Skyscrapers border a lush green landscape in Shenzhen's central business district. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Chinese-style modernization not only concerns the country's own development but also brings new opportunities for global cooperation, Chinese and Japanese politicians and experts said at a seminar in Osaka, Japan, on Wednesday.
Xue Jian, Chinese consul general in Osaka, said China's modernization is deeply interconnected with other countries.
As China continues to develop, its path forward will become broader, creating new opportunities for global development and contributing positively to world peace, he said.
Xue expressed his hope that Japan will join China on the journey toward modernization, encouraging Tokyo to approach Beijing's progress in the spirit of seeking common ground while respecting differences.
Gao Anming, editor-in-chief of China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, emphasized the importance of fostering a greater understanding of Chinese-style modernization across various sectors in Japan.
Last month, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies conducted an online survey of the Japanese public to understand their views on "Chinese-style modernization". A total of 1,005 responses were collected.
Among those polled, more than 60 percent agreed "developing Chinese-style modernization requires inheriting traditional Chinese culture and values, achieving an organic integration of cultural traditions with modern civilization", said Fan Daqi, vice-president of the academy.
In a statement, former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama said China's current situation differs from Japan's after the collapse of the latter's bubble economy and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.
"I firmly believe that Japan and the United States should avoid falling into the trap of value-based diplomacy and should not abandon their policy of engagement with China. At the same time, Japan should take on a strategic role as a bridge between China and the US," Hatoyama said.
Hidetoshi Tashiro, chief economist at Japan's Infinity LLC, said the digital sector is the driving force behind China's economy. The rise of this vast digital ecosystem, unlike anything the world has seen before, is now propelling China's economic growth. This growth is fueled by semiconductor design and the development of applications, Tashiro said.
China already commands a large share of the global market in many sectors. In industries such as electric vehicles and solar panels, as digitalization continues to expand globally, the demand for products and services that enable this transformation will increase, Tashiro said, adding that China's economy will enter a new phase of growth.
Yangchoon Kwak, a professor of the College of Economics at Rikkyo University in Japan, said the primary driver of China's future economic growth will be green industries.
China's development goals go beyond mere quantitative growth, aiming to foster industries that contribute to global peace and prosperity, he said.
"As a leading country, China can reap even greater benefits by concentrating on green industries, tourism, culture and arts. By further enhancing these sectors, I believe China is well-positioned to lead the global economy in the 21st century."
Regarding claims that China is going to experience an economic slowdown, Kwak said there is an opportunity to avoid prolonged stagnation that Japan faced by focusing on emerging industries.
This, he suggested, could allow China to navigate what is perceived as global recession.
Noriyuki Kawamura, an emeritus professor at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, highlighted two essential factors for China achieving high-quality development.
The first is the pursuit of innovation, particularly through advancing cutting-edge technologies. This includes further progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and information technology.
The second crucial factor is the continued expansion of economic and trade openness.
