The West Wanes, China Grows: What’s at Stake for the Liberal Order?

In less than four decades the People’s Republic of China, embracing landmark market reforms, lifted more than 800 million of its people out of poverty and became the second largest economy in the world, next only to the United States (US). This success has arguably become the world’s favourite 21 st -century ‘economic miracle’. [1] As China’s feat was achieved by opening up the economy, many Western analysts had assumed that the country will open up politically as well. However, China has only emerged as an increasingly authoritarian state in the recent years, shutting all doors to political reform.