Editor's note: Xin Ge is an associate professor at the School of Public Economics and Administration, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, attended the opening ceremony of the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting via video link and delivered a keynote address on March 15. The event is themed "Path towards Modernization: The Responsibility of Political Parties," convening over 500 leaders of political parties and political organizations from countries across the globe. 

China's path to modernization is different from the Western one. As Xi said, modernization is not only a sure path to build a stronger nation, but also a path that "we must take to seek progress for humanity and harmony for the entire world." He said, "tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity's modernization process" and proposed the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). In regards to global governance, China has proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Global Security Initiative (GSI) in recent years, the GCI is the third one of such global visions to advance world development. 

For long, the world has been shrouded in the claim that modernization equals Westernization. Nonetheless, the rise of Chinese distinctive path to modernization debunked this falsehood. The assumption exploded by Chinese modernization is that there was only one path to modernity, which is through capitalism and liberal democracy, taken by a majority of Western countries. Xi said that modernization is not "an exclusive patent" of a small handful of countries, nor is it a single answer to a question. Therefore, every country should account for its own development conditions and features to create a path for modernization while following general laws governing the process. 

For China, the Party's endeavors over the past century have produced a profound influence on the course of world history. It has led the people in pioneering a unique Chinese road to modernization featured by efficiency, social equality and justice, which allows different sectors to develop in parallel – to enable industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization to go in tandem, creating a new form of human civilization. 

As the report of 20th National Congress of the CPC writes, "Chinese modernization 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." The five aspects encapsulated in the definition of Chinese modernization lay out the guiding principles of China's march toward the second centennial goal. The Chinese path to modernization not only presents to prosperity but offers Chinese answers to global challenges. It highlights the people-centered approach and high-quality open cooperation. 

The huge achievements of China in economic, cultural and environmental development with a large population is remarkable, while walking a peaceful path to modernization cannot be overemphasized as well. 

In stark contrast to the Western countries who used colonialism, imperialism, slavery, dispossession, war and unfair treaties and trade practices to support initial accumulations of wealth and then to sustain positions of power and privilege through time, China blazed a trail of openness, sharing and win-win cooperation with other countries. President Xi said, "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." The Chinese government has put forward the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative and called for building a community with a shared future for humanity. 

Xi suggests that all countries need to uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations. Common values of humanity such as peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom are the common aspirations of all people. Since every civilization confronts a different environment, it is not only important for one country to create a path that best fits its conditions for modernization, but respect the inheritance and innovation of other civilizations. The Global Civilization Initiative is proposed at the right time. 

The GCI conveys two key messages. The CPC will safeguard the international fairness and justice and promote world peace and stability, said Xi. He called on political parties from around the world to focus on the people's aspirations for a better life and further progress of civilization. All countries need to explore the building of a global network for inter-civilization dialogue and cooperation, enrich the content of exchanges and expand avenues of cooperation to promote multilateral understanding and friendship, together advancing the process of human civilization. 

China has succeeded in modernization, but it will not impose its own systems or development paths on other countries as some major Western powers have done. China has proven to be a reliable partner for trade, as well as a global force for peace and development. China's experience shows a palpable example that modernization can be achieved while maintaining independence. 

As a ruling political party, the CPC has appealed for deeper exchanges and cooperation with political parties in other countries to facilitate the convergence of ideas and interest. As the future of all countries is closely conjoined nowadays, it is sagacious to leverage the "party-to-party" relations for building a new type of international relations for global betterment under the three Initiatives. 

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