Don’t get me wrong, but I don’t really think that being a communist or not depends on identity. Wether or not a majority of the people in China identify themselves as a communist is somewhat irrelevant. In most places, specially in countries where communists hold power like China or Cuba, being a communist usually implies being a member of the communist party or some communist organization. That doesn’t mean there is no people who identify as communists, just that it is usually not something being thought of as an identity category, and probably a lot of people would say “No, I’m not a communist. I’m not a member of the party”.
however most people will have studied marx in secondary education and could tell you about him
In China there are:
- 98 million members of the Communist Party of China (7% of the population)
- 73 million members of the Communist Youth League (there is overlap in membership with the CPC as the age requirements are 14 to 28 years old for the CYL and over 18 for the CPC, so do not just add the numbers from the CPC and CYL)
- 114 million members of the Chinese Young Pioneers (ages 6 to 14)
Joining the CPC is about taking on a responsibility to the Party and people, which is different from just believing in the principles of communism as a non-Party member.
The rest of the population can certainly “identify as communist” without being members of the CPC/CYL/CYP, but it depends on how you define it.
I would say a majority hold a belief system in line with Marxism but you will need to understand that this has been intertwined with cultural and social belief systems.
There are military families, and families with strong roots within the party - kids will be expected to follow the line or are even inspired to do so. More educated family elders will encourage their children to do something that benefits Chinese society as a whole.
There are buildings and signs everywhere that commemorate China’s history very much so inclusive of the communist party. Red stars, statues of revolutionaries and the working proletariat.
Short answer - taught about Marxism in schools and it’s also tied with history study, practicing Marxist thought through media, people strive join the party because they are influenced to do so through family/media/work/school.
Additional note: Libs and class traitors still exist in China but are more likely to get physically punished and will tend to live overseas if they can and will breed lib children.
Libs and class traitors still exist in China
Sad, but unavoidable in any society. Even the United States, with its carceral state and extensive propaganda system, still has a fair amount of dissenters from the state ideology.
but are more likely to get physically punished
Unfathomably based.
In China, most people equate being a communist with being a party member. Being communist isn’t just some kind of label you associate yourself with, like in the West. I know from first-hand experience, because telling people I’m a socialist/communist in China prompts them to ask me whether I’m a party member. The average communist in the West can’t hold a candle against the dedication and sacrifice of cadres in China. Heck, even people that aren’t communists are often enrolled into semester long programs that require them to listen to socialist thought every weekday for 2 hours a day, all because their work requires it (due to receiving government funds, or working on projects that directly influence the wellbeing of others -> i.e. creating a private-sector web platform that harvests user data, which it can only use for the good of society).
This is why I’m kind of reluctant to call myself a communist, and when asked, usually describe my politics as “I hold communist ideas,” or “I think the Juche Idea is correct.” (I used to describe myself more generally as a “socialist patriot,” i.e., patriotic for the peoples of this country and their wellbeing, not the American goverment and the American ideology – but then certain rightists got on that train and kind of ruined the concept).
Okay so why tf am I doing this for free?
I don’t think there’s survey’s done on that, but there are certainly survey’s done on questions like: do you support the government, and do you think the country is headed in the right direction? And both are over 90% support.
There’s also a difference in HOW certain groups support the government. The more modern/city dwelling populace, especially the younger generations, is more of a “general support overall” but they go into the finer details more about which representatives and policies they like and dislike, etc. Whereas the more rural, poorer, and older peoples tend to have a much stronger feeling of support for the communists and less of a breakdown of the finer details.
At least this is what I have heard from interviews with people that travel the area. The Proles of the Round Table podcast have a few good episodes on this.
Politics in general is not commonly on peoples minds. Or they treat it like a sports team they check in on every so often.
Bieng politically knowledgeable and up to date is much more rare then you believe. This goes for China as well, as people just have other things going on in their lives so they don’t bother reading/learning/thinking about politics or communism very much.
Sadly, I would say that far more identity with hardline Chinese nationalism over Marxism, and Marxism is mostly acknowledged because it’s association with the CPC.
If by identify as communist they agree that they live in China and participate in society under a communist government, and are not actively trying to change their system of governance, then yes. If by identify you mean they’re ideologically aligned with the values of communism, I don’t know, but I suspect most live their lives in the market economy that is China and hope that they’re contributing to a better society.
