General Preface

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “The road of China’s development is the socialist road with Chinese characteristics. We are taking this road as it is the choice of history and the people.”

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China more than 70 years ago, and especially through the 40-plus years of reform and opening up, Chinese people have made remarkable achievements along this road. China has become the second largest economy in the world. With steadily rising standards of living for its 1.4 billion people, China has created a world miracle in poverty reduction. This has brought about a leap forward whereby the Chinese people have gone from regaining dignity to becoming prosperous and strong.

A look back upon the past is for a better start. The “Modern China’s Ingenuity” series aims to comprehensively reflect China’s achievements in various fields, especially the historic changes and great achievements of the Party and the state since the 18th CPC National Congress; to profoundly interpret the struggle of the Party and the people since the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the inherent logic of China’s historic transformation; and to tell the stories of the CPC, stories about New China, and stories about socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

With a network of roads and railways, dams standing high, west-east gas pipelines, south-to-north water diversion, Shenzhou spacecraft, Chang’e landing on the moon, Jiaolong diving deep into the sea, and high-speed railways running across the country, all these impressive projects and products from China as the world’s largest manufacturer have given us tremendous confidence.

All Chinese people enjoy the rights to education, employment, medical care, old-age care, housing, and aid; and China has made remarkable achievements in advancing both material and spiritual civilizations. All these demonstrate the strength of China.

Special economic zones, coastal open cities, pilot free trade zones, ethnic minority areas, featured tourism cities, and colorful Chinese provinces and cities have unleashed the vitality of China.

The achievements of the megaprojects and the industries, and the development of the provinces and cities witness the difficulties and hardships of the Chinese people and the efforts they have made along the Chinese road, and that China becomes what it is today thanks to the efforts of all Chinese people.

Looking ahead is to find the way forward. The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era, the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC at the intersection of two “centenary” periods strive to build China into a strong, prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist country. It is hoped that this set of books will, in addition to witnessing China’s brilliant achievements, stand in a new historical position to illuminate the way forward.

Du Zhanyuan

President of China International Publishing Group

December 2020