Wang Xiaoqing: Foreign Communist Parties' Understanding of and Response to the New Stage of Capitalist Development
Understanding the development trends of contemporary capitalism is a major theoretical and practical issue bearing upon the future prospects of socialist development. Driven by the waves of economic globalization and the information technology revolution, significant changes have occurred in contemporary capitalism. What exactly are these new changes, and has capitalism progressed to a new stage? In recent years, foreign Communist Parties [1], proceeding from the realities of their respective countries, have conducted independent explorations into the question of the stages of capitalist development, forming theoretical understandings characterized by both local and contemporary distinctiveness. Viewed collectively, they have approached the issue from perspectives such as the relationship between competition and monopoly, spatial forms, industrial technology, ecological environmental protection, and cultural ethics. They have made various judgments, suggesting that current capitalism is in the stage of monopoly capitalism, state-monopoly capitalism, transnational monopoly capitalism, globalized imperialism, neo-capitalism, or green imperialism. Although the views of foreign Communist Parties on the stages of capitalist development are diverse, they generally believe that these developmental changes have not resolved the inherent contradictions of capitalism. The new social elements gestating within capitalist society continue to grow, and the principle that capitalism's inevitable demise and socialism's inevitable victory are an unalterable truth remains unshaken.
I. The Fundamental Basis for Foreign Communist Parties’ Assessments of Capitalist Development Stages
When judging the current stage of capitalist development, most foreign Communist Parties typically take the principles of the Marxist historical-materialist conception of social-historical formations as their theoretical premise, Lenin’s "theory of imperialism" as their theoretical cornerstone, and changes in the productive forces and relations of production as their evidential basis.
(1) Taking the Marxist Historical-Materialist View of the Broad "Historical Era" as Guidance
The Marxist historical-materialist conception of history holds that the development of human society passes through social formations such as primitive society, slave society, feudal society, and capitalist society, before entering communist society in the future. Marx and Engels pointed out that the modern bourgeoisie emerged from the ruins of the old feudal society and underwent a long process of development, being "the product of a series of revolutions in the modes of production and of exchange." At the same time, the replacement of capitalism by a new and higher social formation—namely, communist society—requires a period of revolutionary transformation, and the development of communist society itself must pass through two stages: the first phase and the higher phase. In The State and Revolution, Lenin explicitly referred to the first phase of communist society as socialism and the higher phase as communism. "From a global perspective, we are still in a historical era where the capitalist social formation occupies the dominant position, yet this era is also one in which a new social formation—proceeding through a socialist transition into communist society—will gradually and ultimately replace the capitalist society." Guided by the Marxist historical-materialist theory on the stages of human social development, foreign Communist Parties generally emphasize in their party programs that the world today is in a period or era of transition from capitalism to socialism. In view of this, their discussions on the current stage of capitalist development are established upon the premise of this "Great Era."
(2) Taking Lenin’s Theory of Imperialism as the Theoretical Cornerstone
The era in which Marx and Engels lived was the era of free-competition capitalism dominated by industrial capital. In their view, "competition begets monopoly"—that is, free competition inevitably leads to monopoly, while the development of monopoly requires free competition to clear its path: "monopoly can only maintain itself by continually entering into the struggle of competition." At the end of the 19th century, with the development of the productive forces and the concentration of capital, large-scale monopoly organizations proliferated, and monopolies increasingly influenced the formation of political conditions. Based on the new changes in capitalism at the turn of the 20th century, Lenin creatively developed the Marxist theory on the laws of capitalist development and proposed the "theory of imperialism." He argued that capitalism had shifted from the stage of free competition to the stage of monopoly capitalism, which is the stage of imperialism. The imperialist stage is characterized by a high degree of concentration of production and capital, the formation of financial oligarchies, the heightened significance of capital export as distinct from commodity export, the formation of international monopolist alliances of capitalists, and the completion of the territorial division of the world among the greatest capitalist powers. Lenin pointed out that capitalist monopoly grew out of free competition, yet it remains "in the general environment of capitalism, commodity production, and competition, and remains in insoluble contradiction with this general environment," inevitably leading to parasitism and stagnation. After analyzing the economic essence and characteristics of imperialism, Lenin concluded that imperialism is the moribund and decaying stage of capitalism and the eve of the socialist revolution. Lenin’s comprehensive interpretation of the developmental characteristics of monopoly capitalism remains the basic theoretical yardstick for contemporary foreign Communist Parties to judge whether qualitative changes have occurred in the 100-plus years since Lenin proposed his theory of imperialism, how to define contemporary imperialism, and whether the conditions for socialist revolution have matured.
