Mahesh K. Maskey is the former Ambassador of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal to People's Republic of China
Xi Jinping Thought has attracted a tremendous global interest recently. It is primarily because if we want to understand how China is developing in contemporary period, and how she will move ahead in the coming decades for achieving "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics", we have to understand its guiding principles and policies that are taking shape to meet new challenges. It is also important to understand the relevance of Xi Thought in Nepalese context, as it has great significance in shaping our bilateral relations and cooperation with China.
In his speech at 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China, General secretary Xi Jinping had presented a profound analysis and synthesis of the Chinese practice of developing socialism in different historical periods. Socialism with Chinese Characteristics developed in course of resolving the principal contradictions of these periods. He articulated that Chinese society has now entered into a new era and the contradiction of this new historical period is "between unbalanced and inadequate development and people's ever-growing need for better life". He underlined eight defining features and fourteen basic policies on "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era" which was unanimously adopted as "Xi Jinping Thought" in the constitution of Communist Party of China in the same congress.
Xi Jinping Thought, therefore, can be said as the comprehensive theoretical guide to the practice of resolving this new contradiction. By encompassing and assimilating lessons of different periods of Chinese history Xi Jinping Thought posits the way to resolve new challenges. Thus, the essence of Xi thought, in my opinion, is the dialectical unity and struggle of continuation of the what is relevant in the past with changing priorities of the emerging present. In doing so, it contributes its experience to the global community who are engaged in developing socialism in their own way.
China's tryst with Marxism: Era of Standing Up
Periodization is an important concept to understand the evolution of Chinese Society. Scholars agree that most important period of modern China begins with China's tryst with Marxism in 1922 when the Communist Party of China was established. Contesting with other philosophy and political forces it finally emerged victorious and led to the success of New Democratic revolution and establishment of People's Republic of China. The contradiction of that period was "between combined force of Feudalism and Imperialism and the people of China" which was resolved by the New Democratic revolution. Then a Herculean effort was made to transform old Chinese society towards Socialism through the agency of cooperatives and communes. During the time of Cultural revolution, the contradiction was identified as between bourgeoisie path and proletarian path of development.
China became an exemplar in improving the living standard and quality of life of her people even when her GDP was quite low. Later, the difficulty in developing productive forces and the excesses during Cultural Revolution from the group that were called 'gang of four' had prompted Chinese leaders to rethink and reorient the path of development. Four modernizations emerged amidst intense policy, a few years before Chairman Mao Zedong's death. The whole period of tumultuous changes from 1922 to 1978 is called the "Era of Standing up" with Mao Zedong at the core and Mao Zedong Thought as the integration of universal truth of Marxism with concrete practice of China.
Opening up and reform: challenges and responses
The next important period is between 1978 and 2012, of opening up and reform and development of productive forces through export driven socialist market economy that led to China's meteoric rise to prosperity. The contradiction of this period was identified as "growing material and cultural need of Chinese people and backward productive forces." This period is dubbed as "getting rich" period and the thought that guided this period was called 'Deng Xiaoping Theory', with paramount leader Deng Xiao Ping as the core. Deng is also credited for the phrase 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics'.
According high priority for development of productive forces with coastal cities as engine of growth, China had become second largest economy, brought millions of people out of absolute poverty, made gigantic leap in science and technology, became production house of the world, secured reserve of trillions of dollars of foreign currency and maintained a growth rate that averaged 9.5% increase every year. This has happened even when the first bastion of socialist revolution, the USSR, had fallen and its communist party was pushed out of power in the 90s. This crisis in socialist camp had challenged Chinese leaders to think about their own strategy for survival. China developed the "Theory of Three Represents" under President Jiang Zemin which firmly hold on the leading role of Communist Party for Chinese path of socialist development while promoting private sector under state guidance. The communist party must be the representative of advanced productive forces, representative of advanced culture, and representative of overwhelming majority of Chinese people, it said.
By the first decade of this millennia, however, the adverse effect of 'get rich' policy had started to appear. Massive migration of rural labor to megacities inviting difficult adjustments, staggering rise in the numbers of billionaires increasing rich and poor gap, the deterioration of rural economy widening rural-urban gap, were some of the features that needed immediate attention. Environmental degradation and corruption also began to appear sizably. On the other hand, the centers of neoliberal economy and globalization like US, EU and Japan were undergoing severe economic recession and the export driven economy of China was at the risk of being dragged into global melt down. To deal with these problems “Scientific Outlook on Development" concept came to the fore, under President Hu Jintao which aimed for "socialist harmonious society". It emphasized "comprehensive development" as compared to past emphasis on “economic development" only. This orientation helped China to steer through the crisis of globalization but the unbalanced growth, corruption, environmental degradation, rich-poor and rural-urban gap continued to rise in a disturbing scale.
