Peoples’ Republic of China
The Position of the Australian Communist Party, Regarding the Peoples’ Republic of China and the Policies of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
Our Program makes clear what our Party considers the features of socialism to be. These are the features described by Marx and Lenin in their works and the resulting analysis that applying their science produces. These principles will guide us when, after the revolutionary capture of state power by the working class, we begin to build a socialist society in Australia. This road has already been travelled by many other Communist parties and their experience will be of invaluable assistance in establishing a non-exploitative society in this country. It will also reveal the pitfalls to be avoided so that the danger of capitalist restoration can be avoided.
Several countries with experience of a socialist revolution still exist and their experience will also have to be studied closely. Even at the current stage of Australia’s struggle for socialism, we should be assessing the merits and shortcomings of the efforts of Communist parties holding state power. We have the right to draw attention to what we believe are the shortcomings of the efforts of our fraternal parties and the duty to point them out to our comrades. At present, the People’s Republic of China is gaining importance in world affairs and, as a consequence, is drawing a lot of attention to its development. Controversy is raging about the nature of China’s economy and society, and it is for this reason the ACP is compelled to set out some basic points regarding these matters.
Our Position:
The Peoples’ Republic of China has an unmistakably capitalist economy and lacks many, if not all, of the features of socialism advanced by Marx and Lenin.
The CPC has not provided any solid indication that it seeks to return to a system that we would recognise as socialist, nor have we seen any evidence that this will change in the short to mid-term future.
We reject the concept of “the primary stage of socialism”, the necessity of a “socialist market economy” and the claim that the principal contradiction in Chinese society is the “contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life”. We also question the export of Chinese capital abroad.
China is a country where the vast majority of economic activity takes place under capitalist relations of production.
The vast majority of people are wage-labourers selling their labour to capitalists.
The vast majority of means of production are privately owned. Private ownership and exploitation is growing, rather than retreating.
While land is de-jure publically owned, it is de-facto treated as private property which is bought, sold, rented and traded on markets like any other commodity.
Working peoples’ basic needs such as access to housing and healthcare are treated as commodities to be bought, sold and speculated on, rather than rights to be guaranteed.
Although we recognise the reality of capitalism in the Peoples’ Republic of China, we support China’s national independence in the face of US imperialism and steadfastly oppose all attempts to provoke war in the region. We also strongly oppose all attempts to whip up anti-Chinese racism as shallow attempts to divide the Australian working class against their Chinese brothers and sisters.We disagree with the CPC’s “Socialism with Chinese characteristics” and urge them to develop plans to return to a genuine socialist path. Ultimately, we recognise that any change will be up to the will of China’s proletarians and reject imperialist-backed “colour revolutions” that only seek to impose international monopoly capital’s control instead.