China Reforms 30 Years Old in December

October 29, 2008 Posted by China Briefing Reading Time: 2 minutes

Chatham House paper asks questions of the new Chinese direction

Oct. 29 – As the world moves slowly to a new global repositioning of power and trade, now is an opportune time perhaps to take stock of the international developments over the past few years that have lead us to this point. China itself, announced its reforms and abandonment of the totalitarian communist led system in December 1978; 30 years ago. Without that, the world would look far different today. To mark the event, Dr. Kerry Brown of the prestigious U.K.-based think tank Chatham House—the home of the Royal Institute for International Affairs—has just published a paper detailing the changes in China that have occurred since that time.

Dr. Brown, author of the book “Struggling Giant: China in the 21st Century,” is well positioned to provide such insight. He was a long term British diplomat to China during the 1990s, serving in the British Embassy in Beijing, and has long commented on matters of China trade and development. He is an Associate Fellow on the Asia Program at Chatham House, associate of the China Policy Institute at Nottingham University, and visiting fellow at the East Asia Studies Centre, London School of Economics. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Chatham House summarizes his paper as follows:

December 2008 marks the thirtieth anniversary of China’s official Opening Up and Reform Process. There will be a number of meetings and events from October until the end of 2008 in China reflecting, assessing, and celebrating China’s achievements since 1978.

The Beijing leadership will be looking at the good, and the bad. China’s status as the world’s third largest economy, the largest holder of foreign reserves, the second largest exporter of manufactured goods, are clear benefits of the reform process. But the costs on the environment, growing energy demands, and the social issues are all problematic – and worsening.

With the global credit crisis deepening, China stands in an ambiguous position. The recent Olympic Games improved its image. People in the rest of the world are aware as never before of China’s global importance. Given current financial instability, China’s state funds increasingly appear a lifeline for beleaguered Western companies.

And yet the Chinese leadership look cautious. Will the following months see them emboldened? How much more do we know about China’s vision of what it wants to become? Will the rest of the world welcome more proactive moves by China? Or will the same political reservations and fears remain, even when it is clear that the state of the global economy can only be improved through collective effort, to which China is key?

The paper is available for download at the Chatham House website.