(ECNS) -- Experts from China and abroad shared their insights about Chinese modernization and high-quality development at a conference held in Beijing on Wednesday.
They believe that from a global point of view, the narrative of Chinese modernization is entirely different from the Western history, that Chinese modernization provides the world an opportunity, and that China's high-quality development must rely on innovation and throw away inertial thinking.
Chinese modernization provides world with opportunity
The idea of Chinese modernization has certainly caught the imagination of the Chinese and has had some repercussions globally in terms of discussion, said Martin Jacques, a world-leading expert on China, in his video speech.
He underlined that Chinese modernization is not just a slogan but has got a purchase on reality and the prospects for China.
He pointed out that modernization has been defined for a very long time as essentially Western modernization, but China’s success in modernizing, in its own way, circumstances and conditions has obviously always had very strong Chinese characteristics. "If it didn't have strong Chinese characteristics, it would never have succeeded."
He believes that the aim of Chinese modernization is not narrowly economic and technological because ultimately, modernization is for the people. It is something that has to be in the people’s interests.
"The hugely important feature of Chinese modernization is that it is an opportunity for the world. Its whole approach is different, it's not an old colonial or old imperial model. The narrative of Chinese modernization, from a global point of view is, is entirely different from the Western history.
Stephen Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club, said the Chinese path to modernization is unique because the plan is very well considered and laid out. It is a model for the rest of the world and they can learn from the ways that have worked in China.
He said in less than forty years, China has achieved unprecedented modernization that is difficult for some countries to do even in two or three hundred years. It has created an economic miracle that attracted global attention.
"Because China's modernization is the first time in the world, nobody knows exactly what will happen. They know they have to watch everything very carefully to be sure that they use all their knowledge to make the changes,” he explained.
The Communist Party of China is very capable and can draw on a lot of sources in order to get it right, he said.
Promoting Chinese modernization with high-quality development
China’s high-quality development must rely on innovation, which should become an important driving force for comprehensive and high-quality development, said Bi Jingquan, a member of the standing committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and deputy director of the Economic Committee under the CPPCC.
Bi, also executive vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, held that encouraging innovation requires strengthening basic research and encouraging exploration, needs incentive mechanisms to stimulate innovative vitality, removes institutional barriers and creates a better environment.
High-quality development and the Chinese modernization share a common point, which is the establishment of a modern industrial system, said Sun Dongsheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and vice chairman of the China National Democratic Construction Association.
He suggested that to promote the modernization level of industries, it is necessary to align the development of the industrial system with market demand.
On the road to high-quality development, inertial thinking must be thrown away and replaced by ideas, strategies, and discourses in consistence with the current development stage, suggested Gao Peiyong, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and party secretary of the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
It is noted in the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that Chinese modernization maintains harmony between humanity and nature and that a green and low-carbon economy and society are crucial to high-quality development.
Hu Jun, vice director of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, introduced that China has achieved positive results in promoting green, low-carbon, and high-quality development in recent years. But "it is always an arduous task requiring long-term efforts to finally reach the goal," he added.
Chinese modernization needs to overcome the Thucydides trap, Samuelson's trap, and Kindleberger trap, while seizing the opportunity brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, said Zhang Yansheng, principal researcher of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.
Martin Jacques shared his idea that in light of the strong and growing innovation capability, China's economy will keep its momentum and realize high-quality development.
The conference was hosted by China News Service and organized by China News Network.
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