Post-Tiananmen contradictions Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

“Asian” model Market economics Stability Authoritarian one-party rule

The Chinese model Encourage business Stifle political initiative “socialist market economy” –Corporatism –Market replaces plan –Business publicly owned –Developing private sector

Contradictions State vs. private sector Officials vs. masses (rulers vs. ruled) City vs. countryside Floating population vs. urban middle class Rich vs. poor Taiwan: independence vs. reunification

Legitimacy Still “Communist” Party; still rhetorical continuity with liberatory project of the revolution Shunkouliu (slippery jingles) as form of folk satire, de-legitimization (Link and Zhou: 108)

Migration Household registration loosened Floating population: 100 million Urbanization: –Approx. 40% urban now –Urban social problems: Beggars Crime Prostitution

Migrant labor Gao village

Gao village migration: causes Pricing policy, local levies  economic distress Population growth  surplus labor Ecological pressure 30% migrated by 1995

Gao village migration: effects Peasant economy (“self-sufficiency”) eroding (commodification) “virtually all the young people…have gone.” Exploitation and mistreatment in the city But wages sent home help the village

Gao on the new market economy Township enterprises really established during commune era “local state corporatism (p ; see also Potter & Potter) Uneven development coastal areas first “pull” factor for migration

Traditional culture in the modernization period

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Religion Some religious practices okay again; Confucianism encouraged (Meisner: 526) Ancestor worship also okay again, but migrant youth losing interest

Nationalism as civic religion (Yang Guobin) Meisner sees “Chinese characteristics” as nationalism replacing socialism as emphasis; Deng: “The purpose of socialism is to make the country rich and strong.” (525) Yang Guobin sees political movements as replacement of ideologies (religion) with nationalistic “civic religion”: –Decline of Confucianism > May 4 movement –Dissatisfaction with CCP, modernization > Tiananmen

A quasi-religious movement: the Mao Craze of the ’90s Among students –Spread from Beijing after Tiananmen, spread to “tertiary” universities –Both pro- and anti- Mao factions Folk-religion aspect –Mao Zedong like Zhao Gong (Kitchen God) –Buttons, statues like St. Christopher medals –

Religion-based movements: Falun Gong

Religion-based movements: Falun Gong Beliefs: –Buddhism: wheel of life, suffering, self-cultivation –New age Science fiction but anti-science Evil forces: aliens caused human problems –Apocalyptic –Messianic –“a latent critique of emergent capitalist relations” (Shue) –Daoism: Qigong practice (exercise/meditation)

Religion-based movements: Falun Gong Social base: –Intelligentsia, esp. computer sci. & physics –Strong in Northeast State sector Army officers Laid off workers Government officials Party core? –Overseas

Religion-based movements: Falun Gong Causes: –Post-Cultural Revolution cynicism –Cultural nationalism (Shue) –Spiritual hunger –Qigong revival –Mutual aid society (also found in Christian Home Church movement)

Religion-based movements: Falun Gong Why the party/state repressive reaction? –Challenge to its “moral hegemony” (Shue) –Challenge to organizational hegemony (corporatism) –Fear of another Boxer Rebellion –Fear of the “power of the weak”