The Other Socialist State: People’s Republic of China The China of Mao Zidong and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

“Never Forget National Humiliation” Wall, Old Summer Palace, Beijing, P.R.China

Context of the CCP Revolution Marxism: Revolutions to overthrow Capitalism will happen in advanced industrial countries  PROBLEM: Neither Russia nor China Industrialized; primarily agricultural countries  Solution: Vanguard party seize power, crush dissent and build modern industrial state  Political order will be authoritarian dictatorships

Context of the CCP Revolution  1920s-1937, : Civil War  Communist and Nationalist struggle for power: Inside: both want to unite China  GMD: change from above  CCP: union of peasants, workers, soldiers -- revolution from below Outside: End unequal treaties, foreign exploitation  Nationalize  Communists want to close China to Western capitalism

Appeal of Marxism-Leninism Explains West’s technological-industrial lead; better weapons Lenin’s Theory of imperialism as highest stage of capitalism explains colonialism  Export contradictions of capitalism to Africa, Asia  China: Treaty Ports, foreign exploitation

Communists win Civil War, establish PRC Goals  Self-sufficiency  Development … but economic equality  Self-defense

GREAT LEAPS Building Socialism in the PRC  People’s Republic of China   Liberation from Feudalism and Semicolonialism  Ends 5 millennia of aristocratic-landlord exploitation and a “Century of Humiliation”

Like USSR, Visual Culture used to remold minds with images

Within China: Build Socialism In the countryside --- In the City

Outside: Friendship with Oppressed Peoples & Socialist Countries

Anti-Imperialism

Women Hold Up Half the Sky

Soviet Model of Development: Central planning of the economy State ownership of enterprises. Workers were state employees. Planned production targets and supply of inputs. Managers were administrators of state property and enforcers of the output plans. INITIAL PHASE:

Goal of model – rapid industrialization, self- sufficiency Extract surplus from agriculture to finance industrial development –  Rationalize process through centralized planning – 5 year plans – production targets

China’s Problems  Overwhelmingly rural, and backward (85%) -- tenancy, share-cropping common  Huge population: 400+ million 1950  Peasants backbone of revolution; different than Russia where peasants seen as obstacle to progress  Land reform -- get agriculture moving

More problems  Industrial sector less than half Russia in 1917 with 4 times the population  Industry located in former treaty ports, not linked to internal development (cheap labor, products for foreign consumption)

China’s First 5-year plan Emphasis on industry steel, machinery, railroads, electricity plants, metallurgy, chemicals Embrace rational planning – experts, bureaucrats lead

Results: rapid industrial development, but … Growth of bureaucracy New patterns of social inequality, privileged elites Growing gulf between modernizing cities and backward countryside Ideological decay, loss of revolutionary fervor

Mao’s Intervention Not building a Socialist utopia of equal prosperity for all Instead uneven development inequalities common in capitalism Making new classes

Mao’s Theory of Economic Development Past economic stagnation led to mental stagnation To Make Socialist Person -- Not sufficient to introduce new technologies or alter Mode of Production as had been done in USSR

From “Poor and Blank” to Permanent Revolution Present unburdened by Past Change a matter of human will to overcome objective obstacles extreme volunteerism, optimism “Our revolutions are like battles; after each victory, we must put forward a new task,” Mao 1958

Permanent Revolution Constant process of ideologically inspired mass activism Producing “Great Leaps” Forward and “Cultural Revolution”

Ideology and Politics in Command Central planning abandoned

Economic Development Maoist Vision: De-centralized System Close gap between urban-rural  Industrialize countryside  Xiafang: technicians, intellectuals, youth to the countryside  commune

To create a Socialist Utopia: Dazhai Commune

ORGANIZE POPULATION INTO PRODUCTION UNITS  TOTAL CARE -- HEALTH,  EDUCATION, WELFARE  INSPIRE WITH CONTUNOUS IDEOLOGICAL WORK

Great Leap Forward The Commune is Like a Mighty Dragon, Production is awe- inspiring

GLF Fails Ends in massive famine -- 3 lean years Struggle “Experts” vs. “Reds” Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution Failure of Ideologically based Mass Campaigns

Accomplishments of Maoist Era Technology and Technical expertise transferred to Countryside Infrastructure: education, electrification, roads, rural industry, health care gap between urban-rural narrowed

PROBLEMS:  POPULATION EXHAUSTED FROM POLTICAL CAMPAIGNS  INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL STAGNATION  Population triples (1.3 billion), 85% still in agriculture

Post-Mao Modernization Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

Strategies: Opening to Outside Joint enterprises  Phase 1: 10year ownership, profits remain in China  Phase 2: removal of % of profits; permanent joint ownership  Phase 3: full ownership, greater % of profit  Technology transfer

Foreign experts: colleges, universities, industries Education abroad Develop export based manufacturing, build on cheap labor Constant: tight control of currency -- no international exchange

Reform of Inside De-collectivize agriculture, markets De-regulation of economy  privatization of state assets  private enterprises  tourism

Political Change  Devolution: decentralization of power, local elections  legal reform  lingering problems of political rights/loss of economic rights

Successes Fastest growing national economy in world  8-10% annually since mid-1980s  Reconstruction of almost all major cities; huge infrastructure investment