The Chinese Government

I am here today to discuss the Continuity and Change of the Chinese Government. By examining the nature of tradition and power through the authority of China. The government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three institutions, The Communist Party of China, the Central People's Government (State Council) , and the People's Liberation Army. Though the dominate authority is the Chinese Communist Party, that is controlled by the Politburo (Political Bureau).

In 1917, the great October Socialist Revolution broke out in Russia were Marxism was established and the theory that the most significant of social changes occurred through outright violence. This inspired China's advanced elements to study and publicise Marxism and the ideas and practice of the Revolution through communism.

Chen Duso and Li Dacha established the Chinese Communist Party in Shanghai in 1921. Mao Zedong soon became the most important member of the Chinese Communist Party. He adapted the ideas of Marxism and he argued that in China it was important to concentrate on the countryside rather than the towns, in order to create a revolutionary elite.

In 1966 Mao distributed a selection of statements from speeches and writings named Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, that is commonly known as The Little Red Book. The little red book outlined his serious disagreement with several other Chinese Communist Party leaders. Over the course of China's future economic and social development, a Cultural Revolution occurred. An uneasy truce between radicals and realists held from 1971 until 1976, when Mao himself died. Dung chiaoping proclaimed dominant power and has since been passed on to Hu Jintao who stands today. The Cultural Revolution was formally ended, and the program of the "Four Modernisations" of industry, agriculture, science, technology, and defense was adopted. Restrictions on art and education were relaxed, and revolutionary ideology was deemphasised.

From the time of its birth the Chinese working class continuously fought against oppression and exploitation by foreign capitalism, domestic feudal forces and the bourgeoisie in various ways, politically, economically and otherwise. Many violent events in China's history may be noted for the social change that developed as a result. The Tiananmen Square massacre of May 4th, 1989, is a prime example of outright violence followed by a social change. When thousands of students, academics, and other citizen protested against the government and as a result were killed by the order of the Chinese Communist Party. During what was intended to be a peaceful protest, the people of China were so shocked and scarred that they consequently lost faith in the Chinese Communist Party all together although the Chinese working class demonstrated its might for the first time.

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