The Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao EraHarmonious Society

Wanli Hu

The China Program Center

University of Massachusetts Boston

Contents

1. Mao’s Revolutionary Years 1949-19762. Deng Xiaoping’s Economic Reform 1978- 20023. The Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao Era-A Harmonious Society 2002-20124. The Foreign Policy of the Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao Era

Mao’s Revolutionary Years1949-1976

• Mission: Consolidate the new regime

• Ideological Revolution

– Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought

– Continuous revolution

– Revolution-oriented economic development

– Equalitarian but poor society

• Achievements– Gained independence and maintained state sovereignty

– Changed an agrarian China into an industrial China

• Lessons– Lifelong-rule, personal cult and dictatorship

– Isolated China from the world

– Political, economic & social disasters one after another

Deng Xiaoping’s Economic Reform from1978 to 2002

• Mission: Economic development is priority – economic development replaced continuous revolution

– Market-oriented economy

– Stimulated and justified people’s motivation of making fortune

• Open-door policy

• Achievements– China becomes the second largest economy– 400 million people are out of poverty– A free-migrant, dimensioned and dynamic society

appeared

Deng Xiaoping’s Economic Reform

• Lessons– GDP-oriented economic development– Political conservative-corruption– Environment deteriorated– No moral guidance– Imbalance

• The rich vs. the poor (Gini coefficient is 0.458 in 2003)

• East China vs. west China

• City vs. the countryside

• Export vs. domestic market– 70% of GDP comes from investment and export

Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao Era

• Build a harmonious society

• Peaceful development in the world

• A harmonious Society:– Balance between cities and the countryside– Balance between east and west China– Balance between economic development and

healthy society growth– Balance between human beings and environment– Balance between export and domestic market

Balance between city and the countryside

• Tax exempt in the countryside in 2005

• Free education from 1-9 grade in 2011

• Urbanization 48%

Balance between east China and west China

• Help west China catch up east China• Infrastructure, transportation, energy and energy transportation, irrigation The Three Gorges Dam, Tibet railroad, gas transportation

Balance between economic development and healthy society growth

• GDP-oriented economy gave away to a humane society

• Increased concern for social justice, fairness, and the need to create a social safety net

• Respect, understand and take care of people,

and maximize people’s potential development

Balance between human beings and environment

• Reduce GDP to 7% in 2011

• Sustainable development

• Renewable and clean energy: China’s investment is $ 54 billion in 2010 (No. 1 in the world) and its solar and wind energy takes 50% of the world.

Balance between Export and Domestic Market

• Reduce export and stimulate domestic consuming

Limitation of the Hu Jintao Era

• Stability is priority– Political conservative – No press freedom– Corruption has been more serious

4. . The Foreign Policy of the Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao Era

• Peaceful development

• A harmonious world– China respects the current rules which the West

made– Sino-US Economic and Strategic Dialogue

• China won’t challenge the leadership of the US

• The US should respect China’s core interests

Thank you!

•Questions?