Abstract
This paper aims at establishing communism in China and its effects on the government, economy, and lifestyle.
Introduction
In world history, communism is often associated with negative points. When communism is brought up, cruel regimes in the former Germany, U.S.S.R, and Yugoslavia and also current regimes in nations such as, North Korea, China and Cuba are time and again thought of depressingly. In addition to that, communism is associated with government control, limited personal freedoms, and a police state. Seemingly, all these curtail civil liberties. Ideally, some nations have tried communism and failed because of the methods they opt to use and people or parties trying to institute it (Minxin 67).
Notably, communist countries have used atrocious tactics in history, however, at its core; communism is not about denial or cruelty. Instead, communism is a political deal that stresses on equity for all, in essence, everyone should have equal share. Basically, the ideology behind communism is simple, wealth gained is evenly distributed, there is no rich or poor, everyone is equal. Although most post war nations, such as Japan, were working towards democracy, many parts of eastern Asia were making the bold switch to communism. China was among the nations that were going down the path of communism, and this decision would alter the government, daily life, and economics of China forever.
Communism
Communism is the violent and extreme form of radical socialism. It is a force that advocates for equity among people and groups, in addition, it promises equitable distribution, efficient production, feeling of fraternity between individuals, and ensuring economic self-sufficiency to all. Karl Marks developed the political philosophy of communism. It is therefore a social structure in which property is commonly controlled and classes abolished. In the past, many communist governments based their ideology on Marxism-Leninism. Communism as a political ideology is normally considered a socialism branch, that is; a big group of political and economic philosophies that dwell on intellectual and political movements with the background on French and Industrial revolution. Communism depends on who you work for, what you do, and how long you decide to work (Ding 12).
In order to attain full communism, intelligent and consciousness efforts must be made. Ideally, communism aims at building up a classless society where everyone is entitled to their adequate opportunities for self-expression and self-development. Communism ensures economic freedom to every worker, seeks to prevent the exploitation of man by man.
China’s Government before Communism
Before Communism, China had a dynastic form of government that was ruled by an Emperor. Its last dynasty which had begun ruling in 1644 was the Qing dynasty. This dynasty continued ruling the country till late 1912. China has traditionally been a serf owning economy. The majority of Chinese worked in Imperial China in slave like situations. Ruled by emperors, China was an archaic nation where leaders put heavy duties on importing commodities. The social structure in China was outmoded, for instance, landlords who are the gentry class dominated the common man (peasants) who were the biggest majority in the country. Till the time of Mao’s death, China was doomed; it was struggling against imperialists and foreign invaders. Its military was weak and nations such as Japan and Britain took advantage of it. As a result, standards of living in China were low, and its economy underperformed. Basically, during the 150 year period that led to communist revolution, China’s society and economy were weak. The Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China which was under Mao Zedong’s control was formed 1921. It is the ruling and founding party of People’s Republic of China. Although it coexists with eight other parties, it is the only governing party of China. It was founded by Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu in 1921 and grew steadily to becoming the largest political party in the world. It has a membership of 82.8 million and it is organized on a democratic centralism basis (Dickson 34). This is a principle that is conceived by Vladimir Lenin and it entails open and democratic discussion on policy. This party influences and oversees various aspects of people’s lives especially what they watch on TV, or what they learn in school. Seemingly, CCP is not representative since it is obsessive about control, and only a quarter of its members are women. The CPP controls almost all government functions on national and local level. It has a huge network of 72 million party organizations and party members who are carefully selected. It is a hierarchical and an authoritarian system where power is concentrated among selected leaders. The selected leader rules along with Politburo (nine members of the standing committee). The Formation of the CCP The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in Shanghai in 1921. Originally, it was just a study group, later, the Nationalist army and Chinese Communists joined the group to free the warlord country. CCP is largely made up of government officials, farmers, army officers, employees of companies owned by the state, and model workers. In 1930, the CCP was involved in a civil war with the Nationalists, and Chiang Kai-shek Sun Yat-sen’s successor. It control’s every aspect of China’s government (Shambaugh 57).
