Definition
China’s Success Roots refers to the historical analysis of China’s economic miracle (1978–2010) as a result of grassroots market reforms and “spontaneous” liberalization, rather than the strategic planning of the Communist Party.
Why It Matters
It warns that centralized command often takes credit for spontaneous market success, and that suppressing the “periphery” in favor of the “centre” leads to long-term stagnation.
Core Concepts
- Grassroots Capitalism: The reform process was initiated by hungry farmers privatizing land in secret (“like a chicken pest”) and unemployed youth starting small businesses in cities.
- The Maoist Myth: The belief that the Party’s industrial policy created the miracle. In reality, everything that took China out of poverty happened outside the five-year plans.
- Crossing the River: Deng Xiaoping’s success was not in planning, but in “not punishing the pioneers” and turning spontaneous forces into conscious policy.
- The Authoritarian U-Turn (post-2010): Since 2012, Xi Jinping has rolled back reforms, concentrated power, and prioritized state-owned companies, leading to declining productivity and total factor productivity.