China’s new ‘middle class’ society guided by ‘adaptive’ communist principles

China’s new ‘middle class’ society guided by ‘adaptive’ communist principles

Eric Baculinao speaks before PPCO members at FV Foods. At left and center, Neftalie and Cesar Abrenica, guests. PHOTO: HG

NBC BEIJING Bureau chief Eric Baculinao talks on

By Lui Queaño

NBC News Beijing Bureau Chief Eric Baculinao’s talk on China’s transformation and its bid for world supremacy was well received at the informal dinner hosted by the Philippine Press Club of Ontario (PPCO) held at FV Foods Scarborough, Tuesday, January 10.

Presided over by its current President Rose Tijam, other PPCO members also came in attendance inspite of the bad weather condition.

Baculinao was a former student leader and activist under the Marcos regime. He, along with the other two top-notch international journalists, Jaime “Jimi” FlorCruz (formerly CNN Beijing Bureau Chief) and Chito Sta. Romana (formerly ABC News Beijing Bureau Chief and now Philippine Ambassador to China), were popularly known in Beijing as the “Gang of Three” or the “Filipino media mafia”. They were part of the delegation invited by the Chinese People’s Friendship Association for a two-week visit back in 1971.

It was during the time of President Aquino that the relations with China turned sour over the sovereignty issue on the disputed islands in the South China Sea. The international mediation tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands ruled in favor of the Philippines but up to this day China does not recognize the ruling and retains its territorial and sovereign claim over the disputed islands.

“I would rather play informal diplomacy. I am probably better in debating the Chinese. I have more interest in a debate with the Chinese counterpart. I know how to debate with them and I know the way they think . I know how to find a win-win solution and common grounds. I would enjoy that level of diplomacy,” Baculinao said.

When asked about Duterte’s role on the disputed islands in South China Sea, Baculinao said that President Duterte did just the right thing by issuing a decree on the islands as protected area.

“Ang ginawa ni Duterte para di na mag-away dineclare na niyang protected area ang mga islands na ito. In form , he was expressing sovereign control over these islands. Okay lang ang pag-guwardiya ng China diyan dahil they are enforcing Duterte’s decree. Common heritage naman natin yan at ang mag-bebenefit both Chinese and Filipino fishermen. Mutual help yan. With the less tension in the South China Sea both governments can focus more on the most urgent needs of the people. That’s what I tell the Chinese scholars on how to view it,” Baculinao explained.

After speaking before PPCO members at FV Foods Scarborough. From left, seated, Neftalie Abrenica, Mila Garcia, Baculinao, Rose Tijam, Pet Cleto. Standing, Cesar Abrenica, Ysh Cabana, Sarah Salise, Lui Queano, Ariel Ramos and Fred Yuson.

Military defense capability

As China grows economically so is its defense capability both regionally and globally. While U.S. remains on the top with the $600 billion defense budget compared to China’s $145 billion based on 2015 data, still China’s increased defense spending cannot be ignored, according to Baculinao.

The U.S. military presence in the Asia Pacific region clearly posits itself to protecting U.S. interest in the region. The recent dispute in the contested South China Sea islands provoked international attention as China started dumping its weapon systems on the disputed land mass attesting China’s sovereignty over the islands.

Imperialist powers such as that of the United States, however, though not a claimant, is posturing itself as protecting its allies in the region ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight as well as unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes among claimants including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

But according to Baculinao China’s military build up is only to ensure that when provoked it has the capability of defending its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“Gusto talaga nila ay peaceful resolution kahit sa kaso ng disputed islands sa South China Sea. Ayaw nilang makipag-digmaan kung mas makakaya ng peaceful resolution. Even Mao said “politics is war without bloodshed, “ mas gusto nila iyan.,” Bacunilao said.

China’s New Democracy

From an analysis of classes in China, Mao set out a programme for the achievement of New Democracy which was a bourgeois democratic revolution (and not proletarian socialist) of a new type, leading to the dictatorship of the revolutionary classes under the leadership of the Communist Party. Of interest is Mao’s position on the regulation, rather than the destruction, of capitalism, while power rests on the alliance of the working class and peasants acting through the institutions of People’s Democracy.

For almost 3,000 years, Chinese society remained feudal. Today, China has completely transformed into a “middle class society” from the working class society The class struggle of peasants, the peasants uprisings and peasant wars constituted the real motive force of historical development in Chinese feudal society. But it is only in the last hundred years that a change of different order has taken place.

