«Marx was right» — it seems that communist China proves this thesis with its successful development, intimidating everyone else. But is there really a reason to fear it?
On his Telegram channel, renowned Sinologist Adil Kaukenov explains how Chinese ideology can fit into the global ideological system:
It is often said that in competition with the United States, China faces a serious problem in ideology because the West offers global ideas, and Chinese culture is too specific. In other words, who needs Confucius beyond the borders of China?
This statement is not entirely correct. Chinese philosophy is extremely rich, and besides Confucius, numerous works such as Sun Tzu’s «Art of War,» the «I Ching,» «Feng Shui,» and others are well known. The question is not about specificity but about the global nature of these teachings. Confucianism, for example, may seem confusing to those unfamiliar with it in everyday contexts. However, Confucianism speaks about quite understandable and simple things:
- How to organize society,
- The relationship between individuals and the state,
- The meaning of justice and love in social structure,
- Relationships between generations, and much more.
Eternal questions that have always concerned humanity. Confucianism, however, is not a religion. That is, anyone from any religious background – be it Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, or Shintoist – can be a Confucian. Confucianism does not interfere with religious matters, leaving the spiritual realm to religions. This is why Confucianism is popular throughout East and Southeast Asia: in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and others. The fact that people do not like failures is another matter. When China was a mighty empire, neighboring countries rapidly adopted not only its technological achievements but also its spiritual ones.
After China underwent invasions by Western powers, was ravaged, and divided into settlements, Chinese philosophers naturally ceased to concern the world and became a footnote in oriental studies.
But now everything is changing rapidly. The growth of the Chinese economy and scientific-technological achievements compels a different perspective. Many developing countries look at China and want to emulate its experience. For example, Uzbekistan in Central Asia has officially announced the incorporation of Chinese anti-poverty strategies into its national programs. Besides its own achievements, China can offer communism as an ideology. In China, content like «Marx was right» is continually created, linking the «Chinese miracle» specifically to the rule of the Communist Party. American publications express dissatisfaction with China precisely because, by its very existence, the PRC offers the world an alternative version of development sharply differing from the liberal-democratic perspective on state development.
However, China is not ready to actively compete on the global ideological stage. The current situation in Beijing is quite satisfactory, where the Chinese economy is competitive and shows stable growth despite global upheavals. Introducing its alternative program now, carrying the banners of Confucianism and communism, means entering into a sharp confrontation with the U.S., which is already doing everything possible to curb Chinese growth. On the contrary, China needs to keep Sino-American relations in as stable a condition as possible for as long as possible. Moreover, China well remembers that the promotion of Maoism on the world stage in the second half of the 20th century cost the country colossal resources and efforts, which, without economic backing, vanished like a mirage once the political situation changed in a given country. Therefore, despite the U.S. openly calling China a strategic challenge, Beijing does not pick up the thrown gauntlet and states that it is preoccupied with internal challenges and does not wish to engage in the struggle for hearts, focusing on economic competition instead.
