The political economy causes of China’s economic success

The China Model in Zimbabwe: The Belt and Road Initiative and Beyond

“…On the Chinese side the key factor which made it quickly embrace Zimbabwe's Look East Policy and literally made it effectively a “Look China Policy,” is its entrance into the WTO in 2001 after 15 years of negotiations. While the pre‐WTO era focused on bringing foreign investment into China, the post‐WTO era was driven by the idea of “going abroad” (Yao 2018). China's accession to the WTO resulted in a phenomenal growth of exports, and a reduction in tariffs both on imports into China and tariffs placed on Chinese products.…”

“…Zimbabwe's Look East Policy could thus have not come at a better time given its abundance in natural resources, especially the much‐needed minerals to feed China's industries. Entry into the WTO came with a demand to establish strategic sources for more secure, and most importantly cheap, sources of raw materials to feed into its huge industrial value chains (Yao 2018). China's strategic economic interests for resources and Zimbabwe's need for international political allies at a time of international isolation are thus the two key elements that have shaped the China model in Zimbabwe.…”

“…This can be traced back to the recommendation system in the Han Dynasty where local officials recommended the most talented young people to join the administrative system of the state (Yao 2018). During the early years of the reform era, Deng Xiaoping reintroduced the positive aspects of China's talent‐based imperial system for choosing and promoting government officials, while abandoning the irrational ones (Yao 2018). This was done via the Rules for the Appointment of Cadres of 2002, which was revised to the Rules for the Selection and Appointment of Leading Party and Government Cadres in 2014.…”

“…This was done via the Rules for the Appointment of Cadres of 2002, which was revised to the Rules for the Selection and Appointment of Leading Party and Government Cadres in 2014. Continuing to assert the CCPs authority of the cadre system, the selection and promotion process applies the principles of seeking talent from a large pool of candidates; valuing virtue and talent, but virtue first; publicly acknowledging performance; a democratic, open, and competitive selection process; democratic centralism; and acting according to the law (Yao 2018). While being open to all who aspire to join the state's administrative system, it nevertheless requires that one joins the system while young and is trained within it, rising through a competence‐based appraisal system (Yao 2018).…”

“…Initially, it was a set of structural adjustment policies responding to the Latin American sovereign debt crisis in the 1980s. It has since evolved to be associated with neoliberal economic policies (Yao 2018). As such, the China model has arisen as a counter to neoliberalism, especially in countries with strained relations with the West, like Zimbabwe.…”