Answer to Question #206434 in History for DCnerd13

Question

How was Chinese communism different from Soviet Communism?

Answer 1

The Soviet Union did not possess any kind of unity, because within the ethnic minorities and Soviet blocs, different languages were spoken, a different history applied for each state, and cultures varied between each ethnicity. As Karl Marx stated Communism would not be accomplished unless there would be a revolution of the proletariat class.The Soviet state lacked one and their attempt to initiate one failed.

China on the other hand flourished with the reforms of Deng Xiaoping who was different from Mikhail Gorbachev who was pursuing political reforms before economic reforms, he inadvertently dissolved the Soviet empire. Deng chose wisely, pursuing economic reform before political liberalization.

The major difference between the Soviet Union and China is that China placed an emphasis on the economy rather than on political reform. By having a strong economy, political reform come eventually. This system is much more viable, at least within a Communist government, because in order to have a good economy a country has to trade and be open to international activity. Simply with international activity, political reform will come. In the 1980s nobody believed it anymore unlike in China were they had faith in it and were happy with their government.

Communism lasted but Soviet Communism did not. After Mao's death, China restructured its 

government, providing its citizens with greater freedoms and changing its economic policy to 

favor a market economy open to foreign trade instead of one that was centrally managed. During 

the 1980s, the Soviet government remained unwilling to make reforms it viewed as capitalistic, 

and the resulting economic decline lead to the Soviet downfall. Since then, Russia has attempted 

to shift to a market-based economy with mixed results. At the same time, China shifted to a system known as market socialism, which differed from the USSR in its reliance on a free market.This system is still in place in China, which now has one of the world's strongest 

economies.