The Examination of Mao and His Domestic and Foreign Policies

The Examination of Mao and His Domestic and Foreign Policies

By Deirel Cinzah

As some commentators argue Moa was more capable or competent in executing foreign policy than domestic policies, particularly economic policy. And generally speaking, the claim that the first period of Moa leadership 1949 to 1956 was as successful period both politically and economically and the second period from 1956 to 1976 was as a failure period are sound and legitimate. However, these claims are more simplistic or generalizations that realities. Some causes of the failure of the CCP under Mao were already had rooted in the so called successful period. This paper will examine why Moa was successful until 1956, but failed in the second period of his era (1956 – 1976). And it will discuss Mao’s domestic and foreign policies.
The support of the populace and the aids of the Soviet Union were important factors that helped the Chinese Communist party to be successful in their first period of leadership. When the CCP defeated the Nationalist regime in the Civil War (1947-1949) and established the communist regime the first time in the Chinese history, the majority of the people of China supported them for their own reasons. Even some capitalist business men support the CCP government because they had lost faith in the corrupted the Nationalist Kuomintang government that failed to make an economic recovery. These business men put their hopes for economic recovery on the CPP as a last resort.
There were many people worried about the CCP’s programs, but most people were willing to allow the CCP government to implement their policies to see whether they can fulfill their promises to the citizens of China because the Chinese people were exhausted from economic hardship, social dislocation, civil wars and war with the Japanese. But large number of people simply did not know about the CCP’s programs. On the other hands, many Chinese people believed that the communist government would bring national unity, an end to foreign interference in their domestic affairs, or encroachment to their sovereignty and bring real independence.
Mao went Soviet Union within two months of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to strengthen “Sino-Soviet relationship.” As a result, China received variety of Soviet aids including numbers of Soviet advisers to build up its economy. Although Mao always argued for “distinctive Chinese road to power” before 1949, “but once he won nation wide victory he saw Stalin and his colleges as the only people who understood how to build a socialist system that worked” and he was willing to obtain all the Soviet advice. However, partial credit should be given to the CCP for the successful of the First Five Year Plan. Once the CCP took power, “they acted quickly to bring down inflation and get the urban economy moving forward.” They assured the leading business men their understanding of them and support. Their Agricultural Producers Cooperatives program was successful too.
However, the CCP had made many mistakes during this period. These mistakes were some of the reasons for their failure after 1956. Mao knew that the future of the Chinese Communist revolution “would be determined by its ability to govern urban China. But he or the CPP leaders were wrongly viewed the cities as “seats of reaction, the bases of Western imperialism.” The CCP should have never carried out radical Land Reform – that is taking Lands from the owners by violent means. They killed many Land owners. More importantly, they should have never tried to eliminate intellectuals. They should have not humiliated and tortured intellectuals. They should have tried to persuade intellectuals and to work for them. The CCP should have obeyed the Soviet advice to improve ties with the Chinese intelligentsia.
More serious Moa mistake was impatient. He tried to change China’s economy in very short period of time. He believed the huge population of China would be able to produce a miracle economic development. His mass mobilization for economic development was simply impractical. One commentator argues that his success in the First Five Year Plan gave Mao over confident of himself and in mass mobilization. However, other factors also played roles in the CCP’s failure in the second period. The CCP obtained financial aid from Soviet Union as a low interest loans, not as grant. In 1956, the require repayment of China to the Soviet Union had begun to exceed “the value of new Soviet monetary aid.” Thus, China could no longer solely depend on the Soviet aid for its economic development. China needed to find way to support herself, but Mao took the wrong way or strategy for economy development.
There is no question about Mao Zedong was less capable of handling domestic policies than foreign policies. The ways he did deal with domestic issues were far from impressive. He had little knowledge about economy. He simply approved the proposals drafted by his State Council because he could not understand them. However, Mao was far more competent in executing foreign policy. In 1949, the PLA could easily take Hong Kong if Mao wanted to do so. The British government would not able to protect Hong Kong from the PLA because the British was exhausted from the two world wars and the wars had weakened it severely. And it is unlikely that the United States would prevent the PLA from taking Hong Kong.
We do not know for sure why Mao left Hong Kong at the hand of the Capitalist country England. Scholars have suggested some possible reasons for this. First, Mao might have wanted to keep Hong Kong as a “window” for China to contact wit the Western world. Another possible reason is to get credit or some support from the British government by allowing the British government. His calculations turned out to be correct. The British government was the first capitalist country that recognized the Chinese Communist government although it did not establish formal diplomatic relation with China. Moreover, when China wanted to import wheat from Canada, all the trade was done in Hong Kong.
On the other hands, Moa probably did not have many options. When Mao won victory and founded the PRC in 1949, the Cold War was already begun. There was no room for neutrality because neither the United States nor the Soviet Union seemed allow it. Moa had to choose side either the U.S or the Soviet Union. He chose the Soviet Union. In fact, at that time the Soviet Union was probably his only option. Even if Mao wanted to side with the United States, the United States might not have accepted him because the anti-communism was very strong in the United States at that time. In addition, China and the U.S had adopted opposite ideologies. Moreover, there was the potential Soviet threat since China was at the doorstep of the Soviet Union and due to the Cold War or the Soviet Union’s expansionism in those days.
In 1970s, Mao approached the United States in order strengthen relation between the two countries. Again in this time too, it was more desirable for him if not the only option. There were potential war between China and Soviet Union or the possibilities the Soviet invasion on China. Mao was concerned for China security because China had no capability to resist the super power Soviet Union should it decided to invade China. One can argue that Mao could renormalize with the Soviet Union without going to the United States’ side. But Mao did not see any longer the Soviet Union as a true socialist country at that time. In other words, the Soviet Union was not much deferent with the U.S.
In conclusion, it could be described the period from 1949 to 1956 as the successful period of the CCP under Mao. The CCP successfully carried out their first Five Year Plan with the help of the Soviet Union and other factors as I have discussed. But the CCP or Mao policies of economy turned out to be a failure after 1956 and never recovery until his death in 1976. The CCP’s failure after 1956 was caused by many factors such the CCP missteps during the first period, insufficient Soviet Union financial aid, and Mao’s irrational policies. Mao was as some scholar argue more capable of handling foreign policy than domestic policy. His calculations or predictions of his foreign policy turned out to be right to some extent. On the other hands, Mao simply might not have many options to choose for his foreign policy on some occasions.