China’s economic ascent was once welcomed in the west. Since the financial crisis, however, China is increasingly viewed as pursuing a domestic policy of government domination and an international policy driven by beggar-thy-neighbour mercantilism. There is evidence to support these fears but they do not add up to a conscious decision to embark on a more aggressive model. And if the west misinterprets Chinese changes, it will only make matters worse. It is true that China’s economy is moving in a statist direction. Recovery from the crisis was helped with a large stimulus. Local spending added to this, leading to local government-backed debts of close to $1,000bn. Changes in industrial policy can cause concern too: state plans to boost technological development up to 2020 have raised worries among western companies that government support will give Chinese groups an unfair advantage. China has also yet to join the World Trade Organisation’s government procurement agreement, which guarantees equal access for foreign and domestic companies.
中國的經濟上行曾經受到西方的歡迎。然而，自金融危機以來，越來越多的西方人認爲，中國推行的是由政府主導的國內政策和以鄰爲壑的重商主義國際政策。這些擔憂可以找到證據支持，但這並不等於說，中國是有意識地決定採取一種更爲激進的模式。而如果西方誤讀了中國的變化，只會讓事情變得更糟。