The debates concerning the present and future of China—an ‘emerging’ power—always leave me unconvinced.1
Some argue that China has chosen, once and for all, the ‘‘capitalist road’’ and intends even to accelerate its integration into contemporary capitalist globalization. They are quite pleased with this and hope only that this ‘‘return to normality’’ (capitalism being the ‘‘end of history’’) is accompanied by development towards Western-style democracy (multiple parties, elections, human rights).
They believe—or need to believe—in the possibility that China shall by this means ‘‘catch up’’ (in terms of per capita income) to the opulent societies of the West, even if gradually, which I do not believe is possible. The Chinese right shares this point of view. Others deplore this in the name of the values of a ‘‘betrayed socialism’’. Some associate themselves with the dominant expressions of the practice of China bashing[40] [41] in the West. Still others—those in power in Beijing—describe the chosen path as ‘‘Chinese-style socialism”, without being more precise. However, one can discern its characteristics by reading official texts closely, particularly the Five- Year Plans, which are precise and taken quite seriously.In fact the question (is China capitalist or socialist?) is badly posed, too general and abstract for any response to make sense in terms of this absolute alternative. In fact, China has actually been following an original path since 1950, and perhaps even since the Taiping Revolution in the nineteenth century. I shall attempt here to clarify the nature of this original path at each of the stages of its development from 1950 to today-2012.
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