BJoining the Nationalist Party Notably, joining the party leads to significant benefits. Members are in a good position to access many jobs and better information. In addition, members are able to network with important people such as decision makers who influence their lives, careers and businesses. To join CCP, applicants need to undergo examination and exhaustive checks and also be backed by existing members. Civil War against the Nationalist Party The civil war against the National Party or the 1949 Revolution was a war of liberation. It was a war between the Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party which began during World War II. During this war, there was a dictatorial suppression of dissent in areas that were nationally controlled; it was as a result of increased American officials. Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek, leaders of the Nationalist and communist parties met for talks on forming a post-war government. The civil war gained strength in 1947 to 1949 where communists appeared to gain victory. This war began immediately after Japanese forces departed Chinese soil. At this time, communist forces that were under Mao Zedong were in a position to merge. This war is significant in Chinese history. America’s foreign policy was greatly affected by the success of the Communist takeover in China. Taking control of the Government of China At the Gate of the Heavenly Peace in Beijing in 1949, Mao declared the People’s Republic of China. At that time, China was facing real issues as it had been fighting a civil war. In addition, it was also fighting a full-scale war with Japan from 1937 to 1945 (Pei 114). At this time, China was facing real problems. The towns had high unemployment, money was valueless, its population was increasing by close to 14 million every year, and the countryside was experiencing food shortage. As the chairman of the People’s Republic, Mao passed the Agrarian reform Law. After passing the reform law, party officials moved around China to solve issues of land reforms. It is during this time that landlords were rounded up. Peasants were encouraged by the Communist Party to try ‘evil landowners’ by taking over land. The structure of the CCP The CPP controls almost all government functions on national and local level. It has a huge network of 72 million party organizations and party members who are carefully selected. It is a hierarchical and an authoritarian system where power is concentrated among selected leaders. The selected leader rules along with Politburo (nine members of the standing committee). CCP is largely made up of government officials, farmers, army officers, employees of companies owned by the state, and model workers. In 1930, the CCP was involved in a civil war with the Nationalists, and Chiang Kai-shek Sun Yat-sen’s successor. It control’s every aspect of China’s government (Yongnian 15).The different levels of the CCP The Communist Party is the only party that is in power in China. It has both local and central organizations. The Central Committee is at the top, and the Political Bureau as well as the Standing Committee exercise powers of the Central Committee. Both the standing committee and the political Bureau are elected by the central committee’s plenary session. According to its program, the principle of democratic centralism, and constitution, the CPC is a unified entry. The party’s constitution stipulates that any Chinese farmer, worker, or armed forces who accept the constitution and the program must pay membership dues regularly, and must to carry out decisions of the party. How the officials are elected Elections of CCP are majorly base on a hierarchical electoral system. In this system, the local people in the congress are elected directly into the system. Chinese Communist Party has a tendency of choosing leaders for village-level party activities at the county or district level. Through the Communist Party of China, candidates can be nominated for direct elections (Pei 221). What part of the government the CCP controls Since it was founded, the CCP has controlled all functions of the government on both national and local levels though it is a large network of approximately 74 million members who are elected as members of party organizations or party members. Te system is hierarchical and power is merged by selected members who serve as the leaders of China (Dirlik 84).Effects on China The CPP which was established in 1949 faced many challenges in consolidating its power over implementing the socialist policies and mainland it advocated. However, despite these challenges, it is the core of leadership in China. When it came to power, its self-defined mandated rule brought about social changes in China. It advocated for equity, and social justice unlike the former system. Daily Life
The CPP greatly changed people’s lifestyle in China. Chinese people had a new sense of ownership. With the new law the party stressed on equity for all people. In essence, everyone should have equal share. Basically, the ideology behind communism is simple, wealth gained is evenly distributed, there is no rich or poor, everyone is equal.Government Chinese government changed from being stiff to adjusting to changes. This system considered the lives of people more than it previously did. For instance, new programs were formed to enhance the lives of people in China. Secondly, the party aims at building up a classless society where everyone is entitled to their adequate opportunities for self-expression and self-development. Economics
In regards to the economy, the party ensures economic freedom to every worker. This seeks to prevent the exploitation of man by man. Since the party was formed, there have been major developments in the economy. Effects on Freedom Chinese now have a sense of freedom. In the hierarchical system, freedom was a nightmare. However, formation of CPP brought in a coherent system that respected the rights of all people in China. In China today, everyone feels secure, and free (Byrne 614). Communism in China Today
China’s current constitution which was created in 1982 includes many civil rights such as; free press, worship, the right to own property, and the right to trial. Despite efforts to adhere to the constitution, there are numerous underlying issues. For instance, methods for reviewing new laws are not provided by the judicial system. However, people’s lives vary. The middle class is growing steadily. Government owns many businesses and controls much of the economy. Communism depends on who you work for, what you do, and how long you decide to work. Therefore, China has a special way of running its government and the country at large. China has traditionally been a serf owning economy. The majority of Chinese worked in Imperial China in slave like situations. Ruled by emperors, China was an archaic nation where leaders put heavy duties on importing commodities. The social structure in China was outmoded, for instance, landlords who are the gentry class dominated the common man (peasants) who were the biggest majority in the country. Till the time of Mao’s death, China was doomed; it was struggling against imperialists and foreign invaders. Its military was weak and nations such as Japan and Britain took advantage of it (Huang 17).
Without communism, Nationalists could not have made strides in destroying other societal and economic forces like Capitalists Shanghai. Essentially, China could have been very weak, prune to attacks, and unstable. Communism ensures economic freedom to every worker, seeks to prevent the exploitation of man by man. Therefore, without communism, China would not be the supper nation it is today. China has traditionally been a serf owning economy. The majority of Chinese worked in Imperial China in slave like situations. Ruled by emperors, China was an archaic nation where leaders put heavy duties on importing commodities. The social structure in China was outmoded, for instance, landlords who are the gentry class dominated the common man (peasants) who were the biggest majority in the country. Chinese government changed from being stiff to adjusting to changes. This system considered the lives of people more than it previously did. For instance, new programs were formed to enhance the lives of people in China. Secondly, the party aims at building up a classless society where everyone is entitled to their adequate opportunities for self-expression and self-development.
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