Experts' take on Chinese modernization

Editor's note: As the world faces unprecedented challenges, the Chinese path to modernization will be an opportunity for the world. How has the country made achievements in social and economic aspects while promoting people's well-rounded development? Four experts share their views with China Daily.

China seeks better lives for the people

By Zhou Yuehui/Gao Yongzhi

The Communist Party of China has been pursuing modernization since its founding in 1921. It was under the leadership of the Party that reform and opening-up were launched, transforming China into the world's second-largest economy and greatly improving people's living standards. The Party has also led China in eradicating absolute poverty, which is a miraculous achievement for a country of over 1.4 billion people.

Under the leadership of the Party, China has chosen a path of modernization different from that of the West, blazing a trail which other developing countries can learn from and achieve economic development and modernization. All this while, the CPC has remained committed to promoting the high-quality development of Chinese modernization in the new era.

Since its founding in 1921, the Party has drawn lessons from the experiences of China when it was a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, and early on it realized that real modernization cannot be achieved without gaining national independence.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Party laid the social foundation for advancing modernization. One of the Party's unshakable commitments is to promote Chinese modernization.

However, China's path to modernization was rocky and tortuous till the launch of reform and opening-up in the late 1970s. Since then China's rapidly growing economy and comprehensive national strength have made great contributions to the development of Chinese modernization.

Following the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, China's pursuit of Chinese modernization has become a strong driving force for global economic growth. For example, China achieved the goal of eliminating extreme poverty at the end of 2020, winning the biggest battle against poverty in human history and making significant contributions to the cause of global poverty reduction.

The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has now become an irreversible historical trend, and the Chinese people are marching toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

Significantly, Chinese modernization has shown that modernization is not a one-size-fits-all process, nor is modernization equal to Westernization. As a model, Chinese modernization can help the international community, especially developing countries, to realize their modernization.

It is to be noted that high-quality development is essential to building a modern socialist China and realizing Chinese modernization. As such, more efforts should be made to promote high-quality development.

First, the pursuit of Chinese modernization through high-quality development requires upholding the CPC's leadership, because history shows that only under the CPC's leadership can China move ahead on the right path to modernization amid the fast-changing global landscape. To be sure, the Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for Chinese modernization to advance. In fact, high-quality development is the route the Chinese economy has taken during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period to achieve comprehensive modernization.

Second, the pursuit of Chinese modernization through high-quality development requires the implementation of the new development philosophy. And it is the adherence to the principles of this philosophy that will ultimately determine the success or failure of development.

Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population, so it is not possible to rely on traditional forces to drive modernization while facing resource constraints. Instead, it is necessary to improve the quality of development. Chinese modernization is also the modernization of common prosperity, so it is essential to adhere to the shared development philosophy.

Since Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmonious relationship between humankind and nature, it is necessary to adhere to the green development philosophy and prioritize ecological protection while pursuing the Chinese path to modernization. Chinese modernization is also the modernization of peaceful development, so it is necessary to expand opening-up to ensure development benefits for people around the world.

And third, the pursuit of Chinese modernization through high-quality development requires comprehensive deepening of reform. There are still many institutional obstacles restricting high-quality development. Hence, efforts should be made to carry out all-round, multi-faceted reforms in all fields to further stimulate market vitality and the endogenous driving force for high-speed development.

It is also necessary for the country to deepen market-oriented reform, improve the property rights system, and reform the State-owned enterprises as well as the fiscal, taxation and financial systems, in order to optimize the economic structure, improve market competitiveness and promote sustained and healthy economic development.

In the theory and practice of the Party, comprehensively deepening reform also includes promoting the rule of law and modernization of governance, and strengthening integrity so as to promote Chinese modernization.

Zhou Yuehui is a professor of economics at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. Gao Yongzhi is a postgraduate student at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.