1. 1. Mao Now 21st Century Perspectives on Mao and the Chinese Revolution Rebecca Cairns, Deakin University Painting by Gao Jiang
2. 2. Session Overview My in-country inspiration Questions CCP perspectives on Mao Zedong and Mao Zedong Thought Recent Chinese Historiography The New Left Striking a Balance: Red Tourism Never Forget National Humiliation Nationalism and the Patriotic Education Campaign Further Reading and Resources
3. 3. Questions The theme of the conference is our shared history: How are our students being positioned in the sharing of Chinese history? How do we avoid Orientalist or ethnocentric perspectives? How is historical memory shaped in contemporary China? How have official perspectives of Mao and the Chinese Revolution shifted? How has Chinese historiography changed in recent decades? What is the relationship between CCP perspectives, Chinese historians and non-Chinese historians?
4. 4. How does the CCP view Mao today? Mao has been demoted but never officially repudiated.. The CCP sees itself as continuing the work Mao started in the 1930s but acknowledge it went astray from the mid 1950s to late 1970s. Dirlik Arlif (2012) The China Story (Zhongguode gushi ), itself a relatively recent conceit, has been concocted. It is a story that has been interwoven intimately with the grand romantic narrative of communism. This narrative speaks to the history of the Party in the context of national revolution and independence; it cleaves to Mao Zedong (and a panoply of lesser leaders) as well as many aspects of his career, thought, and politics. Geremie Barme (2012) Since his death, Maos image has begun to be taken down from the sacred alter. However, if he is removed completely from the sacred alter, this will involve too many practical interests. The ruling party needs Mao in order to guarantee a legitimate base for itself to hold power. The army, the state, and other fundamental institutions, in order to guarantee their authority and continuation, also require Mao. Jiang Yihua, Fudan University, Shanghai (2010) Mao was a great patriot and a national hero..Revolutionary leaders are not gods, but human beings; [we] cannot worship them like gods or refuse to allow people to point out and correct their errors just because they are great; neither can we totally repudiate them and erase their historical feats just because they made mistakes President Xi Jinping (2012)
5. 5. 1981 Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the Peoples Republic of China: Chief responsibility for the grave left error of the Cultural Revolution, an error comprehensive in magnitude and protracted in duration, does indeed lie with Comrade Mao Zedong [...] Far from making a correct analysis of many problems, he confused right and wrong and the people with the enemy [...] Herein lies his tragedy. Comrade Mao Zedong was a great Marxist and a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist and theorist. It is true that he made gross mistakes during the cultural revolution", but, if we judge his activities as a whole, his contributions to the Chinese revolution far outweigh his mistakes. His merits are primary and his errors secondary. Access the 1981 Resolution: https://www.marxists.org/subject/china/documents/cpc/history/01. htm
6. 6. Reconstructing Chinese Marxism: Dirlik, A. (2012) Stage 1 Gone astray. Stage 2 1930s mid 1950s New Democracy historical and ideological foundation Maos correct thought mid 1950s to late 1970s Ideology went astray Now viewed as a negative example from which to learn what not to do Leftist errors and radical policies It is true that he made gross mistakes during the Cultural Revolution 1981 Resolution post 1978 - period of reform and opening up Chinese Marxism: the most advanced form of Marxism Socialism with Chinese characteristics is constituted by Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook Reinterpretation and restoration of the the correct line of Mao Zedong Thought
7. 7. CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao Seventeenth National Congress of the Party in 2007: The theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics constitutes a system of scientific theories including Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the Three Represents, and the Scientific outlook on Development and other major strategic thought. This system represents the partys adherence to and development of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought and embodies the wisdom and hard work of several generations of Chinese Communists leading the people in carrying out tireless exploration and practice. It is the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to Chinese conditions, the partys invaluable political and intellectual asset, and the common ideological foundation for the concerted endeavor of the people of all ethnic groups. Xiao (2010) and Barme (2012) both highlight that the CCP is indicating that Mao Zedong Thought is no longer part of the Theory of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. It is influential but has been replaced by new ideology.
