EFF STATEMENT ON THE 100. ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA.

Thursday, 01 July 2021

The EFF, a revolutionary Marxist-Leninist-Fanonian movement in South Africa joins millions of progressive forces all over the world in celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). With over 90 million members, the CPC is the largest Communist Parry, one of the biggest political panics, and one of the most successful revolutionary movements in world today.

We, the revolutionary forces in the world that ascribe to Marxism-Leninism, are always inspired and driven by so many achievements of a revolutionary movement which defied all odds to lead one of the most successful and still growing socialist economies in the present age. The Communist Parry of China continues to demonstrate the superiority of Marxist-Leninist logic in the organisation of the party, management of the economy and leadership of society as a whole.

The story of the Communist Party of China is a constant reminder to all revolutionaries around the globe that a different world is possible, free of the exploitation of the majority by the minority. A world where the interests of the majority matter more than the greed of the minority. China's development over the past 100 years is evidence that solid ideological grounding is the sine quo non for development, and that socialism is the only liberatory ideological framework which the formerly oppressed and exploited can use to free themselves of exploitation and lift up society to a higher stage of development.

The CPC was founded on the 1st of July in 1921 in Shanghai by Chinese intellectuals such as Chen Duxiu, who was referred to as China's Lenin, as well as Li Dachao. The part drew its inspiration from the May 4th Movement, which was an anti-feudal movement founded by students in China. The 4th May Movement was inspired by the Bolshevik Great Socialist Revolution in Russia. This speaks to the internationalist nature of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution, and the fact that it inspired worldwide revolt against repressive systems and awakened working-class consciousness across the length and breadth of the globe.

What the formation of the Communist Party of China also reveals is that consciousness has be the purposely planted in the minds and hearts of the people, particularly young people. While the party was formed by the Chinese revolutionaries we have mentioned, it was supervised from its infancy by agents sent by the Communist International. After its establishment, the CPC led Chinese people in a constant struggle against imperialism, remnants of feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism that was the hallmark of the nationalist regime of Kuomintang party.

MAO ZEDONG'S CONTRIBUTION

Mao is certainly one of the most important figures of the 20th century. As a founding member of the Communist Party of China, and one of the key leaders of the revolutionary strides made by the CPC prior to the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Mao was already an accomplished leader even before the end of the civil war in China. His leadership of the communists in the Long March endeared him to the peasants and the working class in China.

However, his lasting contribution has to be the formation of the People's Republic of China itself in 1949, and the firm commitment to Marxism as a guiding theoretical framework for the country. While there has been much criticism of the Great Leap and the Cultural Revolution, it was these very historical acts that prepared the ground for the development of China to the giant it is today. His lasting commitment to the working class is a timeless legacy to the whole world. His commitment to the leadership of the working class is best captured in his paper entitled "ON THE PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC DICTATORSHIP", wherein he says:

"The people's democratic dictatorship needs the leadership of the working class. For it is only the working class that is most farsighted, most selfless and most thoroughly revolutionary. The entire history of revolution proves that without the leadership of the working-class revolution fails and that with the leadership of the working-class revolution triumphs.

In the epoch of imperialism, in no country can any other class lead any genuine revolution to victory. This is clearly proved by the fact that the many revolutions led by China's petty bourgeoisie and national bourgeoisie all failed". Mao is the undisputed founder and inspiration of China's forceful entry into the realm of global power, and in a manner steeped on Marxism.

DENG XIOAPING CONTRIBUTION

Deng Xiaoping took over the leadership of China in 1978, and embarked on State reforms that would transform China from a low-income economy into what is today the second largest economy in the world. He introduced the concept of the socialist market economy in 1978, and from the reforms he introduced, Chinese people living in poverty dropped from 88 % in 1981 to 6% in 2017.

Deng announced the official launch of the Four Modernizations: agriculture, defence, industry and science and technology, which marked the beginning of the reform and opening-up policies. This notwithstanding, the State was still guided by Marxism, and focused on eliminating poverty and using the authority of the State to guide industrial development in China.

During his reign, China achieved the most rapid growth of any major economy in world history, China experienced the fastest growth of living standards of any major economy, China lifted 620 million people out of internationally defined poverty. He was able to drive this development while deeply rooted in Marxist theory, and not on some quasi-capitalism, as some have argued. In his paper titled "In Everything We Do We Must Proceed from the Realities of the Primary Stage of Socialism", Deng was clear of the pragmatic steps China had to take, and articulated them as follows:

"China is developing its economy in three steps. Two steps will be taken in this century, to reach the point where our people have adequate food and clothing and lead a fairly comfortable life. The third step, which will take us 30 to 50 years into the next century, is to reach the level of the moderately developed countries. These are our strategic objectives and our high ambitions".

XI-JINPING'S THOUGHT

Xi- Jinping took over office as the leader of China in 2013, and established himself as a pragmatic Marxist, and since he took over, Xi thought has systematically addressed the 'major question of our times, as CPC argued, and these are the form and principles of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era.

He represents a pragmatic adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context, while still ushering in a new era of China's socialist modernisation and governance based on strengthening the CPC, and eliminating poverty in its entirety in China. The main thrust of his though was incorporated into the Party's Constitution by the 19. National Congress of the CPC, and emphasizes the following:

China's system and capacity for governance and to pursue reform in a more systematic, holistic and coordinated way".

