When the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was proclaimed in October 1949, the country’s economy was in a shambles, devastated by decades of war and ravaged by inflation triggered by global forces beyond local control. The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the new...
Beyond the sprouts of capitalism: China’s early capitalist development and contemporary socialist project
This article was originally published at Monthly Review Online on March 03, 2021, and has been lightly revised with approval from the author. Introduction The contemporary political economy of the People’s Republic of China, the nature of the Chinese system, has been...
The CPC 100 years on: Understanding China’s contemporary political economy
Introduction Today, July 1, 2021, is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Celebrations throughout China and commemorations worldwide are taking place today in recognition of the Party's leadership and its incredible legacy. It's...
China’s environmental problems: Beyond the propaganda
Editor’s note: This article is based off a talk first delivered at the Eco-Socialism Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The corporate-owned media reports frequently about environmental problems in China, from air pollution in Beijing to toxins in the soil and the...
5-part class: From opium wars to trade wars: China’s long path toward socialism
Course description: As China’s global rise rivals U.S. hegemony, the number one priority of U.S. foreign policy is to wage a demonization campaign against China. Since the Obama administration announced the Pivot to Asia, the U.S. has spent countless military dollars...
China class 5: China and the Global South
Class description: The fifth and final class in the course considers China's internationalist orientation and specifically its contemporary relationship with the Global South, and its struggle for territorial integrity. In...
China class 3: Twin tasks of the revolution (1949-1979)
Class description: This week’s class covers the first 30 years of the People’s Republic, the period of the initial construction of socialism and the struggle between two lines. After liberation in 1949, China set about...
China class 2: National liberation and class struggle (1919-1949)
Class description: This second class covers the 30 years from 1919 to 1949, during which the revolution grew from a collection of Marxist reading groups to the establishment of the People’s Republic. We examine the founding...
China class 1: From Imperial China to the Century of Humiliation (1800-1919)
Class description: The first class in the series is devoted to tracing the decline of the ancient imperial order in China under the combined attacks of Western imperialism and domestic rebellion in the course of the 19th and...