Illustration: Liu Rui/GT
We will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on October 1. This is another important year for comprehensively deepening reform, a key year for realizing the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan for the 2021-25 period, the 70th anniversary of the National People's Congress and the 75th anniversary of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Together, these time marks further attach rich significance to the year 2024. Standing at this historical point and looking back, we can see how the PRC took a great leap from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong amid constant struggles and difficulties, proving the feasibility and superiority of the Chinese path to modernization with eloquent facts.
For every Chinese, the pride of greater material and spiritual abundance brought about by Chinese modernization is very vivid and lively, and the 75-year glorious course is a grand whole and as concrete as every detail of the country's development, reflecting in every aspect of people's lives. Adhering to the people-centered Chinese modernization has continuously enhanced people's sense of gain, happiness and security. China's GDP has continued to grow, and by 2023, was 223 times larger than that in 1952 calculating at constant price, with an average annual growth rate of 7.9 percent. China's GDP per capita has increased significantly and the country's comprehensive national strength has grown to the world's top position. China has won a comprehensive victory in the battle against poverty and made outstanding contributions to global poverty alleviation. China's average life expectancy has increased significantly, and public service systems, such as education, medical care and social security, have been improved. The fruits of Chinese modernization have been effectively transformed into a visible and tangible quality of life for the ordinary people.
Advancing Chinese modernization is a pioneering undertaking that has never been done before. As General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping pointed out, "Our modernization is both the most challenging and the greatest." At the beginning of the First Industrial Revolution, the population of the UK was less than 6 million, while during the Second Industrial Revolution, the population of the US was less than 80 million. By 2019, the total population of countries and regions that have reached modernization around the world was less than 1 billion.
For over 1.4 billion people in China to collectively enter a modernized society is a scale larger than the combined population of all developed countries, and this will completely reshape the world map of modernization. It is a significant event in human history with a far-reaching impact. Some young people say, "We are so fortunate to be born in China," which reflects their awareness and pride in being part of the process of Chinese modernization.
Chinese modernization has changed not only China but also the whole world. UN reports show that significant progress has been made in global poverty reduction over the past few decades, and this is primarily due to China's contributions. Measured by the World Bank's extreme poverty standard of $1.90 per person per day, China has reduced its poor population by around 800 million over the past 40 years, accounting for nearly 75 percent of global poverty reduction during this period. In 2021, China announced that the final 98.99 million impoverished rural residents living under the current standard were all lifted out of poverty and that China had brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty, completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's economy has made historic leaps, contributing over 30 percent to global economic growth on average. By building new systems of a higher-standard open economy, China has become a major trading partner to over 140 countries and regions, providing stability and constructive elements for global peace.
In the context of human civilization, 75 years is but a brief moment, yet it has profoundly impacted global development patterns and the course of world history. China has broken the myth that "modernization equals Westernization," showcasing an alternative vision of modernization and expanding the pathways for developing countries to achieve modernization. This has offered a Chinese solution to humanity's quest for better social systems.
During the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Beijing, the BBC published an article exploring the question: How has China gained the support of African countries without "preaching" to them? The fact is, China does not rely on external forces or blindly copy foreign models; instead, it follows general laws of modernization while independently exploring a path of modernization with Chinese characteristics, which naturally unites countries from the "Global South." Contributing significantly to the progress of human civilization reflects China's broad global vision.
Xi pointed out, "What do we rely on to further unite our hearts and minds on the new journey? It is the Chinese modernization." The 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC is both a milestone in the Chinese modernization journey and a prelude to new historical achievements and efforts. The Chinese people will not rest on their laurels or succumb to external pressure and stagnate. It is both the determination and goal of the ruling party as well as the common understanding and action of the people of all ethnic groups in China to advance China's modernization - a great undertaking that is unprecedented in human history and to act as firm practitioners and doers of Chinese modernization.
