A couple of people have picked up on the news out of Hong Kong today. Julia and HeeJu have both written on it, and perhaps others as we speak. Several things to consider relate to the discussions we have had. On a very general level, one of the pressing questions about China is whether it will be subjected to the "folk laws" of what we call modernization theory. Basically, as it gets rich and as a middle class emerges, will pressures for democracy arise? Plenty of history suggests yes. And it is amazing to think that the Tiananmen Square uprising was now 25 years ago - a whole generation.
How does that relate to IPE? In many ways we can discuss. Not least is that the basis for legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party has been rooted in delivering the economic goods. The CCP has claimed that it is uniquely capable of presiding over an economy that features "harmonious development" and the like. This has meant rising wages and increasing consumerism, but also inflation that is kept in check (among many other things), and rather importantly... no political challenge to the CCP's rule.
What is going on in Hong Kong will be a fascinating (albeit tense and nervewracking) test that just may tell us something about where China is going politically and economically... stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment