The Communist Party of China Understanding the Durability of the World's Most Powerful Political Organization
Book contents
- The Communist Party of China
- The Communist Party of China
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures and Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- 1 The Communist Party of China
- 2 The CPC’s Metamorphosis from Class-Based Organization to Nationalist Party
- 3 The Chairman’s Long Shadow
- 4 Language, Discourse, and Hegemony
- 5 Patriotic Nationalism as Commodity
- 6 Manufacturing Consent and “Correct Collective Memory”
- 7 Neo-Maoist Sticks and Nationalist Carrots
- 8 Co-opting the Private Sector
- 9 China’s Adaptive State Capitalism and Its International Sources
- 10 Digital Power
- 11 Social Stability through Responsive Social Policy
- 12 Dealing with Dissent
- 13 The Party and the Army
- 14 After Xi
- Index
3 - The Chairman’s Long Shadow
Mao Zedong and Mao Zedong Thought in Post-Maoist China
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 December 2025
Book contents
- The Communist Party of China
- The Communist Party of China
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures and Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- 1 The Communist Party of China
- 2 The CPC’s Metamorphosis from Class-Based Organization to Nationalist Party
- 3 The Chairman’s Long Shadow
- 4 Language, Discourse, and Hegemony
- 5 Patriotic Nationalism as Commodity
- 6 Manufacturing Consent and “Correct Collective Memory”
- 7 Neo-Maoist Sticks and Nationalist Carrots
- 8 Co-opting the Private Sector
- 9 China’s Adaptive State Capitalism and Its International Sources
- 10 Digital Power
- 11 Social Stability through Responsive Social Policy
- 12 Dealing with Dissent
- 13 The Party and the Army
- 14 After Xi
- Index
Summary
This chapter tracks the importance and resilience of CPC ideology by examining the development of Mao Zedong Thought from his early Communist writings (1927–1940) through to Yan’an Rectification (1942–1945) and then during his reign as Supreme Leader (1949–1976). It then explores Mao Zedong Thought’s importance for the CPC today. CPC leaders since Mao’s death have invoked, and continue to invoke, Mao Zedong Thought for legitimation and to exhibit continuity despite shifts away from the ideology and practice of the Mao era. Mao Zedong Thought thus fulfills a legitimative need rather than a social one; CPC leaders must acknowledge, and often reference, Mao Zedong Thought to project continuity even if the ruptures since Mao’s death have resulted in an un-Maoist Party-state.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Communist Party of ChinaUnderstanding the Durability of the World's Most Powerful Political Organization, pp. 42 - 71Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AA
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The HTML of this chapter
complies with version 2.1 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), covering newer accessibility requirements and improved
user experiences and achieves the intermediate
(AA)
level of WCAG compliance, covering a wider range of accessibility requirements.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Structural and Technical Features
ARIA roles provided
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.
You gain clarity from ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes, as they help assistive technologies interpret how each part of the content functions.