Accelerate the construction of a discourse system for understanding Chinese-style modernization

In his congratulatory letter to the 2023 "Understanding China" International Conference (Guangzhou), General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "the key to understanding China is to understand Chinese-style modernization". Comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization is the mission and task of the Communist Party of China in the new era and new journey. How can the international community understand Chinese modernization? General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "It is necessary to accelerate the construction of Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative system, use Chinese theory to explain Chinese practice, use Chinese practice to sublimate Chinese theory, create new concepts, new categories and new expressions that integrate China and foreign countries, and more fully and distinctly show the Chinese story and the ideological and spiritual power behind it." "Let the world understand Chinese modernization and build a discourse system of Chinese modernization is the proper meaning of the question.

The construction of a Chinese-style modern discourse system has a theoretical foundation. To construct a discourse system of Chinese-style modernization, we first need the theoretical system of Chinese-style modernization as a support. The theoretical system of Chinese-style modernization is the scientific understanding of the nature and laws of Chinese-style modernization by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, and the discourse system of Chinese-style modernization is the language carrier and scientific expression. Only through the discourse system can the theoretical system express the cognition of the nature and laws of the research object, and the discourse system can only be convincing when it relies on the theoretical system.

Since General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed "Chinese-style modernization" at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, he has continuously enriched and improved its scientific and theoretical connotation. The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party in the Past Century adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China clearly stated: "The Party has led the people to successfully embark on the path of Chinese-style modernization, created a new form of human civilization, expanded the path for developing countries to modernize, and provided a new choice for those countries and nations in the world that wish to accelerate development while maintaining their independence." The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to "comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization". At present, the theoretical connotation of Chinese-style modernization has been very rich, including a series of contents such as the leading force, core theme, development path, fundamental value, overall goal, basic characteristics, strategic steps, basic line, overall task, strategic layout, fundamental driving force, foreign relations, strategic support, and ideological methods.

Letting the world understand Chinese modernization will help break through the long-term monopoly of the West on the theory and practice of modernization, and enhance China's international discourse. In order for the world to understand Chinese-style modernization, it is necessary to take the initiative to construct a Chinese-style modernization discourse system, and create new discourses to discuss and express it on the basis of theory.

Constructing a Chinese-style modern discourse system is conducive to improving the effectiveness of international communication. Influenced by "Western-centrism," the international community, especially the United States and the West, often have various misunderstandings about China's theory and practice. Especially at present, some people are accustomed to using Western concepts, categories, propositions, ideas, theories, and thinking to study and elaborate problems, and are accustomed to using Western discourse systems to explain China's practice, which will lead to problems such as unclear explanations and weak explanatory power, and on the contrary, will cause new misunderstandings and differences.

In order to help the international community understand China and Chinese modernization, it is necessary to build a discourse system of Chinese modernization, strive to create new concepts, new categories and new expressions that integrate China and foreign countries, construct the social development experience of Chinese modernization with world significance, fully summarize the nature and characteristics of modern Chinese social development in the world system, make it scientific, modern, popular and internationalized, and make it highlight Chinese characteristics, Chinese style and Chinese style, so as to improve the effectiveness of international communication. In turn, the international discourse will be enhanced. General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the "common values of all mankind" of "peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom", highlighting the need to reach consensus through dialogue with others on an equal footing on the basis of respect for others, and ultimately achieve the goal of universal benefit. This kind of equality and concrete universality has broken through the abstract "universal values" of the West that are forcibly accepted by others, broken the hegemony of Western discourse, occupied the commanding heights of morality and public opinion, and strengthened the mainland's international discourse power.

Accelerate the construction of a discourse system for understanding Chinese-style modernization. The discourse system of Chinese-style modernization is independently constructed by China on the basis of the theory and practice of Chinese-style modernization, so China should firmly grasp the initiative in the construction of its own discourse system for modernization.

Making good use of China's historical and cultural resources and considering Chinese-style modernization in the general process of human modernization shows that Chinese-style modernization has the general experience in the historical process of human modernization, and Chinese-style modernization is an important part of the process of human modernization, and at the same time, it is also unique because of China's unique history and culture. In modern times, the realization of modernization has been the common aspiration of different countries and nations. The development paths explored by different countries and nations to achieve modernization together constitute a magnificent chapter in the practice of human modernization. China is a country with a long history and culture and a tradition of Chinese civilization, and the Communist Party of China has a history of struggle for more than 100 years. Over the past 100 years, our party has led the people in unremitting exploration, blazed a Chinese-style path of modernization, and enriched and expanded their understanding of socialist modernization. The discourse system of Chinese-style modernization should conscientiously summarize the exploration methods, basic characteristics, exploration achievements, and lessons learned from different historical development stages in the century-long exploration, and refine and summarize the concepts and categories with identification.

Integrate China and foreign countries, and build a Chinese-style modern discourse system through exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations. The so-called integration of China and foreign countries means that in the process of defining the concept of "modernization" and carrying out discourse innovation, it is necessary to not only base on China's national conditions, but also connect with the world's cognition. Specifically, on the one hand, it is fully affirmed that "modernization" is the only way for modern countries to seek development and progress, a modern civilization formed by mankind in the historical process of replacing agricultural civilization with the industrial revolution, and the basic direction of the evolution of human social civilization. It includes the transformation from traditional economy to modern economy, traditional society to modern society, traditional politics to modern politics, and traditional civilization to modern civilization. On the other hand, it is fully discussed that in the process of China, which has a long historical and cultural tradition, is moving towards modernization, Chinese civilization and Western modern civilization are constantly colliding, adding new content to the standards and paths for realizing modernization, creating Chinese-style modernization and creating a new form of human civilization. The discourse system of Chinese-style modernization is to define the discourse of modernization in a Chinese-style connotation and way, including "Marxism in China and the Times", "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics", "Chinese-style Modernization", "Socialist Market Economy", "Whole-process People's Democracy", "Community with a Shared Future for Mankind", etc., so as to form "the common characteristics of the modernization of all countries, but also Chinese characteristics based on their own national conditions", that is, a modern discourse system with both Chinese characteristics and world significance.

Be good at using good words to tell profound truths. Theory is the core of discourse, and discourse is the presentation of theory. The characteristic of theory is reason, the characteristic of discourse is in words, words are the presentation of reason, and reason is the core of words. A good theory and a good truth must be expressed in good words, so that everyone can hear, understand, remember, and use.

Build a platform, tell stories, take the initiative to dialogue, and expand the international communication space of Chinese-style modernization. To understand Chinese modernization and build a discourse system for understanding Chinese modernization, it is necessary not only to adopt appropriate communication language, but also to adopt targeted communication methods to expand the international communication space of Chinese modernization. The "Understanding China" International Conference has set up such a platform. Relying on this platform, the rich connotation of Chinese-style modernization has been widely publicized through the discussion of actively setting up topics, and China has also conveyed to the world China's willingness to promote high-quality development through higher-level opening-up, bring new impetus and new opportunities to the world with China's new development, achieve common development and prosperity, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.