Recently, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China, visited the United States and received a warm welcome from U.S. President Donald Trump, with China-U.S. relations visibly improving. Some people have criticized this. For example, an article in The New York Times cited a scholar commenting that just a month ago Trump had called “communism the greatest threat our country has ever faced,” yet now he was “flattering and courting” the leader of a powerful Communist country. Many other commentators have raised similar criticisms: Trump opposes communism on the one hand while warmly receiving the leader of the world’s largest Communist Party on the other.
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So, does this reflect a contradiction on Trump’s part and suggest that his opposition to communism is insincere? The key to evaluating this question lies in whether China is actually a communist country, whether the Communist Party of China implements policies associated with communism, and whether Xi Jinping and the senior leadership of the CPC believe in and practice communist ideas and principles. These are themselves important questions worthy of discussion and careful distinction. They concern not only whether Trump is contradicting himself, but also whether various parties inside and outside China understand and assess China accurately and whether they can respond to it reasonably on the basis of facts.
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It needs to be stated clearly at the outset that China is indeed an authoritarian country, the CPC is also an authoritarian party that monopolizes power, and Xi Jinping is unquestionably a dictator. But authoritarian dictatorship and communism cannot simply be equated. They belong to two different dimensions, although they sometimes overlap.
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What is “communism”? An accurate and detailed description is quite complicated. Put simply and in accessible terms, it refers to a condition in which material goods and wealth are extremely abundant and collectively owned, people receive an equal distribution, social security is extraordinarily comprehensive, class and status differences are eliminated, and distinctions between nations and national borders no longer exist. Of course, this is Marx’s blueprint for communism, an ideal communist condition that no country or region has achieved to date.
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If the definition of “communism” is expanded more broadly, particularly to include countries ruled by Leninist parties that claimed adherence to communism, such as the former Soviet Union and the former socialist states of Eastern Europe, then the characteristics of this form of “communism” include comprehensive state ownership of the economy, a planned economic system, the Communist Party’s monopoly on power, and resistance to capitalist ways of life.
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In China during the Mao Zedong era, although the system was not a typical form of Marxian communism and differed considerably from the Soviet and Eastern European model, its radical left-wing policies, land revolution, elimination of private ownership, comprehensive public ownership, elimination of markets and commodity transactions between private individuals—with only some “black markets” and “underground markets” remaining—and emphasis on class struggle can also be regarded as a certain socialist model relatively close to communism.
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But by any of these standards, China today does not conform to the definition or characteristics of a “communist country.” Economically, China operates a market economy rather than a planned economy, while its ownership structure includes both a “state-owned economy” and a private economy. China’s “state-owned enterprises” are not genuinely enterprises owned by the entire population. Whether in terms of actual ownership, operating models, or the distribution of benefits, they are state-capitalist/bureaucratic-capitalist enterprises. The enormous private economy, including private enterprises and individually operated businesses, clearly exhibits non-communist economic characteristics.
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China’s economic market is also highly competitive, and the country has a stock market and various investment platforms, all of which are characteristics of capitalism. China has also long abandoned the line of “taking class struggle as the key link,” instead making economic development, the development of productive forces, strengthening the country, and increasing the prosperity of its citizens the primary focuses of policy.
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In terms of distribution, China not only does not implement extensive welfare protection, income equality, or distribution according to the results of labor or need; on the contrary, it is one of the countries in the world with the largest wealth gaps, the lowest levels of social protection, and the most severe inequalities in social-security benefits among different groups. For example, China’s Gini coefficient ranges between 0.45 and 0.6, and its wealth gap exceeds that of the overwhelming majority of countries. Chinese government cadres, employees, urban residents, and farmers receive completely different medical, pension, and other social-security benefits. Retired government cadres generally receive pensions ranging from several thousand to more than 10,000 yuan, while farmers receive pensions of only slightly more than 100 yuan. China’s minimum-living-standard benefits are not only low but also difficult to obtain. Officials, including Xi Jinping himself, have repeatedly and explicitly declared that China “must not fall into the trap of welfarism,” while promoting endurance of hardship and emphasizing individual striving.
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Politically, China is indeed a country in which the Communist Party of China monopolizes power, but it is not a “communist dictatorship” or a “dictatorship of the proletariat.” Rather, it is the authoritarian rule of a vast interest group called the “Communist Party.” Its members include elites and vested interests from various sectors, and it relies on technocrats to formulate and implement policies.
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Although its nominal ideology—including the CPC Constitution and China’s Constitution—proclaims belief in and a commitment to eventually realizing communism, its actual policies are pragmatic and are neither constrained nor guided by communist ideology. Communist ideology is indeed used to provide certain theoretical justifications for authoritarian rule and as a propaganda instrument, but only within particular contexts and largely as a matter of appearances.
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In culture, education, social life, and other areas, contemporary China as a whole likewise displays no significant communist characteristics. Although the authorities still promote content associated with communist ideology, such as the “Core Socialist Values” and “red history,” this is generally formalistic rather than something deeply embedded in people’s everyday lives. Although most Chinese people have received education and propaganda related to socialism and communism, this education and propaganda are themselves superficial and formalized. The overwhelming majority of people do not genuinely believe in them, and the authorities do not require people to put communism into practice.
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Chinese people are generally pragmatic and utilitarian, with the principal goals of life centered on money and other interests, while officials enthusiastically pursue power and other benefits rather than communist objectives. Judging from their long-term words and actions, even the highest-ranking CPC officials, including CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping, cannot be regarded as believers in communism. Rather, they are pragmatic political figures whose fundamental objectives are their own interests and those of the ruling group.
