The Political Economy of the Chinese Communist Party

This chapter offers an interpretation of 100 years of the Chinese Communist Party’s political economy throughout three fundamental issues that the CCP has had to deal with since its birth. First, the non-existence of the industrial base which according to Marx and Engels should represent the economic and sociological pre-condition for the revolution to materialize. Second, the need to treat Marxism as a flexible guiding theory to be interpreted according to the specifics of the Chinese case. Third, the importance for the Party of identifying the ‘primary contradiction’ facing the revolution at any given time. These three issues can be combined in a ‘Whatever it Takes’ approach which, on the one hand, means catching up with the industrialized West, and, on the other hand, preventing the emergence of an existential ‘antagonistic’ contradiction that could overturn the revolution and the regime. This is evident both in Mao and Post-Mao eras. Moreover, with Xi Jinping two of the three starting points of the CCP – Marxism-Leninism and China’s historical conditions – receive new attention. In truth, evidence of change and continuity in the political economy of the CPP can be found in the differing emphasis on being more ‘Communist’ or more ‘Chinese’.