China’s economic growth at risk from societal stagnation, scholar warns of the ‘most significant crisis of our time’
- Lu Dewen, a sociology professor specialising in rural governance at Wuhan University, warns of a trend of superficiality rather than substance
- Analysts say addressing the causes likely requires intervention from the highest levels of leadership amid China’s sluggish economic recovery
China’s economic growth is under risk of being hollowed out by formalism, bureaucracy and a growing sense of resignation from the bottom up, according to a prominent scholar from Wuhan University.
“In various sectors, there is a trend towards superficiality rather than substance, leading to societal stagnation, which constitutes the most significant crisis of our time,” Lu Dewen, a sociology professor specialising in rural governance, said in a WeChat post on Sunday following a recent field trip to rural areas in China.
“Grass-roots governments prioritise reporting to higher authorities rather than addressing real issues.
“Village-level organisations prioritise meeting superior directives over serving the community, and even when they do serve the community, it is often merely to put on a show for higher officials.”
Universities are touting the innovation talent cultivation loudly, but the specific measures often only encourage low-level repetition
He also mentioned that during a reunion with middle school classmates, who are public servants, teachers, doctors, businesspeople and state-owned firm employees, they all expressed concerns over the trends of formalism at work.