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Socialism with Chinese Characteristics: A Guide for Foreigners
This book covers the whole system of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, dealing with Deng Xiaoping’s theory, the socialist market economy, a moderately well-off (Xiaokang) society, China’s practice and theory of socialist democracy, human rights, and Xi Jinping’s Marxism. In short, the resolute focus is the Reform and Opening-Up.
Socialism with Chinese Characteristics is one of the most important global realities today. However, the concept and its practice remain largely misunderstood outside China. This book sets to redress such a lack of knowledge, by making available to non-Chinese speakers the sophisticated debates and conclusions in China concerning socialism with Chinese Characteristics. It presents this material in a way that is both accessible and thorough.
Socialism with Chinese Characteristics is one of the most important global realities today. However, the concept and its practice remain largely misunderstood outside China. This book sets to redress such a lack of knowledge, by making available to non-Chinese speakers the sophisticated debates and conclusions in China concerning socialism with Chinese Characteristics. It presents this material in a way that is both accessible and thorough.
316 pages, ebook
Published June 7, 2021
37 people are currently reading
1397 people want to read
About the author
Roland Boer
52 books44 followersRoland Theodore Boer is a Marxist philosopher based in China. His research concerns the many dimensions of the construction of socialism, especially in China but also elsewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 31, 2023
A brilliant and comprehensive guide to Chinese socialism - the economics of the socialist market economy, the mechanics of China's democracy, the philosophy underpinning Socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Marxist basis of Reform and opening up, the theoretical contributions of different generations of CPC leadership, and so on. Requires some grounding in Marxism-Leninism, but if you've got that, this is pretty much a must-read.
August 12, 2021
Boer is a bit of a shill, but that's an improvement over being a hack — and given that virtually all discourse on China refuses to engage with their own self-conception of socialist construction (Boer is correct that this usually takes on the guise that the CPC is essentially an overelaborate ruse), this is extremely useful in articulating the party line, as it were. I have very substantial disagreements with the CPC's orientation, for what it's worth, but I found this helpful.
April 18, 2022
Just today I was on Twitter (what was I thinking?) and saw our Secretary of Transportation's comms team posting "thirst trap[s] (sic)" of Mr. Buttigieg running around shirtless. Across the ocean, in recent China news, the Communist Party's transportation team has developed a bullet train able to run at speeds over 350 mph. They plan to roll it out for the public very soon.
This is just one of myriad disturbing contrasts showing how the elites of our country are fiddling while they let the American working class burn. If we want to take our country back, a little humility wouldn't hurt in the process: while I don't suggest copying the China model point by point (that would be a disaster), the average American can learn a lot and get a serious political education in the process by studying contemporary China's development. An excellent place to start is Roland Boer's Socialism with Chinese Characteristics: A Guide for Foreigners.
Boer's main thrust is to argue most Western "China watchers" get a fundamental piece of the puzzle wrong: they assume China's leadership has "abandoned" Marxism, that socialist governance is no longer on their radar. As Boer digs into the primary sources from Chinese Mainland scholars and government officials (which it becomes quickly clear are hardly mutually exclusive categories), we see this assessment couldn't be further from the truth.
As Engels was fond of pointing out, Marxism is not a fixed dogma, but a "guide for action." Unlike our "thirst-trap" posting overlords, China's officials have indeed been in action for several decades now, as average income, life expectancy, overall health, and literacy continue to rise on the backs of their modernization campaign, and the people of the Mainland continue to register staggeringly high approval ratings for their government.
On the other hand Boer offers a stark and bleak assessment for the US and the rest of the West at the end of his book:
"As the last European colonial power—the United
States—fragments and falls apart due to its own internal contradictions and as the 14
percent of the global population found in Western countries realises belatedly that
the whole Western project is in its sunset phase, the appeal of its discursive mode has
markedly declined."
Is he correct? Do we have nothing left of value to offer the world? Looking at our governing, doddering elites it would seem so. But under the antagonistic contradictions of capitalism these corrupt villains do not represent the majority, the people. And if we the people want to reclaim our legacy, to find hope for our future, we could do worse than looking east, learning a thing or two from contemporary China, and then continuing the fight for justice here with renewed energy and inspiration.
This is just one of myriad disturbing contrasts showing how the elites of our country are fiddling while they let the American working class burn. If we want to take our country back, a little humility wouldn't hurt in the process: while I don't suggest copying the China model point by point (that would be a disaster), the average American can learn a lot and get a serious political education in the process by studying contemporary China's development. An excellent place to start is Roland Boer's Socialism with Chinese Characteristics: A Guide for Foreigners.
Boer's main thrust is to argue most Western "China watchers" get a fundamental piece of the puzzle wrong: they assume China's leadership has "abandoned" Marxism, that socialist governance is no longer on their radar. As Boer digs into the primary sources from Chinese Mainland scholars and government officials (which it becomes quickly clear are hardly mutually exclusive categories), we see this assessment couldn't be further from the truth.
