2015年5月23日 星期六

Is China the new idol for emerging economies?

https://www.ted.com/talks/dambisa_moyo_is_china_the_new_idol_for_emerging_economies


Is China the new idol of emerging economics? Many of us would say that China is not a good model at all. The main reason is that Chinese people does not enjoy liberal democracy. In China, the government prioritized economics rights instead of human rights and individual rights. As an international economist born in Zambian, Dambisa Moyo gave us her observations on the major differences of how to build a society between Western and emergent countries.

First of all, she gave us the mainstream idea from Western society. The majority of Westerners believe that democracy is the most cherished value, a value which is so fundamental to build human society. With the combination of private capitalism, this combination already proved they are the key driver for economic development. The simple fact is that over the past 100 years, American incomes have increased 30 times, the majority of American have been moved out of poverty. Therefore, Westerners believe that the best system of human society should have freedom embedded in.

However, a recent study showed that income is the greatest determinant of how long a democratic society can last. On the other words, economic growth is a prerequisite for democracy. The study suggests that we must have enough people in middle class to make a democratic government sustainable. When people live on less than one dollar a day, people is too busy to survive. Therefore, for those who lives in developing countries, people prefer a growth model which can ensure they have better living standards in the shortest period of time. Dambisa Moyo believes that is why China’s economic and political model is appealing for developing countries. She said that it is no surprise that people around the world are pointing at what China is doing (more wealth, solid infrastructure, more healthcare, increased equality) and saying, I like that, I want to be able to do what China is doing. 

Finally, she reminded us that all systems have their good and bad. She suggested the Western, instead of criticizing China for bad behaviors, the West should try to cooperate with China. The West could also gain influence from cooperating with China, As an individual, she suggested that we should be open minded to find the truth and make the world better.


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