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“The Chinese PC, the safeguard of an ideal of a whole generation”
Abdelwahab Djakoune at Mohsen Abdelmoumen’s blog:
Abdelwahab Djakoune is licensed in sociology at the Mentouri University of Constantine. In the same continuity, he began studies for obtaining a DEA at the Kharrouba Sociology Institute. A graduate of the International Institute of Journalism in Berlin, he was a journalist for Revolution and Work, as well as teaching at the Institute of Political Science and Journalism.
We owe him several contributions in the public newspapers El Massa, horizons and Maghreb course. He is one of the founders of the newspapers in the morning and the new Republic where he assumed the posts of director, without forgetting his visit to Algiers Républicain. He was a columnist for years in public and private channels, mainly the ENTV, Dzair News, Hayet TV and El Wataniya TV, as well as in the channels of the National Radio and four times a member of the Jury of the Prix of the President of Journalism and once in that of Ooredoo for the Media Star competition.
Mohsen Abdelmoumen: You recently made a trip to the People’s Republic
from China. What do you remember from this trip?
Abdelwahab Djakoune: Before answering your question, I would like to specify that the relationship that binds me to this country is a bit special, because behind, there is the ideology, political conviction, and the fact that the only communist party that survived after the collapse of the socialist block, it is the Chinese Communist Party. And that was disenchantment for everyone. This is the reason why, for me, the Chinese Communist Party, with all the achievements he has been able to carry out during his years of governance, constitutes for the communists or the men on the left, the only hope of seeing the ideal for which we fought. I speak objectively in relation to what I could see there.
Of course, the detractors of the Chinese system will say that there is no democracy, but I will answer them that, on the contrary, there is a democracy at the base. It is enough to see how the management of the neighborhoods is done and the very active involvement of citizens in the management of the affairs of the city. It is very important. For me, democracy as designed in the West is a dumping ground for the masses at the same time as a means of perpetuation of the capitalist system, since it does not affect its foundations. This Western fictitious democracy gives the masses that they are free and that they enjoy all rights. Now, this is false, since there is a minority which enjoys the riches of these countries and which has created a middle class to serve as a buffer between it and the masses.
From my point of view, what we see in the West is a democracy of the facade, that which has had as a corollary the colonization and the exploitation of the peoples of the other regions. True democracy is that which involves the participation and commitment of citizens in decision -making, which is fundamental.
This is your second trip to this big country.
What are the changes you observed in relation to your previous trip?
When I went to China in 2008, there were not these signs of wealth. Today, for example, in China, you have a very strong middle class, a very high purchasing power and young Chinese people dress like all young people in the West. We no longer see this unique outfit for everyone. In 2008, I couldn’t go out in Beijing because there was a lot of pollution. Today, there is no more pollution. For what ? Because the Chinese produced a large -scale electric car and also hybrid cars. To cite only this measure, there is a regulation in force in Beijing which prohibits hybrid cars and classic fuel cars to circulate during certain days of the week, which had a positive impact on the environment.
When you go to China today, you are practically in a Western country, which was not the case in 2008. The purchasing power of the Chinese has improved significantly, as I said before, and it can compete with that of capitalist countries. The observation that I also made during my last trip is that China of 2025 is no longer China in 2008. In seventeen years, there have been enormous changes and I attribute this evolution to the clarity and accuracy of the vision of the Chinese Communist Party which has been able to combine rigor in political and ideological choices, with of course a certain flexibility in economic choices. This is a bit of what Lenin did at the beginning of the years of the Soviet Revolution, where it said that it is possible to develop certain capitalist elements in directed economies. Simply because from a theoretical point of view, it can bring us closer to communist society or the ideal society to which everyone aspires.
You mean the NEP, the new economy
Lenin policy?
Indeed, the Chinese communists have well assimilated the Marxist-Leninist doctrine, and applied it in a creative way to their concrete reality. Armed with this ideology, all problems are carefully examined and solutions are provided. For years, the Chinese have not been allowed to have more than two children, which had as a result of an aging of society. How did they skill this problem? With robotization. Today, the robot replaces the human, they have done what we have always defended, that is to say that they looked at the question of how to lighten the workload of the human so that it can have more leisure time and so that it can devote itself to other tasks such as reading or sport, for example. They thought of the health and well-being of citizens. Human has been reduced by many burdens, which is very important.
