Russia’s Leaders See Chinese Fascism as Template for Governance
October 18th, 2009Via: New York Times:
Nearly two decades after the collapse of the Communist Party, Russia’s rulers have hit upon a model for future success: the Communist Party.
Or at least, the one that reigns next door.
Like an envious underachiever, Vladimir V. Putin’s party, United Russia, is increasingly examining how it can emulate the Chinese Communist Party, especially its skill in shepherding China through the financial crisis relatively unbowed.
United Russia’s leaders even convened a special meeting this month with senior Chinese Communist Party officials to hear firsthand how they wield power.
In truth, the Russians express no desire to return to Communism as a far-reaching Marxist-Leninist ideology, whether the Soviet version or the much attenuated one in Beijing. What they admire, it seems, is the Chinese ability to use a one-party system to keep tight control over the country while still driving significant economic growth.
It is a historical turnabout that resonates, given that the Chinese Communists were inspired by the Soviets, before the two sides had a lengthy rift.
For the Russians, what matters is the countries’ divergent paths in recent decades. They are acutely aware that even as Russia has endured many dark days in its transition to a market economy, China appears to have carried out a fairly similar shift more artfully.
The Russians also seem almost ashamed that their economy is highly dependent on oil, gas and other natural resources, as if Russia were a third world nation, while China excels at manufacturing products sought by the world.
“The accomplishments of China’s Communist Party in developing its government deserve the highest marks,” Aleksandr D. Zhukov, a deputy prime minister and senior Putin aide, declared at the meeting with Chinese officials on Oct. 9 in the border city of Suifenhe, China, northwest of Vladivostok. “The practical experience they have should be intensely studied.”
Mr. Zhukov invited President Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, to United Russia’s convention, in November in St. Petersburg.
The meeting in Suifenhe capped several months of increased contacts between the political parties. In the spring, a high-level United Russia delegation visited Beijing for several days of talks, and United Russia announced that it would open an office in Beijing for its research arm.
The fascination with the Chinese Communist Party underscores United Russia’s lack of a core philosophy. The party has functioned largely as an arm of Mr. Putin’s authority, even campaigning on the slogan “Putin’s Plan.” Lately, it has championed “Russian Conservatism,” without detailing what exactly that is.
Indeed, whether United Russia’s effort to learn from the Chinese Communist Party is anything more than an intellectual exercise is an open question.
Whatever the motivation, Russia in recent years has started moving toward the Chinese model politically and economically.
Its interesting, until China opened to the US and UN, it was like North Korea, red, starving and badly managed.
Selling out to the US and making its consumer products is not ‘artfull’.
China excels at manufacturing products designed and priced down by the world.
Russia needs to read a bit of Peter the Great about trade.
Working for the west was no fun in his time, its no fun now.
If I was a Chinese worker who toiled for decades because I believed in the idea of communism, I’d be pretty pissed now. From what I understand the “Communist Party” in China is only a networking club for elite crooked business men, sorta like Masons.
What a hypocrisy. They have capitalism with all the ills that come with it and NONE of the individual freedoms. Its like they got the worst of Mao AND Chiang Kai-shek.
This is rich. Chinese tradition results in a culture of obedient clones who wouldn’t know what to do with “individual freedom” if they had it. Russian tradition results in a culture of anarchists, each of whom worships the ultimate anarchist, be it Peter the Great or Josef Stalin. This “interest” Russia has in China smells more like an attempt to gain the confidence of China’s leaders for the purpose autocrats always try to gain the confidence of their competitors. Putin and his men are salivating at this very moment over the dream of getting a billion Chinese robots to dance to the strains of the Sugar Plum Fairy.