CHINA
The following may be slightly off the sort of theme I am intending for this Board, but it could be something to consider with regard to the principle of "What Works, and What Doesn't Work".
I suspect that there are things that the Chinese administration are doing which may not be to the overall benefit of their own citizenry and to those over whom they have some influence.
If that is the case then eventually "What Doesn't Work" will need to be addressed, by one means or another.
I came across, what I thought was, an interesting and thought-provoking article on China from a local correspondent, Ann Crotty. I’ve paraphrased it below ….
“I can never decide whether I’m deeply admiring or deeply appalled by China.
In next to no time they’ve transformed themselves into one of the largest global economies. They have a rapidly growing middle class, a declining number of citizens living in poverty, and they’ve made major advances in almost every field of human endeavour. China could be regarded as a truly 21st. century economy.
However, in the next minute I completely revise my opinion, …..
They have gone for economic growth at any cost, they have a human rights environment more in keeping with Dickensian England, and their foreign policy is reminiscent of the mercantilism that characterized much of the trading activity of the European nation states in the 18th. and 19th. Centuries.
The difficulty is that, from a Western perspective, China is stuck in at least two different Eras. Economically it is firmly in the 21st. century, but politically and socially it seems to belong to the 18th. or 19th. century.
Whatever the reasons for it, the disconnection between the 21st. century Chinese economy and its 19th. century polity seems to cause little concern among die-hard capitalists.
They have been pouring into the country from around the globe to take advantage of China’s more “relaxed” approach to labour and environmental standards.
In its submission to proposed legislation aimed at improving China’s labour laws, last year the Beijing branch of the American Chamber of Commerce argued against implementing changes that would begin to bring China into line with its competitors in the developed world.
Many of the globe’s exuberant capitalists might wistfully remark that China is what the world would look like if capitalism were given a free rein, instead of being constrained by social and political considerations.
China’s mercantilist approach is most evident in areas such as Africa. Just as European nations were driven, in the past, by the belief that stocks of precious metals and commodities were essential in the creation of powerful economies, today the Chinese government believes it must have access to the same resources at whatever cost.
So, in essence, the “China of two eras” is not doing anything new ; indeed, that’s the problem.
What it’s now doing on the social, economic and political front was done, with varying degrees of success, by every other developed country a long time ago.
However, back then the majority of citizens had little in the way of rights or expectations that the state would protect them from powerful interests.
Which is why it would have been pointless to have global mass media keeping a close watch on every move made by governments and their economic powerhouses.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, for China, although its own citizens may have few expectations and although its own media “may not be paying attention”, citizens from other parts of the globe do have expectations of the Chinese government …. and the world media are watching closely.” |
