Thank you for your views. Many in China agree with you. Personally, I understand and share your frustration. One only wish China did not have to make those choices. But life is unforgiving.
Still, I think you may be a bit excessive in you condemnation of China's current policies and there is a possibility that you are not fully informed about the intentions of the current Chinese leadership (possibly not your fault, given the powerful impact of the Western media).
Not to defend, but let me quote from someone more authoritative on the subject:
Excerpts from Jiang Zemin's report delivered at the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on September 12, 1997.
"The Fourteenth Congress (1992) made three policy decisions of far-reaching significance. One, seize opportunities to speed up development; two, define the establishment of a socialist market economy as the goal of economic restructuring in China; and three, establish the guiding position of Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the whole Party. Acting in the spirit of the Fourteenth Congress, the Central Committee convened seven plenary sessions to adopt programs and plans regarding a series of major issues which have a vital bearing on the overall situation, such as the establishment of a socialist market economy, the strengthening of Party building, the formulation of the Outline of the Ninth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2010, and the development of socialist culture and ethics."
You see, Louis, the CCP has not abandoned central planning, as you seem to imply.
"We are fully aware that there are still quite a few problems and difficulties on the road ahead, and that there are also shortcomings and defects in our work. The following are the main ones: The quality and efficiency of the national economy as a whole remain fairly low, the irrational economic structure still poses a rather outstanding problem, and especially part of the state-owned enterprises lack vitality. The work style of the Party and the government, the current social conduct and public security still fall short of the expectations of the people; corruption, extravagance and waste and other undesirable phenomena are still spreading and growing; and bureaucratic style of work, formalism and deception constitute serious problems. Things have yet to be straightened out in the matter of income and distribution, uneven regional development is obvious, and part of the urban and rural residents still live in poor circumstances. Population growth and economic development have caused great strains on resources and the environment. We must pay great attention to these problems and solve them in a down-to-earth way."
The CCP knows their problems better than you and me, Louis.
"The Chinese Communist Party attaches great importance to the guiding role of theory. Since the Chinese people found Marxism-Leninism, the Chinese revolution has taken on an entirely new look. The integration of Marxism-Leninism with China's reality has experienced two historic leaps, resulting in two great theories. The result of the first leap was a correct theory, a body of correct principles and a summary of experience that have been confirmed in the practice of the Chinese revolution and construction. Its principal founder being Mao Zedong, our Party has called it Mao Zedong Thought. The result of the second leap was the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Its principal founder being Deng Xiaoping, our Party has called it Deng Xiaoping Theory. These two great theories so achieved are the crystallization of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people. Ever since it was founded, our Party has taken Marxism-Leninism as its guiding ideology. After the Zunyi Meeting and the Yan'an Rectification, the Party decided at its Seventh Congress to take Mao Zedong Thought -- the integration of the theory of Marxism-Leninism with the practice of the Chinese revolution - as its guiding ideology. This historic decision was based on a summary of the experience of 24 years after the founding of the Party. On the basis of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee and the Twelfth, Thirteenth and especially Fourteenth Congresses of the Party, the Central Committee has proposed that the Party, at its Fifteenth Congress, establish Deng Xiaoping Theory as its guiding ideology by stipulating in its Constitution that the Chinese Communist Party takes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory as its guide to action. This historic decision has been made by our Party after nearly 20 years of successful practice of the reform, opening up and the socialist modernization drive. It shows the determination and conviction of the central collective leadership and the whole Party to bring about an all-round advancement of the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics initiated by Deng Xiaoping to the new century. It also reflects the common understanding and aspirations of the people of the whole country."
The CCP is not without principles, just chasing after the Yankee dollar. I think the key words are: all-round advancement of the cause of building socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Many marxists thinkers are beginning to understand the importance of indigenous characteristics and I have an impression from your own posts that you are sympathetic to this view, am I wrong?
