British academic Martin Jacques wrote in a recent article in the Financial Times that "China's governance system has been remarkably successful for more than three decades." He also contended that it is a mistaken view to believe "democracy is the sole source of a regime's legitimacy." He pointed out the possibility that "the problems of governance will become more acute in the West than China."
This article echoes the thoughts of US political scientist Francis Fukuyama about the dysfunction of US systems.
Noticeably, Jacques wrote the book When China Rules the World and is considered a China hand in the West. But Fukuyama is known for arguing that the Western system may signal the end of human government.
Now Fukuyama's ideas are drawing close to that of Jacques's. Is this a signal of a certain trend?
Objectively speaking, there are few Western scholars who can break out of the mainstream stances on China and speak truly about it, but the impact of their opinions is rising. These voices emerge at a time amid China's rise and the West's decline. The thoughtful and rebellious spirit that exists in any system has been encouraged by changes across the world.
The West's understanding of China is based during the Cold War era or even earlier, when the socialist system was seen as evil.
In many Western countries, criticizing China's systems is still politically correct.
Pursuing an objective way of portraying China has been rare.
In the West, it is difficult to attract attention when having a completely new understanding of China. It depends on whether China can develop successfully and whether China's current reforms can make another round of remarkable achievements.
The West has controlled the world's fortune and discourse for a few hundred years. It is able to create a mainstream way of thinking and influence the way that some intellectuals in every country think.
Developing countries still need to learn from the West, and this adds to the difficulties in breaking such dogmatism.
We cannot win the battle of ideology between China and the West simply by spirit. The success of China's reforms and development is the real driving force of changing the world's fixated thought patterns.
Yet the confidence of Chinese society still needs the approval and praise of the West to some extent. We feel anxious when there is little encouragement from the West. This is nothing good, but reflects the reality of Chinese society.
The key is that we must do a good job. In the future, the West will recognize us more, while we attach less importance to it.
