CPC’s pragmatic path to prosperity benefits people

Douglas de Castro, China Daily

China’s journey in the past more than 40 years is one of the most complicated case studies in modern international history. Since the start of the reform and opening-up era in 1978, the country has undergone a socioeconomic change that has never happened before in human history. Many Western experts, who based their predictions on liberal modernization theories, believed that this rapid growth would eventually fail within China’s political framework.

The most popular theory in the late 20th century said that opening up the economy would eventually lead to a Western-style political democracy. But the Communist Party of China has proven these predictions wrong by strengthening its leadership and running a government that is very strong and flexible. This stability is not an accident but the result of a well-thought-out plan that combines Marxist ideas, civilizational values and strong economic growth.

First, China clearly rejects the model which is based on high energy use, high pollution and competition for resources. Instead, it has moved toward new industrialization and high-quality development, which focus on technology and making the economy more efficient. China’s current dominance in the solar, wind and electric vehicle battery industries is proof of this change. The Belt and Road Initiative, one of China’s main foreign policy projects, has helped this move from the domestic to the international level.

Second, China does not want to follow the Cold War mentality that led to the rise of other great powers through colonization, imperialism or wars of aggression. China’s deep integration into the global economy creates an interdependence that puts domestic development ahead of military conflict and uses multilateralism to ease international tensions.

Third, the way the government works creates a peaceful socialist society. This entails employing the rule of law and cultural cohesion to address social tensions, such as disparities in wealth that are frequently intensified by neoliberal frameworks.

The CPC’s stability depends on how committed it is to coming up with new ideas. When the Soviet Union fell apart, scholars and pundits rushed to declare the “end of history”, the superiority of the liberal model and the domino effect on other countries, especially China.

Instead of being dogmatic, the Party practices the Sinicization of Marxism, which means adapting Marxist ideas to China’s own conditions. This is a way to keep revolutionary ideals alive. The theory that China is still in the early stages of socialism supports this idea. This means that market mechanisms can be used to grow productive forces without giving up the ultimate goal of socialist development.

China’s stability is deeply rooted in the legitimacy that stems from performance. It’s a social contract where the population supports the CPC in exchange for tangible improvements in living standards. The campaign to end extreme rural poverty was a key part of this success. From 2012 to 2020, the country had lifted almost 100 million people out of poverty through the hard work of millions of Party cadres.

Also, the system shows that institutions can adapt. China uses a unique mix of political centralization in Beijing and administrative decentralization at the local level. This learning organization approach makes it possible to choose the best people for the job based on their skills and to use grid management to get resources moving during emergencies.

China has taken the initiative to change the meaning of democracy by offering a people-centered approach as an alternative to the Western procedural democracy. This model combines elections, consultations and oversight into one process, using bodies to get feedback from people of different social sectors. The system also serves as a good model for the Global South.

Lastly, the civilizational aspect is a source of stability. The Party sees itself as the protector of Chinese civilization by linking Marxist ideas with traditional Confucian values like civility, integrity and harmony. This cultural connection keeps society together even when things are changing quickly.

The stability of Chinese governance is the product of a highly complex and integrated system. By successfully navigating modernization through green energy, global integration and poverty eradication, China has created a long-lasting model that redefines what it means to be a major power. In a world marked by geopolitical conflicts, climate change and unilateral sanctions, China emerges as the “adult” in the room.

The author is from Brazil and is currently a professor of international law at the School of Law of Lanzhou University.