As events unfolds across the world this week, of out most importance will be the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that was held on Monday to name a new generation of leaders and to prepare a economic and social blueprint for the next five years of the Chinese nation. While the negative perception held by the western world about China’s political system gets its due share of attention in the global media, there is at the same time the unheard of but very much unique and efficient model of governance that China has been able to successfully put in practice—what has come to be known as (developing) socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Chinese President and CPC General Secretary Hu Jintao—bestowed with a fresh mandate for another five years to run the country—has reiterated this ideological theme to push forward the ‘great leap’—“to emancipate the mind, persist in reform and opening up, pursue development in a scientific way, promote social harmony and strive for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects”. The aim to promote social equity, justice and to confront the growing threat posed by corruption is also welcoming. One significant point seen in tackling corruption, the Chinese way, is the manner in which their leadership has taken up corruption as a major political task, to be addressed at the highest level. This underlines the CPC’s position that corruption is actually a political agenda, usually rare for any political leadership to take up but which the CPC is determined to pursue with a clear stand to combat corruption and uphold integrity of the Chinese people.
And the most important tool to realize this great leap forward will no doubt center on the programmes and policies as also China’s political system. Interestingly, the Chinese character for democracy (Minzhu) was one of the most extensively used political concepts in Hu’s speech with reference to it at least 60 times during the 17th National Congress of the CPC. The ideological position of the CPC that it will continue with political reforms but would never ape the Western political model is something that has to be respected and at the same time to be seriously taken note of as ‘food for thought’, especially by those in the developing world as they struggle in political transition from tradition to modernity.
In this regard one must note the prevalent truth which makes China tick. Its sustained economic growth exceeding the 10 percent mark is but a testimony to its political governance which has been able to direct reforms, better economic management, recovery in government revenues and higher labour productivity. This is unlike the system of democracy prevalent in India, which is more and more guided by populism and less by economic rationality thereby failure to achieve the double digit growth rate. On the ideological front, unlike the Left in India—the CPI (M), CPI and Forward Block—the Communists in China have done much better at adaptation—reflected in its scientific outlook on development and in the party’s theoretical innovation suited to both global changes as also the country’s national interest. The Indian communists, however remains dogmatic—in their make belief self-existence. In a more general theory, the Chinese model of change with continuity, of pragmatism and stability is an apt lesson for social reconstruction, economic progress and political competence.