The formation and transformation of modern China’s industrial and social structures and the logic of sinified Marxism

This study examines the formation and transformation of contemporary China’s industrial and social structures, particularly the changes induced by economic reforms since 1978. It explores the government’s use of Sinified Marxism to legitimise these structural changes. The paper critically reviews state-led development strategies during the socialist industrialisation phase in the 1950s, with a specific focus on the establishment of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) during the Third Front ( Sanxian ) period between 1960s and 1980s. Additionally, it analyses the impact of market-oriented reforms following the Reform and Opening-up ( Gaige Kaifang ) in 1978 on China’s industrial structure and their subsequent effects on SOEs and their workforce. The study argues that the emphasis on efficiency within the reform agenda has, to some extent, undermined socialist principles of equity, thereby fostering new forms of class differentiation and structural inequality. Even though the discourse of ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’ ( Zhongguo Tese Shehui Zhuyi ) attempts to ideologically explain and reconcile these changes, the reconfiguration of class relations and the shifting status of workers in practice reveal profound transformations in China’s social structure. By concentrating on the intricate dynamics between the government, SOEs, and the working class, this article provides a critical examination of the role of Sinified Marxism: while it provides an ideological rationale for China’s development and achievements, the claim that socialism has already been realised in China remains open to critical reflection and interrogation.