Feng Ziyi: Chinese Modernization: A Civilizational Perspective

Modernization represents a profound transformation for society as well as a major step forward for civilization. Chinese modernization, which is rooted in China’s rich traditional culture and assimilates outstanding achievements from civilizations worldwide, has not only produced the widely acclaimed Chinese miracle but also established an entirely new form of human progress. This unique creation, which adheres to the laws underlying human progress, has exerted a profound and lasting impact on the development and progress of humanity.

I. Transcending the capital-driven values of Western modernization with people-centered values

Values form the essential core of a civilization, and distinct value systems give rise to distinct civilizations. In the course of Western modernization, capital—as “the economic power that dominates everything in bourgeois society”—has been the central driving force and basic value standard, with the aim of maximizing capital’s profits. Thus, the supremacy of capital has served as a core value. Dominated by this logic, the Western model of modernization has undeniably spurred advancements in productivity, science, and technology, while also fostering broader social interactions. Yet, it has also generated intractable contradictions: wealth disparities, polarization, labor-capital antagonism, and societal division, all of which epitomize the realities of capitalist development. Under this model, it is not people who control material forces, but the other way around. Subjugated to capital’s control, human beings are reduced to mere instruments for capital accumulation. The result of this is profound alienation in the process of both social and human development.

Modernization is not merely about economic growth and material prosperity; it is fundamentally about people, and it cannot be measured by purely quantitative economic indicators. In China, the people are the principal actors and driving force of modernization. By putting the people above all else, Chinese modernization can better respond to people’s diverse demands and multilayered needs. It can better ensure that the benefits of modernization are more fairly shared by all, create a growing sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security for all people, and ultimately ensure their free and well-rounded development. These are the values that guide Chinese modernization. 

Flagbearers carry the Chinese national flag into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Ninth Asian Winter Games, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, February 7, 2025. PHOTO BY XINHUA REPORTER CHEN YICHEN

In every dimension and stage, the process of Chinese modernization embodies the principle of putting the people above all else. From a development perspective, modernization must not only address people’s material needs but also cater to their political, cultural, social, and ecological aspirations. For example, in working to apply the new development philosophy, create a new development dynamic, and promote high-quality development, China ensures that economic development better serves the people’s aspirations for a better life. By developing whole-process people’s democracy and enriching the forms of democracy at every level, we ensure that the people run the country. By promoting the flourishing of cultural programs and the cultural sector, we seek to better meet people’s growing intellectual and cultural needs. Through the development of systems such as those for distribution, employment, education, health, and social security, we can better ensure and improve people’s wellbeing. By promoting green and low-carbon development and advancing the Beautiful China Initiative, we can protect our homeland to see that people not only survive but also thrive.

In terms of the sequence of development, Chinese modernization has been advanced in line with the inherent logic of human development. Material needs represent humanity’s most fundamental and primary needs. Chinese modernization has regarded meeting people’s material needs as the foundational task. At the same time, it has also adapted to evolving public expectations by responding to people’s demands in areas such as democracy, rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment. It is thus clear that in all dimensions and stages, Chinese modernization is rooted in people’s aspirations for a better life and aligned with the inherent logic of human development.

In a word, Chinese modernization stays true to the principle that development is for the people, it relies on the people, and its fruits should be shared by the people. It views the advancement of people as not only the driving force of social modernization but also its ultimate purpose. This fully reflects the alignment between modernization at the social and individual levels. This ensures that people-centered values rise above the logic of capital in China’s modernization process.

II. Redefining the traditional approach to modernization and pioneering a new path for human progress 

Modernization constitutes a critical stage in world historical development. It is defined by humanity’s transition from traditional agrarian societies to modern industrial and information-based societies and by the sweeping transformations these shifts bring to all spheres of social life. As a common aspiration of all peoples, modernization adheres to certain universal laws. Yet, how these laws are realized and applied in practice is determined by each nation’s respective conditions. As the national context of every country differs, these universal laws are applied in different ways, resulting in distinctive modernization paths.

In the modern era, the global modernization process originated in Western capitalist nations. Indeed, the developed countries of today largely hail from the West or have been deeply shaped by Western civilization. This has resulted in the misconception that modernization means Westernization and that Western civilization is synonymous with modern civilization. Some developing countries, in their pursuit of modernization, have attempted to mechanically replicate the Western model, only to find it fundamentally incompatible with their own conditions. In most cases, the consequences have been severe, as manifested by prolonged economic stagnation and sociopolitical turmoil. 

