To me he sounds opportunist with his continual references to expanding the "socialist" market economy (which walks and talks like capitalist commodity production). If he is a Marxist, why is he not openly criticizing these bourgeois economists in China that @[email protected] mentioned and emphasizing a return to broader study of Marxist political economy?
Reform and Opening up Is Always Ongoing and Will Never End
Reform and opening up is a long-term and arduous cause, and people need to work on it generation after generation. We should carry out reform to improve the socialist market economy of China, and adhere to the basic state policy of opening up to the outside world. We must further reform in key sectors with greater political courage and vision, and forge ahead steadily in the direction determined by the Party’s 18th National Congress.
On the Governance of China, p. 87 of the English Translation
The “Invisible Hand” and the “Visible Hand”
We should let the market play the decisive role in allocating resources, while allowing the government to better perform its functions. This is a theoretical and practical issue of great importance. A correct and precise understanding of this issue is very important to further the reform and promote the sound and orderly development of the socialist market economy. We should make good use of the roles of both the market, the “invisible” hand, and the government, the “visible” hand. The market and the government should complement and coordinate with each other to promote sustained and sound social and economic development.
Ibid., p. 134
Revolutionize Energy Production and Consumption
...
Fourth, we must revolutionize the energy market. We will proceed with reform, restore energy’s status as a commodity, build a system of workable competition, and put in place a mechanism in which energy prices are largely driven by the market. In addition, we will change the way that the government supervises the energy industry, and establish and improve the legal framework for energy development.
Ibid., p. 149
(I credit this essay with making me aware of these statements: Against Dengism by The Red Spectre.)
Part of it comes from the current mayor of the city, Eric Adams, having significantly played up his victory. Adams was a former cop in the city who then became a pro-cop politician, presenting himself during his run for mayor as a foil to the Black Lives Matter movement and as the opposition to an unpopular fringe left minority. Reality is more complicated of course, but the Democratic Party invented a reality about needing to go rightward with policies like giving police more funding and victories like Adams's were used as justification.
Here's how Adams spoke of his victory when he appeared to have won the Democratic party primary for mayor:
Adams declares himself ‘future of the Democratic party’ ahead of final election results - Politico on June 24, 2021
He claimed this when his Democratic primary victory was much less decisive than Mamdani's: 289,403 voters (30.7%) put him as their first round choice, there was a lower overall voter turnout, and ultimately when all ranked choices eliminations were completed he came out on top with merely 50.4% of non-exhausted ballots.
2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary - Wikipedia
By contrast, Mamdani garnered 43.51% of voters ranking him as their top choice and with much higher turnout he had 432,305 people put him as their top choice. We don't have the final ranked choice numbers yet for this election, but his final vote tally is expected to also look much more decisive than Adams's was.
2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary - Wikipedia