You could call it a Mao Makeover. China’s 16th Communist Party congress has unveiled its new leaders, Goodbye Jiang Zemin, Welcome Hu Jintao. However, there’s a familiar problem: How can this nation of over a billion people, blood-sworn to egalitarian ideals and “the working class as the only class” harness the power of money?
More and more, America and the rest of the world embrace China as an economic partner. The new Central Committee plans to carry Jiang’s policy forward, incorporating (some would say co-opting) entrepreneurs and the middle class. But whether the revolution is entering a new phase or simply giving up the ghost is a good question.
Communism, capitalism and that uncertain space in between.
Guests:
Rob Gifford, NPR reporter based in Beijing
Joseph Fewsmith, Professor of International Relations and Political Science at Boston University, and author of a number of books including “China Since Tiananmen: The Politics of Transition.”