The cause of all this lies in the fact that developing countries are latecomers to modernization. Their development contexts, starting points, driving mechanisms, and positions in the global system differ from those of Western developed nations. In addition, each developing country has its own historical heritage, cultural traditions, and social systems, all of which give rise to a unique set of contradictions and problems. For example, almost all developing countries must deal with tensions between pursuing gradual progress and leapfrog advancements, between promoting growth and structural transformations, and between deconstructing old systems and building new ones. Such dilemmas were either absent or rare in the process of Western modernization. To resolve such issues, countries must ground their approach in their own historical, cultural, and national conditions and forge a path suited to their unique realities.

In advancing its modernization, China has avoided simply imitating the Western model, and instead it has charted its own course firmly grounded in its national realities. Democracy, for instance, is a common human value—yet its implementation in practice varies. While Western nations have relied primarily on electoral contests, representative assemblies, and multiparty systems, China has developed a new understanding and a new form with the introduction of whole-process people’s democracy. Using a range of institutional measures, this system weaves together democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and oversight into a seamless and comprehensive framework that covers all stages, thereby ensuring that the people truly run the country. 

Consider another example: Traditional Western economics posits that the market economy and socialism are irreconcilable. It is impossible, the thinking goes, to integrate the two. Indeed, world economic history offers no examples of success in this regard. Yet China, based on its national conditions and stage of development, creatively put forward the proposal to develop a socialist market economy. In practice, it has established a thriving system that has helped unleash and expand the productive forces on a tremendous scale. This is just one of many innovations born from China’s realities. By remaining steadfast in its values, staying focused on its objectives, and fully leveraging its institutional strengths, China has followed its own unique path by successfully advancing its form of modernization—one that serves a huge population, pursues common prosperity for all, seeks material and cultural-ethical progress, ensures harmony between humanity and nature, and promotes peaceful development. Chinese modernization adheres to the laws underlying the modernization process. It possesses features common to the modernization journeys of all nations, while also being distinctly Chinese in character and rooted in China’s culture and heritage.

The remarkable achievements of Chinese modernization have demonstrated to the world that “all roads lead to Rome”—the West’s path is not the only route to modernization. Every country is fully capable of charting its course forward. Chinese modernization has upended conventional thinking by opening up new modernization alternatives for latecomer countries. It has exposed the fallacy of the “end of history” theory and dismantled the rigid, unilinear view that insists all nations must inevitably converge on Western institutions.

Human civilization is as rich as it is diverse, and so are its paths of development. Every civilization should strive to give play to its own unique strengths and values. This is the way our world should be. Choosing one’s own path does not mean rejecting the wisdom of others; rather, it means rejecting blind imitation and relying on one’s own efforts to pursue theoretical and practical innovation. Ultimately, modernization is both a right and a historical necessity for all nations—but the key lies in forging a path that aligns with one’s own national conditions.

III. Creating an unprecedented development miracle and providing powerful impetus for human progress 

Development embodies people’s aspirations for a better life. It is both an eternal pursuit of human society and integral to human progress. The monumental achievements of Chinese modernization have been a powerful force driving human civilization forward. Moreover, as the world’s largest developing country, China has always viewed its own development within the broader context of human progress. Through its pursuit of development, China has created new opportunities for the world and contributed to the collective advancement of all civilizations.

China has accomplished in mere decades an industrialization process that spanned several centuries in developed countries. In doing so, it has created the miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. The country’s GDP rose from 67.9 billion yuan in 1952 to nearly 135 trillion yuan in 2024, while per capita disposable income surged from 49.7 yuan in 1949 to 41,314 yuan in 2024. In order to tackle poverty—one of the world’s most stubborn governance and development challenges—China waged a decisive battle that was historically unprecedented in its scale, intensity, and demographic reach. This fight saw the country creating what has been recognized as “the most successful poverty eradication story in history” by lifting nearly one-fifth of humanity out of absolute poverty and realizing the UN’s 2030 poverty reduction target a full decade ahead of schedule. 

China, a civilization with over 5,000 years of history, now stands tall in the East. Its more than 1.4 billion people are advancing collectively with confident strides toward modernization—an endeavor that in itself represents one of the primary driving forces for development and human progress in the world. China’s development is not only good for its own people but carries immense significance for the world at large. In recent years, China has consistently accounted for about 30% of annual global economic growth, serving as the world’s foremost economic engine. It is the world’s largest manufacturer, leading goods trader, second-largest consumer market, and largest holder of foreign exchange reserves. Chinese overseas contracts for infrastructure projects now cover over 190 countries and regions worldwide. The country’s “new trio” of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products are accelerating the global transition toward green and low-carbon economy. 

