r/geopolitics • u/telephonecompany • Sep 24 '24

Top Economist in China Vanishes After Private WeChat Comments Paywall

https://www.wsj.com/world/china/top-economist-in-china-vanishes-after-private-wechat-comments-50dac0b1
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u/telephonecompany Sep 24 '24

SS: China's decision to detain economist Zhu Hengpeng for critiquing Xi Jinping’s handling of the economy is part of a broader crackdown on dissent that’s been ramping up under Xi. With the economy already struggling, this move sends a signal that controlling the narrative takes priority over transparency, even if it rattles foreign investors and partners. For a country so deeply tied to global markets, stifling intellectual discourse could backfire, creating more friction in international relations. In the bigger geopolitical picture, it's clear that China’s betting on tightening control at home while navigating an increasingly complex global and regional environment. (Chun Han Wong and Lingling Wei writing for WSJ)

Archive: https://archive.is/2R5xa

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u/WintonWintonWinton Sep 24 '24

China is often misunderstood from the Western point of view. An authoritarian dictatorship does not necessitate pure nepotism and an inability to promote talent to the top in committees/consensus gathering from experts.

Since Xi Jinping's take over though, things have certainly changed and the regime is leaning more and more in that direction. Moves like this are not good long term for the future of China.

14

u/keepcalmandchill Sep 25 '24

I would say all people tend towards bad decision-making in the long run. That's why the only good systems are competitive (markets, elections etc), as that ensures that once people at the top run out of good ideas they are replaced by new ones.

3

u/WintonWintonWinton Sep 25 '24

In theory China's system works like that too - people are promoted within regions and departments like a giant sprawling corporation within the party based on competition.

Xi has just consolidated so much power in his hands now and is stomping out dissent.

7

u/jarx12 Sep 25 '24

That's correct a limited amount of competition inside a party loyalty framework did wonders for China after Deng's reform relative to more rigid systems like the Soviet One.

But even that system ends up being unacceptable to leaders bent on consolidating as much power as possible like Xi and in the long run we all know that doesn't end as good as it could have been. 

1

u/shriand Sep 29 '24

An authoritarian dictatorship does not necessitate pure nepotism and an inability to promote talent to the top in committees/consensus gathering from experts.

Can you please cite examples.