Does the implementation of ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’ for the post 1978 China really change the Chinese lifestyle and consumption behavior?
In the 18th National CPC Congress, the general secretary Hu JinTao (2012) had said: “We should place high importance on systemic building, give full play to the strength of the socialist political systems... However, we will never copy a Western political system.” “Taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics means we must… take economic development as the central task... and the policy of reform and opening up. It means we must release and develop the productive forces, develop the socialist market economy…The system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a system of scientific theories that includes Deng Xiaoping Theory…”
Socialism with Chinese characteristics is to introduce capitalism into China’s economic reform, so that China can rises the GDP and improve living standard of Chinese people. However, according to party theorists, the introduction and existence of private ownership does not mean the existence of capitalism in China. (Robert, 1992, p.65)
Under CCP’s interpretation, socialism also has same meaning with ‘socialist political system’ and has presented socialism in terms of economic targets. (Mackerras et al., 1998)Thus, it implies that the political reform made under the socialist system is helping the implementation of socialist economy in China.
After the reform and opening-up policy had been advocated in the 11th CCP Congress, Deng had insisted “socialism must destroy poverty… The superiority of socialism lies in the gradual development of productive forces and the gradual amelioration of people’s material and cultural life.” (Lam, 1987, p.16)
By the 13th National Congress, the theory of ‘initial stage of socialism’ had been presented, in which the first point of the theory is must preserve socialist society so that China can have a socialist economic system, with the public ownership of the means of production. Secondly is China’s socialism is necessarily in the ‘initial’ stage only. It is necessary for
Socialism with Chinese characteristics is to introduce capitalism into China’s economic reform, so that China can rises the GDP and improve living standard of Chinese people. However, according to party theorists, the introduction and existence of private ownership does not mean the existence of capitalism in China. (Robert, 1992, p.65)
Under CCP’s interpretation, socialism also has same meaning with ‘socialist political system’ and has presented socialism in terms of economic targets. (Mackerras et al., 1998)Thus, it implies that the political reform made under the socialist system is helping the implementation of socialist economy in China.
After the reform and opening-up policy had been advocated in the 11th CCP Congress, Deng had insisted “socialism must destroy poverty… The superiority of socialism lies in the gradual development of productive forces and the gradual amelioration of people’s material and cultural life.” (Lam, 1987, p.16)
By the 13th National Congress, the theory of ‘initial stage of socialism’ had been presented, in which the first point of the theory is must preserve socialist society so that China can have a socialist economic system, with the public ownership of the means of production. Secondly is China’s socialism is necessarily in the ‘initial’ stage only. It is necessary for