Furthermore, with a commitment to shared global development, China has proposed the Global Development Initiative to boost exchanges on development practices and cooperation on capacity-building. This initiative aims to help developing countries respond to challenges in areas such as poverty alleviation, climate change, and public health, providing a fresh boost of hope and vitality to the cause of global development. Through high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, China has established the world’s largest and most extensive international cooperation platform. By delivering mutually beneficial outcomes for all partners, the Belt and Road Initiative has evolved into a pathway for peace, prosperity, openness, innovation, and cultural exchange. All this has facilitated positive interactions between the modernization process in China and other countries around the world, thus ensuring Chinese modernization continues to create opportunities and provide momentum for global development.

At present, China is advancing modernization through high-quality development. Its economic structure and growth model continue to improve, while new industries and new forms and models of business are emerging in large numbers. Going forward, a China with greater economic stability, higher-quality growth, and more promising development prospects will continue to provide the world with fresh momentum for development.

The Guangzhou branch of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture is captured in the early morning light, December 3, 2024. China, a civilization with over 5,000 years of history, now stands tall in the East. Its population of more than 1.4 billion people is advancing with confident strides toward modernization—an endeavor that represents tremendous progress for all of humanity (drone photo). PHOTO BY XINHUA REPORTER LIU DAWEI

IV. Reflecting a deep concern for humanity and indicating the correct direction of human progress

Humanity today has reached a critical crossroads. On the one hand, material wealth is continuing to accumulate, and technological progress is advancing rapidly, ushering in unprecedented heights of human development. On the other hand, the challenges of insecurity, imbalanced development, and ineffective governance have become increasingly pronounced. Hotspot conflicts, major-country confrontations, and geopolitical tensions keep emerging. The world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, marked by rising instability and uncertainty. Where are our world and humanity headed? Providing the right answers to this question is of vital importance to the interests of every country and the future of humanity as a whole.

Chinese modernization adheres to a path of peaceful development. It is a positive source of peace and harmony for the world. Historically, Western modernization has often been characterized by warfare, colonization, plunder, and coercion. This has resulted in great suffering for many developing countries. Chinese modernization rejects that old path of exploitation and bloodshed, opting instead for the righteous path of peaceful development. We rely on the industry and ingenuity of all our people to grow strong. We pursue national development through a combination of our own internal momentum and the peaceful use of external resources. China will never, in any form, oppress another country or plunder its wealth and resources. Moreover, China is firmly committed to serving as a stabilizing force for peace in our world. We will make every effort to facilitate ceasefires in conflicts, work to pave the ground for conflict resolution, and strive to play an important role in safeguarding world peace and tranquility. 

Chinese modernization embodies the great passion with which we care for the future of humanity and seeks to effectively usher the world toward a bright future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress. While the primary focus in Chinese modernization is the Chinese nation, its vision extends to the whole of humanity. The important concept of building a global community of shared future advocates a spirit of global solidarity, an open and inclusive mindset, and a vision of mutually beneficial cooperation. It calls for peace and development over conflict and confrontation, common security over absolute security, and mutually beneficial cooperation over zero-sum games. It calls for exchanges and mutual learning to prevent a clash of civilizations and champions ecological conservation to protect planet Earth. It is about countries with different social systems, ideologies, histories, cultures, and levels of development coming together for shared interests, shared rights, and shared responsibilities in global affairs, so as to forge the greatest possible synergy for building a better world. This vision conveys a powerful message: power politics, hegemonism, and enrichment at the expense of others have never been the inevitable choices for a civilization seeking to strengthen itself. Zero-sum thinking, where one’s gain necessitates another’s loss, offers no viable future for humanity. Only with a persistent commitment to mutually beneficial cooperation and shared development can humanity achieve lasting prosperity. The vision of a global community of shared future carries forward the positive governance philosophies and principles on relations of Chinese culture while also embracing the shared values of peoples in all countries. As a great banner pointing the way forward for our times and humanity, it is now driving positive and profound changes across the world.

Chinese modernization, both as a whole and in its various dimensions, embodies distinctive civilizational qualities. It thus signifies the creation of a new form of advancement. It transcends the conventional discourse that confines development and modernization within independent frameworks, instead situating them within the broader context of human progress. In doing so, it has opened a new frontier for modernization. Chinese modernization is not merely a product, but an elevation of human progress, reflecting a deeper sense of civilizational awareness.

Feng Ziyi is a professor at the Department of Philosophy, Peking University.

(Originally appeared in Qiushi Journal, Chinese edition, No. 4, 2025)

 Source: English Edition of Qiushi Journal,2025 No.2