What Drives China’s Success?

On September 19, 2014, Alibaba of China created the largest U.S.IPO2= Initial Public Offerings首次公開募股。指一家企業或公司（股份有限公司）第一次將它的股份向公眾出售。in the modern history.Thirty years ago,no one in the world imagined this could happen.Nobody believed that China would be able to grow its GDP3= Gross Domestic Product國內生產總值。at an average of 10% per year, becoming the second largest economy in the world in 2010 and expected to surpass4surpass超過，勝過。the American economy by 2025.Nobody would believe that China has not only become the “World’s Factory,” but also sent their astronauts into space.Since 1978, China has lifted more than 500 million people out of poverty, creating one of the largest economic miracles in the later 20th century.

2014年9月19日，中國阿里巴巴集團在美國上市，近代歷史上美國融資額最大的IPO由此誕生。30年前，沒有人料到這一幕竟會成為現實。沒人相信中國能保持年均10%的GDP增速，并于2010年成為世界第二大經濟體，且中國經濟有望在2025年之前超越美國。也沒有人會想到，中國現在不僅已成為“世界工廠”，還把自己的宇航員送入太空。從1978年至今，中國已使超過5億人擺脫貧困，創造了20世紀末最偉大的經濟奇跡之一。

[2]What drives China’s success? One major explanation is through the introduction of market mechanisms5mechanism機制，機構。, modern technology and management from the West.Since Deng Xiaoping imple-mented6implement使生效，實施。the open and reform policy,China has experienced rapid productivity improvement.Obviously, learning from the West is an essential contributor to China’s economic growth.However,it alone fails to explain why many other nations in Africa, South America and South Asia were unable to duplicate7duplicate復制，重復。China’s success, though lots of them have implemented democracy and have little restriction of trade and information.

[2]那么，中國的成功之道是什么呢？一種主要的說法是，中國從西方引進了市場機制、現代科技和管理方法。自鄧小平推行改革開放政策以來，中國的生產力實現了突飛猛進的發展。顯然，學習西方經驗對促進中國經濟的增長發揮了重要作用。然而，僅憑此說難以解釋為何非洲、南美及南亞的許多國家難以復制中國的成功，盡管這些國家中有許多已推行民主，在貿易與信息方面也幾未設限。

[3]Alternatively8alternatively或者，要不。, some scholars attribute China’s success to better governance9governance管理方法，統治方式。of the Chinese government.Dambisa Moyo, an economist regards China as “new idol for emerging economies.” Thomas Friedman10《紐約時報》專欄作家，曾三次獲得普利策獎。著有《從貝魯特到耶路撒冷》《世界是平的：21世紀簡史》等暢銷書。also gave significant credit11credit贊揚，功勞。to the Chinese government for its ability to get things done quickly by stating “what if we could just be China for one day?”

[3]此外，有些學者將中國的成功歸因于中國政府治國理政的高效高能。經濟學家丹比薩·莫約將中國視為“新興經濟體的新偶像”。托馬斯·弗里德曼還擲地有聲地表示：“要是我們也來當一回中國，只當一天，會怎樣？”——以此盛贊中國政府雷厲風行的治國理政能力。

[4]It is true that the Chinese government has done an extraordinary job in managing a difficult transition12transition過渡期，轉變期。from an isolated nation, to a largely open,economic driven nation without falling into turmoil.The Chinese government has also successfully implemented many pro-development policies such as Special Economic Zones and industrial development guidelines.However, the opposite views could argue that the Chinese government has also created many problems, such as serious corruptions,pollution and inefficiency in allocating13allocate分配，劃撥。economic resources, all of which hinder14hinder妨礙，阻止。growth.As a matter of fact,the Chinese leaders have recognized many weaknesses in their governance and President Xi Jinping has called for modernizing China’s governing systems.Even with the right governmental policies, China cannot achieve success without a highly motivated and competitive workforce—human capital.

[4]的確，在從孤立的國家蛻變為頗為開放的經濟導向型國家的艱難過程中，中國政府表現出色，并始終保持國家穩定。同時，中國政府還成功出臺了許多以發展為先的政策，如經濟特區及工業發展指導方針。然而，也有不同的聲音出現，認為中國政府也引發了許多問題，比如嚴重貪腐、環境污染及經濟資源配置效能低下等——所有上述問題都會阻礙國家發展。事實上，中國的領導層已經認識到其治國理政中存在的諸多不足，國家主席習近平已對推進國家治理體系現代化提出了要求。但即便政府出臺的政策正確合理，若無具備高度積極性和強大競爭力的勞動力大軍，即人力資本，中國仍無法取得現在的成就。

[5]I would argue, among the major drivers for China’s success are the Chinese people, the true creator of China’s economic success and the great culture that shapes their characteristics: ambitious, hardworking, thrifty, caring for their families and relentlessly15relentlessly持續地，不屈不撓地。pursuing good education and success.

