在世界的東方，中國(guó)這個(gè)擁有13億多人口的文明古國(guó)，正在現(xiàn)代化道路上闊步前行。世界對(duì)中國(guó)的關(guān)注集中起來(lái)就是，中國(guó)選擇了一條什么樣的發(fā)展道路，中國(guó)的發(fā)展對(duì)世界意味著什么？

    中國(guó)多次向世界宣示，中國(guó)始終不渝走和平發(fā)展道路，在堅(jiān)持自己和平發(fā)展的同時(shí)，致力于維護(hù)世界和平，積極促進(jìn)各國(guó)共同發(fā)展繁榮。在進(jìn)入21世紀(jì)第二個(gè)十年和中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨成立90周年之際，中國(guó)再次向世界鄭重宣告，和平發(fā)展是中國(guó)實(shí)現(xiàn)現(xiàn)代化和富民強(qiáng)國(guó)、為世界文明進(jìn)步作出更大貢獻(xiàn)的戰(zhàn)略抉擇。中國(guó)將堅(jiān)定不移沿著和平發(fā)展道路走下去。

一、中國(guó)和平發(fā)展道路的開(kāi)辟

Situated in the East, China, a country with an ancient civilization and a population of over 1.3 billion, is making big strides in its advance toward modernization. What path of development has China chosen? What will China’s development bring to the rest of the world? These issues are the focus of the whole world.

China has declared to the rest of the world on many occasions that it takes a path of peaceful development and is committed to upholding world peace and promoting common development and prosperity for all countries. At the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century and on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China declared solemnly again to the world that peaceful development is a strategic choice made by China to realize modernization, make itself strong and prosperous, and make more contribution to the progress of human civilization. China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development.

I. The Path of China’s Peaceful Develop-ment: What It Is About

    在5000多年文明發(fā)展歷程中，中國(guó)各族人民以自己的勤勞智慧，創(chuàng)造了璀璨的中華文明，締造了統(tǒng)一的多民族國(guó)家。中華文明具有獨(dú)特的延續(xù)性、包容性、開(kāi)放性。在長(zhǎng)期對(duì)外交往中，中華民族努力學(xué)習(xí)借鑒其他民族的長(zhǎng)處，自強(qiáng)不息，為人類(lèi)文明進(jìn)步作出了重大貢獻(xiàn)。

    19世紀(jì)中葉，西方列強(qiáng)用炮艦打開(kāi)中國(guó)封閉的門(mén)戶，內(nèi)憂外患導(dǎo)致中國(guó)逐步成為半殖民地半封建社會(huì)，國(guó)家積貧積弱、戰(zhàn)亂不已，民不聊生。在民族存亡的危急關(guān)頭，無(wú)數(shù)仁人志士前仆后繼，苦苦追尋變革救亡之路。1911年的辛亥革命，結(jié)束了統(tǒng)治中國(guó)幾千年的君主專(zhuān)制制度，激勵(lì)中國(guó)人民為爭(zhēng)取民族獨(dú)立和國(guó)家富強(qiáng)而斗爭(zhēng)。然而，這些探索和斗爭(zhēng)都未能改變中國(guó)半殖民地半封建的社會(huì)性質(zhì)和中國(guó)人民的悲慘命運(yùn)。中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨肩負(fù)民族的期望，帶領(lǐng)中國(guó)人民進(jìn)行了艱苦卓絕的奮斗，于1949年建立了中華人民共和國(guó)，實(shí)現(xiàn)了民族獨(dú)立、人民解放，開(kāi)創(chuàng)了中國(guó)歷史新紀(jì)元。

Over the past 5,000 years, people of all ethnic groups in China, with diligence and wisdom, have created a splendid civilization and built a unified multi-ethnic country. The Chinese civilization has a unique feature of being enduring, inclusive and open. The Chinese nation has endeavored to learn from other nations and improved itself through centuries of interactions with the rest of the world, making major contribution to the progress of human civilization.

In the mid-19th century, Western powers forced open China’s door with gunboats. Internal turmoil and foreign aggression gradually turned China into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. The country became poor and weak, and the people suffered from wars and chaos. Facing imminent danger of national subjugation, one generation of patriots after another fought hard to find a way to reform and save the nation. The Revolution of 1911 put an end to the system of monarchy which had ruled China for several thousand years, and inspired the Chinese people to struggle for independence and prosperity. However, such efforts and struggle failed to change the nature of China as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, or lift the Chinese people out of misery. Living up to the people’s expectation, the CPC led them in carrying out arduous struggle, and finally founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949. This marked the realization of China’s independence and liberation of its people and ushered in a new epoch in China’s history.