(3) Taking Changes in Productive Forces and Relations of Production as the Criteria for Judgment
Marx and Engels stated in the Manifesto of the Communist Party: "Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones." The continuous change and development of the productive forces, and the corresponding revolutionary transformation of the relations of production brought about thereby, are essential characteristics of the capitalist era. In the 1760s and 1770s, the occurrence of the first Industrial Revolution, marked by the widespread use of the steam engine, propelled capitalist society from feudal capitalism to free-competition capitalism. At the turn of the 20th century, electrification and the development of monopoly organizations brought capitalism into the stage of monopoly capitalism. In the present era, the arrival of a new round of technological revolution, marked by the widespread application of information technology, has brought about profound transformations in all fields of capitalist society. The industrial structure has undergone massive shifts, emerging industries continue to surface, capitalist globalization has reached unprecedented levels, and the degree of the socialization of production has continuously increased. Simultaneously, the relations of production have also undergone a "transformation from private-stock monopoly capital ownership to corporate-stock monopoly capital ownership." For a period after World War II, some foreign Communist and Workers' Parties were constrained by Stalin’s theory of the "general crisis of capitalism," underestimating the development prospects of world capitalism and emphasizing the theory of capitalist collapse. This led to "Leftist" radicalist errors in formulating socialist strategies and tactics, which were detrimental to the development and progress of world socialism. Currently, most foreign Communist Parties are able to re-examine the development and changes in capitalist productive forces and relations of production in their party programs. They explore whether these changes represent new characteristics appearing in the gradual development of monopoly capitalism, or whether capitalism has undergone a partial qualitative change into a new stage, forming a multi-dimensional interpretation of the landscape of contemporary capitalism.
II. The Understanding of Foreign Communist Parties Regarding the Current Stage of Capitalist Development
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, and especially after the outbreak of the 2008 financial crisis, the question of the stages of capitalist development became a major focus for foreign Communist Parties. Based on changes in the global political and economic situation and their own national conditions, most foreign Communist Parties have made contemporary judgments on the developmental trends of capitalism from the perspective of the relationship between competition and monopoly. Some parties have proposed new theses from diversified perspectives. Broadly speaking, there are several main views.
(1) Perspective of the Relationship Between Competition and Monopoly: The Current Stage of Capitalist Development
As a pair of mutually dependent and antithetical categories, the change in the relationship between competition and monopoly is an important perspective for Marxist theorists to assess the stages of capitalist development. From this perspective, foreign Communist Parties generally believe that capitalism has progressed through the period of primitive accumulation of capital, the stage of free competition, and the stage of monopoly capitalism. However, regarding whether current capitalism has undergone a partial qualitative change—that is, whether it has developed from the stage of monopoly capitalism into a new stage, and what that stage might be—different views have formed.
1. Current capitalism remains in the stage of monopoly capitalism as proposed by Lenin.
Several parties, including the New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN) and the Communist Party (Italy), believe that since the 20th century, capitalism has consistently remained in the stage of monopoly capitalism as defined by Lenin—the highest and final stage of capitalism. The new characteristics and changes exhibited by contemporary capitalism—the global export of capital, the concentration and monopoly of finance capital, and the imperialist division and plunder of global resources—merely represent a deepening in degree compared to Lenin’s era. They have not changed the essence of monopoly capitalism, nor its moribund and decaying nature. This moribund and decaying character "is manifested in all sectors of production, retail, and the circulation of money capital, as well as in all organizational structures and political institutions of capitalist society."
