People's Democracy

My Recent China Visit

Harkishan Singh Surjeet

IT was only after reaching Beijing that we learnt that it was vacation time for the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Retiring to a seaside resort for a short rest during this time of the year, has been a practice for most of the top CPC leaders. Despite the vacations, however, informal meetings do take place, and it was during such meets that new ideas and concepts on some major issues confronting the CPC and the people of China were concretised in the past.

DIFFICULTIES NOT CONCEALED

But, known for their hospitality, the Chinese made up more than enough for the absence of their top leaders from Beijing. We had a total of six interactions with the CPC leaders. Those who met us were Comrade Dai Bingguo, minister of the CPC’s International Department; Comrade Li Junru, vice president of the Central Party School, Comrade Ma Wenbu and Comrade Cai Wu, vice ministers in the International Department, Comrade Zhao Hongzhu, vice minister in the CPC’s Department of Organisation, and Comrade Hejun and Comrade Wu Shumin, deputy secretary general and deputy director general, respectively, in the International Department.

Apart from the facts and information these leaders provided, what struck us during these interactions was the free and frank manner in which these comrades placed their views. There was no attempt to conceal the difficulties the CPC and the people are facing in building socialism. Using the opportunity, we sought to elicit their views on some imperialist-inspired and planted stories in the media, based on half-truths, harping on the so-called divisions within the CPC. Besides reiterating that the leadership is united, the CPC leaders brushed aside the talks of divisions within the CPC as a mere figment of imagination of the western press. Differences on the question of policy and polity, if any, would be sorted out before the leadership returns from their vacation, we were informed.

China has travelled a long way since the twelfth national congress of the CPC in September 1982. Eliminating the negative effects of the "Cultural Revolution," the 12th congress set the conditions for ushering in socialist modernisation. At this congress, Comrade Deng Xiaoping put forward the idea of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The congress outlined the general task of the party in the new historical period --- uniting the people of all ethnic groups to work hard and self-reliantly to achieve step by step the modernisation of industry, agriculture, national defence and science and technology, and to make China a culturally and ideologically advanced and highly democratic socialist country. The CPC maintains that China is in the primary stage of socialism.

Fifteen years after the 12th national congress, the CPC held its 15th congress in September 1997. This congress was held in a crucial period of China’s drive for reform, opening up and modernisation. At the congress, on behalf of the Central Committee, Jiang Zemin submitted a report titled "Hold High The Great Banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory for an All-Round Advancement of the Cause of Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics into the 21st Century."

ACTION PLAN FOR NEW CENTURY

The report was to serve as the CPC’s political declaration and programme of action for the next century. The congress endorsed a resolution on Jiang Zemin’s report and approved the reform and development programmes in the economic, political and cultural fields, as contained in the report. The resolution pointed out that the period until the first decade of the next century would be crucial for China's modernisation. It emphasised that efforts must be made for the following ---

1) To promote a fundamental shift in the economic system and the mode of economic growth;

2) To establish a sound socialist market economy and to maintain sustained and rapid development of the economy to achieve basic modernisation by the middle of the next century;

3) To move with reform in the political structure, further extend the scope of socialist democracy and the socialist legal system, so as to make China a socialist country ruled by law, while adhering to the Four Cardinal Principles (adherence to the socialist road, the people's democratic dictatorship, Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, and the leading role of the Communist Party of China); and

4) To strengthen ideological consciousness and to ensure that science and technology as well as education are made a priority.

All along during our discussions, the CPC leaders stressed on the "Three Represents" theory expounded by Jiang Zemin. The theory was first elucidated by Comrade Jiang Zemin during a speech on February 25, 2000, while on a tour of the Guangdong province. The Three Represents are (1) the development demands of China’s advanced productivity, (2) the future orientation of China’s advances in culture and civilisation, and (3) the fundamental interest of the overwhelming majority of China’s people. The Three Represents, the CPC leaders pointed out, is a response to the new challenges and problems thrown up by the 20 years of reform and opening up. In its resolution, the fifth plenary session of the 15th Central Committee said the CPC would strive to achieve the Three Represents. There is emphasis on the concept of Three Represents in the subsequently party documents and speeches by various leaders as well.

Further, on the occasion of graduation ceremony of the Central Party School of the CPC, Comrade Jiang Zemin said "the party's nature can only be tested through history, to see whether it can develop advanced productivity and culture, and safeguard the basic interests of the people." He added that these are the two preconditions representing the wishes of the people and the essence of the cause of building socialism.

He also said China needs new ideas and breakthroughs in the fields of reform and opening-up, so as to improve the national economic scale and the overall national strength.

STRESS ON CONSCIOUSNESS

In this speech, Comrade Jiang Zemin also laid stress on strengthening ideological consciousness. He said the CPC must stick to the ideological line of emancipating one’s mind and seeking truth from facts. He said the CPC must stick to the fundamental principles of Marxism, develop Marxism in practice and view Marxism from the perspective of development. Secondly, the CPC must always follow the principle of serving the people. Any political party, or for that matter a Communist Party, can survive only if it keeps its links with the masses alive and represents the interests of the people. Thirdly, the approach adopted by the party must reflect the aspirations of the Chinese people.

The CPC has been in power for more than 50 years, serving the interests of the people and reflecting the people’s aspirations. However, uninterrupted rule for so long a time has had its corroding effects also. A small minority of party functionaries could not survive the test. Some high-ranking leaders, including a Polit Bureau member, had to be meted severe punishments. Some were even sentenced to death.

Another test is the success of the reforms. CPC leaders emphasise that, unlike the reforms initiated in the Soviet Union, those in China were of a different character. The CPSU and the parties in Eastern Europe threw the baby out with the bath water, while in China, even while endorsing market economy, the party firmly stuck to the goal of building socialism.

Lastly, there is the issue of challenge posed by the rightists on the one side and of the concern from within the Left on the other. While the rightist forces seek to utilise any opportunity that comes their way, like the 1989 political turmoil in Beijing, many from the Left question whether the reforms are capitalist in nature or socialist. In reply to this, Comrade Deng Xiaoping asked the party not to waste time debating on this issue but, instead, attach importance to whether this process can emancipate the productive forces, whether it can boost China’s national strength and whether it can boost the living standards of the people. These three "whethers" were to be the yardsticks to gauge the character of the reform process.

During recent years, more and more young cadres are being inducted into the CPC leadership. Younger people are replacing the older generation at various levels of the party. These changes, both at the governmental and party levels, are more apparent in the realm of organisation.

PREPARING FOR 16TH PARTY CONGRESS

While preparations are underway for holding the 16th national congress by the end of this year, the right-wing asserts that the successes achieved by China has nothing to do with socialism. There are also concerns among the Left, some of whom doubt whether these reforms would not lead to the restoration of capitalism.

The fact remains that the tremendous economic growth in China is a hard reality, and has been conceded even by its worst enemies. The rate of growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) for the current year stands at 7.8 per cent. Notwithstanding the recession and stagnation affecting many economies, Chinese economy has been steadily growing. The ultimate goal, the CPC points out, is to achieve development and emancipate China’s productive forces. The core issue, today, is how to combine the market economy with the basic premises of socialism.

What has been formally iterated in various CPC documents and was explained to us during the course of this visit is that, through these reforms, the CPC is endeavouring to rapidly expand the productive forces so as to move towards consolidation and strengthening of socialism in the country. They are, at the same time, conscious that this process may initiate certain tendencies and forces that can weaken or even destroy socialism. The CPC is engaged in this very struggle to consolidate and strengthen socialism today. The CPC also realises what a heavy responsibility rests on it, as the strengthening of socialism in China will be a big contribution to advancing the international communist movement.

(Harkishan Singh Surjeet, general secretary of the CPI(M), accompanied by Muralidharan, visited China between July 30 and August 19 at the invitation of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Having some rest was the main purpose of the visit.)