Rev Left Radio Chinese Characteristics of Socialism: Civilizational Factors in CPC Governance
Dec 18, 2025
An Zhao, an independent researcher and founder of Goods for the People, delves into the intricate relationship between China's civilizational history and its current socialist governance. He explores how ancient philosophies like Confucianism inform modern policies and state legitimacy. Zhao argues for a nuanced understanding of socialism tailored to cultural contexts, highlighting ideas of harmony and responsibility. He passionately discusses how historical grievances shape China's view of the U.S. and encourages rediscovering indigenous egalitarian traditions in leftist thought.
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Personal Political Reorientation
- An Zhao recounts arriving in the U.S. at age 12 after parents called China a 'loser country' despite being quantum physicists.
- He says it took decades to shed that liberal enculturation and adopt Marxist-Leninist views.
Socialism As A Transitional State
- Lenin and Mao framed socialism as a transitional, state-centered stage that uses state-controlled capitalism to build productive forces.
- An Zhao argues contemporary China fits this Leninist model as a 'state capitalist economy of a new type.'
Infrastructure As Political Legitimacy
- Early Chinese statecraft began with Yu the Great's flood control, tying legitimacy to large public works.
- Confucianism enshrined state responsibility for eradication of poverty and harmony as political aims.