[5]因此，我認為，中國民眾對中國取得成功也發揮了舉足輕重的作用，他們是中國經濟成就和偉大文化的真正創造者，正是這樣的文化塑造了中國人的品格：志向高遠，勤勉奮發，生活儉樸，照料家人，對優質的教育和成功孜孜以求。

[6]We all knew the American Dream,a symbol of American ambition.However, people are largely unaware that there are more than 40 Chinese phrases(Chengyu), to encourage children and adults to have big dream for their future.These motivate Chinese people to study diligently and work hard.Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth,and Faith in the New China, authored byNew Yorkerreporter Evan Osnos,echoes this untold secret of China’s success: Ambition, which is calledZhixiangin Chinese.

[6]我們所有人都知道“美國夢”，它象征著美國式的理想。然而，人們大多不知道中文里有40多條成語鼓勵孩童和成人都胸懷大志。這些成語激勵中國人勤勉奮進，勵志篤學。《紐約客》雜志記者歐逸文所著《遠大理想之時代：在新中國追求財富、真相和信念》一書就契合了中國成功背后那個不為人知的秘密：遠大的理想——中文叫作“志向”。

[7]The next secret of China’s success is an emphasis on education.Each year,China educates about 6-7 million college graduates, 40% with engineering and science degrees.Chinese educated scientists and engineers are rapidly driving China’s technological advancements and economic growth.In fact, educated Chinese immigrants have become a major driving force in America’s high tech and engineering industries as well.

[7]中國成功的另一個秘訣是重視教育。中國每年有大約600萬至700萬大學畢業生，其中40%為理工科專業。中國接受過良好教育的科學家與工程師正在迅速推動中國的科技進步與經濟增長。實際上，有高等教育背景的華人移民也已成為美國高科技和工程領域的重要推動力量。

[8]Thrift16thrift節儉。is another secret of China’s success.With a 25% personal saving rate, Chinese people rarely suffer from personal bankruptcies or foreclosures17foreclosure喪失抵押品贖回權，又稱抵押人贖回抵押品權利的取消。指抵押人由于未能履行抵押品贖回期間的要求，從而失去贖回抵押品的權利。.The huge saving by Chinese people have created financial security for many Chinese families, reduced government spending on social welfares, and helped fund many grand infrastructure projects in China, such as the world’s #1 high speed railway system.

[8]中國成功的背后還有一個秘訣，那就是厲行節約。中國的個人儲蓄率高達25%，因而鮮有個人破產或抵押人喪失贖回抵押品權的案例。中國民眾的高額存款確保了很多家庭的財務安全，減少了政府在社會福利領域的開支，并且為一大批重大基礎建設——比如世界第一的高鐵網——提供了財力支持。

[9]The above are just a few examples of how the Chinese culture, predominately18predominately占優勢地，顯著地。Confucian values shapes Chinese people’s characteristics and drive China’s success.In 1979, Herman Kahn, the world-famous futurist,predicted, “the Confucian ethic—the creation of dedicated, motivated, responsible, and educated individuals and the enhanced sense of commitment, organizational identity, and loyalty to various institutions—will result in all the neo-Confucian societies having at least potentially higher growth rates than other cultures.” In 1980,Roderick MacFarquhar,the world-renowned China expert and Harvard Professor declared: “That ideology [Confucianism]is as important to the rise of the east Asian hypergrowth19hyper-growth高速增長。hyper-表示“超出”“高于”。economies as the conjunction20conjunction結合，聯合。of Protestantism and the rise of capitalism in the West.”

[9]上文只是試舉幾例，說明以儒家價值觀為主導的中國文化如何影響了中國人的品格，以及如何推動了中國的成功。享譽世界的未來學家赫爾曼·卡恩在1979年就曾預言：“儒家倫理中的種種理念——培養樂于奉獻、銳意進取、勇擔道義與深思博學之士，增強責任感、組織認同感與對各種體制的忠誠度——會讓所有新儒家社會享有較其他國家（至少可能）更高的增長率。”世界知名的中國問題專家、哈佛大學教授馬若德1980年曾宣稱：“那種意識形態（儒家思想）對東亞急速增長經濟體之崛起的意義十分重大，就像西方基督教新教之于資本主義崛起一樣。”

[10]In my opinion, China’s success is built upon an inseparable three-legged stool: Pro-development government policies, learning from the West, and great cultural values that help create highly motivated and competitive human capital.Today, the global economic rivalry21rivalry競爭，對抗。is not only a competition on governance of a nation, but also a competition on its human capital and cultural values.Any nation who wants to advance their economies needs address both.

[10]在我看來，中國的成功立足于不可分割的三個方面：鼓勵發展的政策導向，學習西方經驗，以及培育具有高度積極性與強大競爭力的人力資本的偉大文化價值觀。如今，全球經濟競爭不單只是治國理政的比拼，更是人力資本與文化價值觀的較量。對任何一個國家而言，要想推動經濟發展，就必須雙管齊下。