When the CCP came to power in 1949 after the end of the civil war, it enjoyed a remarkable popularity among a population suffered from frequent regime changes and foreign occupation for half of a century. The Party vowed to build an egalitarian modern society and to offer better life for the people, which appealed primarily to the working class and the
1 “Constitution of the Communist Party of China”, Revised and adopted at the Eighteenth National C o n g r e s s o f t h e C o m m u n i s t P a r t y o f C h i n a o n N o v e m b e r 1 4 , 2 0 1 2 . X i n h u a , N o v . 1 8 , 2 0 1 2 1 peasants oppressed in the previous society, but also to the intellectuals disappointed by the Guomindang.
During Mao’s period, campaigns to completely change …show more content…
It vowed to eliminate the difference between social classes and to render justice to all. It was true that under Mao, policies such as land reform, antirightist campaigns and Cultural Revolution, were carried out in very brutal way and targeted the regime’s political enemies. But they were also accepted by many as necessary and just in the sense that they made the privileged people pay for the crimes they committed before. And the CCP did achieve a massive redistribution of resources and the establishment of a new set of values in a very short period of time. Although wealth in absolute term did not increase much, inequality in the society was significantly reduced. The masses (群众) felt they had much more say in their own fate and were supposedly the most respected group. Consequently, those once at the bottom of the society felt themselves in much better conditions in comparison and found the Party very efficient and firm in keeping its promise. In Chen Kaige’s movie, Xiaosi, Dieyi’s apprentice, was very excited about the new regime and eager to follow the Party’s instructions. In his revolting words against Dieyi “I can hardly believe this. It is like something out of the Old Society”, Xiaosi made clear his belief that the communist regime offered a chance to change one’s status and life experience. And Xiaosi was the representative of many young people who would have had to …show more content…
Under Mao, the slogan was to eliminate classes and to build an egalitarian society; since Deng, it has shifted to economic development to meet the population’s demand for higher material living conditions. The successful economic reforms so far have gained the regime significant approval from the population. Today, while keeping economic development as the priority, more policies are orientated to reduce social inequalities, to increase government’s accountability and to promote sustainable development. As a populist regime, it is necessary for the Party, maybe more than any democratic governments, to detect tensions in the society and to determine the needs of the population so as to be able to adapt its policies in time and to preserve its popularity, the very foundation of its
1 “Constitution of the Communist Party of China”, Revised and adopted at the Eighteenth National C o n g r e s s o f t h e C o m m u n i s t P a r t y o f C h i n a o n N o v e m b e r 1 4 , 2 0 1 2 . X i n h u a , N o v . 1 8 , 2 0 1 2 1 peasants oppressed in the previous society, but also to the intellectuals disappointed by the Guomindang.
During Mao’s period, campaigns to completely change …show more content…
It vowed to eliminate the difference between social classes and to render justice to all. It was true that under Mao, policies such as land reform, antirightist campaigns and Cultural Revolution, were carried out in very brutal way and targeted the regime’s political enemies. But they were also accepted by many as necessary and just in the sense that they made the privileged people pay for the crimes they committed before. And the CCP did achieve a massive redistribution of resources and the establishment of a new set of values in a very short period of time. Although wealth in absolute term did not increase much, inequality in the society was significantly reduced. The masses (群众) felt they had much more say in their own fate and were supposedly the most respected group. Consequently, those once at the bottom of the society felt themselves in much better conditions in comparison and found the Party very efficient and firm in keeping its promise. In Chen Kaige’s movie, Xiaosi, Dieyi’s apprentice, was very excited about the new regime and eager to follow the Party’s instructions. In his revolting words against Dieyi “I can hardly believe this. It is like something out of the Old Society”, Xiaosi made clear his belief that the communist regime offered a chance to change one’s status and life experience. And Xiaosi was the representative of many young people who would have had to …show more content…
Under Mao, the slogan was to eliminate classes and to build an egalitarian society; since Deng, it has shifted to economic development to meet the population’s demand for higher material living conditions. The successful economic reforms so far have gained the regime significant approval from the population. Today, while keeping economic development as the priority, more policies are orientated to reduce social inequalities, to increase government’s accountability and to promote sustainable development. As a populist regime, it is necessary for the Party, maybe more than any democratic governments, to detect tensions in the society and to determine the needs of the population so as to be able to adapt its policies in time and to preserve its popularity, the very foundation of its