President Xi's 'Chinese dream'

I RECALL that the front page of 'The Economist' in early May (last month) was a rather amusing one. It was a clever illustration of Chinese President Xi Jinping, as an imperial Chinese emperor sporting some 'modernised' golden robes, a glass of champagne and a party popper that is said to have deeply offended the Communist Party: 

©The Economist

The headline was even more amusing: "Let's party like its 1793", alluding to more glorious times for China, where the country's GDP represented a third of the world's total (now represents 11%; represented 5% during mid-20th century). This triumph was not long lasting. China underwent 'the century of humiliation' that involved foreign invasion, occupation and immense suffering to Chinese citizens in their homeland, then an interim of civil war between the Communists and Nationalists and finally Maoism, where economic policies under Mao failed spectacularly - abject poverty was prevalent and tens of millions died of starvation as a result. But China, now the world's second largest economy after the USA, managed to turn itself around in 1978 beginning its path to modern economic glory under Deng. Deng's motto was in fact, "to get rich is glorious". 

This economic progress has seen hundreds of millions of the peasant class lift themselves out of poverty and another hundreds of thousands becoming a wealthy middle class citizen. China's GDP boomed and expanded by 7-15% per annum since Deng's 'open door policies' began. China's is continuing to grow at around 6-7% despite the challenges of the current global macroeconomics. Nevertheless, all this is not quite enough for Xi.

The Chinese Dream 

(Political) slogans are big in China. Xi, who took office in March 2013 recently launched his slogan as the 'Chinese dream'. And no doubt even in the West, we will be hearing these two words over and over again as Xi progresses deeper into his ten year rule. Xi's slogan is a play on the 'American dream'. But unlike the American dream (that anything is possible with hard work), the definition of the Chinese dream is more blurred partly because of the overt political spin: 

"national rejuvenation, improvement of people’s livelihoods, prosperity, construction of a better society and military strengthening...that young people should dare to dream, work assiduously to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the revitalization of the nation...the Chinese dream is about Chinese prosperity, collective effort, socialism and national glory"

To me, at its basic meaning, the Chinese dream is about reverting and rejuvenating the country back to its former 1793 glory. It is understandable that in a country with a proud 5000 year civilization and one with a century of humiliation and pain, Xi (and also undoubtedly Chinese people) wants the country to rise strong again. Thus, the Chinese dream emphasises collective efforts and uniting Chinese citizens to achieve so. 

With effective propaganda and in a country where slogans matter, it is little surprise to me that the Chinese dream notion is big in China already. Firstly, Xi's doctrine of the Chinese dream and even the concept of 'dreams' has  hardly been out of national newspapers and the general media. 'Dream walls' have appeared in universities and public spaces for people to share their dreams and hopes for the future. Research into the 'Chinese dream' by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is due to be undertaken and believe it or not, the slogan has even inspired a chart topping song, entitled 'Chinese dream'. These effects are probably a passing fad but I for one, am concerned about where this dream can take China. 


Dreams fulfilled or nightmares created? 

The launching of the Chinese dream took place with an exhibition entitled the 'Road to Revival' at the National Museum next to Tiananmen Square, Beijing. A display of the oppression of Chinese people under colonial powers in the 19th-20th century and the (continued) restoration of China under communism in 1949, the exhibition is designed to evoke strong senses of nationalism. There is nothing wrong with nationalism and also nothing wrong with Chinese nationalism but given that both this centrepiece launch and that the Chinese dream itself is founded on nationalist principles, there is a real danger for China of losing sight of solving internal problems and instead focusing all efforts on battling for world domination. 

Further, whereas the American dream focuses on the individual and achieving individual wealth, the Chinese dream is focused on achieving national wealth thereby aggregating over individuals. The trouble with this is that the poorest or those citizens who are not benefiting from growth and national wealth, are not helped, much like the present situation.  

With the slowing economy, widespread and (increasingly reported corruption with the likes of Weibo), graduate unemployment, food safety scandals, pollution (a solution to these are far more likely to be the actual dreams of Chinese people), it seems like this slogan launch is plausibly an effort for Xi to win over some public affection and popularity for the time being. Xi, known for being straight talking and a 'man of the people', should have taken this opportunity to address directly and in plain language the real dreams and hopes of many Chinese people as individuals and not collectively as a nation. Doing so could leave Xi the same level of legacy akin to that of Deng. 

In the meantime, despite all the fuss, there isn't that much detail or policy unveiling on how Xi will go ahead to fulfill this Chinese dream. Apparently it will be fulfilled by the mid-21st century. It is not clear whether this means China becoming the world's largest economy or becoming a nation with the most advanced army, or even if Chinese Mandarin will become the new international language. Whether Xi can do so remains another interesting question. If Xi can successfully do so, the Communist Party would enjoy its cling on power for longer. But this Chinese dream, given it has no sincere objectives to benefit the individual, and that Chinese people are growing increasingly dissatisfied with pollution, corruption, social injustice and food safety scandals, won't this Chinese dream spark a wave of eventual backlash against the party who should be given credit to make China the way it is today? 

Finally, the Chinese dream very much also has a goal of revival to the past, to what China sees as its rightful position on the international stage. The Chinese dream is flawed because it should be a consideration of the future and the new challenges present and ahead in China's bid to become the greatest nation of the 21st and into 22nd century...and beyond?


JH