https://www.scmp.com/rss/318957/feed Stein Ringen, a Norwegian political scientist, is emeritus professor at the University of Oxford. He started his academic career at the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo and was subsequently professor of welfare studies at the University of Stockholm. He has held visiting professorships and fellowships in Paris, Berlin, Prague, Brno, Barbados, Jerusalem, Sydney, Hong Kong, and at Harvard University. He has been assistant director general in the Norwegian Ministry of Justice, a... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Western misunderstanding of Communist China has been called “the liberal myth”. With our mindset and experience, it is almost impossible to grasp that a country can fail to open up politically when it opens up economically. “The more we bring China into the world,” said then president Bill Clinton, “the more the world will bring freedom to China.” We thought the new middle class would make itself a force for liberalisation. But, in the socialist market economy, it has instead aligned itself... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2023935/how-west-got-china-wrong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2023935/how-west-got-china-wrong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Oct 2016 02:03:06 +0000 Under the forceful leadership of Xi Jinping (習近平), a new China is emerging: more assertive and aggressive. Tensions are building again. The neighbouring countries are the most exposed, as seen in China’s expansion and base-building in the South China Sea. South China Sea warning looms over G7 summit The two decades between Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) and Xi were the golden years for the People’s Republic. The economy grew ferociously. The country was at peace. There was hope of liberalisation. It was... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1935114/xi-jinping-flirts-danger-his-turn-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1935114/xi-jinping-flirts-danger-his-turn-ideology?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Apr 2016 06:15:15 +0000 One consequence of the dramatic Chinese stock market crash is this: it has hit home that the economy is not all it is made up to be. There has been economic growth, of course, but there have also been smoke and mirrors. Only a few months ago, the Financial Times, otherwise not an uncritical source, described China as the world's biggest economy. Today, no serious observer would entertain that kind of fantasy. INFOGRAPHIC: China vs the US - a tale of two economies There are two main reasons why... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1870281/smoke-and-mirrors-just-how-big-chinas-economy-really?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1870281/smoke-and-mirrors-just-how-big-chinas-economy-really?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Oct 2015 04:45:00 +0000 If you want to know the character of a state, look to taxes. The Chinese state is ferociously extractive, in a way that would not be sustainable if it were to depend on popular consent. The tax burden is officially 25 to 30 per cent of GDP but in reality much heavier. The state takes money off its people in three ways: by taxes called taxes, by taxes that are not called taxes, and by hidden extractions inside the economy itself. Formal taxes go into the "general budget". In addition, the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1783301/high-cost-chinas-heavy-tax-burden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1783301/high-cost-chinas-heavy-tax-burden?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2015 16:08:12 +0000