The Chinese Path as Seen by Foreign Left-Wing Scholars

In recent times, how to view the Chinese path has become a hot topic of concern in foreign academic circles. On the one hand, voices questioning and attacking the Chinese path are incessant; on the other hand, as China’s comprehensive national strength and international status have risen, there are also many admirers among international discussions and studies of the Chinese path. Based on their realistic observations of the Chinese path, a growing number of foreign left-wing scholars are breaking the ideological shackles that once imprisoned them, viewing the achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics more objectively and fairly, recognizing the contemporary value of the Chinese path, and placing hope in it.

近段时间以来，如何看待中国道路成为国外学界关注的热点话题。一方面，质疑和抨击中国道路的论调不绝于耳；另一方面，随着我国综合国力和国际地位上升，国际上对中国道路的议论和研究中也有不少赞扬者。基于对中国道路的现实观察，越来越多的国外左翼学者正在打破过往禁锢的思想枷锁，更加客观公正地看待中国特色社会主义所取得的成就，对中国道路的当代价值予以认可，并寄予希望。

Reasons for the Success of the Chinese Path

中国道路成功的原因

There was once a view internationally that China was far from the core zone of the world socialist movement, yet the socialist path there managed to persist and succeed after the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. This has greatly intrigued foreign scholars and prompted their deep reflection.

国际上曾有一种看法，就是中国远离世界社会主义运动核心地带，但那里的社会主义道路却能在苏东剧变后依然坚持下来并取得成功。这令国外学者十分好奇，并引发了他们深深的思考。

First, the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the key to the success of the Chinese path. Party leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and its greatest strength. Relevant Russian experts believe that the Communist Party of China is the key to the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Communist Party of China unites progressive social forces to the greatest extent, playing the role of a wise coordinator, manager, and vanguard worker. In terms of guiding ideology, the Communist Party of China has been consistent; the guiding ideologies of each period it has experienced possess inherent continuity, thereby ensuring policy continuity.

第一，中国共产党的领导是中国道路成功的关键。党的领导是中国特色社会主义的最本质特征，也是最大的优势。俄罗斯相关专家认为，中国共产党是中国特色社会主义能够成功的关键。中国共产党最大范围团结社会进步力量，扮演着英明的协调者、管理者和先锋工作者的角色。在指导思想上，中国共产党一以贯之，所经历的各个时期的指导思想都存在着内在的继承性，从而确保了政策的连续性。

Second, China adopted the correct path of socialist reform. Some scholars believe that China’s reforms have seven major measures and characteristics, including: concentrating efforts on pioneering and innovating, actively responding to the needs of the people, not copying or imitating the experiences of other countries, advancing gradual and orderly reforms, not destroying state-owned enterprises, not abandoning macroeconomic regulation, and developing an economy with multiple forms of ownership coexisting. Sebastian Heilmann, a German expert on China, also believes that China did not take a radical path during its transition but insisted on piloting before scaling up—that is, policies formulated were first tested on a small scale in a certain locality before being promoted nationwide. This gradual reform is superior to “shock therapy.”

第二，中国采取了正确的社会主义改革路径。有学者认为，中国的改革有七大举措和特点，包括：集中精力开拓创新，积极回应民众的需求，没有照抄照搬他国经验，推进渐进式的、有序的改革，没有摧毁国有企业，没有放弃宏观调控，发展多种所有制形式并存的经济。德国的中国问题专家塞巴斯蒂安·海尔曼也认为，中国在转型中没有走冒进的路线，而是坚持先试点后推广，也就是制定的政策先在某个地方小范围的验证后再在全国推广。这种渐进式改革要优于“休克疗法”。

Third, the Chinese path has made outstanding contributions to maintaining world peace and has also won an international environment and space for its own development. Some foreign scholars point out that to dispel the doubts of other countries, China has repeatedly emphasized to the outside world that it “will never develop itself at the expense of the interests of other countries,” and that the “Two Centenary Goals”[1] aim to create a strong and prosperous China that coexists peacefully with other external countries. Other scholars note that the Chinese government and its leaders have long been committed to a policy of peaceful development, a policy deeply rooted in China’s enduring needs and values, the long-term trend of international interdependence, and growing global challenges. Many Western powers in human history, after growing strong, took the path of hegemony and thus declined. However, the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a path of peaceful development; it will not engage in external expansion but is a solid force for maintaining world peace. Therefore, it can avoid the fate of “a strong country is bound to seek hegemony, and a hegemonic country is bound to decline.”

