The answer is no, because of the fundamental differences in how Japan and China are run.
Japan is modeled off of a capitalist imperialist economy, similar to the US. And as such, it will stagnate and requires imperialism and increasing levels of exploitation to maintain its economy. It does not have the tools or methodology to develop further without imperialism. And thus, it stagnates.
Meanwhile, China is socialist. It uses dialectical materialism to solve social issues and promote cohesion. And instead of profit, it will seek to optimize material conditions, and identify the barriers to doing so, creating a strategy for development. Through Marxian economics, it understands that productivity comes through cooperation and labour, and not profit. Optimization can be performed throughout the supply chain through central planning.
China runs under C—>M—>C, while Japan runs under M—>C—>M.
China does have problems but it also has the tools to solve them, instead of just sweeping it under the rug.
Such is western liberalism; the only correct action is to be subjugated under imperialist rule. Only then will you deserve pity, and pity is all you’ll get.
Regarding the second question, the capitalists has done everything they can to mask class as defined by their relation the the means of production.
And the main way that they’re doing this is to intensify inter-class contradictions to further sub-divide the working class. You’re not working class, you’re black, or you’re Hispanic, or you’re a woman, or you’re a red neck, or you’re a democrat, etc.
bigotry is heavy in America because these differences are sold as being the defining factor of who you are so YOU DO NOT DEVELOP CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS.
You will never see the working class described as a class in mainstream media. There will never be any mention or coverage of labour movements. Instead, literally every other thing will be put in the forefront.
Mao himself even said that if handled correctly, the relationship between the proletariat and the national bourgeoisie may not necessarily be antagonistic
It’s not like we’re saying “Communism means no commerce and absolute poverty until the machine god brings us to utopia.”
In the latter case, application of this technology may seriously harm the relationship, if you know what I mean.