China’s Self-Strengthening

In our textbook The Human Spirit, I was intrigued by “Why Are Western Nations Small and Yet Strong?” by Feng Guifen. I thought the introduction presented an interesting thought when it said China wanted to “adopt Western knowledge and beat the west at it’s own game.” While the “self-strengthening” movement took place over 100 years ago, (1864 to 1894, per our textbook), it seems to me this concept is being revitalized.

Feng Guifen (1809-1874)

Feng Guifen’s argument for building an arsenal and physical presence is an ongoing struggle for the Chinese. Today, the China defense budget is $76 billion versus our budget of $693 billion. (Of course, when you consider that China has the second largest budget and is only about 11% of ours, I think you could make an argument that the U.S. could reasonably cut its military spending). However, China just became the world’s second largest economy behind the U.S., overtaking Japan. It may be behind the U.S. for now, but with the world’s largest labor force, it could promise a future that America isn’t going to be able to achieve. It looks like an ancient world facing a fresh start. We are witnessing an exciting transformation of China. Probably more exciting if you happen to be Chinese.

So, is China finally learning to “beat the west at its own game?” Donald Trump thinks so:

I wonder if they may be going too far in adopting Western knowledge, culture and experience. The New York Times ran an article this week about the new Shanghai Disney Resort.

A rendering of the Shanghai Disney Resort. The castle will be Disney's biggest among its resorts. (The New York Times April 8, 2011).

To me, Disneyland is the epitome of western culture with it’s fantasy facades and glossy Vegas style ability to bilk money from exhausted consumers who are run down by in-your-face guerrilla marketing. Is this going to be a shift from Chinese nationalism to a more Western ideology? Shanghai looks like a city ready to consume like a long haul trucker at an “all-you-can-eat” Chinese buffet:

As they tear down old buildings to make room for modern skyscrapers and luxury apartments, I wonder how well they will be able to preserve their own cultural identity. As we’ve already discussed in class, Disney watered-down fairy tales from other countries to make them more palatable to American children. What will they do with China’s folklore and traditions? Disney has basically taken control of our children through television, film, and entertainment. Is China ready for this? In the Times article, they explore the obstacles for Disney in China:

“The Disney brand is also not as deeply ingrained in China as in other parts of the world. China is the only major country that does not have a Disney Channel, the company’s typical way of building its brand and stoking demand for its experiences and products.”

While the resort promises to “incorporate Chinese culture,” the positioning of such an iconic American brand on such a large scale seems like more than just a foot in the door.

It’s difficult to Segway the third world aspects of rural China with the economies of its modern cities. An Aljazeera opinion editorial recognizes that the future China may not be a seamless transition.

“But, even if overall Chinese GDP reaches parity with that of the US in the 2020s, the two economies will not be equal in composition.

China would still have a vast underdeveloped countryside. Assuming six per cent Chinese GDP growth and only two per cent US growth after 2030, China would not equal the US in terms of per capita income – a better measure of an economy's sophistication – until sometime near the second half of the century.

Moreover, linear projections of economic growth trends can be misleading. Emerging countries tend to benefit from imported technologies in the early stages of economic takeoff, but their growth rates generally slow as they reach higher levels of development.

And the Chinese economy faces serious obstacles to sustainable rapid growth, owing to inefficient state-owned enterprises, growing inequality, massive internal migration, an inadequate social safety net, corruption, and inadequate institutions, all of which could foster political instability.”

The World Fact Book, produced by the Central Intelligence Agency, reports 39.5% of the labor force is agriculture based. The gap in rural versus urban incomes is growing disproportionately, according to the China Daily. This likely accounts for the internal migration.



But I don’t see this as a warning against some apparition like the Xanadu found in the opium induced dream of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Kubla Kahn. For now I suspect the rural conflict will not disrupt the urban revolution, which seems unstoppable. Somehow these dueling personalities of China will continue to compliment each other. The documentary Wild China made me think that this rural side of China will thread together the country’s ancient cultural identity with it’s emerging wealth. Eventually, rural China might become a vacation destination for city-dwellers looking to “get away from it all.” Of course, that will mean they’ll need to put up a few McDonalds and Starbucks.

In the end, I suspect that Feng Guifen’s vision will be realized and China will overtake the West. Even if it takes another half century, the stars are aligned.