Modernization is an important criterion for the progressive development of human civilization. How to realize modernization is an important topic facing developing countries, and this is also an intrinsic requirement for socialist countries like China to achieve prosperous and sustainable development. At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (2022), summarizing the 10 steps into the new era, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping pointed out in the Political Report of the Congress that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation needs to be comprehensively promoted along with the modernization of the Chinese model. A prominent feature of the modernization of the Chinese model is that the socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China not only has the common characteristics of modernization of all countries in the world, but also has its own characteristics of China based on the specific conditions of China.

General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping presents a political report at the opening session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Source: THX

New era and new path of modernization of the Chinese model

The path of modernization of the Chinese model has been continuously explored under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. In the early days of the founding of New China (1949), facing the backward reality of “one poor and two empty”[1], the Central leadership of the Communist Party of China represented by Mao Zedong proposed the path of modernization of socialist transformation and socialist construction, and then put forward the line of socialist modernization.

Entering the period of reform and opening up, the path of modernization of the Chinese model was promoted under the leadership of the Communist Party of China through the periods.

Entering the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the path of modernization of the Chinese model has been comprehensively promoted. As early as the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (2012), the overall task of realizing socialist modernization and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation was put forward. Next, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (2017) put forward a new "two-step" strategy: The first step is to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035 on the basis of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects; the second step is to build a modern socialist China with a prosperous people, a strong country, democracy, civilization, harmony, and beauty by the middle of the 21st century on the basis of comprehensively realizing national modernization.

The modernization of the Chinese model is a path that embodies the law of building socialism. Looking at the development of the modernization path of countries around the world, the modernization of Western capitalist countries completed primitive accumulation through colonial plunder, while the modernization of the Chinese model was achieved through peaceful development, adhering to the people-centered path and other civilizational paths recognized by all mankind. It has pioneering theoretical significance and the significance of promoting free and all-round human development, realizing the common progress of human society.

The Communist Party of China plays a key and decisive role

In February 2023, in an important speech at the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Study Class and the Spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping put forward an important thesis: “The modernization of the Chinese model encompasses a unique worldview, value outlook, historical perspective, civilization perspective, democratic perspective, ecological perspective as well as its great practice, and it is an important creation of the world's modernization theory and practice”[2]. The connotation of this view is very rich and has great practical significance for China in more comprehensively grasping the impact of the modernization of the Chinese model.

The Chinese model of modernization encompasses a unique worldview. In the historical process of opening up and developing modernization, the Communist Party of China has formed a worldview that includes the following main contents: (1) a profound understanding that the Chinese model of modernization is inseparable from the general path of world modernization, it is the mainstream in the great flow of world modernization, a great wave that nothing can stop; (2) the Chinese model of modernization has common characteristics with the modernization of the world, and at the same time follows the general laws of modernization, including the general laws of modernization and the general laws of urbanization; (3) the Chinese model of modernization has shattered the idol of “modernization = Westernization”, dispelled the ignorance of considering Western modernization as the only choice for the destiny of mankind, and smashed the blindness that “capitalist modernization makes countries strong”.

According to General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping: “When China builds a socialist modern power, becoming the first country in the world to successfully build a modern power that does not follow the path of capitalism, but follows the path of socialism, then the great social revolution that the Communist Party of China leads the people to carry out will more fully demonstrate its historical significance”[3].

The modernization of the Chinese model contains unique values. These values ​​are made up of four aspects: The values ​​of the elite culture according to Chinese tradition, including the principles of moral governance such as: "Virtue is the main rule and the rule of law is the secondary rule", taking morality to educate people; the idea of ​​the people as: The people are precious, the ruler is light, politics is to take care of the people...; the concept of equality such as: No distinction between the noble and the humble, taking from the rich to give to the poor; the pursuit of justice such as: The law does not side with the rich, the standards are not bent...; moral virtues such as: Filial piety, brotherhood, loyalty, trust, courtesy, righteousness, integrity, shame..., all of which become the pursuit of the values ​​of the modernization of the Chinese model.

In particular, whether the modernization of the Chinese model is successful or not is most crucially determined by the leadership of the Communist Party of China. General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping pointed out: “The leadership of the Communist Party of China is directly related to the basic orientation, future destiny, and ultimate success or failure of the modernization of the Chinese model”[4].

It can be seen that, with its unique cultural traditions, historical destiny and practical situation, China has been determined to follow a development path that is suitable to its own characteristics. Practice has proven that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the right choice for this country.

[1] Poverty is a lack of material life, and whiteness is backward culture and science and technology.

[2] President Xi Jinping's Important Speech on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party Emphasizes Correct Understanding and Vigorously Promoting Chinese-Style Modernization , People's Daily, February 8, 2023, Issue No. 01 (in Chinese).

[3] Central Institute of History and Culture of the Communist Party of China: Office of the Education Leading Group on the theme of “ Remember the mission, never forget the original purpose ” The Central Committee has compiled excerpts of Xi Jinping's discussion on " Remember the mission, never forget the original purpose " , Party Building Publishing House and Central Cultural Publishing House, 2019, p.39 (in Chinese).

[4] General Secretary Xi Jinping 's important speech on studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party emphasized the correct understanding and vigorous promotion of Chinese-style modernization , People's Daily, February 8, 2023, issue No. 01 (in Chinese).

NGUYEN MINH HOAN-NGUYEN VAN DUYEN