Leo Semashko 

Communist Multi-Party of China

Session 54: Modern China Studies in The Age of Globalization

Globalization is accompanied by increasing democratization, yielding new forms of social structure. The countries of the former communist camp have changed their social structures dramatically.  The severe problems associated with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) contributed to the collapse of the USSR, with replacement of a communist o­ne-party system by a democratic multi-party system.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained in power o­nly because it has decided o­n economic liberalization, encouragement of private property, and change from a proletarian to a national Party. However, this is not enough. Democratization is required inside the CPC, as a rigid, o­ne-party system threatens a more destructive collapse in China than it did in the USSR. Therefore, the following gradual (5 to 10 years) CPC transition to a communist multi-party can be a logical step for adaptation to a new world.

The communist multi-party system conception was developed by me in 1988 for CPSU, but it was rejected, and that rejection contributed to the destruction of the CPSU. It disintegrated to eight hostile parties. Also important, organizational resources were destroyed, which Russia could not restore until now. That conception was created within "tetrasociology" (then called the «sphere approach») as a multidimensional social theory that divides a society into four equally necessary spheres of reproduction: SOCIOSPHERE reproducing PEOPLE, INFOSPHERE - INFORMATION,  ORGSPHERE - ORGANIZATIONS and TECHNOSPHERE reproducing THINGS (the economy). This analysis builds o­n the ideas of Marx, Braudel, Parsons, Bourdieu and other sociologists.

According to these spheres, the country’s population is divided into four sphere classes, by criterion of basic employment in o­ne of the spheres. These classes are: 1. SOCIOCLASS: employed in the sociosphere (includes healthcare, education, social security, sports, and non-working population: children, pensioners, etc.). 2. INFOCLASS: employed in the infosphere, including workers in science, culture, communication. 3. ORGCLASS: employed in orgsphere, including workers in politics, management, finance, defence, etc. 4. TECHNOCLASS: employed in the technosphere, including the working class and peasants. As they are not divided o­n ownership of property or branch/employment, they are not antagonistic but solidary (friendly), labor, which excludes the disharmony of class struggle. Spheres and sphere classes generally conform to a "law of harmony,"in contrast to classes based o­n property, which generally conform to a "law of  disharmony".

With reference to China’s sphere classes, the CPC transformation into a union of four solidary, labor, communist parties is possible. The process of transition to a communist multi-party system can begin with the creation inside the CPC of four equal-in-rights factions which then can be allocated to independent communist parties, with the CPC becoming the union  of all four.   CPC’s multi-party system could give China a smooth and bloodless transformation within the framework of the existing State system, thus adapting to a democratic and multipolar world order. This multi-party CPC would win respect for China throughout the world, lower the intensity of conflict, and raise harmony in them. The author is ready to participate in development of this project, which can become a part of the «Chinese Project».

It is an abstract of my presentation o­n the World Sociological Congress in Beijing (Peking) in July 2004. But the presentation was not held, reasons, which do not depended from the author.
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