Between 1978 and 2007 China saw its economy increase by nine times thus becoming the first exporter in the world, the second oil importer and a member of the “gotha†of super potencies. But this picture is not as grandiose as it appears because it is the achievement of a country that apparently refuses to respect the minimal rules adopted by the majority of the other countries. In fact, China still is a country where there is no freedom, no respect for human rights, for childhood and workers’ rights and for the environment. This list could get longer and longer.
In accord with Will Hutton’s essay, this huge country is undermined at its very foundations and its managers will soon have to face the contradictions they are concealing. Let’s just look at some of the contradictions.
1. Closed politics and open economy. A first big problem that Chinese governors have to face is to realize to what extent they can put forward the easy “double-track strategy†– liberalized economy and totalitarian institutions – entered upon during the “post Mao†years. This difficult compromise has raised macroscopic contradictions which mainly derived from Deng Xiao Ping call in the eighties for people to grow rich in order to turn economy toward “market socialismâ€. Firstly, this has provoked the end of “class-conflict†together with the end of the main motive which can justify the absence of free electoral competition. In fact, the acknowledgement of the existence of heterogeneous “classes†among the population cannot but imply the acknowledgement of different political-economic interests and consequently allow for a broad electoral representation. Secondly, an abnormal level of social imparity has been established, hardly accordable with the equalitarian rhetoric which has been proposed for decades by the Chinese Communist Party.
2. Recession. In this ambiguous situation the CCP executives can legitimate their power via the economic achievements. Nevertheless, these are coming to an end because of western market glutted by “Made in China†products. In order to maintain the present level of productive growth internal Chinese consumes should grow. According to several observers this is not compatible with the heavy lack of democratic freedom and with the low purchasing power of the majority of the population.
continue....
In accord with Will Hutton’s essay, this huge country is undermined at its very foundations and its managers will soon have to face the contradictions they are concealing. Let’s just look at some of the contradictions.
1. Closed politics and open economy. A first big problem that Chinese governors have to face is to realize to what extent they can put forward the easy “double-track strategy†– liberalized economy and totalitarian institutions – entered upon during the “post Mao†years. This difficult compromise has raised macroscopic contradictions which mainly derived from Deng Xiao Ping call in the eighties for people to grow rich in order to turn economy toward “market socialismâ€. Firstly, this has provoked the end of “class-conflict†together with the end of the main motive which can justify the absence of free electoral competition. In fact, the acknowledgement of the existence of heterogeneous “classes†among the population cannot but imply the acknowledgement of different political-economic interests and consequently allow for a broad electoral representation. Secondly, an abnormal level of social imparity has been established, hardly accordable with the equalitarian rhetoric which has been proposed for decades by the Chinese Communist Party.
2. Recession. In this ambiguous situation the CCP executives can legitimate their power via the economic achievements. Nevertheless, these are coming to an end because of western market glutted by “Made in China†products. In order to maintain the present level of productive growth internal Chinese consumes should grow. According to several observers this is not compatible with the heavy lack of democratic freedom and with the low purchasing power of the majority of the population.
continue....
