I recently had a discussion that made me realise how opaque the Chinese government is. I was reclining on my friend’s sofa when he turned his head and asked, “China is a communist country, right?” Right? I mean the central political body CPC does have ‘communist’ in its name; yet, North Korea also refers to itself as the Democratic Republic of Korea, and it is neither democratic or a republic. How about the fact that China has huge state-lead companies, some of which are household names like Huawei and Alibaba; yet it when it comes to income inequality, the antagonist of any socialist or communist government, China ranks slightly higher than America. Or how about the fact that the Chinese government will politically talk about socialism and the necessity of wealth distribution, yet Shanghai contains one of the most important stock exchanges in the world.
So, what type of government does China have? Is it authoritarian? Is it socialist? Is it nationalist? Is it democratic? Is communist? Is it populist? What other words ending with “ist” can we throw into this list? In this podcast, Mr Mitchell History, one of the best YouTube channels for those wanting to understand Chinese or Australian history, and I will try to decipher the vagueness of the Chinese state.
As tensions between both of the world’s superpowers heat up, it is imperative that both sides learn about each other. And one of Mr Mitchell History’s response struck me as incredibly thoughtful, if, and touch wood, a conflict breaks out between China and America, there is a high chance that you the listener, yes you, will be drafted or expected to fight in a conflict abroad. So, before we commit ourselves down a path of a potential nuclear winter, keep in mind, one of the potential outcomes includes cities like Beijing, California, and Kyoto being glassed while radiation fallout spreads across the globe. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we try to understand the other side, and only through diplomacy and cooperation can the world slowly return to the state of peace found before Trump’s presidency of 2016.
This is the first of two podcasts, the next one will try to predict how China’s relationships with other countries and regions will change and evolve over the next few decades.
TIME STAMP:
(8:50) - What is 'political realism'?
(14:55) - Is China a communist nation?
(27:50) - What type of government does China have?
(32:40) - American or Chinese dream
(39:50) - Politics for the domestic audience
Mr Mitchell History's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MrMitchellHistory