Considered The Reincarnation of Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping with The Return of Commmand Economy (edited by: edoooreo)
A. Xi Jinping was elected as president for 3 terms
Xi Jinping returned to power as president of China with a continuation of three terms after being re-elected as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. After the convening of the 20th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) congress which took place in Beijing, China. President Xi Jinping also serves as chairman of the CCP's Central Military Commission. In that position, it means that Xi leads the police and military in China.
During these 3 periods, Xi Jinping believed that his country could create new miracles by implementing the government to continue to follow socialism with Chinese characteristics. This was made clear by Xi's speech at the opening of the 20th party congress yesterday, that China is moving in the opposite direction from liberalization. Obsessed with national security, he focused more on removing all ideological and geopolitical challenges than reform and opening up, the policies that brought China out of poverty. Xi used the term "new era" 39 times in his speech. He is proud of the achievements of the party under his leadership
Xi's position was strengthened by some of his loyalists, totaling 7 people in the Politburo Committee. One of them was the head of the Shanghai branch of the Communist Party, Li Qiang, who held the number two position on the committee. He is predicted to occupy the position of Prime Minister (PM) to replace Li Keqiang and strengthen Xi's policies.
In his speech, Xi stated that in his presidency over the past 2 terms, China was getting closer to 'national rejuvenation' and also strengthened its position on the world stage. However, he also warned of 'dark clouds and dangerous storms' in the future. In his speech, Xi stated that in his presidency over the past 2 terms, China was getting closer to 'national rejuvenation' and also strengthened its position on the world stage.
However, he also warned of 'dark clouds and dangerous storms' in the future. His speech provided important clues about the future direction of his leadership. Previously, there were fears that China would shut itself out of the world economy
Mao Zedong, the founding father of Communist China, once said, "Political power grows from the barrel of a gun."
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Mao ensured that it was the party that controlled the People's Liberation Army (TPR), not the state. Since then, the CCP leader has also become chairman of the Central Military Commission (KMP).
Xi was luckier than his predecessor, Hu Jintao, because he immediately became chairman of the KMP.
He also wasted no time and quickly eliminated the opposition within the armed forces.
The most shocking episodes occurred in 2014 and 2015, when former KMP deputy chairman Xu Caihou and former TPR general Guo Boxiong were accused of corruption.
"They were retired when the allegations surfaced, but Xi's ability to target them diminishes former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin's longstanding influence in the TPR," said Joel Wuthnow, a senior fellow at the Pentagon-funded National Defense University.
"It also sends a strong signal to serving military officers that no one resisting Xi's control is immune from harm," he added.
In 2018, "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was enshrined in the country's constitution."
Having an ideology named after him strengthens Xi's legacy.
Before Xi, only Mao Zedong reached this point. Even Deng Xiaoping, who is known as the architect of China's modernization, has only "a theory bearing his name.
Meanwhile, Xi's predecessors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao did not have any thoughts or theories attached to their names.
The true meaning of Xi Jinping Thought is debatable, but according to analysts that's not the point it's about power.
"Xi's thinking was primarily aimed at strengthening Xi's legitimacy and power above anyone else in the Chinese Communist Party and in the country. This was part of a cult of newness linking Xi with Mao and China's most triumphant and successful emperors of the past. ," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, emeritus professor of political science at the Hong Kong Baptist University.
After officially becoming president for three terms, President Xi Jinping returned to implementing the command economy policy as in the Mao Zedong era. The command economy system is a type of economy adopted by several countries in the world, one of which is China. This command economic system has characteristics such as economic resources that are owned and owned by the state so that individuals have almost no ownership rights.
This system can also be regarded as a predictable and dominated economic system. Because most of the system will be controlled by the government involved in the production process, from the equipment to the facilities. In this case, the community only carries out the prescribed rules.
Furthermore, the government will be fully responsible for all economic activities. The domination factor itself is evident in this valuable resource.
Because something that can generate the greatest profit will be controlled by the government and other resources will be managed by the people. This command economy system is implemented so that the government can more collectively easily own the means of production that do not depend on the law of supply or demand that works in a market economy.
This policy can be seen after the inauguration of the 'Community Canteen' which is located in the fengqing housing complex, in the center of Wuhan City, China. This canteen has been open since November 1, after President Xi Jinping returned to lead the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Xi Jinping ordered local governments as well as communities to be able to control the food supply chain by creating self-sustaining communities to service housing complexes. Service centers will be built in 100 households.
The area of the service center must be comprehensive or comprehensive, namely a minimum of 30 square meters. This depot will provide a variety of shops, including vegetable stalls and various community needs, including the needs of the post office and laundry.
Efforts should be made to ensure that all housing complexes have access to community hospitals, schools, nursing homes and state canteens, which are newly built if necessary, within 15 minutes of residents' homes, said a Nov. 1 report on China's official government website.