At its Seventh National Congress in 2022, the New Communist Party of the Netherlands emphasized that current capitalism can only be in the stage of imperialism or monopoly capitalism—the decadent, dying stage before it is overthrown by the working class. Those petty-bourgeois arguments suggesting that imperialism has either ended or is in a new "super" or "post-imperialist" stage are usually based on a misunderstanding of the implications of certain trends, such as the internationalization of production ("globalization") or the role of the financial sector. Ultimately, these arguments often serve as a roundabout way to defend the imperialist system and imperialist alliances like the European Union. The Communist Party (Italy) points out that the current stage of monopoly capitalism is characterized by the monopolistic concentration of capital and private property, leading to the world's resources being controlled by a tiny minority of the population and a few countries. According to UN data, 12 million people (0.2% of the world population) hold half of the assets held by the entire population, while 3 billion people hold only 4.2%. While moribund monopoly capitalism plunges people into states of extreme poverty, the crises and contradictions it faces are also ripening, and it is no longer able to restart the cycle of reproduction and accumulation as in previous stages. Capitalism has reached its final stage, and socialism is the only true alternative solution.
2. Current capitalism has developed from monopoly capitalism into the stage of state-monopoly capitalism.
Some foreign Communist Parties, such as the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), the Communist Party of Canada, the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE), the People's Progressive Party of Guyana, and the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) of Cyprus, believe that during the stage of monopoly capitalism, private monopolies occupied the dominant position, whereas the present era has progressed from private monopoly to state monopoly. They argue current capitalism is in the stage of state-monopoly capitalism. The typical characteristic of this stage is that, driven by the socialization of production and in order to safeguard the interests of monopolists, the state intervenes ever more directly in the economic process, leading to an increasing integration of monopoly capital and state power. For instance, the Communist Party of Canada points out in its party program that state-monopoly capitalism is a new stage where the interests of the state and finance capital are integrated, and the control of finance capital extends to all fields of the national economy and politics. In this stage, although the government appears independent of specific corporate interests, it has essentially become the primary political instrument controlled by a small clique of monopoly capitalists to dominate all areas of society. State-monopoly capitalism undermines the foundations of traditional bourgeois democracy. On the one hand, the subordination of the state to the interests of finance capital weakens the already limited role of elected governments; on the other hand, large corporations openly interfere in the electoral process and indirectly influence people’s thoughts and attitudes through their control of the mass media, greatly devaluing the meaning of elections. The CPUSA notes that in the stage of state-monopoly capitalism, the capitalist state provides greater and more sustained economic and political support for monopoly enterprises, especially financial sectors such as global banks. The US government, like other imperialist nations, dons the mantle of championing democracy and equality while using foreign policy as a tool for capital accumulation by monopoly enterprises and developing international trade agreements that violate national sovereignty.
3. Current capitalism has developed into the stage of transnational monopoly capitalism.
Some foreign Communist Parties believe that contemporary capitalism is not only different from the monopoly capitalism stage proposed by Lenin but has also undergone major changes compared to state-monopoly capitalism, entering the stage of transnational monopoly capitalism. In this stage, large-scale monopoly capital expands globally using transnational corporations and international organizations as vehicles, and the internationalization, centralization, and concentration of capital continue to increase.
