Deng Xiaoping's Exploration of China's Modernization Road

In the great practice of leading China's reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Deng Xiaoping made a series of important expositions on the nature and direction of Chinese-style modernization. it has laid a solid foundation for our party to successfully promote and expand Chinese-style modernization since the 18th CPC National Congress.
　　"The four modernizations we are engaged in are the four modernizations of socialism"
In October 1978, Deng Xiaoping visited Japan. When he saw that the per capita annual output of Japanese automobile factories was more than 90 times that of China's most advanced automobile factories, he was lost in deep thought. After returning from the visit, he said with emotion: "I know what modernization is!" After that, he put forward a topic that attracted the world's attention-Chinese-style modernization. He said: We have opened a big mouth and realized the four modernizations by the end of this century. Later, I changed my mind to call it Chinese-style modernization, which is to lower the standard. He also explained to the Japanese guests that our four modern concepts are not modern concepts like yours, but "well-off homes". On this basis, he further elaborated on the direction of Chinese-style modernization.
Adhering to the socialist nature and direction of modernization is a basic principle that must be adhered to in promoting China's modernization. Only by adhering to the nature and direction of socialism can we reflect the institutional advantages of my country's modernization and highlight the Chinese characteristics of my country's modernization. For this reason, Deng Xiaoping repeatedly emphasized that the modernization we are engaged in is the modernization of socialism. On March 25, 1985, when he met with American journalists, he pointed out: "Since we formulated our strategic goals, we have called our construction the four modernizations of socialism. We often talk about the four modernizations, and we tend to ignore the main word: socialism." On August 28 of the same year, Deng Xiaoping pointed out when meeting with the Chairman of the Zimbabwe African National Union and Prime Minister Mugabe: "We want to realize the modernization of industry, agriculture, national defense, and science and technology, but there are four words before the four modernizations., Called the'Four Modernizations of Socialism '." On April 7, 1990, in a conversation with Xie Guomin, chairman of Thailand's Zhengda Group, he pointed out more clearly: "The four modernizations we are engaged in are the four modernizations of socialism." These talks clarified the socialist nature of Chinese-style modernization and ensured the correct political direction of Chinese-style modernization.
　　"Adhere to the path of common prosperity"
Common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and adhering to the road of common prosperity is an important feature of socialist modernization. Only by adhering to common prosperity can the achievements of modernization benefit all the people and avoid polarization; can we correctly handle the interest relations among all social strata and groups and maintain social harmony and stability; can we ensure the socialist nature of China's modernization and embody the socialist essence. Deng Xiaoping had many expositions on this. On March 7, 1985, Deng Xiaoping pointed out in his speech at the National Science and Technology Work Conference: To carry out the four modernizations of socialism, "All the policies we have adopted in opening up, invigorating, and reforming are aimed at developing the socialist economy. We allow the development of individual economies, as well as Sino-foreign joint ventures and foreign-owned enterprises, but we always take socialist public ownership as the mainstay. The aim of socialism is to make the people of the whole country prosper together, not to polarize them". On September 10 of the same year, when meeting with Gibney, vice chairman of the editorial board of the Encyclopedia Britannica, Deng Xiaoping further stressed: "We adhere to socialism, we are engaged in real socialism, socialist modernization. We follow two most important principles: first, the public sector of the economy always dominates; second, we adhere to the path of common prosperity." These talks emphasized the importance of adhering to the path of common prosperity to ensure the nature of modern socialism and provided important guidance for my country's modernization.
　　"The construction of spiritual civilization is an important guarantee for the realization of the four modernizations"
Material abundance and spiritual richness are the fundamental requirements of socialist modernization. Material poverty is not socialism, and spiritual poverty is not socialism. In the process of leading and promoting socialist modernization, Deng Xiaoping always attached great importance to the importance of spiritual civilization construction in promoting China's socialist modernization, and made a series of important expositions on strengthening the construction of spiritual civilization. On 25 February 1982, during a meeting with Moroccan Prime Minister Bouabid, he stated: "We must promote spiritual civilization, in which we have our own traditions, and we must educate our future generations to have ideals, morality, courtesy, discipline and hard work. Everyone in our country, including the dolls, must have a spirit of patriotism and national self-esteem, which is closely linked to the realization of the four modernizations." On August 10 of the same year, when Deng Xiaoping met with Chinese-American scientists Deng Changli, Chen Shubai and others, Deng Xiaoping said: "The construction of spiritual civilization is an important guarantee for the realization of the four modernizations. Why the question? It is correct to open up to the outside world and invigorate the country internally, but it also brings new problems. Decadent things in the world and old things in China have reappeared and have already appeared. There is no ideal, no spirit of hard struggle, mental outlook can directly affect the material." These talks emphasized the importance of spiritual civilization to my country's socialist modernization, and laid a theoretical foundation for correctly understanding the close connection between spiritual civilization and our modernization, and actively playing the role of spiritual civilization as a political guarantee for my country's modernization.
　　“Realize the four, never seek hegemony"
Peace is the condition for development, and development is the guarantee of peace. In the process of leading and promoting China's socialist modernization, Deng Xiaoping has always adhered to the road of peaceful development and paid attention to adding strength to international peace with his own development. He has much to say about this. On May 7, 1978, Deng Xiaoping said in a meeting with Malagasy guests: "We are still very poor, in the proletarian internationalist obligations, it is impossible to do much, the contribution is still very small. By the realization of the four modernizations, the development of the national economy, we may contribute a little more to mankind, especially to the Third World. As a socialist country, China will always belong to the Third World and will never be able to dominate." On October 25 of the same year, he reiterated at a press conference held by the Japanese Press Club in Tokyo: "China will never seek hegemony, and will not seek hegemony now. In the future, it will realize the four modernizations and become a powerful socialist country, and it will never seek hegemony." These talks demonstrated China's firm will and determination to follow the path of peaceful development and created a good international environment for my country's socialist modernization.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are our basic norms for handling international relations and have won widespread praise from the international community. In the historical process of leading reform, opening up, and modernization, Deng Xiaoping kept this basic principle in mind, always adhered to the path of peaceful development, firmly stood on the right side of history, stood on the side of the progress of human civilization, and firmly maintained world peace and development. Seek self-development, and better safeguard world peace and development with self-development. "Realizing the four modernizations and never seeking hegemony" is not only a solemn oath to adhere to the path of peaceful development, but also provides direction and follow for my country's modernization.
To sum up, Deng Xiaoping put forward a series of important expositions on the nature and direction of China's modernization, which had a far-reaching impact on the continued exploration and promotion of Chinese-style modernization under the leadership of our party. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continuously made innovative breakthroughs in theory and practice on the basis of long-term exploration and practice since the founding of New China, especially since the reform and opening up, and has successfully promoted and expanded Chinese style modernization. On the new journey, we must continue to adhere to Chinese-style modernization, the correct path of building a powerful country and national rejuvenation, so that it can further deepen our understanding, improve our strategy, and enrich our practice, and strive to write a new chapter in building a modern socialist country in an all-round way.

Source: Learning Times