This policy was also implemented in the Mao Zedong era with the aim of accelerating China's economic recovery at that time. Because of this policy, some parents complained because they had to feel like the Mao era again, where the food supply chain would be regulated by the government. In fact, China is considered a prosperous and developed country.
One resident expressed his disquiet “We just ate our fill, and now it's back to the command economy again,” complained a resident named Zhang Jianping from the Jiangsu region. He also complained that war speculation was the only reason why China returned to a planned economy. As for one of the residents argues that this is a strategy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to separate itself from Western civilization.
This new policy made it feel like a war again, because everything was under control "To be honest, we were all scared... People were speculating whether this meant there would be a war," he said. "War is the only reason to return to a planned economy. This is a clear setback," he added. Li Ang from Hunan echoed this. The memory of 'socialist self-sufficiency' is still fresh in his memory, when he was still a child and saw parents lining up to buy food at neighborhood depots. 'State canteens' have sprung up in residential compounds in Hunan, Hubei, Shandong and Yunnan provinces. They sell groceries cheaper.
B. Recession is likely reason Xi Jinping reinstated the policy
A policy can relate to other policies. Likewise with policies in terms of public health and the economy which must be sustainable and become a big challenge for all countries, especially during and after facing the Covid-19 pandemic. Xi Jinping's government emphasized that the steps to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic in China were the most strategic and correct. However, China returned to regulate in a more scientific and accurate way.
China implemented a "Zero-Covid Policy" to prevent mass infections and increasing deaths in its people. Even so, such a policy could cause profound economic damage and spread widespread fear among the Chinese public.
As in the example, the metropolitan city of Guangzhou in southern China has again implemented a lockdown to prevent the Covid-19 outbreak. As for government efforts such as the local government which suspended public transportation and required residents to show a negative test if they wanted to get out of their homes. China is among the only major countries in the world trying to curb transmission of the virus through strict lockdown measures and mass testing.
"Baiyun district in Guangzhou has suspended in-person classes for schools and closed universities and will continue until Friday," the local government said in a statement.
Meanwhile in Beijing, the capital reported two deaths related to COVID-19. on Sunday (20/11/2022), the city reported its first Covid-19 death in more than six months.
it further explained that, China announced that it was easing some of its 'zero covid' policies, such as suspending flights of airlines carrying a number of passengers who tested positive. It could also reduce the time required in centralized quarantine for international arrivals from seven to five days.
Major cities in China are also still sticking to measures such as Covid-19 testing, although in a more fragmented way than shutting down entire cities which they previously did. Shijiazhuang, a city in northern Hebei province, is testing all residents of six districts. plus Beijing's Haidian district, home to the city's technology hub and a top university, schools closed in-person classes in se
announcement fruit. Guangdong Province, home to Guangzhou, reported the largest number of new cases with 9,085 out of a total of 27,095 cases nationwide.
Spokesperson for the ruling Communist Party, Sun Yeli, said China's "Dynamic Zero" policy has kept infection and death rates low, as well as ensured social and economic stability.
in 2020 China has reported that there were 5,226 deaths caused by Covid-19 out of a total of 1.4 billion people. while in the United States, there are 1 million people died from this virus.
But in April-June this year, the economy in China barely grew as the authorities were too busy preventing the Omicron variant. As in several cities in China, which experienced a level of lockdown that disrupted the economy and frustrated the people.
As a result of the endless Lockdown, many local residents have hoarded Chinese medicines that are said to be able to help treat Covid infections. His supplies in the city are said to be running low for now. It was reported again that workers fled in large numbers from the Foxcoon industrial area in downtown Zhengzou two weeks ago. This has hit global supply chains such as one iPhone, Apple.
As previously explained, the Chinese government has struggled to maintain a zero-covid approach without destroying their economy. However, sales figures from factories and tertials show quite the opposite, the devastating impact of the pandemic, and the government's policies in tackling it.
Recently, officials in the Chaoyang district, Beijing, decided to close many roadside covid test posts and move them to residential areas. meaning, the number of PCR posts is decreasing. The problem is that many offices require the daily results of the Covid test for their employees, or they can't come to work.
So, from the posts that were opened, the queues were getting longer from workers trapped in Tibet demonstrating so they could leave Lhasa to lockdowns across the region of Xinjiang, the zero-covid policy did not go smoothly.
As for those who criticize this zero covid policy, such as prominent Chinese commentator Hu Xijin said, epidemic experts need to speak and the government must do a comprehensive, and make a transparent study to review the zero covid policy.
Hu's call for this policy, namely in Chinese social media for openness and transparency earned him 34,000 likes on the Twitter-like microblog Weibo. He also received honest responses from netizens on the internet, who usually immediately censor oblique voices and are considered a risk to social stability. But of course, China's top leaders warned last May that the Covid lockdown in Shanghai and the widespread restrictions on the capital Beijing, they would be against any comment or any action that distorts, doubts or rejects the country's policies. So as not to disturb the plan.