8. 8. Mao Zedong Mao the CCP leader Mao the individual Mao the human Mao the fallible Mao Zedong Thought Abstract Foundation for Chinese Marxism Collective wisdom of the Party Delineating Mao How does the leftist legacy distinguish itself from a failed Maoism? (Barme, G. 2012)
9. 9. Recent Chinese Mao Scholarship 1. Official ideology: the CCPs interpretation which controls political discourse in Chinese Mao scholarship; although Maos thought and image are still a sensitive areas, in the framework of the official ideology, Mao Zedong Thought seems merely to be a symbol for political legitimacy. 2. Liberal school: critical of Mao, especially his later years; Li Rui, a famous Mao scholar in China, is typical of this school: He contributed to Chinas Revolution, made mistakes in his reign, and committed a crime in launching the Cultural Revolution. 3. New Left scholars: are critical of Western liberalism and the new economic reforms which need to be remedied by the real spirit of Mao. 4. Historical school: believe historical interpretation must be based on fact and evidence and disapprove of ideological power intruding on historical narratives Xiao, Y. (2010). Recent Mao Zedong Scholarship in China in Cheek, T. (Ed.) A Critical Introduction to Mao. New York: Cambridge University Press.
10. 10. The New Left A large, loosely knit group who sometimes reject the label New Left (Zhu, 2014) Key idea: China has gone too far in embracing a neoliberal capitalist model (Zhu, 2014) New Left scholars can be separated into the moderate wing (postmodernism / neo-Marxism) and the radical wing (populism) The New Left advocates reforming the system from within the system Leftist websites, such as Utopia, Mao Flag and Red Culture are regularly shut down by the government http://www.maoflag.org/portal.php
11. 11. Top left: Anti-Japanese protests, Wuhan, 2012 http://www.ibtimes.com/anti-japanese-protests-erupts-across-china- beijing-raises-trade-threats-over-disputed-islands-789678 Bottom left: Residents singing red songs in a park in Chongqing http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/22/red-songs-chinese- cultural-revolution Bottom right: Performers in Red Army uniforms to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Party, Chongqing http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/china-in-pictures-the- communist-party-celebrates-90th-anniversary-172760 Mao: wave the red flag to oppose the red flag (da hongqi fan hongqi ).
12. 12. Professor Wang Hui, Tsinghua University, Beijing Famous moderate New Left scholar - decries depoliticised politics. He is critical of the the way in which discourses of modernity, such as the market economy and globalisation, try to disguise the reality of party politics and class problems. Wang argues that the Cultural Revolution was a politicising force (cf.Xiao, 2010). He says, the Chinese capitalist model has been based on the intense exploitation of a large cheap labor force as well as cheap energy and natural resources. But within a decade, were likely to see the surge of working class militancy. Read more: Zhu, W. (2014). Chinas New Left. China Dispatch. 2014 (1). Beijing. Mobo, G. (2008). The Battle for Chinas Past: Mao and the Cultural Revolution. London: Pluto Press. The New Left contd
13. 13. The Bo Xilai Story Party chief in Chongqing, one of top 25 most senior party officials A princeling - hails from elite communist circles Scandal: Bos wife was convicted of killing a British businessman (suspended death sentence) and Bo was convicted of bribery and corruption (lifetime sentence) Chongqing model of development; crackdown on crime; and revival of Red Culture (singing red songs, TV programs, sending millions of text messages containing quotes from the Little Red Book) The threat of a red revival: Due to Maos deep association with the Cultural Revolution any Mao revival is seen as a potential threat to Party power; to draw attention to the Cultural Revolution is to draw attention to class difference.
