Simon Hannah, a writer and political activist, has characterized China as a dictatorship governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which oversees a capitalist state. He notes that China comprises 18% of the world’s population and highlights the CCP’s authoritarian control over the nation.
So, he is not supportive toward CCP, like some of the New Left? (ChatGPT, 2025-4-3)
Correct—Simon Hannah is not supportive of the CCP, and he is quite distinct from those segments of the Western New Left who have, at times, expressed sympathy or ambivalence toward the Chinese Communist Party, often viewing it as a bulwark against U.S. imperialism or as a model of state-led development.
Here’s how Simon Hannah’s position differs:
1. Clear Critique of CCP as Authoritarian
Hannah explicitly describes China as a dictatorship, governed by an authoritarian party-state.
• He rejects any romanticization of the CCP’s rule.
• He sees no emancipatory potential in the current Chinese political model.
• He views the CCP not as socialist or communist in practice, but as managing a capitalist economy with authoritarian tools.
2. China as Capitalist, Not Socialist
Hannah shares the perspective of many democratic socialists and Trotskyists who argue that:
• China’s economy is capitalist in structure and logic.
• The state’s intervention doesn’t equal socialism—it supports private accumulation, labor repression, and nationalism.
• The CCP’s use of Marxist language is ideological cover, not genuine revolutionary content.
This contrasts with some New Left voices who are agnostic or even admiring of China’s ability to lift millions out of poverty or resist U.S. hegemony.
3. Alignment with Anti-Authoritarian Socialism
Hannah’s overall politics are anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian. He tends to support:
• Democratic socialism from below
• Workers’ self-organization
• Radical democracy
From this vantage point, the CCP’s suppression of labor movements, censorship, and surveillance are deeply antithetical to socialism.
In Summary:
• No, Simon Hannah is not part of the New Left current that gives China the benefit of the doubt.
• He views the CCP as a repressive capitalist regime with no legitimate claim to socialism.
• His analysis is closer to that of the libertarian Marxist, Trotskyist, or anarchist-socialist traditions, which are deeply skeptical of any state power that calls itself “communist” while repressing dissent.
Let me know if you want to compare his view with someone like Slavoj Žižek, Perry Anderson, or Wang Hui—all of whom engage China from quite different ideological angles.
