Humanized Confucian Socialism

China is a country with a long-standing history and rich culture. To most of us, it is the visual images of emperors, pavilions, dragons and the square Chinese characters that dominate our impressions. The people in that country remember and observe the age-old traditions and continue to celebrate their traditional festivals. While helping to build a modern country, they soberly realize that wealth itself cannot make a nation great; the key is how to make use of wealth.

Politics

As to politics, after having many meetings with officials of that country, we feel that long before the idea of freedom and democracy appeared in Europe, China had already had its own understanding about politics and that understanding has been organically absorbed by the modern political system practiced by East Asian countries influenced by Confucianism. Throughout history, the basis of the State mechanism has always been officials. In Japan, the Confucian thought of governing the country by officials has proved its vitality. The Western-style parliamentary system, existing since 1890, has not yet succeeded in taking power away from bureaucrats and handing it over to the statesmen. China is now trying to carry out its political restructuring by combining foreign experience with its inherent traditions.

Economy

At a meeting with the million-strong All-China Journalists’ Association, many people told us how Deng Xiao- ping had pulled China out of the dangerous whirlpool and resolutely safely steered it onto the road of reform and opening up. A widely-quoted saying of Deng, “No matter if it is a white cat or black cat, as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat”, expressed this new pragmatic attitude. It is meaningless to argue whether establishing a market economy means transition from socialism to capitalism. What is important is the tangible achievements of the reform.

Yes, thirty years ago, Deng Xiaoping made a call to his countrymen: “Let some people get rich first.” His successor Jiang Zemin and other Chinese leaders have let more people get rich. Then, as we know, the leaders of the next generation led by Hu Jintao have set the goal of considerably reducing the number of poor people in the country and have made extraordinary achievements in the process. Consequently, earth-shaking changes have taken place in China.

Sense of Pride

We find that Beijing is not only the capital of the People’s Republic of China, but also one of the largest metropolises in the world. The monasteries, historical sites and the Great Wall there have all been kept intact. There are also many world heritage sites and a great number of museums in the city. The Chinese people have already reached space and the hi-tech age. They are now carrying out a large-scale urban construction and building many new road and rail arteries. All this is achieved by the people with their wisdom, their hands and their creativity.The seeds of national enlightenment are sown in the hearts of these people in early childhood before they come in crowds from nearby counties or faraway regions to the Imperial Palace in Beijing and the Great Wall―the origins of their historical wealth. Mao Zedong’s inscription “If we reach not the Great Wall we are no true men” that we saw at a scenic spot of a renovated section of the Great Wall reflects this. The Chinese people are proud of their nation that has the capacity to reach the great heights of outer space.

(Translated from the Chinese text)

The author is a journalist with Odessa Life. This article was published in the issue of November 11-22, 2009.