Even before Xi Jinping's 70 page Work Report to the 20th CPC National Congress was widely distributed ( 高举中国特色社会主义伟大旗帜 为全面建设社会主义现代化国家而团结奋斗: 在中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会上的报告 [Hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics Unity and struggle for the all-round construction of a modern socialist country: Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China]) official press organs were distributing strategic summaries that sought to develop a summary base form which meaning could be readily extracted from that Work Report.
These efforts are particularly useful because they provide a very important window into how the Chinese leadership core would like the very long and complex Work Report to be (1) distilled; (2) interpreted; and (3) applied. It is for that reason that it is worth reading these much shorter narratives. These will likely serve as the basis for the explanation and justification of the many many new initiatives that are expected to be rolled out at every level of the administrative apparatus in the coming weeks before the Lunar Festival.
Brief reflections follow below.
The Coalition for Peace & Ethics has undertaken a deep examination of the 20th National Congress and will make key documents and other resources available to those interested. Access the CPE 20th CPC Congress web resources here.
1. Socialist modernization has been at the very center of Chinese policy--and the fundamental task of the Leninist vanguard--since the CPC overcame the errors of the final decade of Mao Zedong's leadership and reset the course of China, Chinese Marxism and Leninism. The underlying objective of socialist modernization remains the same as it has been since the ate 1970s--to build so much prosperity that the corrupting influence of wealth becomes irrelevant and the possibility of the establishment of a communist society in China becomes more likely. This is old news. What the CPC has been tinkering with since the late 1970s has been the mechanics of socialist modernization, and its direction. The tinkering, in part, has revolved around the "principal contradiction" theory of Chinese Leninism--an important meaning mediating trope. The 20th Party Congress Work Report, then, does not repudiate the core Leninist principle of socialist modernization. Instead it frees the concept from its historical baggage as an important and still quite useful policy vessel. Now re-framed within the contemporary ("New Era") fundamental contradiction (unequal distribution on the road to socialist modernization), socialist modernization can more comfortably fit within the overall architecture of New Era theory as an instrument of CPC management of the social transformation of China--not just in terms of prosperity, but also in terms of its rationalization of prosperity within the world construction of Marxist societal development end points.
2. What this means, in simpler terms, is that the CPC will take a stronger managerial hand in the operation of the economy; that the market will remain a key tool of socialist modernization, but its overall direction and choices will be overseen by the CPC; and that economic (socialist) modernization will be much more tightly aligned with the political goals and direction manifested under the guidance and leadership of the CPC.
3. The language will also shift: from the discursive tropes of socialist modernization to those of national rejuvenation. Socialist modernization as a term will be relegated to the library shelves of history and its appropriate memorialization as part of the socialist path now already traversed. Both were to lead to the realization of the China Dream--but only one is current.
4. What consequence: the dual circulation policy will now move from a reactive trope (a response to the detachment strategies that marked the first phase of the end of the global era of convergence based economic globalization) to a positive basis of policy. For foreign companies, of course, the consequences ae clear enough--Chinese operations and foreign operations must be carefully separated, their coordination carefully managed, and their intersection now a matter of politics and national security. New taxonomies of regulatory systems will follow.
5. The details of this quite important transformation are then summarized in this official release. The Work Report starts with vocabulary--the process of historical socialist modernization has now led the Chinese people to the highway of rejuvenation. Socialist modernization is discusively no longer the path or goal, but now the tool.
6. To that end it is necessary to reshape socialist modernization away from its Deng Xiaoping Era discursive tropes to ones better sited to New Era rejuvenation. Those tropes are built on five key elements. None of these are new; all have been vetted over the past decade or so. But their re-arrangement and rationalization bears some consideration.
First is the need to shape modernization to the realities of a huge population. The intimation is that that traditional methods may be antiquated. And it may suggest that quantifiable measures, big data and AI assisted governance may be a necessary movement from the old to the new era of modernization,
Second, markets driven modernization is to give way to in tandem modernization. This returns a post-Mao Zedong sensitivity t issues of class and class struggle in China. That is not to be underestimated in terms of its consequences. In part it suggests the failures of the wealthy to engage sufficiently in their responsibilities (their socialist social responsibility) and in part it suggests that markets primacy will likely be dampened down with increasing vigor. The way this focus is measured and applied lends itself to the mechanisms of social credit.
Third, the project of socialist modernization is not merely economic; it is moral and spiritual. Here the effort to distinguish socialist economic policy as deeply embedded in politics, culture, and collective life is meant to draw a deeper distinction between this form of development and that offered by liberal democratic markets driven states; or managed through forces of religious supremacy. It is likely that this will be an important element in repacking this form of development to Chinese partners along its Belt & Road.
Fourth, the re-orientation of development from centered on economic development, to one that (at least in theory) is more environmentally contextualized has already been well developed in theory. Its emphasis here suggests further development. Though again dual circulation politics may produce a multiple speed set of policy incentives.
Fifth, New Era modernization is a tool of Chinese internationalism. That has been clear (to everyone it seems but leaders in the liberal democratic West). Now the Work Report proclaims this from the rooftops. This is the other side of the dual circulation strategy cin. And an important one. It suggests that Chinese internationalism is not merely a matter of 20th century realpolitik but an effort to further what began in 1917--the elaboration of global worker revolution using the discursive tropes and adjusting to the context of the contemporary world.
