by Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan
China is an old civilization and has been passing through various ups and downs throughout history. Which is very much rational and the natural cycle of human history. There was a time when Romans were at the peak, but today they stand nowhere, British and French colonialized half of the world, but today squeezed to a small state only. Ottoman Empire in Turkey was in control of parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe, but today is a small developing nation. Every peak has to pass through fall, it is a natural cycle in the history of nations. But China, the last 200 years have been suffering due to the colonializations, imperialism, and expansionism of Western World. Either it was opium war I or II or War of resistance, the Chinese suffered a lot. But with the establishment of the “The People’s Republic of China on the 1st of October 1949, China liberated finally. However, it did not end the Western world’s aggression against China. It was the economic blockade of China or war against communism threat, China was the victim in the early 1950s, 1960, and 1970s.
China spent almost 3 decades on internal reforms with a focus on ideology, unity, and change of mindset during the period 1949-1978, under the great leadership of Chairman Mao. Fight against feudalism and imperialism was at the top of the agenda. Equality was promoted, the farmers, workers, and soldiers were treated equally. In the eyes of the state, everyone was equal irrespective of its nature of job, profession, social status or qualification. It gave a lot of courage to people of China and hope for a bright future, which was a motivational force for them to struggle for a better life. As a net achievement of political reforms, the whole nation became united and stands on one page with the Government.
After having great success on the political front, China entered into a new phase of Economic Reforms, under the visionary leadership of Comrade Deng Xiao Ping, since 1978. During the last 4 decades, Chinese common man persistently worked hard, the visionary leadership has provided the incentive-based right policies and the Government has provided enabling environments. China made huge progress on the economic front, it has surpassed the German Economy in 2006, surpassed the Japanese Economy in 2010, and expected to surpass American Economy in 2026. Currently, China has gained the status of the second-largest economy just behind the USA only.
One of China’s major victories is on the “Poverty Elimination front”. Just within 4 decades, China has lifted around 750 million people from the line of poverty. No other nation or collectively whole world has not shown such huge achievements. It was a goal set up in the Millennium Development Goals by the UN and China has contributed a lot. In fact, China’s contribution to fighting against poverty worldwide has been recognized. Many nations are beneficiary of Chinese assistance to fight against poverty and hunger. Some of the nations are following the Chinese path to address the issue of poverty in their own countries and are successful to some extent.
The life of a common man in China has been improved to a huge extent. From the shortage of food and the basic necessities of life, China has turned into an abundance of food and a luxury lifestyle. I lived in China for 7 years in the 1980s and eye witness to the use of coupons and rationing of food and daily consumer products. Buying a bicycle, washing machine, electric fans were considered luxury and faced many difficulties. New clothes and shoes were purchased at festivals, especially on Chinese “New Year” only. Living standards and public transport were rather poor in condition. As a result of Economic Reforms, China has emerged as a net exporter of its excessive production and earning a huge amount of foreign exchange. Spiritual life for Chinese citizens has also witnessed a big change, entertainment Industry, Tourism, and luxury life has been witnessed in width and length of China.
Chinese people enjoy more freedom of expression and access to information as compared to 4 decades ago. Law and order situation has been ranked as one of the best in the global arena. Curse of Terrorism is a very common phenomenon all around the world, but in China, it is comparatively safe and under control. The legal system inside China has improved a lot and people feel more safe and secure inside China. Openness and modernity are very much visible on the streets of all big cities in China. Prosperity is prevailing and sense of comfort is visible from the faces of the common man.
The third phase of China is globalization which is currently prevailing in China, under the great leadership of President Xi Jin Ping.
Chinese progress in Agriculture and the Industrial sector has changed the whole world’s trading pattern and become a hope for developing nations. China’s trade surplus with the rest of world, especially with the developed world has set an example for all developing nations. Today, no other country compete in China in the price and surrendered its market to China.
