Modernization: China’s Worldwide Influence and Contribution

Abstract

We will stay on the path of peaceful development and continue to pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. China will not only develop, but also highlight its responsibility for and contributions to the world, and we will not only benefit the Chinese people, but also benefit the people of the world. The realization of the Chinese dream will bring peace to the world, instead of turbulence; it will bring opportunities, instead of threats.

We will stay on the path of peaceful development and continue to pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. China will not only develop, but also highlight its responsibility for and contributions to the world, and we will not only benefit the Chinese people, but also benefit the people of the world. The realization of the Chinese dream will bring peace to the world, instead of turbulence; it will bring opportunities, instead of threats.

Jinping (2013)

To build a community with a shared future for mankind is a beautiful goal, and it is also a goal to be realized through the endeavors of young people, generation by generation. China is ready to work together with all other member states, international organizations, and institutions to jointly promote the great process of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Jinping (2017)

This is what socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era means: The Chinese nation, which since modern times has endured so much for so long, has achieved a tremendous transformation: it has stood up, grown rich, and is becoming strong; it has come to embrace the brilliant prospects of rejuvenation. It means that scientific socialism is full of vitality in twenty-first century China, and that the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics is now flying high and proud for all to see. It means that the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics have kept developing, blazing a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization. It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence; and it offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to solving the problems facing mankind.

Jinping (2017)

By the middle of the twenty-first century, China will not only realize its second centenary goal and become the largest great modern developed country in the world, but it will also exert a great influence on and play an important role in world development. China will make significant contributions to human development in the following five ways:

• (1) Contribution to economy. China is the greatest driving force for economic growth in the world, and it will become the largest market in the world, and have increasingly stronger positive externalities and positive spillover effects. China will make increasingly greater contributions to the global market, trade, employment, and investments.

• (2) Contribution to innovation. China will become the largest innovator in the world, and complete the process of re-inventing itself as an innovation-oriented country. China will become a global leader in innovation, and lead to the way for further science and technology progress.

• (3) Contribution to green development. China will become the world leader in green development, and make positive contributions to protect the global environment, respond to global climate change, achieve energy conservation and emission reduction, and promote the green industrial revolution.

• (4) Contribution to culture. Chinese civilization and China’s philosophy on development will have a huge impact on the world. Furthermore, China’s cultural soft power will be significantly enhanced. China will advocate a twenty-first century perspective characterized by a “harmonious but different” worldview, which favors the maintenance of world diversity and promotes democratic international relations and diversified development modes. More and more people will accept China’s distinctive concepts, such as “each nation appreciates the beauty it has created, and combines their own beauty with the beauty of others,” “all nations live side by side in perfect harmony,” and “harmony between humans and nature.”

• (5) Contribution to knowledge. The path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics have continued to develop, blazing a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization. China’s example offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence; and it offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to solving the problems facing mankind.

6.1 China’s Influence and Impact on the World: Four Major Trends

Moving towards 2050, humankind will have entered an unprecedented period of reform and of pantisocracy. This shift is clearly reflected in four interrelated and mutually influencing and interactive global trends: “great development,” “great convergence,” “great reversion,” and “great reform.”¹ Xi Jinping presented a similar assessment in his report to the Party’s 19th National Congress: “The world is undergoing major developments, transformation, and adjustment …. The trends of global multi-polarity, economic globalization, IT application, and cultural diversity are surging forward; changes in the global governance system and the international order are speeding up ….” China will play a positive and extremely important role in leading and promoting the development of these four major trends.

• (1) Great development. Global development is reflected mainly in the great development of southern countries, and southern countries will become the most important driving force in the world’s third period of golden development. In this regard, the number of participating southern countries (nearly 200 countries or regions), the size of their populations (6 billion people), the rapid development (much faster than northern countries), and the degree of economic globalization and integration are not comparable to the first two golden periods (1870–1913 and 1950–1990,² respectively). By 2050, China will be the largest economic entity in the world, and the major contributor to global economic growth. China will also be a world-leading science and technology innovator, and promote the in-depth development of science and technology and knowledge globalization. The world will move towards common development and progress.

• (2) Great convergence. Following a period of economic take-off, southern countries will accelerate to catch up with northern countries, and the great divergence that has characterized the economic development levels between the two regions will disappear. In this period, the per capita GDP of southern countries will reach approximately 33% of that of northern countries. Their human development level will continue to move towards that of northern countries, and the whole world is likely to enter a stage of high human development. Internationally, we will see the transformation of populations living in absolute poverty. Over the past two centuries there has been a steady increase in these populations; we will now see their steady decline. Thus, poverty will be basically eliminated by 2030.³ During this period, China will further develop its economy and reduce the gap with developed countries. China will also enhance cooperation with other countries in economy, trade, and science and technology, helping the world to move towards common prosperity.