14. 14. Striking a balance: Red Tourism Promotion of sites that are significant from 1921 to 1949 Launched by the government in 2005 Boosts the economy in poorer provinces Zhang Xiqin, vice-president of the National Tourism Bureau: "It is an economic project, a cultural project and at the same time, a political project."
15. 15. On tour in Shaoshan, Maos ancestral village
16. 16. Sunrise in Shaoshan: this drama is large music drama. It brings audience the feeling of beauty and perfect audio-visual effect through combination of red classic element and modern hi-tech stage and creates gorgeous and vivid stage effect by sound, light and digital modulation.
17. 17. For the last three years mass red weddings have taken place in Mao Zedongs home village of Shaoshan, in front of his bronze statue. Read more at: http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/1 1/12/seeking-maos-matrimonial- blessing/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
18. 18. Mao statue, Tianfu Square, Chengdu, Sichuan Province: Prior to being erected in 1968, this was the site of a Ming palace. Many of these statues which were erected during the Cultural Revolution, have been quietly removed from city squares across China. Read more: http://chinarev.tumblr.com/post/56126 544519/no-reconstruction-without- destruction-a-giant
19. 19. Youth Mao Zedong Statue Changsha, Hunan Province: Maos home province 32 metres tall Located on Juzi (Orange) Isle in the middle of the Xiang River Based on a poem in which Mao describes the view of Yuelu mountain, however it faces the wrong way Built 2007 2009 Symbolic of delineated Mao and Mao Zedong Thought?
20. 20. This jade and gold statue was unveiled in December 2013 to celebrate the 120th birthday of Mao. 80cm tall and worth more than US$16 million, it is not known publically by whom it was commissioned or paid for. In the lead up to the celebrations President Xi called for celebrations to be solemn, simple and pragmatic. Source: Shanghai Daily http://www.shanghaidaily.com/national/Gold-jade-statue-to-mark-Mao-anniversary/shdaily.shtml
21. 21. 2013 Will Maos portrait continue to hang on the Tiananmen?
22. 22. 1919
23. 23. 1925
24. 24. 1948 - 1945
25. 25. 1949
26. 26. 1953
27. 27. wuwang guochi never forget national humiliation the Chinese peoples historical consciousness and its complex of myth and trauma are the dominant ideas in Chinas public rhetoric (Wang, 2012) understanding a peoples collective memory can help us to better understand their national interests and political actions (Wang, 2012) modern historical consciousness in China is powerfully influenced by the century of humiliation from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s (Wang, 2012)
28. 28. Source: http://japanfocus.org/-Jeff-Kingston/2859 Source: http://english.sina.com/china/p/2012/0917/507572.html Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1548632/xi-jinping-blasts- japan-77th-anniversary-ceremony-marco-polo-bridge?page=all Top: President Xi commemorating the 77th anniversary of the War of Resistance, July 2014 Left: a group of students being photographed at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Right: Primary students signing a banner to commemorate the Manchurian Incident
29. 29. Shaping the new nationalism: Patriotic Education Campaign Outline for Conducting Patriotic Education issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): boosting the nations spirit, enhancing its cohesion, fostering its self-esteem and sense of pride, consolidating and developing a patriotic united front to the broadest extent possible, and directing and rallying the masses patriotic passions to the great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics [and] helping the motherland become unified, prosperous and strong. (cf Vickers, E. 2007) The State Education Commission named One Hundred Patriotic Education Bases - mostly museums and historic sites, but also national celebrations and Learn from Lei Feng Day This broader programme of patriotic education is fundamentally aimed at legitimising the CCP project of rapid but inegalitarian modernization and industrialization, while maintaining unaltered the Partys grip on power and the absolute insistence on the unity of the nation as the Party defines it. The Chinese revolution is now commemorated much more as a national than as a socialist achievement. (Vickers, E. 2007)