With the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has been engaged in developing Infrastructure and connectivity among the BRI states. Today, there are more than 150 countries, regions and international organizations, recognizes BRI and most of them are beneficiaries of BRI fruits. BRI is a model for the future development of economy and trade. As a matter of fact, BRI has changed the whole pattern of geopolitics.
The growing recognition of BRI is witnessed around the world, many more countries have shown interest in joining BRI initiatives. As a matter of fact, China is the only country, having an excessive amount of foreign exchange and expertise in the development of Infrastructures. China is at the top position in the world in the field of Infrastructure development. For example, High-Speed Trains, China has built the longest and largest network inside China, especially its High-Speed Train to Tibet, in the high mountains, at an elevation of 4500 meters above the sea level is not less than a miracle. Motorways, High ways, Tunnels and Bridges all across the country are visible proof of China’s lead in the world. Many developing countries are inspired and impressed with the Chinese achievements and are willing to cooperate with China to replicate their experiences with them. High Rise buildings and architectures in China witness its strength.
Chinese companies are engaged in many countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe to develop infrastructure projects. The money and experience gained by China are useful for many developing nations. In fact, the Chinese model is one of the most successful models of developments in the current prevailing systems of governance in the world. It has produced much more than the Western Democratic model. It is time for the rest of the world to learn the best things from the Chinese-Governance model. I believe any system, which makes people prosper, society stable and safe, access to justice and freedom of expression, is a good model of governance.
BRI is a message of peace, harmony, and development. It promotes people to people contact, promotes mutual understandings, and promotes trade and tourism. Based on mutual understandings, relations among nations can be established more durable and beneficial. At least, it can eliminate misunderstanding to huge extent.
The growing number of Chinese Universities, among the top 500 Universities of the world is a good indicator of Chinese leadership in the Education sector. The increasing trend of R&D in China has made its leader in Telecommunication, IT, Artificial Intelligence, and many emerging technologies in the world. Chinese culture is dominant in the western world, many people are learning the Chinese language around the world, Chinese culture, movies, and dresses are getting more popularity globally. Chinese soft power has recognized as a force behind its success.
With the rise of China as a global power, China is equally contributing to world peace and proactively participating in international affairs positively. China understands its responsibilities and contributing its due share in geopolitics positively. China has not fought any war during the last four decades. Although there were many occasions, where the war was inevitable, China, played “Big Country Diplomacy” and averted t war. In 2017, when there was border stand-off between India and China at Doklam, it was China, who observed restrains and normalized the situation through diplomacy. Current, the situation in Hong Kong, is proof of continuity of China’s policy of openness, tolerance, and democracy (Chinese characteristic of Socialism). No one can imagine, in Socialist country, where the communist party enjoys full authority, allows its citizens to launch such violent and prolonged protests. In a matter of fact, regaining sovereignty of China over Hong Kong and Macao, was a big achievement of China, as without firing a single bullet or killing any one person, just with peaceful negotiation, China gained this victory of regaining sovereignty of its lost parts from Britain and Portugal after one hundred years.
China enjoys supremacy over the South China Sea, but never exercised its military hegemony. Instead, it always offered its doors of negotiations with any one of the stakeholders. In spite of interference from far away nations, China observed restrains and averted any war-like situation. China has the power to gain control over “Diao Yu Dao” disputed islands between China and Japan but prefers peaceful negotiation as a mode of resolving this issue too.
Regarding trade war with the USA, China always observed restrains and showed maximum tolerance, even in case of reciprocity, offered a mild response only. Many aggressive statements from the President Trump are on the record, but, Chinese side did not pass any derogatory remarks. China has the capacity and capability, but deliberately, as per its own policy, is not stretching its muscles.
As a civilizations of several thousand years, having experiences of wide variety, China has emerged as a mature, wise and tolerant nation. China has learned that wars and egos, may not solve the issues permanently, that is why, China has focused on its internal developments and overcame any possibility of war. China’s peaceful rise may be a role model for the rest of world to be followed. Chinese influence is visible around the globe and may increase in future too.
