Abstract
Since 1978, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has embarked on an ambitious programme known as the ‘Four Modernizations’ (ie the modernization of agriculture, industry, science and technology, and national defence). The government's avowed goal is to bring China abreast of the advanced industrialized powers of the world by the early 21st century, while at the same time building ‘socialist spiritual civilization’ and carrying out its modernization in a distinctly ‘Chinese way’. This article examines the place of Chinese culture in the modernizing process, and argues that the past will play a larger role in the PRC's future than the Chinese leadership would probably care to admit. Or, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of traditional Chinese culture have been greatly exaggerated.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