7. The Work Report then emphasized that socialist modernization theorization within the umbrella of national rejuvenation will be managed in a more granular way through 2035. These emphasize detachable scientific and technological development producing socialist innovation.This carries with it some dangers: if it leads to widening standards gaps between Chinese and foreign technologies making them fundamentally incompatible--but that appears to be a risk the Chinese are banking one, assuming that they will prevail).
8. But it also suggest that socialist modernization is not merely a moral, spiritual, international, and economic project--it is one under the banner of which the apparatus of state itsef will be modernized--and likely cleansed of its corrupting liberal democratic influences. The consequences cannot be underestimated; especially if these transformations in the art and practice of governance produce greater stability and prosperity. To that end, socialist modernization--now an aspect of national rejuvenation in contributing to the realization of the "Chinese Dream" reverts to its political architecture in what is described as 5 key elements: that connect the past and the present to the Party (1) Uphold and strengthen the overall leadership of the Party; (2) Adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. ; (3) Adhere to the people-centered development philosophy; (4) Insist on deepening reform and opening up; (5) Persist in carrying forward the fighting spirit.
9. How these translate into a CPC work style that enhances the new discourse of development remains to be seen. But its trajectories are now clear. And they will produce great challenges to the liberal democratic camp that I am not sure they are even capable of grasping--if only because they are incapable of seeing the world except their their own conceptual meaning lenses. A pity--the the West.
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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 16. Xi Jinping emphasized in his report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that from now on, the central task of the Communist Party of China is to unite and lead the people of all ethnic groups in the country to build a powerful modern socialist country in an all-round way, realize the second centenary goal, and take China Modernization will comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi Jinping pointed out in the report that on the basis of long-term exploration and practice since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially since the reform and opening up, and through innovative breakthroughs in theory and practice since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our party has successfully promoted and expanded Chinese-style modernization.
Chinese-style modernization is a socialist modernization led by the Communist Party of China. It has both the common characteristics of modernization of all countries and Chinese characteristics based on its own national conditions.
——Chinese-style modernization is a modernization with a huge population.
——Chinese-style modernization is a modernization in which all the people are prosperous together.
——Chinese-style modernization is a modernization in which material civilization and spiritual civilization are coordinated.
——Chinese-style modernization is a modernization in which man and nature coexist in harmony.
——Chinese-style modernization is a modernization that takes the path of peaceful development.
Xi Jinping pointed out that the essential requirements of Chinese-style modernization are: adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, adhere to socialism with Chinese characteristics, achieve high-quality development, develop people’s democracy throughout the process, enrich the people’s spiritual world, achieve common prosperity for all people, and promote harmonious coexistence between man and nature. , to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and create a new form of human civilization.
Xi Jinping pointed out in the report that by 2035, the overall goals of China’s development are: a substantial leap in economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national strength; High-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-reliance, entering the forefront of innovative countries; building a modern economic system, forming a new development pattern, basically realizing new industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization; basically realizing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, and the whole process of people’s democracy The system will be more perfect, and a country under the rule of law, a government under the rule of law, and a society under the rule of law will be basically built; a country with strong education, science and technology, talent, culture, sports, and a healthy China will be built. The disposable income has reached a new level, the proportion of the middle-income group has increased significantly, the basic public services have been equalized, the rural areas are basically equipped with modern living conditions, the society will maintain long-term stability, and the all-round development of people and the common prosperity of all people will achieve more obvious and substantial progress. Green production and lifestyles have been widely formed, carbon emissions have stabilized with some decline after peaking, the ecological environment has fundamentally improved, and the goal of a beautiful China has been basically achieved; the national security system and capabilities have been comprehensively strengthened, and national defense and military modernization have been basically achieved.
The next five years will be a critical period for the start of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way.
Xi Jinping pointed out in the report that my country’s development has entered a period in which strategic opportunities, risks and challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors increase, and various “black swan” and “gray rhino” events may occur at any time. We must increase our sense of urgency, adhere to bottom-line thinking, be prepared for danger in times of peace, prepare for the storm, and be prepared to withstand the major test of high winds, turbulent waves, and even turbulent waves. On the way forward, we must firmly grasp the following major principles.
——Uphold and strengthen the overall leadership of the Party. Resolutely safeguard the authority and centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and implement the Party’s leadership in all fields and aspects of the Party and the country’s undertakings, so that the Party will always be the most reliable backbone of all the people when the storm strikes.
——Adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We will neither take the old road of closure and rigidity, nor take the evil road of changing our banners, insist on putting the development of the country and the nation on the basis of our own strength, and insist on firmly grasping the destiny of China’s development and progress in our own hands.
——Adhere to the people-centered development philosophy. Continue to realize that development is for the people, development depends on the people, and the fruits of development are shared by the people, so that more and more fruits of modernization can benefit all people in a fairer way.
——Insist on deepening reform and opening up. Continue to demonstrate the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, continuously enhance the driving force and vitality of socialist modernization, and better transform the advantages of my country’s system into national governance efficiency.
——Persist in carrying forward the fighting spirit. Strengthen the ambition, backbone, and confidence of the entire party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country, not to believe in evil, not afraid of ghosts, not afraid of pressure, to advance despite difficulties, to face them, to coordinate development and security, to make every effort to overcome all difficulties and challenges on the road, rely on The tenacious struggle opens up new horizons for career development.
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