Wu Ying: Refuting The Theory That China Is Not Socialist

Author Wu Ying is the director of the Foreign History Theory and History Research Office of the Institute of History and Theory of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

From: Academic Frontiers, November 2019

Summary: Looking from the aspect of Marx’s “three-major social forms” theory of the historical development of human society (See Grundrisse), we can clearly see that the social historical development stage China is currently in, is actually the second major form of social development. Developed capitalist countries are also in this stage of development.  Moreover, in terms of the level of development of productive forces, China is even lower than developed capitalist countries. Therefore, developing productive forces will be our top priority for a long time.

Historical nihilists not only falsely claim that historical materialism is historical nihilism in theory, but also adopt a historical nihilistic attitude in their research on the historical evolution of human society. They deny the rationality of the Chinese Communist Party leading the Chinese people in socialist revolution and socialist construction. They also adopt a historical nihilistic attitude in confirming the nature of real society, and even falsely claim that the nature of current Chinese society is capitalism or state capitalism. Such absurd claims must be refuted and cannot be allowed to disrupt people’s vision and hearing.

The nature of current Chinese society is Socialism with Chinese characteristics. “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”, as the name implies, is socialism built on the basis of China’s unique historical and cultural traditions and the current economic, social and political foundations.

First of all, it is based on the basic guiding ideology of governing the country based on the socialist and communist theories founded by Marx. In terms of how to implement these basic guiding ideologies, we must proceed from China’s objective reality. We cannot achieve everything in one step, nor can we sit and wait for conditions to mature. We must explore and build a development path that suits China’s national conditions in practice.

1. Theoretical Guiding Ideology for Socialist Construction in China

The theoretical guidance for building socialism in China naturally follows Marx ‘s theory of socialism and communism. In brief, there are three main points.

First, the essential characteristic of communism is the elimination of the division of labor between brain and body. The elimination of the division of labor between brain and body not only marks the great enrichment of social material wealth, but also marks the fundamental disappearance of social classes and strata. As a result, human society has entered a harmonious society. Marx first expressed this idea in his work “The German Ideology”, which marked the birth of historical materialism, but it was ridiculed by many researchers as Marx’s romantic fantasy. However, as long as we examine the development of Marx’s thought, we can observe that this is his consistent view. Marx expressed the same idea in his late works.

Second, socialism is the first stage of communism. Marx believed that communist society would be divided into two different stages, and socialism would be its first stage. Marx pointed out that in this stage, the traces of capitalist society should be removed in “economic, moral and spiritual aspects” to prepare conditions for the transition to communist society. However, how to prepare conditions for the transition to communist society varies from society to society.

Third, the transition of late-developing countries to socialism requires a long period of development. Marx wrote a series of documents on the realistic issue of whether Russia should take the capitalist road or the socialist road after the reform of serfdom in 1861. He first affirmed that late-developing countries like Russia could cross the “Caucasus Gorge” of the capitalist system and directly transition to socialism. He pointed out: “The coexistence with Western production that controls the world market enables Russia to use all the positive results created by the capitalist system in the commune without going through the Caucasus Gorge of the capitalist system.” He specifically explained the conditions for Russia’s transition to socialism, namely, absorbing all the positive results of capitalism, democratically transforming rural communes, and the need for a revolution to save rural communes. It can be seen from this that for late-developing countries, the transition to socialism, the first stage of communist society, still requires a long-term coexistence with capitalist countries and the introduction of the positive results of social production and social management created by capitalist countries.

2. The reality of China’s socialist construction

From the above examination of the theories guiding China’s socialist construction, we know that China, as a late-developing country, first needs a transition period to socialism before it can move towards communism. The “characteristics” of socialism with Chinese characteristics are as follows.

First, the positioning of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the primary stage of socialism.

The construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics started from the unfavorable foundation of “a large country, a large population, and a weak foundation”. Comrade Deng Xiaoping had a clear understanding of this. He never tired of warning us: poverty is not socialism, let alone communism. Therefore, “poverty is not socialism” has become an important proposition of socialism with Chinese characteristics! Focusing on economic construction and insisting on developing productive forces is the fundamental solution to China’s poverty and backwardness. This is regarded as a major strategic judgment applicable to the long term.

Secondly, the fundamental principle of socialism with Chinese characteristics is to adhere to the socialist development direction.

Adhering to the socialist development direction is a basic principle adhered to by generations of Chinese Communist Party leaders. Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of socialism with Chinese characteristics, has repeatedly emphasized the need to adhere to the socialist path. Xi Jinping has also repeatedly reiterated that China “will neither follow the old path of closed-door and rigid development nor the evil path of changing its flag and changing its banner”, but will firmly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Thirdly, we should learn from the excellent achievements of capitalist countries in the long-term coexistence with them and achieve catch-up development.

First, we should adhere to the policy of opening up to the outside world. On the basis of summarizing China’s historical development experience, Deng Xiaoping emphasized: “To invigorate the domestic economy and open up the economy to the outside world is not a short-term policy, but a long-term policy, at least 50 to 70 years.”

Second, we should adhere to the market economy. In order to break the erroneous and rigid understanding that “planning equals socialism and market equals capitalism”, Comrade Deng Xiaoping never tired of saying: “Planning and market are both economic means”; “The distinction between capitalism and socialism is not a question of planning or market. … Don’t think that developing a market economy is the capitalist road. It is not the case. Both planning and market are necessary.” Of course, China’s market economy is not a Western liberal market economy, but a market economy that organically combines government regulation with market allocation of resources. The government regulates the market behavior of enterprises with policies, puts the relationship between state-owned enterprises and private enterprises in the right place, and provides a fair competition environment for enterprises of all levels and types.

Finally, we should promote the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics with the spirit of “cutting off one’s own arm”.

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