• (3) Great reversion. Southern and northern patterns will be largely reversed. Southern countries will dominate economic, trade, and investment patterns, ending the domination of northern countries that has lasted for more than two centuries. Southern countries will become the main recipients and providers of investment in foreign countries. The results of economic indicators for southern countries will start to match the proportion of their populations. In this period, China will be further integrated into the global market, strengthen international trade, and become an important participant in global markets. China will engage in significant efforts to ensure that the world is more balanced and equitable.

• (4) Great reform. Various issues, including climate change, energy shortages, and aging populations, present many challenges to humankind, but are driving great reforms within the global governance mechanism and structure. Southern countries will become leading actors, play a greater and more active role, and make greater contributions to the balanced development of the world. Thus, the world will develop in a fairer, more reasonable, and more inclusive direction. China will seize development opportunities, strengthen international cooperation, shoulder corresponding international responsibilities, and become the advocator, promoter, and leader of the reform of the world governance system.

6.2 China’s Five Major Contributions to Human Development

China has the world’s largest population and the world’s largest trade volume. As such, China not only enjoys various opportunities and capacities, but it is also willing and able to make great contributions to human development.

In 1956, the People’s Republic of China had been in existence for only 7 years, and had a “poor material foundation and backward culture and science.” On this basis, Mao Zedong proposed his famous “China Contribution Theory,” whereby, in the twenty-first century China would make greater contributions to humankind.⁴ In 1978, when China still had the largest population of people living in absolute poverty in the world, Deng Xiaoping stated that one day China would make greater contributions to the Third World.⁵

Similarly, in 2007, Hu Jintao proposed that China would make greater contributions to human civilization by 2020.⁶ Again, in 2013, Xi Jinping stated that, “China will not only join its endeavors to its development, but also highlight our responsibility for and contributions to the world, and we will not only benefit the Chinese people, but will also benefit the people in the world.”⁷

In 2017, the report presented at the 19th Party Congress stated that, “This new era will be an era of building on past successes to further advance our cause, and of continuing in a new historical context to strive for the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics …. It will be an era for all of us, the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, to strive with one heart to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. It will be an era that sees China moving closer to center stage and making greater contributions to mankind.”⁸

In the twenty-first century, China will make significant contributions to human development. China’s unique characteristics will ensure contributions through: (1) scale effect: the larger the scale of a country’s population, economy, and science and technology, the greater its contribution to world development; (2) speed effect: the faster a country’s development of major economic and social indicators, the greater its incremental contribution to world development; (3) open effect: the wider a country opens to the outside world, the more completely it opens to the world, the more deeply it is involved in global development, and the more significant the positive spillover effects on the world will be; (4) cooperative effect: the more firmly a country holds an attitude towards mutually beneficial and fair cooperation, the more remarkable the effect of benefiting other countries and the world will be. China already has the necessary conditions for the above four effects, and has obtained the results described above. These four effects are also reflected in China’s major contributions to economic development, science and technology innovation, green ecology, and cultural advancement.

Contribution to economic development

The world will undergo significant development in the twenty-first century. China will play the most important role in the global economy. By 2050, China will be the greatest driving force, and a significant contributor to the world’s economic growth. This will also be true for world trade growth, investment growth, and employment growth. China will also experience the largest growth in consumption in the world, and make considerable contributions to the market. China’s economic development has provided huge opportunities for global economic growth.

Contribution to science and technology innovation

In an international context of major breakthroughs in science and technology, China will take advantage of favorable climatic and geographical conditions and seize all opportunities to catch up, keep pace, and finally lead the world in the science and technology revolution. It will become the world-leading science and technology power by 2050.

China will become the largest innovator in the world, and will turn itself into an innovation-oriented country in all respects. As a global leader in innovation, China will lead the way for humankind to make progress in science and technology.

China has boundless advantages in the field of innovation. Investments in research and development (R&D) are constantly increasing, its manufacturing sector has enormous potential, and further improvements to the education system will ensure that China’s reserves of high-quality talent will continue to increase. These factors provide an important basis for China to stride forward to become a leading innovator.⁹ They are attracting more and more innovation-oriented multinational companies to enter China, and provide strong support for promoting exchanges of innovative technologies. In addition, domestic innovation and R&D institutions will actively upgrade their products with the help of the global innovation network to ensure that “Chinese creations” really will “go global.”