The Communist Party of Denmark (DKP) explains in its party program the differences between transnational monopoly capitalism and the imperialist stage identified by Lenin. First, in the stage of transnational monopoly capitalism, a new form of colonialism has emerged: although some independent nations are no longer geopolitically subordinate to any single state, they have gradually become subordinate to the capitalist system as a whole and are governed by the general laws of capital movement. Second, the global operation of transnational monopoly capitalism is regulated through institutional regulations that are highly politicized in form, yet in substance merely provide a legal framework for exploitation. Third, current developments in information technology and the Internet have provided the technical conditions for capitalist globalization. The German Communist Party (DKP) has concretely analyzed the characteristics of transnational monopoly capitalism. On one hand, the final barriers of domestic markets are being dismantled, and the world market is increasingly becoming a unified global field of capitalist competition. Transnational corporations (TNCs) and transnational financial groups have become the decisive forms of dominant capital and capital relations in the world market; TNCs can obstruct and interfere with national economic policies to secure the most profitable conditions for their operations. On the other hand, state and supra-state institutions have played a prominent role in resolving interest conflicts and intensified competition faced by capitalism in its current stage of economic development, as well as the contradictions between TNCs, between TNCs and state-monopoly capital, and between monopoly and non-monopoly capital. In its newly adopted 2021 program, the Lebanese Communist Party stated that the capitalist world is witnessing a series of quantitative and qualitative changes, the most prominent of which is the transition from state-monopoly capitalism to international monopoly capitalism. Twenty-first-century capitalism differs from the prevailing model of monopoly capitalism; today, the G7, TNCs, and powerful international organizations have transformed the world into a unified field of capital within an intersecting global network where barriers to capital are eliminated and the role of the state and government in society is weakened.
(2) The Perspective of Spatial Forms: The Globalized Stage of Imperialism
Domestic scholars Li Cong and Zhang Yu argue that, from the perspective of spatial forms, capitalism has undergone "the development of national capitalism, international capitalism, and global capitalism." Some foreign Communist Parties, such as the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPIM], also adopt the perspective of spatial forms to view the current stage of capitalist development, arguing that capitalism has entered the stage of "globalized imperialism." Foreign Communist Parties holding this view emphasize that an important characteristic of this stage is the "expansion of Western monopoly capitalism into every corner of the five continents" and its control over the world's politics, economy, and military.
The Communist Party of Poland elucidates the distinct features of the globalized stage of imperialism in its party program. On one hand, in the international community, this is manifested by large industrial enterprises opening up and seizing global markets and carrying out global economic plunder. "Third World" countries have become the production factories of imperialism and are suffering various forms of exploitation and oppression, such as cheap labor, forced child labor, the deprivation of agricultural land and drinking water sources, ecological destruction, and increasing foreign debt. This has created a massive developmental imbalance between imperialist nations and the countries they exploit. On the other hand, while carrying out economic plunder, imperialism also seeks to establish global political and military dominance, undermining the right of self-determination of all nations. For example, U.S. imperialism, under the pretext of defending human rights or preventing terrorism, wantonly interferes in the internal affairs of other countries and openly launches military aggression, triggering a series of bloody coups and international disputes. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), in the resolution issued at its 20th National Congress, emphasized that a key feature of the globalized stage of imperialism is the accumulation and concentration of international finance capital. The state, as the machinery of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie [2], openly undermines democratic institutions and abandons social responsibilities; its role is adjusted at any time to promote the interests of international financial corporations, serving as an umbrella for international financial institutions. However, the dominant position of international financial corporations does not mean an end to inter-imperialist contradictions. The existence of the law of uneven development of capitalism [3] ensures that conflicts of interest between the heartlands of capitalism will inevitably intensify. Meanwhile, during this stage, imperialist countries pursue a policy of hegemonism [4] in the international ideological sphere. First, imperialism equates democracy with the free market, and under the guise of democracy, challenges regimes that oppose neoliberalism and the free market through military and political intervention. Second, waving the banner of "human rights" and "universal values," it openly conducts military interventions against independent sovereign states. Finally, it uses public opinion to incite anti-communist rhetoric, equating communism with totalitarianism and fascism.
(3) The Perspective of Industrial Technology: The Stage of Digital Capitalism
Some foreign Communist Parties utilize the perspective of industrial technology to judge the new state of capitalism, arguing that driven by the revolution in information technology, capitalism has developed into the stage of digital capitalism. In this stage, capitalism achieves "digital hegemony through digital capital, digital technology, and digital platforms."