As the neoliberal world falls
in tatters, in your opinion, the Communist Party
Did Chinese win the development battle?
Of course. Already, they have a certain conception of peace. They want to achieve peace around the world thanks to the new silk route, that is to say thanks to trade. This is the new vision of the Chinese Communist Party. But will Western countries will adhere to this approach? Will the West let China go towards this objective of developing large-scale trade between different countries? Today, for example, the train goes from China to Poland. If there was no war in Ukraine, they would go even further. The Chinese do not have a bellicist vision, quite the contrary. They aspire to beneficial economic exchanges for everyone. For example, I was amazed to see the products of all the countries of the world in free trade areas, which proves that it is not a closed economy. There is everything, and all the big brands. Thus, the big hotel chains known around the world exist in China. Of course, there are security imperatives. To this end, the Chinese developed their own armaments to defend themselves and I think that the last parade which was broadcast on television to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people over Imperial Japan struck the spirits, but there was no bellicist or aggressive vision on the part of China, but well defensive.
In your opinion, Algeria must be inspired
Chinese development model and how?
Largely, and sector by sector. Take for example the agricultural sector. We have a water problem due to low rainfall, we live in a semi-arid region. The Chinese have solved this problem with the practice of greenhouse crops in desert regions thanks to a system that is based on humidification. We could use it, for example, in the Hauts-Plateaux where we have a water problem, unlike in the south where we have water. The advantage with the Chinese is that they accept the transfer of technologies for certain sectors such as agriculture, industry, etc., and we could benefit from it. For us who seek to ensure our food security, knowing that our food is based on wheat, on pasta, we could establish agreements with the Institute that the Chinese have created to develop the seeds that will give the hectare the most thanks to a cloning system. As we have with us quality seeds such as Zenati wheat or that of El Hadba de Sétif, we can have very advanced relationships with China in this area, and also in the field of artificial intelligence.
The Chinese are very early in this sector and we could benefit from their knowledge, especially since they are willing to work with us and that they greatly respect Algeria. Now, in the choice of our partners, there is the problem of lobbies that can harm our relationship with China.
You think there are lobbies that can
prevent us from working with China?
Of course. Take the example of the French lobby that exists here in certain spheres of the economy. Despite this so-called bad reputation that the detractors of China are trying to spread with us, today, China is the first supplier and the first customer in Algeria. I think that our president would benefit from further deepening our relationship with China and I think that during his last trip to China, he was built. Without specifying things, the Chinese even want to develop our relationships in sensitive sectors. I will say no more.
You think cooperation with China
Is one of our president’s priorities?
Certainly, and go towards a deeper alliance given the current state of international reports. We have an interest in having safe allies, and not cyclical alliances based solely on interest. So, we must go to both political and economic alliances. Without wanting to give advice to anyone, according to my humble opinion, an alternating alliance is never an alignment, if we determine in advance its contours. It goes with our safety.
We have a great history with the People’s Republic of China. How can you optimize our cooperation with China?
Who do you say! Who does not remember the school articles that we received in the form of donations after independence? I had the opportunity to write with Chinese pens and ink. It is therefore a relationship that goes back far. I can tell you that the Chinese have very deep respect for Algeria, if only for its history and for its fight, because in the Chinese collective subconscious, Algeria has beaten one of the greatest NATO powers. And China also experienced the throes of war with the Japanese. And so on this level, we have common points and they understand what we have endured during colonialism.
I remind you that they have lost more than twenty million martyrs by fighting the Japanese. Today, China is ready to develop deep economic and political relations with Algeria, we just have to be serious and we will resume our commitments and the agreements. It is of course fundamental. We must be a credible partner. The Chinese have no prejudice from Algeria, on the contrary, they experience respect and esteem.
They also have another common point with us, that of total respect for the elderly. With them, the old men are pampered, in contrast to the images that we see in certain Western countries. For example, in cultural events or tourist visits, there is always the presence of the old men who are surrounded, pampered, and receive the testimony of respect for their children, as with us. And then, I will also talk about their extraordinary love for their country. They are nationalist, and their patriotism is wonderful and close to our own love for our country. Although we are a little excessive, as we point out a lot of friends and comrades.
It must be our Mediterranean character …
So. Exactly.
Interview carried out
by Mohsen Abdelmoumen