According to the NYT, the CCP is preparing a film for the viewing of party members that portrays Putin as the proper successor of Stalin, following a line of foolish wimps. To the CCP (but probably few others), this is a compliment. What does it tell us about the CCP?
It no longer takes communism seriously as an economic theory. To the CCP, “communism” is a form of national renewal in the face of global opposition through an authoritarian government; it has nothing to do with the ultimate success of the working class in a class struggle driven by dialectical materialism. In that sense, Putin’s fascist Russia is becoming as “communist” as China. Finally, it suggests that the CCP is turning into a one-man operation. It no longer has any time for collective leadership.
Of course, this sounds like a rationale for the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and we know how that turned out.