Doubting the Chinese Miracle
February 20, 2007Here’s a contrarian viewpoint that seems to be gaining favor among prominent Sinologists: As regards China’s rise, take nothing for granted. A little bit of skepticism can be healthy for everyone.
I say “contrarian” because it seems as if so much writing about China today is based on the premise that China will most certainly continue to grow at an unprecedented pace, and thus easily assume its place among the pantheon of great powers.
The fact of the matter is that because China has been able to sustain growth rates that were once thought unsustainable, many of us have begun to take the Chinese “growth miracle” for granted. Of course China’s economy will grow by 7%, 9%, 11% this year, we think. The numbers are automatically baked into next year’s global economic outlook.
What we seem to forget is that the chances of this miracle being interrupted are quite high. China’s growth “will not Read the rest of this entry »
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China, China Threat, Environment, Growth, HIV/AIDS, Japan, Poverty, Social Unrest, Sustainable Development | 
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Posted by Ben Landy