In recent years, Mundo Obrero (Worker’s World), the newspaper of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), has published a series of articles explaining and analyzing the essence and characteristics of digital capitalism. For instance, the article "Fighting the New Form of Human Labor Exploitation: Digital Ghosts" points out that digital capitalism refers to all economic and social activities, including various forms of online commerce, conducted through digital platforms or technical frameworks. Digital capitalism further deepens the exploitation of labor via digital platforms. First, in the field of digital labor, digital platforms become true labor intermediaries, blurring traditional "employment relationships" that were already subject to abuse. The employer's presence disappears entirely, and the supervision and evaluation of workers are handled by algorithms and customers, which invisibly creates a "double enslavement" of the worker. Second, digital capitalism blurs the boundary between producers and consumers; users are both users and consumers of digital platforms, while simultaneously contributing data and online opinions to tech giants for free during use, acting as substitutes for workers (such as market researchers). This demonstrates that the exploitative methods of digital capitalism are more concealed. Third, in the digital capitalist stage, the invention and application of robotics and automation technology are dissolving "work" or the "concept of work." The article concludes by stating that in the face of the problems brought by digital capitalism, it is necessary for the state, society, and the broad working class to coordinate their forces to formulate responsive policies. José Luis Centella, President of the Communist Party of Spain, proposed in his article "The Development of 5G Technology and Its Impact on Our Lives" that in the face of digital capitalism, a democratic, advanced, and environmentally sustainable technological alternative should be established so that the progress of science and technology can benefit all the peoples of the Earth.
(4) The Perspective of Ecological Environmental Protection: The Stage of Green Imperialism
Ecological environmental protection is a key issue for foreign Communist Parties in the post-materialist era. Currently, some foreign Communist Parties have adopted an ecological perspective when defining the stages of capitalist development, emphasizing that capitalism has moved toward the stage of "green imperialism." In this stage, "major capitalist powers use environmental protection as a pretext to maintain neo-colonialism and safeguard their position in a changing world."
The Communist Party of Norway (NKP), in its newly revised 2015 party program, clearly pointed out that "capitalism appears to have reached a stage we can call 'green imperialism'." The party emphasizes that economic exploitation and resource plunder are the core driving forces of capitalism; the so-called "green transition" of capitalism only serves to earn dividends and profits and does little to help solve the climate crisis. For example, schemes for buying and selling "climate quotas" or "carbon quotas" do not reduce carbon dioxide emissions but only help the wealthy on the stock exchange accumulate more riches. Therefore, the struggle to protect the climate and the environment is closely linked to the struggle for social justice and peace. If the economic and political system that exploits people and nature is not changed, no environmental or climate crisis can be resolved. The Communist Party of Finland (SKP) pointed out at the 21st International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (IMCWP) that we regard the current stage of capitalism as "green imperialism." "Green imperialism" is an insidious example of capitalism capturing "good" things to serve its own policies. Specifically, capitalist hegemony uses the response to the environmental crisis as a pretext to aggressively push imperialist agendas. Furthermore, capitalist hegemony capitalizes on the so-called "green" environmental movement, ensuring that such movements remain at the level of advocating for environmental protection without exposing the systemic factors that cause environmental pollution, thus turning them into tools for optimizing capitalism. For this reason, the party emphasized that only by establishing a truly anti-capitalist and socialist-based "proletarian environmental movement" can the global environmental crisis be thoroughly resolved.
(5) The Perspective of Cultural Ethics: The Stage of Neo-Capitalism
Both the Communist Refoundation Party (Italy) and the Colombian Communist Party refer to the current stage of capitalism as "neo-capitalism" in their party programs. Unlike the Communist Refoundation Party, which comprehensively examines the revolutionary changes in capitalism from various aspects such as political systems, capital composition, nation-states, international relations, labor structures, and material changes, the Colombian Communist Party focuses on analyzing the changes in capitalism from the level of cultural and ethical values. The Colombian Communist Party points out that the process of concentration of production and wealth leads not only to changes in capitalist economic behavior but also manifests in the social, political, and ethical fields. Currently, selfishness, competition, money, and cronyism have become the ethical principles of the neo-capitalist stage. These principles, combined with historical styles of patronage and corruption, constitute the logical connotation of contemporary capitalist socio-cultural values. These ethical values are imposed on human subjective activities and are fully manifested in daily social practices.