China will celebrate the 71st anniversary of its liberation on the 1st of October 2019. Preparations are underway and a massive program of celebration has been chalked out. Chinese Embassies in all world capitals will also celebrate this occasion. Chinese communities in various countries are also prepared well to enjoy the festivity of “National Day”. Please join me in congratulation the Chinese people and Government in the happiness of National Day.
Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Sinologist (ex-Diplomate), Academician, Researcher, Peace-activist, Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization), Islamabad, Pakistan. E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com)
China’s peaceful rise is a good example and role model for developing world to be followed. Fortunately, China is willing to share its experience with the rest of world.
This article is a great piece of attraction and motivation, you wrote it very well through your personal and deep analysis,
I covered and enjoyed 7 decades of China via this article,
Chaina is a really great nation, they learnt from their past and then didn’t allow their past to interfere in their future, chaina is a bright nation ,we must learn through chinesse success,
China’s greatest contribution is its civilizational dedication to seeking harmony, in society, between nations and with Nature. And in that it is the antithesis of the West, where the greatest good is material gain, achieved through ruthless, amoral, competition between atomised individuals and nations. The ‘Invisible Hand’ myth, where myriad competing and antagonistic individuals, following no discernible morality but greedy self-interest, miraculously produce the best possible outcomes. Or, as Keynes observed, ‘Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all’.
And as the arrogant, racist, supremacist thugs of the ‘liberal’ West make plain, China MUST follow the West’s lead, abjure millennia of its own experience and success, and become a nation (or preferably an archipelago of nations)submissive to the glorious West, and run by compradore scum like the vermin waving US flags in Hong Kong. Or else.
Thank you, Professor, I agreed with every word you wrote – and I believe I can say this from the study of China and not simply from wishfulness. Yes, I do join you in congratulating China on its many remarkable accomplishments and on its well earned happiness.
I agree that China is a model for all aspiring nations to study and emulate. You and others may enjoy this brief (16 mins) TED talk by Dambisa Moyo:
Dambisa Moyo: Is China the new idol for emerging economies?
One thing I believe you left out of your list of positives is China’s commitment to sustainability. And since it is clear that the US has no hope and no desire to try to help save the planet from total resource depletion, one can only look to China to lead the world into some kind of rehabilitation of the natural world, if this is even possible.
If it IS possible, we can look to China of all countries as the one most suited for such a task. Of all civilizations, China is the most experienced with massive projects over long periods of time. So perhaps there is some hope for the world in this regard, and because of China.
The other great quality of China to emulate of course is its socialist economic model, and its creation of new wealth and real prosperity, derived from its state-ownership of money creation, in contrast to the west, where every unit of currency carries interest and tribute paid to private finance and the rentier class.
Yes – well done, China, and thank you!
Here here!
thanks Dr Awan for very interesting and detailed information. I must say though that many positive articles written about China ignore the criminal activites of the Chinese – especially in Africa. I know that other countries are also ruining Africa but the poaching circles are mostly if not all – Chinese – the blacks kill the animals but the Chinese are the ring leaders. Also the terriblle destruction of the Rosewood groves – gone before the world even knows they’re going….the trucks loaded with African Rosewood – all Chinese – are a sad photo to see. Also the abalone is all being stolen at unbelievable rates – and the Pangolin scales are extincting that animal even though most folks don’t even know it exists – its such a treasure – the only mammal with scales…a true wonder….and now I come to the elephants – China is doing good work with that but the Rhino missed out this year at the Convention for Trade in Endangered Species – and rhinos are only a few thousand left…and they will be gone…to China – for Traditional Medicine and fancy jewellry for Chinese oligarch and their women. It makes me sick.
