Response to Lau's ‘China: Labour Reform and the Challenge Facing the Working Class’

In Capital & Class, no. 61 (Spring 1997) we published an article ‘China: Labour Reform and the Challenge Facing the Working Class’, by Raymond Lau which discussed workers' and students' struggles in and around the 1989 democratic movement. In the article below, Li Minqi, who was involved in student democratic activities and in one of the organisations mentioned by Lau, offers a critical response to the author. We also publish Lau's rejoinder. Iread with great interest Raymond W. K. Lau's article, ‘China: Labour Reform and the Challenge Facing the Working Class’, published in Capital & Class, no. 61 (Spring 1997). In fact, I was personally involved in the underground organization which Lau referred to as ‘Wage Workers' Federation’ ( dagongzhe lianhehui). Thus, I can probably help to explain some of Lau's puzzles concerning this organization. I do think Lau's article provides many important insights into and about the conditions of China's working class, and its struggle against capitalist oppression and exploitation. However, I also have some serious disagreements with him, especially on how to evaluate the historical heritage of the Chinese socialist revolution, and how this heritage will impact on the Chinese working class in its current struggle against capitalism. Thus, I would also like to make some comments on these problems.