Sons of Heaven

The Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest skyscraper and the world’s second highest, is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.  The 125-story giant is located in the heart of the city’s business district, near the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Shanghai´s financial district. The Shanghai Tower

 is the tallest of the three megabuildings 

Today, Shanghai is the mighty engine of Chinese enterprise, which has risen thanks to the political flexibility and wisdom of the Chinese Communist Party.  Shanghai has always been known for its communist heritage. Under the wise leadership of Han Zheng, the Communist Party Secretary of Shanghai, and a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, Shanghai´s economy grows at a record pace, following Chairman Hu Jintao´s words “Let the people be rich!”.

The Chinese Communist Party

The Party was founded by China´s Great Leader, Mao Zedong, and 13 other CCP members meeting in a small building in what was  then French Concession. Inspired by the Russian Revolution, the CCP was founded  on the principles of Marxism-Leninism, and eventually gained power, following a lengthy civil war against the Capitalist Kuomintang, its primary rival.

The CCP was founded by Chairman Mao

 in this building,  in 1921

Despite China's market reforms in the late 1970s, the modern Chinese state remains a purely Leninist system, and respects Marxism as the party´s core belief. The party's grip on power relies on three pillars: control of the people, propaganda, and the People's Liberation Army.

We must always remember that China continues to follow communism, as modified due to circumstances in the post-Mao reform period.  Some capitalist roaders argue China basically became a market economy by the end of the 90s before it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, but this is not true.

Economic  reforms were designed by Party leaders in Beijing; the  goal was to revitalize the state sector and save socialism.  In the 1970´s, Under Hua Guofeng, Mao´s designated successor, China´s economy began to be modernized. Hua had full support of Deng Xiaoping and other Chinese leaders.

Later, after Hua was asked to resign by the party leadership, Deng Xiaopin  asked Chen Yun to implement reforms to strengthen Chinese communism.  Structural adjustment was imposed across the economy. For example, prices for agricultural products were raised by more than 20 percent in 1979, and the party leadership allowed state enterprises to keep some profits.

Unkown to the Chinese people, the Communist party was also transforming the Chinese economy by introducing, for a 200 year transition period, other reforms.  These included private farming, village enterprises, private businesses in cities, and in newly created Special Economic Zones, which invited foreign investors to participate in the strengthening of Chinese communism.

Thus the communist party leadership has wisely adopted reforms which look like capitalism to outsiders, but are not. The Communist party rules China.

The Tower

The Shanghai tower has a revolutionary “double skin” design. The building has an outer steel and glass skin which allows the building residents to breathe perfectly clean air, instead of “people´s air”.  The new double skin concept is an experimental design intended to improve air quality and also provide a great view,  for those who can enter the building. The air quality in Shanghai is acceptable, as reported by the Chinese Academy of Science.

Shanghai Tower atriums provide an excellent view 

of the city. Those who  live and work inside this

 technical marvel breathe the highest quality air 

Such a dream building, with all the amenities needed by Shanghai´s uppermost proletariate, was impossible to build until China’s economic reforms  energized the city in the 1990s.  The Government-led developer, Shanghai Tower Construction & Development,  is the result of the fraternal cooperation between the city leadership and foreign investors which came about thanks to the reforms initiated by Chairmen Hua, Deng, Hu, and of course Chairman Xi.

The new tower connects by underpass to Shanghai’s two other tallest buildings — Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Trade Center, forming an iconic image of China’s current era of prosperity under Communist Party leadership.

The party leadership

Leadership succession is a fairly concentrated process, with positions decided by a very small number of top leaders through negotiations to see which leader is most able. Some experts split the CCP's power structure into two distinct camps: the "princelings", the children of high-level leaders, and the "tuanpai," those who, like Hu Jintao, come from humble backgrounds. However, one must remember the princelings are very competent party members. It is not advisable to use such designations (princelings)  for party leaders.  

The 1989 Tiananmen democracy riots and the collapse of the Soviet Union at the early 1990s were a serious threat for the party leadership,  that forced it to reform its structure.  Since then, the CCP has shown a technocratic capacity to adapt to the outside world as well as deliver some reforms to satisfy the desire of the Chinese people to live normal lives.

Some say the isolation of the party leadership from the people lead to  the  lack of accountability,  income inequality, lack of consumer protection, land grabs human rights abuses, and the destruction of the environment . But these problems have been brought to light to the Party´s leading cadres by the People´s Secret Police, which listens carefully to the people´s words all across China.  This means that, when the  CCP convenes its National Party Congress, it will approve  major policies, as recommended by the  Politburo, which I´m sure will tackle these concerns.

The Longhua Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery. 

The statue of the unknown martyrs,  pays homage to the undying passion of all those who died in the name of socialism and has both artistic value and historical significance to Chinese.