My Take | Foresight, not pivots, can restore confidence in China’s economy
China says a party-led system makes it more efficient than messy democracies. But ‘perfecting the system’ can bring its own risks
State media often cites two examples of this. One is how China managed to impose widespread Covid lockdowns and curbs in the first two years of the pandemic. The other is how it eliminated absolute poverty in 2021.
The argument is that China’s approach is a lot more efficient than Western democracies, with their messy processes of debate, opposition and protests. This efficiency is possible because all public institutions are in the hands of the party, which also controls all state sector resources and has the power to seek resources from the private sector if need be.
Such a system has also allowed China to complete massive infrastructure projects without going through the complicated legislative or consultation processes needed in democratic countries.
Party mouthpieces argue that the system has allowed China to mobilise resources for scientific and technological research as identified by the party, leading to many breakthroughs and making the country a global technological powerhouse.
Instead of check and balance mechanisms, the Communist Party ideology relies on the wisdom of the party leadership to rectify course, or offer policy directions when needed in what it calls “perfecting the system”.