Ann, they also totally miss the, often, appalling treatment of labour in China well documented here http://chinalaborwatch.org/home.aspx
I smelled a rat immediately, and it took me all of 5 minutes to verify. China Labor Watch is likely a CIA front organization, but in any case is part of a concerted anti-China propaganda effort:
https://blackagendareport.com/dsa-socialism-conference-features-us-funded-regime-change-activists
likely this, likely that.
Whatever.
After all, Kissinger started the US export to China and the result is millions rusting in the rust belt and the stinking working conditions reported in China.
The only one’s really happy are the Global owners of capital.
You’re so recognisable, Anonytrot. Labour conditions and wages have been steadily improving in China for decades. That’s why millions of Chinese now enjoy a decent sufficiency of the good things in life. Is that what really annoys you? And quoting a notorious CIA front-how ‘revolutionary’ is that? Still, the neo-cons are mostly ex-Trots, so there seems to be some tendency here.
Echos of Dennis in the house.
I must say, Ann, that your attitude to the untermenschen is quite obvious when you refer to Africans as ‘the blacks’. As for the rest-a tissue of lies. China’s assistance to African countries over decades has been the exact antithesis of the centuries of imperial, colonial and economic exploitation by the West.
How do I square this with your column From the New Yorker Magazine The “political capitalism” of China has its own inequality-generating dynamics. Although China has become capitalist to the core—almost eighty per cent of the country’s industrial output is produced in the private sector—the commercial classes are under the thumb of a highly disciplined, autocratic bureaucracy. The rule of law is attenuated, decision-making can be arbitrary, property rights are not fully secure, and corruption is endemic. China is essentially going through a hugely accelerated version of the industrial revolution and the Gilded Age rolled into one. Add in the insidious impact of cronyism, and a very unequal society results. Income distribution in China, it turns out, is even more skewed than in the United States, approaching the sort of levels one finds in the plutocratic republics of Latin America.
All during the last two decades China has been reforming itself as a capitalist economic system. Wang Qishan has hunted down over 3000 officials and military officers at the highest levels for corruption. Laws have been enacted and enforcement is now a global hunt for the “foxes” who stole Trillions of dollars from the Chinese people.
More and more China has opened up to outside influences, consultants and models of legal construction in order to reform its flawed system. However, amidst all the negatives, the progression has been centered on the welfare of people, making their lives secure, stable and sustainable.
You can overlook the corrections underway. But you only have half the story.
Greed and corruption are sins of humanity, not just flaws in Chinese society.
Show me how the US has faced up to corruption and greed. We just went through a scandal in DC that surfaced a totally corrupted Intel Community (17 agencies), Dept. of Justice, FBI, FISA Courts and nearly every Media on cable, broadcast and print, as well as all social media tech giants. Lies, deceit, fake, phony, evil.
Where’s the reform? The prosecutions?
The West is profoundly corrupted. Every one of its institutions top to bottom on both sides of the Atlantic are festooned with criminality and evil.
And there is no indication of any reform coming, ever.
It’s all downhill from here in the West.
China is working on its problems. There is nothing comparable in the USA, EU, or any coalition or cluster of “Free World” entities.
Excellent comment.
China has raised more people from poverty than any other country in history. In fact 110% of global poverty alleviation in the first decade of the century was in China, because other countries went backwards. And it is eliminating extreme poverty by 2020. And building the largest economy on Earth, with massive infrastructure, giant scientific and technological progress and cultural riches. All of which really, really, makes Western cultural supremacists really, really, pissed off.
I’m not sure I agree with the point that China represents a new development model or that it can serve as any kind of meaningful example to other nations. To my knowledge, the Chinese development model is inspired by the other industrializing economies of East Asia such as South Korea, Singapore or Japan. Essentially an autocratic political structure and an export-driven market economy guided by centralized industrial policy with some concessions to social concerns.
