The Thought of Liu Shaoqi
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The Theory of Transition in China: The Thought of Liu Shaoqi by Raymond eLYeap A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of East Asian Studies The University of Sheffield Oct 2007 Abstract Liu Shaoqi, the Chairman of the People's Republic from 1959 to 1968. had a coherent set of theories of transition which was distinctive from Maoism. Liu's theory resembled state capitalism, and the theory of transition of Nikolai Bukharin and Lenin, who believed that as long as the major industries were in the hands of the proletariat, the existence of a limited market economy and the retention of private ownership would not hinder a nation's progress towards socialism. Expanding from this principle, Liu believed that if the proletariat were in a ruling position, the purge of the bourgeoisie was not necessary as they could be educated and transformed into socialists. Therefore, Liu disliked class struggle, and did not see the ideological fractions within the Party as a threat to the central authority. The bottom line is that if the Communists' grip on power had not been challenged, a certain level of multiplicity should be tolerated. He distrusted mass mobilisation, and believed that transition to socialism could only be successful if it was under the guidance of the Party. As the nation's Chairman who carried out hisjob as Mao's front man, Liu had still managed to insert his line of thoughts into mainstream politics in disguised form, though from time to time he had to succumb to Mao's political power. Most writers from the West would regard Liu as Mao's puppet, particularly in view of his involvement in the Great Leap; whereas most Chinese writers from the PRC would try to portray him as the pioneer of market economy in support of China's economic policy. This study aims to show that beneath the fa<;ade of Mao's faithful lieutenant, Liu had been applying his own thoughts of transition in a coherent and defiant manner. 1 Acknowledgement lowe the completion of the thesis to my wife, Angie, who worked hard to support my studies and our living. Without her this would not be possible. 11 Note on Text Unless otherwise stated, all Chinese pronunciation has been translated to English via the Pinyin method. All Chinese terms and jargons have been converted into English and additional descriptions are presented in the form of footnotes. Therefore there is no glossary section in this thesis. Where references are concerned, if the titles are not stated in Chinese Pinyin, the English translations are original. No Chinese characters are used in this thesis. The original English translations of specific words have been typed within inverted commas and in italics, as these may not conform entirely to conventions of English usage. The examples are Bukharin's idea of 'grow-into socialism', and Liu's idea of business conglomerate, 'the Trust'. Full descriptions of all these terms have been provided in the thesis. Besides, the titles of books, articles and speeches are also typed within inverted commas and in italics. 111 Content List of Abbreviation ............................................................................. yi Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Hypothesis .................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background and Objectives ................................................................. 2 1.3 Summary of the Approach ................................................................. .4 1.4 Summary of Contents ........................................................................ 6 Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 12 2.2 The evaluation of References ............................................................ .14 2.2.1 The Biography of Liu ........................................................... 14 2.2.2 Primary References ............................................................ .17 2.2.3 Secondary References .......................................................... 20 2.3 The Accounts of Lowell Dittmer ......................................................... 24 2.4 Liu Shaoqi as a Theoretician.................................................................................. 29 2.5 Afterwards .................................................................................... 47 Chapter 3: Theoretical References 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................. 50 3.2 The Origin of Historical Materialism .................................................... 54 3.2.1 An Introduction .................................................................. 54 3.2.2 The Elements and Process of Historical Transformation .................. 59 3.2.3 The Period of Transition ....................................................... 65 3.3 NEP and the Origin of Lenin's Theory of Transition ................................. 69 3.3.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 69 3.3.2 Lenin and Pre-Capitalist Transition to Socialism ........................... 71 3.3.3 Workers-Peasant Alliance during the Transition ........................... 74 3.3.4 Party Discipline and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. ................... 78 3.4 Bukharin's Theory of Equilibrium and Lenin's Legacy .............................. 82 3.4.1 Lenin, Bukharin and State Capitalism ........................................ 82 3.4.2 'Growing-into' Socialism and Social Equilibrium ........................... 88 3.4.3 Bukharinism as Marxist Theory of Transition .............................. 94 3.5 Stalin and Socialism in One Country .................................................... 98 3.5.1 Socialism in Backward Country ............................................... 98 3.5.2 Stalin and NEP ................................................................. 101 3.5.3 Collectivisation the Immediate Task ....................................... .! 04 3.5.4 Stalin and Lenin ............................................................... 108 3.6 Mao's Socialist Upsurge in Rural China .............................................. .11 0 3.6.1 After the Liberation-The New Democracy ............................... 11 0 3.6.2 The High Tide of Socialism in Rural China ................................ 113 3.6.3 Mao's View on Contradiction ................................................ 118 3.6.4 Mao' s Theory of Uninterrupted Revolution ................................ 122 3.7 Afterwards ................................................................................. 12-+ lY 3.7.1 Liu's Position .................................................................. 124 3.7.2 Bukharin and Chinese Revolutionaries ..................................... 127 Chapter 4: Liu Shaoqi on Party and Organisation 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................ 131 4.2 Party's Ideological Guide: The Maoist Cult .......................................... 133 4.3 Ideological Transformation: Self Cultivation and Party Purification .............. 142 4.4 Contradiction, Inner Party Pluralism and Democratic Centralism ................. 150 4.5 Afterwards ................................................................................. 159 Chapter 5: Liu Shaoqi on Economy 5.1 Introduction: The Consolidation of New Democracy ................................ 161 5.2 The Primacy of Productive Force ....................................................... 169 5.2.1 The Retention of Capitalism ................................................. 169 5.2.2 The Reform on Work, Rewards and Distribution ......................... 174 5.2.3 Private Farming ............................................................... .180 5.3 Cooperative as a Mean of Distribution ................................................ .188 5.3.1 Introduction ..................................................................... 188 5.3.2 The Objective of Cooperative: Liu's Perspective ......................... 194 5.3.3 'The Trust'-Business Cartel in The Socialist World ..................... .199 5.3.4 The Operation of Cooperatives: Liu's Perspective ....................... .205 Chapter 6: Liu and The Great Leap-Ideological Inconsistency or Political Expediency? 6.1 The Origin of the Great Leap ............................................................ 214 6.2 Anti Rash-Advance ........................................................................ 221 6.3 The Launch of the Leap .................................................................. 227 6.4 Lushan Conference and the Aftermath ................................................. 242 Chapter 7: The Conclusion ............................................................. 255 List of References .........................................................................263 List of Abbreviations (The author name in the form of editorial board or institution will be quoted in abbreviation in the text) BNSBWH Zhongguo gongchandang biannianshi bianweihui (The Editorial Board of the Chronology of Historical Events of The Chinese Communist Party) CCP Chinese Communist Party DZHBJ Deng Zihui zhuan bianji weiyuanhui (The Editorial Committee of the Biography of Deng Zihui) GXHZSJJ Gongxiao hezuoshe jingji (The Economy of Supply and Marketing Cooperative) (A journal's title) NYWYH Guojia nongye weiyuanhui (The National Agricultural Committee) RMCBS Renmin