Starting May 1, the Center for Chinese & South East Asian Studies will launch a specialized seminar series at Georgian higher education institutions titled “The Social Model of China.” The initiative aims to introduce the Chinese social model to students and the academic community while fostering professional discussion on the subject.
Seminar Topics:
Theme 1: Foundations of Chinese Marxism
An exploration of the adaptation of Marxism from a European industrial context to the Chinese agrarian environment.
- Core Concept: Mao Zedong Thought – focusing on the “Mass Line” (consultation with the masses) and the “Peasant Revolution.”
- Modern Context: How the CPC views Marxism as a “living tool” rather than a rigid dogma.
Theme 2: Socialist Market Economy (The Great Hybrid)
Examining how China integrated market mechanisms while maintaining state ownership over strategic sectors.
- Core Concept: “Market Leninism” – the state utilizes capital as an instrument to build socialism rather than allowing capital to dominate state governance.
- Modern Context: The role of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and Five-Year Plans in global economic management.
Theme 3: “Whole-Process People’s Democracy”
A comparative study contrasting Western liberal democracy with the Chinese “consultative democracy” model.
- Core Concept: Democratic Centralism – promoting wide-ranging discussion and consultation before decision-making, followed by absolute unity once a decision is finalized.
- Modern Context: Utilizing digital platforms and local neighborhood committees to assess public sentiment.
Theme 4: Common Prosperity and Social Equality
Analyzing the shift from Deng Xiaoping’s principle of “letting some get rich first” to Xi Jinping’s focus on wealth redistribution and strengthening the middle class.
- Core Concept: The Primary Stage of Socialism – the idea that China must first develop its productive forces to a high level before achieving complete socialist equality.
- Modern Context: Increased regulations on the “Big Tech” sector and the “Double Reduction” policy in the field of education.
Theme 5: Ecological Civilization and Green Socialism
Integration of environmental issues within the socialist framework as a matter of national survival and pride.
- Core Concept: Green Development – moving away from “growth at any cost” toward high-quality, sustainable development.
- Modern Context: China’s dominance in solar energy and Electric Vehicle (EV) industries as a state-managed socialist project.
Theme 6: New Quality Productive Forces
This session explores the redefinition of productivity – moving from labor-intensive manufacturing to a model based on “revolutionary” innovation and green technologies.
- Historical Perspective: From classical Marxism to Deng Xiaoping’s update that “science and technology are the primary productive forces.”
- Modern Characteristic: Xi Jinping’s concept of “New Quality Productive Forces.” The socialist state directs technological breakthroughs (AI, quantum computing) to resolve the gap between public needs and unbalanced development.
- The Socialist Angle: Unlike Western innovation driven by private venture capital, “New Quality Productive Forces” represent the “Whole-Nation System.” The state directs resources toward strategic emerging industries for the sake of national security, self-reliance, and “Common Prosperity.”