At the end of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China’s ruling party committed to implementing socialist modernisation in line with its self-declared Second Centenary goal of “building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious”.
While the concept of modernisation, defined as a macro-process of social change and transformation away from the traditional towards the modern, originated in the West, China has appropriated it for its own development. However, the Chinese leadership did not just lift the concept of modernisation from the West and apply it to their country unchanged.
Adopting foreign concepts without adaptation led to catastrophic development outcomes in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia. As wary and astute students of history, China’s leaders insisted on modernisation with Chinese characteristics. This means modernising Chinese institutions and societies based on their own history, culture, values and national conditions.
What makes China’s modernisation quite peculiar is its enormous society of 1.4 billion people, a focus on common prosperity as social justice, the simultaneous advancement of the material, the cultural and moral life of the Chinese people, the centrality of sustainable development and an insistence on peaceful development. Socialism with Chinese characteristics, which is essentially adapted Marxism, will be the intellectual and ideological guide of China’s modernisation drive.
Thus, China’s modernisation will be fundamentally different from that of the West in many respects. Whereas Western modernisation was centred on individualism, that of China is underpinned by common prosperity. One of the central elements of the West’s modernity is cultural and ethical alienation with excessive materialism.
China’s modernisation promises to be balanced, focusing not only on material development but also on cultural and ethical advancement. The West’s model of modernisation could not have happened without war, plunder and conquest and the relentless destruction of nature.
In contrast, China’s modernisation has consistently emphasised peaceful development and, recently, Chinese leaders have incorporated sustainable development as one of the guiding principles of their modernisation journey. As such, both on paper and no less in practice, China has convincingly debunked the notion of the universality of Western modernity while advancing an organic and alternative version of modernity.
The content of China’s modernisation policy as articulated at the CPC Congress is progressive and developmentoriented. This involves the pursuit of high-quality development through building a high-standard socialist market economy at the core of which will be reformed and competitive stateowned enterprises.
The modernisation of the industrial system to be accomplished by incorporating digital technology, and enhancing rural development while ensuring that development is inclusive of all regions, are some of the policies that will be pursued under modernisation. Importantly, the Chinese leaders realise that modernisation will not be achieved if the country does not take full advantage of globalisation.
Hence, the modernisation process will be characterised by China’s opening up to more international trade and investment. China’s meteoric economic growth over the past four decades was made possible through embracing science and education and imparting scientific skills within its workforce.
The CPC is committed to laying emphasis on science in the education curriculum and to creating a conducive environment for technological innovation which will lead to the development of new products and services and production techniques that will make China even more competitive in the global economy.
Moreover, democracy and people’s participation in the making of decisions that affect their lives will be crucial elements in China’s modernisation process. Public consultation at the grass-roots level, building open institutions to foster public participation and forging patriotism and national unity and entrenching the rule of law and strengthening the justice system are essential elements of China’s modernisation recipe.
China’s 5000-year civilisation was built on culture and this will not change as China pursues contemporary modernisation. The CPC acknowledges the importance of developing and nurturing a uniquely Chinese culture that will be the foundation of a shared value system and national identity.
Without a shared culture, it will be difficult for the Chinese people to achieve a consensus on important national questions. China’s understanding and implementation of the modernisation process will have far-reaching implications on its approach to its relations with other states and regions across the world.
Already, China’s principles of peaceful development and common prosperity for all, which are key elements of its modernisation strategy, are reflected in its initiatives like the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI).
Through the GSI, China is taking responsibility for creating a stable and peaceful world in which its modernisation policy can thrive. China has declared that global security is indivisible, which is the reason why it has emphasised a global perspective rather than a national perspective on security matters. The GDI is based on the mantra of building a human community with a shared future which is consistent with the principle of common prosperity for all.
Through this initiative, China will seek to eliminate global poverty just as it has eliminated extreme poverty within its borders. All said, China’s modernisation drive will not be without its challenges. The country must confront growing inequality among its people, the scourge of corruption within the government ranks, a rapidly changing society and geopolitical tensions with major powers in the West like the US.
For South Africa and the rest of the African continent, China’s modernisation has proved that there are alternative models of modernisation. First, modernisation doesn’t mean Westernisation. Second, the post-Cold War IMF and world mantra of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme was never the only alternative for Africa, then and now. Third, no matter how attractive Chinese modernisation is to Africa, it should not be copied in its entirety.
Africa should find the most appropriate aspects of China’s modernisation drive and Western modernisation to build its unique modernisation suitable to its cultural norms and values. The most shameful characteristic of African elites in government, business and civil society is the belief in Western modernisation as a panacea for all of Africa’s ills.
While it is important to send our students and staff for training in China and Western countries, it remains absolutely critical to ensure that we do not mimic these modernisation models. Africa must have its own modernisation with African characteristics.
* Monyane’s article was published first by The African (theafrican.co.za)
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.