Saturday, September 30, 2017

Reuters — China's Xi says study capitalism, but Marxism remains top

Communist Party members should study contemporary capitalism but must never deviate from Marxism, Chinese President Xi Jinping said...
“If we deviate from or abandon Marxism, our party would lose its soul and direction,” Xi said. “On the fundamental issue of upholding the guiding role of Marxism, we must maintain unswerving resolve, never wavering at any time or under any circumstances.”

Xi said the party should better integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with the “reality of contemporary China and learn from the achievements of other civilizations to create and develop Marxism”, Xinhua said.

“Xi also asked Party members to study contemporary capitalism, its essence and patterns,” the report added....
Reuters
China's Xi says study capitalism, but Marxism remains top
Relentless efforts should be made to adapt Marxism to China, to the era and to the public, President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Friday.…

Xi said that as a party upholding Marxism, the CPC should make sure its theories keep up with the times.
Drifting away from or betraying Marxism will lead to the Party's losing its soul and direction as it moves forward, Xi added.
Marxism is unsurpassed in achieving great heights and having a huge influence, he said....
Since China has undergone remarkable changes following its reform and opening-up, Chinese are most qualified and capable of unveiling the lessons and natural laws behind such changes and of making original contributions to the development of Marxism, Xi said.
Party members should be self-conscious about and confident in the theory, focus on what they do, listen to what the people think, respond to actual needs and fully sum up the practices of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said.
Additionally, the Party should continue improving its capabilities in analyzing and tackling issues by using Marxism, and continue strengthening its capabilities in addressing major challenges, risks, resistance and contradictions, he said.
Ecns
Adapting Marxism called crucial
China Daily

Supercomupters.

Ecns
Amazing Chinese “brain”

3 comments:

Kaivey said...

I've read that they have never had much of a welfare state in China, although they are developing a bit of a one now. I can't imagine real communism without a welfare state. I put out a program here about Greece and it had a part about the docks that the Chinese had bought. In it the Chinese manager criticised Europe's welfare state for why Europeans don't want to work hard. He said it made us soft and they don't have it in China. He was an authoritarian hard nut, well, they have them over there as well.

Tom Hickey said...

China was a "welfare state" of sorts from the inception of Communism until the Deng reforms in 1980. But China was a poor country and the "welfare" was basically sharing poverty. However, after reforms, welfare was subordinated to growth and China has become a lot richer, although not yet a country rich enough to support a developed welfare state in the Western sense. That goal is projected to be reached in 2049. It's a work in progress that has to share stage with the chief focus on growth at present. But that doesn't mean that China has relegated welfare to the back burner. It has to balance advancement with welfare to maintain political stability.

Probably most people in the West don't realize it but the Chinese leadership keeps its finger on the social pulse and acts largely in accord with public wishes and expectations if only to remain in power. But a lot of the leadership is really committed to socialism as "the right way."

This is taken into consideration in the 5-year plans in terms of long-term objectives. They are systems people.

Kaivey said...

That's interesting, Tom, that they couldn't afford it. I hadn't thought of that.