“When we came to China in the 1970s pulubi ang mga tao kasi iba ang economic model noon. But it’s also because China was in isolation. External and internal factors and they were learning their way on how to build the economic foundation. Hindi madali. At that time pag may breakfast we stayed in the farm. Talagang rice at chili in Hunan. We stayed in Hunan where Mao was born. Doon kami for a time. Sili lang breakfast na yun; eggs, meat were rationed. When we went to school meron kaming ration card. Everything was rationed. Scarcity talaga. Dumaan sila sa kahirapan,” Baculinao further said.
“At the turn of the 19th century with the advent of foreign capitalism, changes in China took place. Its feudal society had developed a commodity economy towards capitalism. The natural development into a capitalist society even without the impact of foreign capitalism was expected but the penetration of foreign capitalism accelerated the development of national capitalism run by Chinese bourgeoisie and proletariat.”

“China is a work in progress. Contradiction is always there up to this day. I would say in short, China’s experiment is unprecedented. Of course, it took advantage of the lessons of the Soviet- Bolshevik revolution of 1917. No Socialism in one country was tried before. Stalin built it up and came up with the model na yun. Kinopya ng China yun. But in the end yun ang characteristic ng Chinese Communist Party. But Mao rejected the Bolshevik model. They are always also able to reinvent their own road ahead,” Baculinao explained.

“I realized it, 40 years have passed hindi na nakauwi tuluy-tuloy na ang absorption ko. Engrossing itong experiment ng China. Communist and yet capitalist. Socialist brother and yet she rejected Soviet Union and caused a split in the international communist movement,” Baculinao added.
“But today, China is no longer a working class society. In fact, it is now a middle class society in terns of the income level. So the party of the proletariat leading the biggest middle class nation on earth. That is a challenge. Sila ang nagle-lead sa climate change, e, talo pa nga si Trump. The legitimacy of the party not just on the quantity na. Middle class internet arm. Bawal man silang magdemo eh, pwede silang magdemo sa cyberspace. That is the reality in China and they are living under that condition.”

“White Cat, Black Cat”

“After the death of Mao it is not at all surprising but entirely to be expected that a capitalist economy will develop to a certain extent in China with the sweeping away of the obstacles to the development of capitalism since the purpose of the Chinese revolution is to change completely the colonial, semi-colonial and semi-feudal state of Chinese society.”

Deng Xiao Ping who took over the Chinese Communist Party after Mao’s death saw the need to adapt to change. While the western world termed it as Chinese pragmatism, Baculinao expressedly disagreed and said China is just adapting to the changing conditions in accordance to the class character of the Chinese society.

“In the process nakita ni Deng Xiao Ping na hindi na pwede yung old economic model ng Soviet style. Kailangan niyang baguhin at doon pumasok ang capitalism. Basically it’s mixed economy but they don’t call it that. Nakita nila ang market can be used not just by capitalists but also by socialists kasi yung market rational allocation. Dito ngayon yung adapatation- the ability to adapt. What works nandito na yung white cat-black cat na theory ni Deng Xiao Ping. As long as it can catch the mice. Very pragmatic kung anong what works for what. Importante pa rin for whom. What works for whom. Eventually the goal is the greater majority livelihood, happiness, economic well being of the people.”

“The rise of China to a certain degree of capitalist development to become an economic leader globally is inevitable in the new international and domestic conditions run solely by the United States . The shift of US forces to Asia Pacific indubitably affirming the current world influence of China’s rising supremacy. Its $10-trillion economy embraces bourgeois-democratic revolution (the new democratic revolution) and the proletarian-socialist revolution, and that includes both the current and future stages of revolution led by the middle class. Exploiting the economic system run by capitalism for the benefit of the majority of the people is what is taking place in China.”

According to Baculinao, this has been a debate as early as the 1980s and was finally arrived at in the 90’s when the Communist Party of China saw the principal objective for leading the proletarian revolution and that is providing livelihood to the impoverished Chinese society.

“Ang principal pala noon was livelihood, yung may makain ang mga tao. Judgement nila principal muna yung economic needs then later on nagiging principal na ang quality of life issue. Kasi nga middle class society na sila. China is re-adopting in its next stage of revolution. May strong point sila. No. 2 economy in the world, biggest exporting nation. Pero mas complex ang challenge dealing with the more complex needs of the middle class society. That is more challenging than satisfying workers and peasants. Madali lang i-satisfy ang mga workers and peasants basta may trabaho at tirahan okey na,”