Chinese modernization has emerged as a defining concept in China’s national discourse, especially emphasized in the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). To fully understand this concept, one must first examine the broader historical trajectory of modernization theory itself.

Modernization has long been viewed as an inevitable trend and a critical national task for all the cultures. As highlighted in Marxist theory, particularly in the Communist Manifesto, modernization is seen as a necessary path for any nation striving to survive and thrive in the modern era. Rooted in Western Europe, modernization initially took form during the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods and was characterized by industrialization by principle of capitalism.

Over time, with the rise of globalization, the Western model of modernization became the dominant and often unquestioned framework for progress. This viewpoint gained further traction with the publication of influential works like The End of History and the Last Man, which argued that Western liberal democracy, particularly in its American form, represented the ultimate model for societal development. Consequently, for a significant period, modernization and Westernization were regarded as synonymous.

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