Contribution to green ecology

In the twenty-first century, the world will move towards an era of ecological civilization. This will provide unprecedented opportunities for China to make contributions to green ecology for human development.

The ecological environment comprises not only the largest volume of public goods, but also the most vulnerable public goods. Therefore, both at home and abroad, China needs to innovate green development, invest in the ecological environment, and provide public products for China and the world.

China will become the world’s largest investor, producer, consumer, and exporter of green energy, as well as the largest producer and the largest exporter of new energy technology and equipment. China will become a world leader in the development of new energy, clean energy, and low-carbon industries.

China will lead green growth, and start an unprecedented “period of golden growth” in the history of green economic development. China will become the greatest driving force behind global green trade, and one of the largest exporters of green finished goods in the world. It will actively participate in and lead global green governance. Thus, China will make positive contributions to protecting the global environment, respond to global climate change, lead the way in energy conservation and emission reduction, and promote the green industrial revolution.

By 2050, China will significantly reduce its domestic carbon dioxide emissions and substantially increase its energy use efficiency, which will further promote reaching a fair and equitable global climate agreement. China will also actively promote climate change negotiations and the implementation of policies such as international carbon trading. In addition, China will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with other countries with regard to green technology to jointly promote global green development.

Contribution to cultural advancement

In the twenty-first century, all culturally advanced countries will exchange with and learn from each other. This will provide new opportunities for the rejuvenation of the Chinese culture.

The global dissemination and flow of information has enabled a smooth pathway for the dissemination, meeting, and integration of cultures. Under this unique set of conditions it is easier for new cultures to be created, and for new ideas to be spread. In this way, a civilization’s prosperity is promoted. Two important conditions for the emergence of a culture are urbanization development and great civilization. This is especially true because cities are the basis of modern civilization. In 2050, China’s urban population will reach approximately 1.2 billion people, which will be more than three times that of the total US population. This will provide a large space for the creation of culture.

An important condition for culture development is educational development. Accessible education and its popularization will provide the necessary knowledge base for the rejuvenation of Chinese civilization. In the first half of the twenty-first century, China will surpass the United States in the average number of schooling years to become the country with the highest average education level and the most popularized educational development in the world. Another necessary feature for culture emergence is the dissemination method; in this regard, it is significant that China has the largest number of Internet users in the world. Consequently, the current rejuvenation of the Chinese culture is much greater than was experienced in the previous cultural renaissance from the perspective of population size, education level, cultural needs, innovation ability, and dissemination method.

Chinese civilization and China’s ideas have already had a huge impact on the world. In future, its cultural soft power will be significantly enhanced, and in line with its aim for a harmonious world it will advocate a “harmonious but different” worldview. The “harmonious concept” advocates maintaining the world’s diversity and the promotion of democratic international relations and diversified development modes. Chinese concepts, such as “each nation appreciates the beauty it creates, and combines their own beauty with the beauty of others,” “all nations live side by side in perfect harmony,” and “harmony between humans and nature,” will become more widely accepted.

China emphasizes the need to strive to reach a consensus about its quest for a “harmonious but different” worldview. A further aim is to ensure that countries around the world recognize it in practice and form corresponding international mechanisms and systems. This will enable a peaceful coexistence between countries and common prosperity around the world.

Contribution to development knowledge

The biggest challenge facing the world today is development. The core problem is how to enable 80% of the developing countries in the world to achieve sustainable development, common development, and shared development. “The path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics have continued to develop, blazing a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization. It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence, and it offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to solving the problems facing mankind.”¹⁰

The “core” of Chinese development is the principle of adhering to people-centered development. Our priority will always be to realize, meet, and develop the fundamental interests of our people. These are the fundamental goals of development. Furthermore, the starting point, final goal, and core of development is improving the well-being of the people and promoting well-rounded human development. In this way, the gains of development will benefit all our people in a fair way.

The “policy” of Chinese development is to independently choose the goal and approach of the modernization of China. We have laid out a three-step strategy to achieve modernization, “two centenary goals” and “two-stage goals,” and we have worked hard to ensure that industrialization, IT application, urbanization, and agricultural modernization go hand in hand. Furthermore, China’s infrastructure has undergone a revolution and we have stepped over the “wide development gap,” while substantially improving the people’s livelihoods. China promotes well-rounded human modernization and all-round social progress.