第三，中国道路为维护世界和平作出了卓越的贡献，也为自身赢得了发展的国际环境和空间。有国外学者指出，为了打消其他国家的疑虑，中国不断向外界强调将“决不会以牺牲别国利益为代价来发展自己”，“两个一百年” 奋斗目标旨在创造一个与其他外部国家和平共处的强大富裕的中国。还有学者指出，中国政府和领导人长期致力于和平发展政策，这一政策深深地植根于持久的中国需要和价值，长期相互依存的国际趋势，以及日趋增长的全球挑战。人类历史上的不少西方强国在发展壮大后走上了称霸的道路，因此而走向衰落。但是，中国特色社会主义道路是和平发展的道路，它不会进行对外扩张，而是维护世界和平的坚实力量。因此，可以规避“国强必霸，国霸必衰”的宿命。

Exploration of the Nature of the Chinese Path

对中国道路性质的探索

As the world’s most populous country, the Chinese path is undoubtedly particularly eye-catching. Due to cultural differences and divergences in the understanding of Marxism, foreign left-wing scholars hold differing views and engage in endless debates on the positioning of the Chinese path.

作为世界人口最多的大国，中国道路无疑尤其引人关注。由于文化差异以及对马克思主义理解上的分歧，国外左翼在中国道路的定位问题上观点各异、争论不休。

According to the viewpoint of historical materialism, the key indicator for evaluating the nature of a country’s social system is ownership relations. Egyptian economist and Marxist thinker Samir Amin believes that China’s land remains state property and is not

根据唯物史观的观点，评价一个国家社会制度性质的关键指标是所有制关系。埃及经济学家和马克思主义思想家萨米尔·阿明认为，中国的土地仍然是国有财产，不允许自由买卖，这就是中国不是资本主义国家的重要原因。他还认为，中国如果走资本主义道路，不可能达到像欧美日那样的发达程度，因为处于所谓世界发展中心的西方发达国家，绝不允许发展边缘国家挑战它的地位。所以，中国的出路在于社会主义，在于坚定地走自己的社会主义道路。

Some scholars also hold that China’s socialist market economy is built on the foundation of a strong public sector that occupies a strategic position in the economy. The advantages of China’s publicly owned enterprises are manifested in the following: they achieve economies of scale, do not one-sidedly pursue profit maximization, partially allow enterprise workers to participate in enterprise management, and respond more quickly to the state’s macroeconomic regulation. Schweickart’s analysis points out that capitalism, from an economic perspective, refers to a market economy in which the means of production are privately owned on a large scale and wage labor is dominant. If this standard is used to measure Chinese society, it is clearly not capitalism, because nearly half of China’s population still lives in rural areas. More importantly, although the individual economy has grown rapidly over the past few decades, state-owned enterprises still dominate core industries including banking, insurance, petroleum, telecommunications, engineering and construction, steel manufacturing, electric power, railways, and maritime shipping, which is conducive to the long-term stable development of China’s economy.

还有相关学者认为，中国的社会主义市场经济是建立在一个强大的公共部门的基础之上的，它在经济中占有战略性地位。中国的公有制企业的优势体现在：具有规模效益，不片面追求利润的最大化，并且部分允许企业职工参与企业的管理，对国家的宏观调控反应更加迅速。施韦卡特分析指出，资本主义从经济方面来看，它是指一种私人拥有大量生产资料并且雇佣劳动居主导地位的市场经济。如果以此标准衡量中国社会，那显然不是资本主义，因为中国仍有将近一半的人口住在农村。更重要的是，虽然个体经济在过去的数十年间迅速增长，但国有企业仍然主导着包括银行、保险、石油、电信、工程和建筑、钢铁制造、电力、铁路、海运等在内的核心行业，这有利于中国经济长远稳定地发展。

The World Significance and Value of the Chinese Path

中国道路的世界意义与价值

Fukuyama regards so-called Western liberal democracy as the end of history, but the great achievements of the Chinese path show that another path is possible.

