The later 1980s were a period of erratic growth—rapid but unstable. Tigers and sea turtles spurred development throughout the decade: East Asia’s “tiger” economies—Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea—paved China’s way in state-led, export-intensive growth. China's “Sea turtles” were the many overseas Chinese who brought capital and knowledge acquired abroad back to their mother country. However, unresolved contradictions lurked in the new political economy of Deng’s China. Frustrations over stalled political reform—enflamed by widespread urban economic grievances over inflation and corruption—erupted in street demonstrations that paralyzed the PRC in the spring of 1989. The Tiananmen crisis would have lasting political repercussions on the cause of democracy—but also unintended economic aftereffects.
Autocracy and Economic Freedom Brought Growth
Period:
Reckoning (1985-89) | Tiananmen Crisis
Tiananmen Happened in an Immature Moment in History
Chen Ping is the executive chairman of the board of TideTime Group, a company primarily engaged in education, media & culture, and investment. In September 2004, TideTime Group became the single largest shareholder of Sun Sports Media and renamed the company TideTime Sun in April 2005.
Mr. Chen is also chairman of the board and CEO of TideTime Sun, which operates broadcasting, publishing, and other media-related businesses. It also holds 30 percent ownership of Sun TV, the first independent broadcaster serving Chinese audiences across Asia.
These newly resurgent Asian countries were able to develop because of their political autocracy and economic freedom. This undoubtedly applies to China. Because China was a very closed country prior to the reform, China's labor costs and environmental costs were the lowest. Also, compared with South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, its political centralization was the strongest. In past 30 years of globalization, China's opportunities and growth surpassed that of the Four Tigers because of this combination of low cost and high political centralization.
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