24 China Supplement Out of steam For all intents, the Chinese leadership is energetic and united. But it is a fragile mask, plastered with tired slogans and contorted ideology, writes Nick Knight. n the walce of the prerogatives to managers and an em­ resolution, while commenting nega­ dramatic events of June phasis on profitability, the en­ tively on the policies and ideas of 1989, the reshuffled couragement of private ownership, Mao Zedong during the last two leadership of the and the opening of the Chinese decades of his life, reiterated that Chinese Communist Partyeconomy (CCP) to investment and technol­ marxism-leninism and Mao Zedong ogy transfer from the capitalist West. thought remained the guiding and has moved to reinforce Thereits tar* can be no doubt that the official ideology of the CCP. Mao nnished legitimacy through retreatbreath­ from socialism in China in Zedong thought is the “crystal­ ing new life into the official the economic realm, and the ‘get lisation of the collective wisdom of ideology, marxism-leninism and rich' mentality fostered by the CCP, the Party”, “a scientific system ” to Mao Zeaong thought. led to a high level of cynicism among which many of China’s leading the population at large and among revolutionaries, especially Deng In doing so, the triumvirate of Deng many intellectuals and party cadres Xiaoping, have made a significant Xiaoping, Li Peng and Jiang Zemin towards the party’s rhetoric on contribution. In Deng's hands, Mao has not so much had to formulate ideological issues, and it is in the Zedong thought has been employed new ideological themes as resurrect face of this cynicism that the party as legitimation of an economic slogans, values and concepts which leadership is now pushing the need reform program which Mao himself were already part and parcel of for political and ideological educa­ consistently opposed during his Chinese marxism, but whose in­ tion to counter the unhealthy ten­ own lifetime. fluence had declined as a result of dencies which its own economic To achieve this, Deng has stressed the pragmatic economic policies policies have engendered. pursued throughout the 1980s, the importance of "seeking truth These exhortations to renewed from facts” (a slogan which Mao en­ These economic policies witnessed ideological rectitude are premised dorsed but which can be used to in agriculture a return to a on the formulations contained in the justify any set of policies, depending household-based production sys­ resolution on party history passed on which ’facts’ are emphasised), tem and the dismantling of the com­ by the sixth plenum of the eleventh and the establishment of a form of munes; in industry increased central committee in June 1981, This socialism with Chinese charac­ A l d ; FEBRUARY 1991 China Supplement 25 teristics (again, an open-ended con­ demned as counter-revolutionary ception which can be redefined to and not at all patriotic. suit the policies of the day). It is also very clear that a conscious The notion of Mao Zedong thought attempt is being made by party as a developing system of thought to leaders to link the idea of patriotism which other Chinese leaders can with the concept of socialism with contribute has allowed it to be readi­ Chinese characteristics. To achieve ly mobilised by the current leader­ this, the Chinese populace is being ship in defence of its actions in the reminded of the virtues exhibited by wake of the events of mid-1989. In the party and the sacrifices it made particular, the current leadership during the anti-Japanese War of has drawn on those themes within 1937-45. The Yan’an spirit incor- Mao Zedong thought compatible orates the values of patriotism, with a continuation of the economic Sugal living and hard struggle, self- reforms and a stress on social reliance and a willingness to stability and party leadership. In sacrifice oneself for the collective good, party discipline, and a com­ other words, despite some flirtation with increased centralisation of the mitment to the study of marxist theory and to its integration with the economy towards the end of 1989, realities of China’s revolutionary Li Peng and Jiang Zemin have made struggle. Party cadres are also being it clear that the general thrust of the reminded of the importance of the reforms of the 1980s, including mass-line, a principle for party opening China to the world, will leadership formulated by Mao continue. What will alter will be a during the Yan’an period, which in­ Lei Feng tightening of party leadership, an sists on close contact between increased emphasis on political and cadres and masses, something ideological work, and the inculca­ which the present party leaders is reputed to have been a young tion of values which will reinforce admit has been neglected during soldier whose life in every the social stability which the recent years. A further experience respect constituted a model of economic reforms themselves