ISBN: 978-84-1142-793-7
© Pablo Agustín Franco García
https://doi.org/10.58842/YEEZ3900
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ABSTRACT
China is right now in one of the most important moments of its history, it is about to become a developed country, but it has not achieved that yet. It is rather on the limit between a developed and a developing country. Because of this, China has to carefully prepare itself to become a fully developed country, since if they don’t transition and develop, that might prevent the country from reaching the living conditions and competitive economies similar to those of the western countries. The Chinese society has changed in a similar way as the country has, it too has become more developed and has changed their problems as well as aspirations. Four decades of economic growth have also brought their own set of problems and consequences to the country, like growing inequality, worsening environmental conditions, or an outdated economic model. The Chinese Communist Party, unlike what many people think, is responsive towards the public opinion. It cares and addresses the issues that people are more concerned about at the same time that they keep in mind its own agenda. In this thesis I will analyze China’s main worries, goals, and the topics that the Chinese society is more concerned about. All of these have become goals or challenges that the party is going to face if the government really wants to make China a country with similar economic and living standards as the western world. My goal in this thesis is to analyze the most important issues that the party is trying to address, how these have developed during the past few years and the solutions that are being taken to deal with them.
Keywords: China, Communist Party, Economy, Environment, Development, Transition, Technology.
DEDICATION
I would like to thank all of those who over the years or during the writing of this thesis, have inspired me to keep researching and learning about China. Specially my mother María Jesús, my tutor and vice Dean of my major Dr. Andrew John Richards, and lastly Mr. Xulio Ríos who introduced me to the realities of China.
INTRODUCTION
In December 1978, the CCP implemented a series of reforms that have brought China some of the highest growth rates that the world has ever seen. When Deng Xiaoping implemented his reforms, China was a closed, backwards, and agricultural country. The country was in an unstable position after the turbulent years of the cultural revolution. And their rivalry with the capitalist west and the Soviet bloc had led them internationally isolated. But after more than 4 decades of constant economic growth, China and the Chinese society have massively changed. This process has turned the country into the second biggest economy in the world. China has now areas, like Shanghai or Shenzhen that resemble the most advanced and developed areas in the western world. China has become the main exporter and trade partner for most countries in the world, overcoming the US. And China’s population is now educated and live in a globalized world. But this process has also brought several problems to the country that have been affecting its people, as environmental problems, or a demographic crisis. The people expect that the government should address these issues, keep providing growth and improving their lives, thus pressuring the government to act. The government is also concerned with other issues that are affecting the country as a whole, but are not directly affecting the population, like the need to change their productive system or further develop their own technological sectors. China is now in a critical stage, since if the government is able to successfully implement the reforms that it has envisioned, China could really become a developed country, but if the government fails in this task, China might never become fully developed.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Table of Illustrations
Abstract and Key Words
Dedication
Introduction
The Chinese Dream and Its Challenges
China’s Economic and Technological Transition
Inequality and the Housing Bubble
Corruption
The Belt and Road Initiative
Pollution and Climate Change
Conclusions
Bibliography
Ilustrations
Figure 1 Evolution of China’s manufacturing as the percentual share of its GDP
Figure 2. Evolution of China’s average wage since 2017
Figure 3. Evolution of China’s population and future estimations
Figure 4. Coal consumption in China and the rest of the world