Marx and Engels would be turning in their graves if they could see what China’s commies are up to these days. According to Forbes.com Asia:

China’s wealthiest got much richer in the past year, thanks to the nation’s booming economy. The 40 richest businesspeople are now worth a collective $26 billion, up from $18 billion a year ago. China is now home to ten billionaires and their families, up from three last year. A net worth of $321 million was required to make the top 40, up from $231 million last year. The nation’s richest man is once again Larry Rong Zhijian, who runs one of China’s most successful conglomerates, Citic Pacific. Those who make their money in real estate did particularly well. Moving up eight slots to number 2 is property baron Zhu Mengyi and family, whose holdings are in Guangdong Province and whose Hong Kong-listed Hopson Development recently attracted international investors such as the U.S.’ Tiger Fund.

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A business “conglomerate” under the hammer and sickle? What happened to collectivization, zero profit, and a nation to be ruled by democratic soviets? Oh yes, Beijing is practicing Lenin and Mao’s version — the one with the big-time emphasis on centralized control.

“Hong Kong-listed Hopson Development?”

“Listed” means that the company’s shares trade on a capitalist stock exchange — Hong Kong’s “SEHK” in this case. Don’t forget the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) on the mainland (”motherland”).

“Property baron?” Exqueeze me, but private property in the red worker’s paradise?

“…attracted international investors such as the U.S.’ Tiger Fund?” U.S. dollars invested in entrepreneurial ventures?

Don’t get me wrong. I am not criticizing Chinese entrepreneurs for working hard and making dinero. But ya gotta wonder about a government that calls itself “communist” running a stock exchange and doing business with Ford, GM, Google — all the Great Satans of the world.

Economic reform is one thing. Without freedom of expression, religious liberties, and enfranchisement, money will only pacify China’s masses for so long. Gorbachev’s perestroika and glasnost helped speed the unraveling of the U.S.S.R. China’s communist party has hung on to power far longer, but its time will come.