Hello everyone!
Against the fast-moving backdrop of PRC and world dramas, we’re keeping our pledge to pump out revealing episodes.
Featured last time was Wang Xiaolu, a seasoned bread-and-butter (or if you will, rice-and-doufu) economist. Today we introduce a similar, slightly junior figure, Hu Xingdou, 胡星斗, long professor in Beijing Technology Institute’s economics department. Dr Hu covers a somewhat broader beat than Dr Wang, having intervened since the mid-2000s in many social justice debates, hence a more classic ‘public intellectual’ in profile.
There are far more glamorous posts and incumbents than either Wang or Hu. They are not to be dismissed however: they attract little of the social media disparagement of some ideological talking heads, or doubted authenticity of well trained technocrats who hired as chief economists by global banks or consultancies in Beijing, Shanghai, et al. They are the lumpen professoriate, salt of the economics earth.
Hu is even briefer and blunter than Wang in his advice. But while Wang’s ‘Alleviating the difficulties of the private economy’ could see the light of day on the popular Aisixiang platform, Hu’s ‘Advice’ appears nowhere inside the firewall, and is only known to us having been sent offshore as a screenshot.
The following is my translation of it:
Hu Xingdou, "Advice on getting out of the current difficulties”, Zhong-Mei gushi hui, 7 August 2023 [胡星斗:“关于走出当前局势困境的建议”,美中故事汇,2023年8月 7日 (in Chinese).].
Hu Xingdou 胡星斗
Advice on getting out of the current difficulties
About the author: Dr. Hu Xingdou sent a screenshot of his ‘Advice’ to one of our editors. A professor of economics at Beijing Institute of Technology, he teaches and researches development and public sector economics.
As a scholar he has consistently supported reform expansion and deepening, proposing a suite of new ideas: setting up ‘China Issues Studies’, ‘Economics of Vulnerable Groups’, ‘Fair Market Economy’, ‘Humanistic Economy’, and ‘Modern Ag System’.
He urges abolishing township governments and the administrative petition system, the dual household registration system, reeducation through labour, and more.
PRC modernisation made great achievements following reform and opening. Outstanding results were achieved in recent years in preventing financial risk, poverty alleviation, and environmental governance. Meanwhile, it goes without saying that with the changes in the domestic and international situation, China’s modernisation is in trouble.
How to get out of the predicament and start the cause of ‘new reform and opening’?
In line with the principle of ‘three benefits’ (to realising PRC modernisation, to long-term national stability, and to the Chinese people’s welfare and happiness), I suggest that high-level officials
Reiterate their resolve to adhere to the line and policy since the 3rd Plenum of the 11th Central Committee,1 above all to focus on economic construction and continue reform and opening.
Reiterate adherence to the resolution of the 3rd Plenum of the 18th Central Committee,2 to comprehensively deepen reform and opening up.
Reaffirm the determination to govern the country according to the Constitution and establish a government, country, and society ruled by law.
Reiterate Deng Xiaoping’s strategies and principles of keeping a low profile, low-key development, not taking the lead, not arguing, not demarcating by ideology; strive to build good relations with developed countries, coexist peacefully, and avoid a new Cold War.
Reiterate the attitude of completely negating the Cultural Revolution, change the mindset of struggle, return to the concept of peace and harmony, change the image of the spokesperson, especially the spokesperson of the foreign ministry, as a Red Guard ‘Wolf Warriour’, and return to the gentleness, honesty, modesty, and gentleness of the five thousand years of civilisation of the Chinese nation An open and inclusive major country style.
Adhere to Deng Xiaoping’s doctrines: emancipate the mind, seek truth from facts; term system for leaders. Adhere to Mao Zedong Thought: be modest and prudent, neither arrogant nor impetuous, be the people’s public servant, serve the people; carry out criticism and self-criticism, urge the blooming of a hundred flowers and the contention of a hundred schools of thought, urge and institutionalise democratic supervision within the Party.
Change the practice of supporting developing countries and introducing students from backward countries at all costs, stop or downplay enacting the BRI, and focus on domestic construction (the BRI has met with boycott by the WB, the IMF, etc., and China has suffered huge economic losses).
Given building islands and reefs in the South China Sea and PRC strengthening have induced shift of the US strategic centre of gravity eastward and rollout of the Indo-Pacific strategy, seriously hindering China’s modernisation, suspending related construction is recommended to avoid potential military conflict. Given that disputes over the Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea Islands often cause tension with Japan and some ASEAN countries, returning to the established policy of ‘shelving disputes and pursuing joint development’ is recommended to .
Strictly abide by international treaties (WTO agreements), etc., strictly protect intellectual property rights, promote fair competition, stop state advancement and private retreat, stop government subsidies to enterprises, reduce the scope of state-owned monopoly, let private enterprises become market players, enforce the rule of law, improve the business environment, the protection of the property of private enterprises, the establishment of a real market economy dominated by entrepreneurial innovation, and strive for the international community, especially the US, the European Union and Japan, to recogniSe China’s market economy status in the near future.
Downplay the China model, prohibit its ‘export’, and maintain the existing international order. The biggest beneficiary of the existing international order is the PRC. The world trend of globalisation, marketisation, and democratisation won by the US and the West after decades or even two to three centuries of war provided prime external environment opportunities for China’s reform, opening, and modernisation. China has no reason to change it. Just imagine, were there no global market economy, no world order established after World War II, allowing the planned and command economy, totalitarianism, and religious extremism to prevail and dominate the world, how could China have had any chance of reforming and opening? Reform and opening would have been to whom?
The above ten items may be the only choice for the PRC to exit its predicament and move towards modernisation.
Held in 1978, this meeting approved Deng Xiaoping’s planned market-positive reform and opening policy, sidelining Mao’s presumed ‘heir apparent’ Hua Guofeng 华国锋 and preparing for Deng’s clean sweep of the de facto leadership of the Party.
Held in 2012, the swan-song of the Hu Jintao-WenJiabao administration, ushering in the first Xi Jinping term (2013-2018).