Kicking The Hornet’s Nest: Chinese University’s Professor Questions Xi’s Economic Model

Not everyone in China appears to be happy with the economic model adopted by the communist nation since the 1970s. It has now come under attack by a professor from one of China’s most prestigious universities - Peking University, as reported by The Economic Times.

The official website of National Development Research Institute (NDRI) of Peking University, recently hosted an article titled, ‘Understanding the World and the Chinese Economy.’ It was written by Zhang Weiying, a professor at the University. The scholar criticised the ‘China Model’ which attributes, strong intervention by the state in economic affairs, as the cause for the country’s meteoric growth.

The article takes an opposite stand and asserts that marketisation and the opportunities offered by the second-mover advantage, were responsible for China’s transformation into an economic powerhouse. The second-mover advantage is gained by a country when it mimics already-proven growth strategies pioneered by more developed economies.

But this may not end well since the government in China is notorious for suppressing free speech. In 2014, Reuters had reported that Peking University asked students and teachers to fight against criticism of the ruling Communist Party. The same university had fired a professor for advocating democratic reforms in 2013.