The Beijing Disconsensus

The China Model?

china-model-book.jpg
Chinese scholars on the China Model

The terms "China Model" and "Beijing Consensus" are becoming fashionable in China and abroad to describe the mix of authoritarianism and market economics that has characterized China's rise.

A book recently published in China, The China System: Reading 60 Years of the People’s Republic of China (中国模式—解读人民共和国的60年), has compiled writings by various scholars of the subject, most of whom are very enthusiastic about the idea.

But there are many commentators, in China and elsewhere, who find fault with the model, or deny that is replicable.

The Economist has published a piece titled "The China model — The Beijing consensus is to keep quiet", summarized thusly:

In the West people worry that developing countries want to copy “the China model”. Such talk makes people in China uncomfortable.

The China Media Project has also commented on the publication of The China System in a post titled The China Model, matter or myth? The post includes a translation of an essay written by Hua Sheng (华生) for the Economic Observer. Excerpt:

The China Model We Could Have But Don’t

I’m talking today about the China Model. My view is quite simple. I think that while “China Model” is useful as a fashionable term, it’s something we don’t yet have. The most we can say is that China is seeking its own road, searching for its own way forward. But this cannot be called a model, because it’s still unclear, unformed and unstable.

There are currently 4 Comments for The China Model?.

Comments on The China Model?

A little typo in the post above

in the second paragraph from the bottom
"in a post titled" these words are duplicated :P

Thanks, fixed.

I a very very very proud person to be Chinese, I believe that China model is the best. No one can have better model. China model is the product of its history. We have the oldest civilization (not one of the oldest but the oldest civilization. Egyptian, Babylonian and Indian civilizations are much much younger than the Chinese). So China model will have no parallel.

God DAMN it gets hard to detect sarcasm when people actually post crap like this in all sincerity.

Post a comment

All comments are moderated and subject to review by Danwei contributors and editors, but well-grounded and articulate comments will be published regardless of which way they lean. Because comments published on any website ultimately contribute to the character of that website, we may decline to publish comments that are irrelevant, redundant, or that do not adhere to generally accepted standards of courtesy; if you are looking for a fight, there are plenty of other venues available online.


Some useful html: <b>bold</b>, <i>italic</i>,
<a href="http://www.danwei.org">link</a>

Media Partners
Visit these sites for the latest China news
090609guardian2.png 090609CNN3.png
China Media Timeline
Major media events over the last three decades
Danwei Model Workers
The latest recommended blogs and new media
laomo2010x80.jpg
From 2008
Books on China
DWChinaBooksRPT.jpg
Lisa Brackmann's Rock Paper Tiger excerpt and Q&A: Lisa Brackmann has worked as a motion picture executive and an issues researcher in a presidential campaign. She has lived and traveled extensively in China. A southern California native, Brackmann in Venice, California, and spends a lot of time in Beijing, China. Rock Paper Tiger is her first novel.
When a Billion Chinese Jump by Jon Watts: The Guardian's Jon Watts authored a book on the environment, focusing especially on China and how its realities and policies will affect the rest of the world.
Jeroen de Kloet's China with a Cut: Jeroen de Kloet is the author of China with a Cut, which looks into the dakou culture and then the ensuing commercialism of China's music market.
Front Page of the Day
A different newspaper every weekday
From the Vault
Classic Danwei posts
+ Korean history doesn't fly on Chinese TV screens (2007.09): SARFT puts the kibbosh on Korean historical dramas.
+ The most famous junk collector in Xi'an (2007.10): Gaoxing (高兴) by Jia Pingwa (贾平凹) is actually based on the life experiences of his friend Liu Shuzhen (刘书祯), aka (刘高兴).
+ Gnawing at language, biting the ankles of Chinese media (2006.05): A look at the Chinese magazine 'Correct Language' (咬文嚼字 - 'Yaowen Jiaozi') and language pedantry.
Danwei Archives
Danwei Feeds
Via Feedsky rsschiclet2.png (on the mainland)
or Feedburner rsschiclet.gif (blocked in China)
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Main feed: Main posts (FB has top links)
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Top Links: Links from the top bar
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Danwei Jobs: Want ads
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Danwei Digest: Updated daily, 19:30