III. Strategies and Tactics of Foreign Communist Parties in Responding to New Changes in Capitalism
As the Party for Socialism and Liberation (USA) stated in its program: "Only by taking the international situation as a starting point can our strategy and tactics respond to the needs of the world's working class and oppressed peoples." Strategy is a long-term plan for the overall situation, while tactics are the specific ways to achieve strategic goals. Through comparative analysis, it is found that the strategies formulated by foreign Communist Parties present two paths: one advocates the theory that the socialist revolution is timely and calls for the immediate overthrow of capitalist rule through revolution; the other advocates combining parliamentary and extra-parliamentary means of struggle to overthrow capitalism step-by-step in stages. Regarding how to achieve these strategic goals, certain specific implementation tactics formulated by foreign Communist Parties share commonalities.
(1) The Formation of Two Divergent Strategic Choices: The "Socialist Revolution is Timely" and the "Step-by-Step Replacement of Capitalism"
Although foreign Communist Parties have made judgments about the current stage of capitalism from different perspectives, they generally present two basic attitudes toward the developments and changes in capitalism: one argues that the current new changes in capitalism are inevitable phenomena in the gradual development of monopoly capitalism and do not involve changes in its essence—current capitalism remains moribund and dying imperialism, the eve of the socialist revolution; the other argues that a partial qualitative change has occurred in current capitalism, which has moved from one stage to another new stage, and that capitalism still has room for development, meaning there is still a long way to go to overthrow capitalism. Based on these understandings of change or continuity in the development of capitalism, two divergent strategic positionings have been formed.
- Advocating the initiation of socialist revolution to overthrow dying imperialism
Some foreign Communist Parties believe that capitalism remains in the stage of monopoly capitalism, and that imperialism is the "eve of the proletarian socialist revolution," emphasizing the timeliness and necessity of achieving socialism. The Communist Party (Italy) points out that current monopoly capitalism is dragging the planet and humanity into an abyss composed of economic crises, war, poverty, hunger, disease, and environmental destruction. Socialist-communism is the only true alternative solution, but critique and condemnation are insufficient to defeat the United States, the European Union, and other imperialist states; the only way is to overthrow capitalism through revolution and establish proletarian political power. The New Communist Party of the Netherlands criticizes reformist views and actions that mislead the direction of the anti-imperialist movement and hinder the outbreak of socialist revolution: first, weakening the contradiction between imperialism and socialism by elevating the international contrast between the "West" and the "Global South" or the "center" and "periphery" to the status of the primary contradiction; second, simplifying imperialism into an aggressive foreign policy while ignoring the economic base and other vital aspects of monopoly capitalism, thereby attempting to obscure the nature of imperialism; and third, labeling all African and South American countries as "dependencies" or "neo-colonies," emphasizing that they must first complete national liberation struggles or bourgeois revolutions, thereby delaying and ultimately canceling the socialist revolution.
- Advocating for the gradual realization of socialism Some foreign Communist Parties believe that the transition from capitalism to socialism is a long-term process, that replacing capitalism cannot be achieved overnight, and that there is immense difficulty and complexity in realizing socialism. On one hand, they have formulated "two-stage" or "three-stage" strategic goals for the struggle for socialism. For example: the Communist Party USA, the Portuguese Communist Party, the Communist Party of Germany, and the Japanese Communist Party believe that the path to socialism must pass through a "stage of democratic revolution and a stage of socialist revolution"; the South African Communist Party advocates that the realization of socialism must experience stages of "national democratic revolution and socialist revolution"; the Communist Party of Brazil believes the transition to socialism in Brazil involves three stages: preparation, socialization, and the comprehensive construction of socialism; and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation proposed in its party program a three-stage strategy for achieving socialism through peaceful means. On the other hand, they also advocate for the establishment of a set of distinct alternative programs different from the global capitalist system. Parties such as the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova and the Communist Party of Kenya emphasize that concepts proposed by the Communist Party of China, such as a community with a shared future for humanity and Chinese-path modernization, provide new programs for reference to replace the capitalist development model. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) believes that the rise of left-wing forces to power through democratic elections in many Latin American countries is a positive development challenging imperialism and neoliberalism, providing an important programmatic reference for world socialist forces as an alternative to capitalism. In addition, some Communist Parties are exploring paths toward socialism suited to their own national conditions.
