Beijing - The decision of China's ruling
Communist Party to stick with the political theories of Karl
Marx remains "totally correct", President Xi Jinping said ahead
of the 200th anniversary of the German philosopher's birth on
Saturday.
Since coming to power in 2012, Xi, widely seen as the most
powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, has said the party
must not forget its socialist roots as it works to attain the
"great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation".
At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, Xi
said, "Writing Marxism onto the flag of the Chinese Communist
Party was totally correct... Unceasingly promoting the
sinification and modernisation of Marxism is totally correct."
Xi also instructed all party members to adopt the reading of
Marxist works and the understanding of Marxist theories as a
"way of life" and a "spiritual pursuit".
Xi's speech came near the end of a week-long propaganda
blitz by state media, with chat shows saying "Marx was Right"
and cartoons of his wild youth aiming to show his theories
remain relevant to modern China and the next generation.
Today, China, the largest self-identified socialist country,
outwardly displays all the trappings of a modern capitalist
society, from rampant consumption to a massive gap between the
urban elite and rural poor.
The apparent contradiction between party rhetoric and
appearance has prompted many analysts to suggest the party is no
longer really motivated by Marxism but puts practical and
economic concerns above all else.
However, Xi has wholeheartedly embraced the party's founding
ideology and re-introduced study sessions that hark back to the
Mao era, as he stresses the need for China to be confident in
its revolutionary history and political system.
"Even if it offends our post-communist conventional wisdom,
I think we have to begin accepting the notion that Xi Jinping
actually believes in Marx and Marxism," said Jude Blanchette,
head of China practice for Crumpton Group, a Washington-based
advisory firm.
The emphasis on Marx also helps widen the ideological gulf
with Western capitalist democracies in the wake of such events
as the 2008 global financial crisis and the election of U.S.
President Donald Trump, Blanchette said.
"By embracing Marx even tighter, the party is contrasting
itself with the 'failing' alternative political-economic model
of the United States," he added.