participants were amazed by the ups and downs, the highs and lows, as well as twists and turns China has passed through to reach where it is at this point in time. Notwithstanding the fact that the entire strides were not a bed of roses, the country has reached today to the pinnacle of development through the unflinching stance of its dearest sons and daughters. The whole thing was not a walk in the park or a low-hanging fruit.
In a related move, although the development strides of the entire journey were not as easy as falling off a log, China at the end of the day made history and stood tall. At things stand at present, China is the second largest economy in the world.
According to the government report in 2024, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached 134.9 trillion Yuan, up 5%; the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries grew by 3.5%, 5.3% and 5% respectively.
To get back to the main point, according to Prof. Dr. WANG Yiwei, in 1924, Sun Yat-sen drafted the Outline of the Founding of the Republic of China, in 1933, Shun Pao Monthly initiated a discussion of “modernization of China”, in 1964, Zhou Enlai promised “four modernizations” by the end of the 20th century in his report on government work, and in 1979, Deng Xiaoping put forward “four modernizations of Chinese style”
Report to the 19th CPC National Congress: This is what socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era means. It means that the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics have kept developing, blazing a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization. It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence; and it offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to solving the problems facing mankind.
Report to the 20th CPC National Congress: Based on our decades of exploration and practice since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, especially since the launch of reform and opening up in 1978, as well as the new breakthroughs made in theory and practice since the 18th National Congress, China has succeeded in advancing and expanding Chinese modernization.
Neither import nor export modernization model: choose a path suited to national condition
Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century: “Throughout human history, no nation or country has ever become strong and prosperous by relying on external forces, indiscriminately copying the models of other countries, or blindly following in others’ footsteps. Those who have attempted to do so have either suffered inevitable defeat or been reduced to vassals of others.”
At a symposium discussing China’s work in philosophy and social sciences on May 17, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The great social transformations that contemporary China has undergone are not a natural continuation of our country’s historical and cultural traditions, not a mechanical application of the templates designed by authors of Marxist classics, nor a copy of the socialist practice in other countries or foreign models of modernization.”
What commonalities and differences from Western Modernization?
Report to the 20th CPC National Congress Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. It contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context.
Chinese modernization offers humanity a new choice for achieving modernization. The Communist Party of China and the Chinese people have provided humanity with more Chinese insight, better Chinese input, and greater Chinese strength to help solve its common challenges and have made new and greater contributions to the noble cause of human peace and development.
Commonalities between Chinese Modernization and Western Modernization
The first stage of modernization: characterized by industrialization and urbanization. There are 10 indicators, i.e. GNP per capita, share of value added in agriculture, share of value added in services, ratio of agricultural workforce, ratio of urban population, medical services, infant survival rate, expected life expectancy, adult literacy rate, and college enrollment rate.
The second stage of modernization: characterized by knowledge and informatization. There are 16 specific indicators (including fund input into knowledge innovation, and Internet penetration rate) under four categories, i.e. knowledge innovation, knowledge dissemination, life quality, and economic quality, as well as four signal metrics, i.e. share of value added in industry, value added in material sectors, ratio of industrial workforce, and ratio of workforce in material sectors.
Chinese modernization means neither Westernization nor detraditionalization
In advancing modernization, China will neither tread the old path of colonization and plunder, nor the crooked path taken by some countries to seek hegemony once they grow strong. What China pursues is the right course of peaceful development.
Around the world, countries and regions have chosen different paths to modernization, which are rooted in their unique and long civilizations. All civilizations created by human society are splendid. They are where each country’s modernization drive draws its strength and where its unique feature comes from. They, transcending time and space, have jointly made important contribution to humanity’s modernization process. Chinese modernization, as a new form of human advancement, will draw upon the merits of other civilizations and make the garden of world civilizations more vibrant.
Establishing oneself and helping others to establish
It is rooted in our national conditions and also draws on the experience of other countries. It carries the imprint of history and traditional culture and also contains modern elements. It delivers benefit to the Chinese people and also advances common development of the world. It is a sure path for us to build a stronger nation and realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is also a path we must take to seek progress for humanity and harmony for the entire world.
Secret of Chinese Modernization: CPC Leadership + 5,000 years of civilization
“Country” emphasizes the geographical and territorial aspects of a “nation/national land”, primarily referring to a physical entity or region. It highlights the physical existence of a state, including its land, mountains and rivers, and natural resources.
“Nation” emphasizes a shared identity and cultural belonging, referring more to a community of people united by common identity, history, language, culture, and traditions. It focuses on the psychological bonds and shared sense of belonging among people, rather than just geographical or political boundaries.
“State” refers to the “nation/government” as a political structure with public power. It emphasizes political organization and governance, specifically a political entity with the authority to govern a territory and its people, enforce laws, and maintain order.
This includes the functioning of national power institutions like government agencies, the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary China has created The Fifth Modernization — modernizing the national governance capacity and system, and proposed new quality productive forces, expanding and spearheading human civilization from three dimensions: temporal — delivering a good life to Chinese people (national state), spatial — integrating modernization into China’s development (geographical China), and itself — new quality productive forces (modernizing the national governance capacity and system, new quality productive forces, political China).
Chinese answers to modernization
Answering Questions of Modernization from five aspects: We must put the people first and ensure modernization is people-centered; We must uphold the principle of independence and explore diversified paths towards modernization; We must uphold fundamental principles and break new ground and ensure the continuity of the modernization process; We must help others to succeed while seeking our own success and ensure all can enjoy the outcomes of modernization; We must forge ahead with enterprise and ensure firm leadership over modernization.
Chinese modernization is rooted in our national conditions and also draws on the experience of other countries. It carries the imprint of history and traditional culture and also contains modern elements. It delivers benefit to the Chinese people and also advances common development of the world. It is a sure path for us to build a stronger nation and realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is also a path we must take to seek progress for humanity and harmony for the entire world.
Chinese modernization recreates modernization:
Modernization does not equate to Westernization. Escaping the limitations of the Dark Ages and achieving modernity is not simply about secularization, but rather about the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture; The ultimate goal of modernization is people’s free and well-rounded development; Charting a course for modernization that benefits humanity: pioneering the age of digital and ecological civilization.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 30 APRIL 2025
