How To Engage the Middle Kingdom in the New Multilateralism

Very recently Minxin Pei, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reminded us in his “sober” and sobering analysis of China what a difficult issue China poses. In his Financial Times article of February 24, 2006 called “China is Stagnating in Its ‘Trapped Transition’ ” and also in the “Dark Side of China’s Rise,” in the current March/April 2006 issue of Foreign Policy reminds us about, ‘the anomolies of the Chinese economic transition’ and the failed efforts at democratization. Pei suggests “the ruling elites have little interest in real reforms. They may pledge reforms, but most such pledges are lip service or tactical adjustments aimed at maintaining the status quo.” And in the economic sphere Pei points to the bottom line: not withstanding the economic structural reforms the Chinese state still, “owns 60 per centof fixed assets and dominates vital industrial sectors, from financial services to energy. Today, Beijing’s guiding principle Continue reading