30. 30. The Road to Rejuvenation The description of the exhibition The Road to Rejuvenation at the refurbished National Museum of China (Tiananmen Square, Beijing), gives a good sense of the official historical narrative at present: The Road of Rejuvenation is one of the museums permanent exhibitions that reflects the Opium War of 1840 onward, the consequent downfall into an abyss of semi-imperial and semi-feudal society, the protests of people of all social strata who had suffered, and the many attempts at national rejuvenation - particularly the Communist Party of Chinas fight for the liberation and independence of people of every ethnicity. The exhibition demonstrates the glorious but long course of achieving national happiness and prosperity and fully reveals how the people chose Marxism, the Communist Party of China, socialism, and the reform and opening-up policy. It attests to the Chinese priority of holding high the unswerving banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and of remaining firmly committed to the Chinese socialist road and theory. Who and what is missing from this narrative? http://en.chnmuseum.cn/Default.aspxTabId=520&ExhibitionLanguageID=83&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport= 1
31. 31. Unit 731: Japanese War Crimes in Northeast China Read more: http://chinarev.tumblr.com/po st/70885230393/unit-731- japanese-war-crimes-in- northeast-china
32. 32. Nanjing Massacre Memorial
33. 33. Monument to the Revolutionary Martyrs, Nanjing
34. 34. Lei Feng Memorial in Lei Feng Town, a suburb of Changsha 5th March: Learn From Lei Feng Day
35. 35. Concluding remarks and further questions.. Untitled #2 by Guo Jian 2009
36. 36. Further reading less time Ang Xiangshu; Bi Lijun (2013). Higher Education of Social Science, 4(2), 25-29 Arlif, D. (2012) Mao Zedong in Contemporary Chinese Official Discourse and History. China Perspectives. 2. 17-27. Barme, G. (2012). Red Allure and the Crimson Blindfold. Chinese Perspectives. 2. 29-40. Gerwirtz, P. (2014). Xi, Mao, and Chinas Search for a Usable Past. China File. http://www.chinafile.com/xi-mao-and-chinas-search-usable-past Smith, S. A. (2011) Recent historiography of the Peoples Republic of China, 1949-76. Twentieth Century Communism. 196-216 Wang, Z. (2008). National Humiliation, History Education and the Politics of Historical Memory:Patriotic Education Campaign in China. International Studies Quarterly. 52. 783 806 http://www.risingpowersinitiative.org/wp- content/uploads/National-Humiliation-History-Education.pdf
37. 37. Further reading more time Cheek, T. (2010). A Critical Introduction to Mao. New York: Cambridge University Press CCP (1981) Resolution on certain questions in the history of our party since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China 1981. Retrieved from https://www.marxists.org/subject/china/documents/cpc/history/01.htm Mobo, G. (2008). The Battle for Chinas Past: Mao and the Cultural Revolution. London: Pluto Press. Schmidt-Glintzer, H., Mittag, A., & Rsen, J. (2005). Historical Truth Historical Criticism and Ideology : Chinese Historiography and Historical Culture From a New Comparative Perspective. Leiden: Brill. Wang X. ((2012). Fifty Years of Chinese Historiography. Chinese Studies in History. 45(2-3). 7- 69. Wang, Zheng (2012). Never Forget National Humiliation. New York: Columbia University Press. Ye, S., Barm, G., & Lang, M. (2006). China candid : the people on the People's Republic / Sang Ye ; edited by Geremie R. Barme with Miriam Lang: Berkeley : University of California Press, 2006. Zhu, W. (2014). Chinas New Left. China Dispatch. 2014 (1). Beijing.
38. 38. Online Resources Gmng my blog for teachers of the Chinese Revolution http://chinarev.tumblr.com/ Alpha History (see Chinese Revolution section) http://alphahistory.com/ In the Footsteps of Chairman Mao Study Tour http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/teachers/study_programs/china. html The China Story / Australian Centre for China in the World http://www.thechinastory.org/ China Dispatch (subscribe on iTunes) http://www.theworldofchinese.com/digital-version/