The “way” of China development is the methodology of pragmatically selecting a modernization approach. We will choose a way that corresponds to our own national conditions based on China’s actual situation, and we will realize the goals through the endeavors of the Chinese people, generation by generation. China will bravely and skillfully promote self-innovation, maintain institutional vitality, grasp both our internal and international imperatives, and develop a shared future for mankind based on mutual benefits.

6.3 China Promotes the Joint Development of Pantisocracy

Over the course of the last century, the age of colonialism and imperialism has been drawing to a close. The world is moving on from hegemonistic times, and is embracing a period of win-win cooperation. Looking back we can recall the painful experience and huge human cost of previous years, and now we face important choices regarding the future development of humankind. With regard to this issue, the 19th Party Congress noted that: “As human beings, we have many common challenges to face …. No country can address alone the many challenges facing mankind; no country can afford to retreat into self-isolation.” China has walked onto the world stage and is participating in global governance in all areas. It will continue its efforts to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and uphold international order.¹¹ China is willing to work with countries around the world as well as international organizations and institutions to jointly promote the development of a community with a shared future for humankind, namely by championing, promoting, and guiding the “pantisocracy.”

By “championing” we mean that China is stepping boldly out from the shadow of “deglobalization” to actively champion a new form of equal, open, cooperative, and shared globalization. Thus, China will ensure that all countries have equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal regulations in international economic cooperation on the basis of equality. China will also do all it can to prevent governance seclusion and regulation fragmentation, avoid exclusive development, and embrace openness. We will also jointly discuss regulations, build mechanisms, and meet challenges with cooperation as a driving force. China will champion the participation of everyone, with universal benefit and sharing as the main goal.¹² We will jointly develop a community of interests, fate, and responsibility with political mutual trust, economic integration, and cultural inclusiveness. This will be achieved by “jointly discussing, developing, and jointly sharing” with those countries involved in the Belt and Road initiative.

China’s efforts in “promotion” mean equality, mutual benefit, and win-win international cooperation. China will provide real development opportunities for countries around the world to jointly improve human wellbeing. We always welcome other countries to take the “fast ride” and “ride sharing” in our development, and we are willing to share our dividends and progress with those countries. In addition, China will continue to strengthen its assistance in international development, and to provide more employment opportunities and technical support through cooperation. Thus, more developing countries will be involved in the labor division of the world economy to further promote the expansion of global development integration.

By “guiding” we mean that China is playing an increasingly important role in leading international affairs. As China promotes international dialogue, it will strengthen cooperation with various countries in the realms of politics, economy, trade, science and technology, energy, and environmental governance, and will promote the formulation of various cooperation treaties. China will jointly maintain the balance of international order and the stability of the security pattern, and promote economic openness and inclusiveness. China will also work to ensure cultural prosperity and diversity, and the sustainable development of the ecosystem. In addition, China will play a more important role in international organizations, and promote the construction of a new and improved global governance mechanism in which emerging and developing countries will have greater opportunities to participate in global affairs.

As a result of China’s continuous economic development and economic take-off in southern countries, less developed countries will accelerate their catch-up with northern countries. Thus, the great divergence between the economic levels of southern and northern countries will cease to exist. Convergence will be followed by the reversal of southern and northern patterns. Southern countries will dictate economic, trade, and investment patterns, ending two centuries of domination by northern countries. The human development levels of southern and northern countries will continue to converge, and all countries are likely to enter a stage of high human development. Populations that have been living in absolute poverty for the past two centuries will be lifted out of poverty. In the first step, completed in 2015, the world successfully achieved the “millennium development goals” (MDG) put forward by the international community, and the rate of poverty in developing countries decreased from 43.6% in 1990 to 13.4% in 2015. China’s contribution to this decrease was as high as 75%.¹³ In the second step, from now to 2030, the first core “sustainable development goal” put forward by the international community is “to eliminate all forms of poverty around the world.” China will achieve this goal in 2020, 10 years ahead of schedule. The world will move towards common prosperity.

By 2050, China will realize socialist modernization in all respects, and embrace the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This rejuvenation will be based on a solid foundation, a 5000-year history of civilization that underpins China’s present and future success. China has been a force in the past, is even stronger in the present, and will remain so in the future. Because of its solid foundation, China will continue, and it will grow forever.

China’s achievements of civilization and rejuvenation will be unprecedented, and will result in the emergence of a new modern civilization. Chinese culture is the core component of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; it is the source of thought and intellectual impetus of China’s overall rejuvenation and innovative rejuvenation. It will have an immeasurable influence on both Chinese and world history, and it will create a new peak in the history of world civilization.