(2) Formulating common anti-capitalist struggle strategies Whether they are Communist Parties advocating for the immediate overthrow of capitalism through revolution or those advocating for a gradual replacement of capitalism, all recognize the importance of uniting the broad masses at home and abroad under the leadership of the Communist Party to jointly oppose capitalism.
Uniting domestic masses and building alliances of people's power Foreign Communist Parties believe that establishing a power alliance within their countries, including the proletariat and the broad masses, is a vital way to counter the offensive of domestic monopoly capital and the government. The Communist Party of Canada points out in its party program that social strata such as farmers, intellectuals, small business owners, professionals, youth, indigenous peoples, and women share common interests with the working class in opposing exploitation by finance capital. Uniting these forces to form a broad alliance is key to resisting monopoly capital and reactionary government policies, defending people's economic and political interests, and subsequently striving for social progress and change. The Communist Party USA emphasizes that advancing to the anti-monopoly stage is only possible when all who see monopoly power as the enemy, just as the working class does, unite. In this process, a large and growing Left is essential for maintaining the unity and development of the anti-monopoly people’s power alliance, facilitating the coordination of the multi-racial, multi-national, and multi-gender working class with all racially oppressed peoples, women, and youth groups.
Enhancing international unity and building anti-imperialist, anti-monopoly fronts Foreign Communist Parties point out that in the current era, the claws of capital have reached across the globe, and imperialism has launched a fierce offensive worldwide. Faced with this situation, Communists, while leading the construction of domestic people's power alliances, must also focus on enhancing international unity and building an international anti-imperialist and anti-monopoly front. The Russian Communist Workers' Party emphasizes in its program that the communist movement is international; currently, the world's communists must unite to oppose capitalist globalization, voice solidarity with the struggles of the global Left, the proletariat, and oppressed nations to maintain peace and security, and defend the sovereignty of socialist states and countries pursuing anti-imperialist policies—this is the duty of all communists. The Communist Party of Spain, in a resolution passed at its 20th National Congress, formulated short-, medium-, and long-term goals for enhancing international anti-imperialist power alliances. In the short term, they aim to rebuild and restore bilateral relations with parties and organizations with which they have lost contact; in the medium term, to actively participate in and organize international forums and focus on strengthening ties with anti-imperialist movement organizations such as the Women's International Democratic Federation and the World Peace Council; in the long term, to establish a new, great anti-imperialist front alliance. This alliance will put the defense of the people first while avoiding Eurocentrism and paternalistic dogmatism, striving to become a fulcrum for coordinated action across the world’s continents to defend social change and the struggle against imperialist aggression.
IV. An Assessment of Foreign Communist Parties' Understanding of the New Stage of Capitalist Development Proceeding from the realities of their own countries, foreign Communist Parties have conducted independent explorations of the current stage of capitalist development, forming theoretical perspectives with unique local and contemporary characteristics. Overall, the perspectives of foreign Communist Parties on the stages of capitalist development are novel; some theoretical views possess a degree of scientific rigor and innovativeness, while others merit further discussion.
