The experiences of the success of China’s economic reform

  

             Frank  July 10, 2016, in Waterloo, On. Ca.

     The success of China’s economic reform was derived from the well understanding for human inborn nature and the culture of Ancient civilisation.

     For social governance, there are three main resistances.

     First one is that has to deal with people who are capable in independent thinking and tend to act according to own interested and preferred accord, which will negatively affect social governance.

     Second one is that social governance would involve in some social reform with the redistribution of social interest, and it would encounter the fiercely resistance of interest group, and even ordinary people would also resist the reform due to the fear for potential risks in uncertain social changes.

     Third one is the impact of social ideologies which is that people accustomed outdated ideology in dominating thinking and behaving. In The end of laissez-faire 1926, Keynes indicates that: “These many elements have contributed to the current intellectual bias, the mental make-up, the orthodoxy of the day. The compelling force of many of the original reasons has disappeared but, as usual, the vitality of the conclusions outlasts them.” 

     Such behaviors caused by the inborn nature of human beings, in regardless the race, regardless nationality and political model - one party dictatorship or multiparty democracy.

     The process of China’s economic reform was the process of making efforts to reduce and overcome such social resistance. In Canada, it will be the same when making social advancement.

     The success of China’s economic reform was benefited from the culture of unique long civilization.

     Oct. 2, 2014, in article Why did China not produce harmful native religions, I indicate that: “People appreciate the 5,000 years continuous civilization of China, however, most of people have overlooked the nature of the civilization, the valuable point, is not in the length of time, but, in the continuously documented historical facts – the facts in success and failure, which made valuable references, so that the future generations can avoid to repeat mistakes with lesser Detour.”

     “The accumulation of experiences is wisdom.”

     “The wisdom from 2400 years ago China lessons us that, the ordinary people can happily share in enjoying fruit, but they never willingly share the effort in growing the fruit. A rational government has to enforce people to do something that will benefit to them, but, do not expect to convince them in advance.”

     Here needs to specially point out that, in 2400 years ago China, the philosophical text Tao Te Ching said that “the governance of a big country is as that of cooking a piece of small sea food”, it meant that a matter easily broken, and must be very careful.

     As my view, in modern society, the social governance is a process that paves track by policy making, and society runs accordingly. Therefore, the process of social governance is the process of policy making. 

     Maybe due to the different in civilization background, the process of policy making is totally different between China and the West:

     In China, it was by trial to get experience with proof that is feasible with less social unrest at first, then to be legislated accordingly.

     In West, it was to design and legislates at first with less concern social unrest-causing, and then to be executed accordingly.

     The process of the reform in social governance is a process of governing innovation. Obviously, the way of China will be fewer mistakes and easily to be practiced.

     The success of China’s economic reform relied on two key factors.

     1…The former top leader Mr. Deng Xiaoping, as a general experienced in decades long wars, who played a role as a political bulldozer to push away social resistance: “Don’t argue; try it. If it works, let it spread.” He timely provided support for those pioneers in economic reform by his unique political prestige.

     2…Government authorized limited area as test zone for economic reform without Gov-financing besides independent policy making, which largely reduced social resistance, and the free practice of all available economic means promoted it quickly developed, and then with the achievement to convince public to have easily updated the policies nationally.  

     It was in 1979, firstly set 2.14 square kilometers as test-zone in a part of Shekou district of Shenzhen city, after convincing achievements, the test-zone was promoted whole Shenzhen city. In May 4, 1984 it was promoted to other 14 coastal port cities, and in following several years, it was promoted to many other areas.

     Viewing back in today, China’s economic reform was from point to line, and then from the line to area, in step by step gradually with constantly updating policies.

     China's economic reform was the process that carefully avoided social resistances; otherwise, even if in one party dictatorship also cannot do anything.

     By such patient cautious approach, China has avoided social unrest as those of many other former socialist countries have suffered, even blooding, due to they changed social system without proper preparation in advance under the way of design and legislates at first.

     The main resistance for China's economic reform was more from ideological arguments that insisted on socialist road and any budding in private economy will be severely criticized or even jailed.

     This absurd phenomenon was not limited to China.

     In former Soviet Union, when Stalin's reigning, the Political Repression was also from such ideological conflict against capitalism.

     Such ideological conflict was not limited in socialist countries, too.

     In the United States, a typical capitalist country, Mr. Joseph R. McCarthy who once launched McCarthyism to perform political persecution against communism.

     In human world, in most of time, it was that irrational suppresses rational – the ignorance in playing leading role.

     The facts showed that confused social ideology has strong power in impacting social advancement.

     Such ideological confusion was also playing its role in international trade with the argument in identifying whether a country is in market economy.

     Because of some share of state-owned economy, over the years, the West questioned the status of China's market economy, however, they overlooked the fact that the big share of state-owned economy in France today, and Britain once experienced a process that was nationalized from private economy and then was privatized again. But, there was no one questioned their nature in market economy - capitalism.

     Faced with such irrational arguments, Mr. Deng said that: no matter is black or white; the one that can catch mice is a good cat. No matter which roads, if it cannot develop economy and improve people's live is all dead roads.

     Mr. Deng Xiaoping has learnt the harm of useless ideological argument, by use of all available preferable means in regardless which –ist or –ism, to push forward economic development and improve people’s live by flexible way in reducing social resistance.

     At the beginning of China’s economic reform, there were a lot of voice in suspicion and opposition, and now is basically no more, most people have recognized that the economic reform was correct.

     No people who are in rational mind would hate a prosperous life.

     Now, many countries have relaxed visa policy for attracting wealthy guests from China. Among them, Canada was the earlier one.

     Now, we have made clear that the success of China’s economic reform was mainly derived from flexible governing approaches, rather than fully from one party dictatorship.

     In viewing above, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should not be disappointed for the incompetence of democratic governance, under current democratic polity; Canada also can achieve similar economic achievement as that of China has done.