Chinese New Left

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The Chinese "New Left" ( Chinese  新 左派 , Pinyin Xīn Zuǒpài ) is a school of intellectual thought that questions capitalist aspects of Chinese economic reforms and the general position of the Chinese government on neocapitalism .

The Chinese "New Left" is seen by its representatives as the answer to the problems of the government of the People's Republic of China since modernization in the 1980s, the growing social inequality between the coast and the hinterland, as well as between the rich and the poor.

Origin of the movement

The term “New Left” has its origins in the revolts of young people in the 1960s . However, this direction does not correspond to the self-image of today's intellectuals. They want to reform the system “from within” and do not need any radical outside influences. But the intellectuals reject the term “new left”. They prefer the term “liberal” or “critical” left. One suspects too many negative associations with late Maoism and the ideas of the Cultural Revolution .

The pioneer, by which many new leftists orientate themselves today, was the author Lu Xun (1881–1936). He was always critical of other left-wing authors and was both pleased and skeptical of the idea of ​​Western progress. The Chinese "New Left" emerged in the 80s to the already prevailing ideas of liberalism and neo-authoritism as a countercurrent . In the beginning it was heavily criticized because the population assumed that an attitude against the modern economy was to be equated with the desire for the cultural revolution . In the mid-1990s, the economic reforms in Russia and the Asian crisis (1997) contributed significantly to the rise of the “New Left”. Belief in the state as the regulator of the economy burned strongly through the crisis. Horrified how polarized the population was, among other things due to the Asian crisis, the “New Left” decided to protect the interests of the 800 million farmers who were not considered by the new reforms. With the upswing, new left intellectuals can freely publish their books and writings " Dushu " as long as they do not break certain taboos, such as direct criticism of the leadership.

Representative

Important representatives of the "New Left" are: Wang Hui , Cui Zhiyuan , Gan Yang , Xudong Zhang and Wang Shaoguang . Most of these intellectuals are middle-aged university professors who have researched and taught at an American university.

Views on current politics

The Chinese "New Left" denounces that the Chinese Communist Party has officially committed itself to equality, but has increasingly opened up to wealthy business people. Many politicians use their power to become successful entrepreneurs. The rural regions are severely neglected. As a result, an alliance of elite politicians with commercial interests has emerged. The beginning of privatization has led to strong corruption and enrichment of the cadre . In recent years, the Chinese government has "passed" the rural population and allowed individuals to enrich themselves against the common good.

Theses and goals

The main theme of the “New Left” is the restoration of a state capable of acting in order to enable more distributive justice in the population. The following aspects are seen as the basis for this:

  • A monopoly prevail
  • Collect more taxes
  • Distribute resources
  • To discipline one's own institution with regard to abuse of power
  • Regulate the economy

They do not call for the abolition of the market economy and a return to a planned economy , but a government capable of acting, which should again subordinate the market to society and fulfill its old, unfulfilled obligations towards the peasants and workers. It is of the opinion that the market should subordinate itself to society and not, as it is now, society to the market.

Debate between the Liberals and the "New Left"

Role of the state:

  • Liberals: The state has to hold back in order to enable market growth.
  • Left: A strong state is necessary to reform and lead the market.

Globalization / opening of China:

  • Liberals: It is in China's interests to accept globalization , no matter what negative effects it might bring.
  • Left: The social problems in China can be traced back to globalization ("Western epidemic" & "Market epidemic"). The source of all evil lies in the entry of foreign capital and the market economy.

Gap between poor and rich:

  • Liberals: The market is not the cause of inequality, but the result of corruption .
  • Left: The focus is on economic justice and not just on growth at any price.

Ownership / state ownership:

  • Liberals: The affirmation of property rights, especially private property rights, protects the material interests of the millions of working people and entrepreneurs in the private sector.
  • Left: The privatization of state-owned companies only makes sense for a small group of people and farmers are left out.

The “New Left” is often criticized by liberal intellectuals like Liu Junning , who believe that China is not liberal enough. Liberals assume that inequality and the growing gap between rich and poor is a necessary phase in the development of a developing country .

There are also so-called sub-groups in the “New Left”. They are more radical in their views and more attached to Marxism . For example, you speak out against the Chinese policy of openness and do not see the great leap forward and the Cultural Revolution as ideologically wrong.

The forms of intercourse in bourgeois society (capital, wage labor, commodities, state, nation) are not called into question, only neoliberalism . The “New Left” wants the state to reintegrate the market into society.

Cui Zhiyuan himself says that there is a possibility of a positive clash between capitalism and socialism . "One has the historical possibility of forming a better, more just society than the West," says Cui Zhiyuan. He went on to say that China should not only concentrate on the USA, but also improve relations with countries like Japan and India . “We try to create an atmosphere in which new theories and systems of politics can be developed,” adds Cui Zhiyuan.

literature

  • Chaohua Wang: One China, Many Paths. Verso, London 2005, ISBN 1-84467-535-1 , p. 62.
  • Renate Dillmann: China. VSA, Hamburg 2009, ISBN 3-89965-380-7 , pp. 370-378.
  • Zhiyuan Cui: How to Comprehend Today's China. Contemporary Chinese Thought, vol. 37, no.4, Summer 2006.

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Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Felix Wemheuer: Chinas Neue Linke. In: Jungle World . June 23, 2011, accessed March 12, 2016 .
  2. ↑ a b c Li He: China's New Left . In: East Asian Policy . tape 1 , no. 1 , 2009, p. 30-37 ( PDF ).
  3. ↑ a b c d Pankaj Mishra: China's New Leftist. In: The New York Times . October 15, 2006, accessed March 12, 2016 .