27 August 2021, NIICE Commentary 7325
Akhilesh Kumar

China Dream /Chinese Dream (中国梦 Zhōngguó Mèng) is closely related to President Xi Jinping’s developmental and governance ideology. In a highly rhetoric tone, President Xi described  the China Dream (CD) as the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation (中华民族伟大复兴; 中華民族偉大復興; Zhōnghuámínzú Wěidà Fùxīng)” at an exhibition at the national museum in Beijing in 2012 (Jinping 2014). The concept of ‘China Dream’ has continuously occurred in the policy documents of the Chinese government, thus providing it with ideological armour.

Underpinnings of the “China Dream”

 The sole motive of introducing the CD to the Chinese political analogy is to maintain the status quo, which ensures that the forces of liberalizing the market economy and reform will upsurge while the political power would remain at the helm of the “Core” leadership of the CPC. To maintain the status quo, CPC’s core leadership, cadres and elite members use the notion of CD for continuing the economic reforms and try hard to impede any independent political authority (outside the party). CD is a new “ideological tool” that the CPC seeks to maintain and enhance its legitimacy to rule over the middle kingdom. In continuum with the earlier leaders of the CPC, Xi’s CD is also advancement in searching for legitimacy. Apart from the economic and material development of the Chinese people, CPC always prevails on the “some” ideological fervour to maintain its legacy of a vanguard party. We can see it through the series of notions; such as the ‘Mao Zedong Thought’, ‘Three Represents Theory (三个代表) of the Jiang Zemin’, the concept of ‘Scientific Outlook on Development (科学发展观) of President Hu Jintao’. The latest in this series is the Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想). Apart from the official ethos of the CPC leadership, the notion to rejuvenate the Chinese nation has always been presented in the memory of the Chinese people. In this regard, the notion of “national rejuvenation” has an important place in the political realm of the CPC’s core leadership. Before the CD of President Xi, one could witness the “ideological call” to rejuvenating the Chinese nations. As Deng Xiaoping’s “Invigoration of China”, Jiang Zemin’s (great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation) and President Hu Jintao’s “harmonious society” all are the predecessors of Xi Jinping’s CD. However, the originality of Xi’s CD has always been contentious. Based on the American Dream (the set of ideals; democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) the notion of CD differed on many fronts. First of all, Xi’s CD is heavily bent upon the Chinese nation’s material advancements and economic development in all areas. Thus, several critics argue that to sustain the CD, the CPC leadership would have to maintain rigorous economic development and overcome a couple of problems, like deepening income inequality, environmental pollution, and air, water, and soil degradation. Regarding this, CPC leadership has established some long term and sustainable goals. Like;

  • By 2035: China to excel in innovation, possess greater “soft power”, and establish “rule of law” domestically(Angang, Yilong and Tang 2018) and
  • By 2050: China to become prosperous, strong democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful[1].

Tangible Components of the China Dream

Material targets of the China Dream are more tangible. Economists have expected to reach its GDP up to the USD14.60 trillion by 2020 (per capita the USD 10,000) and estimation for quadrupling by 2050 (PricewaterhouseCoopers n.d.), with a GDP of USD 56.60 trillion (per capita the USD 42,000).

There are three terms available for defining Xi’s China Dream (Jinping 2014) . These are;

  • Adherence to the China road
  • Propagating the China spirit and
  • Concentrating and crystallizing China’s strength

However, the China Dream does not include political reform or sharing the administrative authority with the CPC. Joseph Fewsmith argued that Xi’s assuming power has coincided with a move that isolates “constitutionalism” as a “western value” that is incompatible with Chinese conditions (Fewsmith 2013). Furthermore, of course, this glittering notion of China Dream has many inhibiting challenges, partly due to its inherence to economic development. On the other hand, the dichotomy of the “market-oriented economy” and the dynamic society with an anachronistic and authoritarian state would be hard to progress on both (economic and political) fronts.

Nevertheless, the overwhelming emphasis on attaining the statistical goals of the CD through “rejuvenation” in economic terms glasses over the social and political foundations necessary to achieve the objective. Therefore, any dissonant voice that attracts an audience in China by highlighting contradictions (of the Chinese state and society) is considered a challenge by the party to its very existence and hence marginalized and persecuted. Thus, the CD is solely dependent on economic advancement and material development. Therefore, China will run into the real challenge when economic targets have been achieved (or have not been) while basic political and social aspirations have been given short shrift.

Global Implications of the CD                            

Apart from its domestic importance, the CD also has a global implication. As Gui Tao explained this;

“China’s pursuit of its dream of national rejuvenation brings peace and opportunities of the world…deeply rooted in the countries constant commitment to peaceful development and its own path ahead. The Chinese Dream is not a call for revanchism and Chinese nationalism at the expense of its neighbours. It is the dream of China, who once suffered invasions and turmoil, to maintain lasting peace.” (BBC 2013) (Bishop 2013)

  There is a vision for the harmonious world in the official Chinese documents, and the Chinese intelligentsia advocates it as Yan Xuetong[2] argue that China will follow the principle of Wangquan (王权)- “human authority”- as an alternative to the hegemonic style of ruling that the United States adopts, termed in Chinese as Baquan (霸权). Fu Ying, Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, inference about the CD. This touted as;

The concept of the “Chinese Dream” came just in time. It reflects the reality in China and people’s expectations and serves the need to unite the people to achieve a higher objective. the “Chinese Dream” cant be realized without a good external environment, and in return, the “Chinese Dream” will add to peace and prosperity of the region and the world.”

Conclusion

However, some sinologists did not see any novelty in the concept of the “Chinese Dream”. Roderick MacFarquhar, a China expert, asserted that  Xi’s China Dream is not the intellectually coherent, robust and wide-ranging philosophy needed to stand up to Western ideas. China Dream can advance at the material notion; however, elite leadership of the CPC treats it as a famous catchphrase to resonate the nationalism and pride in the ordinary Chinese citizens. Thus, the socio-political and economic implications of this word would be astonishing.

Akhilesh Kumar is Research Scholar at Center for East Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India.