Lhe death of Mikhail Gorbachev has aroused contrasting reactions in China: Beijing has recognized the constructive role it has played in the normalization between the two countries after thirty years of rupture, but the press has not hesitated to fire balls red on the man of perestroika. Already, Deng Xiaoping considered glasnost to be a political “fool”which would lead to the collapse of the USSR, because it reversed the order of priorities by privileging political reform: freedom of expression and association would lead to demonstrations and massive strikes, but also to the awakening of national identities.
Quite the opposite of the policy pursued by President Xi Jinping, whose major objective is the revitalization of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which he considered to be in decline when he came to power in 2012. Obsessed with the counter-example of Gorbachev, he is inspired by Mao Zedong with the mantra of a return to the socialist ideal, even Maoist. The 20e congress of the CPC, which was held from October 16 to 22, ratified its line and has just renewed it for a third five-year term, a fourth in 2027 not being excluded, because it will then only have 74 year.
During the previous congress, in 2017, he had, in fact, obtained the abolition of the two-term limit imposed after the death of Mao and even, supreme consecration, the introduction of his ” thought “ in the Constitution, in the same way as that of the Grand Helmsman.
But how can the second world power, hypercapitalist in many respects – it holds the world record for billionaires – embody the communist ideal? However, according to some observers, China would never have ceased to be communist and would become more and more so under Xi Jinping. In terms of the political system, we can only approve: it is indisputable that the “new Mao” imposes on the CCP a return to its red roots, including Maoists. Moreover, a sign of vitality for a party in power for seventy years, membership is progressing at a steady pace among the younger generations, even if it is difficult to disentangle the real motivations, ideological convictions or careerist calculations.
Fatal blow to the collectivist dream
However, this approach focuses on the ideological dimension carried by the CCP without taking into account two essential points. First, the specificities of the Chinese economy. Admittedly, the state plays an important role, but that does not make it a communist country. Social inequalities are more marked there than in the United States and even the billionaires are more numerous there, zealous disciples of Deng Xiaoping, who declared: “It is glorious to become rich. » As proof, many of them are members of the Party and some of Parliament.
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