China Learns from the Soviet Union, 1949–Present: (The Harvard Cold War Studies Book Series)

It is well known that the Soviet Union strongly influenced China in the early 1950s, since China committed itself both to the Sino-Soviet alliance and to the Soviet model of building socialism. What is less well known is that Chinese proved receptive not only to the Soviet economic model but also to the emulation of the Soviet Union in realms such as those of ideology, education, science, and culture. In this book an international group of scholars examines China's acceptance and ultimate rejection of Soviet models and practices in economic, cultural, social, and other realms. The chapters vividly illustrate the wide-ranging and multi-dimensional nature of Soviet influence, which to this day continues to manifest itself in one critical aspect, namely in China's rejection of liberal political reform.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction: The Complexities of Learning from the Soviet Union Part 3 I. The Ups and Downs of Sino-Soviet Relations Chapter 4 1. Sino-Soviet Relations during the Mao Years, 1949-1969 Chapter 5 2. The Main Causes for the Return of the Chinese Changchun Railway to China and its Impact on Sino-Soviet Relations Chapter 6 3. "Only a Handshake but no Embrace:" Sino-Soviet Normalization in the 1980s Part 7 II. Ideological and Military Influences Chapter 8 4. Instilling Stalinism in Chinese Party Members: Absorbing Stalin's Short Course in the 1950s Chapter 9 5. The Soviet Model and the Breakdown of the Military Alliance Part 10 III. Soviet Economic Assistance and Socialist Transformation Chapter 11 6. How to Build a Modern Economy: China Learns from the Soviet Union Chapter 12 7. "Get Organized:" The Impact of the Soviet Model on the CCP's Rural Economic Strategy, 1949-l953 Chapter 13 8. Implementing the Soviet Model of State Farms in China Part 14 IV. Society Chapter 15 9. "Labor is Gl

About the Author :
Thomas P. Bernstein is professor emeritus of political science at Columbia University. Hua-Yu Li is associate professor of political science at Oregon State University.

Review :
The Sino-Soviet relationship has played a critical role in the development of the People's Republic of China. Basing their analysis on recent documentation from Russia as well as China, the authors in this collection contribute fresh and important insights into the nature of that relationship. It should be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the evolution of Chinese domestic politics and foreign policy. At the recent 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC), an old slogan was repeated: 'Without the Chinese Communist Party there would be no New China.' We might also say: 'Without the Soviet Union, there would be no Communist Party of China,' and 'Without the Soviet Union, there would be no People's Republic of China.' The Chinese Communist Party grew up in the Stalinist era. Today, after three decades of market reform, there is still a Soviet DNA in its political culture. The essays in this volume, compiled by an outstanding group of international scholars, trace the story of China's most important foreign relationship in its periods of tutelage, partnership, and tension. They remind us that, whether as mentor or rival, revolutionary or revisionist, no foreign state has had greater weight in modern China than the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This excellent and important volume will come as a revelation to many readers. Nearly every conceivable facet of the Sino-Soviet relationship is covered. The book's breadth reveals just how pervasive the Soviet model was in Chinese society, economics, politics, and culture. This book is a fantastic resource for professors and students alike. It is a major work that will help scholars around the world to better understand the Soviet model's enduring legacy and how it affected and will continue to affect modern China. The book contains a wealth of interesting and cogently presented perspectives on the Sino-Soviet relationship. It is highly recommended for both the specialist and the general reader. Although this tale of less than brotherly love is a familiar one, this volume provides a wealth of detail based on extensive field research and archival work, explaining exactly how, what, and why China borrowed from Soviet experience. Resulting from a 2007 international conference involving established scholars and younger researchers, the volume also goes well beyond conventional wisdom in the study of Sino-Soviet alliance relations to address the complex set of circumstances that set limits to Chinese emulation and to the Sino-Soviet relationship itself. A sample of the soul-searching going on in Chinese academic circles about the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union, a subject that deserves greater attention for what it tells us about Chinese thinking regarding China’s own current political and economic challenges.