(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) A reporter from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in Shanghai commented that in discussions in Germany about China's economic rise, people tend to overexaggerate the role of centralization and ignore the real source of China's economic vitality. The commentary titled "Ruthless Chinese Capitalism" reads:
"Contrary to the popular impression, China is not an absolutely centralized country, but will give provinces considerable autonomy. In many economic policies, such as controlling overcapacity, the central government is obviously helpless to local governments. In China, this phenomenon is known as 'the sky is high and the emperor is far away'."
Because of this, people living in China will be surprised: How could anyone draw the conclusion from China's rise that only restricting competition can help Europe get out of its predicament? In fact, competition in China is much more brutal than in Europe. In China, job hopping and layoffs are commonplace, working hours are long and vacations are short. BYD employees often only have two days off per month and usually live in multi-person dormitories with bunk beds. The housing market is also very flexible, and you have to move into a home within days, not months.
When they see French rioters venting their dissatisfaction and despair by burning down city hall and other methods, many Chinese people just shrug their shoulders: they should be allowed to do some hard work with long working hours. As evidenced by absenteeism emails, some Europeans are on summer vacation for months at a time, and many employees are literally completely unreachable by their employers. This situation is really incredible to the Chinese people. "
China's success is first due to the country's high recognition and encouragement of competition, and the competition mechanism is also widely used. The competition mechanism also applies to primary and secondary schools and universities. Chinese teenagers will do everything for their studies, even damaging their bodies. Competition among enterprises has become more intense. Overtime work is the norm, and employees may even be required to be on call 24 hours a day. The automobile industry has even developed to the point of discrediting each other's opponents. "
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung commented that competition mechanisms are ubiquitous at all levels of Chinese society, while European society is trying to hinder competition and overemphasizes protection and balance. Of course, fierce competition has also brought corruption, waste, overcapacity, and cruel exploitation of workers to China, among other disadvantages:
"The so-called 'involution' phenomenon has become ubiquitous in China. It specifically refers to an inward and destructive competition mechanism: although the people participating in it try their best, the cake does not get bigger. After all, China's economy has been in a state of crisis over the past few years.
In view of this, some people draw the conclusion from the rise of China that Europe should strengthen national control and restrict competition, thinking that this can solve the problems Europe is currently facing. This view is really ridiculous. You know, Chinese-style capitalism is much more cruel than continental Europe. "
"The appeal of the West is fading"
"Der Spiegel" commented that the "China fever" on TikTok and other social media reflects that China's economic development, green transformation and social security are attracting more and more Westerners with various political stances to yearn for.
“After several friends returned from a trip to Beijing, although they still criticized this country with ubiquitous surveillance, they also admitted that thanks to these surveillance cameras, they can travel carefree anytime and anywhere in China. Has China become a safe paradise?
Is it true that the free world is about to lose to an authoritarian regime for the first time in the competition between institutions? Our industry is already in danger, partly because of its own mistakes, such as excessive bureaucracy, energy policy mistakes, etc. But on the other hand, it is also because China has gained unfair competitive advantages through government subsidies and currency manipulation, and we are helpless.
Now, China's soft power is also beginning to exert its power: the global Labubu craze, the extremely cool Robot Olympics video, and the rich and colorful Chinese culture. The further the United States goes into decline under Trump, the more popular China fever becomes.
When my emotions are high, I firmly believe that a country like China, which practices authoritarian rule, promotes state capitalism, and has an increasingly aging population, will never be attractive and innovative enough to win the institutional competition.
But in dark moments, I ask myself, is our free world ready to deal with this? Currently, I haven't found the answer. "
