Chinese President Xi Jinping has been hailed as a Marxist by those who continue to insist that China is still a socialist country. Nothing could be further from the truth. If the creation of billionaires and suicide nets around factories to keep workers from killing themselves is socialism, then I seriously wonder how you define a worker’s state.

The Chinese Communist Party Congress recently took place where Xi gave a very interesting speech. Those who are weak in socialist theory have taken his words to heart without much critical analysis. Much of it goes along the lines presupposing China to be a socialist country, therefore Xi is defending socialism.

Nothing could be further from the truth. His speech was filled with double talk. Mere lipservice was given to a very poor facade of socialism. The first worldists are quick to point out Xi’s statement, “socialist modernization would be basically realized” by 2025. This will be carried out by implementing new economic reforms. What should stick out immediately to everyone is that China is not socialist, and is already modernized. In fact, China boasts the best infrastructure in the world.

Those who hail Xi have a short memory. In 2013 he specifically said that he was going to give “a decisive role” in the economy to the market, and unveiled 60 or so reforms to implement that idea.[1] He did reiterate the fact that certain industries would remain under the control of state-owned enterprises. Too many Marxists have hailed this as socialism. The state owning something does not make a country socialist. This is actually an-cap logic – Canada has a government-run healthcare system so therefore it’s socialist.

It is, of course, wise to keep a strict control on sensitive industries. The market is allowed to reign over people’s lives seem to something these Marxists have just seemed to forget. State intervention in the market has been a tremendous boon to the economy, without a doubt. But the state should be in control of the economy (along with an economic plan that fosters a socialist path), not regulating the market.

[1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-reform/china-vows-decisive-role-for-markets-results-by-2020-idUSBRE9AA0YB20131112