Maoism, officially called
Mao Zedong Thought by the
Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is a variety of
Marxism–Leninism that
Mao Zedong developed to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the
Republic of China and later the
People's Republic of China. The philosophical difference between Maoism and traditional Marxism–Leninism is that a
united front of progressive forces in class society would lead the
revolutionary vanguard in pre-industrial societies rather than communist
revolutionaries alone. This theory, in which
revolutionary praxis is primary and
ideological orthodoxy is secondary, represents urban Marxism–Leninism adapted to pre-industrial China. Later theoreticians expanded on the idea that Mao had adapted Marxism–Leninism to Chinese conditions, arguing that he had in fact updated it fundamentally and that Maoism could be applied universally throughout the world. This ideology is often referred to as
Marxism–Leninism–Maoism to distinguish it from the original ideas of Mao.
From the
1950s until the
Chinese economic reforms of
Deng Xiaoping in the late
1970s, Maoism was the political and military ideology of the Chinese Communist Party and Maoist revolutionary movements worldwide. After the
Sino-Soviet split of the
1960s, the Chinese Communist Party and the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union each claimed to be the sole heir and successor to
Joseph Stalin concerning the correct interpretation of Marxism–Leninism and the ideological leader of
communism.
The term "Maoism" (毛主义) is a creation of Mao's supporters; Mao himself always rejected it and preferred the use of the term "Mao Zedong Thought".
[
Video] explores the impact of Xi [Kingpin's] leadership on Xina's trajectory and questions whether he has dismantled the nation's foundation for growth. It identifies
three key dimensions of Xi's governance style. First, he
echoes Mao Zedong's approach of
centralized leadership, where
unquestioning obedience is paramount. Second, to establish his authority,
Xi dismantled Deng Xiaoping's modest reforms,
[instead] favoring socialism and heightened state control. Third, he
escalated Mao's legacy,
actively promoting Xina's system globally,
emphasizing its "superiority", and
fostering systemic competition. Despite his rhetoric about nations' choosing their systems, Xi's actions have
ignited a competitive narrative,
framing antagonizing the West as into
Xina's adversary. This, along with
economic deceleration and
demographic challenges, suggests a significant [negative] role for Xi [Kingpin] in
reshaping Xina's fate.
