How China Became a Magnet for Britain's Disillusioned Left

The British Left’s growing fascination with China reflects a broader search for political inspiration amid domestic decline, as traditional socialist frameworks struggle to resonate with modern electorates. Influenced by thinkers like Martin Jacques, a former editor of *Marxism Today*, many progressives now view China’s state-led development model as a viable alternative to Western liberal democracy. This shift, dubbed “Left Chinamaxxing,” has gained traction among Labour-aligned economists, media outlets like *Novara Media*, and even figures advocating for an “Anglo-Dengist” approach in the UK.

Jacques, whose 2009 book *When China Rules the World* argued that China’s civilization-state would surpass Western liberalism, exemplifies this trend. His early 1990s visit to China marked a turning point, as he saw Beijing’s infrastructure boom and economic growth as proof of a superior political-economic system. Today, left-leaning commentators such as Adam Tooze praise China’s industrial policy and green manufacturing, while Corbyn-era Labour supporters admire state-owned enterprises like those in Chongqing.

This admiration stems partly from disillusionment with the UK’s own stagnation. With real incomes flatlining for nearly two decades and public services in decline—from the HS2 rail project to prison overcrowding—some on the Left see China’s authoritarian efficiency as a solution. The Chinese model, they argue, rejects puritanical socialist orthodoxy in favor of pragmatic state intervention, epitomized by Deng Xiaoping’s mantra: “It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, if it catches mice it’s a good cat.”

Yet this fascination overlooks China’s human rights record, including the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, which drew criticism during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of Labour. While international concern over these issues has waned, the Left’s embrace of China’s system persists, framed not as ideological utopianism but as technocratic necessity. The contrast between China’s top-down modernization and the West’s fractious politics offers a compelling narrative for those seeking alternatives.

Historically, the Left has a tradition of looking abroad for political salvation, from interwar admiration for Stalin’s USSR to post-war faith in welfare capitalism. But unlike past infatuations, China’s appeal today is rooted in its economic dynamism rather than revolutionary idealism. Its technocratic leadership, free from the moral scolding of Western leftists, presents a model of disciplined growth—even if it comes at the cost of democratic freedoms.

For a British Left grappling with irrelevance, China offers both a mirror and a challenge: a reminder that the West’s decline is not inevitable, and that state capacity, however authoritarian, can deliver tangible results.

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