Opinion | From Taiwan to the economy, the West is being overly pessimistic about Xi Jinping’s China
- The West fears a reverse of economic reforms, sees a lack of political progress and accuses Beijing of becoming aggressive and provocative, particularly on Taiwan
- Yet America’s China-bashing is closely linked to its domestic politics, and accusations of Chinese sabre-rattling must be seen in the context of US provocations
There is an enormous amount of animosity in Western media towards Chinese President Xi Jinping’s purported power grab: Xi has been depicted as a Maoist ideologue who cares about nothing but absolute control of the party and economy.
Some China observers predict that Xi will reinstate a centrally planned system, dismantling or rolling back the free market reforms of the last four decades. These perceptions will prove excessive and simplistic.
First, although Xi will run the country with an iron fist, this does not mean overturning the policies that have produced economic prosperity. He understands the legitimacy of his rule is crucially dependent on delivering economic well-being. It would be sheer stupidity to reverse the pro-market economic policies that have worked.
