Jostein Hauge’s many posts are supportive of China’s economic transformation.
Here’s why.
China has lifted more people out of poverty than the rest of the world put together in the past 50 years.
China is leading global efforts to develop clean energy technology.
China has a higher life expectancy than the USA, despite its income per capita being 1/6 of the USA.
China has the world’s largest high-speed rail network.
China has provided the world with affordable consumer goods for decades now.
I could go on…
The point is, from an international development perspective, we should celebrate China’s rise.
We also need to call out Western leaders, pundits and media for their anti-China rhetoric — which has less to do with China and more to do with the fact that Western hegemony is being threatened. In recent years, China has done a lot more for global prosperity than the West.
Am I saying that we should unequivocally celebrate China? Of course not. But in Western media, we are bombarded with critical takes on China every day. There is no need for me to repeat it.
I’ve also grown tired of the caveats people in wealthy countries target at poorer countries when the latter do something good.
The idea that the West is the ideal model to strive for is absolute rubbish. China is doing things differently, and they’re being successful in many ways. We should celebrate that.
Jostein Hauge is a political economist and Assistant Professor in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on industrialization, global production, and economic development. He is the author of the book The Future of the Factory, which examines how global economic trends are reshaping manufacturing and development.
Source: X
