Chinese modernization is the broad road to building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. 

Xi Jinping

The modernization path a country chooses is determined by numerous factors such as its historical traditions, social systems, conditions, and external environment. Different national conditions lead to different paths to modernization. Practice has proven that for a country to advance toward modernization, it must not only follow the general laws modernization but also conform to its own actual conditions and possess its own characteristics. Chinese modernization shares common features with the modernization of all countries, but it also has distinct characteristics based on its national conditions. The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly summarizes the Chinese characteristics of Chinese modernization in five aspects, profoundly revealing its scientific connotation This is both a theoretical summary and a practical requirement, pointing out a broad road for comprehensively building a modern socialist power and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

A road does not mean a flat one. To turn the five Chinese characteristics of Chinese modernization into successful practice and transform these distinct characteristics into unique advantages, arduous efforts are required.

First modernization on a massive population scale. This is a prominent feature of Chinese modernization. Different population scales lead to different modernization tasks, different levels of difficulty and complexity, and inevitably different development and promotion methods. Currently, only about 20 countries in the world have entered modernization, with a total population of around 1 billion. The overall entry of China's of over 1.4 billion into modernization, a scale exceeding the combined population of existing developed countries, will greatly change the global map of modernization. This is the largest-scale in human history, and also the most difficult.

An ultra-large population provides ample human resources and a super-large market, but also brings a series of problems and challenges. solving the food problem for over 1.4 billion people is a significant challenge. There are also issues such as employment, distribution, education, healthcare, housing, elderly care, and, none of which are easy to solve, and each involves astronomical numbers of people. When we think, make decisions, and do things, we must first consider the population base and actual situation of large disparities in development levels between urban and rural areas in our country. We must neither be unrealistic nor stick to old ways, but maintain historical patience and persist in seeking while maintaining stability, proceeding step by step and continuously advancing.

Second, modernization for common prosperity for all people. This is the essential feature of Chinese modernization and a prominent sign distinguishes it from Western modernization. The greatest drawback of Western modernization is that it is capital-centered rather than people-centered, pursuing the maximization of capital interests rather than serving the interests the vast majority of people, which leads to a large wealth gap and severe polarization. Some developing countries have approached the threshold of developed countries during their modernization process, only to fall into the "middleincome trap," remaining in a state of long-term stagnation or even severe regression. One important reason is that they failed to properly address issues such as polarization and class solidification.

Chinese modernization insists that development is for the people, relies on the people, and its fruits are shared by people. It has made significant progress in promoting common prosperity for all, especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, when the battle against poverty was won, nearly 100 million rural poor out of poverty. Now, we have formed a complete set of ideas, institutional arrangements, and policy measures to promote common prosperity for all. While high-quality development and making the "cake" bigger, we must further divide the "cake" fairly, focus on resolving livelihood issues such as employment, distribution, education, healthcare housing, elderly care, and childcare, build a coordinated institutional system for the three distributions, regulate the order of income distribution, regulate the mechanism of wealth accumulation, guide and regulate the development of capital according to law, gradually expand the middle-income group, narrow the income distribution gap, ensure that the fruits of modernization benefit all the people more and more fairly, andutely prevent polarization. Achieving common prosperity is a long-term task that requires sustained efforts, unswerving perseverance, and continuous new progress.

Third, a modernization with the coordination material and spiritual civilizations. Both material abundance and spiritual richness are the noble pursuits of Chinese modernization. Material poverty is not socialism, and spiritual impoverishment is not socialism. Early Western involved wealth accumulation on one hand, and a lack of faith and rampant materialism on the other. Today, Western countries are increasingly falling into difficulties, and a major reason is their inability to the greedy nature of capital and solve chronic problems such as the expansion of materialism and spiritual impoverishment.

Chinese modernization requires not only the great enrichment of material wealth but also the great enrichment spiritual wealth, and self-confidence and self-reliance in ideology and culture. We must insist on tackling both fronts with equal determination, promote the mutual coordination and mutual promotion of material and spiritual, and ensure that all the people always possess the ideological foundation of unity and struggle, the proactive spirit of pioneering and enterprising, and the healthy and upward pursuit of values. We must to the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs, build a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leadership, strengthen education on ideals and beliefs and the publicity and education of the "four", cultivate and promote core socialist values, develop advanced socialist culture, produce more outstanding literary and artistic works, continuously enrich the people's spiritual world, improve the level of civilization in the society, and promote the all-round development of people.

Fourth, a modernization with the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. Respecting, conforming to, and protecting nature and promoting the harmonious coexistence of man and nature are distinctive features of Chinese modernization. Since modern times, the modernization of Western countries has mostly gone through a stage of reckless plundering of resources and vicious destruction of the ecological environment, which often caused serious problems such as environmental pollution and resource depletion while creating huge material wealth. China's per capita endowment of energy resources severely insufficient, and the accelerated development faces more energy resources and environmental constraints, which determines that China cannot follow the old path of Western modernization.

Chinese-style modernization adheres to sustainable development, follows the principle of prioritizing conservation, protection, and natural restoration, and unswervingly pursues a path civilized development characterized by production development, prosperous living, and a sound ecology, opening up broad prospects for the enduring development of the Chinese nation. It is essential to firmly establish and the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets; adhere to the integrated protection and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and; promote development that prioritizes ecology, conservation, and intensive, green, and low-carbon growth; accelerate the green transformation of development modes; enhance the diversity, stability, and of ecosystems; actively and steadily advance carbon peaking and carbon neutrality; and support high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment.

Fifth, modernization following the path of peaceful development. Adhering to peaceful development, seeking its own development while firmly safeguarding peace and development, and better safeguarding world peace and development through its own development, as well as promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, are prominent features of modernization. The modernization of Western countries was fraught with bloody crimes such as war, slavery, colonization, and plunder, bringing profound suffering to the vast majority of developing countries. The nation has experienced a tragic history of invasion and humiliation by Western powers, deeply understands the preciousness of peace, and will never repeat the old path of Western countries.

Chinese modernization to independence and self-reliance, relying on the hard work and innovative creativity of the entire people to develop and strengthen itself. It achieves national development by combining the stimulation of endogenous drivers the peaceful utilization of external resources, without oppressing other nations or plundering the resources and wealth of other countries in any form, but instead providing all possible support and assistance to the vast of developing countries. We must always hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results, pursue an open strategy of mutual benefit and win-win results, and provide new opportunities for the world through China's new development. We actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system, practice true multilateralism, promote the common values of all mankind implement the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and strive to make greater contributions to human peace and development.

Since the founding of New China, especially since the reform and-up, we have completed the industrialization process in a few decades that took Western developed countries hundreds of years, creating a miracle of rapid economic development and long-term social stability and opening up broad prospects for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Practice has proven that Chinese modernization is feasible and steady, and is the only correct path for building a strong and national rejuvenation. 

This is an excerpt from the speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping on February 7, 2023, at the seminar for newly elected members alternate members of the Central Committee, and principal leaders at the provincial and ministerial levels, on studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.