"Practice proves that Deng Xiaoping Theory, a continuation and development of Mao Zedong Thought, is a correct theory guiding the Chinese people in successfully accomplishing their socialist modernization in the process of reform and opening to the outside world. In China today, it is Deng Xiaoping Theory, which integrates Marxism with the practice of present-day China and the features of the times, and this theory alone, that can settle the issues concerning the future and destiny of socialism. Deng Xiaoping Theory is Marxism of present-day China, representing a new stage of development of Marxism in China."
Note the constant emphasis on the narrow applicability Deng Theory on China. There is no universal evangelistic pretensions here. And we must grant the assumption that when it come to China, the Chinese are experts.
"Marxism is a science, which is firmly based on objective facts. Actual life, however, is always changing and the changes over the past century and more have been so drastic and profound that our predecessors could hardly have conceived them. Hence, Marxism will necessarily advance along with the development of the times, practice and science; it cannot remain unchanged. There is a question concerning the style of study of Marxism: whether we should indulge in book worship, or use the Marxist stand, viewpoint and method to study and solve the practical problems in China. During the rectification campaign in Yan'an, Mao Zedong emphasized, "A policy should be established of focusing on the study of the practical problems of the Chinese revolution and using the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism as the guide, and the method of studying Marxism-Leninism statically and in isolation should be discarded." Today when we advocate arming the whole Party with Deng Xiaoping Theory and studying Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought with the focus on studying the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, we mean precisely to carry forward this fine tradition. We must never discard Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. If we did, we would lose our foundation. Meanwhile, centering on the practical problems in the reform, opening up and the modernization drive and on the things we are doing, we must emphasize the application of the Marxist theory, the theoretical study of practical problems, and new practice and development. It is meaningless to talk about Marxism in isolation from a given country's reality and the development of the times. We would get nowhere if we studied Marxism statically and in isolation, and separated it from its vigorous development in actual life, or set them against each other. In present-day China, Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory constitute a unified scientific system imbued with the same spirit. Adhering to Deng Xiaoping Theory means genuinely adhering to Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought; holding high the banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory means genuinely holding high the banner of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought."
True scientific Marxism. This is not strict contructionist enough to suit you, but its their country and they are the ones who won the revolution. Give them that much.
"Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Party has correctly analyzed China's conditions and formulated the scientific thesis that China is still in the primary stage of socialism. When we talk about the need to proceed from reality in everything we do, the true reality is that China is currently in the primary stage of socialism and will remain in this stage for a long time to come. When we say we must be clear about what socialism is and how to build it, we must acquire a clear understanding of what socialism in the primary stage is and how to build it. One of the fundamental reasons for our failings in building socialism prior to the convocation of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee is that some of our tasks and policies overstepped the primary stage of socialism. One of the basic reasons for the achievements in the reform, opening up and the modernization drive over the recent period of nearly 20 years is that we corrected the erroneous concepts and policies transcending the primary stage of socialism and rejected the erroneous proposition that we should give up the basic system of socialism. By so doing, instead of deviating from it, we are building socialism in a down-to-earth manner, so that it is full of vigor and flourishing in China, and the people, thanks to their personal experiences, have become all the more enthusiastic in supporting socialism."
As I said in my previous post, this is the pragmatists pleading: enough is enough of the old way. Lets try some other approach that works but lets keep our socialist guards up.
"The reason why we are laying further emphasis on this question at the current congress is that, in the face of the arduous tasks of tackling hard issues in the reform and creating a new situation, the key to resolving various contradictions, dispelling doubts and understanding why we must carry out the existing line and policies and not any other line and policies lies in our unified, correct understanding of the basic conditions in China today in the primary stage of socialism."
"Socialism is the primary stage of communism and China is in the primary stage of socialism, that is, the stage of underdevelopment. In this large Eastern country, it is a great victory for us to take the socialist road after a period of New Democracy. But, at the time when China entered socialism, it lagged far behind the developed countries in terms of the level of development of the productive forces. We are, therefore, destined to go through a rather long primary stage of socialism. During this stage we shall accomplish industrialization and the socialization, market-orientation and modernization of the economy. This is a historical stage we cannot jump over."
