Xi Jinping

The deepening of socialism with Chinese characteristics

     Since the declaration of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, the Chinese socialist project has evolved through three stages.  (1) The period of “socialist revolution and reconstruction” from 1949 to 1978, characterized by the consolidation of state power and the socialist transformation of agriculture and industry (see “Mao: The foundation of China today,” June 14, 2022).  (2) The period of “reform, opening, and socialist modernization” from 1978 to 2012, when agricultural and industrial enterprises, state-owned and private, were permitted to sell products to domestic and foreign markets, under state direction in accordance with a long-term development plan.  The reform and opening had enormous success in unleashing economic productivity.  See “China models a new type of socialism,” June 10, 2022. (3)  The third stage, led by Xi Jinping, was launched at the 2012 National Congress of the Communist Party of China.  It has focused on inequality, poverty, ecological co…