On the Origins of the Changes of Mao Zedong’s Strategies towards National Bourgeoisie in 1952

This paper investigates the origins of the changes of Mao Zedong’s policy towards national bourgeoisie in 1952. After the founding of People’s Republic of China (PRC), judging from the development trajectory of the new democratic society designed by the Communist Party of China (CPC), China’s private capitalism would eventually transition to a socialist society, and this transition should start in a decade or two. However, Mao Zedong’s strategy of private capitalism underwent a critical change in 1952, and he began to consider suspending the new democratic society and brewing a transition to socialism. Based on historical data and documents, this paper analyzes the internal and external causes of Mao Zedong’s transformation of strategies regarding private capitalists in 1952. It not only provides a clear understanding of the historical context of socialist transformation of private capitalist industry and commerce, but also explains, to some extent, the historical reasons behind Mao Zedong’s changes and why it took place in that year.