Assess the view that Chinas economic strength is also its weakness.
After Chinas opening up in 1978, Chinas economic strength has been on
an upward trajectory. Although Chinas economic strength has procured a tremendous amount of benefits for the country such as improved material well-being of the people, greater social stability and elevated global standing, it is also the same cause for a lot of vices in the society. This essay seeks to argue that China economic strength is not its weaknesses because despite it being a source of new weaknesses and exacerbation to old ones, Chinas economic strength by and large have the capacity to curb them as long as there is sufficient political resolve to track on the path of balanced development. Chinas economic strength simultaneously has exacerbated social ills which are by-products of its market reforms, making strength in economics also a source of its weakness. Capitalism has placed a greater emphasis on materialism, consumerism and competition. This has resulted in people pursuing individual success and personal qualifications at the expense of collectivism and familial commitments. The rise in divorce rate and cohabitation rate could have also been a by-product of this. The get-rich-quick mentality has led to many social problems like the proliferation of scams, vices, defective manufacturers and industrial pollution. Corruption is so deeply worsened by economic development so much so that it is entrenched even in the government that is supposed to be mitigating it. As such, economic strength is also a source of its weakness. However, social ills aggravated by Chinas economic strength have been limited by the implementation of governments policies on corruption that were aided by Chinas economic strength, making it instead of a weakness a strength. To solve the problem of corruption, additional committees like the disciplinary and supervisory committees in CCP and state bureaucracy have been formed. Larger part of the budget is allocated to civil sector like the PLA to prevent civil servants from being lured by the enticement of monetary benefits to engage in illicit activities like shady businesses. Educational campaigns are launched to dissuade people from engaging corrupt practices. The State-owned Assets Supervision and administration commission (SASAC) which reports directly to the state council was also set up to stem misappropriation of public resources. As a by-product of Chinas economic reforms, relaxation of official control over religious beliefs and their adherences have also resulted in an insurgence of foreign faith as well as revival of tradition religion to act as the moral compass of the society in a time when the society has been blinded by the mindless pursuit of material wealth. As such, instead of a weakness, economic development can be a strength. Economic success, attained at the expense of the environment, is at the same time detrimental to the health and social stability of the country, making its economic strength also a source of its weakness. Relentless
drive of Chinas leaders to amass power, consolidate territory and support
a burgeoning population have led to the plundering of forests and mineral resources, constructing river diversion and leading to poor water management. Lack of long-term planning, there is a clear absence of conservation ethos in Chinas economic development. Reinforced by Confucianism which promotes the use of nature for mans own benefit, developmental institutions and economic policies have scant regard for the value of the natural environment. The maxim development first, then environment by itself, says enough of the importance accorded the preservation of the environment. Today, China is home to 14 out of 20 of the most polluted cities in the world. More than 75% of the water in the river flowing through Chinas urban areas is not potable. As such, chinas economic success is also a source of its weakness. Nonetheless, environmental degradation on Chinas growth has been limited by the governments drastic policies which were made possible by Chinas economic strength, making economic strength a form of a curb to its weakness and not a weakness. For example in 2003, the government gave 60billion yuan to environmental protection, including forest protection, reclaiming farmlands for forests and combating desertification. Greater investment in environmental protection at both the national and local levels through campaigns like China Go Green are also put in place to tackle the problem of environmental degradation even as China develops. The $62billion South-North water diversion project has been launched to supply northern China with the rich water resource of the south. The government has also created manmade rain in patched areas through the firing of cloud seeding projectiles. Hence, economic strength is in fact a curb to its environmental weakness and not the weakness itself. Economic inequity, and hence social inequalities, is a serious weakness of the Chinese society that was largely worsened by economic success, hence making its economic strength also a source of its weakness. Due to Chinas unequal development policies that had let some get rich first, between developed coastal cities and underdeveloped inland provinces, there is a huge income gap. Rapid urbanisation accentuates that difference in material living standards such as education opportunities and medical benefit between rural residents and urbanites. Coastal Chinas GDP is 8.5trillion yuan in 2004, compared to 6.8trillion yuan, the combined GDP of the rest of China. Gini coefficient for income distribution rose from 0.46 in 2005 to 0.477 in 2011 to 0.474 by 2012. Yet analysts still argue that the actual disparity is much worst. While the economy achieved double-digit growth in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 global financial crises, 200million Chinese still lived in poverty at about US$1.25 per day. As such, economic strength is also a cause that worsens economic equity. Still, even though economic equity has been weakened, economic strength which has eased the process of redistribution of income has thus far been successful in improving the standard of living for a large majority
of the people, thus economic strength in itself is in fact not a weakness.
Due to the success of CCP at developing Chinas economy, standards of living for both the rural residents and the urbanites have vastly and greatly improved. Since Chinas opening up, 400million people have been lifted out of poverty. Over 50% of China population earn at least 6000yuan per month and are considered the middle class. Chinas annual growth rate has averaged more than 8% in the past 25years, and in 2003, its GDP grew by a record-breaking 9.1% despite the outbreak of SARS. 13million jobs were created and real income for even rural residents grew by 4.3%. As such, economic strength is a strength and not a weakness. Economic strength has also concurrently weakened political stability due to political challenges such as indignant dissents against the government that have begun to surface out of economic development, hence making its economic strength arguably also a source of its weakness. As a byproduct of Chinas economic development, the internet of liberalised in 1993. Coupled with the influx of modern and foreign ideas such as freedom of speech and human rights, a wave of dissent is on the rise as the better informed populace has become more vocal and critical of the government. As of today China has about 260million Internet users, the most in the world. The amount of resentment conveyed via the Internet is unconceivable. Despite the Great Firewall and tens of thousands of censors, dissenters were still able to post petitions that once would have gone unheard. Peasants post videos of demonstrations on Youtube. Protests have expanded so rapidly that the PAP has to be called in all over China every day to shut them down. The anger against the government has intensified so much that CCP has to employ propaganda teams like the five-cent gang to moderate the tone of online debate. If the demands of the people are continued to be ignored, CCPs mandate to rule in the eyes of the people will be greatly injured. Hence, economic strength in this case is also a source of its weakness. Nevertheless, while political stability is weakened, strong economic performance is a main source of legitimacy for CCP which without CCP will be delegitimized immediately, thereby making it essentially a strength and not a weakness. By bringing in prosperity for the people, economic growth enhances the standing of CCP in the country and allows them to have the mandate from the people to rule largely unchallenged and without popular opposition. Just like prosperity and abundance of food and clothing represent the Mandate of Heaven that had authorised Emperors in the past to rule over its people, economic prosperity has been the line of defence for CCP that have made it possible for a large majority of the people to stay at least passively acceptant of CCPs authoritarian rule. CCP, with its promise of people-centred development to the country, has been able to gain the continual support of the people to unite with it in spurring the Chinese economy. 20.95trillion yuan raked in in 2006 shows that CCP has been successful at uniting the people through economic development, and at the same time safeguard its legitimacy as people are kept content with the status quo. The economic successes of the CCP
have caused the emergence of a middle class in China that largely
supports the CCP for fear of rocking the boat of prosperity. Therefore, economic strength is essentially a strength and not a weakness. In conclusion, CCPs economic strength is a source of its weakness as many of the by-products of economic development bring about undesirable effects on the Chinese society and exacerbate existing ones at the same time. However, economic strength, with its ability to curb the weaknesses, is distinct from the weaknesses it brings because the two do not share a symbiotic relationship. By tracking on the path of balanced development, China can still enjoy the benefits of economic success without incurring the weaknesses. Hence, Chinas economic strength is not its weaknesses.