The Realistic Logic of China’s Modernization Process

: Chinese-style modernization is the result of the unity and efforts of 1.4 billion Chinese people, who have made their choices based on China’s unique history, culture, population, and natural resources. The logic of Chinese-style modernization begins with the promotion of the country’s transformation from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and the comprehensive construction of the country marks a historic leap that embodies China’s unique characteristics.


Introduction
Modernization is an historical progress of human civilization and a comprehensive and revolutionary transformation of human society, essentially involving the modernization of humans.[1] The issue of the path to modernization is a fundamental one for a country and its people.The success of Chinese-style modernization is not only a summary of the experience and achievements of the Chinese people's pursuit of modernization over the past century, but also the cause and driving force behind China's entering a new era and achieving new achievements in the historical new changes, as well as the "road guarantee" that firmly supports China's modernization to continuously move towards victory and achieve the goal of becoming a socialist modernized strong country.Chinese-style modernization not only shares common features with modernization in other countries, but also has realistic characteristics and forward-looking strategic design based on China's national conditions.[2] In the new era, examining the triple logic behind the successful opening up of the path to Chinese-style modernization, regardless of whether it is for a comprehensive understanding of the scientific connotation and basic characteristics of Chinese-style modernization, exploring its historical status, contemporary value, and world significance, or for summarizing historical experience, mastering historical initiative, and improving China's confidence in modernization development and historical consciousness, all have significant theoretical and practical significance.

Pushing the Transformation from an Agriculture-based Country to an Industrial-based Country is the Logical Starting Point of Chinese-style Modernization
Modernization signifies the comprehensive process of development and progress of a nation from traditional to contemporary, from backwardness to advancement.As humankind evolved from an initial agrarian society, it entered into industrial, informational, and ultimately intelligent societies, thereby transitioning towards higher forms of social structures.Modernization has played a pivotal role in stimulating shifts in societal configurations and reshaping social-civil structures.[3] Modernization is a grand undertaking that transcends national boundaries and shapes the destinies of future global development.Some of the developed capitalist countries in the West took more than 300 years to lead around one billion people into modern societies, thereby achieving their own modernization.It is worth noting, however, that not only capitalist countries have the right to pursue modernization.Developing countries can similarly embark on a rapid pathway to modernization in line with their specific national conditions.China has taken an independent path towards modernization based on its own unique circumstances.As far back as December 1947, Mao Zedong pointed out that "the task of the Chinese people is to complete the new democratic revolution politically, economically, and culturally after the end of the Second World War and the defeat of Japanese imperialism, to achieve national unity and independence, and to transform the country from an agricultural to an industrial one."[4] Through the collective efforts of the entire nation to implement the policy of "one industrialization and three transformations", China has successfully transitioned from being a poor and backward agricultural country towards becoming an industrialized nation, thus opening the doors to modernization and laying a solid material foundation for its development.
In 1956, a socialist construction movement swept across the country, propelling China towards an independent modernization development path that was distinct from Western nations and was tailored to China's own unique national conditions and reality.Analyzing China's modernization development process, it has been an arduous journey that begun by constructing a self-reliant and relatively complete industrial system and national economy.Next, comprehensive development of agriculture, light industry, and defense heavy industry was undertaken to drive significant progress in the country's economic and trade sectors.During the new era of reform and construction, China continued to investigate the laws governing socialist modernization development and eventually discovered a path towards socialist modernization development that was suitable for its own circumstances.In 2002, China established the strategy of driving industrialization with information technology and promoting information technology with industrialization to achieve high technological level, high economic efficiency, and low pollution and energy consumption, with an aim to establish a brand-new, industrial system that maximizes China's population advantage, thus starting a new journey for China's industrial development.
In the new era, China's modernization development adheres to the purpose of satisfying people's high-level needs through a coordinated development of material and spiritual wealth.Policies that incentivize innovation are implemented to enhance development momentum, and precise reform measures are taken to implement development mechanisms.Green technology is used to drive economic transformation towards sustainable forms, while the construction of a human community with a shared future deepens the trend of development.These efforts are aimed at advancing China's new journey towards modernization.[5] In recent years, China has become increasingly important in global affairs and its accelerated industrialization process since the founding of New China has played a significant role in this.As a country with global influence, China's industry is the bedrock of its economy and an important pillar of its global discourse power.The rapid development of industry has greatly improved people's livelihoods and urbanization levels in China.At present, China has entered the late stage of industrialization.On the one hand, the emphasis is on independent innovation and the development of core competitiveness with independent technologies.On the other hand, comprehensive deepening reform, all-round opening up, deep integration into economic globalization, and the use of various global resources and production factors like technology, capital, and markets, are all aimed at further promoting China's industrial strength through "internal and external sources".

