China: From
revolution
to materialism

Chinese society has changed
dramatically as her people traded
communist ideals for Western-style
consumerism and convenience

The beloved late Chinese Premier Chou Enlai once remarked to Tillman Durdin of the New York Times that China would not be a society of traffic jams, pollution and materialism. Chou would be shocked to see the wholesale changes that have transformed Chinese life. Chou was not alone: Many in the West predicted that China would never make it economically in the global arena. Given the international environment and China's situation before the early 1980s, few could have anticipated the country's rapid development on a dramatically different path than Chou and his peers had set for their country.

Snapshots of China during Chou's era produce the following scenes:

All aspects of the economy were controlled by the state. For daily living, state-owned work units controlled the distribution of most benefits, including the location and size of housing and level of medical services. Private ownership of real estate or personal property such as cars was nonexistent. Cars and drivers were assigned to high-level Communist Party functionaries and work units for official use. Bikes and buses were the primary means of transportation for ordinary folks.

Shopping in a dark, dank state department store was a depressing experience. What little merchandise that was available was of low quality and comparatively expensive. The service was poor; the sales people surly.

There was very little mobility; most Chinese lived their entire lives in their birthplaces. Traveling was either for business or visiting families, and it was mainly by train. Travel by automobile from city to city was nightmarish because there were few good roads between cities. The limited air service was enjoyed only by very high-ranking functionaries and foreigners. Domestic leisure travel was a luxury that most couldn't afford, and international trips were not something people even dreamed about.

Relocation was rare and strictly controlled by a powerful administrative tool, the hukou or family register, which had to be obtained through the local authorities. Without having your hukou in good order, it was impossible to obtain employment, food rations and education for children.

As for education, those lucky enough to live in cities had a good chance of attending a high school. In the countryside, children might acquire a basic elementary education, if their commune could afford a school. Only about one million students attended university, a very small percentage given China's huge population. However, post-secondary education was free, and some graduate students even received stipends equivalent to a monthly salary. College graduates were assigned to work units by the government upon graduation.

Politically, the party was in full control. There were elections held at the village level, but beyond that, there were few signs of democracy. Political slogans, often written on long red banners with white or gold characters, adorned the streets of all cities and towns. Chinese addressed each other as "tungji" (comrade). Traveling overnight by train, one was likely to be awakened in the early morning by a thunderous rendition of the national anthem, "March of the Volunteers," and the "Internationale." People were extremely careful in communicating their political views. Due to systematic control of "counterrevolutionary" literature, many Chinese born after 1949 were unable to read Chinese classics.

Obtaining membership in the Chinese Communist Party was competitive and glorifying. It translated into promotions, better jobs and better housing; a must-have if one wanted to advance. Conformity far outweighed individuality. It was clearly indicated by the prevailing unisex look during the Cultural Revolution when everyone wore dark blue, grey or green high-collared jackets, baggy pants and a cap with a small red star.

Today, that picture seems to be changing at the speed of sound. Walking on the streets of Beijing or Shanghai, one can hardly imagine the scenes that were there just a couple of decades ago. Gone is the drab unisex look. With the multicolored new face, we see a multifaceted new China. The changes China has experienced are more than skin deep, and many are still demanding more.

People nowadays talk of the need for more freedom and openly admit that there are shortcomings with China's version of communism. Party membership is not nearly as sought after and does not offer many special advantages as in the past. Billboards advertising the latest computer or fashion item have replaced publicly displayed political slogans. Traditional and Western-style popular music have supplanted revolutionary music and are played everywhere. A wide variety of information is readily available. Although the legal system in China is still in its infancy, more trained lawyers are available, and more trained judges are on the bench. A very interesting program to train well-compensated jurors to participate in the decisions of court cases on an equal footing with judges is being finalized.

The influence of work units in private life has been diminished, and private ownership of apartments and vehicles has become the latest rage. In large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, the price of real estate is comparable to that of New York and San Francisco. Although the state still owns the land, it seems that Chinese cities have been transformed overnight into forests of gleaming new high-rise condominiums. Bikes are still plentiful, but the city streets are also jammed with autos emitting endless black clouds of pollution. Going intercity or to a distant countryside village is a much faster and more comfortable ride given China's new nationwide and rapidly growing "interstate system," boasting highways just as good as those in the United States. On the freeway, it is not uncommon to see a family whizzing by in their Buick enroute to a newly built mountain resort hotel where they can escape scalding hot weather.

Consumerism has ushered in an era of materialism. Both men and women are fashion conscious and shop in brightly lit, architecturally pleasing department stores with a wide variety of products sporting Chinese and foreign brand names. Clerks are polite, if also persistent, and notices are posted throughout department stores directing customers to complaint hot lines if there are any problems.

This year 3.8 million students will graduate from university. Educational opportunities are to be found at all levels in both state and private institutions, although the countryside still has some catching up to do. The availability of higher education to more people also comes with a price tag. The government no longer covers all college expenses. Students and their families have to shell out much of their life savings to pay for the ever-increasing tuition. Graduates can freely choose where they wish to work; however, like in the United States, a college degree in China no longer guarantees a job. As a result, many graduates intend to pursue their own business adventures.

Adopting selective market mechanisms has greatly improved life in China and provided a new look for the country. China is not only making it in the global arena, it's also causing major concern regarding its desire to purchase U.S. companies. While almost all Western merchandise can be found in China and more similarities can be observed between China and the West, China has not become a true capitalist country. Most major industries still remain state dominated. Although the omnipotence of the Chinese Communist Party is far less than it was, the party still holds ultimate power, and the key decisions affecting millions are made by a few at the highest level of the party. It may appear ironic to the Western world that while people feel free to criticize the party and some hope for a two-party system, they covet the stability the party underwrites. And on summer vacation, many college students flock en masse to sites commemorating important revolutionary history such as Shaoshan Village, Mao's birthplace, and the Yenan Caves, party headquarters during World War II.

To understand China, we must deal with the fact that China is a complex country with a very long history on a path quite different from the one on which Westerners have traveled. One thing is certain, though: being further spurred on by the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics, the face of the dragon will continue to change, becoming even less recognizable to Chou and the Western prophets.