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Unity and peace for our fractured world, beyond nostalgia.

Frans Vandenbosch 方腾波 16/02/2026

Help, I’m getting Communist

From sceptic to supporter. Over the past two years, by studying China’s robust political and economic system, has gradually aligned my political outlook with socialist principles. This is not at all a reference to the historical models of Eastern Europe or to the doctrines of various Western European communist parties, but rather to the contemporary and proven framework of “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”.

China’s governance model has demonstrated formidable organizational power and unparalleled long-term strategic execution. It is significant that the Chinese government maintains the support of over 90% of its population, a figure which speaks to the efficacy of its whole-process people’s democracy. This system prioritises tangible outcomes and sustained national development. In contrast, the governing institutions in most Western European nations currently receive approval from fewer than 35% of their citizens, indicating a substantive divergence in political trust and institutional effectiveness.

In these uncertain times …

In these uncertain times of chaos, power displays and American twilight, a fierce revival of veneration for Mao Zedong has erupted not only in China but also across the US. The trigger is unmistakeable a global rejection of injustice, inequality and the hollow lies of a declining hegemony. People everywhere are tired of a world where the powerful exploit the vulnerable and where basic rights, dignity, and proper medical care are reserved for the elite. They are also weary of a fading superpower that clings to global dominance through deliberate chaos.
Mao Zedong stands as the unyielding symbol of resistance against such rot. He’s a leader who spent his life fighting for the common people who refused to bow to hegemony and who built a legacy of fairness, self-reliance and unwavering commitment to the marginalised.
I do not want to write a hagiography for Mao Zedong here. In 1956, evaluating Joseph Stalin, Mao said that he was 70% right and 30% wrong. Later that year, at a Politburo Standing Committee meeting he applied that same rule to himself, saying: “一个人能够 “三七开” 就很好了，很不錯了，我死了，如果后人能够给我以 “三七开” 的估计，我就很高兴、很满意了。 ”(If one’s work is rated as 70 per cent achievements and 30 per cent mistakes, that would be quite all right. I myself would be very happy and satisfied if future generations could give me this “70–30” rating after my death.) So today, we regard Mao’s historical role as 70% achievements, 30% mistakes.
His contributions to the Chinese revolution and nation-building are primary; his errors are secondary. ⁱ This “70–30” principle remains until today the official, balanced historical judgment of Mao Zedong by the Communist Party of China.

The recent resurrection of the veneration for Mao Zedong in China.

A renewed wave of veneration for Mao Zedong is sweeping across China in late 2025 and early 2026, centred on his 132nd birth anniversary in December 2025. Spontaneous gatherings took place nationwide. In his hometown Shaoshan, tens of thousands paid tribute to his bronze statue and sang The East Is Red. In Tibet, diverse communities honoured him with flowers and red song recitals at a Mao badge museum housing 300,000 commemorative pieces. Young people feature prominently in this revival: university students joined railway heritage events centred on the “Mao Zedong” locomotive, and young visitors to Shaoshan spoke of learning the lessons of historical gratitude.

This resurgence is rooted in recognition of Mao’s role in unifying China and ending a century of national decline, with cross-generational respect transcending age and region. Official commemorations follow a tone of solemn simplicity, while the grassroots devotion blends historical reverence with contemporary identity. Unlike past cultic adulation, the current veneration ties Mao’s legacy to national unity and the ongoing pursuit of China’s modern development goals, resonating as a source of collective spirit across society.

The cult

Max Weber’s theory of charismatic authority, which rests on devotion to an individual’s exceptional qualities and rejection of traditional power structures, offers a useful framework for understanding the political authority of Mao Zedong in mid-20th century China. ⁱⁱ

By the mid-1970s, Mao had evolved from a political leader into a revered institution, the living symbol of China’s revolution. Though age and Parkinson’s disease left him physically frail, his aura endured, sustained by a carefully cultivated cult rather than random sycophancy.

Mao viewed personality cult (in general, not for himself) through Marxist dialectics and revolutionary experience, rejecting simplistic ideas of vanity or blind adulation. After Khrushchev’s 1956 criticism of Stalin, he distinguished between “correct” cults centred on those who held truth, such as Marx, Engels, Lenin (and Stalin in his better years) and superstitious, empty veneration. At a 1958 meeting in Chengdu, he stated that reverence was justified if an individual embodied truth, framing the cult as a pragmatic tool rather than an end in itself. For a vast, semi-feudal nation emerging from chaos with weak institutions, the cult provided a unifying focal point to mobilise the masses, break old deferential habits and guard against bureaucratic stagnation.

