--Wu Xiaoming, Director of the Institute of Marxism Studies, Fudan University

Abstract

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, specifically since the beginning of the Reform and Opening-up Program, China has achieved a remarkable progress in development that has been witnessed by the world. With the fast growth of the national economy and the increase of national strength, the world is now waiting to witness the consequence of all such developments in China as it concerns global politics and economics. This essay will focus on the following:

(1) The path of development China is taking is peaceful in nature, although this doctrine of peace has its root in traditional Chinese culture, it has also been reshaped in the modern era;

(2) This path will have to be enriched by China itself, rather following the basic framework and systems of modern capitalist societies. It must provide for the possibility of the rejuvenation and recreation of China's peace doctrine in face of on going modern military and social conflicts;

(3) The peaceful development of China has major significance for world history. That is, China will never seek a development trend defined by a hegemonic expansionist policy.

Chapter I

Looking at the basic realities of international politics, the greatest doubt and a firm belief is the fact that, with the fast growth of the Chinese national economy and significant improvement in national strength, the development of China will inevitably lead to imperialism and hegemonism (firstly regional hegemonism). This idea seems popular because it complies with theoretical and practical models of modern politics. Some have even traced China's possibility of becoming hegemonic through the culture, history, tradition and self-image of China itself.

However, in terms of "history, culture and tradition", during the two thousand years when "China used to be the great power in East Asia" as claimed by Samuel P. Huntington, the basic principles of Chinese civilization have never included hegemony, but rather the opposite--peaceful coexistence.

Chapter II

Although China's path of peaceful development is closely associated with its traditional culture, its content has gone beyond the confines of its inherent diplomacy and peacefulness.

The first point that needs to be made clear is that China is unique and completely different from the West. China is proposing and implementing its path to modernization according to its own national conditions, culture and traditions. Therefore, we should not disregard this reality when talking about China's development path.

The second point that needs to be made plain is that clear distinctions must be drawn between modernization and westernization, and between modern capitalism and socialism in regards to China's development path. In realistic terms, China's modernization is not (and never will be) westernization. It socialist path is not (and never will be) one of capitalism. The peaceful nature of the development path of China has been built on such distinctions.

The third point is actually the summarization of those points mentioned above. The aforesaid points will determine the cultural context of the development path, and to what extent the development path will continue in its peaceful procession.

Chapter III

The opposite of peace is war; the opposite of peaceful diplomacy is hegemony: It is constantly causing conflict and war and redefining the root cause for such conflicts. The key here lies in the understanding of the root cause in the current age, because even conflicts rooted deep in history are always redefined in the modern era.

Therefore we can understand that the path of peaceful development not only has a modern meaning, but also a "meaning for world history"; this historical significance is not rooted in the past or tradition, but in the peaceful nature of China's development path. Only on this path will China reinvigorate its peaceful traditions. This has not been accomplished yet, but is currently underway and is ultimately inevitable. The development path of China has abandoned the development models of modern capitalist societies; China will not seek hegemonism through expansion, thus giving hope to mankind and the future of our world.

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