The Core Socialist Values of the Chinese Dream: towards a Chinese integral state

This article analyzes the Chinese Communist Party’s “Core Socialist Values” (shèhuì zhŭyì héxīn jiàzhíguān) to show how each of these twelve values is defined, both independently and in relation to others. Using a Gramscian analytical approach, the article examines how a Chinese “integral state” is being prepared to ensure that consensus to the state’s proscribed values is not undermined by competing discourses. Consideration is given to how civil society becomes the ground for building consensus, reinforced by coercive strategies emanating from the Chinese state. In conclusion, the paper argues that the Core Socialist Values campaign represents a shift in focus under the current Xi Jinping Administration to emphasize the superstructure over the economic base, with the objective of creating citizens of and for the People’s Republic of China.