The Geopolitical Stability of China - Term Paper Example

China Modernizes China modernizes - threat or model Since the last decade, China has observed a rapid growth and economic expansion; putting the country at the top of the list of the world’s rising superpowers. Following this change China has not only embraced democratic modernity but also the new legal and political policies relating to business and e-commerce. As a result, this rising superpower has caught the interest of many in the world of business. Majority of critiques have raised questions as to whether China’s modernization is a threat to the west or an exemplary model for the rest of the world. The resultant contrasting views portray China as one rapidly growing superpower with the largest economy. On the hand, this view regards China as a brutal and authoritarian regime that is a threat to the economies and geo-stability of the western industrial world (Peerenboom, 2007).This study analyzes China’s modernization to assess if it is a threat to the west or a model to the rest in the context of its legal system and the rule of law. The two conflicting views are directly parallel to any existing literature on the rules and laws of modernization and economic development. The positive view of China’s modernization presents China as a paradigm for the gradually developing nations and the envy of other industrialized countries that are busy catching up with its high growth rates; in this globalization era. The second view criticizes this modernity as a challenge to the dominance and legitimacy of the so-called western states. This criticism is in relation to free markets economic policies, constitutional democracy, rule of law, human rights interpretation and governance. The subsequent sections of this study analyze the two views separately to establish the legal perspective of China’s modernization. China as a threat According to a majority of people, China has enjoyed a wave of tremendous growth over the past decades and has done this without the influence of the rule of law or the rights of property. This success rate puts a question on why other countries found in Euro-America should go ahead and spend millions of dollars in an effort to promote the rule of law and governance. This perception is because not only do the developing countries like China assume the World Bank proposed rule of law, but they also assume the preexisting harms that extract the same legal rules would do. China has faced a lot of blame for not considering and dealing with the legal issues that concern property ownership and conflict resolution. Consequently, this means that any attempt they make towards extracting legal rules or common templates will equally harm other countries that are on the developing course. In the political context, China remains a socialist state, although it’s a state which has endorsed the rule of law and the market economy. Therefore many have the fear that with increased anti-democracy diplomacy, China’s ambitions would be more harmful to the west that being a model to the rest of the world. For example, some have linked the recent Russian authoritarianism tilt to the markets without democracy model that China has imposed on other countries globally (Peerenboom, 2007). Another legal issue that drives the threat view on China’s modernization is the problem with human rights. China’s record on civil and political rights leaves less to ones desire. As a result, critics fear China may decide to take the advantage of its rapid growth to defend and advocate for those rights; even when opposed by western powers. They also fear that despite the current secular-liberal based rights policies, China will use its power to go against all odds; just to defend its rights. Heavily politicized debates have seen critiques accuse China’s adoption of the divide and conquer strategy that they believe will universally impact negatively on the western nations; leading to an era of civilization crash. One would then wonder why people perceive China’s modernization as a threat with all the connections it has made globally. Despite its interactions with other countries in the economy market, China’s law infringes on the geopolitical stability; as the country has used its growing power to sell missiles and other weapons of massive destruction to rogue states. This view assumes that China’s authoritarian regime is not just a threat to the economy of the western world but also a greater risk to the world peace as well. This aspects is also based on the historical observation that with the rise of new power conflicts and geo-stability emerge too; making it futile for the underdeveloped Chinese legal system to sustain the growth. Accordingly, the US and other allies now prepare for the uncertain future as China continues to grow, with the hope that the developed China would change and embrace the spirit of peaceful democracy. China as a model. This view contrasts the critical view mentioned above as it perceives China as a paradigm for the states that are still developing. Supporters of this view link it to the 21st century technology that is boosting the unprecedented growth across East Asia. This pillar has a six-pillar basis, but not all who support this view agree with all the six. The first pillar supporting this view reports that the Chinese government has adopted pragmatic reforms approach; which implies that they resisted the foreign experts approach and now pursue a more gradual approach to market reforms. Instead of blindly following in the IMF footsteps China has adopted more basic principles of economy that match their current state; this is an exemplary example that many other countries in the world can emulate. Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel-prize winner even went ahead and praised China for this noble and measured approach. Similarly, China has decided to change its rule of law by developing a variant option that enhances its compatibility with the current government and other contingent circumstances. They have instead shied away from the liberal rule of democracy found in Euro-America to more cultural norms and institutional development strategies (Peerenboom, 2007). Also, China’s modernization is a model rather than a threat because the state has taken an extra step and intervened in the economy of China. They have done so through resetting key economic policies, re-establishing functional government institutions and finally regulating foreign investments. These aspects have contributed to reducing the effects of globalization on the domestic market; which means that it the Chinese people will benefit more from their countries rapid growth rather suffer. This is the long lasting view that developing states want to associate with and its consistency makes them support China’s modernization even more. The above two points make up the Beijing Consensus which refers to the non-democratic market reforms, self-determination to protect China’s developmental choices from international actors and an overall rejection of the Washington Consensus. Joshua Cooper Ramo, the man behind the advocacy for the Beijing Consensus termed China’s modernization as a mark to a path that most nations in the globe were trying to figure out. Therefore, this modernization has not only projected China as a model but, also has helped other countries to fit economically in the international order. They do so as to improve their independence, enhance their ways of life and political their political choices from the international influence (Peerenboom, 2007) .In his view, China’s modernization and the embrace of the Beijing Consensus has improved economies all over the world; as other countries learn from China the concept of equitability, independence, and the peace associated with quality growth. In other words, we can say that through China’s legal reformations, they have turned traditional methods like privatization and free trade into flexible and uniform solutions for today’s businesses. Thirdly, through modernization China has opted to pursue sound economic reforms before democratization like other East Asia states has done in the past. Advocate for this kind of approach has supported this second view of China’s modernization; pointing out that other failed states like Russia put the political reforms before economic reforms and democracy. Further studies into this approach have supported this view stating that focusing on democracy at levels of low wealth may as well hinder growth and development than promote free economies of trade. Hence, most of the authoritarian regimes would more likely fail in trying to sustain the rising growth. Furthermore, the support for this second view has linked China’ success to their acknowledgment of human rights importance and legitimacy. They have additionally gone ahead and revised their consensus on human rights. Therefore given the view that human rights emanate from local circumstances there is no way Beijing can come and impose their complex solutions to other countries. Whereas the liberal critics view the above policies as an infringement to the human rights legitimacy, China’s position comes in to correct the western-centered human movements’ tendencies. The fifth pillar explains that China modernization is a model because one day China may provide the only viable option for the formal democracy and liberal approach. These options have continuously failed to resolve social inequality problems and improve human beings well-being. An additional aspect linked to China’s modernization as a model to other developing countries involves the emergent foreign policy on relations. This policy strongly attaches to independence, self-determination, sovereignty and mutual respect; allowing countries to develop their ways in their terms. This also implies that those countries will trade free from the imposed priorities and conditions of the international financial organizations. The attraction of the developing countries also relates to the new Chinese foreign policy that advocates peaceful coexistence with other countries and the avoidance of power politics. The dilemma that China now faces proving to economic analysts whether it is a model to the rest or a threat lies in determining just how honorable and peaceful of a super power they can become; amidst their rising economic growth. Existing evidence of China as a model points out how Vietnam has closely followed in China’s footsteps in terms of economic, political and legal reforms. They have gone ahead to model their foreign investment based on China’s approach and still Laos, yet another socialist state has implemented its market reforms; through borrowing a leaf from China. Through its modernization, China has also managed to persuade and lead other countries and their trading partners to reestablishing their rule of law, opening their markets, battling corruption and promoting governance (Peerenboom, 2007). In conclusion, a comparison of these two views on China’s modernization leaves a question mark in establishing if China is a failure or a success story; in reference to their authoritarian approach to modernization. It is easy to conclude that China is a dangerous example that may likely lead the developing countries into the depths of good life and prosperity or total shambles. This study has successfully analyzed China’s modernization to assess if it is a threat to the west or a model to the rest in the context of its legal system and the rule of law. Reference Peerenboom, R. (2007). China modernizes threat to the West or model for the rest? Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More