Modern China: History, Xi, Mao, and the Future
The Legacy of Mao & The Rise of Xi Jinping
Jeffrey Wasserstrom explains the complex parallels between Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping, noting that while both maintain powerful personality cults, their approaches to governance differ significantly.
• Mao famously reveled in chaos, leveraging disorder to drive his vision of class struggle, viewing it as a tool to "turn the heavens upside down."
• Xi Jinping emphasizes stability, orderliness, and predictability, blending Communist ideology with deep respect for Confucian traditions regarding hierarchy and control.
The Tension of History
The contemporary Chinese state is defined by a deep veneration of its past, which often clashes with Marxist doctrines of progress. Wasserstrom emphasizes that Xi is a pragmatist nationalist who seeks to frame Chinese history as a continuous arc of greatness, regardless of previous internal contradictions.
The Role of Confucianism and Education
Confucianism remains a foundational pillar for Chinese societal values, particularly its emphasis on education as a pathway to meritocracy.
"People are pretty much alike at birth but become differentiated via learning."
Despite this ideal, the system frequently faces challenges:
• Nepotism remains a major point of contention, leading to historical outrage and protests when citizens feel the "back door" subverts the meritocratic ideal.
• The Gaokao serves as the modern gatekeeping mechanism, balancing high achievement with intense societal pressure.
Student Protests and the Memory of 1989
The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests are often misunderstood in the West as a simple movement for democracy. Wasserstrom clarifies that they were multifaceted, driven by:
• A call for the Communist Party to live up to its own rhetoric regarding reform.
• Strong anti-corruption and anti-nepotism sentiments.
• A desire for broader political participation alongside economic liberalization.
The Tank Man remains an iconic symbol of bravery. His disappearance—and the regime's strict suppression of the incident—highlights the Party's acute awareness of the power of imagery in challenging their mandate to rule.
Censorship, Control, and the Future
Wasserstrom utilizes the framework of fear, friction, and flooding to describe modern Chinese censorship. While state control is tight, the system is surprisingly porous.
• 1984 vs. Brave New World: China toggles between these dystopian models, utilizing surveillance (1984) and consumerist distraction (Brave New World) to manage societal behavior.
• The Regional Perspective: The fate of Hong Kong and the ongoing tensions in Taiwan are vital to the next chapter of regional geopolitics. Wasserstrom argues that Hong Kong represents a "last flourishing" of a distinct, cosmopolitan version of Chineseness that the central government is increasingly determined to narrow.
Ultimately, Wasserstrom remains hopeful about the resilience of the human spirit. Despite the challenges, he notes that China's youth continue to be suspicious of authority and intellectually curious, ensuring that the quest for truth in history and culture persists.