Lei Tang Op-ed

788 Words Time in Contemporary Politics

Inevitability: A Temporal Analysis of Chinese Modernity

On September 26, 2023, China published the report “A Global Community of Shared Future:

China’s Proposals and Actions”. Xi propounded this idea ten years ago. This white paper was

published by Chinese government to “introduce the theoretical base, practice and

development of a global community of shared future (2023)”. More importantly, it highlights

Party’s modernization experience, which brings a good life to both Chinese people and all

humanity. Domestically, the success of modernization is the key sources of party’s ruling

legitimacy. Internationally, Chinese unique experience in modernization is instrumentalized

to promote its global projects including Belts and Roads Initiative.

1. Different perceptions of Chinese modernity between China and the West

Centered on the inevitability of Chinese modernity, the West and China have a completely

different understanding of Chinese modernity. For the West, the inevitability is dominantly

regarded as the substitution of Western liberalism with Chinese socialism. For China,

however, inevitability is presented in fourfold: the inevitable globalized contexts, the

inevitable pursuits, the inevitable strength requirements, and the inevitable failure of

hegemonic politics.

For the West, such Chinese modernity is regarded as an ideological challenge of China,

replacing liberalism with socialism. Chinese modernity, based on Marxism’s envision of

“historical materialism”, aims that one-day socialism will inevitably replace capitalism, as a

stage of developments. Fundamentally, it also reveals a modernity contention between China

and the West: a socialist path vs. a liberalist path. Such division could be too rigid to capture

the complicities of both sides, like China’s state capitalism or Western big government. It,

nevertheless, highlights a temporal concern of inevitability of Chinese socialism’s

substitution when the West thinks of China’s modernization.

Although China previously has conducted a capitalistic mode for development, based on

historical materialism, its perceptions of modernity resemble “the continually renewed

critical dissolution of any conceptual or empirical crystallization” (Blumenberg 1985).

Capitalism, as a tool for development, could be easily abandoned for the next level of

development, socialism. Therefore, China and the West may be different in the path of

modernity, but similar to the temporality of modernity: “a desire to wipe out whatever came

earlier, in the hope of reaching at last a point that could be called a true present, a point of

origin that marks a new departure” (Man 1983).

Compared with the West, China, however, comprehends its Chinese modernity very

differently. For inevitability, Chinese modernity firstly highlights the globalization process,

which is both salient in progresses and obstacles. Inevitably, the establishment of global

village makes people share the enjoyment of developments and the bitterness of conflicts.

Secondly, Chinese modernity emphasizes how it is inevitable that people would pursue the

common goals of peace and development, equity and justice, and democracy and freedom. In

particular, these goals represent a historical trends that is unstoppable. Thirdly, the pursuing

of these goals, however, relies on national strength. Particularly taking the history of China

being invaded and colonized into considerations, China believes that weak countries are hard

to leverage on diplomacy for their national interests. Lastly, China also thinks hegemonic

politics no longer works. In particular, modifying other countries based on Western universal

is doomed to fail.

Lei Tang Op-ed

788 Words Time in Contemporary Politics

2. Internal temporal contradiction of Chinese modernity on inevitability

Although China and the West differ in understanding Chinese modernity, yet we see a sharp

temporal contradiction within Chinese modernity. On the one hand, historical materialism

requires for the inevitable socialism’s substitutions of capitalism. On the other hand, Chinese

modernity, however, requests for the inevitable adjustment of “universal values”, which shall

respect the common interests and individual difference of each countries. In their essence,

historical materialism highlights exclusivity while Chinese modernity underlines inclusivity.

While Buzan and Lawson highlighted that “modernnity doesn’t equal to westernization and

liberalism”, the temporal concern of inevitability is not discussed (2020). These questions of

temporality, however, situates at the heart of the debate regarding the legitimacy or

illegitimacy of the “modern age” (Palti 1997). Therefore, inevitability of socialism’s

substitution to liberalism are not only temporal concerns of the West on China’s

modernization, but also issues that China itself need to address for its legitimacy of

modernization.

The fusions of inevitability in ideology homogenity and heterogenity further complicates the

justification process. Xi has stated that China should stick to its socialism path without any

hesitation, as it is fundamental reason why China could prosper. Meanwhile, Xi has also

emphasized that it is important to understand the different values of each cultures, instead of

imposing one single ideology forcibly and conducting ideology confrontation.

In conclusion, regardless of the perception differences in Chinese modernity, the internal

temporal contradiction of inevitability in Chinese modernity requires further justifications of

China on its modernization, which is complicated by the fusions of idelogy homogenity and

heterogenity.

Works Cited

Blumenberg, Hans. 1985. The Legitimacy of the Modern Age. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Buzan, Barry, and George Lawson. 2020. "China Through the Lens of Modernity." The

Chinese Journal of International Politics 187–217.

Man, Paul de. 1983. "Literary History and Literary Modernity." In Blindness and Insight:

Essays in the Rhetoric of Literary Criticism, by Paul de Man, 144-145. Minneapolis:

Routledge.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 2023. Full Text: A Global

Community of Shared Future: China's Proposals and Actions. September 26.

Accessed December 21, 2023.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx_662805/202309/t20230926_11150122.html.

Palti, Elías José. 1997. "Time, Modernity and Time Irreversibility." Philosophy & Social

Criticism 27-62.