Xi Jinping Thought: Guiding Policies for New Era
With the coming of Xi Jinping as the supreme leader of Communist Party and the State of Peoples Republic of China in 2012, new policies and effective governance were developed to deal with these persisting and acute problems. His three-volume book on "Governance of China" compiles most of his visionary lectures, that successfully blends Chinese dream of national rejuvenation with Socialist modernization aimed at development of modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful. Many of these ideas were put in practice since past 10 years in governing China. To recognize that the Chinese society has entered into a new era with changed principal contradiction was a major step indeed. Xi Jinping Thought, therefore, evolved as a set of guiding principles, policies and strategy and sets itself to resolve the present contradiction "between unbalanced and inadequate development and people's ever-growing need for better life”, so as to advance towards the goal of building moderately prosperous society in all respect and a modern socialist country by 2049 ie. a century from the establishment of People's Republic of China.
The fourteen basic policies, outlined by President Xi in his speech are as follows:
1. Ensuring Party leadership over all work
2. Committing to people-centric approach
3. Continuing comprehensive deepening of reforms
4. Adopting new vision of development with its emphasis on open, innovative, green economy and socialist distribution
5. People should run the country
6. Governing China with Rule of Law
7. Practicing socialist core values, upholding Marxism, ideals of communism and socialism with Chinese characteristics
8. Ensuring and improving living standards through development
9. Ensuring harmony between human and nature
10. Pursuing a holistic approach for national security
11. Upholding absolute Party leadership over China's armed force
12. Upholding the principle of one country and two system and promoting national reunification
13. Promoting the building of a community with shared future for mankind
14. Exercise full and rigorous governance over the Party
These policies set out a long-term plan for China: the socialist modernization from 2020 to 2035, and the development of a great modern socialist State from 2035 to 2050. “Four Comprehensives" are the essential strategy through which the Xi Jinping Thought operates. They are: i) “common prosperity” (ii) deepening reforms, (iii) governing the nation according to law, and (iv) tightening party discipline. The focus being anti-corruption drive, reduction of inequalities and improvement in living standards of Chinese people by achieving sustainable development goals.
What stands out in Xi Jinping thought is a comprehensive vision of "ecological civilization". A country whose soil are seriously damaged by the extensive use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides, where development priorities had has created environmental crisis of air and water and noise pollution, and massive carbon emission, the Xi Thought has tremendously boosted the ecological consciousness and reset the development priorities towards preventing environmental damage and conserve nature. In my opinion, one of the major yardsticks of the success of Xi thought will be whether or not China can implement the above-mentioned policies of ‘green economy' and ‘harmony between human and nature'.
Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis: Mao, Deng and Xi Era
If we look at the 5-year plans and the new schemes, we see that many of these basic policies are being translated in actual practice of Chinese society. Within China, the new type of urbanization and rural vitalization is reversing rural-urban gap, a sizable number of migrant workers are returning to or near their home town from mega cities. Environmental regulations are being strictly observed. Discourse on socialist core values and socialist distribution are getting priority. Chinese dream of national rejuvenation is taking momentum. For many decades China had observed the popular dictum ascribed to Deng " Hide your strength and bide your time". Now It seems China's time has come and she is becoming more assertive about her rights. Thus, this new era is beginning to be identified as "getting stronger" Era.
If we view the progressive movement of History as the spiral of Hegelian triad; of thesis, antithesis and synthesis, it may be said that the policies of Mao Era were the thesis, policies of Deng Era being antithesis and policies of Xi Era as synthesis, which tries to continue the legacy of both Era while addressing their adverse effects to reach higher stage of social development. Such view also accommodates the possibility that this synthesis will act as a new thesis and over the course of time an antithesis may emerge which will propel Chinese history further towards a new synthesis.
Criticism and Appreciations
Many criticisms have been leveled against Xi Jinping thought, most notable among them being its use to rationalize his absolute authority and control over party, military and the government. It is also accused of discouraging dissent in the polity of Chinese society, undermining democratic values and human rights. The central importance of the communist party of China in the political life of Chinese polity is also subject to fierce criticism. It is interesting to note that such criticisms are coming from those countries who overtly express their fear from the rise of China, who had tried to colonize her in the past, and refuse to see and hear what its demands and requests are at present. New China is regaining its strength and dignity with every passing day claiming its rightful place in global community. The old dominant powers particularly led by US and its NATO and Indo-pacific allies do not seem to be happy with China's rise. And they also want to keep their vestigial dominance of colonial era in the South China sea and Pacific Ocean, even to the extent of openly declaring their intent to contain China.