The Building of a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects is a Historic Leap Forward in Chinese-style Modernization
In March 1979, the concept of "four modernizations with Chinese characteristics" was first proposed, followed by the use of the traditional Chinese cultural term "xiaokang (means moderate prosperity)" to describe the goal of China's modernization in December of the same year.By the year 2000, through the joint efforts of the entire Chinese people, the grand blueprint of "xiaokang" had been realized, with China's total population reaching 1.26 billion and GDP reaching 8,944.22 billion yuan, far exceeding the target of doubling per capita national income set in 1980.After achieving the goal of moderate prosperity, when measured against higher standards, China is still at a relatively low level of moderate prosperity.
In 2012, based on the overall deployment of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the main goal was to achieve the "comprehensive construction of a moderately prosperous society" and on this basis, new targets and requirements were set to achieve the goal of completing a "comprehensive moderately prosperous society" by 2020.Although there is only one word of difference between "comprehensive construction of a moderately prosperous society" and the "completion of a moderately prosperous society", its appearance signifies that the construction of a moderately prosperous society is at a critical final stage, and it also means that the new era of achieving national prosperity, rejuvenation, and the happiness of the people is not far off.Essentially, the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is about catching up with the new era, promoting the transition of Chinese society from a traditional agricultural society to a modern society, and building China into a socialist modernized country that is rich, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.The theory of rural revitalization with Chinese characteristics is the culmination of contemporary Marxist urban and rural theories, and on the basis of theoretical inheritance, it puts forward new ideas that have timeliness and constructivism, forming the theoretical system of urban-rural integration with Chinese characteristics.This undoubtedly will enhance China's confidence, continuously strengthen the discourse power of Marxism in the fields of urban-rural relations, economic development, and common prosperity and accelerate the modernization process of China.[6] In terms of comprehensively completing a moderately prosperous society, the more important and also more difficult aspect is how to embody the "comprehensive" nature of this goal because a "moderately prosperous society" should cover a wider range of areas and benefit all the people.The historical significance of this practical form is that it not only reveals the basic characteristics of the China-style road to modernization but also indicates that the fully-built "xiaokang society" in 2021 has achieved a new historic leap in the process of socialist modernization.[7] The next three to five years are an important period for comprehensively building a China-style modernized country, and the whole nation should always adhere to a problem-oriented approach, continuously propose new ideas, new perspectives, and new methods that can truly solve problems.

Chinese-style Modernization is the Only Way to Comprehensively Promote the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
By comprehensively grasping the new requirements for national development and the new expectations of the people, it is essential to clearly identify the core mission of the Chinese people in the new era and under the new circumstances.Such a mission issues a comprehensive order to build a socialist modernized country and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Over the past century, the efforts of the Chinese people have been aimed towards making China a modernized and strong nation and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China, a grand blueprint for modernization has been established.Through fourteen five-year plans, the main goal has been to build China into a socialist modernized and strong nation.Especially since 2016, our understanding of modernization in the new era has deepened, the strategy has become more mature, and the practice has become more enriched, effectively promoting the long-term development of Chinese-style modernization.Over the past decade, the country has made comprehensive and systematic strategic decisions for the development of the people and the nation in the new era, proposing the Chinese Dream of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization.Chinese-style modernization is the great creation of the Chinese nation, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the direction of Chinese-style modernization's value orientation.[8] Chinese-style modernization, through promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, modernization of the state governance system, and modernization of governance capabilities, is an effective way forward.Only by establishing a comprehensive modernized system of national governance can social justice be maximally achieved and the healthy and sustained development of the national economy be ensured.[9] The Chinese-style modernization system answers the question of comprehensively building a socialist modernized country in the new era.The new path of Chinese-style modernization is of great value in promoting the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, creating and expanding China's discourse power in the field of modernization, and creating a new stage in the global process of modernization.[10] From the perspective of the development and changes in modern and contemporary Chinese history, Chinese-style modernization is a breakthrough in the attempt to follow the capitalist modernization path in modern China.From the dimension of socialist development history, Chinese-style modernization exceeded the traditional socialist development path.From the perspective of world history, Chinese-style modernization has created a new form of human civilization and is shaping a new world order.[11]

Conclusions
Chinese-style modernization, from a comparative perspective with other countries, is a socialist modernization that adheres to the characteristics of the Chinese nation and is in line with China's national conditions in the "one world, two systems" world order.
In the new era, facing unprecedented changes and accelerating evolution, peace and development remain the theme of The Times, but the instability and uncertainty of world development continue to increase.Global economic growth is sluggish, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, and regional hotspot issues keep flaring up.Non-traditional security threats such as terrorism, cyber security and major infectious diseases continue to spread, and external situations such as the deficit in governance, trust, security and peace are becoming increasingly severe.The historic achievements and changes in China's modernization drive are moving closer to the center of the world stage, and China's reform is now in a "difficult period" and a "deep water zone".Various difficulties, risks and challenges, both foreseeable and unforeseeable, are increasing in the domestic situation.How to realize the development goals of modernization with Chinese characteristics on the basis of adhering to the principles and directions of socialist modernization has become a new historical topic of China's modernization in the new period.In this regard, China adheres to the theoretical principles of Marxist modernization construction, scientifically coordinates the "two totality", and takes over the "baton" of China's modernization exploration.It not only added "ecological construction" to the original "four-in-one" modernization construction layout, but also expanded to "five-in-one", opening a new journey to comprehensively build a modern socialist country.On the basis of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, we will take two steps to build a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the middle of this century.We stress that from 2020 to 2035, on the basis of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, we will strive for another 15 years to basically realize socialist modernization.
From 2035 to the middle of this century, on the basis of achieving modernization, we will strive for another 15 years to build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious, and beautiful socialist modernized country, setting a scientific "roadmap" and "action map" for China's modernization development; Following the general laws of human modernization construction, while also based on the specific reality of China's modernization construction in the new era and the special requirements of modernization with our own national characteristics, we have strengthened bottom line thinking and risk awareness, and achieved innovation in the theory and practice of socialist modernization while maintaining a clear mind and strong political determination, promoting the continuous maturity of China's modernization construction path.
Chinese-style modernization represents a great transformation in the history of human modernization.In the new century and on a new journey, every Chinese is a builder and beneficiary of Chinese-style modernization.It is essential to maintain political clarity, have a correct understanding of the fundamental and long-term nature of the central task of "promoting national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization", seize historical opportunities, grasp the laws and trends of historical development, always hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, firmly maintain ideals and beliefs, enhance the "Four Confidences" and carry forward the "Four Spirits", adapt to trends and work hard towards innovation to continuously blaze a new trail for Chinese-style modernization.