Webinar on Chinese governance
ON MONDAY 26 July, the CACS, in collaboration with the UJ Library, hosted a zoom webinar titled ‘In Conversation with Martin Jacques, renowned author of the book When China Rules the World‘.
The speakers were Ms Sanusha Naidu, foreign policy and political analyst and Senior Research Associate, Institute for Global Dialogue; and Mr Ouyang Zhibing, Counsellor, Embassy of the PRC in South Africa. The moderator was Dr Funeka Yazini April, coordinator, BRICS Research Centre, Human Sciences Research Council.
Background
Earlier this year, the noted British academic and author Prof Martin Jacques wrote an article (see endnote) in which he challenged prevailing views about the superiority of Western-style democracy to the Chinese system of governance.
The West, he writes, believes its multiparty governing system is superior to others and should be adopted by all countries, including China. However, it should be recalled that prior to World War Two multiparty democracy existed in relatively few Western countries, and its post-war ascendancy was fuelled by specific historical conditions, notably high levels of economic growth and rising living standards. Today, in an era of western decline, Western democracy faces a troubled and uncertain future.
By contrast, Chinese governance and statecraft are the oldest and most successful the world has ever seen. The efficacy of its governing system has been abundantly clear since 1949 and especially since 1978, with a combination of far-sightedness and pragmatism resulting in the most remarkable economic transformation in human history. In the process, China’s governing system has emerged as a formidable challenger to American democracy. Over the last 40 years, there is no question which has been more effective and has delivered most for its people.
Western critics say China’s once-party governing system does not offer the same degree of choice as western multi-party systems. However, recent history – notably the transition from Mao Zedong to Deng Xiaoping and the resultant shift to embracing the market alongside state planning as well as global integration – shows that the Chinese one-party system is capable of offering more choices than any Western democracy. Moreover, over the past four decades the Chinese system has been characterised by a constant process of reform and renewal that contrasts sharply with the ossification that has typified Western democracies.
Finally, Prof Jacques argues, the real test of governing systems is their performance over a much longer historical period. History demonstrates that China has a remarkable ability to reinvent itself in a way that no other country or civilisation has succeeded in doing, testifying to the strength, resilience and dynamism of Chinese civilization and its governing capacity.
In this webinar, Prof Jacques was asked to clarify and expand on his thought-provoking perspective.
Prof Martin Jacques, Why Chinese system can offer more choices than Western democracy, Global Times,11 May 2021. https://www.globaltimes.cn/