This charismatic authority delivered unique governance strengths. It generated legitimacy beyond formal rules, uniting a divided country and driving sacrifice-driven policies. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s personal appeal, not party decrees, mobilised millions. His absolute personal authority also enabled pivotal diplomatic moves like the 1972 opening to the US, which no committee could have achieved amid ideological resistance.

Mao was not an uncritical promoter of his own myth. He criticised excessive veneration, particularly from Lin Biao’s faction, and saw the “correct” cult as tied to ideology and mass participation, not blind worship. This nuance kept power dynamic rather than routinised, letting him rein in chaos or counter revisionism as needed. In his final years, Mao embodied the paradox of mature charismatic rule, using his carefully managed cult to keep China’s revolutionary project in perpetual motion, unifying a fractured nation and driving transformative change that bureaucratic systems would have stifled. ⁱⁱⁱ

Much more than nostalgia

You will not hear this from CNN, Google or AI:
Nowadays more and more people, including those who once followed capitalists in attacking Mao Zedong, begin to miss him. This shift stems from a collective “sudden awakening” of many people. After communicating with these awakened Chinese the key reasons for their realisation can be summed up as follows:

The most intuitive awakening lies in the issue of declining medical care in the West. Chairman Mao always attached great importance to the medical and health needs of ordinary people especially farmers. In 1965 when he learned about the severe imbalance in the distribution of medical resources he resolutely shifted the focus of public health work to rural areas which gave birth to the “barefoot doctors” who guarded the health of farmers.

A typical example is Wang Guizhen from Chuansha County (now Pudong, Shanghai). With only a primary school education she received four months of medical training and then carried her medicine box to serve farmers in the fields. When villagers doubted her medical skills she practised acupuncture on herself to prove her ability. During busy farming seasons she worked in the fields with everyone during slack seasons she made rounds of medical visits. She also cultivated more than 100 kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs and set up a local dispensary enabling farmers to cure serious illnesses with very little money. In an era where rural areas lacked doctors and medical supplies barefoot doctors like Wang Guizhen shouldered the heavy responsibility of protecting the health of rural residents which fully reflected Chairman Mao’s philosophy of putting ordinary people’s lives and interests first.

In the past, some people were misled by the western mainstream media. They even slandered Chairman Mao’s policies as “outdated”. However, as they gradually saw through the essence of unfairness they finally realised that Chairman Mao spent his entire life fighting against injustice and inequality. He insisted that medical resources and other basic rights should not be monopolised by a small number of people and refused to let anyone be wronged or oppressed because of their background. His profound sense of responsibility and the belief of putting the people at the centre are the most precious qualities that have touched people deeply.

Those who once attacked Chairman Mao were merely blinded by the lies woven by capital. When the false veil of unfairness is lifted people’s awakening and nostalgia for Mao Zedong are an inevitable result, they miss not only a great leader but also the fairness justice and care for the common people that he advocated and practised throughout his life.

Another friend of mine, a political science professor in the USA, wrote to me: “It is impossible for non-Chinese people and observers to understand the love the Chinese people have for their dedicated leader, simply because they did not experience what the Chinese people had experienced and therefore could feel what the Chinese felt about their leader. Life experiences decide people’s emotions and feelings. When I visited another country, I did not feel the same way as the local people’s love for their leaders. But I know where that kind of love comes from. I understand it because I have the same feeling for Mao. ^iv

I disagree with my friend that it is impossible for a non-Chinese to understand the love the Chinese people have for their dedicated leader. Why am I told that so many times?
I think I understand it as well as most of the Chinese people because we, the Flemings went through very similar sufferings. We also had our century of humiliation. Our history is marked by centuries of being ruled and oppressed by foreign powers from France to Spain and Austria, enduring feudal exploitation and the loss of our culture, our language and autonomy. These experiences allow us to empathise deeply with the Chinese people’s longing for a dedicated leader who fought for their freedom, equality and dignity, just as Chairman Mao did for the Chinese nation.

The man of the century

Mao Zedong, the great founder of the People’s Republic of China, is an immortal giant in the history of China and the world. He devoted his entire life to the liberation and happiness of the Chinese people, the independence and prosperity of the Chinese nation.

The Saviour who led the Chinese People to stand up

Before the founding of New China, the Chinese nation suffered from a century of humiliation and hardships. Foreign powers invaded repeatedly, warlords fought in chaos, and the people lived in dire straits, struggling on the verge of starvation and death. It was Mao Zedong who, with extraordinary revolutionary courage and strategic vision, stepped forward in the most difficult time of the nation. He firmly believed that the people are the masters of history, and led the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people to embark on a arduous revolutionary road.