from the Yan’an period to be revived socialist probity; his thoughts, threaten. is the party rectification campaign of recorded in a diary, 1942-44, during which cadres un­ demonstrated boundless This can be seen clearly in the sort derwent intensive education in the devotion and loyalty to of values being promoted. One of the party’s history and policies, and in Chairman Mao and the party; most significant of these is the sinified marxism endorsed by his actions, from the most patriotism. Li Ruihuan, a member of Mao. The push for the study of mar­ menial to the ultimate sacrifice the standing com m ittee of the xist theory sanctioned by this earlier of his life in the people’s cause, party's Politburo, emphasised the campaign is being reproduced in the represented the ideal of importance of patriotism in a major context of the current party con­ subjection of self to the pursuit speech in May 1990 on political and solidation campaign in which of the collective good. Mao ideological work. He commented: cadres are exhorted to study mar­ Zedong launched the first "Under the present new historical xism and to rectify bad styles of ’Learn from Lei Feng’ campaign situation of building socialism in work. in 1963, and since then the China, our emphasis on the impor­ model hero has been trotted out tance of ideological and political The Yan’an spirit has thus been used from time to time. While the work is intended to inspire the as a multifaceted model for emula­ campaign proceeded fitfully people to cultivate a dedicated and tion over the past year. Another and without much apparent profound sense of patriotism for our model from the Maoist past which success during the 1980s, it has has had new life breathed into it is great motherland and enhance their moved into top gear since June Lei Feng (see box). national pride and confidence." 1989 as the party leadership has Education in patriotism is to be car­ The struggle against 'bourgeois attempted to counter the ried out in primary and middle liberalisation’ has been one of the negative influence of bourgeois schools, in organisations such as the most evident aspects of the response liberalisation, a trend of Communist Youth League and of China’s leaders to the events of thought within Chinese society Young Pioneers, and in party cadre 1989 but, as with exhortations to which it regards as primarily schools; and this emphasis on learn from Lei Feng, the current responsible for all the patriotism, particularly among leadership is resuscitating an al­ deleterious ideological and Chinese youth, is clearly intended to ready existing campaign rather than political manifestations which undercut the appeals to patriotism launching a new one. ‘Bourgeois culminated in the expressed by students of the pro­ liberalisation’ is perceived as an “counter-revolutionary turmoil” democracy movement prior to June ideological trend which is hostile to of mid-1989. 1989, a movement now roundly con­ socialism and excessively sym- M R : FEBRUARY 1991 26 China Supplement somewhat ironical, however, that theory. Cadres and soldiers are once while Wang recognises that the again obliged to undertake political The 'fo u r economic reforms of the 1980s have education, and to study the works of cardinal had an impact on China’s class struc­ Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and ture, producing what he describes as the classics of marxism. Similarly, principles' a "middle class” responsible for because there has been much con­ generating the ideological trend of cern over the ideological standard of involve keeping to the socialist ‘bourgeois liberalisation’, neither he tertiary students, political education road, upholding the nor any of the other Chinese leaders classes have been reintroduced to dictatorship of the proletariat, has challenged the essential thrust the curriculum, and at Beijing upholding the leadership of the of those reforms, choosing rather to University first-year students are Communist Party, and combat the unrest and dissatisfac­ now obliged to undertake a year­ upholding marxism-leninism tion the reforms have caused long course in military and political and Mao Zedong thought. through increased ideological and training before embarking on their political education, and tighter specialist courses. party control over political and cul­ However, one wonders how effec­ tural life. tive in the long-term this pressure by If ‘bourgeois liberalisation’ has been the party's leadership to study mar­ roundly denounced as all that is xism-leninism and Mao Zedong negative, the ‘four cardinal thought will be. The root cause of the pathetic to Western concepts of principles’ have been projected as ideological trend of ‘bourgeois freedom and democracy, a trend the fundamental and unchallen- liberalisation’ which it finds so which has become increasingly per­ gable values which will safeguard threatening can be traced back, in vasive during the 1980s.