Socialism and the end of the perpetual reform state in China

Abstract

This article examines the future of socialism in China. China is not socialist today, nor are its reforms likely to bring about socialism. Indeed, China has been “reforming” for over two decades, and the author argues that reform is no longer the appropriate description for the process of change in China. Change in China is increasingly characterized by uneven, often unpredictable events leading to rapid changes in some areas and stagnation in others. The institutions created over the post-Mao period contain volatile contradictions, and any socialist movement in China must take advantage of the contradictions and volatility to push for an agenda that promotes equality, democracy in both politics and economics, and international peace. These contradictions are examined empirically using the legal system, the class system, and the international system as lenses into the situation in China today and the possibilities for change. While there is a clear trend toward capitalism, this trend faces opposition that will not easily be overcome. The ultimate power of any progressive movement will depend on its ability to organize popular support for alternatives to China's trajectory.