"It is the first time in the history of Marxism that the scientific concept of the primary stage of socialism is specified in a party's program. When talking about building socialism in the primary stage, Deng Xiaoping especially emphasized, "Ours is an entirely new endeavor, one that was never mentioned by Marx, never undertaken by our predecessors and never attempted by any other socialist country. So there are no precedents for us to learn from. We can only learn from practice, feeling our way as we go." That is to say, if we really want to build socialism in China, we should proceed in everything we do only from the actual situation of the primary stage of socialism, and not from our subjective desire, nor from this or that kind of foreign models, nor from the dogmatic interpretations of some theses in Marxist works, nor from certain erroneous viewpoints imposed on Marxism."
This is the key point, Louis - dogmatic interpretations.
"The primary stage of socialism is a historical stage in which we shall gradually put an end to underdevelopment and realize socialist modernization by and large. It is a stage in which an agricultural country, where people engaged in agriculture take up a very large proportion of the population and mainly rely on manual labor, will gradually turn into an industrial country where non-agricultural people constitute the majority and which embraces modern agriculture and service trade. It is a stage in which a society with the natural and semi-natural economy making up a very large proportion of the whole will gradually turn into one with a fairly developed market-oriented economy. It is a stage in which a society with illiterate and semi-literate people making up a very large proportion of the population and with backward science, technology, education and culture will turn step by step into one with fairly developed science, technology, education and culture. It is a stage in which a society with poverty-stricken people making up a very large proportion of the population and the people having a low standard of living will gradually become one where the whole people are well-off. It is a stage in which a society with very uneven economic and cultural development between regions will become one in which the gap will be gradually narrowed, with some regions becoming developed first. It is a stage in which, by introducing reforms and exploring new ways, we will establish and improve a socialist market economy, a political system of socialist democracy and other systems that are relatively mature and full of vitality. It is a stage in which the great number of people will firmly foster the common ideal of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, make unremitting efforts to overcome difficulties, build the country with industry and thrift and promote cultural and ethical progress as well as material progress. It is a stage in which we will gradually narrow the gap between our level and the advanced world standard and bring about a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on the basis of socialism. It will take at least a century to complete this historical process. It will take a much longer period of time to consolidate and develop the socialist system, and it will require persistent struggle by many generations, a dozen or even several dozens."
When it comes to persistence, I think the CCP has much credibility. The Cultural Revolution in China lasted 10 years, but the French Reign of Terror lasted a mere one year (from April 6 1793 to July 27, 1794).
"In the four decades and more since the mid-1950s when China entered the primary stage of socialism, and especially in the recent period of nearly 20 years, China has greatly developed its productive forces and made much headway in all its undertakings. In general, however, due to a large population and a poor foundation to begin with, China has seen uneven regional development, and its underdeveloped productive forces have yet to be fundamentally improved. The socialist system still needs to be perfected, the socialist market economy is immature, the socialist democracy and legal system still have to be strengthened, and decadent feudal and capitalist ideas and the small-producers' force of habit still have widespread influence in society. All this shows that the socialist society in China still remains in the primary stage."
There is no wishful-thinking here.
"The fundamental task of socialism is to develop the productive forces. During the primary stage, it is all the more necessary to give first priority to concentrating on their development. Different contradictions exist in China's economy, politics, culture, social activities and other areas, and class contradictions, due to international and domestic factors, will still exist within a certain scope for a long time to come. But the principal contradiction in society is the one between the growing material and cultural needs of the people and the backwardness of production. This principal contradiction will remain throughout the process of China's primary stage of socialism and in all activities of society. Hence we are destined to make economic development the central task of the entire Party and the whole country and make sure that all other work is subordinated to and serves this task. Only by focusing on this principal contradiction and the central task can we soberly observe and control all social contradictions and effectively promote their resolution. Development is the absolute principle. The key to the solution of all China's problems lies in our own development."
Development is the key. Without it the government and the party will fall, make no mistake about that.
Part 2 to follow.
Henry C.K. Liu