While development is a continuous journey, it's important to periodically reflect on the progress made. That is the essence of anniversaries: an ideal moment to contemplate the past and, more importantly, to look ahead.

Seventy-five years ago, the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) marked the end of a century of turmoil caused by both foreign invasions and domestic conflicts. The economy was in tatters, with poverty widespread and modernization nothing more than a distant dream. Today, China stands as an upper-middle-income nation, free from absolute poverty.

What truly matters isn't just the facts and figures, but the momentum behind the progress. The Chinese people have been on a quest to find a path that suits the national context. Lessons learned from the ups and downs in the PRC's first three decades helped pave the way for the introduction of the pivotal reform and opening-up policy in 1978. This policy, too, has evolved to keep up with changing circumstances.

President Xi Jinping has described this path of development as Chinese modernization. This ongoing modernization focuses on growth and prosperity for all. The transformation of once obscure towns like Shenzhen and Yiwu into international markets mirrors China's

economic rise. But the modernization drive goes beyond the economy to also include cultural and ethical progress, along with effective governance. A prime example is whole-process people's democracy, which integrates democratic elections, consultations, decision making, management and oversight through a comprehensive legal and institutional framework. This system offers an alternative to the Western model, where democracy is often equated with elections. Moreover, Chinese modernization underlines harmony between humanity and nature while promoting world peace through international cooperation.

The nation aims to become a fully modernized socialist state by the PRC's founding centenary in 2049. Given that China's population exceeds 1.4 billion, surpassing the combined population of the current developed world, China's modernization will effectively double the modernized global population.

But before this vision can be realized, China must overcome multiple challenges. For instance, the country continues to grapple with imbalances, and its urban-rural divide in particular. To address these issues, the Chinese Government prioritizes high-quality development driven by innovation, coordination, sustainability, openness and inclusiveness.