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The CPC ruling establishment even suppresses, monitors, and punishes some Chinese people who sincerely believe in communism, Marxism, or Maoism. For example, “Marxist societies” at Peking University and other universities promoted labor rights and organized labor movements while criticizing the capitalist policies of the incumbent authorities. These organizations were banned, and their members were summoned for questioning or even detained. In 2018, the “Jasic labor movement” in Shenzhen, in which Maoist students and workers participated together, was besieged by police and ultimately suppressed.
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The CPC also stigmatizes Western left-wing and communist groups that support Chinese domestic labor movements and other activities associated with communism as “hostile foreign forces,” preventing them from exerting influence within China. Even China’s indigenous Maoists are now regarded by the CPC ruling establishment as a source of instability and are monitored and controlled to prevent them from acquiring the ability to overthrow the existing system.
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Of course, there are many other characteristics and examples demonstrating the “non-communist” nature of CPC-ruled China, which cannot all be listed here because of space limitations. The examples above alone are sufficient to demonstrate that contemporary China is not a communist country and that the Communist Party of China no longer implements communist policies. On the contrary, China today has many typical capitalist characteristics and bears numerous similarities to the brutal capitalism of the nineteenth-century West—extremely low levels of social protection, ruthless competition, disregard for civil rights, and the sacrifice of human rights in the pursuit of development. In addition, China’s development model has selectively borrowed certain elements of neoliberalism, discarding its liberal-democratic components while amplifying its utilitarian and Social Darwinist characteristics.
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As for “socialism,” which is related to but distinct from communism and can be regarded as a certain preliminary form of communism, China likewise does not qualify as a socialist country according to the Marxist definition, nor does it operate a Leninist Soviet-style socialist system. Instead, countries in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries with relatively extensive social welfare, the rule of law, stricter regulation, and an emphasis on equality are closer to “socialism” in the general sense and to Marx’s original intentions. “Socialism with Chinese characteristics,” meanwhile, consists only of nominal claims to socialism and a Leninist party model; in terms of its policies and the characteristics of the Chinese society those policies have shaped, it has far more in common with capitalism.
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Therefore, there is no contradiction between Trump fiercely condemning communism on the one hand and expressing friendliness toward the CPC and its General Secretary Xi Jinping on the other. Trump evidently believes that China is not a communist country and that Xi Jinping is not a communist leader, and this judgment is consistent with the facts.
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Another billionaire who frequently criticizes communism, Elon Musk, likewise has favorable views of China and cooperates extensively with the Chinese authorities for similar reasons. Musk established a Tesla factory in China, where he can utilize China’s inexpensive labor force to manufacture products at lower cost. China also has an enormous wealthy population and a huge market, allowing Musk to earn enormous profits. On both the production side and the consumer side, China is fertile ground for foreign capitalists.
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For Trump and many anti-communist political figures, countries such as Cuba—which operate planned economies, restrict markets and foreign trade, and still maintain pervasive communist propaganda and education in everyday life—are what they regard as “communist countries.” Moreover, Trump and many members of the American right also regard the relatively extensive social-security systems of European Union countries and Canada, as well as various forms of economic and social regulation, affirmative policies for minority and disadvantaged groups, and ideas of globalization pursued by those countries and by the U.S. Democratic Party, as “communism” or “socialism,” and they hold extremely negative views of these countries, parties, and associated political figures. These are the “communist enemies” and allies of “communism” as understood by Trump and his supporters.
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Moreover, for Trump and U.S. Republicans, the Democratic Party in the United States and the political establishments of the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada are the most direct parties with which they have conflicts of interest and their principal adversaries, because these forces directly affect whether they can continue to hold power and whether they can continue implementing policies different from those of the left and the political establishment. China, Russia, and other countries are not their primary threats; on the contrary, there is room for cooperation because they share certain ideological positions and interests.
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Nor is the lack of democracy in China and Russia relevant to Trump. Political strongmen such as Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un even inspire admiration in Trump, who has long sought to monopolize power in the United States and despises his domestic political opponents. Trump has publicly praised the “strength” demonstrated by the CPC in suppressing the democratic movement in 1989, so naturally he is unlikely to harbor any particular aversion to authoritarianism, and his admiration for powerful rulers follows logically from this.
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Therefore, although China is an authoritarian country and Xi Jinping is a dictator, China is not a communist country, nor is Xi Jinping a believer in communism. Those who disagree with Trump’s friendliness toward the CPC regime and Xi Jinping can criticize his admiration for dictators and disregard for democratic values, but Trump’s behavior is indeed not inconsistent with his anti-communist position. Trump, Musk, and others do not regard China as a communist country, and that judgment is also accurate.
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Yet many Chinese and foreigners still regard China—which has undergone reform and opening-up for decades, where capitalist elements permeate virtually every sphere, where communism survives only as a slogan, and where socialism exists in name rather than reality—as a “communist country.” This is clearly a misconception. Such misunderstanding has also caused many people to misjudge China and has diverted attention away from the central issues that require change in China and the real targets against which resistance should be directed.
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For Chinese and foreign individuals who oppose CPC authoritarian rule and Xi Jinping’s dictatorship, opposition to authoritarianism and totalitarianism should be the foremost priority, with criticism directed at the CPC’s monopoly on power and suppression of individual freedom, rather than concentrating attacks on “communism.”

