State Liberty and State Capability in China
State liberty, also known as state hegemony, refers to the right to rule oneself without intervention by other entities or countries. State capability refers to a country's ability to exercise substantial control over the results of its economic growth, political consolidation, civil wars, and international security.
China's State Sovereignty and Capability
China is one country that can be said to have both state sovereignty and capability due to its ability to expand strategically and economically without being influenced by other countries. Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet (Xizang), and Xinjian are among the provinces with strongly autonomous administrative districts that have their own city governments.
One of the major developments the country has achieved is the construction of the high-speed railway making it one of the world's owners of high-end infrastructure (Osnos 44). Its leadership faces little influence from leaders of other countries enabling it to develop and compete globally. The country has recorded positive growth although it experiences several challenges such as increased corruption, stealing of public funds, and income inequality gap while its capacity has also led to overproduction of goods some of which are of poor quality.
China's Autonomy and Poverty Reduction
The Chinese high autonomy has enabled the nation to achieve the goal of becoming one of the world's economic giants. However, it takes several measures since globalization can destabilize the country's social and political order.
Its autonomous state has enabled it to join the other nations in reducing the world's poverty rates especially over the past quarter of a century. For instance, in 1981, the population that lived below the international level of poverty was more than 50 percent according to Krishna (20). By 2005, the number living in poverty reduced from about 1.9 billion to 1.4 billion due to various measures by different states (Krishna 21). China is one of the nations that have helped in bringing the numbers down due to its policies of making the country a developed economy.
China's Autonomy in Global Matters and Cultural Advocacy
China has low autonomy in global matters although it has not surrendered its dominance over economic developments for its national interests even if it can cause slowdown growth. For example, it revalues its currency at its own pace without considering the pressure especially from developed nations such as the United States of America and other western nations. Their demand for China to appreciate its currency's value more quickly has been ignored. However, it has to give in to some conditions that allow fair trade especially laws governing quality standards of goods for export. Its autonomy can also be noticed in its effort of advocating its cultural values especially its traditions such as their clothing, festivities, arts, and cuisine among others but there is great influence from American and western culture.
China's Economic and Political Capacity
China's capacity can be defined in terms of its economic and political achievements especially in the twentieth century. The country is producing enough for the local use and export dominating several world markets especially in developing nations. Its excess industrial capacity may lead to shortages in the future if the government does not regulate production.
Excess capacity has many impacts on the global markets especially for aluminum and steel due to dumping. The coal industry is expanding leading to the country's quick economic growth with an annual output of about 9 percent according to 2011 reports (Wright 143). This has led to massive creation of jobs and income for many Chinese people since it provides jobs to more than 10 million persons. In addition, it is producing about half of the coal in the world and produces about 70 percent of energy in China (Wright 144). However, corruption and rent extraction lead to poor earnings by the workers since the miners require nine different permits before starting operations. This increases the cost of mining to the mine owners who have to pay off some officials to be allowed to operate (Wright 144). The railway transportation system is one of China's major developments such as the Beijing South Station, which has a capacity of handling two hundred and forty million persons every year (Osnos 44). These developments have put China ahead of other nations since they have led to the growth of its economy.
Positive and Negative Impacts of Autonomy and Capacity
China's state capacity and autonomy have both positive and negative impacts on the economy. The autonomy has enabled the nation to deal with global influence and concentrate on making the country better for its citizens. For instance, its currency is more stable and trade policies adopted are inclined towards benefiting Chinese people and not the foreign nations. However, this autonomy is also dangerous since it has led to an increase in corruption and misuse of power among the leaders. For instance, the former Minister of Railways Liu zhijun was a very powerful and corrupt individual. This led to overriding of safety and proper procedures during the railway project that led to the accident involving a high-speed train killing 4 and injuring 192 persons (Osnos 44).
The Chinese capacity also has its positives and negatives in the economy of the People's Republic. Increased productivity of the nation and development in various infrastructural and other facilities have reduced poverty and improved the living standards of several people. For instance, transport and communication facilities have facilitated trade both internal and with other nations. However, overcapacity may lead to future shortages of some vital materials such as steel lead to dumping in other nations, and affect global prices. It may also lead to over-exploitation of resources such as coal. A country such as Peru is trying hard to save its precious land by driving out illegal miners from the Tambopata reserve (Daley). China should also figure out ways of protecting its lands, mines, and other assets to prevent depletion and reduce corruption.
Conclusion
In conclusion, state autonomy and capacity have both positive and negative impacts on an economy. China is a country that exercises its autonomous state and enjoys its economic and political capacity to run the nation. Several developments have emerged and it has managed to reduce poverty levels for its people and improve their living standards. Despite the challenges such as corruption by top officials, China has improved its various sectors in the past twenty years.
Works Cited
Daley, Suzanne. "Peru Scrambles to Drive out Illegal Gold Mining and Save Precious Land". Nyti.Ms, 2017, http://nyti.ms/2acjifH. web.
Krishna, Anirudh. "The Mixed News on Poverty." Current History 112.750 (2013): 20-25. Print.
Osnos, Evan. "Boss Rail." The New Yorker 22 (2012): 44-53. Print.
Wright, Tim. "Coal Mining in China: The Social Costs." Geo. J. Int'l Aff. 14 (2013): 143-152. Print.
