Why did China use the Soviet Union as a model during its first years under communist rule?

In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, the government adopted the Soviet Union as a model primarily because the Chinese Communist leadership lacked experience in state administration and large-scale economic development. While Mao Zedong and his comrades were skilled in guerrilla warfare and rural mobilization, they had no firsthand knowledge of running a national government or managing an industrial economy.12

Consequently, China turned to the Soviet Union for aid and guidance, viewing it as the only available model for a socialist state. This reliance manifested in several ways:12

• Economic Planning: The First Five-Year Plan (1953–57) was explicitly modeled on Soviet experience, prioritizing heavy industry and utilizing Soviet technical assistance and industrial plants.13
• Institutional Structure: China established a central planning apparatus and government ministries that were close copies of their Soviet counterparts.3
• Education and Culture: The Chinese government reorganized its educational system and curriculum to align with Soviet concepts, replacing Western influences with Soviet models.2

Ideologically, Chinese leaders justified this imitation by asserting that the Soviet Union’s success proved the superiority of socialism over capitalism.2