Chinese Path to Modernization

Economics mainly studies the allocation of resources and modernization, and is a subject of social enlightenment and social design. A complete economic theory includes three elements: basic assumptions, basic propositions, and research methods, from which we can understand and analyze economic theories. The basic assumptions generally answer the question of “for whom”; The basic propositions generally answer what kind of system and resource allocation method can achieve what kind of goals, which also corresponds to the three research levels of “people, goals, and systems” in economics; In terms of research methods, economics requires a comprehensive application of empirical research and normative research methods. In terms of the question of “for whom”, economics faces ethical conflicts and choices. In terms of goals and systems, economics has diverse goals and systems, and therefore faces conflicts and choices between different goals and systems. Due to the continuous development and changes of these conflicts, abundant economic theories have evolved and emerged. History, theory, and statistics are the three magic weapons of economists, and the comprehensive application of these three methods makes economics known as the “Shining Pearl on the Crown” of all social sciences.

From the perspective of the history of economic theory, with every major leap forward in human society and every major development of human civilization, different economic categories and schools of thought have blossomed and argued, forming a rich system of economic theories and schools of thought. There are both cyclical cycles in history and innovative advances in critical development. Economics must meet the call of the times and serve them. If it cannot meet the needs of the times, there will be a crisis in economic theory. The emergence of Marxist political economy is a great event in the history of economic theory. In criticizing, inheriting, and innovating past economic theories, it has become the epitome of economic theory, and has been constantly evolving with the changes in economic and social practice. With the integration of disciplines becoming a trend, economics has formed many new disciplines in the process of intersecting with other disciplines, further promoting the great prosperity and progress of economics.

Since the introduction of Marxist political economy into China, the forerunners of Chinese economic circles have gradually formed economics with Chinese characteristics in the inheritance and development of Marxist political economy based on China’s national conditions, and have constantly developed and enriched in the unique practice of Chinese path to modernization, especially in the great exploration of economic work led by the CPC, and gradually formed a complete theoretical system. In this process, Chinese characteristic economics has also made reasonable use of the beneficial achievements of Western economics, achieving the great prosperity of Chinese characteristic economics. Moreover, due to its strong explanatory power and scientific guidance on Chinese economic practice, Chinese characteristic economics has a certain voice in the world and has made many innovative contributions to the world’s economic theory building. At present, economics with Chinese characteristics is developing towards a systematic economic theory direction, and it is necessary to further clarify and sort out what the characteristics of economics with Chinese characteristics are, where they come from, and where they are going. Continuously developing economics with Chinese characteristics and improving the construction level of economics with Chinese characteristics is not only the mission of Chinese economists, but also the honor of Chinese economists.

The academic community generally believes that world modernization is a major transformation of human society from agricultural civilization to industrial civilization, first appearing in the form of capitalism. Capitalism originated in Western Europe and emerged from feudal societies in Western Europe. Therefore, it can also be said that world modernization originated in Western Europe. But the modernization of Western Europe did not emerge out of thin air. Therefore, it is necessary to review the history of Western Europe from a long lens of history, and then discover where the modernization of Western Europe originated and why it took place first in Western Europe.

In the magnificent course of global modernization, there are successes and failures, joys and sorrows. To further interpretating the laws of global modernization, we can use the methods of comparative economics to conduct a comparative analysis of countries across the world with success or failure experiences in the path to modernization. In a broad sense, the global modernization can be summarized into two dimensions: economic modernization and system modernization, which correspond to “productivity and production relations” and “economic base and superstructure” analyzed in the Marxist theory. Economic modernization should be based on the natural endowments of various countries, with industrialization as the driving force and human welfare as the goal. Its core lies in the continuous adjustment of production relations to promote the development of productive forces. There is no fixed model of institutional modernization. It should adapt to the national conditions of each country, and adjust the rigid system into a flexible system, so as to make the superstructure more responsive to the needs of the economic base.

The Chinese Path to Modernization includes two interrelated issues: one is how to make China gradually become an economically modernized country from a developing country, and make China enter the ranks of developed countries; the second is how to continuously adhere to and improve the national system, achieve system modernization, and fully leverage the superiority of the socialist system. From the basic logic of these two aspects, the Chinese Path to Modernization is consistent with the universal law of world modernization. Of course, the Chinese Path to Modernization also has its particularity: from the perspective of economic modernization, China is in a dual transition combining development transition and system transition; from the perspective of system modernization, it is specifically reflected in China’s innovation of many unique Chinese style institutions based on the combination of Marxism, traditional Chinese culture, and China’s national conditions.

Reviewing the process of Chinese path to modernization since 1840, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, the Reform Movement of 1898, the Yihetuan Movement, the Revolution of 1911, etc., all ended in failure. It was not until Marxism spread to China and the CPC stepped onto the stage of history that the Chinese nation finally ushered in the dawn of nirvana and rebirth, and the Chinese path to modernization was officially opened. Whether it was the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the reform and opening up, or entering a new era of Socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese path to modernization is accompanied by ideological emancipation and practical exploration, exploring practice in ideological emancipation, innovating ideas in practical exploration, and unifying knowledge and action into the grand path of modernization.