By Austin Maho, Ph.D.
The march by China into global reckoning as an economic and political power house means more countries in the world especially the western world are beginning to pay greater attention to China’s economic and political organization.
To refuse to do so would be at the country’s own peril.
For a country with the largest population in the world to have experience political and economic turnaround in so short a time and lifting over 700 million people out of poverty along the way, is a feat that is unprecedented in modern history. The greater attention been paid by western nation to the development of China is to be understood within the context of its success story.
While the western world marvel at the success story of China and the resilience of its people, countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have a lot to learn from the Chinese model of economic and political organization to lift their people out of poverty and underdevelopment.
While not out- rightly advocating the Chinese model, it must be emphasized that many underdeveloped and developing countries in the world share similar characteristics, China as a country experienced many of the hiccups being experience by many of these countries today. Under this circumstances there is a lot they can learn from the Chinese model to be able to build an economic and political system that is uniquely theirs and adaptable to their unique political and economic challenges.
The Chinese model of socialism is unique because it has inbuilt Chinese characteristics. In broad terms it represents Marxist –Leninism, adapted to Chinese peculiarities. Furthermore, Xi Jinping Thought for instance is considered to represent this characteristic because it aligns with those of Marxist-Leninism.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics became common usage from the time of Deng Xiaoping, this is because he is credited with designing the gradual and overall program of adopting elements of market economy as a strategy for boosting economic growth.
He encouraged foreign direct investment into China as a strategy for growth, most of the investment were channeled into the rural areas of China which as at then were experiencing high levels of poverty and underdevelopment in spite of the high levels of skilled and cheap manpower, that were available in these regions. Through this policy of allowing Foreign Direct Investment China opened up to the world. However this opening up did not obviate the commitment of the Chinese communist party to stay the cause of communism as a political ideology.
The monopoly of the state’s power nexus still rests with the Communist Party of China. Social and political organization is still based on communism with it principal drive to achieve socialism with unique Chinese characteristics still hinged on Marxism and Leninism. A major pursuit for China has been the achievement of economic growth, wealth creation for its teeming population before aiming for a higher level of socialism.
Today, china is a global economic player having achieved significant progress in its quest for economic emancipation for its citizens. In 30 years of reforms China has successfully lifted over 700 million people from poverty. These people are mostly based in the rural parts of China. The figure represents more than half of the poor population of China. These achievements can only be attributed to the Chinese model and adoption of communist principles with Chinese characteristics. Characteristics which are people centered with a strong political organization that recognizes democratic principles in its decision making process
Having come this far, the next step for china is the modernization and consolidating its global position as the world’s second largest economy and making the expected and aggressive push to becoming the world’s largest economy.
Since its 12th national congress in 1982, the Communist Party of China has always emphasized: “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” This has been the wind behind the sail of China’s remarkable economic and political growth. The overall plan is to build a nation of middle class citizens and wipe out poverty from China.
China remains the largest developing country in the world, a feat that was achieved in a capitalist oriented world and dominated by western capitalist countries. By its achievement, China has been able to prove to the global community that the path to growth and economic success is not only through capitalism and western style democracy.
China demonstrated to the global community that a nation can choose its path to growth considering its unique peculiarities. Other developing nations especially in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have a lot to learn from the Chinese model and begin to frame its own trajectory of growth as best suit its peculiar condition.
