China’s Socialist Party-State

Opinions on the nature of China’s state and economy vary widely, with debates in the West particularly prone to negative, one-sided ascriptions. Especially in the years following the collapse of socialism in Eastern Europe, many commentators began to regard China as a capitalist country, or at least on the road to it. Yet in reality, the Communist Party remained in charge, and in recent years has begun to reassert its authority over the private sector, guiding development and ensuring that capital does not gain the upper hand. In this interview, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation sat down with Meng Jie, a professor of economics at Fudan University in Shanghai, to learn more about the relationship between state, party, and economy in the People’s Republic of China.