From bicycle to skyscrapers: Lessons from China
Yet, others who are viewing her rise from the global context of domination and exploitation see the rise as an affront on ‘world order’, a short-hand for neocolonial imperialism. Hence she has been accused severally of destroying the ecosystem, ‘abuse of human rights’ and sub-standard labour practices. Therefore, her socio-economic transformation upon which her rise […]
Yet, others who are viewing her rise from the global context of domination and exploitation see the rise as an affront on ‘world order’, a short-hand for neocolonial imperialism. Hence she has been accused severally of destroying the ecosystem, ‘abuse of human rights’ and sub-standard labour practices. Therefore, her socio-economic transformation upon which her rise was predicated does not meet ‘international standards’. Thus, her development has come under severe implicit and explicit bashing that one could conclude is out of envy and frustration. In the face of this barrage of criticisms, outright accusations and antagonism coming from the developed countries of the world, however, she has been soaring like the rising sun without looking back even during the economic meltdown that devastated the world recently, the aftermath of which America and Europe are still grappling with presently in the form of budget deficits and economic depression.
There are numerous lessons to learn from China’s dramatic socio-economic transformation and development. The first lesson is the principle of knowing what one’s problems are and the strategies to solve them pragmatically putting into consideration geography, history and culture. This principle was summarized in one of the sayings of the founder of modern China, Deng Xiaoping, as elaborated upon by another great leader of our time, Mahathir Mohamed, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, in one of his books titled “Globalisation and the New Realities”, when he wrote; ‘Deng said that we should seek truth from facts. That means we should not deduce truth from our hopes, however noble. We should not deduce truth from our expectations, however certain. Or from conventional wisdoms of the day, however widely held. Or from edicts of theologians, however exalted. Or from simple ideology of the ideologues, however persuasive. We should deduce truth from facts. Deng also said that it does not matter whether the cat is black or white so long as it catches mice’. This brings us to the issue of relativity.
Relativity is an eternal truth embedded in nature itself. It explains the relative differentials in geography, weather conditions, behaviours, level of technological development and underdevelopment, system of government and laws across the world. Relativity accounts for differences in everything and even the choices we make. Thus, every problem, however, similar may require different solution because they are only similar and not the same. Yet, the ends they differently seek may be the same. Owing to this fact, the Chinese sought development and good life for their people, and they realize that their society is a different one from whence come models and theories of development. And this recognition led to the formulation and implementation of different models and theories of development that took into account their geography and historical realities, and their socio-cultural development over time. It is this understanding of relativity as an important factor in development as well as a source of pragmatism that is geared towards solving problems of development and the kind of choice we make concerning development models, which led inevitably to the development and utilization of alternative models and paradigms of development by the Chinese that suits their own purposes. This eternal fact, that is, relativity, as a source of pragmatic knowledge about how leaders should solve their countries’ problems, is one of the most important philosophy behind the Chinese spirit of ‘we know what our problems are’.
Recognizing what one’s country’s problems are and fashioning out strategies to serve them is part and parcel of pragmatic knowledge leaders across the world must possess in an uncommon manner in order to uplift their people from poverty and destitution. This is where countries like China, Singapore and Malaysia stood out against countries from Africa. The leadership of these countries all recognized relativity as a real guide in the choice leaders make, and pragmatism as a tool of sound judgment when making a choice, that they refused to pin the development of their countries to noble hopes, certain expectations or ideology of ideologues that are persuasive. This explains why the leaders of these countries went addressing the problems of their countries from their own environmental realities and peculiarities, which are the first truth and, at the same time, their reality.
Today, China has moved from being a food rationing republic, with hardly paved thin roads which means of transportation were bicycle, horse-pulled carts, old fashioned railways and poorly dressed peoples, to a republic of skyscrapers, with often confusing highways, modern fast light trains, automobiles and aircrafts with rich and abundant food. From a home of five million bicycles in the middle of 1970s to an exporter of human resources, technology, expertise, goods and services in addition to housing most of the corporations of the world. Currently, she has 2.3 trillion dollars in reserve and gives aid and loan to needy third world countries. In this lie great lessons for third world countries, especially Africa, and of course Nigeria.
Abdulrahman Abu Hamisu, Director, Research and Publication, Center for Political Research, Education & Development, Plot 12, Area Council Road, Gwagwalada, Abuja, [email protected]