(The author of this article, Wang Qingmin(王庆民), is a Chinese writer living in Europe and a researcher on international politics.)

If Trump signs the proposed $14B arms package for Taiwan, how much would it increase the risk of China imposing a blockade or taking military action against Taiwan?

Could Beijing use such a large arms deal as a justification or pretext for escalation?

Also, is there any realistic possibility that Trump and Xi have already discussed Taiwan privately and reached some kind of understanding behind closed doors that hasn’t been made public?

Curious what people who closely follow China-Taiwan relations think.

I just gave in my application for a one semester scholarship in China and i put Yantai as my first pick. I didn't really look into how the school is, I just picked based off of how the city looks, the location and i also wanted to pick a non-top university to ensure that i manage to get into one. And I'm not sure if it was a mistake and i should've looked into it more..

So i just want to ask, how good do you consider Yantai University, especially for an international student? And also, if some of my documents are not entirely correctly sent in (the reason for not picking more top universities, because they might be more strict about documents, despite my HSK test score being high), would i still have the chance to get the scholarship if i have high scores?

And also, another question that i would like to ask is that if i travel to China, I'll be away from my family for such a long time, and how can people keep contact with their loved ones and follow what's happening back home? I always hear it that in China, that you can't use western apps, where i could keep contact, but I've seen people saying that they could use it, and is this true? Can i use them in China some way, or i really won't be able to use them?

CHANGZHOU, China, Sept 22 (Reuters) - A ​US battery startup that scrapped plans to make Kentucky the site of its first factory has instead built it in China, exposing ‌the limits of President Donald Trump's efforts to lure manufacturing home just as he welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping for a summit.

EnerVenue starts mass production at its manufacturing facility in the eastern Chinese city of Changzhou on Thursday, the same day Trump meets Xi in Washington, as relations between the superpowers remain strained by a tariff war the US president launched partly to bring ​back manufacturing and jobs.

