Talks with Jan

Is China No Longer Communist?

Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D.

Newly affluent Chinese eager to travel

Recently my friend Jan commented that some of her traditionalist friends are saying China is no longer communist because it has adopted the capitalist spirit of the West. It is reported to have become the world’s second largest economy, and its business class is said to be as affluent as its counterparts in the West with a new "middle class" eager to travel and spend money.

Since it seems that China is now allowing private property and a business "bourgeoisie" is growing, Jan was unsure how to respond.

China still proudly communist

Even if your friends, dear Jan, do not consider China communist any longer, China is a communist State run by the Communist Party of China (CCP). The CCP continues to be the single and only allowed Party, although it claims to have adapted itself to run a type of "undemocratic" capitalist system. The country’s dictator/leader Xi Jinping, who keeps an iron tight grip on the economic-political-religious spheres, that is, on everything, explains this change as a Chinese adaptation to Marxism that he has dubbed “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era.”

Parliament opens in the Great Hall of the People under communist symbols

As far as it being an all-powerful State, it is still the old-fashioned Communism: The ruling Communist Party tolerates no dissent. There is no separation of powers, independence of the judiciary, freedom of association, expression and opinion, independent media, opposition parties, etc. Critics of the government risk persecution.

In recent years, the central Communist Party has been tightening – not loosening – its already strong grip on all aspects of lives. This new system has simply been titled “Xi Jinping Thought,” which was enshrined in the Constitution of 2018.

The first affirmation of that party platform says its aim is “to ensure the Communist Party of China of leadership over all forms of work in China. Among the party, the government, the military, the people, the academia and all circles, the Party leads all.” While it admits some aspects of capitalism in business, in the end “it is state-owned enterprises that should dominate.”

The last purpose of the Constitution makes a revealing finale: “To improve party discipline in the Communist Party of China.”

A CCP-supervised ‘capitalism’

And what about this so-called capitalism? If you want to rise in business, politics and even entertainment, loyal membership in the Party is essential. Critique of the government risks loss of jobs and possible persecution. Even attending a Church can jeopardize a “good career” under the watchful eye of Xi Jinping Thought.

Chinese businessmen receive ‘patriotic education’ to absorb Xi Jinping Thought

In this developing “modern enterprise system with Chinese characteristics,” guidelines have been issued requiring private companies to “adhere to the principle that the Party has decision-making power over human resources.”

Party approval is required for hiring and firing. A monitoring and auditing structure inside companies under the authority of the Communist Party is required to deal with breaches of discipline and “abnormal behavior” by employees. To establish good “social credit” – which allows you to go ahead in business – you must without exception toe the Party line. If you are “blacklisted” by the Party, thenceforth you will have bad luck in buying property, taking out a loan, purchasing a plane ticket or even using public transportation.

Students celebrate Mao’s birthday with parades; below, Mao plates sold alongside Xi Jinping memorabilia

Even China’s top actors and directors and pop stars are being sent to "Socialism school" to understand how they should interpret Xi Thought. Since 2017 China has also incorporated this “new” form of Communism into its national school curriculum to help "establish Marxist belief" in the country's youth. Even China’s AI chatbox is trained on the Xi Jinping doctrine, promoting “Socialism with Chinese characteristics.”

In today’s China we even find the brutal regime run by the mass murderer Mao Zedong being praised and honored. Last year millions throughout the country commemorated his birthday anniversary. People carried banners such as “Long live Chairman Mao,” and “We miss Chairman Mao.” Communist anthems such as the “Internationale” were sung at the events.

Does this look like a country that has rejected Communism?

No, Jan, Communism-Capitalism is perhaps not an oxymoron any more, but only so long as entrepreneurs remain subservient to the ruling Communist Party’s ideology and governance. This strange mix of Soviet-style Socialism and Capitalism translates in China into a totalitarian regime under the increasingly AI-enhanced control of the Chinese Communist Party Everything ensures the absolute power of the CCP.

Religion under CCP control

Nowhere is the heavy hand of the Chinese Communist Party felt more strongly than in religion. The five State-allowed religions and their leaders must be subordinate to the civil authority and place itself at the service of the Communist Party. All others are forbidden, hunted down and persecuted.

A Patriotic Education Training Course for Catholic representatives in Jiangxi

The government recognizes five official religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism. But the "Catholicism" we are talking about here is only the Patriotic Catholic Church (Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, CCPA) controlled by the Communist Party. The Underground Church – which refuses to recognize Party leaders as head of the Church – has been increasingly persecuted and driven underground since 2007, when Benedict XVI invited it to join the CCPA and took away their privileges.

Then Francis made a "secret" accord with China in 2018 that in effect seems to have given the Communist Party permission to choose their new Bishops. The accord – which has still not been made public – was recently renewed in October 2024 with the aim of furthering “constructive dialogue” with the Chinese Communist Party. This sinicization of religion (bending it in every way possible to the service of the CCP) has led to brutal measures against any and all dissenters.

But let me offer some recent examples of how the Communist Party has intensified its persecution of Catholics:

Ten Catholic Bishops who resisted Communist Party control over religious matters have suffered detentions, surveillances and banishments from their Dioceses. These Bishops’ great crime was to be faithful to the Papacy. First and only allegiance belongs to the Chinese Communist Party.
Every religious body must register with Communist Party officials, and authorities are closing parish churches that resist Party control;
A Xi Jinping portrait replaces one of Our Lady in a Catholic Church in Ji'an province
Public funerals are banned and youth under age 18 are constitutionally barred from attending church services or receiving religious education;
Crucifixes, statues and holy pictures are being removed from sanctuaries and replaced with pictures of Zi and Mao portraits;
An October 2024 CPA campaign is insisting on “Red tours” and Patriotic Education Training Courses for Catholic priests and nuns (similar to the indoctrination conferences for businesses and schools). Catholics are being told that “Honor thy Father” means “Honor the Communist Party” and priests are ordered to preach that their parishioners should “always be of one mind and one heart with the Party.”

The list continues but I will stop here. It is enough to prove that Communism continues in China.

A home altar with Xi Jinping in the center,
a simple cross to the side

Francis praises China as “a promise and hope” for the Catholic Church and proclaims he is "happy with the dialogue," since its results have been "good." This obedience to Beijing’s Communism is, in truth, a disgrace and a betrayal of faithful Underground Catholics and the Church’s teaching: There can be no compromise with Communism.

As Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira notes in his landmark work The Church and Communist State, the Impossible Coexistence, the teaching mission of the Church consists not only in teaching the truth but also in condemning error. The Church cannot, therefore accept a dialogue or supposed “freedom” that entails a renunciation of the effective exercise of her teaching mission.

More important is her mission to teach the entire Catholic doctrine, which frontally clashes with the Communist doctrine, which is atheistic, materialist, relativist and evolutionist.

This supposed coexistence of Catholicism with Communism has had and still continues to have fatal consequences. What happened with the Russian Schismatic Church and other independent Schismatic Churches of other Communist countries is what is happening now in China. They are all drenched in Communism.

Thumbs up to communist China

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Posted November 11, 2024

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