Photo: Xinhua

China will not export its model of development or require other nations to emulate its practices, and efforts made by each country to independently explore its own path to modernization should be respected, a senior official said on Monday.

Sun Yeli, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told a news conference in Beijing that China will not import the model of development from other nations and will resolutely oppose other nations imposing their models on the nation.

He explained that the Chinese path to modernization, a central task for the Party laid out by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his report to the 20th CPC National Congress, has provided a new choice for the global community in achieving modernization.

Sun said that it is a proposal for the diversity of humankind and it seeks exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations and countries.

"If the global community is willing to learn about or emulate China's experience and practices, we will open our heart and share in an objective manner. Meanwhile, we will also sincerely learn about, research and borrow experiences from other nations."

Sun added that there is no model of modernization that would fit all circumstances or overarching standards on modernization.

The Chinese path to modernization contains elements that are common to the modernization process of all countries, but "it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context", he said.

China, with its mammoth population of 1.4 billion, faces restrictions related to its resources and environment during its modernization process, which means that the nation cannot blindly copy the model of modernization from other nations, he said.

"The modernization of such a huge population could be unprecedentedly difficult and complex. Its significance and implications will also be unprecedented, and modernization on such a scale will make a huge contribution to human society," he added.

China will hold high the banners of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes in its modernization process, which is determined by the Chinese system and culture, Sun said.

"Pursuing a path of peaceful development fits into the fundamental interests of China, and we will continue to follow this path going forward. We hope other nations will follow a path of peaceful development as well," Sun said.

He said China will remain unwavering in pursuing a path of green development to promote harmony between mankind and nature during the modernization process.