S. George Marano

Opinion | Why China’s governance model will be exported – whether Beijing likes it or not

While transplanting China’s system elsewhere won’t work, hybrid forms can lead to economic success, especially when supported by Chinese direct investment

Countries looking to become prosperous will inevitably consider the Chinese model, and it is only natural that China will entertain and exploit these overtures

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Ethiopian and Chinese officials attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on December 14, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

S. George Marano

Published: 9:15am, 22 Jul 2021Updated: 9:15am, 22 Jul 2021

Time and again, predictions of the Communist Party’s impending doom have come to nothing as its form of political governance has not only endured but thrived. The party has created a system that has rewritten China’s economic and social record in a short period of time.

While success of this formula is unique to China, it will not remain within China alone. The allure of its mode of political governance will be akin to the gravitational pull towards Chinese trade – whether Beijing likes it or not.

China’s road to economic dominance has not been a linear process. Modern China began in 1949 as an agrarian economy, changing course in 1978 to embrace market reforms and adjusting again in 2012 as President Xi Jinping took office and introduced grand strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative.

During this period, China has amplified its aggressive posture against Western criticism while being steadfast in its foreign policy. Greater economic reforms on the domestic front suggest market liberalisation will further increase, as well as show the party’s confidence in the market’s autonomy.

This success has come about through many factors, some unique to China but most common to many nations. What China has shown is that the fundamentals of its strategy have universal applicability, with a clear focus on what it wants to achieve, diagnosing issues and formulating guiding policies with coherent actions.

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‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’ explained

Meritocracy and an ability to innovatively emulate the West are two factors that have stood out. Add to these Beijing’s results-oriented focus – supported by an evidence-based approach to policy underpinned by sound performance measurements – and a picture emerges of how China will become the world’s leading economy as soon as 2031.