But more importantly, articles on China such as this tend to look at China as an isolated entity rather than placing it in the proper context of capital flow and investment within the global economy as a whole. It is hardly necessary to mention that the period during the past forty years has coincided with massive disinvestment, outsourcing and capital flight from countries such as the UK and the US. This has resulted in considerable impoverishment and degradation of living standards in those countries even as China has benefited. This is largely a zero-sum game which cannot be generalized. Worrisome too is the risk of global resource depletion as well as increased risk of pollution and environmental degradation from large scale industrialization and energy utilization.
it almost amazes me that some people who most likely don’t speak chinese of any dialect have such vast knowledge of a huge country and feel free to voice their crude speculations about where china is going etc. they never compare with london’s and los angeles’ homeless tent cities.
but, on the other hand i’m not surprised ordinary people follow the leaders in condemnation of the ‘hitler of the day’.
https://bruegel.org/2018/09/inequality-in-china/
“Sonali Jain-Chandra published a striking chart on income inequality in China on the IMF blog – which is based on a recently issued working paper. It shows that the Gini coefficient has risen by 15 points since 1990 to 50: that is a big change, even though some increase in inequality could have been expected as the level of development improved…[]…Across the income distribution, incomes of those in the middle have risen particularly strongly. Nevertheless, there are signs that many of the poorest are being left behind. The gap between the richest and poorest urban households in terms of disposable income has barely narrowed. In rural areas, it has even widened. The large and persistent income gap is partly the fault of China’s tax and transfer system. In particular, the redistributive influence of the personal income tax regime is stifled by a very generous personal income tax allowance and exemptions that favour high-income individuals. Rules around social security contributions are also regressive.”
Neither should one ignore Russia’s 1992 IMF membership.
From the start the glorification of Mao was interesting. It sounded so peaceful and loving, it was terrifying it was a blood letting(mind you I am getting to the point were I could see this in the states) It was not just an equaling out it was way beyond that, Mr professor would have been down on the farm being beaten by riled up youth. It was attack anyone who you didn’t like, while Mao may have started with good intentions I do not believe those around him did. It took a long time to recover from the damage inflicted on millions of people.
I worry about anyone who seemly worships governments while ignoring the fact that thousand of people lost their home and communities for the Olympic Village. That the Chinese still openly lie about Buddhism and who the Dali Llama is.
The chinese are nowhere near the rest of the world in freedom of media.
The people in Tibet and along the boarders to the north are repressed don’t kid yourself other wise.
Have they done amazing things absolutely all in the name of capitalism. They are making some effort on the environment, but watching Chinese tourists, and the industry of medicine, there is no other country that so disregards the environment. They have a long way to go as do all countries in the world. There best effort is defiantly high speed rail.
I love China but like Russia I will not put rose covered lenses on just because they are another target of my ugly countries government.
The world we all live in is in a dangerous place it is run by the huge corporations and their owners and they span the globe. The US is by far the worst, but there is plenty of ugly to go around. China does not get a pass.
comment on the posting of Susan:
Please check out how the people in Tibet lived before the Chinese came.
The best source would be the time of British empire during its “colonization” of India. Brits did several explorations and diplomatic visits to Tibet before 1947. Original pictures were on youtube but I think most of it when not even all have been taken out.
Brits wrote even about Tibet and how people lived there and what they found. Moreover, a good source could be some written papers/books by some British universities (i.e. Cambridge for example) up to 1947. I think after the Brits left India nobody took much interest on this country. Maybe some did after 1952 when the Chinese started to do some good things (like hospitals, schools, housing, streets etc.) in Tibet.
This is not about the living standards of Tibet and it is not the right of the US or Chinese to decide they are better so they should take over. The Tibetans like native people everywhere live a very simple stark for some life. They have been doing so for a long time. When I was on my two expeditions one to Annapurna one to Kongur near Kashmir we me people who had rarely seen white people they lived a tough life. They were some of the happiest people I have ever been with. when you have nothing you truly have each other. These people opened their homes to us they fed us and they partied with us. In Nepal the climbing tourism has ruined the peaceful lives of these valley people. We would do well to remember that all the crap we own does not make joy.
