CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

The Chinese Model and its Applicability to Other Nations

Diamond 153

This project will examine the distinctive Chinese model and whether or not this model can be applied to other countries. I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese model and the results that this model has produced both positive and negative. I will cite Barry Naughtons Chinas Distinctive System: can it be a model for others? and his argument that the Chinese model cannot be applied to other countries, as well as examine his understanding of the Beijing consensus. In addition, I will analyze the current inequalities that exist in China, including income, wealth, consumption, and opportunity inequality, as well as the widening rural-urban gap and inland-coastal divide. Many of these inequalities have worsened due to the development of this distinctive Chinese model. Inequality is one of several disadvantages of this model, and is arguably the most important issue that needs to be addressed. Another important disadvantage of the Chinese model is its frequent disregard for human rights, which is often at the root of many disputes and conflicts between China and the United States. On the other hand, the Chinese model allows the authoritarian government to make significant change. In the United States, decision-making is commonly a very slow process, meaning that it is difficult to create significant change. Health care is a useful example for demonstrating this difference. The United States has been struggling to create an effective health care system for a long time, and yet when the Chinese state decided to tackle the issue of health care, they were able to establish a working system very quickly. This project will closely examine arguments such as these and decide if the Chinese model can be applied to other countries.

https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/423