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Mao Zedong's Legacy Endures as China Transitions to State Capitalism and New Working Class

The People's Republic of China has established a vast industrial proletariat of both urban and rural origin, marking a significant shift from the socialist era of Mao Zedong. While Mao Zedong's revolutionary period was characterized by a socialist economic system and a labor aristocracy, the current era is defined by state-directed capitalism and the commodification of labor and land. This transformation has resulted in a working class of approximately 400 million people who sell their labor to global capital. Experts note that while the political legacies of Mao Zedong, such as the party's supremacy over the state and a centralized authoritarian system, remain fundamental principles of the Chinese Communist Party. However, the current leadership under Xi Jinping has adopted a more institutionalized and top-down governance style compared to Mao Zedong's more populist and anti-bureaucratic approach. Despite the economic shift, Mao Zedong remains a central figure in official ideology and a symbol of political legitimacy. Younger generations are increasingly rediscovering his teachings to navigate modern pressures, though many analysts suggest that the current nostalgia for Mao Zedong is often an indictment of contemporary inequality and limited social mobility.

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