Series of seminars on the social model of the Chinese state

On May 27 and 28, 2026, at 3:00 PM, a series of seminars on the social model of the Chinese state will be held at the Georgian Technical University. The series of seminars at Georgian universities is organized by the Center for China and Southeast Asian Studies and aims to introduce interested students and the academic community to the Chinese social model and to promote discussion around this topic.

The topics of the seminar series are:

Topic 1: Foundations of Chinese Marxism (Sinification)

This topic explores how Marxism was adapted from the European industrial context to the Chinese agrarian environment.

• Basic concept: Mao Zedong’s ideas. Emphasis is placed on the “mass line” (consultation with the masses) and the “peasant revolution.”

• Modern Connection: How the Chinese Communist Party views Marxism as a “living instrument” rather than a rigid dogma.

Topic 2: Socialist Market Economy (Great Hybrid)

How China introduced market mechanisms while maintaining state ownership of strategic sectors of the economy.

• Key concept: Market Leninism. The state uses capital as a tool to build socialism, instead of allowing capital to rule the state.

• Modern Union: State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and the Role of Five-Year Plans in Global Economic Management.

Topic 3: “People’s Democracy of the Whole Process”

Contrasting Western liberal democracy with the Chinese model of “consultative democracy.”

• Basic concept: Democratic centralism. Discussion and consultation are encouraged before decisions are made, but absolute unity is required once a decision is made.

• Modern connectivity: Using digital platforms and local “neighborhood committees” to study public sentiment.

Theme 4: Common Good and Social Equality

The shift from Deng Xiaoping’s principle – “some people must get rich first” – to Xi Jinping’s emphasis on redistributing wealth and strengthening the middle class.

• Basic concept: The primary stage of socialism. The idea that China must first develop its productive forces (become wealthy) before it can achieve full socialist equality.

• Modern connection: tightening regulations on the “Big Tech” sector (large technology companies) and the “Double Reduction” policy in the field of education.

Topic 5: Ecological Civilization and Green Socialism

How the state integrates environmental issues into a socialist framework as a matter of survival and national pride.

• Main concept: Green development. Abandoning the principle of “growth at any cost” and moving towards high-quality, sustainable development.

• Modern Connection: China’s dominance of the solar energy and electric vehicle (EV) industries as a state-run socialist project.

Topic 6: New Quality of Production Forces (Socialist Front 2026)

This topic explores how China is redefining “manufacturing capability” – moving from labor-intensive manufacturing to a model based on “revolutionary” innovations and green technologies.

• Historical perspective: In classical Marxism, the “forces of production” consist of labor and tools. In the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping updated this approach, declaring that “science and technology are the primary productive forces.”

• Modern feature: Xi Jinping’s concept of “new-level productive forces” further develops this idea. It argues that in a socialist state, the government should lead “revolutionary” technological breakthroughs (artificial intelligence, quantum computing, fusion energy) to resolve the “major contradiction” of the new era: the gap between the needs of the people and unbalanced development.

• Socialist Perspective: Unlike Western innovations, which are driven by private venture capital for profit, the “new quality productive forces” represent a “Whole-Nation System.” The state directs resources to “strategic emerging industries” not just for the sake of money, but for national security, self-sufficiency, and the “common good.”