China Focus
Four modernization is the pioneer of China's reform and opening up.It refers to the modernization of industry, agriculture, national defense and science and technology, and was proposed at the Fourth National People's Congress held by Premier Zhou Enlai in January 1975.This is another effort to end the endless political turmoil and turn the country to the economic construction.This time they finally succeeded.
By 1978, the Sihua had become the main theme of reform and opening up.In the 40 years since then, China's achievements have far exceeded the original four -way goals.China has risen to the world's second largest economy and moves towards the first economic country.On this basis, the Third Plenary Session of the Eighteenth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 2013 proposed the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities. As the general goal of comprehensively deepening reform, it is known as the fifth modernization of China.
The essence of these five modernizations is the movement of nationalism. The ultimate goal is the rich and strong soldiers and national rejuvenation.But on the other hand, the CCP also adheres to the purpose of serving the people.The leader of the Chinese President summarized the CCP's mission as: the people's longing for a better life is our goal.
The people living in society, the state of society to a large extent determines the quality of the people's lives. Therefore, the most fundamental modernization is the modernization of society. The first five modernizations are paved for it for it.In the case of maturity of material conditions, it is time to propose the goal of social modernization.
This is also determined by the essence of socialism: socialism must be centered on social construction.The first five modernizations have a tendency to westernize, because Western countries have gone ahead, only social modernization cannot be westernized mdash; mdash; everyone in western society has clearly seen it: high divorce rate, single parent family, high unemployment, high unemployment, high unemployment, high unemployment, high unemployment, high unemployment,Rate, mental health crisis, domestic violence, crime, drugs, slums, racial discrimination, terrorism, extremism, the gap between the rich and the poor are moving towards extremes, and so on.It can be seen that the development of material productivity does not necessarily improve the quality of social life, but it will lead to the pathological and degradation of society.
In the United Nations Happiness Index, China reached its peak in the late 1990s. Since then, it has been downhill, although the economic aggregate has turned 10 times during this period.
Social modernization, while absorbing the lessons of Western experience, should also discover the cultural traditions of its country to create an advantage.At the beginning of the reform and opening up of China's well -known historian Tang Yinbi, he had high hopes for China's possible social development model.He said: Western observers should not underestimate the possibility of underestimating: China may consciously consciously integrate the West more flexible and more intense vitality with its conservative and stable traditional culture into a furnace hellip; hellip; if China can be able toOpening a new path in the strategic choice of society and economy, then it also proves that it is capable of providing gifts that are needed by China and the world in the world.This gift should be a proper combination of modern western vitality and traditional Chinese stability.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics can lead the world's trend, not the speed or model of economic development, nor the progress of science and technology, nor is it the power of national defense forces, but the innovation of social life and social models;More satisfying people.
Therefore, there is no established model in social modernization and needs to be continuously explored and innovated.But it has several clear indicators: first, it can ensure the harmony and stability of social life, make each social member feel security, and can get the meaning of their own life from social relations and social activities; second, it can makeThe healthy growth of social public morality and personal morality has enabled positive energy to carry forward; third, it is necessary to have vitality, to give full play to the creativity of members of society and maximize cooperation opportunities.To achieve these goals, social modernization is achieved, no matter what the specific form is.There are not many superiority in Western countries in this regard.
The development of fine cultural traditions can provide the society with a stable psychological foundation and common code of conduct; modernization mainly refers to full vitality, creativity and response ability, and pursue the balance between the two.The Chinese Communist Party has also pursued this balance in the party's life: unity, tension, seriousness, and lively, which has caused a freedom, disciplined, both unified will, and a comfortable mood and lively.(Mao Zedong), but did not succeed, and seemed to be farther and farther away.The reason for this is worth investigating.
Leave enough space for society
The modernization of society must first leave the space for society to develop, neither the market can be eroded nor be squeezed by the government.The prerequisite for the healthy development of society is to ensure the basic rights of individuals, sufficient freedom and choice.Although it is necessary to have a difference in social and traditions in different cultural traditions, there will be differences in different cultural traditions, but without these, there is no creativity and vitality, and social modernization cannot be achieved.In this regard, the concept of western citizens and civic society cannot be copied, but it can be used for reference.
In Chinese cultural traditions, the relationship between the country and society is not the unity of the opposition in the West.China's ancient training, Qi family, governing the country, and a typical summary of Chinese -style citizenship and obligations.It pointed out that the fundamental way to build a harmonious society and the prosperity of the Taiping is to start with individuals, and then contribute to the family, the country, and the world.The three provinces of my day are worried and worried about the world's world, and the joy of the world and the world is often explained as a sign of the individual in the Confucian culture.First do a good job, with conscience, culture, and responsibility, and then benefit the family (basic cells of society), the good rule of the country, until the ideal of Datong World.
This is similar to the logic of Western civic society.The People's Republic of China is no longer the imperial power in the traditional sense, and the sovereignty in law is in the people; the patriotism is not necessarily loyal, and the self -cultivation Qi family is to be loyal, but the loyalty is not the emperor or the highest leader, but the country, the nation, the people, and even the whole humanity.EssenceThe imperial power of traditional China is only set to the county level; below the county is a social autonomy dominated by the gentry and family, which is not different from the civil society of Western autonomy self -discipline.
However, there are two differences in Chinese traditions. The first point is that individual rights are equal; the second is to go directly from home to the country, and the middle saves the civic society (the so -called country comes from here).Human rights and civil society are the products of the industrial revolution.There are no such feudal society in Europe; earlier ancient Greece and Roman civic society and democracy were built on the hard -sweat of slaves, and the modern one is not a concept.
The industrial revolution allowed society to flow in individuals; feudal social organizations, mainly family and lords, could not adapt, so they disintegrated.New social relations and organizations must be re -established between strangers to achieve social order and various cooperation.Citizen education in western schools is to provide consensus on morality and behavioral standards for this cooperation.Therefore, human rights, civil society and democracy are all modern products.
In this sense, China cannot simply exclude civic society, human rights or democracy.The pursuit of China's economic development is about to end, and the vitality and innovation capabilities of society will be important, and this is always a shortcoming of China.Even for the goal of nationalism, China should have made achievements in social modernization.In the West, developed civic society and human rights protected by law are mainly regarded as checks and balances of capital and state power, but this is obviously not the Chinese way of thinking.
Chinese culture pursues harmony, not confrontation.Moreover, social development should be the purpose rather than the means; political and economic should serve it, rather than reverse.From this perspective, Hu Jintao proposed to build a harmonious socialist society.
The author is a senior researcher at the East Asia Research Institute of Singapore
Socialism with Chinese characteristics can lead the world's trend, not the speed or model of economic development, nor the progress of science and technology, nor is it the power of national defense forces, but the innovation of social life and social models;More satisfying people.
