From October 1 to 7, Chinese people enjoyed a week-long holiday and celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Over these 75 years, the journey of Chinese modernization has profoundly transformed China and influenced the world, the Global Times reports.
The practices of Chinese modernization teaches us that development is the key to solving all problems. China's total economic output has risen from CNY53.9 trillion in 2012 to more than CNY126 trillion in 2023, with the overall scale of manufacturing remaining the largest in the world for 14 consecutive years. This reflects not only a leap in “quantity” but also an improvement in “quality.” China is charting a path of higher quality, increased efficiency, and more equitable, sustainable, and safer development. The automotive industry is universally acknowledged as one of the most important indicators of a country's manufacturing strength. At its founding, China was unable to produce one single car. By 2023, China's automobile production and sales both exceeded 30 million units, making the country the world's largest automobile producer and consumer for 15 years running, and it has also become the largest automobile exporter globally. In the first eight months of 2024, the production and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China rose by 29% and 30.9% year-on-year, respectively.
Chinese modernization is the only correct path for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. The starting point and ultimate aim of Chinese modernization is to empower over 1.4 billion Chinese people to achieve improved living standards. The key to Chinese modernization is the modernization of science and technology. China is now able to construct aircraft carriers, large LNG transport vessels and large cruise ships, achieving the “three jewels” of the shipbuilding industry. The Chang'e lunar exploration missions, the Tianhe core module of China's space station, the Tianwen Mars mission, the Crust 1 deep-earth exploration, the Fendouzhe manned submersible, establishing leadership in 5G communication, thinner steel, larger screens, better chips, and advanced CNC machine tools, these are all vivid examples. Emerging sectors like integrated circuits and artificial intelligence (AI) are experiencing rapid growth, domestically developed large passenger jets have commenced commercial flights, and high-speed rail technology has established international standards, while commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy are developing.
Dr Sun Yat-sen outlined the first blueprint for China's modernization in his “International Development of China” program, which mentioned the construction of 1.6 million kilometers of roads, about 160,000 kilometers of railways, and three world-class seaports. Today, roads are crisscrossing the country, high-speed trains are running, and China's railway operating mileage has exceeded 160,000 kilometers, with seven of the world's top 10 ports located in China. In December 2015, Guomang village in the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai province and two other locations with a total population of 39,800 people were the last in the country to receive access to electricity. The level of modernization in China has therefore greatly surpassed expectations.
From 1979 to 2023, China's economic growth averaged 8.9% annually, far exceeding the average global economic growth of 3% during the same period. China's average annual contribution to world economic growth was 24.8%, ranking first in the world, according to a report by China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In 1952, China's GDP was only USD30 billion. In 1978, China's GDP increased to USD149.5 billion, accounting for 1.7% of the world economy. Since the reform and opening up, China's economic aggregate has continued to expand. In 2023, China's GDP reached USD17.8 trillion, accounting for 16.9% of the world's total and solidifying its position as the world's second-largest economy. In 1985, the number of invention patent applications in China reached 8,558. This number had soared to 526,000 by 2011, making China the world leader in this area. As of the end of 2022, China's number of accepted applications for invention patents reached 1.619 million, firmly securing its position as the world leader.
In 1950, China's foreign trade of goods was only USD1.1 billion, accounting for 0.9% of the world's total. In 2013, China became the world's largest goods trading nation. By 2023, China's total goods trade had reached USD5.9 trillion, accounting for 12.4% of the global share, and has consistently ranked first in the world for seven consecutive years. The service trade has also undergone tremendous expansions. At the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, China's service trade was almost zero. In 2023, the country's total service trade import and export volume reached USD933.1 billion, ranking fourth in the world.
China has proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) to support the development and revitalization of countries in the Global South. By the end of 2023, China's direct investment in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) had exceeded USD300 billion. Chinese companies have built the first ultra-high voltage direct current transmission line in the Americas, the first electrified railway, the first digital mine, and numerous infrastructure and livelihood projects in Africa, making an indelible contribution to global infrastructure construction.
Seventy-five years ago, when this ancient nation in the East opened a new chapter in its history, the world was just beginning to recover from the devastation of two wars. From a struggling agricultural country, China has evolved into the world's second-largest economy, the world's leading manufacturing power, the top trader of goods, and the holder of the largest foreign exchange reserves. For 12 consecutive years, China's outbound direct investment (ODI) in foreign countries has ranked among the top three globally, holding over 10% of the global share for eight years. China's “new three items” – electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and solar cells – are facilitating the green and low-carbon transition all over the world, while its infrastructure projects span over 190 countries and regions.
Today, China engages in approximately CNY80 million worth of trade with the world every minute, invests approximately CNY112 million abroad every hour, and attracts about CNY3.377 billion in foreign investment daily. The development of China is intricately linked with global progress, achieving mutual success, and driving the world toward greater progress and prosperity. The Chinese nation has made a significant leap, progressing from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong.
China is ‘ahead of schedule’ in achieving the UN 2030 sustainable development goals, while global progress remains limited, according to a report by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS). China’s sprawling public transport network now serves 90% of the country’s urban population. Major coastal and central Chinese cities offer “convenient” public transport access to nearly two times more of their populations than other global hubs, including New York. Only one in two urban residents globally has convenient access to public transport, according to UN statistics.
Lifting nearly 100 million rural poor out of absolute poverty has made a significant contribution to global poverty reduction; and contributing about 30% of global economic growth for many years has vigorously advanced the global development cause; continuously hosting the CIIE, CIFTIS, and CICPE has constantly offered new opportunities for the world with China's new development.
The 75-year journey through challenges has underscored the invaluable role China plays in global peace, development and progress. The modernization China has promoted, which embodies justice, openness, mutual benefit, people-first policies, diversity, inclusiveness, eco-friendliness, and peace and security, will only become more significant and valuable to the world as time progresses. While the journey ahead remains challenging, the future is promising, the Global Times concludes.
