Even 70 years after the founding of the people’s Republic of China is not finished “re-emergence”. Continuities and changes of the theme “re-emergence” in the Era of Xi Jinping, explained by the Sinologist Felix Wemheuer.
70 years ago, at the founding of the PRC, announced Mao Zedong: The Chinese people stood up. Now, 70 years later, after the unprecedented rise of managed power of China to economic superpower, promoted Xi Jinping is still the “Chinese dream”, the “revival” and “renewal” of China. Why?
Felix Wemheuer: Because the great project of China’s rise is by no means complete. All party leaders from Mao to Xi Jinping had to establish the goal of China as a global Power. It was in the Mao Era, the Watchword, with the United States to catch up and overtake you. And it is still far, not least in the military field. And despite all the technological leaps China is also in this area is still very dependent and vulnerable. Not to forget is also that the establishment of the new state has taken on the international level, at least 30 years, up to the inclusion of full diplomatic relations with the United States in 1979. And finally, the process of the Chinese is not complete reunification, in the opinion of the party because Taiwan is de facto independent.
On the international stage at eye height, but the super power it’s not enough
How did the Grand narrative of the resurgence of China under Xi Jinping, and where they remained the same?
The Slogan from the re-rise of China and the Propaganda that the peaceful and a Win-win Situation for the whole world, which we also find very strong under XI’s predecessors Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, the is a constant. Under Xi Jinping is a more open and more offensive touch comes with, such as the island dispute with Japan, but also in the South China sea. In the past, Beijing has said that We don’t know, we are working with these governments to agree and leave it there for the first time. Under Xi Jinping is now trying to massively change the Status quo. These include the military bases abroad, the carriers, the construction of aircraft, and so on. It was in the 1980s, in the early phase of Reform, where you said: We have to go the whole military apparatus and the military expenditure, in order to allow the civilian economic development.
Another constant in all of the party leaders that we must not underestimate the deep Conviction that China was a great civilization and world, and then the national humiliation and oppression came to this short one hundred years after the opium war of 1840. Therefore, the re-rise of China. China should get the opinion of the party and the government of the place in the world that is rightfully his anyway.
Felix Wemheuer: nationalism stimulates not only on the Chinese side
Another constant is the notion, apparently, that If the structure of the modern economy, national defense, fails to science, can China be the victim of his enemies. What is the basis for this idea?
An example of the Cold war, as it had done in the West, very successfully, the Soviet Union and its allies systematically from high-technology to cut off. These have tried to develop, for example, your own Computer, but never came to the Western level. At the time, China as a De-facto U.S. ally against the Soviet Union, the end of the 1970s and 1980s, this Western technology has, in contrast to the GDR and the Soviet Union.
Now the Situation is reversed: The trade war with the United States shows that there is the Consideration of China from major technology components to cut off, to prevent its further ascent. The U.S. policy toward China has changed. Earlier, the benevolent forces were there to set the tone for the free-trade and exchange also in the U.S. interest. Now there is both the Democrats as well as Republicans, strong forces in favour of a Cold war, or economic war against China. So, the strengthened nationalism is situate just on the Chinese side, but also on Western to.
China’s “edge” in the West afraid of its elimination belongs to the “DNA of the party”
Actually, the Communist party is firmly seated in the saddle, in a few years you will have the power period of the original Russian-Soviet model, is exceeded. Where is the uncertainty?
The rule of the Communist party of China is in the centre of the country is very stable, but as the Achilles heel of the periphery is always valid. The fear that the Uighur or the Tibetan nationalism could destabilize the situation in the club with forces from outside China, is just there, at the party, as well as in the people. A current example in Hong Kong is now. There, the government is very successful in selling at least of their own people Share the Version that the enemies of China to take advantage of the special status of Hong Kong, to make there on the edge of the Empire Trouble and destabilize. All of these fears are a constant and are part of the DNA of the Chinese leadership.
Beijing hopes that the Slowdown of the protests in Hong Kong
The protests in Hong Kong will bring the Chinese leadership is in serious trouble?
Hong Kong has become a difficult Problem for the Chinese leadership, because there is this special status of “one country, two System” to continue. Of course, could claim the leadership in Hong Kong on the state of exception, and then the Chinese army, which is stationed in Hong Kong would intervene there militarily. The Problem is: What comes next? In Hong Kong, however, very different structures than in mainland China. Since you can not connect so easy with brutal means, “peace and order” again, as on the mainland. Beijing hopes that the Protest will come to nothing, because the last thing you want is to have to directly intervene to.
What it wants to prevent Beijing is also essential is that the spark, or there is a solidarity. The Frustration of the youth of Hong Kong has similar reasons as the problems of young people in Shanghai or Beijing, namely, that the real estate market is out of control, that people from the middle class, have the feeling: I can afford in spite of my University degree no apartment, I can’t find any work, I the cost of living can meet.
Also a fulfillment of the Chinese dream: a Classic pork dish
The extent to which overshadow the protests in Hong Kong, the celebrations for the 70. Anniversary of the founding of the PRC?
A very large theme for the anniversary is not Hong Kong, but the Explosion of pork prices. Frozen reserves from the state Save must be thrown on the market, so that pig meat is to the feast so expensive. This is the critical issue, the moves in mainland China and in the social media, the people. Again to the Chinese dream of coming back, this is not a reality for the average Chinese for a long time, if not daily pork is guaranteed.
Felix Wemheuer is Professor of Modern China studies at the University of Cologne. His most recent publication is “China’s great upheaval: Social conflicts and the rise in the world system”
