Good Example Of Essay On China Rising: An Economic And Socio-Political Overview Of Governance And Policy

Heartfelt memories and smiles dawn the sensibilities of people all over the world as they recall an incident in 1989, which made international headlines. Simply known as ‘Tiananmen Square’ the ‘Tank man’ stood in admirably bold defiance against suffocating authoritarianism in Beijing, China nearly thirty years ago. Much has changed in China since then, when the Western world collectively looked down its nose at her one-child-only policy. Today China, a massively populated nation, now journeys upon the pioneering road towards economic growth and tentative yet progressive efforts to reform socio-political and trade policy. The task is not easy. One article in The New York Times (2014) by Neil Gough, acknowledges that “growth” rate “across the world’s major economies” considerably varies and China’s picture is “more complicated” (“Modest Rise in Inflation”). To the non-Chinese mind situated outside of the country, the mammoth-sized nation may appear to be a collective mystery, or an indecipherable kaleidoscope of leftover dreams in a post-Mao reality. But think again – China is rising despite her internal problems. Its inevitable rise defies comparison to the collapse of other authoritarian regimes, like the former Soviet Union or Eastern European countries. Why is that? This paper shall explore China’s governance, policy making, socio-political economy and development, and representation/participation issues in light of currently unfolding circumstances.
First of all, and foundationally, China has a strong tradition of cohesiveness. While it may be true totalitarianism was part of the situation, according to the class handout text of ‘Politics in China’ reforms have set into motion an easement of “restrictions on population movement” enhancing new relationships between “state authority, social welfare, and market opportunity” (p. 408). Therefore it is imperative to keep in mind amidst the natural turmoil of economic challenges, China’s leaders want to foster a better material life for citizens. Wide disparity between the privileged wealthy and suffering poor masses have instigated generalities about corruption in the ministerial posts in government. Which country is free from these types of criticisms? In terms of governance, internal economic roles can provide clues. For example, The New York Times (2014) reports about the failure of a real estate development, in which a half-finished construction was never finished – while all of the would-be residents (many of whom paid cash in advance) are left out in the cold. As prices have dropped, the bad news for developers prompted the abandonment of projects. For a young couple, lowered real estate prices comes as good news since “In order to get married in China, you need to buy a house first, I think it’s necessary,” as the young man states (“Casualties in China’s Economy”). An indirect feel for China governance displays in some foreign reporters’ experiences and treatment.
Not all reporters are equal. Journalists in a foreign country should behave respectfully, and since China has been slowly cracking open the doors to its society – as it must to gain a pro-active entry to the global market – who can blame her for being cautious? Andrew Jacobs (2014) writes that many foreign correspondents note a “mounting hostility toward Western media outlets operating in China,” and that governmental forces continue to block websites, such as “The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and The Times” (“China Gets Colder for Reporters”). Some have been forced to leave when renewal of their visas were denied. This startling photo from the article reflects the clash, considered invasive by the Chinese and obstructive by foreign correspondents, over claims that some reporters have been manhandled or detained. Complaints of Western reporters are answered by one Jiangsu Provincial official who wrote in a “party-run journal” that Western “anti-China forces” consistently “make slanderous attacks on us in the name of so-called press freedom and constitutional democracy” (“China Gets Colder for Reporters”). Important to note, one foreign reporter based in China 40 years, Jaime FlorCruz says that it’s a matter of finesse. In any case, this single aspect aides one in gaining a general understanding of governance in this instance. Policy making seems to revolve around international trade, in terms of economy.
In a recent televised Town Hall meeting on the topic, with former President Jimmy Carter, the discussion linked China to world affairs. Longtime China diplomat, Carter (2014) as an impressive 90-something-years-old statesman, in all his accumulated wisdom says that given the spotlight on Chinese investment in Africa, its trade relationship is “an insurance policy” for good relations with all nations (“World Affairs China”). Carter explained that China has resolved to open herself to all countries in the outside world, and thus far has brought 500 million people out of poverty. Who can deny that the rise of China is inevitable, reflecting on comments from such a credible source? Carter’s many decades of experience with the Chinese prompted him to observe China’s attitude in global policy-making and foreign investment decisions. Carter (2014) relates that China is most interested in friendly trade and diplomatic relationships, with the people and not just government. Obviously, in the face of burgeoning rises in industrialization and urbanization mistakes will be (and have been) made, but culturally China appears to acting rather philosophically in its quest to gain a workable market share of the international economy. In other words, China is methodically taking very slow and steady moves in reaching for its goals, to firmly grasp the promise of prize.
