The Left in China

A timely, ambitious and unique book that traces the history and present state of leftist politics in China

'Does a great service by shifting our attention to the oppositional movements of Chinese workers, peasants, students, and women who have contested inequality and exploitation' - Manfred Elfstrom

Tracing the fascinating history of left-wing, subversive and oppositional forces in China over the last 70 years, Ralf Ruckus pulls back the curtain on Chinese politics.

He looks at the interconnected movements since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, drawing out the main actors, ideas and actions. Taking us through the Hundred Flowers Movement in the 1950s, the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, the democracy movements of the 1970s and 1980s and the workers’ movements that accompanied these events, he draws a clear picture of the political currents of China, its ruling party, and leaders through to Xi Jinping with a spotlight on contemporary struggles.

Is the country still socialist, the Chinese Communist Party a left-wing organisation, and the leadership indeed Marxist? The book will sort out the confusion, present the true history of social movements and left politics in China up to the present day.

Preface – What is and isn't 'Left-Wing' in China (and Elsewhere)?

1. Introduction – The birth of the Chinese Left
2. Maoist Dissidence – Revolutionaries Against the Revolution
3. Socialism and Democracy – The History of a Misunderstanding
4. Farewell to Class Struggle – The Redefinition of a Crashing Concept
5. The New Left – In the Name of a Strong Nation-State
6. The Harmonious Society – A Threat Against Social Resistance
7. Maoist Right and Maoist Left – Compass Needed
8. Feminism – Between State Control and Resistance

Conclusion