Of course, as Chiang intimates, the Cultural Revolution could be viewed as the largest conflict to capitalist restoration in China. So if you date the start of it to the 60s, or even 70s at the end of the CR, it's taken decades and decades, and only really took off in the 1990s.
I think the lack of effective resistance can be explained to a large extent by the awesome power of the state. The end of the CR and subsequent Dengist consolidation meant the state was fairly unified, while everyone wanted stability with the memory of the CR still very fresh. The powers of the state were greatly expanded under Deng, and more than adequate to crush the resistance that cropped up after the mid-1980s. Of course, there's been lots of resistance at every step, particularly since the 1990s as the reforms have affected farmers and workers. This resistance has taken the form of both popular struggle and factional conflict within the CCP, but you're correct, has not been very effective. (shameless plug: visit www.chinastudygroup.org for more info on this, I think you'll find it interesting)
But this is only a very quick stab at a complex question. Other important issues are (I think): how the CCP earned peasant support in the early 1980s, the way that 'globalization' dovetailed with changes in China, how intellectuals were brought on board the reform agenda, and of course June 4.
Cheers,
Jonathan
At 11:30 2003-6-30, you wrote:
>Chiang Ching wrote:
>
> > In the final years of his life, Mao had warned that there was
>a
> > serious danger of capitalist restoration in China. That restoration has
> > occured.
>
>The "restoration" was apparently swift and without much effective
>resistance. How did this happen?
>
>Ulhas
>
>
>
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