To Anonymous 13.09.2019:
I didn’t speak of our times. I remarked the time before the Chinese came 1952.
It isn’t of our “up-to-date-form of life”. It is how they had to live. And this is way much much different.
Put away those “Western-info-tinted” glasses and look at what was in reality.
Anyhow, its just a suggestion. I know we Westens are mostly prone to think in certain ways – even if not very much aware of it – how we were fed with “information”.
Don’t you just love Western condescension and the White Man’s paternalism.
Well said Susan, when are the various sino-sycophants in the readership going to learn that being uncritical of China and distorting history to suit what they are emotionally comfortable with is doing the multipolar world model no favor. Doing so also diminishes the credibility of this sites’s user-base.
The opinion piece by this professor are his opinions, they certainly aren’t academically rigorous history or fact.
Sanitizing the history of the CCP and Mao is not different than sanitizing the history of the United States and the idealized myths they propagate about the founding fathers, the shining city on the hill and the myth of freedom and equality as a fundamental principle of the US at a time when they militantly expanded the institute of slavery (or respect for property rights and the right to life and liberty at the very time they were seizing the lands of native-American tribes, slaughtering them and imprisoning them on “reservations”). Yes, with respect to the corrupt practices common in Europe and the UK, the American founding fathers were enlightened, however, with respect to other aspects of their existence they participated in barbarism too. Similarly, both good and bad were implemented by the CCP, to their credit, at least the CCP admits these flaws, unlike some of their foreign supporters.
CIA, or Falun Gong, or Dalai clique, or Uighur terrorist, or NED controlled Hong Kong compradore garbage. No-one is more thoroughly brainwashed than a loyal Westerner. Those goddam Yellow Peril don’t know nothin’ bout ‘Western Moral Values’, and it’s ’bout time we taught ’em a lesson, I reckon.
Would you have preferred that China remained mired in poverty and want? That they exploited Western capitalist greed is neither here nor there. Without that capital inflow the Chinese would have simply practised more autarky as they did from 1949 onwards, where their economic growth and reconstruction was almost as rapid and widespread as since Deng’s turn to the West.
I am neither a critic nor a partisan regarding China. No doubt their economic development in recent decades has been impressive. I also don’t believe this would have been possible without Mao. However, it does seem to me that modern China is heavily rooted in materialism (to get rich is glorious) and dependent on the neoliberal trade model. China is heavily integrated into the global corporate and financial complex. Four Chinese banks have been identified as systemically important by the Financial Stability Board. The Bank of China has a branch in the City of London.
This is not intended to be a criticism, merely an observation. However, as a consequence I don’t see that modern China represents any kind of alternative development model or relevance for the rest of the world. I did see that in the Soviet Union and the Socialist/Communist model. I would also cite North Korea in this regard. But for China as well as Russia I just don’t see that either has relevance for me as a Leftist.
Remark:
I think everyone knows very well that humans are prone to miscalculations. And China is no exception.
However, there is a big, big difference:
While Western countries used different kind of bombs (for example: depleted Uranium, Phosphorus etc. and the whole amount of used explosives is more than in the WWII – to my knowledge) for more than the last 70 years, China didn’t. While some Western countries polluted air and soil and water with these more dangerous chemicals China abstained mostly of it.
Thinking that our air is our air we and all animals are breathing thinking that our air is going around our globe makes me think who is really to accept and who not.
Check out this article by John Ross, Senior Fellow at the Chongyang Institute, Renmin University, Beijing, China, which answers some questions about China’s development.
“Why China is not a capitalist country – China’s theory is in line with Marx (but not Stalin).”
http://www.socialistaction.net/2017/09/14/why-china-is-not-a-capitalist-country-chinas-theory-is-in-line-with-marx-but-not-stalin/