Red Star Over China

Construction of New China

With peace finally arriving, the Chinese people living on the ruins of war wanted nothing more than social stability, economic development and improvement in their standard of living. Aware of such needs, the Communist government shifted its focus to reconstructing the economy. After a three-year healing period, the government readjusted the economic structure and enabled a full recovery and fast development of the national economy. Based on initial achievements, the government raised a general guideline for conducting a socialist economic transformation in the sectors of agriculture, industry and commerce.

Under such a guideline, the government gradually completed the transformation of the economic system, turning almost all privately owned assets into State-owned. After that, the country devised the First Five-Year Plan. At the end of the First Five-Year Plan period (1953-57), the national economy achieved development in all aspects, the people's standard of living was significantly improved and the country's international status raised.

However, the reconstruction soon suffered a serious setback. The left-wingers, who feared that China's economy and politics were getting off the socialist track, gradually dominated the Party and launched political movements one after another targeting the pragmatists. The climax of the left-wing movement was the 10-year"cultural revolution," which started in May 1966.

Though tremendous losses were incurred in almost all aspects of social life during the catastrophic "cultural revolution," the country still managed to move ahead. In the end, the CPC crushed the two left-wing political factions responsible for the domestic chaos —one centered around Lin Biao, who used to be the successor apparent to Chairman Mao, and the other around Jiang Qing, wife of Chairman Mao.

All these twists and turns in the country's advancement have proved the complexity of constructing a socialist China, the Party's ability to correct its own mistakes and the vitality of the CPC.

Modern China

China's economic reconstruction has entered a new phase since the crushing of the political factions that started the "cultural revolution."

The ordinary Chinese people, in the wake of the devastating "cultural revolution, " had an even stronger desire for social stability, economic development and modernization. At the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, which was held in December 1978, the Party passed a series of resolutions that freed itself completely from the constraints of left-wing thinking. At the meeting, which is regarded as another turning point in CPC history, the Party set down a general guideline of reform and opening up.

Following the meeting, the CPC Central Committee under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, while reestablishing the social order that had been destroyed by the"cultural revolution," started implementing the reform and opening-up policies. At the 12th and 13th CPC National Congress, the Party further clarified the guideline of constructing a socialist economy with Chinese characteristics.

Under these guidelines, China again shifted the focus from political struggle to socialist economic construction and conducted reforms of the socialist economic system, the political system, the education system as well as the scientific and technological system. As a result, the country ‘s economy has regained vitality and the political atmosphere has improved a lot. The rapid development of the national economy has also enhanced the country 's overall strength and raised the people‘s standard of living.

One of the most remarkable decisions made by the Government during reform and opening up was the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs), where foreign investors enjoy many preferential policies. In August 1980, the State Council approved the establishment of the Shenzhen SEZ, the first of its kind in China. During the past two decades, Shenzhen and other special economic zones have created economic miracles that are envied by the world.

The return of Hong Kong and Macao to the motherland is the most important achievement made by the CPC at the end of the 20th century. By erasing the last vestiges of colonial rule, the two events show that China has become much more powerful under the leadership of the CPC. China is no longer the vulnerable country that was bullied and humiliated by foreign powers. Instead, it is much richer and has a much bigger say in international affairs.

Since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee of the CPC held in 1989, the CPC has been under the leadership of President Jiang Zemin. Under Jiang‘s leadership, China continues to develop along the path initiated by Deng Xiaoping and will surely attain greater social and economic achievements in the future.