China rethinks "go-for-growth" strategy
news.ft.com
By James Kynge in Beijing
Published: September 29 2003 22:07 | Last Updated: September 29 2003 22:07
China is evolving a new philosophy on economic development, to shift the emphasis from its "go-for-growth" policies of the past two decades to a more sustainable model designed to lessen social tensions.
Some elements of the new approach are discernible in existing policies. But the government of Wen Jiabao, premier, has begun in closed-door meetings to present the new philosophy as a coherent growth strategy ahead of an important Communist party plenum scheduled for October, party officials and academics said.
The new strategy determines that growth must be "comprehensive, co-ordinated and sustainable", indicating a more selective approach than that defined by Deng Xiaoping, architect of China's reforms. The late Mr Deng's mantra that "development is the core truth" was used to endorse any project, irrespective of the social impact.
In a recent speech to senior officials, Mr Wen identified four areas in which China needed to pursue more balanced growth, said the party officials, who declined to be identified. The officials quoted Mr Wen as saying that development needed to be better harmonised between towns and villages; different regions; the economy and society; and man and the environment.
Each of Mr Wen's areas pinpoints a failure in China's transformation since Mr Deng launched his programme of reforms in 1979. The lives of hundreds of millions of farmers in China's villages have been blighted by illegal taxes and fees they are forced to pay by local town administrators.
The wealth disparity between regions has been recognised as one of China's most serious problems. Mr Wen recently launched a campaign to reinvigorate the northeastern industrial rust belt. The country already has a scheme to "develop the west".
The pursuit of harmony between economic development and Chinese society may turn out to be the hallmark of Mr Wen's premiership, officials said.
The idea encapsulates many elements, such as expanding the social welfare network, embracing notions of social justice and corporate responsibility, and seeking modes of growth that maximise employment opportunities, Chinese academics and policy advisers said.
The sacrifice of China's environment to the primacy of development has resulted in widespread damage over the past 25 years. The Yellow River, the cradle of Chinese civilisation, has been diminished to a trickle in its lower reaches.
It remains to be seen if Mr Wen's new philosophy is reflected in the communiqué that is due to emerge from the third plenum of the Communist party's 16th party congress in October. If it does, analysts said, it would indicate Mr Wen's growing stature within the ruling hierarchy. |
