巅峰对话Chinese socialism’s success creates an enduring alternative to globalism
GT: Which achievement of China’s development in the last decade has impressed you the most?
Pavlenko: The main achievement that makes the Chinese experience an asset to humanity as a whole is the country’s victory over absolute poverty. For a country that endured a “century of humiliation” and then almost half a century of wars, with a population of 1.4 billion people, reaching the level of “moderate prosperity” is not a quantitative, but a qualitative breakthrough.
As for global significance, China’s success has dispelled the myth about the “ineffectiveness” of socialism, on which the West has pushed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The whole world, especially developing countries, which are the future, have seen and been convinced that there is no contradiction between economic planning and the market – they can complement each other under competent, responsible leadership. The planning part is the strategy, and the market is the tactic. This is the secret of the success of China’s socialist market economy.
There is another important success, which, in my opinion, is underestimated among the experts: The combination of socialism and the market ensures the successful adaptation and functioning of the economies of regions “reunited” with the People’s Republic. The successful experience of integration based on the principle of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong and Macao will serve as a model for Taiwan.
In addition, flexibility in applying economic planning and market-based instruments played an important role in the breakthrough development of regions suffering from problems, particularly the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. China has learned how to balance the planning and the market while keeping the “commanding heights” in the hands of the state. And this Chinese “know-how” makes an important contribution to the collective experience of global socialism.
Another major achievement of China, which is especially relevant against the background of the Soviet Union’s failure, is the effective fight against corruption. Like the late Soviet Union era, China was faced with corruption before current Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power. But unlike the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the CPC found the political will and determination to crack down on corrupted party members in a way that restored the party’s credibility with the people. The work report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is the second most important one on the agenda of the CPC National Congress after the political report of the Central Committee, and this says a lot. Socialism has no “insurmountable,” “objective” dead ends; all problems are subjective. They are difficulties in the process of growth, and can be overcome by competent leadership under the support of the masses.
GT:
What significance does the recently concluded 20th CPC National Congress have for China’s future development?
Pavlenko: First of all, the Congress discussed and summarized the 10 years since 2012, beginning with the 18th CPC National Congress, which in China considers the starting point of the “new era.” The main conclusion, as it appears to us in Russia, is the recognition of socialism with Chinese characteristics as the optimal, most effective development model for China in this era. This model works in China, unlike what the critics of the Chinese experience claim. This is because China addresses its current development issues from a pragmatic position of economic expediency, but holds a firm understanding of what should be prioritized in active state social policy.
The importance of the 20th CPC National Congress also lies in the fact that the event clearly articulated and approved the main landmarks of China’s future trajectory, confirming the invariability of the strategic concept of the “two centenary goals.” Very serious conclusions were drawn from an in-depth analysis of the failures of socialist construction in the Soviet Union. It is clear, for example, that in China, they do not strew slogans or force political reforms. Instead,
they move forward systematically, step by step, creating what is called the material and technical basis of socialism. Production relations in China follow the development of productive forces; this order is strictly maintained, and no distortions that threaten the imbalance of economic and social factors are allowed. China has also maintained fairness in the distribution of both material goods and responsibility for development. In this sense, Xi’s “common prosperity” course, which includes big business in solving national problems, is reasonable.
On this basis, it seems justified and, most importantly, realistic for China to basically realize socialist modernization by 2035. Thus, as emphasized at the 20th CPC National Congress, the necessary prerequisites will be created for the success of the “second centenary goal” by 2049 – the establishment of a powerful, fully developed socialist country.
GT: You recently wrote that the results of the 20th CPC National Congress also have a global significance: “It is clear that the Western system of values has completely outlived its usefulness and that it is futile to continue to rely on it; we should talk in our own language, not that of others.” Can you elaborate on this? Pavlenko: Only socialism can save the future: Unlike globalism, socialism is able to combine scientific, technical, and technological progress with the interests of a broad majority of the people. China, together with a number of other socialist countries, clearly demonstrates how this is done, and the Chinese experience is unique and important for humankind. To the skeptics in Russia who argue about Chinese socialism, I always suggest imagining what a nightmare today’s world would be without socialist China. Its existence and success create an enduring alternative to globalism. And it gives the people of the world a choice.