As a result of public frustration, the people began to riot and refuse to lock down when a crowd of residents in the industrial city of Guangzhou clashed with the police because they were angry with the strict restrictions on the corona virus that never ended. Chinese citizens attacked health workers wearing hazmat suits and destroyed a Covid testing center and overturned a police car during a violent anti-lockdown protest on Monday (14/11/2022).
In this action, crowds defied a rare lockdown, huge crowds smashed through Covid barriers and staged protest marches on Guangzhou streets. The city of 15 million has the biggest caseload, with new daily Covid-198 infections reaching 5,000 for the first time and fueling speculation that the lockdown could expand.
Daily Mail reported on Tuesday (15/11/2022), a video uploaded and widely shared on Twitter showing chaotic scenes in Guangzhou's Haizhu district on Monday (14/11/2022) night. A group of angry protesters were also seen working together to overturn a police car and destroy it.
Another scene recorded shows a large group arguing with the apartment and tearing down the semi-permanent red wall that was erected to help local residents test each day. Protesters were also seen throwing objects at the officers, who began shaking the gates in an attempt to open them
China is more physically closed off today than it has been in decades because of Xi's 'zero-Covid' policy. This has dragged down the country's economic growth of more than one billion people.
Xi's commitment also seems to have done little to convince investors. On Monday, the Hong Kong stock market had its worst day since the 2008 global financial crisis. Alibaba and Tencent, two of China's top tech giants, both plunged more than 11% and erased US$54 billion in their market caps.
"Xi's apparent interest in integrating domestic and international security could translate to policies such as sanctions against foreign companies, (and) more bureaucracy when there is foreign investment in Chinese technology companies," according to Victor Shih, an expert on China's elite politics at the University of California San Diego.
Xi gave no indication that China's "zero-COVID" strategy might wind down despite public frustration with the policy. While other countries have eased travel restrictions, China is sticking to a strategy that keeps infection rates low.
The party newspaper, the People's Daily, reported no "zero-COVID" relaxation after the end of the congress. The strategy "must be defended," he argued. Public health experts say more elderly people need to be vaccinated before the ruling party can relax COVID-19 restrictions.
C. almost like Mao Zedong and Xi about separation from the global economy
In a recent interview, analysts told RFA that China is covertly reestablishing Mao-era institutions that once supported a socialist command economy in order to get ready for a potential "separation" from the global economy. They cited chief Liang's increased supply and marketing cooperation as evidence. Huiling to the Central Committee of the governing party last month.
Professor Wu Chien-chung of National Taiwan Ocean University concurs that Beijing may be preparing for conflict.
Wu told RFA that it was unclear whether local governments would be able to carry out the central government's plan to stockpile grain for military preparations.
In an essay for Mao Zedong's 100th birthday in 2020, former top Communist Party aide Bao Tong issued the following warning: "Markets, like history itself, can move backwards as well as forwards, and there is always the danger of retreat under a great leader flying the banner of honor and right thought."
After his political mentor Zhao Ziyang was overthrown following the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, Bao, who spent seven years in prison and is still closely watched in Beijing, claimed that "market destruction was one of Mao's most prominent tyrannies."
Despite the fact that the redesigned supply and marketing cooperative stores resembled modern supermarkets rather than the general stores of the 1970s and 1980s, many elderly Chinese people still recall rationing, which was a consequence of the top-down economic system.
Beijing-born economist Li Hengqing told RFA, "I recall there was a building for a supply and marketing cooperative, but they didn't let just anyone walk in and buy anything." "To purchase items such as beef, rice, oil, and many more, you need a special ratio ticket."
"Nobody wants to return to those times", Li declared.
The employee attitude is often very poor, and there is no product selection, he claimed.
"I can still see them attempting to sell me the meat but refusing to give it to me because they were keeping it for a friend or one of the leaders. It was an ordinary state-owned corporation."
With his election as president for three terms, Xi appears to have enormous power in implementing an authoritarian and paternalistic government. Not only that, with this power he will also be more flexible in acting so that he will establish himself as the most powerful person in China since Mao Zedong as the founder of the CCP.
In fact, since Mao's death, Chinese elites have vowed to never again create a concentration of power in just one figure, so they eventually form an unofficial affirmative leadership system, term limits, and retirement ages for high positions.
When Xi came to power in 2012, the hopes for reform seemed too great. In fact, Xi was criticized by former high-ranking CCP official Cai Xia who called his government resembling the Soviet Union in the Stalin era and Mao's China.
Therefore, Mao's romanticism is considered as an important role in demonstrating the superiority of the political economy. According to Mao it is important to explore how the political and ideological superstructure influences the economic base.
With the application of paternalism plus Mao Zedong's romanticism, Xi was able to maintain the three important dimensions of paternalistic leadership namely authoritarian, benevolent, and moral leadership, while demonstrating that the command economy can provide benevolence to people through the state canteen which is present during economic hardships and lockdown policies.
