[Brazil] Elias Jabbour: Achievements in Adapting Marxism to the Chinese Context and the Needs of the Times

The recently concluded 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was undoubtedly a highly significant political event; the major resolutions formulated by the Congress will have an important impact on the entire world, particularly on developing countries.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. For the CPC, governing a country of such immense scale is an extremely challenging task. Faced with the changing circumstances of the times, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress the critical significance of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, and of advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity.

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress affirmed the great achievements made by the Chinese people in the New Era. Over the past decade, China has successfully eliminated absolute poverty, achieved major results in lunar and Martian exploration projects, and become a major trading partner for more than 140 countries and regions. While affirming these achievements, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to advance the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.

Advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism will empower the CPC to meet the needs of the people. In sharp contrast, the ruling classes in capitalist countries transform state power into a means of control over the people, and so-called capitalist development schemes are limited to meeting the needs of a wealthy minority who control the state.

The Sinicization and modernization of Marxism has enabled China to establish a system of large-scale state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that serve as the lifeline of the national economy, and to achieve the innovative development of the public ownership economy. The public ownership economy does not merely provide products and services; it has also realized technological innovation in fields such as 5G, big data, and artificial intelligence. This allowed China not only to double its per capita disposable income over the past decade but also to effectively control the COVID-19 pandemic. The establishment of a large-scale system of SOEs, a public finance system, and a state-owned asset management system represents an important contribution of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism in the economic sphere.

Consolidating the economic base of the CPC’s governance has always been a major task. As participants in the global market, Chinese enterprises must operate under international regulations dominated by the West, and China's economic development faces risks and challenges. There remains much room for the development of the socialist market economy ^[1], and China has become a primary subject of study for summarizing the experiences and laws of "the participation of the socialist market economy in the capitalist market." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress the acceleration of the construction of a modernized economic system, which will help China respond to domestic and international challenges.

Today, we find ourselves in an extremely unstable world, perhaps the most dangerous moment in nearly 50 years of human history, and China is facing severe internal and external challenges. In an unstable and dangerous world, ensuring national security is of paramount importance. The 20th National Congress elevated the issue of national security to a historical height equal in importance to economic development. China should concentrate its forces on building a country with high-level scientific and technological innovation capabilities.

In Capital and the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, Marx repeatedly and explicitly mentioned the possibility of technological innovation driving the progress of human society. In capitalist society, these possibilities are monopolized by the minority who own the means of production. In a socialist country, the opposite is true: technology serves the people. China is pioneering a path where all material foundations and economic development serve the needs of the nation.

The Sinicization and modernization of Marxism means constantly improving and innovating the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which is an arduous task. In a country like China with thousands of years of history, the construction of socialist democracy is regarded as a Marxist scheme for expanding people’s participation. In recent years, China’s democratic construction has withstood the test of an anti-corruption struggle that has reached deep into every level of the Party and the state. Consolidating the "flesh-and-blood ties" (血肉联系) ^[2] between the CPC and the masses helps China successfully respond to various challenges.

For a socialist country, establishing a system of government governance guided by Marxism is crucial. The collapse of the Soviet Union can be attributed in large part to the failure of the localization of Marxism in the Soviet Union and the abandonment of Marxism by Soviet leaders. Consequently, the Soviet Union failed to find a developmental path that met the needs of its people. Deeply grasping the historical significance of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is the key to understanding China's developmental achievements in the New Era and its future transformations.