“The ‘Communist’ and the ‘Chinese’ elements have always been present in the design and implementation of the Party’s political economy. True, we have seen waves of change over the decades, including periods of liberalisation and privatisation and then greater state control, but the basic philosophy and identification of the dilemmas seems to be constant. In fact, Mao, Deng and Xi all share the view that markets must serve China’s economic catching-up and reinforce the Party’s legitimacy. Of course, if markets and market incentives threaten the Party’s firm grip on power, liberalisation will be halted, regardless of the long-term economic consequences.”
Giuseppe Gabusi (T.wai & University of Turin) and Shaun Breslin (University of Warwick) are authors of the chapter “‘Whatever It Takes’: The Political Economy of the Chinese Communist Party” of the book “The Chinese Communist Party. A 100-Year Trajectory” (ANU Press, 2024), edited by Jérôme Doyon and Chloé Froissart.