(1) Differences and commonalities in judgments of the current capitalist development trend Although foreign Communist Parties have diverse perspectives on the current stage of capitalism, their views are consistent on several fundamental issues. On one hand, they generally believe that the new changes and developments in capitalism have not resolved capital's inherent contradictions. Current capitalist social contradictions are increasingly intensifying, with frequent political, economic, and social crises. On the other hand, the new developments in capitalism have created the material conditions for the realization of socialism, and new social factors germinating within capitalist society are growing. For example, the Communist Party of Germany believes that "today, the process of capital concentration promotes the formation of new and even higher-stage monopolies and the development of the socialization of production. Compared with the era of Lenin, the material prerequisites for socialism to replace capitalism are further taking shape." The Communist Party of Greece states that "in the past 20 years, the material prerequisites for socialism in Greece have further developed," originating from "the development of Greek capitalist productive forces and the sharpening of the fundamental and overall contradictions of capitalism." The Communist Party of Canada proposes that "capitalism in Canada and the world today is a decaying system rife with crisis, but it has birthed its opposite: socialism."
(2) The innovativeness and progressiveness of judgments on the current stage of capitalism Foreign Communist Parties uphold the Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method, advancing with the times and breaking new ground. From the perspectives of the relationship between competition and monopoly, spatial forms, industrial technology, ecological protection, and cultural ethics, they have analyzed the characteristics and essence of modern capitalism. They have formed a systematic understanding of the current stage of capitalist development and creatively developed the theories of classical Marxist writers regarding the laws of capitalist development. At the same time, judging the stage of capitalist development is the foundation and prerequisite for formulating the strategy and tactics of the struggle for socialism, as it relates to the direction of practical struggle. For example, Communist Parties in some Nordic countries point out that current capitalism has developed into the stage of "green imperialism," and their strategic goals emphasize the establishment of a "green socialist society"—a society that truly protects the environment and develops sustainably. Theory is the precursor to practice; based on this, they have carried out many demonstrations themed around environmental protection. Furthermore, the strategic proposals of foreign Communist Parties, such as anti-imperialist and anti-monopoly fronts and people's power alliances, have been put into practice in struggles both within and outside parliaments. Parties such as the Communist Party of Brazil, the South African Communist Party, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have all adopted methods such as forming left-wing front alliances to participate in parliamentary elections. The Party of Labour of Austria founded a united front organization for anti-imperialist youth, and the Communist Party of Greece led the establishment of the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME), among others. Internationally, foreign Communist Parties have also strengthened the trend of unity among world socialist forces by issuing joint statements, establishing regional organizations, convening international conferences, developing international propaganda media, and providing mutual support and solidarity.
(3) Theoretical perceptions of the current stage of capitalism that merit further deliberation Some parties emphasize that capitalism is in a stage of "globalized imperialism," believing that from a spatial perspective, capitalism has expanded into every corner of the globe. This view undoubtedly confuses the concepts of "capital" and "capitalism." Economic globalization is the globalization of factors such as capital, trade, technology, and services; that is to say, the globalization of capital does not represent the globalization of capitalism. Capitalism is a social system and a mode of production, a concept opposed to the socialist system. Currently, there are still five socialist countries in the world—China, Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, and North Korea. Among them, socialist China, under the leadership of the Communist Party, has achieved world-renowned development successes and has become the backbone force promoting the revitalization of world socialism. Therefore, it is difficult for current capitalism to develop into a "globalized imperialism." Furthermore, some foreign Communist Parties believe that capitalism is still in the stage of monopoly capitalism as described by Lenin, and have formulated strategic propositions to promptly launch a socialist revolution based on this. Their theoretical cognition tends toward being conservative. Since Lenin proposed the stage of monopoly capitalism more than a hundred years ago, capitalism has undergone major changes in various fields. Capitalist society is vastly different from the previous primitive, slave, and feudal societies; "its stages of development are very distinct, and the transition from one stage to the next is very prominent." Meanwhile, the productive forces of current capitalism are still continuously developing. Replacing capitalism with a new and higher social form cannot be achieved in a single stroke. Moreover, the theme of the world has changed from the era of revolution and war in Lenin's time to one of peace and development; blindly advocating for socialist revolution is difficult for the broad masses to accept. (Footnotes omitted)
(The author is a doctoral student at the School of Politics and International Relations, Central China Normal University) Web Editor: Zhang Jian Source: Journal of Liaocheng University (Social Sciences Edition), No. 5, 2023