福山将所谓的西方自由民主视为历史的终点，但中国道路取得的巨大成就表明：另一条道路是可能的。

First, the practice of the Chinese path has enriched the forms of world modernization development paths and has important reference value for exploring the development paths of countries under global capitalist rule. British scholar Martin Jacques once boldly predicted: “China will provide an alternative to the Western model, including a completely different political tradition, a development path for post-colonial developing countries, a highly mature art of governance, and the Confucian tradition.” Other scholars understand socialism with Chinese characteristics as a social movement that replaces capitalism and a development plan that replaces capitalist modernity, that is, “socialism with Chinese characteristics not only has local significance but also has world-historical significance.” What the development of the Chinese path provides is a “outline” and “sketch” of a new society, a referenceable social system and governance model. From the perspective of actual practical performance, in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the great advantages and superiority of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics were fully demonstrated, effectively refuting the so-called “end of history thesis.”

第一，中国道路的实践丰富了世界现代化发展道路的样态，对全球资本主义统治下的国家发展路径探索具有重要的参考价值。英国学者马丁·雅克曾大胆预言：“中国将提供西方模式的替代品，包括完全不同的政治传统、后殖民时代的发展中国家发展路径、高度成熟的治国方略和儒家传统。”还有学者则把中国特色社会主义理解为替代资本主义的社会运动和替代资本主义现代性的发展方案，亦即“中国特色社会主义不但具有地方性意义，更具有世界历史意义”。中国道路的发展所提供的是一个新社会的“轮廓”和“草图”，一种可参考的社会制度和治理模式。从现实的实践表现来看，在全球抗击新冠肺炎疫情进程中，中国特色社会主义制度的巨大优势和优越性得到充分彰显，有力地回击了所谓“历史终结论”。

Second, the Chinese path is a powerful engine for global economic development. Some scholars believe that China’s socialist market economy has become the most dynamic organic part of the current world system. From the perspective of the global economic development pattern, the global economic center has gradually shifted to East Asia, and then to China. Other scholars believe that the American-style free market economy is shrouded by dark clouds, while at the same time the future of the Chinese path is brighter; that is, some believe: “The sustained growth of China’s economy is not an accidental or inexplicable phenomenon, but rather benefits more from its meticulous economic and social planning, which is the essence of socialism.”

第二，中国道路是全球经济发展的强劲动力。有学者认为，中国的社会主义市场经济已成为目前世界体系中最为活跃的有机部分。从全球经济发展格局出发，全球经济中心已逐步移向东亚，进而转向中国。而有的学者则认为，美式自由市场经济正被乌云笼罩，与此同时，中国道路前途更为光明，亦即有人认为：“中国经济的持续增长不是一种偶然或无法解释的现象，而是更多得益于其缜密的经济和社会规划，这是社会主义的本质所在。”

The Chinese Path Represents the Hope of Socialism

中国道路代表着社会主义的希望

In the eyes of some foreign scholars, following the rotten logic that “a strong country is bound to seek hegemony,” China’s development is a threat. But in the eyes of discerning people abroad, China’s development path represents the hope of the world and the opportunity for the future development of human society. They hope that other countries can pay attention to or even emulate China, thereby achieving their own development.