As Engels was fond of pointing out, Marxism is not a fixed dogma, but a "guide for action." Unlike our "thirst-trap" posting overlords, China's officials have indeed been in action for several decades now, as average income, life expectancy, overall health, and literacy continue to rise on the backs of their modernization campaign, and the people of the Mainland continue to register staggeringly high approval ratings for their government.
On the other hand Boer offers a stark and bleak assessment for the US and the rest of the West at the end of his book:
"As the last European colonial power—the United
States—fragments and falls apart due to its own internal contradictions and as the 14
percent of the global population found in Western countries realises belatedly that
the whole Western project is in its sunset phase, the appeal of its discursive mode has
markedly declined."
Is he correct? Do we have nothing left of value to offer the world? Looking at our governing, doddering elites it would seem so. But under the antagonistic contradictions of capitalism these corrupt villains do not represent the majority, the people. And if we the people want to reclaim our legacy, to find hope for our future, we could do worse than looking east, learning a thing or two from contemporary China, and then continuing the fight for justice here with renewed energy and inspiration.
October 17, 2022
I cannot believe a book like this exists: it is THE introduction to understand socialist China (from Mao to Xi Jinping).
Granted, it isn't perfect, but I highly doubt there is a better book than this to introduce people to socialism with chinese characteristics (it's theory, practice, history and evolution).
Granted, it isn't perfect, but I highly doubt there is a better book than this to introduce people to socialism with chinese characteristics (it's theory, practice, history and evolution).
June 16, 2022
Very comprehensive and well-written introduction to SWCC with just the right amount of citations, sources, and recommendations for further reading which makes this text the perfect starting place for anyone who wishes to catch up with the developments of the official position in China on Marxism and the overarching debate and discussions that take place within the Marxist (and more broadly political) circles in China today.
June 19, 2025
toto je sykofantstvo najvyššej kvality, ktoré ale niekedy sa trafí vo svojej kritike západu
December 12, 2023
Very interesting book, because until today there is a misconception about how socialism works in China. On one side, people think China betrays the core of socialism because the interpretation of socialism in China is very different from the concept of socialism made by Marx and Engels. This misconception is definitely wrong because what China wants to do is make socialism fit with the reality in China, so this is why they call socialism with Chinese characteristics. and this book is very recommended for us who want to know about socialism in China because the author learns about socialism in China, so we can say the author really knows what socialism is in China because he learns and sees the system in the place where it is done.
August 23, 2024
I almost stopped after the first 10%, but was glad I persevered.
Sure, Boer is a bit of a commie shill. And he's a repetitive writer.
But this is the best book to get an inside view on how Chinese ideology actually works. Liberalism has changed the trajectory of the West the last 500 years. Socialism with Chinese Characteristics (中国特色社会主义) will have a similar impact the next 500.
So many important things here:
- 求是
- 社会主义市场经济
- 四项基本原则
- 共同富裕
- 四个现代化
etc etc etc
Sure, Boer is a bit of a commie shill. And he's a repetitive writer.
But this is the best book to get an inside view on how Chinese ideology actually works. Liberalism has changed the trajectory of the West the last 500 years. Socialism with Chinese Characteristics (中国特色社会主义) will have a similar impact the next 500.
So many important things here:
- 求是
- 社会主义市场经济
- 四项基本原则
- 共同富裕
- 四个现代化
etc etc etc
March 9, 2023
I'm so grateful to Professor Boer for having written this book. As far as I know, this is quite a unique read translated into English and available to the "West".
Don't be wronged by the title, it suggests something like "China for dummies", but it's not. You actually need some understanding of both Chinese History and Marxist Philosophy (especially Engel's focus on dialectical materialism) to get something out of here and believe me, you can get so much.
Boer will provide you with sound arguments on how Chinese Socialism is Socialism, how Chinese Marxism is Marxism, and how we can only hope for great things to come from the possibly greatest socialist nation ever.
So many things that Westerners take for granted as the ones who detain the universal truth (like human rights for example) are examined through Chinese lenses by someone that lives in China as the only foreign Professor of Politics.
Most of Boer's arguments are explained with examples of Deng Xiaoping's politics and philosophy in relation to Marxist dialectics, it makes sense since Deng is the one who people always are and maybe will be skeptical about his socialism (even I am, or should I say was?). After reading this, I must say that many things that were unsolved questions for me are now clearer.
So many amazing references are given, and from this book, you can either get what it is(that is more than what you will get from mostly anything about contemporary China) or you can use it as a stepping stone to greater heights in the understanding of China.
Some things are lacking, like depicting real-case scenarios where Chinese Socialism hasn't arrived yet, for example, how small Chinese enterprises (I say Chinese because foreign corporations are fairly under a different kind of surveillance) exploit without any kind of leash and have no kind of judgment by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Boer sticks to the world of people that work to the government, where everything is merrier.
Boer has the same opinion about Mao as the actual CCP, that most of his lifework is of paramount importance but events like the Cultural Revolution were some sort of delirium. I really do disagree with this simplistic analysis but the argument that he gives is actually interesting.
This was my first great read of the year. Also, this book will definitely accompany me for the rest of my life in my quest for understanding China.
