Two Schools of Thought on China – Both Wrong

[Barun Mitra]

Two Schools of Thought on China – Both Wrong
With its “imminent collapse” or “peaceful evolution theories,” the
West is wrong on China
Eric X. Li
YaleGlobal, 19 November 2013

China’s Communist Party has concluded its Third Plenum, and analysts
in the West scrutinize details, hoping to pinpoint the direction of
the world’s largest emerging power. Two theories on China’s rise have
dominated since 1989, and both are wrong, argues Eric X. Li, venture
capitalist and political scientist, in an essay adapted from his
lecture at the Oxford Union: The “imminent collapse” school suggests
that a one-party political system cannot manage social and economic
conflicts, and the “peaceful evolution” school maintains that
modernization, market capitalism and engagement could ultimately force
Chinese politics to become more open for democracy. For China’s
leaders, Western standards are neither irresistible nor applicable to
China. “As the party embarked on dramatic reforms, the country
possessed a degree of national independence unmatched by most
developing nations,” Li explains. “This ability to control its own
destiny allowed China to engage globalization on its own terms.” He
urges respect for healthy divergence. By anticipating a forced
convergence to Western ways, many stumble in their relations with
China. – YaleGlobal

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/two-schools-thought-china-%E2%80%93-both-wrong