Xu Chenggang: CCP's Totalitarianism Persists, Cultural Revolution's Legacy Passed Down Through Generations

Taipei, May 17 (CNA) - Economist Xu Chenggang, known for his research on China's political and economic systems, argues that the Cultural Revolution was itself a product of the system and, in turn, brought about institutional changes. He asserts that the Cultural Revolution's most critical legacy was transforming China from a Soviet-style totalitarian system to a Chinese-style one, which continues to take root and influence subsequent generations. Xu proposes that the Cultural Revolution solidified China's unique 'regionally administered totalitarianism' (區管式極權制), which decentralizes power to local levels and weakens central leaders and departments other than the supreme leader. This system, he says, was an unfinished task of the 'Great Leap Forward,' which failed catastrophically but was ultimately completed by the Cultural Revolution. He explains that from 1949 to 1957, China operated on a Soviet model with central control over enterprises. The Great Leap Forward decentralized over 90% of these to local authorities, attempting to replace central planning with regional competition. The Cultural Revolution further dismantled central planning bodies. The other half of the Cultural Revolution was 'anti-revisionism,' with class struggle at its core. This, Xu argues, served as a tool to find scapegoats for the disastrous Great Leap Forward. 'The inhuman behaviors seen during the Cultural Revolution were all driven by class hatred,' he states. As someone who lived through it, Xu recalls his initial confusion as the son of a 'rightist' who suddenly became a target, only to be later told by the central leadership that he was a true loyalist, leading to the rise of 'rebel factions.' Xu believes the legacy of the Cultural Revolution is not a return to its chaotic form but the persistence of its ideological tools. The CCP's ability to incite 'mass dictatorship' and hatred, he warns, is a legacy that can be readily deployed, as seen in the public sentiment toward Hong Kong and Taiwan. This 'institutional gene,' he concludes, is passed down through generations via the education system, making China's path toward constitutional democracy exceedingly difficult. (Editors: Chu Chien-ling / Chang Shu-ling)