在有的国外学者眼中，依据“国强必霸”的腐朽逻辑，中国的发展就是威胁。而在国外有识之士者眼中，中国的发展道路代表着世界的希望和人类社会未来发展的机遇，他们希望其他国家能够关注甚至效仿中国，从而赢得自身的发展。

To be specific, some scholars hold that China harbors enormous hope, that China is rapidly becoming the world’s most dynamic economy, and that its more socialized new model of economic development shows that the government can be a powerful progressive force for reform; in China, large banks and energy companies still belong to the public sector, which helps resist the antisocial greed of Wall Street and prevents the domestic economy from following in the footsteps of Western countries. In the eyes of neoliberals, government intervention is a drag on further economic development, but in the eyes of those with insight, government intervention in national economic development can effectively curb the unbridled behavior of capitalist free capital, and China has precisely brought this advantage into play. China’s economic miracle shows that public investment under a government-led system can bring rapid socioeconomic development and enable the people to live prosperous lives. In the view of some scholars: China must adhere to a development path with its own characteristics; public ownership in key sectors and appropriate government intervention can avoid risks and accelerate economic development — this is the characteristic and advantage of the Chinese path. Some scholars even express directly: “So far, the Chinese path has provided a good reference for us to better understand the crisis of Western society and the decline of capitalism, and it also helps us correct the mistakes made over the past 20 years.”

具体看，有学者这样认为，中国孕育着巨大的希望，中国正迅速成为世界上最具活力的经济体，它更加社会化的新型经济发展模式表明，政府可以成为改革的强大进步力量；在中国，大银行和能源公司仍然隶属于公共行业，这有助于抵御华尔街那样的反社会贪欲，阻止本国经济步西方国家的后尘。在新自由主义者眼中，政府干预就是掣肘经济进一步发展，但在有识之士的眼中，政府干预国家经济发展能够有效遏制资本主义自由资本肆意妄为，中国恰恰发挥了这一优势。中国经济的奇迹表明，政府主导体制下的公共投资可以带来社会经济快速发展，让民众过上富足的生活。在一些学者看来：中国必须坚持走本国特色的发展道路，关键部门的公有制和适当的政府干预可以规避风险和加速经济发展，这是中国道路的特色和优势。甚至有学者直接表达：“到目前为止，中国道路为我们更好地理解西方社会的危机和资本主义的衰落提供了一个很好的借鉴，也有助于我们纠正过去20年所犯的错误。”

Friendly people abroad sincerely hope that the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics will continue, thereby setting a model and example for other countries. Some scholars say with anticipation: “The victory of socialism in China (if it can be consolidated) will mean that socialism is the best and most realistic hope for humanity in the 21st century.” Although the Soviet Union was the benchmark of 20th-century socialism, and in many people’s view the prospects of socialism fell along with the red flag from the Kremlin, the Chinese path preserves hope for socialism. Russian scholars, meanwhile, believe: “Against the background of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the questioning of socialist construction experience, the emergence and development of the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics provides a new alternative path of social development, representing a new socialist phenomenon in the world of economic globalization and the post-industrial stage of development.” Today, China has become a model for other socialist countries to study and emulate. Some foreign scholars point out: Vietnam, Laos and other countries have successively emulated China’s socialist development path and have performed outstandingly in poverty alleviation and the pace of economic development.

国外友好人士真切地希望中国特色社会主义道路持续走下去，从而给其他国家树立典型和榜样。有的学者饱含期待地说道：“社会主义在中国的胜利（如果它能得到巩固）将意味着社会主义是人类在21世纪最好、最切实的希望。”虽然苏联是20世纪社会主义的标杆，在很多人看来，与红旗从克里姆林宫一起落幕的还有社会主义的前途。但中国道路为社会主义保留着希望。而俄罗斯学者则认为：“在苏联解体和社会主义建设经验被怀疑的背景下，中国特色社会主义理论的出现和发展，提供了新的可供选择的社会发展道路，在经济全球化和处于后工业发展阶段的世界中代表了新的社会主义现象。”现在，中国已经成为其他社会主义国家学习和借鉴的榜样。有国外学者指出：越南、老挝等国家先后效仿中国的社会主义发展道路，并在脱贫和经济发展速度上表现出众。

In short, the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a vivid contemporary manifestation of the theory of scientific socialism and represents a new direction for the development of socialism.

总之，中国特色社会主义道路是科学社会主义理论在当代的生动展现，代表着社会主义发展的新方向。

Online editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