Navigating trade liberalization is a long-term process. According to one journal article in Development & Change, Guo (2013) feels that such an attitude of openness holds the key to developing economic success. If you think about it, this approach is favorable and demonstrates a cogently common-sense arena within which to operate. Guo (2013) discusses how China negotiated trade liberalizations in the 1990s, while simultaneously dealing with tariff reform. He states “However, something remarkable happened in 1999. Without a dramatic increase in imports, the tariff revenues of China’s Customs” actually “doubled in that year,” and continued to be “increased significantly almost every year since” (Guo, 2013, p. 992). Obviously China is doing something right. The same report shows evidence of its claims and statistical research by showing a graph which illustrates the growth. Exclusively focusing on China’s export sector, Guo (2013) speaks with confidence regarding his well-informed authority in matters pertaining to gathering insight firsthand, from “numerous interviews with manager of foreign-invested enterprises and local bureaucrats in China,” having found that “a series of institutional arrangements in the 1990s made a dramatic increase of tariff revenues possible in the short run” (p. 993). As China rises, not everything is perfect and economic growth has been deemed (or criticized) as sluggish.
The best gaze from which to examine hard facts and figures should be drawn by the most recent, and current reports. According to a New York Times article, by Neil Gough (2015), the inflation rate in China is low, and that “prices are falling because of weak domestic demand and the downturn in commodity markets” (“Modest Rise in Inflation Gives China Room”). The example cited explains that the reason why connects to lowered commodity prices of coal, copper, and iron ore – particularly since China represents the world’s biggest consumer of them. To better understand the situation, the People’s Bank of China – its central bank – has “cut benchmark interest rates for the first time since 2012,” which analysts suggest indicates an overall slow-moving machine in terms of pace. This concept can easily remind a reader familiar with the age-old proverb about the tortoise and the hare. The hare (rabbit) may have bragged about his way being quicker, but his boast in teasing in the end panned out a failure. The slower, methodical pace of the tortoise allowed him to arrive first – beating out the competition. The moral of the story is? Probably in a complex financial and economic apparatus, China sees fit to carefully measure steps to help provide assurances of restructuring reform policies and monetary measurement tools, to smoothly blend (hopefully) mutual benefits for all involved.
Despite the factor of the single incident wherein Chinese developers had passed the buck, and forsook finishing the building and thus leaving future residents who purchased the property, out of luck, this seems to be only a mark of ‘growing pains’ – and not any conscious decisions to proceed in governmental corruptions. As a matter of fact, in Lüliang, China corrupt government monopolizing officials were booted out of the area. According to reports, “the arrests are part of a new emphasis on cleaning up local governments, where officials have extensive powers and few restraints” (“In Limbo, a City in China”). Thirteen party bosses were, writes Ian Johnson (2014), “stripped of power or thrown in jail” whose demise is being cheered by the majority of the Chinese population (“In Limbo, a City in China”). An ex-overlord, Mr. Zhang former controller of permits that ran such mines and factories in the region, is currently in detention. As bribery, therefore is uncovered, China appears to yearn for honest restructuring of its entities including real estate as an economic segment, representing from one of our sources, a 12.8% piece of their GDP. Finally, an example of an exciting joint venture in foreign market entry is appropriate before closing.
In conclusion, China’s joint venture with UK’s Land Rover has culminated in the incredible fruition of a new factory, in the Chery Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR) project. Eisenstein (2014) reports China is the globe’s largest auto market, and the new assembly plant near Shanghai is part of a nearly $2 billion project. In terms of representation and participation China hesitantly relinquishes full inclusion for its minority groups. For example, Sautman (2014) says there are proposals on the horizon to reform minority rights in China “by treating them as cultural groups whose members have individual, but not collective, rights” (p. 174). Hopefully they will see fit to employ humane protocols in this venue. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, not only is China inevitably rising – who on planet Earth can stop it?

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