Thank you, Professor Boer
Don't be wronged by the title, it suggests something like "China for dummies", but it's not. You actually need some understanding of both Chinese History and Marxist Philosophy (especially Engel's focus on dialectical materialism) to get something out of here and believe me, you can get so much.
Boer will provide you with sound arguments on how Chinese Socialism is Socialism, how Chinese Marxism is Marxism, and how we can only hope for great things to come from the possibly greatest socialist nation ever.
So many things that Westerners take for granted as the ones who detain the universal truth (like human rights for example) are examined through Chinese lenses by someone that lives in China as the only foreign Professor of Politics.
Most of Boer's arguments are explained with examples of Deng Xiaoping's politics and philosophy in relation to Marxist dialectics, it makes sense since Deng is the one who people always are and maybe will be skeptical about his socialism (even I am, or should I say was?). After reading this, I must say that many things that were unsolved questions for me are now clearer.
So many amazing references are given, and from this book, you can either get what it is(that is more than what you will get from mostly anything about contemporary China) or you can use it as a stepping stone to greater heights in the understanding of China.
Some things are lacking, like depicting real-case scenarios where Chinese Socialism hasn't arrived yet, for example, how small Chinese enterprises (I say Chinese because foreign corporations are fairly under a different kind of surveillance) exploit without any kind of leash and have no kind of judgment by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Boer sticks to the world of people that work to the government, where everything is merrier.
Boer has the same opinion about Mao as the actual CCP, that most of his lifework is of paramount importance but events like the Cultural Revolution were some sort of delirium. I really do disagree with this simplistic analysis but the argument that he gives is actually interesting.
This was my first great read of the year. Also, this book will definitely accompany me for the rest of my life in my quest for understanding China.
Thank you, Professor Boer
July 22, 2025
A good book on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. The author is biased and a Chinese shill but the concepts he articulated are interesting. The ideological justification for economic system was really good. The concept of delinking market system from capitalism and planned system from socialism proposed by Deng Xiaoping was quite a refreshing perspective.
However, the argument became more flimsy when the author started dealing with the concept of human rights where various logical gaps were used to justify that China is a shining beacon of peace and prosperity while the West is an epitome of evil and darkness.
It was alright, I would recommend it just for the sake of understanding how Chinese Socialism works from the Chinese perspective but eh, just brush aside his shilling and ignore him whenever he starts whining about the evil colonial imperialist slavery of the West.
However, the argument became more flimsy when the author started dealing with the concept of human rights where various logical gaps were used to justify that China is a shining beacon of peace and prosperity while the West is an epitome of evil and darkness.
It was alright, I would recommend it just for the sake of understanding how Chinese Socialism works from the Chinese perspective but eh, just brush aside his shilling and ignore him whenever he starts whining about the evil colonial imperialist slavery of the West.
September 10, 2025
Boer provides a remarkable articulation of the Chinese system as well as the breadth of Chinese Marxist and political thought. The central usage of primary chinese sources and scholarship makes this an incredibly valuable book for any international observer that hopes to have a chance at understanding the complexity of modern China.
Although many westerners will be made uncomfortable with Boer's clear bias towards
the Chinese system, he demonstrates a clear understanding of fundamental Marxist principles and Dialectical Materialism.
From the conclusion:
"not so long ago the reality was that the 'discourse stage is controlled by the West, topics are proposed by the West, the agenda is dominated by the West, standards are set by the West, content is provided by the West, and discourse is judged by the West'."
Although many westerners will be made uncomfortable with Boer's clear bias towards
the Chinese system, he demonstrates a clear understanding of fundamental Marxist principles and Dialectical Materialism.
From the conclusion:
"not so long ago the reality was that the 'discourse stage is controlled by the West, topics are proposed by the West, the agenda is dominated by the West, standards are set by the West, content is provided by the West, and discourse is judged by the West'."
January 21, 2025
This was a great and throughly researched book. The author, Roland Boer, cites speeches from Chinese leaders, scholars, and economists. He breaks down Western misconceptions about China, emphasizes Chinese democracy and mass participation, and the anti-hegemonic nature of modern China. Boer does a good job of avoiding Western bias and understanding another culture and political life. I would highly recommend this text as general introduction to Chinese political and economic culture. "we have to demonstrate that the Marxist system of thought is superior to all others, and that the socialist system is superior to capitalism" (Deng Xiaoping).
March 19, 2024
Excellent book for understanding socialism in China. If you can see past the few minor grammatical errors, it will give you a good understanding of the core of China without the misleading, lense of our media and politicians.
March 19, 2025
Why did I read this ?
I dont know, im just autistic and obsessed
Dont recommend but it was worth the read
I dont know, im just autistic and obsessed
Dont recommend but it was worth the read
May 24, 2025
It was ok. I didn't read all of it but I found some of the details useful for understanding the Chinese Government
January 5, 2026
We love 21st century Marxist theory and analysis don’t we?
Very accessible and worthwhile even for the most read theory nerds.
Very accessible and worthwhile even for the most read theory nerds.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews