- by William Briggs
- The Guardian
- Issue #2110
Photo: triin – flickr.com (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The Communist Party of China has just concluded its Third Plenum. The meeting, held every five years set course for economic and social development. The resolution that came from the meeting is massive, but the plans being adopted are equally massive.
Some Western observers have chosen to interpret the Plenum as a reaction to ‘low economic growth.’ This ‘low’ growth is still well above the global average. In 2020, the Party set itself the target of boosting per capita GDP to the level of ‘moderately’ developed nations by 2035. That target is on track.
A communiqué from the plenum says that by 2035, China will have finished building a “high-standard socialist market economy in all respects, further improved the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, generally modernised our system and capacity for governance, and basically realised socialist modernisation.”
A sense of optimism runs through the entire, 60-point resolution. Global capitalism teeters on the edge of recession and depression. That capitalism relies on a growing and confident Chinese economy for its survival. Despite this, imperialism seeks every opportunity to disrupt China’s growth. It does so not from any fear of Chinese economic growth but from a developing socialist China.
China’s embrace of the market and its ‘opening up’ policies will continue. This is to provide the economic basis for the development of a modern socialist economy. Those who dispute China’s socialist credentials never tire of pointing to the fact that a strong private sector operates. Those critics might take a moment to reflect on the resolution of the Third Plenum. It makes it clear that while China will “lift restrictions on the market” there will remain effective regulation. This is to ensure ‘smooth flows in the national economy and unleash the internal driving forces and creativity of our society as a whole. We will unswervingly consolidate and develop the public sector.’
Life under capitalism is destructive. It is an anarchic system that promotes the pursuit of profit at any cost. There is never even a passing nod toward planning. If one problem is looked at and ‘reforms’ are discussed, it invariably leads to crisis in another area. The Third Plenum of the CPC is just one indication of the superiority of socialism in practice.
The reform that the Central Committee speaks of is designed to build a ‘high-standard socialist market economy.’ It pledges to build economic development, innovation, further integration of ‘urban-rural development,’ advancing people’s democracy, promoting ‘socialist rule of law.’ It speaks of ‘reforms in the cultural sector, ensuring and improving the people’s wellbeing, deepening reform in ecological conservation, and modernising China’s national security system.’ The scope of the plan is wide and the planning by which it will be achieved is thorough.
Economic development is not an end in itself. It is only meaningful if it is for some tangible good. In China’s case, this is the building of socialism. That construction must involve the people. Plans can only be viable if there is support from the people. It is in ensuring this idea that the Central Committee resolution becomes a plan for action.
The resolution is clear in its assessment that ‘people’s democracy’ is central to Chinese modernisation. “We must firmly stay on the path of socialist political advancement … We must diversify the forms of democracy at all levels and ensure that the principle of the people running the country is manifested in concrete and visible ways in all aspects of China’s political and social activities. We will strengthen the institutions through which the people run the country, improve the mechanisms for consultative democracy, enhance the institutions of democracy.”
Socialism is about people. The market is a mechanism that can be used to promote the welfare of the people. Sadly, this is not the case in Australia, as rapacious capitalism and its state drives more and more into austerity and despair. China experience is prepared to coexist with capitalism both domestically and importantly globally, to promote the public good.
The resolution stresses that ‘ensuring and enhancing the people’s wellbeing in the course of development is one of the major tasks of Chinese modernisation … we must refine the system for guaranteeing basic public services, work to provide inclusive public services … so as to meet people’s aspirations for a better life. We will improve the income distribution system, the employment-first policy, and the social security system, further reform the medical and healthcare systems, and improve the systems for facilitating population development and providing related services.’
2024 will be the hottest year since records have been kept. Modernisation and economic growth seem to be at odds with cutting emissions and tackling global climate destruction. Significantly, the Central Committee resolution speaks of “modernisation of harmony between humanity and nature.” It specifically takes up the issue of conservation of resources, of cutting carbon emissions, of green development. It states that China will boost economic growth, actively respond to climate change, improve the systems and mechanisms for “applying the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. We will improve the basic systems for ecological conservation, environmental governance systems, and mechanisms for green and low-carbon development.”
The document is far-reaching and optimistic. However, it is written in the full knowledge that the USA and its allies will continue to do all in their power to stop this transition to a fully developed socialism. In this realisation, the resolution reaffirms its commitment to national security and defence. It speaks of the need for China and the world to develop in peace but is not so naïve as to think that imperialism will allow a peaceful development of an ideology and economic structure that is the polar opposite to capitalist barbarism.
