is China capitalist?

The rise of [[China]] in the wake of the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]] has lead some on the left to ask if China is capitalist or not. I personally think this is a complex question and I will try to work it out here.

As of 09/25/2021, my answer is this: Yes, because of the tendency of China to develop capitalism, allow for private ownership, and the continued existence of commodity production and wage labor.

There is a similar question, which is “is China socialist?”, however when that question is asked it is often “is China a liberatory force in the world?”. Given that it would seem that China is a capitalist country, my answer woudl be “no” to this.

Is capitalist

• Continued existence of commodity production and wage labor
• Has and maintains capitalist class
  • The communist party of China may not themselves be bourgeois, but the Chinese state is influenced by capital. Otherwise they would not need to adjust their currency. They also foster a [[developmentalist]] model
• Increasingly has a [[business cycle]]
• Important circuit in global capital. Not necessarily peripheral but still plays important role in global capital

Is not capitalist

• Has regulated economy
  • [[socialism is more than just state power]]
• Does not benefit from [[imperialism]]