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The Crisis of Marxism in China
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# : |
16725 |
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Section : |
SPECIAL SECTION
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| Issue
Date : |
10 / 1989 |
4,354 Words |
| Author
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Su Zhaoshi Su Zhaoshi was director of the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Thought
Institute in Beijing. |
Forty years ago, the Chinese people, led by the Chinese Communist Party, went through difficulties and hardships, won victory in the New Democratic Revolution, and established the People's Republic of China (PRC). This was Marxism's victory in China. However, as things have worked out, the Chinese have suffered numerous failures in building socialism. During the "Great Leap Forward" and the "Cultural Revolution," disastrous setbacks occurred: The national economy and political system almost collapsed. While some improvement has been made through economic and political reforms since 1978, China, nevertheless, is still following the principle of "groping one's way across the river by stepping stones"--that is, China has not found effective ways to solve its problems. More seriously, because Beijing's peaceful democratic movement was cruelly put down by military force in June 1989, critical political, economic, and even revolutionary crises have reemerged in China.
Marxism in China
The development of Marxism in China has followed a cycle of ascension--falling--crisis--revival--new crisis. In 1984, Deng Xiaoping admitted his confusion by saying: "What is socialism? What is Marxism? Our understanding of them is not very clear." This confused understanding of socialism and Marxism is the cause of Marxism's difficult progress in China.
In fact, Marxism is the product of industrial capitalism in the West and could not have been born in an undeveloped agricultural country. Although Marxist theory was introduced into China, along with other Western ideas at the turn of the century, its influence was insignificant at that time. It was the 1917
... (1995 of 28405 Characters)
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