I have following Shanghai Panda’s tweet stream for a long time.  From time to time, there is valuable educational material.  For example, this massive initial tweet tells in fine detail how Chinese governance actually works.

On twitter, as a Chinese, the most frequently asked question for me is, why don’t you oppose the CPC? Why don’t Chinese support western style democracy? Why do Chinese people support President Xi, who has no votes? Now, I’m going to tell them why.（1/N） pic.twitter.com/RCZbOlbLg4

— ShanghaiPanda (@thinking_panda) September 15, 2020

The explanation on China’s communism is great, and far away from the incessant yes/no, right/wrong polarity we have to deal with these days. Enjoy!

People call China a “communist” country.

I say – Yes, or No.

Communism is indeed the ideal of we Chinese people, but China’s Communism is different from communism defined in the West.

(1/N)

Economically, China’s “socialist market economy” is more similar to the “New Nationalism” proposed by Theodore Roosevelt.

About China’s economic system is not the focus of my talk today. I want to talk about the cultural core of China’s communism.

(2/N)

What I want to talk about is, in fact, more than 2000 years ago, communism has become the highest ideal pursued by China’s intellectuals.

Confucius (Kong Zi), the founder of Chinese Confucianism, was also considered the greatest of the ancient Chinese sages.

(3/N)

Confucius once put forward the three most important moral norms of the Chinese people – “仁 (Ren)、义 (Yi)、礼 (Li)”.

仁 (Ren) – the spirit of human nature and humanity, that is, the spirit of people-oriented.

(4/N)

义 (Yi) – the fairness and justice, adhere to principles. The principle of “义 (Yi)” is often reflected in the form of law.

礼 (Li) – the country’s political system also includes religious ceremonies, social customs and etiquette norms.

(5/N)

There was a famous article in Confucius’ works Liji ( The Book of Li), called “The Great Together (Li Yun Da Tong)”. It described Confucius’ ideal Chinese society.

If you read this article carefully, you will find that Confucius described a communist society.

(6/N)

Therefore, I say that the ideal of we Chinese people, or the ideal of the CPC, is to realize the “Great Together” that our ancestors have been pursuing for thousands of years.

(7/N)

孔子：《礼运大同篇》

Confucius: “The Great Together (Li Yun Da Tong)”

大道之行也，天下为公。

When the Great Way is practiced, the world is for the public.

选贤与能。

Those with virtue and those with ability are chosen and used.

(8/N)

讲信修睦。

People value trustworthiness and cultivate harmony with each other.

故人不独亲其亲，不独子其子。

Thus people do not treat only their parents like parents, nor do people treat only their children like children.

(9/N)

使老有所终，壮有所用，幼有所长。

That makes the aged have the appropriate last years, those in their prime have the appropriate employment, and the young have the appropriate growth and development.

(10/N)

鳏寡孤独废疾者，皆有所养。

Elderly men with no spouses, widows, orphans, elderly people without children or grandchildren, the handicapped, the ill – all are provided for.

男有分，女有归。

Males have their station; females, their places to belong to.

(11/N)

货恶其弃於地也，不必藏於己。

Money is thrown on the ground and thus despised; it is not necessary to store money.

力恶其不出於身也，不必为已。

Labor is despised if it does not come from oneself, and it does not have to be on behalf of oneself.

(12/N)

是故谋闭而不兴，盗窃乱贼而不作。

Therefore people don’t engage in intrigue or trickery, nor do they engage in robbery, theft, and rebellion.

故外户而不闭。

Thus, though people leave their houses they don’t close their doors.

(13/N)

是谓大同。

This is called the “Great Together”.

(END)