Why bottom-line thinking matters for China's modernization

Editor's note: Wang Peng, a special commentator for CGTN, a research fellow at School of Marxism, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

At the gathering marking the 105th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China, Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech was not only a review of a century-long journey. More importantly, it was a sober call for the Party to stay alert in a time of profound change. The speech carried a clear sense of historical urgency. It reminded the whole Party that national rejuvenation is advancing, but the road ahead will not be smooth; opportunities remain, but risks are also accumulating; confidence is necessary, but complacency would be dangerous.

Xi's warning was direct: "China's development is now in a period where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and where uncertain and unpredictable factors are on the rise." This judgment captures the defining feature of the current stage. China is moving closer to the center of the world stage, but it is also facing a more complicated external environment and deeper tasks of domestic reform and modernization. The closer the country moves toward its great goal, the more it must prepare for "high winds and raging waves, and even violent storms."

Urgency is a political responsibility

The most striking message of the speech is that urgency is not anxiety, nor is it pessimism. It is a form of political responsibility. For a governing party leading a country of more than 1.4 billion people, the ability to foresee risks, prepare for difficulties, and act before crises fully unfold is essential.

This is why Xi stressed the need to strengthen the awareness of potential dangers, uphold bottom-line thinking, carry forward the fighting spirit, and enhance the ability to fight. These requirements are not abstract slogans. They point to a practical governing logic: One must think about worst-case scenarios in order to strive for the best possible outcomes. Bottom-line thinking means refusing to be caught unprepared. It means identifying the risks that could affect development, security, social stability, technological progress, national unity, and the wider international environment, and then building the capacity to respond.

Such urgency is especially important because the world has entered what Xi described as "a new period of turbulence and transformation." In this context, passive waiting is not an option. The Party must take the strategic initiative, remain clear-minded, and turn pressure into momentum.

Balancing development and security

A central thread of the speech is the need to better coordinate development and security. Development remains the foundation of China's modernization drive. But development without security may be fragile; security without development may lose its sustaining force. The challenge of the new journey is to advance both at the same time.

This requires a stronger capacity to "scientifically foresee changes, promptly detect risks, and effectively respond to challenges." In practice, it means accelerating high-quality development, strengthening self-reliance in key areas, improving governance capacity, safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and maintaining social stability. It also means building institutions and mechanisms that can absorb shocks, correct mistakes, and respond quickly to new conditions.

Xi's speech therefore placed risk awareness within the broader mission of Chinese modernization. It did not treat risks as isolated problems, but as tests that must be passed in the process of national rejuvenation. The image of the great ship of national rejuvenation "cleaving through waves and sailing steadily into the future" is powerful because it combines confidence with vigilance. A ship can move forward only when it has direction, strength, and the ability to withstand storms.

Fighting spirit for a new journey

The speech also linked bottom-line thinking with the Party's long-term qualities. Xi emphasized that the Communist Party of China (CPC) has the courage and ability to fight and maintains confidence in victory. This fighting spirit is not about seeking confrontation. It is about refusing to retreat when faced with major principles, core interests, or historic responsibilities.

For the CPC, struggle has always been tied to mission. Over the past 105 years, the Party has faced severe tests and still moved forward. Today, the forms of risk have changed, but the need for resolve has not. Whether in development, reform, national defense, Party self-governance, or the cause of national reunification, the Party must remain prepared, disciplined, and capable.

That is why Xi's closing reminder is so forceful: "Time stops for no one, and neither does history." The phrase gives the speech its strongest sense of urgency. The goal of fully realizing socialist modernization by the middle of the century cannot be achieved by waiting for favorable conditions. It requires action, perseverance, and a clear understanding that history rewards those who are prepared.

At a moment when global uncertainty is rising and China's modernization has entered a crucial stage, Xi's speech sent a clear message: Confidence must be matched by vigilance, ambition by preparation, and historic mission by practical capability. Only by constantly maintaining a sense of urgency and applying bottom-line thinking can China withstand risks, seize opportunities, and safeguard the course of national rejuvenation.

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