is a principal characteristic of the Asiatic mode of production (Tokei, 1979). Marxist theory postulated that feudal economies were required to follow an evolutionary path, which included capitalism, in order to become a truly socialist, and then, communist society (Tokei, 1979). The discovery that many Asian societies never followed such an evolutionary path confounded 4Marxist theory (Harrington, 1972). It also required Marxist theoreticians to recognize that "an absence of private property in land was a crucial component of stagnant, despotic socie ties" (Harrington, 1972, p. 140). Other justifications, and other devils were required to explain the character of non cap italist Asian economic development, or the absence thereof, as was more often the case.
The PRC came into existence with Mao Zedong's proclamation of its establishment on 1 October 1949. For almost 30 years subsequent to that time, China strictly adherred to Marxist economic theory. The theory of market economics was denou
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