Cities and China’s Modernization Drive

Urbanization is an important manifestation and anchor of modernization. Cities are where industries, population, technology, and culture are concentrated. There would be no way to achieve modernization without advances in urbanization. Since the Opium War in 1840, China has followed a difficult and winding path of modernization. Reform and opening up initiated a new journey towards full socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics, characterized by coordinated economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological advancement. Shenzhen’s endeavors to achieve socialist modernization epitomize the outcomes of socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics since the beginning of reform and opening up.