‘Chinese-style modernization’ demonstrates self-confidence

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which officially commenced in Beijing on Sunday, takes place at a critical time as the CPC and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups embark on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advance toward the nation’s second-centenary goal.

While delivering a work report at the opening session of the congress on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that from this day forward, the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the second-centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to achieve the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, or Chinese-style modernization.

Xi noted that since the 18th Party Congress, the CPC has, leveraging its courage to make theoretical explorations and innovations, kept advancing theoretical innovations on the basis of practical experience and made good progress in realizing Chinese-style modernization, which is the modernization model for a huge population, for common prosperity, for overall advancement in both material and spiritual civilization, for achieving harmony between humanity and nature,  and for peaceful development.

Chinese-style modernization will bring together the strength of hundreds of millions of Chinese people for achieving greater common good. There is no reason that Hong Kong should be absent from this endeavor now that the practice of “one country, two systems” has been back on track after the major reforms implemented in the past couple of years.

General Secretary Xi pointed out that Chinese-style modernization is modernization with socialist characteristics that is pursued under the leadership of the CPC. It has both the common features of modernization of all countries and Chinese characteristics based on China’s national circumstances. This indicates that the CPC has its own idea of modernization, and that the Party has become more confident, aspiring and determined in leading China to meet all kinds of risks and challenges in the future.

For a long time, the United States and its Western allies have monopolized the definition of “modernization”, believing that modernization cannot be realized without taking the path they have taken. They are accustomed to preaching to other nations, despite the fact that many of them have achieved modernization and accumulated wealth through plundering the resources of their colonies. Out of fear of their global dominance being threatened by a stronger China, they are leaving no stone unturned in hindering China’s peaceful rise and modernization, employing a variety of ploys, including trade sanctions, technology embargoes, and slanderous propaganda.

Those anti-China politicians in the West have underrated the wisdom and capabilities of the CPC and the Chinese nation, and underestimated the strength of the Chinese civilization, which has lasted for 5,000 years. But every road leads to Rome; the CPC has invented a unique modernization model for China, one that aims at enhancing the well-being of its citizens through hard work, rather than attaining prosperity at the expense of other nations. The Chinese model of modernization as expounded by General Secretary Xi in his work report takes into consideration the unique national circumstances such as its huge population, emphasizes the common prosperity that reflects the CPC’s governance philosophy of “putting people first”, promotes the advancement of both material and spiritual civilization, and cherishes harmony between humanity and nature that supports sustainable socioeconomic development. It also pursues peaceful development that tallies with the ideal of building a community with a shared future for mankind. All in all, Chinese-style modernization sets out with an ultimate goal of advancing the well-being of the Chinese people as well as all of humanity.

China is the third-largest country in the world with a population that accounts for one-fifth of the world’s. It’s certainly not an easy undertaking to govern such a big country with 56 ethnic groups, uneven development in the eastern, central and western regions, and imbalanced socioeconomic development between the urban and rural areas. Over the years, the CPC has demonstrated extraordinarily strong leadership in managing the country and steering the nation toward modernization.

The socialist system is blessed with an institutional strength: It allows the central authorities to quickly mobilize all necessary resources from around the country for major undertakings, arduous tasks and emergency responses. Therefore, upholding socialism is the only way to ensure that resources can be dedicated to areas of concern, resulting in an enhanced efficiency that greatly facilitates development.

General Secretary Xi’s narrative of Chinese-style modernization demonstrates the Party’s full confidence in its ability to advance human civilization with new models. Not only does it have the blueprint but also the road map and the implementation plans that will ensure its realization.

The Chinese people have endured much anguish since the Opium War of 1839-42; realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has naturally become the common dream of all Chinese people. Now that the 20th Party Congress calls on people of all ethnic groups in the country to make national resurgence come true, Hong Kong must not be absent or take a back seat. By making full use of its advantage of “being fully backed up by the motherland and intimately connected to the world under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework”, Hong Kong is positioned to play a significant role in advancing the cause of the Chinese nation.

The author is a Hong Kong member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Hong Kong New Era Development Thinktank.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.