Many nations that have successfully developed and rejuvenated are the ones who have found a path that suits their own reality.
Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has been a shared aspiration of the Chinese people since the beginning of modern times, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening of a study session at the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, stressing the importance of correctly understanding and vigorously advancing Chinese modernization.
The four-day session, which started on Tuesday, was attended by newly-elected and alternate members of the CPC Central Committee, as well as principal officials at the provincial and ministerial levels.
Noting that advancing Chinese modernization is an exploratory undertaking, Xi called for more efforts to expand high-standard opening-up and deeply involve the country in the global industrial division of labor and cooperation.
A view of the Shandong Free Trade Zone in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province, January 29, 2023. /CFP
Chinese modernization with unique features
Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Party has made new progress based on previous explorations, continuously achieved innovations and breakthroughs in theory and practice, and successfully advanced and expanded Chinese modernization.
Citing the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, Xi said Chinese modernization is characterized by five features that are unique to the Chinese context. It is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development.
By developing the socialist market economy, China has achieved a historic breakthrough in growth from relatively backward productivity to the second-largest economy in the world.
As Xi said, the historic achievements and changes, particularly the elimination of absolute poverty and the completion of the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, have resulted in more robust institutions, stronger material foundations, and a source of inspiration for taking greater initiative for Chinese modernization.
Aerial photo taken on June 20, 2022 shows a train running on the Meixi River grand bridge on the Zhengzhou-Chongqing Highspeed Railway in southwest China's Chongqing. /Xinhua
Providing development opportunities to the world
Xi pointed out that Chinese modernization is a new model for human advancement, and it dispels the myth that "modernization is equal to Westernization," presents another picture of modernization, expands the channels for developing countries to achieve modernization, and provides a Chinese solution to aid the exploration of a better social system for humanity.
The modernization of the world's most populous country will provide peace, immense development opportunities, greener agendas and other brand-new options for modernization, as experts and global institutions say.
China's contribution to global economic growth averaged 38.6 percent during the 2013-2021 period, higher than the contributions of all Group of Seven countries combined, according to data from the World Bank.
"The Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by China, which invite the participation of all countries in the world, will support the international community's pursuit of peace and development," said Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, president of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies in Britain.
Huge investment opportunities lie behind the country's domestic policies and modernization drives, such as rural revitalization and the new development paradigm of "dual circulation."
An example of China's commitment to green development came at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. China pledged to designate a number of national parks, covering about 10 percent of the country's land area. It also promised to incorporate 11 million hectares of wetlands into its national park system, and deliver benefits to people around the world.
Through actions on achieving carbon goals, China is completing the most dramatic reduction in carbon emissions intensity, which not only benefits the massive transition of the Chinese economy to a low-carbon one, but also bears great significance to the rest of the world.
The Chinese path to modernization serves as an "example" for developing countries, especially African countries, said General Secretary of the Congolese Labor Party Pierre Moussa.
This "concept through innovation," among other things, would "enlighten many countries in the world," Moussa said.