So, a situation like "Thucydides Trap" may evolve where an Old dominant power is intolerant of New emerging power and may cause war. Therefore, China has to continue its peaceful rise amid the threats of war, avoiding conflict, fostering friendship and protecting the nature while holding its ground firmly. And it has to rely in a politico- administrative system that not only made her self-reliant but also second largest economy from one of the poorest countries in the world, in a span of 65 years. To understand Xi Jinping Thought, I think we need to keep these context and perspectives in mind.
However, one can see also global admiration from many countries in what Xi Jinping is trying to achieve through the guiding policies of the Thought that carries his name. The call for "building of community with shared future" has struck a resounding note in global community who are engaged in developing their own path to socialism or social welfare system inspired by social justice. President Xi had said: "The dream of the Chinese people is closely connected with the dreams of the peoples of other countries; the Chinese Dream can be realized only in a peaceful international environment and under a stable international order."
Such call envisages a new type of international relations based on justice, shared interests, and win-win cooperation. Belt and Road initiative is one such signature initiative of China which has the potential to provide an alternative to unjust international order, although it should be noted that China's peaceful rise is not peacefully accepted by some major countries. Trade wars and effort to defame BRI as "debt trap " are some of the examples of this kind. But as American President Abraham Lincon said once: "you can fool all the people for some of the time and some of people for all the time, but you cannot fool all the people for all the time". Till now 147 countries, more than three fourth of the total countries in the world, have joined BRI. The fact that there are eighteen European Union countries in this list, among them a G7 country Italy, tells volume about the failure of western propaganda about BRI.
Contemporary Relevance for Nepal
Nepal is also seeking its own path of socialist oriented development. Like China, Nepal is the land from where major Shaivik, Bon, Vedic and Buddhist philosophies, culture and civilizations, art and crafts emerged and/or flourished. Our ancient wisdom came up with "Basudhaiv Kutumbakam" a vision that inspires to see the World as a Family. Nepal dreams of peace and prosperity and happiness and seeks to revive her ancient glory to enrich her modernity. She wants have friendship with all and enmity with none. In this context the relevance of Xi Jinping Thought to contemporary Nepal, in my opinion, can be summarized in 8 points, as follows:
1. To walk on the path of socialism-oriented development with its specific Nepalese characteristics, Nepal has to integrate the universal truth of Marxism and ideals of Communism with concrete practice of Nepalese society.
2. The relevant ancient wisdom has to be integrated with modern socialist-oriented aspirations and dead weight of exploitative tradition has to be done away with.
3. People are the makers of history, as well as the vital force for governance. The communist party of Nepal should make sincere effort to win the confidence of people, be accountable to them. The communist party will fail to carry out its historic responsibility if it fails to control corruption, fails to adopt mass line and fails to serve the people.
4. Nepal should adopt a balanced and integrated eco-friendly strategy of socio-economic development that is comprehensive, green, innovative and inspired by socialism-oriented distributive justice. It can learn from new type of urbanization and rural vitalization of China.
5. Representative democracy whether general, proportionate or inclusive, alone may not be sufficient. A participatory consultative democracy that continuously engage people from grass root to top assemblies needs to be set in motion.
6. The State should be strong enough to keep market economy within socialist-oriented framework. The private sector should work in harmony with cooperative sector to complement the public sector under state guidance.
7. Science and Technology, Research and Development are vital means of raising productive forces. Supportive environment for Scientists, academicians, technocrats, researchers and intellectuals needs to be ensured by State.
8.Nepal's dream for peace, prosperity and happiness is closely connected with similar dreams of the peoples of other countries hence Nepal should forge its diplomatic initiative to foster peaceful international environment, particularly with its neighboring countries.
Some of these lessons may also be relevant to other developing countries of Asia. Africa and Latin America. World is watching closely how almost single handedly China is trying to save the spirit of socialism through its own unique model and walk on the road to communism, amidst the challenges of global capitalism. It is an uphill task and Xi Jinping has called Chinese people to be ready for a new Long March to surmount all difficulties both internal and external. It is my conjecture that we may be witnessing a history in making, of conscious human endeavor, the likes of which the world had never witnessed before.
(Mahesh K. Maskey is the former Ambassador of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal to People's Republic of China)
