Yasheng Huang, an expert on China's economic and political development and author of "The Rise and Fall of the EAST," shares compelling insights into China's history. He discusses Mao's selective adoption of imperial governance and how it enabled radical policies. The conversation turns to China's rapid growth compared to India, revealing key governance factors. Huang critiques the failures of U.S.-China engagement and explores Xi Jinping's unique leadership role, touching on succession challenges and the potential for political instability in the future.
Mao Zedong's governance inherited aspects of imperial China while radically diverging by suppressing bureaucratic meritocracy during the Cultural Revolution.
China's rapid economic growth during Mao's rule is largely attributed to grassroots initiatives and the populace's resilience rather than solely top-down policies.
The political landscape under Xi Jinping marks a shift from previous reforms towards increased centralization and diminished tolerance for dissent.
Deep dives
Historical Context of China's Unification
China faced significant political fragmentation after the collapse of the Han Dynasty, a period marked by competing ideologies and no single power base, which surprisingly fostered inventiveness. The unification under the Sui Dynasty in the sixth century brought about significant changes, primarily through the introduction of civil service exams, allowing broader participation among the population in governance. Unlike in Europe, where aristocracy prevailed, China's system led to a bureaucracy that ultimately served the emperor, resulting in a relatively stable political structure. However, this continuity of imperial tradition significantly shaped the intellectual landscape, as scholarly efforts became geared towards serving the central authority.
Mao's Rule: Continuity and Departure from Imperial Traditions
Upon taking control in 1949, Mao Zedong inherited the autocratic controls of imperial China, instilling a centrally planned economy, state ownership, and government-set prices. However, Mao diverged from imperial legacy by de-emphasizing bureaucratic meritocracy, particularly during the Cultural Revolution, which led to the closure of universities and a focus on ideology over expertise. This resulted in a political system with centralized authority that extended deeper than its imperial predecessor, affecting governance even at the village level. The suppression of intellectual dissent contributed to a system where drastic policies, such as the Great Leap Forward, were executed without adequate bureaucratic checks.
The Role of Imperial Legacy in Modern China
The comparison between Mao's policies and the autocratic tradition of imperial China sheds light on the structural power dynamics within contemporary governance. Factors such as modernization, improved communication, and transportation bolstered the government's authority, allowing it to maintain tighter control over various regions. In contrast, historical imperial regimes struggled to enforce their will beyond local populations due to slower communication methods. Mao's regime leveraged modern systems to enforce centralized policies and aimed for rapid transformation, starkly contrasting the more status quo-oriented mindset of past imperial rulers.
The Complexity of China's Economic Growth
The narrative of China's rapid economic growth during the Mao era has been often debated, with some arguing it emerged despite his policies rather than due to them. Key to understanding this growth is the emphasis on human capital, especially literacy, which underpinned socioeconomic advancement during this time. The discussion highlights that improvements in economic performance were more linked to grassroots initiatives and the resilience of the Chinese populace rather than top-down directives from the centralized government. Thus, the underlying human resources played a fundamental role, suggesting that China's overall success cannot solely be attributed to the authoritarian governance model.
Historical Reflection on the Shift Towards Autocracy
The political climate in China has evolved from the reforms of the 1980s, which encouraged some level of pluralism, towards a more repressive regime under Xi Jinping. This shift has led to significant changes in governance, wherein the focus has moved from economic dynamism to stricter centralization and consolidation of power. The implications of these changes indicate a retreat from the openness that characterized earlier reforms, transforming the political landscape into one defined by more stringent control and less tolerance for dissent. The overall trajectory suggests that this transition may create new challenges and diminish the country's capacity for innovation and adaptability.
Implications of U.S.-China Relations
The complexities of U.S.-China relations have underscored the need for strategic engagement that acknowledges mutual interests while addressing political and human rights concerns. The historical approach of a one-dimensional engagement has proven insufficient, as it often lacked a reciprocity mechanism or strategic benefit aimed at fostering deeper political discourse. A reevaluation of engagement strategies is necessary to promote avenues that can build ties in academia, culture, and business while pushing for greater ideological openness within China. The potential for collaboration exists, yet it must be approached with a keen understanding of the geopolitical landscape and domestic conditions in both countries.
Welcome back to part two of our interview with Yasheng Huang 黄亚生, the author of The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline.
We cover a lot of ground in this two-hour installment. During the first hour, we discuss…
The aspects of imperial China’s governance Mao chose to embrace, and those he chose to abandon,
The factors enabling Mao’s radical policies compared to imperial rulers,
Why China was able to grow so much faster than India, despite the setbacks of the Cultural Revolution,
Statistical approaches for evaluating the effectiveness of autocratic development models,
China’s economic reforms and rural development policies in the 1980s,
How the events of 1989 permanently altered China’s trajectory,
Whether the rise of Xi Jinping was inevitable,
In the second hour, we discuss...
The Steelman case for why China needed a leader like Xi Jinping,
What sets Xi apart from his predecessors,
Succession challenges and the importance of term limits in authoritarian states,
Why engagement with China failed to produce political liberalization,
How the US could have better leveraged economic relations with China,
Creative approaches to human rights advocacy in China.
Outro music: Nothing to My Name (一无所有) by Cui Jian (崔健) (Youtube Link)
