Political Philosophies

The Chinese model of communism was significantly different from Soviet communism. Mao adopted a flexible model of communism in China which was based on decentralized industrialization and less focus on heavy industries. After Mao, Deng Xiaoping adopted policies of market socialism. His policies included capitalist measures such as opening up the economy by reduction in trade barriers. Thus, under Deng China “gradually” moved towards a market economy model. Major factors which led to survival of Communism in China when it failed in USSR are following:

• China implemented the economic reforms before going for the political reforms. Deng gave choice in the market to the people i.e. choice to buy and sell and to have private ownership of goods and businesses but without giving them a choice in politics as China continued to have a one party system. Economic prosperity and independence pacified people’s demands for political freedom. In contrast, Mikhail Gorbachev tried to introduce political reforms and economic reforms through Glasnost and Perestroika in 1991 simultaneously. People blamed the poor economy on the political system of USSR and this led to disintegration of the USSR.
• The Left-Right split within the Communist party never deepened to the critical level of splitting the party. In contrast, the left-right divide in USSR was very strong. Boris Yeltsin openly criticised the socialist policies of the party in the last years of the USSR.
• Both Deng Xiaoping vs. Mikhail Gorbachev favoured a capitalist road and both were pro- economic reforms. But Xiaoping executed his policies much before, from 1976 onward, while Gorbachev came late to power (in 1985). Deng was ready to use force and believed firmly in one party system, but this was not the case with Gorbachev. Example, Deng used force during the Tiananmen Square (1989).
  • Gorbachev was not ready to use force and was sympathetic to the demands for autonomy of the Soviet republics. Gorbachev even began to give in to the demands of a multi-party system after which the conservatives removed him in a coup.
• Ethnically and culturally, China was a much more homogeneous society as compared to the Soviet Union, which had around half non-Russian population. The soviet republics had different cultures and different languages. Thus demands for secession were much more in the USSR.
• The 100 Flowers Campaign (1957) acted as an early warning for China and Mao took timely corrective measures in the form of the Great Leap Forward (1958) to save the revolution and adopted a model of communism focusing on the agricultural economy, which was relevant to the needs of China. On other hand, Soviet communism failed to evolve and address the many problems being faced by the Soviet economy.
  • Chinese Communism was flexible and there was unity among the party leaders which enabled it to survive. It changed with changing needs. Example, the Soviet Model was followed till 1958, after which Maoism in the form of Great Leap Forward influenced Chinese Communism. Deng Xiaoping from 1976 onward adopted market friendly economic policies which gradually culminated into adoption of Market Socialism.
• Chinese leadership emphasized “contact with the masses” more strongly than the USSR. The innovation of Communes helped in putting the party in touch with masses.
• USSR was much more involved in the Cold War, which hurt its economy by diverting precious resources.

Thus, it was the flexible approach and ability to evolve with changing needs of the time that ensured the success of communism in China while the lack of the same led to its failure in the USSR.