-D. Rockefeller
Source of the quote in 1973. The west knew far less about China in 1973 when it was opening up after decades of isolation than it does today.
I think it's a joke to pretend that China is some ideal to aspire to, but sadly, I think the West will have to use similar tactics to continue to compete.
I believe a big part of China's current strength is by actively exploiting the weaknesses of Capitalism. For a long time, they've exploited the race-to-the-bottom of pricing, and they've gotten rich from it, partially through the sacrifice of their people.
Now that China has that new-found wealth (the country and the people), they are using that wealth to exploit Capitalism in a different way. Since Capitalism is inherently less directed and "top-down", now they're able to manipulate industries by being a big buyer instead. This is inherently part of Capitalism, but since the Chinese government has a more direct control of their economy, they're able to leverage a huge amount of economic power in a more directed fashion.
You want to sell that product here? Well, you're going to have to do it our way. Western governments will have to do the same, putting restrictions on what compromises Western companies are allowed to make, and putting restrictions on Chinese products as well.
Is it because my comment isn't pro-authoritarian/totalitarian?
I suspect free people (consumers) see creepy stuff like cyber-dystopian Uighur genocide and when given the chance will go full behind whatever opportunity they have to say “screw you China.”
The information asymmetry is massive that I don't think this tracks reality. Many people just tune out news, others never notice "made in China" stickers, and, what I would suspect to be your average consumer, likely just wants the cheapest toaster.
Furthermore, as the Chinese consumer base is more heavily catered to and grows in wealth, companies are going to ditch the current consumer of last resort and further focus their strategies in China.
Do you know about The Great Chinese Famine due to The Great Leap Forward (Backward) under Mao?
Between 18 million and 45 million starved to death due to failings of centrally planned economy. The single biggest man made disaster in the whole of humanity history.
The today success of China can be traced to Deng Xiaoping opening of the country and the free market reforms the so called socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Bullocks. He was a rich dude who didn't know dick about what was happening in China. At the time the CCP was recovering from the horrible starvation of the Great Leap Forward, and the over-the-top excesses, murders, and repression of the Cultural Revolution.
That quote is a rich dude talking out his ass about shit he didn't know.
> That quote is a rich dude talking out his ass about shit he didn't know.
He knew it very well, but still chose to lie.
I don't think the guys was that much of a complete idiot. This is pretty much like how the current American establishment tries to sell Americans the rationale for its bizarre alliance with the Saudi tinpot kingdom.
And it is also completely no wonder how Saudis started to get into trouble with USA the moment they started to close the door on American money.