President Xi has been unwavering in his pursuit of this goal, and has repositioned China as a major player in global politics, while keeping the Party and the country rooted in Marxist thought.

Overall, the CPC has demonstrated since 1953 that a planned economy is almost a panacea to developmental challenges and problems. China had planned economy through five-year plans which included the following plans:

1) The first five-year plan, between 1953 and 1957, focused on rapid industrial development, and it is to this end that the bulk of State resources were channelled. The focus was on building the capacity of the country to be self-sufficient in iron and steel production, electric power, coal, heavy engineering, building materials and basic chemicals.

2) The second five-year plan, between 1958 and 1962, was what became known as the Great Leap Forward, and this entailed the collectivization of the agricultural economy, and the abolishment of private ownership of agricultural land. This was aimed at increasing agricultural output and ensuring self-sustainability of agricultural production. Also important in this plan was the focus on expanding heavy industry in the country.

3) The third five year plan came late, in 1966 and was to end in 1970, and this focused on agricultural development, with lessons learnt from the Great Leap Forward shortcomings. This plan also focused on strengthening defence and improving technology.

4) The fourth plan, from 1971 to 1975, and this aimed at growing the gross value of agriculture and industry to about 12.5% of the economy, and for massive budgets for infrastructure growth and investments.

5) 1976 to 1980 saw the implementation of the fifth five-year plan, which also included the Ten-Year Plan Outline of Developing National Economy. This plan intensified industrial development, and focused primarily on steel production, as well as coal and petroleum development.

6) The sixth five-year plan, between 1981 and 1985 as focused on achieving an annual growth rate of 5% for agricultural and industrial products, and to promote enterprise technological development. This was also focused on building the national defence industry and building the capacity of the defence forces in China.

7) The seventh five-year plan was implemented between 1986 and 1990 and focused on reform agendas and streamlining economic development policies and opening up more to the outside world.

8) The eighth five-year plan was between 1991 and 1995, and this marked the beginning of the new phase of China's development, and the economy grew at about 11% during this period.

9) 1996 to 2000 saw the implementation of the ninth five-year plan, which focused on completing the modernisation drive of the economy, and on limiting population growth, while eliminating poverty.

10) The tenth plan was for the period between 2001 and 2005 and focused on keeping the growth rate at about 7%, keeping prices of goods stable, and raising funding for research and development.

11) The eleventh plan, between 2006 and 2010, and focused on keeping economic growth at about 7.5%, and increasing energy and water access to the majority of the citizens. The plan also focused on intensifying access to education for the vast majority o the citizens.

12) The twelfth five-year plan was for the period between 2011 and 2015 and focused on development of small cities to absorb migration, to curb the rise of housing prices, increased large-scale hydropower plants, and building 36 million new affordable housing for low income people.

13) The thirteenth five-year plan, for the period between 2016 and 2020, focused on innovation as the key driver of the Chinese economy. This entailed the use of technology in agriculture and in industry, and he development of green technologies to minimize impact on the environment.

China is now implementing its fourteenth five-year development plan, which is focused on lifting the country even higher in its economic aspirations and international standing.

We as the EFF learn the following from the Communist Party of China:

1) Marxism-Leninism remains the most logical ideological foundation for building a revolutionary movement and guiding the economy and society towards common prosperity.

2) Marxism is not dogma and must always be adapted to changing domestic and global conditions and this is reflected in China's adoption of and adherence to 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics".

3) Revolutionary solidarity must define and guide all revolutionary forces in the world.

4) Neoliberalism is not and cannot be sustainable and correct mechanism to drive the development of the productive forces.

5) The State, sufficiently capacitated, with zero tolerance to corruption, can lead a revolutionary programme of development, that centres the well being of the people as a whole.

6) Leaders of the revolution, across all levels, and at all times, must be steeped in ideology. Development does not happen in a vacuum; it is a product of ideological commitment.

7) Socialism doesn't mean deprivation and hunger, properly applied, socialism is a liberatory ideal that all oppressed people must aspire for.

The rise of a socialist, humanitarian and more progressive China is a welcome relief after decades of dominance of American imperialism. There is practically nothing in the world that can stop the rise of socialist and progressive China

Our calls to the CPC as it celebrates the 100. anniversary of its existence, include the following:

1) China must unashamedly continue to build solidarity with all progressive Marxist-Leninist forces all over the world and particularly contribute to the ideological, political and organisational development and growth of all progressive forces in the world like it is doing with the World Symposium for Marxist Political Parties.

2) China must consider cancelling all debts of impoverished countries, particularly in the underdeveloped economies.

3) China must aggressively and purposely play a leading role in the industrialisation (development of the productive forces) in all countries in the world.

4) China must play a more central role in peacekeeping and peace-making.

5) China must be the leading voice in calling for the reform of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund.

6) China must unapologetically lead a new socialist world order devoid of imperialism, imperialist wars and dispossession of the powerless.

7) China must lead in the establishment of alternative progressive global institutions, that must provide a counter-narrative to established institutions, and the aim of those progressive institutions must be to provide support to emerging socialist economies the world over

We as the EFF will continue to draw inspiration from the CPC and its leadership.

Issued by the EFF, 1 July 2021