Marx and Engels’ renowned Communist Party Manifesto (Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei) begins with some very impressive sentences: ‘A spectre is haunting Europe — the spectre of communism. All the powers of old Europe have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Pope and Tsar, Metternich and Guizot, French Radicals and German police-spies.” This statement was made 172 years ago, but undoubtedly has ramifications for the present.
Today, the spectre of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is haunting the Atlantic camp. The malign figures at the center of political power in the US such as Donald Trump, Joe Biden, the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and Wall Street, weapon industrialists etc. all have their sights set on China at all times.
A comprehensive campaign was enacted which led to an unprecedented switch in Americans attitudes towards China. According to a new survey conducted by Pew Research Center in March, two-third of Americans have a negative view of China. Pew has been conducting this research since 2005. They estimate that the negative view of China has reached its peak in 2020. Since the Trump administration came into power, negative views of China have increased about 20%. One of the interesting results of Pew’s research is the extraordinary increase of negative views of Xi Jinping, the President of China. Roughly seven in ten Americans (71%) stated that they have negative views about Xi. The interesting part of the survey is that this rate is five points higher than that of China itself. In the analysis of Pew Research Center, ‘While views of Xi have been fairly stable for the past few years, remaining within a 10 percentage point range, in just the last year the percentage saying they lack confidence in him has increased by 21 points. This shift occurred among both Republicans and Democrats, as well as among older and younger Americans.”
China has, however, been outplaying the US on the global media, sidestepping Washington’s information attrition campaign. China is refuting the lies and presenting the truth.
Shadow of failure
On April 29, the Financial Times published an article entitled “China slowdown puts Xi in political bind.” The dip in China’s economic growth in the first quarter of this year as a result of the coronavirus has led the Atlantic camp to think something big is coming. The article predicted that Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China would dramatically lose their reputation as a result of this issue. The paper argues that China’s “first centenary goal”, “the goal of doubling the 2010 GDP by 2021 and eliminating extreme poverty” is no longer a possibility. Turkey’s ‘China experts’, who appeared suddenly when the issue began to be actively discussed, mostly mirrored the words of the mainstream Western media. However, the IMF believes that the impact of the virus on China’s growth will only be a 0.4 drop rate. China’s declared goal is 6%, and the IMF predicts they will reach 5.6%.
XI and the CPC winning the information war
How is the situation in China today? While the developed countries of the West find themselves in a terrible position, China’s achievements have made the country proud. There has been an extraordinary rise in the reputation of the Communist Party of China and Xi Jinping. Those who have a critical view of the CPC and President Xi are even admitting that the government handled the situation well. The most important factor affecting those with some proximity to Western media is Trump’s anti-Chinese propaganda.
Life in China is rapidly normalizing and returning to the way it was before the outbreak. All businesses and workplace are open; even shopping malls are open. In the provinces where there is no sign of the pandemic, all levels of schools including university are conducting their normal curriculum. The universities in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou are starting the education gradually in May.
China’s economic measures
Xi Jinping held two important meetings in April. On April 15, the meeting of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee was held. On April 17, the CPC Central Committee assembled. At the meeting the following measures were decided on:
-The economy was showing great endurance. During the outbreak, a lot of new industries and businesses were developed. Employment and production returned to normal gradually but steadily.
-The fundamental principle is to maintain development while preserving stability.
-Basic living standards should be secured while strengthening the country’s general economic grounds.
-Stronger macro political means must be employed to counteract the economic effects of the outbreak.
-Private government bonds will be removed and increasing local government bonds will be promoted.
-Capital utilization productivity will be increased to give the economy a more solid basis.
-Monetary policy will be more flexible and balanced. There will be enough liquidity and lower interest rates will be provided.
-Capital will be directed to medium, small and micro enterprises.
-Domestic demand will be extended, consumption potential will be set free by promoting consumer expenditures and increasing public expenditures properly.
-Old and run-down residential areas will be renewed.
-Promoting investment in developing strategic industries will be compelled by strengthening traditional and modern infrastructure investments.
-Selling export commodities to the domestic market will be supported.
-Measures will be taken to improve the survival and developmental capabilities of small and medium sized enterprises.
-The goal of eliminating poverty will be achieved in a timely manner.
-International logistics will be eased, while disease control for exports and the quality of control materials will definitely be prioritized.
-Mutual high-quality development within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative will be advanced.
Extreme poverty will be eliminated
President Xi carries out local inspections before important meetings on a regular basis. He recently took a tour of mountain areas of Shaanxi, which is Xi Jinping’s hometown. Xi emphasized the country’s goal to end extreme poverty by the end of 2020. He went to some of the villages which were lifted out of extreme poverty to see them himself. He spoke to the peasants and guided them to move into e-commerce. President Xi stated that e-commerce has great potential to help eliminate poverty in rural areas and revive rural life.
While China has lifted 93 million people out of extreme poverty over the last seven years, there are still 5.51 million rural people who live under the poverty line. The government is trying to increase the income of 6 million people in 2020 and help them create sustainable economic situations for themselves.
The National People’s Congress will soon assemble
One of the most important signs so far indicating that China is returning to normal was the declaration that two yearly meetings on May 21 and 22 will take place. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on May 21, and the National People’s Congress on May 22. These meetings will last seven days. Because of the coronavirus, the meetings, which are normally held in March every year, had to be postponed. Naturally, the voices of the Chinese people are heavily taken into account in these meetings. The world is concentrated on China, knowing that whatever happens there will deeply affect the next period of international developments.
Conclusion
It is now clear that China’s successful handling of the coronavirus has dazzled developing countries and Europe, proving the supremacy of socialism to the world.
One Reuters interview with Trump is particularly hilarious, the president rather delusionally stating that: “China will do anything to stop me winning.” China, the CPC and Xi Jinping have become a spectre haunting America and the Atlantic Camp. America and the imperialist camp have essentially announced their defeat in their obsession with blaming China for everything that happens, including the virus. How well our ancestors put it when they said “cowards die many times before their deaths.”
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