Abstract:     During the three stages of “follower, forerunner, and pacesetter”, China has successfully constructed an evolutionary path for its national innovation system, which has been progressing from a loosely connected “industry-university-research” model under government guidance to a tightly integrated “government-industry-university-research” model, and further to a synergistic and coordinated “government-industry-university-research-finance-intermediary-user” system. This evolution has established the institutional foundation arrangement for China′s unique approach to modernization. This research comprehensively reviewed the practical evolution and theoretical framework of China′s national innovation system, elucidated the fundamental characteristics and realization pathways of Chinese innovation from the theoretical perspective of beyond catch-up, which include government guidance, diversified collaboration, and adaptive inclusiveness. It expanded the situational interpretation and applicability boundaries of technology catch-up theory, analyzed the strategic necessity for developing a national innovation system in latecomer countries from four aspects: innovation environment, innovation actors, innovation resources, and innovation institutions, and provided some targeted recommendations. In the context of the disruptive reconfiguration of global resources due to acceleration of the new technological revolution, China urgently needs to deepen its understanding of the development laws of the national innovation system, establish a new type of national innovation system that aligns with its unique national conditions and the demands of its current stage, and construct a long-term institutional arrangement for high-quality development in the new era.

Key words: Chinese path to modernization, national innovation system, beyond catch-up, latecomer country, shift of paradigm