Because China has been uniquely successful in pursuing maximum growth and political stability, it now faces new challenges of sustainability. The essence of sustainable development in an increasingly prosperous and co...Because China has been uniquely successful in pursuing maximum growth and political stability, it now faces new challenges of sustainability. The essence of sustainable development in an increasingly prosperous and complex China is to avoid crises. Avoiding crises requires both strategic political guidance of the market in order to avoid economic crises, and modernization of politics in order to avoid societal crises. Government must ensure that the economic base is broadened, that citizens are not exposed to excessive risk by market forces, and that inputs and outputs of production do not degrade or exhaust the environment. Meanwhile, the diversification of Chinese society requires political modernization, including comprehensive expansion of the rule of law, transparency, active citizen participation, and democratization within the Party. While these two directions of reform are different, they depend on one another for their success in the long term.展开更多
文摘Because China has been uniquely successful in pursuing maximum growth and political stability, it now faces new challenges of sustainability. The essence of sustainable development in an increasingly prosperous and complex China is to avoid crises. Avoiding crises requires both strategic political guidance of the market in order to avoid economic crises, and modernization of politics in order to avoid societal crises. Government must ensure that the economic base is broadened, that citizens are not exposed to excessive risk by market forces, and that inputs and outputs of production do not degrade or exhaust the environment. Meanwhile, the diversification of Chinese society requires political modernization, including comprehensive expansion of the rule of law, transparency, active citizen participation, and democratization within the Party. While these two directions of reform are different, they depend on one another for their success in the long term.