Canberra: ANU Press, 2024. US$40.00, paper; free ebook. ISBN 9781760466237.
In 2021, which marked the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), works reflecting on the CCP’s century-long history were published in rapid succession across the globe. This provides further evidence that the CCP’s influence has now extended beyond the boundaries of a single country, becoming a significant global force. Notable examples include Tony Saich, From Rebel to Ruler: One Hundred Years of the Chinese Communist Party (Harvard University Press, 2021); Timothy Cheek et al. (eds.), The Chinese Communist Party: A Century in Ten Lives (Cambridge University Press, 2021), and Chūgoku Kyōsantō: Sono Hyakunen (The Chinese Communist Party: A Hundred Years, Chikuma Shobō, 2021) authored by myself. In this regard, The Chinese Communist Party: A 100-Year Trajectory (hereafter Trajectory) represents a fitting conclusion to this series of 100-year histories.
Trajectory is distinctive in that it provides an analytical overview of the CCP from four unique perspectives. These four are: “organization” and “ideology,” which are the core essence of the Party itself; and the aspects of the Party’s historical mission, “modernization” and “reunification of the country and the people.” Simply put, the first two elucidate the nature of the CCP as a political party, while the second two examine the objectives of this formidable political entity. The 16 key topics (chapters) that comprise these four areas are each described by authors with expertise in the relevant field.
For example, in chapter 1, “Organization and (Lack of) Democracy in the Chinese Communist Party,” by Jean-Pierre Cabestan, the author describes the evolution of the party organization and its changing nature by analyzing the party constitutions from different historical periods. At the time of its launch, the constitution was influenced by the Comintern (in fact, according to my research, it was almost a direct copy of the “Agreements” of the United Communist Party of America); subsequently, there was a period when the separation of party and government was called for and the implementation of internal democracy was pursued. However, these efforts were undermined and abandoned by the Xi Jinping regime. In light of this analysis, the author offers the following perspective on the future of democracy within the CCP: to maintain its position of power, the CCP must maintain the opacity of its internal governance structures and refrain from adopting democratic practices (41).
The essays in Trajectory are written and edited in a unified style that provides a comprehensive overview of the subject matter, followed by an explanation of the origins, history, current situation, and future prospects of the events under discussion. Despite being a collection of essays, Trajectory exhibits a high level of organization due to its consistent stylistic approach, and the writing is lucid, facilitating comprehension. For this reason, it may be more accurate to describe this book as a high-quality, comprehensive encyclopedia about the CCP.
In terms of content, Trajectory presents a number of persuasive arguments, as experts in their respective fields elucidate the latest research and new trends. For example, it illustrates how the flexible style of guerrilla warfare developed in rural areas in the 1920s and 1930s was inherited by the later CCP, which did not hesitate to change its policies (2, 341).
It is indisputable that this book represents the pinnacle of encyclopedic knowledge, exhibiting remarkable breadth and depth. However, further analysis is required on the long-standing and controversial issue of the origins of the ideological and autocratic governance of the CCP. For example, Cheek refers to the Yan’an Rectification Movement of 1942–1944 as the origin of rectification politics which has come to define Party practice. Additionally, he identifies several “bible” works by Mao Zedong and other leaders that have come to be regarded as authoritative sources on the subject (106). In fact, the genuine “bible” for them was The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks): Short Course (История ВКП(б) краткий курс, 1938 [Istoriya VKPP(b) kratkii kurs]), a book often regarded as a Stalinist textbook. Despite his subsequent criticism of Stalin, Mao did not develop a distinct socialist vision that surpassed Stalinism until the 1950s. During the period of the Rectification Movement, Mao exhibited a distinct adherence to Stalinist ideology and a proclivity for reading Short Course, which portrays Stalin as an enforcer of the correct political line. Subsequently, the Soviet Union withdrew Short Course from circulation following Stalin’s criticism in 1956. Nevertheless, the book remained in print in China until the 1970s, due to Mao’s preferences, and provided him with the concept of the Ten Major Line Struggles (Shida luxian douzheng), which interpreted the entire history of the Party through the lens of line struggles. Indeed, the view of Stalin and Mao as antithetical communist leaders is untenable. It is somewhat perplexing that no mention of this controversial book is to be found in any of the articles.
In China, the centenary year saw the adoption of a party document entitled “Resolution on the major achievements and historical experience of the Party over the past century,” which offered congratulations to the party on its achievements. While the official history was belatedly published the following year, individual works were scarce. Only a small number of 100-year history works written by so-called “official historians” in the relevant departments were published, and works written independently by researchers or journalists were never published. In consideration of the prevailing cultural milieu in China, it seems unlikely that any foreign works pertaining to the CCP’s centenary, including the aforementioned publications and Trajectory, will be translated and published domestically in the near future. While a considerable number of works on the history of the CCP have been published abroad, there is a striking dearth of corresponding research within the country itself. Moreover, Chinese Party historians are constrained from ascertaining how their own party is portrayed in the global context. Trajectory is not written for Chinese readers. However, the readers who would most benefit from this comprehensive guide to the CCP history are in China. It is my sincere hope that the findings of Trajectory will soon be made available to Chinese historians.
Yoshihiro Ishikawa
Kyoto University, Kyoto