Chinese Modernization—the Only Correct Path to Building a Strong Country and Realizing National Rejuvenation

The first issue of Qiushi Journal of 2025 features an article from the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, in which General Secretary Xi Jinping’s expositions on Chinese modernization are considered as the fundamental principle and a guide to action for us to advance Chinese modernization in the new era. The article holds that these expositions have opened up a new chapter in the theoretical innovation of China’s modernization.

Profound in thought and rich in connotation, these statements have demonstrated tremendous force of truth and practical effectiveness by theoretically summarizing the experience of the CPC in leading China’s modernization.

Xi’s statements on Chinese modernization, together, constitute an interconnected, integrated and mutually reinforcing theoretical system. This system has provided answers to major theoretical and practical questions concerning Chinese modernization, such as its connotations, significance and requirements, and made original contributions to enriching and developing Marxist theories on modernization.

These original conclusions in the theoretical system are as follows: the CPC’s leadership provides the fundamental political guarantee for Chinese modernization; top-level design and strategic plans for advancing Chinese modernization have been formulated by defining the distinctive features, essential requirements, and major principles of Chinese modernization; the CPC has built up a systematic methodology for pursuing Chinese modernization, which is distinguished by its coordinated, integrated, and holistic approach; Chinese modernization has made a major contribution to the development of humanity as a new model for human advancement; the great struggle, as the inevitable path to advancing Chinese modernization, is deeply rooted in the perseverance and unremitting efforts of the entire nation.

The Chinese path to modernization represents the only correct path to building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation. It can be said that the choice of path is a crucial factor in realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

For more than a century, the CPC has shouldered the historical mission by uniting and leading the people through arduous explorations and persistent hard work to successfully forge the path of Chinese modernization. In this process, it has tackled deep-seated development challenges that have plagued China since modern times and offered humanity a new choice for enriching and advancing modernization.

The article notes that to build a modern socialist country has been a consistent goal of our Party which requires unremitting efforts by one generation after another. At its 20th National Congress, the CPC presented an ambitious blueprint for building China into a modern socialist country and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation via a Chinese path to modernization. At the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the CPC made strategic plans for furthering reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernization.

The article concludes with a call to action for advancing Chinese modernization. It advocates that we must thoroughly implement Xi’s instructions on Chinese modernization. As we continue with the comprehensive reform, we must uphold and reinforce our Party’s overall leadership while adhering to a people-centered development philosophy, as well as continue to achieve greater self-reliance and strength of our country. Only by staying true to the Party’s original aspiration and founding mission, and staying confident in our history and seizing historical initiative, can we continuously open up broad prospects for the progress of Chinese modernization.

Editor: Yi Xiaowei