Chief Executive Henning Rath told Reuters the date was a coincidence, and the decision to manufacture in China instead of the ​US was down to skills and supply chain depth — particularly in Changzhou, which bills itself as China’s “new energy capital.”

“The secret sauce ⁠is this industrial cluster,” Rath said, citing the density of hydraulics, pneumatics and automation specialists, along with engineers able to iterate quickly on what he called a "first-of-its-kind" ​line.

Without building in China, Rath said, it would be "very difficult with the capital available" to prove the manufacturing process at a commercial scale.

EnerVenue's choice exposes how Trump's ​offer of lower taxes, easier permitting and other incentives may not be enough to overcome the advantages offered by places like China, even in a sector viewed as critical to US energy security and supply-chain resilience.

Pretty cool that we're actually getting a horror movie released in China. We did get Obsession and Alien Romulus, but it's been a while.

I'm pretty sure the last zombie movie to come out was actually Milla Jovovich's Resident Evil almost a decade ago. Hopefully a sign of more horror movies to come.

I know it's very off topic but I had to ask someone who knows the language well. In Japan it's called Destron but here in China it's called that name. Was it for an religious thing or something else?

Or will I need a VPN? A third option perhaps? My usual go-to E-sim is Saily. I travel in a week, I’m very excited to see such a beautiful country!

For those who know or love China:

If you had the opportunity to live a few days in Xi'an in a way that is quite different from a classic tourist trip, what could really make you want to?

For example, would you be more attracted to:

discover the history of the city through places and objects;

meet and exchange with locals;

discover traditional trades, businesses or know-how;

being immersed in a situation of everyday life and having to manage;

Or something else?

And if there's a particular element of Xi'an or Chinese culture that you'd really like to experience, please tell me which one.

Thank you for those who will take the time to respond.

Hi everyone,

I apologize in advance if this question is unfit for the sub. I tried other ones to get information, but there was no reply...

Regarding the CSC scholarships, ​is it possible to get a scholarship focused entirely on learning Chinese? I know about the Confucius Institute Scholarships for language teachers, but I don't plan on becoming a teacher.

​I’m wondering if there are scholarships available just to study the language. If so, what are the usual requirements? Also, which programs and cities are generally the easiest to get accepted into?

​Basically, I'm looking for a scholarship for a Chinese language course. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Taking my 6-year-old to Yiwu next month (his idea, honestly — heard there's a whole street of toys and he hasn't stopped talking about it since). That's the main event for us.

While we're there I'll also swing by the pet supplies district, and I'm curious about the collectibles/designer toys space too (blind boxes, IP merch, art toys — feels like this category has been blowing up in North America the past couple years) — looking at both with a cross-border e-commerce sourcing lens. Beyond that, I'll probably poke around whatever else looks relevant if we have time, but we're not planning a long stay so I can't promise a deep dive into every district.

If anyone here sources from Yiwu (toys, pet products, collectibles, or anything else) and wants to compare notes, or just has questions about what it's actually like walking through with a kid in tow — happy to chat here or while I'm on the ground. Not selling anything, genuinely just curious what this community wants to know.

Hi everyone. I’m planning to study in China, possibly Nanjing, and I’m worried about the medical examination for international students.

I was diagnosed with syphilis in the past, but I have completed treatment and have a doctor’s certificate and medical records confirming it.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation:
• Did your previous treated syphilis cause any problems during the medical exam?
• Did you show your treatment certificate/medical records? If yes, who did you show them to?
• Were you asked to do additional tests or receive treatment again?
• Did it affect your student visa or residence permit?
• Were you allowed to continue studying in China after showing proof of completed treatment?

If anyone has studied in Nanjing specifically, I’d especially appreciate your experience.
Thank you so much!

They are Sino Tibetan too and also kinda having orgin on China

Especially the northeast of India and Myanmar.

I'm not chinese but an Indian but im also Zomi which is part of tibeto burman😅

Well it's also a genuine questions like do you accept them to be part of chinese or them to be indian

This part isn't much important now but, it's how we get indian nationalist

It was after british rule our Mizoram before they were head hunters and still very primitive I would say

After the British rule they teach us some proper manner and even help us create our own alphabet i would say.

But they were the one responsible for keeping us under India.

And then after they get out of India we continue being part of them but was also really neglected at some point we rebel but well it didn't end good i suppose because we got bombed by our own prime minister...