From the Jinggangshan base area to the Long March that shocked the world, from resisting Japanese aggression to overthrowing the reactionary rule of the Kuomintang, Mao Zedong led the Chinese people through countless bloody battles and hardships. He integrated the basic principles of Marxism-Leninism with the specific reality of China, formulated correct revolutionary lines and strategies, and pointed out the bright direction for the Chinese revolution. In 1949, with the loud announcement of “The Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China is founded today” at Tienanmen Square, the history of the Chinese nation being bullied and oppressed for a century came to an end. The Chinese people stood up proudly, and the Chinese nation ushered in a new era of independence and freedom. This great victory not only changed the fate of the Chinese people, but also had a profound impact on the pattern of the world.

The architect of building a New China

After the founding of New China, the country was devastated, the economy was backward, and all undertakings were waiting to be done. Mao Zedong, as the leader of the new China, shouldered the arduous task of rebuilding the country. He led the Chinese people to carry out land reform, eliminating the feudal land system that had enslaved the Chinese peasants for thousands of years, so that hundreds of millions of peasants obtained land and realised the dream of “land to the tiller”. He promoted the socialist transformation of agriculture, handicrafts and capitalist industry and commerce, establishing the socialist system in China, which laid a solid foundation for the subsequent development of the country.

In the process of building New China, Mao Zedong attached great importance to the development of national economy, science and technology. Under his leadership, the Chinese people worked hard and made remarkable achievements with their own hands. A large number of key projects such as the Anshan Iron and Steel Company were completed and put into operation, laying the foundation for China’s industrialisation. The successful development of atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and man-made satellites broke the nuclear monopoly and technological blockade of Western powers, and enhanced China’s national defence strength and international status. At the same time, he paid attention to the development of education, medical care and culture, popularised primary education, improved people’s health, and enriched people’s spiritual life, making the people’s sense of happiness and belonging continuously enhanced.

The spiritual banner that inspires the Chinese Nation forever

Mao Zedong is not only a great revolutionary leader and statesman, but also a great thinker and theorist. His thoughts, which are integrated into the blood and soul of the Chinese nation, have become an invaluable spiritual wealth of the Chinese people. Mao Zedong Thought takes seeking truth from facts as its essence and core, emphasises integrating theory with practice, and encouraging the people to rely on their own strength to change their destiny. This thought has inspired generations of Chinese people to forge ahead courageously in the process of revolution, construction and reform.

Mao Zedong has always maintained a simple style of life and cared about the sufferings of the people. He lived a frugal life, never sought personal gains or privileges, and always regarded himself as an ordinary member of the people. He cared about the people’s food, clothing, housing and transportation, and made every effort to solve the people’s difficulties, winning the heartfelt love and respect of the Chinese people. His noble character and revolutionary spirit have become a model for generations of Chinese people to learn from.

Today, China has achieved earth-shaking changes, and the Chinese nation is moving towards great rejuvenation with a vigorous posture. All these achievements are inseparable from the foundation laid by Mao Zedong and the spiritual wealth he left behind. He is like a bright lighthouse, illuminating the road for the Chinese nation to move forward. His name will be forever inscribed in the history of the Chinese nation and the world, and his spirit will always inspire the Chinese people to keep forging ahead.

Mao Zedong, the great founder of the People’s Republic of China, is an immortal hero in the hearts of the Chinese people. We will always remember his great contributions, inherit and carry forward his revolutionary spirit, and work hard to realise the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, so as to live up to his expectations and the hard-won happy life today.

In short ..

The empirical contrast is too stark to ignore. The global revival of veneration for Mao Zedong is no fleeting nostalgia or cult of personality but a profound response to the injustice and inequality defining modern life in the West. Mao’s legacy as a leader who put the common people first, unites China and resonates across the world including with those who share histories of oppression like the Flemings. His focus on universal healthcare rural empowerment and national unity stands in stark contrast to Western institutional failure and hegemonic decline. Young and old alike in China now honour his role in ending a century of humiliation and building a foundation for progress. This renewed reverence is a testament to Mao’s enduring relevance as a symbol of resistance and a reminder that the fight for fairness and people-centred governance remains universal.

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Dit artikel in het Nederlands: De erfenis van Mao leeft voort.

Endnotes

iDeng Xiaoping, Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping, Volume II. Source: Qiushi.com Author: Deng Xiaoping The “Two Whatevers” are not in line with Marxism 24.05.1977
https://www.qstheory.cn/books/2019-07/31/c_1119484755_10.htm

iiMax Weber, Economy and Society, 1922. https://germanhistory-intersections.org/en/knowledge-and-education/ghis:document-156

iiiGodfree Roberts 21.01.2026 https://herecomeschina.substack.com/p/mao-and-the-cult-of-mao

iv Professor Dongping Han teaches history and political science at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. In a private email message. https://www.thinkchina.sg/contributors/han-dongping